Posts by NonbinaryAlien

OOC: looks great! Would you like to start, or should I?

OOC: Not at all! Also don't worry about matching the length of this post, just write as much as you usually would and I'll try to match yours c:

OC: Sol sat up from the mattress he'd lain down on a few hours before. Although it was laid on the ground beside hundreds of others, it was comfortable enough. He stood up and stretched, already feeling the tense aura that the air had.

The annual Hunt was coming up; the tally marks in stark white on the walls showed that clearly. Only a few days left, and the humans were almost in a panic. They were docile for the most part, but there was much to be said for instinct.

Sol felt the anxiety inside himself, and he knew that he just had to get out of there. He was a little better than most at sneaking, due to his quiet nature, but he knew instinctively that it would be hard to get past the guards. But he wouldn't let himself be a sitting duck.

With determination in his heart, he started to move casually through the crowds of humans towards a lesser-known entrance into the castle above.

OC: Sol was almost jittering with anxiety, but he still made his way through the crowd of people as casually as he could. He'd stop once in awhile to talk to friends or acquaintances, flashing them light-hearted smiles and engaging in a moment or two of idle chatter. He really wasn't a talkative person in general anyway, so it wasn't suspicious when he ended the conversations politely and quickly then went on his way.

He gradually entered a sort of tunnel where almost no one went. It was a little more damp and cool down this specific passageway, and Sol shivered a little in the rather thin clothing that he wore. He was now being very careful to make as little noise as he possibly could, his solemn eyes fixed straight ahead and his stockinged feet slipping over the rough and rocky ground as if he were a specter.

Arriving at the somewhat secret exit with little trouble, Sol glanced around. He'd thought the guards knew about this little hole, but now he supposed they didn't. It was as he was pulling himself up through it that he heard footsteps approaching him from below, faster than a human could move. Sol swore under his breath, his hands scrabbling at slick marble as he struggled to remove himself from the hole.

OC: Sol could tell that he was so close to getting himself out of the hole. The rough edges were scraping his sides, but as he got a grip on the stone walls he was quickly pulling himself further out into freedom. He felt a little thrill in his heart at the prospect of being able to take off through the corridors. The surge of adrenaline that went through him at the thought of just running away from the place that he'd been trapped in all his life seemed like it would be enough to give his arms the strength they needed to pull himself out of the hole. Sol was so close to being free when the front of his shirt was grabbed.

Shock drove the breath from his chest when he was lifted almost effortlessly. Sol spread his palms out on the wall behind him, wide green eyes watching the vampire in front of him fearfully. It only took him a moment or two to realize that it was the prince himself. He'd really messed up this time.

Sol swallowed, wondering if he'd be able to get out of this one. He was trying to hide the trembling of his hands by pressing them into the stone wall behind him. The blond boy glanced to either side of him, weighing his options and trying to decide if he could make a break for it. He knew logically that he'd be much too slow, but he was still tempted to try. He glanced back at the vampire prince in front of him, only able to hold the fierce gaze for a split second. When Sol glanced downwards, however, he thought he might have spotted an edge of amusement in the prince's face. Maybe there was hope for him after all.

OC: Sol raised his hands from the wall to try to pull his shirt away from his throat, allowing himself just a little more air for him to breathe. The absolute effortlessness with which he was lifted only scared him more than he already was. He'd heard stories, of course, about how much more physically adept the vampires were; but he'd never experienced it firsthand.

Sol flinched at the sound of the laugh, aiming his gaze towards the ground. He choked slightly as the grip on his shirt was tightened even further, however he tried not to let it show alongside his trembling hands and unsteady gaze. He could feel the vampire's eyes on him, and he looked up again briefly as the prince spoke. Sol gasped in a soft breath, speaking in a slightly hoarse voice. "I had a chance, at least." He spoke softly, however it seemed there was a sort of edge to his voice, in a way. He'd been so determined. For a few seconds, even minutes, he'd really thought he could make it. Now the adrenaline that had been rushing through him was just being replaced with fear. Sol knew that the prince's expression had gone unforgiving again. He could see now that he'd have no way out of this. He was going to die, one way or another.

OC: Sol tried not to make it obvious that he was gasping in more air as the prince's grip on his shirt was loosened. He dropped his hands to his sides again, feeling increasingly anxious under the vampire's harsh gaze. His shoulders slumped slightly as the prince spoke, but he did his best to straighten up again. "I guess not," he murmured, staring vaguely into the distance just behind the prince.

