Nelson
*Manon found herself search for her next meal once more in the Ombu forests. A forest so large that it was rumored to be ever changing. Over night trails and footprints often vanish which usually ended in people getting lost if they didn't know what to search for. For those smart enough, there was constellation that marked the way to the nearest city. The only issue was getting a clear view of the sky itself between the green ceiling of leaves above.* 

*Manon didn't have any fancy armor or sword, she wasn't much of a fighter in that regard. She had a brown handbasket in one hand and a wooden staff in the other. The meal she searched for wasn't one of meat however, more the blood of another creature. She hated when her hunger surfaced, she hated that she had to hurt the things she wished to protect. Her she was using her nature magic to sense nearby animals, hesitant to choose which would fall pray. Without so much of moving a muscle a cluster of vines wrapped around a buck's legs somewhere off in the distance. The Vampire started her slow walk towards the creature that would her some time to reach.*
James
*In the branches above Manon, a boy lay sprawled out on a large bough, snoozing lightly after having been turned around in the woods. He stirred when he heard the underbrush rustling. He opened one eye and peered down to the forest floor, where a pale woman holding a basket stalked through the woods. Whoever they were, they didn't seem lost. More like they were going somewhere. It intrigued the boy. Enough that he got up and crouched on the branch to observe the woman*
Nelson
*As the woman moved forward, branches and bushes both leaned from her path. Sometimes a branch would snap but either way a path parted for her to travel with minimal resistance. This was something that she did almost subconsciously now at this point. Spending so much time in these forests honed her nature magic prowess. She felt something move using her magic as her sonar but whatever it was didn't move as she passed. Either she was being stalked by a pray or it was harmless, either way she continued further.*

*Walking past a rather large bush as her pray remained pinned onto the ground. The poor beast was panicking and his cries always pulled at her heart strings. She made her way to the backside of the animal, always staying clear from the hooves. She had been kicked enough times to learn this lesson the hard way. Normally she wouldn't go after larger animals, but so far she had killed every small animal she fed off from. Lowering her staff onto the ground and moved her hand over the Buck's eyes, shielding herself from sight as she sank her fangs into the animals neck.*
James
*From his perch in the trees, the boy sucked in a breath* "Goddamn." *He crouched lower,one hand holding a branch of balance while his free hand reached for his sword. He moved quietly, thinking about what his Dad had said about bloodsuckers*
*"Immortal, don't like Holy stuff.." Yeah that's pretty much al he could recall about them. But the way this woman acted, covering the animal's eyes?*

*The deer struggled, the boy used its struggles to drop to the forest floor undetected. Moving closer to the woman, but being mindful to keep a solid barrier between them, like a tree or large bush. Circling stealthily*
Nelson
*The vampire continued to suck the Buck's blood for a few minutes. She could faintly feel it's pulse press against her lips though she hadn't tried something like this before. It was hard for her to maintain focus on the buck himself. She wanted to keep it alive but the threat of being pulled into bloodlust of feeding tempted to take her. Thankfully her need to preserve this was a little stronger than her need to feed. Slowly she pulled back from bound animal, it's movements slower than before as it probably felt the fatigue brought by blood loss. The hand covering his eyes moved to her bite mark as she began healing the puncture wounds she had left in it's flesh. That was the easy part, the hard part was getting him to eat afterwards.* 

*She stood up and ran towards a nearby bush, another gift of having nature magic was knowing what resources were nearby. In her hand she had a handful of berries as she brought it towards his mouth. The words that came out of her mouth were not any language a mortal could hear. She was able to speak to animals as she tried to comfort it.*
James
*He continued to observe the woman as she fed. Confused at her strangely gentle manner when handling her prey. This wasn't like the Vampires he'd heard about. Maybe she's an odd one?*

"Just what are you thinking, lady?" *The crept closer until he was only a few meters away from her, she knelt by the deer, feeding it something from her palm. Still keeping a hand on his Chotel Blade, he ran through everything he could think of about Vampires, any obscure tale his parents had told him about kind ones*
Nelson
*Manon turned her head to see the male approach. She had to fight every instinct to not jump from being startled. Her cat like pupils moved from his hand to his face, a deep inhale escaped her lips as she looked down at the still scared buck.* 

"I'm not sure if I understand your question, Sir." *She began stroking the fur of the buck, maybe she should just let him run free. This was the first time she managed to feed and not kill the host, it came with the assumption that it would need medical care after the blood lost.* 