Sol drew in a quiet breath of surprise as he was again yanked closer to the vampire. There was a slight pain in his chest and in his throat from being jerked around, and he could tell it was being dulled slightly by the fear and anxiety he was experiencing. It'd probably be worse later. As the prince spoke once again, Sol looked up, his heartbeat somehow speeding up even more at the sight of the vampire's bared fangs. Sol had no doubt now that he was going to die. He could feel his own pulse as his wrist was grabbed, but then the prince hesitated. Sol held his breath, slightly out of fear and slightly out of hope. Hope was what had driven this whole thing, and not matter how dark the situation got, Sol's hope that he could maybe get out alive and well wouldn't seem to die.

Sol looked up from the ground, a faint spark in his green eyes that he was completely unaware of.

OC: Sol began to watch the vampire more carefully as he closed his eyes, almost seeming to be straining with something. The human boy held his breath as the grip on his wrist loosened, feeling the hope starting up inside his heart again. He knew he shouldn't really be feeling it at all, but it was starting to seem like he might have a chance again. Sol's heart stuttered as the prince spoke, a new surge of fear at the specific words going through him- but shortly after, his wrist was dropped and he could barely believe it. His eyes widened impossibly was he rubbed at the sore skin. He could tell it was going to bruise later. The vampire still held the front of Sol's shirt, but the boy thought that he was leaning towards letting him go.

And so he was, apparently. Sol glanced down the corridor that was now unblocked, still uncertain about whether or not he was really being let go. He still assumed that, more likely than not, be was just being played with. But he'd take the chance anyway.

Sol only looked back at the vampire once, before beginning to sprint down the hall. Maybe not the wisest decision, since he was making more noise than he would if he'd just walked, but he couldn't help himself.

OC: Sol thought he could hear the sounds of other footsteps, maybe coming in his direction, but over his own steps and the pounding of his heart in his ears he wasn't really sure. He'd never run this much in his life, and he was sure the castle was just huge- he wasn't sure why he'd thought he'd really be able to do this. He kept himself going out of frustration, but his adrenaline was wearing off. Sol just didn't have the energy to keep going for long.

He flinched as a bat flew past his head, stumbling a little but regaining his balance quickly. He didn't have time to stop and question it, and in all honesty he wasn't that surprised by it. The thing that surprised him was seeing the bat shift into the prince, perched on a windowsill. As the prince confirmed the presence of others coming, Sol half-skidded and half-stumbled to a stop in front of the window. He was starting to feel despair. He should've known he wouldn't really be able to escape- he shouldn't have run! He swore under his breath, anxiously looking in both directions that the footsteps were coming from. Sol shifted anxiously on his feet. He had no idea what to do now.

OC: Sol was still shifting anxiously as the prince slipped down from his perch. He still didn't really trust the vampire, but he supposed his only choice was to go along with whatever he had in mind. The human boy glanced over at the prince as he stood beside him, running a hand through his hair. He nodded a little skeptically, but took a sharp breath to brace himself. Sol couldn't seem to calm down, even though he wasn't as externally anxious anymore.

Watching the guards run up towards them, Sol felt a newfound twinge of fear. There was something strangely awkward about the situation- where did look? How did he stand? And in the end he decided to mimick a trapped-rabbit stance. Staring straight ahead, eyes wide, breathing hard. He hoped it looked authentic enough for the plan to work. As Sol felt the arms drape over his shoulders, he could barely keep from flinching. His heart unintentionally sped up again as he sensed the fangs near his neck, and he now had no trouble with his acting. He really did then feel like a rabbit in a trap, even though he tried to convince himself that it was all just part of a plan.

Sol counted the seconds as the guards left. He could feel himself trembling rather than shaking now, partially from exhaustion. He breathed out a soft sigh of relief as the prince stepped away from him. Sol turned his head slightly to look at the prince, gratitude faintly visible on his face.

"Um . .. thanks," he mumbled, slightly unsure of how to continue. There was only one thing he knew for certain. There was no way he was going to start running again.

Cautiously, he started making his way down the hall in the opposite direction the guards had come from.

OC: Sol did his best to navigate the castle, trying to make his footsteps as quiet as he could. He was now beginning to calm down a little, but he was still incredibly alert to his surroundings. He knew that he could be caught at any moment, and that any one thing he did could give him away. He could hear the footsteps of the prince behind him, much louder than Sol thought the vampire normally would have moved. Maybe that fact was another part of the vampire's plan to help him, if he really did plan on doing that. Sol still couldn't really be sure.

The blond teen wished that he could move a lot faster than he was currently moving. He didn't dare try for fear of making the same racket that he had earlier, but the slower pace that he had to take made him vaguely uneasy no less. Not to mention the faint frustration he felt when he was forced to move even slower when he entered dimly-lit hallways.

Sol almost jumped as he heard the prince speak to him, asking for his name. He puzzled a little at the exact wording, but he supposed that none of the vampires, including the prince, would take the time to talk to the humans they kept.

"Yeah, it's Sol." His voice was barely above a whisper as he spoke, looking around nervously as if he'd see guards materialize directly from the walls the moment he spoke. He stopped beside the prince as they both paused in front of a fork.

Studying the hallway that the vampire had pointed out as the best route, Sol couldn't help but feel uneasy. Strange as it was, he was beginning to come to trust the vampire's judgment a little more than he had, but still .... He couldn't shake off the sense that he was still just being played with. Biting his lip, Sol glanced around at the other hallways. His human instincts said that any one of the brightly-lit hallways would be the best option. However, he also knew logically that it would be easiest to discover him in one of those.

Sol took a deep breath, walking into the darkness of the hallway the prince had pointed out. He crossed his fingers, hoping that he wasn't being toyed with.

Looking back over his shoulder briefly, Sol gathered the courage to ask a question back to the prince.

"Do you ... Er, what's your name?" He still spoke very softly.

OC: Sol was forced to move even slower because of the near-complete darkness that surrounded him. He couldn't really see anything, though he thought that the hall was probably just empty anyway. He squinted into the darkness, trying to resist the urge to drag his feet as that would make too much noise for his own comfort. He could only just make out the vague shape of he prince moving past him. The vampire must be able to see in the dark, or at least see better than Sol could. Or something. The teen was still a little frustrated about his ever-slowing pace.

At least the prince hadn't tried anything. He still seemed to be trying to help Sol. This was the first time that the human boy started to question the prince's motives, rather than just questioning him in general. Sol wondered why he was being helped, and what the vampire stood to gain from helping him. He had no idea.

Sol nodded slightly as the vampire gave his name, even though he didn't even think that he was looking at him. At the next question asked to him, however, Sol had no idea how to respond. He could only blink thoughtfully for a couple seconds.

"I . . . don't know," he said truthfully, keeping his voice low. Seeing as he'd never been anywhere except for under this castle, he didn't even know what the outside world was like. He'd heard stories, of course, and from what he'd heard it sounded wonderful . . . but he still didn't know what he'd do once he got out. Or what there would be to do.

Having no way to really gauge how the walls turned, Sol was caught by surprise as the hall turned suddenly. He let out a soft breath of surprise as he bumped into the cool wall, stumbling back from it.

OC: Sol jumped as he felt Felipe's hands on his shoulders. He hadn't expected him to be so close. The teen was thankful that he'd been caught, however, because he knew that the scraping from his feet as he stumbled was making more noise than he felt safe with. Not to mention the racket that he'd have made if he'd fallen. Hearing the amusement in Felipe's voice, Sol felt himself blush a little. It seemed like a game to the vampire. Of course, there was absolutely no reason for him to care about the human boy. Sol was glad that he had a little help, even if that help didn't quite value his life as much as Sol himself did.

He found himself squinting down the hall again, trying to figure out how to continue. He'd just about decided to guide himself along with one hand on the wall when he felt Felipe take his wrist as he had earlier. Sol grimaced slightly, feeling the skin that was already starting to bruise. He had to stop himself from letting out a noise of pain as he was pulled along behind the prince, not being able to keep up fully. The scratchy fumbling of his feet on the stony floor made him deeply uneasy. It was basically like he was running again. Thankfully, it didn't last for long and soon Sol's wrist was released again as he and Felipe came into a more well-lit area of the hallway. The blond teen looked around him, letting his eyes adjust to the light again.

Sol's only response to the vampire's question was a curious nod, his mind filling with possibilities of what he was about to see and his heart beating a little faster at the thought of the unknown that lay ahead. His pace quickened unconsciously as his curiosity got the better of him.