"I can't say I'm thinking many positive things right now."
James
*Griffon startled when she spoke to him, not expecting to be seen. "Guess there's no point hiding anymore, then."*
*He got up from crouching and stepped closer, looking down at the woman and the buck* 
"You're a Vampire. And a mage too, by the looks of it." *The boy gestured to the Deer's neck, where the puncture marks had faded* "You didn't kill it. Why?"
Nelson
*She didn't know what to say really, ever since she was turned she was being compared to other vampires. She couldn't even be a doctor in the city despite being blessed with holy magic. She had plenty of answers but all defy what she was supposed to do. She was meant to feed endlessly off the life of other living creatures and leave. She felt like a plague that rolled in and claimed lives.* 

"Yes, And yes." *She answered his first two statements, her gaze leaving the male as he exposed himself into the open. A small smile spread across her pink lips as the buck began eating from her palm.* "I don't enjoy harming animals.." *She took a glance at the man before smiling faintly.* "Or people." *She added, though she had only fed off a person a single time in her life. Thankfully he didn't die either.*
James
"Then you're unlike the Vampires I've been told about. That may be a good thing." *The boy took his hand off his sword and stepped closer* "Where'd you come from? Tunuar?"

*As he stepped closer, the boys' outfit became apparent. Mud-caked boots and a grey shirt that may have once been white. Gloves covered his hands and as he pushed his grey hair from his eyes, his pupils were a bright violet. His stence was more relaxed now, but he kept looking from the woman, to her staff, then the deer, and the terrain. Seemingly trying to take in as much as possible*

"Also, you got a name?"
Nelson
*As the male took a step closer her hand shot to her staff, grasping the middle of it as she rose to her feet. She also dropped all the berries onto the ground and took a step back. She didn't know who this person was, just a moment ago he had his hand on his sword as well. Either he wasn't very smart or he thought she wasn't very smart. She decided to release the Buck so it wouldn't fall if a fight did break out.* 

"You ask a lot of questions, what is it that you want with me?" *She said warily, the whole reasons why she was in the woods was to avoid human confrontation. Too many times she had been hunted for crimes she didn't commit. Just because a body came up with bite marks didn't mean* *She* *Was the one who did it. For all she knew he was the one tasked with dispatching her.*
James
*His hand went to his swords as she grabbed her staff* "Woah, hey! I just wanna talk." *He didn't remove his hands from his swords, but he changed his direction, circling around the Vampire instead of stepping closer*

"I've never met a Vampire before. Are all of you this skittish?" *He looked down to the Deer* "Almost as jumpy as him." *He kept his tone light, stopping his circling once he'd moved 180 degrees from where he had started* 
"I wanted to know though, do you live in the City? Or do you have some kinda hut here in the woods?" *His brow furrowed* "No wait, that's Witches that live in huts in the woods." *He looked back to the woman* "Are you roomies with a Witch?"
Nelson
*She maintained eye contract with him as he circled around, always keeping the same distance between herself and him. She listened to his words, his questions but it was rather impolite for him to ask without introducing himself first. Once he stopped she took another step backwards, careful to not step on the Deer.* 

"I'll answer those questions once you tell me who you are, and why you're here. I doubt you came for a friendly chat." *He was an interesting one, most people attacked first and asked questions later. She didn't care for him circling around him like she was some animal. All it did was make her conscious of the trees behind her, for possible companions.* "What are a witch?" *She found herself blurting out.*
James
"I'm Griffon. I'm a hunter. As for what I was doing.."

"I was taking a nap" *He answered, pointing to the spot in the trees where he had been resting* "Then I saw you walking here, all alone. As for Witches,"
*He shrugged* "I think they're some kinda Mage who lives in the woods and eats children. Or something like that."
Nelson
*She lowered her staff a little, more blown away at his words. She wasn't sure if she should believe that witches exist or that there was someone in these woods eating children. She decided to go with the former, there was no way witches existed. She was the only person who remotely fit that description. Were the people making things up about her now at Tunuar?* 

*She lowered her staff entirely, taking his words to heart that people thought she ate children now. All she ever ate were wild animals, even that was enough to make her feel guilty for causing arm. A frown stretched across her lips as she kneeled near the Buck once more. One by one she picked up the berries and held them for the deer to consume.* 

"I don't eat children. I haven't met another vampire, I don't have a home." *She forget the question about her name, her mind too focus on this floating rumor that there was a mage who lived in the woods and ate children.*
James
"I had a hunch you didn't." *Griffon was growing a tad impatient at the Vampire's hesitance to share anything. It's probably because the last person who asked tried to kill her though...*

"Although," *Griffon crouched down again so he'd be eye-level with the woman* "If you haven't met another Vampire, then how'd you become one? Unless you're directly descended from one of the original Vampires from the kingdom of who-the-hell-cares, wouldn't you have had to be bitten to contract Vampirism?"
Nelson
"No, I was bitten.. I haven't seen a vampire since. Technically I didn't really get a look at him... Her? Either." *She raised her hand over the Buck and the vines holding him to the ground slowly sank back into the earth. She wasn't very surprised that it bolted almost immediately, she was just thankful that it could run. This was the first time she looked at her hand, some of the deer's blood was still across her palm. A normal person would've wiped their hands off, Manon licked hers.* 

"If you came to hunt, why didn't you kill the deer?" *She wanted to ask 'or me' but for all she knew, he still was. She was fairly certain she could bind him with roots before he got a strike off on her.*
James
*Griffon watched the Deer run away through the underbrush* "What's the point of hunting something that's already been caught? Besides, I don't hunt Deer, exactly."

*Griffon stood up again. Now that the Deer had gone, he had the Vampires full attention. He felt like if he just told her he was a Munster Hunter, she'd either bolt like the Deer, or try to kill him here. And while fighting a Vampire would be cool as all hell, she didn't exactly seem like a bloodthirsty monster.*
"I'm curious. How long ago was it you were bitten? You don't look all that old, but for all I know, you could be a hundred years old. Since Vampires don't age and all."
Nelson
"I don't think you came out here, taking a nap somewhere to come interrogate a vampire." *She countered.*
"If you really want to talk do something about your weapons. It's hard to trust you while you're armed."
 *She pointed her staff at the ground directly at her feet, implying to throw his sword down if he truly wanted to continue this conversation. In a show of good faith she answered one of his questions.*
"I am not near a hundred. I don't think a vampire makes it to that age."
James
*Griffon sighed* "Don't think me napping and this conversation are related because I promise you they're not." *Griffon didn't remove his hands from his hilts just yet. A small smile on his lips as he gazed upwards, looking for the moon from beneath the canopy*

"If I'm gonna throw off my weapons, you'd better do the same." *He gestured to her staff* "That's definitely some kinda magic focus or something, I don't wanna put down my swords to get a magic blast of hocus-pocus to the face." 

*Griffon took both blades from their sheathes, holding them with the points downward and his finger resting lightly on the pommels* "I drop mine, you drop yours. Sound good?"
Mary
🎉 **| Solar** Leveled up!
Nelson
*Wasn't he watching her as she healed the buck with both hands, no staff? It wasn't like all spells required a staff though he was right about the focus part. She turned and threw the staff behind her, not too far but far enough that it wasn't easily obtainable. If he made a move she would move away from him not towards him. She figured he was an animal hunter seeing how he thought magic couldn't be cast otherwise* 

"You're the one who placed their hand on their weapon first, and the one who is asking an awful lot of questions. You'll have to forgive me if I'm skeptical that you were just 'taking a nap and happened to stumble on a vampire' story. Especially if you believe that a witch or watch.-" *Already forgetting the name of the creature he described earlier* "-Would just stop at children"
James
"You're still going on about the Witch?" *Griffon chuckled* "Maybe you really are roomies with one, the amount of interest you're showing."

*Griffon lifted his fingers from his swords and let them drop to the ground, kicking them a short distance away* "There. No more swords. No more Staffs." 
*Griffon sat down on the ground, picking up a twig and twisting it in his hands* "I still don't know your name. Though, you never *Did* Answer if I asked you had one. But you must have had *Some* Kinda name before becoming a Vampire. Right? So out with it. You know mine already." *He grinned at the Vampire expectantly*
Nelson
"You're the one daydreaming in the forest and my name is Manon. Do you always act this entitled to answers though? I don't recall owing you answers at all. I've been nothing but generous."

*It wasn't really a threat but she held her hand above the grass and a vine came up from the ground to greet her. Soon she began waving her hand slowly above the vine and watched it mimic her hand movement. All without a staff in hand as well.* 

"Though names are gifts to another, Something to remember another by. Seeing how I don't have people calling out my name. Does it have a meaning?"
James
*Griffon scoffed* "I dunno. That's way too philosophical for me." 
*He watched the vine move along with Manon's hand. Of course she could still use magic! Whether or not she can use strong magic, that's the question.*

"Names are just names. No real weight behind them other than a way to communicate with others. It's like calling a tree a tree, or a deer a deer." *He leaned back, putting his palms out to prop himself up as he let out a breath*
"I wouldn't say I was daydreaming either. But it's certainly easier to sleep here than in a noisy Inn. People are loud anyway." *He raised an eyebrow to Manon knowingly* "Wouldn't you agree?"
Nelson
"I don't get the luxury of choice. As long as I'm away from people, I won't get tempted to do something I'll regret later." 
*Manon placed both her hands high into the air as she stretched herself. It was hard to tell if she was just waking up or is now getting tired as she yawned shortly after. The vine she was enthralling with magic went through several chances. First it grew flowers, bright pink flowers that picked spots at random to grow. Then the flowers sank back into the vine just to replaced with thorns. It seemed like she was modifying the genetics of the flower with her mind and magic alone.* 

"So you just came out here to hunt and sleep, and look for witches?"
James
"I came down here to train. You just managed to catch me napping us all." 
*Griffon had originally come to these woods to practice with his swords, fighting against monsters was very different from fighting people, and he wanted a familiar place to work on his skills.*

*Griffon was watching the vine as it shifted and changed, it moved almost like a dance as it twisted and morphed. He figured that her magic must be very heavily nature related, was it something from her previous life, perhaps? He noted that if sh did d code to fight, he'd be at a disadvantage in a forest. But Griffon knew the woods too, growing up in a forest gave him some insight to the terrain and surroundings. He didn't worry about Manon attacking him. But it was there in the back of his mind nonetheless*
Nelson
*She would rather not participate in combat. She wouldn't like to test if she could claim a life after spending so much time trying to save them. She still didn't believe this was a coincidental meeting, mostly because of past experiences. There were only a handful of people she had met that were friendly. The rest just wanted her gone.* 

"Train for what? Do you have a battle coming up? Could you possibly not kill it?"
James
"Well, I assume I'll have a battle coming. It's part of my job, after all." 
*Griffon saw the way Manon regarded him and grinned* "You probably think I'm gonna try and kill you, aren't you?" *The tensing of Manon's shoulders, and the way she manipulated the vine was probably a way to show Griffon she could fight even without a magic focus*

"While I admit, I'd love to try myself against a real Vampire. I was taught that sometimes, just like people, Monsters aren't all that they seem." *Griffon did believe that, though his excitement at meeting a Vampire made him come on a bit strong at first.* "And I know my parents wouldn't have told me that if it wasn't true."
Nelson
"I can't speak about other vampires, the stories I heard about them are rather repulsive."

 *She still had a bad habit of not referring herself as a vampire very often. She didn't like to be lumped in with the others based off of how brutal they were.* 

"I feel like that's a safe assumption, I'd rather not kill you if I had the choice. Maybe I'd just bind you long enough to let the bears have a feast. That's still an indirect kill, I wouldn't sleep." 

*Without moving a muscle a vine picked up Griffon's sword and threw it closer to the Vampire. Soon after she picked up the sword and stood up. Once she got close to the hunter she turned the blade around in her hand, holding it by the blade while offering the handle back to him* 

"If you kill without reason, you're worse than a vampire. I like to believe we do it to survive, not for fun."
James
*Griffon pushed himself to his feet, taking his swords back from Manon and sheathing them.* "Glad to know we've agreed on not killing each other." 

*He brushed the leaf litter off his pants and had a quick stretch to get feeling back into his legs* "So now that you're done feeding, where do you go? Even I don't think the idea of living in the woods all your life sounds pleasant without a proper shelter."
Nelson
*She pointed a finger at her basket that was still on the ground.* 
"Now I go fill that with medical herbs and donate them to Tunuar. I'll continue to do so until another vampire kills someone and they blame me for it. Then I'll move to a different forest, and repeat. Nothing about my life other than helping people is pleasant. I'm glad you find it peaceful to sleep in the forest, I don't have the same choice." 

*She turned her back to the hunter as she picked up her basket and staff before walking in a semi-random reaction. She didn't care if he followed or not, it didn't seem like he was there to cause harm anymore. She favored conclusions such as these.*
James
*Griffon sighed to himself as Manon walked away* "This is unfortunate." *He muttered* "I'm on my own again." *He pushed his hair out of his eyes as Manon walked away and called out to her* 
"Maybe we'll meet again in a different forest then. Once I'm a little more rested and awake!" *He did a half-hearted wave in the direction Manon was going until he couldn't see her anymore*

*Griffon stood in silence for a short while, contemplating the conversation before chuckling to himself* "Goddamn. An actual freaking Vampire." *He drew his swords, spinning them in his hands* "Mom and Dad would be so surprised to hear I met one so soon after moving out!"