OC: Sol followed rather close behind Felipe, still looking around him. He made note to pause as Felipe did, and then start up again at the same time. Sol was panting a little at the work of keeping up with the vampire, especially after his sprint, but he stayed quiet and still did his best to keep up the pace. He stopped briefly as Felipe suddenly picked up his pace significantly faster than Sol could move, but the human boy followed a short moment later as the prince motioned him to hurry. He stopped again in front of the wall, watching Felipe with curiosity. There didn't seem to be any way out, as it was just a wall, however getting out seemed to be the idea behind being there. Sol tilted his head to the side, glancing back at the wall in front of him. Maybe there was something he was missing? Like a door that he just couldn't make out. But he didn't think so. It just seemed like a dead end. Sol mostly felt curiosity still, but he was also confused and something left a slight sinking sensation in his stomach.

Suddenly, the wall began to shift and move and Sol gasped aloud. His eyes widened, taking in the scene before him. The light outside the castle was softer and paler than that inside. The teen was so awed by the scene before him that he couldn't make himself step out into for a second or two. He felt like he was in a dream as he finally stepped forward, feeling the soft grass bending under his feet. It was an enormous change from the hard stone floors he'd become familiar with his whole life. Sol lifted his gaze to the sky, his mouth falling open slightly. He was looking at what he thought were the 'moon' and 'stars'. Things he'd heard stories about. He never thought he'd see them for himself.

OC: Sol did close his mouth and look down from the sky, but he was still so awestruck that he wasn't really paying attention. Until Felipe snapped his fingers in front of the human boy's face, that is. Sol startled slightly, then nodded at the suggestion to find more cover. He suddenly felt way too exposed just standing there. Cautiously, he moved into the thick and overlapping branches of the Evergreen trees surrounding the castle. Well, now he was free and under cover. Sol had no idea how to proceed from there.

As Felipe mentioned the other humans, Sol suddenly realized that he felt a little lonely for once in his life. He'd left all his family and friends behind. He couldn't believe he'd only been thinking of himself! Now all the people he cared about back there were just sitting ducks, waiting for the Hunt to claim their lives.

Sol turned to Felipe very quickly as he began to walk away. The blond teen stumbled slightly as he walked after the prince, wincing as a twig snapped under his foot.

"Wait!" He called out in a whisper, stopping suddenly for the fear that he'd alerted someone's attention with the snap of the twig. Sol couldn't believe that he'd just gotten his freedom, and he was about to request to be taken back.

"What ... What do you have in mind?" He asked quietly, his eyes solemn and a little determined.

OC: Sol didn't look down as Felipe turned to look at him, more or less keeping eye contact for once. His eyes flicked over the prince's face, trying to read exactly what he had in mind, but there was nothing to see. He could keep his face incredibly expressionless, apparently, but Sol wasn't really surprised by this. For whatever reason, however, the silence and the lack of expression on Felipe's face sent an uneasy twinge through Sol. Maybe it was just that he'd grown up not trusting vampires, or maybe it was a premonition of an idea he wouldn't like. The teen steeled himself for whatever he was about to hear.

As the prince spoke of releasing the humans, Sol felt a bit of disappointment at the end of the sentence; what could they do if Felipe didn't have that power? Something even more dangerous than simply sneaking himself out of the castle, obviously. This fact was confirmed by the fire burning anew in Felipe's eyes. Uh-oh, Sol thought, but he was pretty sure that he was ready for whatever the plan was. Now that he'd gotten himself free, he couldn't stop thinking about everyone else that he knew still trapped away. He knew the guilt would worry at him every day he lived if he didn't at least try to help the rest of the humans out.

Sol's eyes widened briefly at the notion of killing the Vampire King, but he quickly narrowed them again. He was hesitant, but he wouldn't let it show. He really didn't like the thought of killing anyone, but he supposed. . . if it saved dozens of innocent lives . . . perhaps he could go along with it. He only hoped that his role in the actual killing would be minor. Sol seriously doubted he could a life, even if it was the life of a king who took pleasure in murder. There was a short pause of silence, and then Sol nodded slowly, breathing out a soft but determined "Okay."

OC: Sol started to crouch low in his cover. Okay, he had to do this. He was already beginning to mentally prepare himself. He could do this. He had to be able to do it. The blond teen watched as Felipe flashed back towards the stone wall of the castle, starting to stand from his crouch as the castle wall opened up. Sol made his way towards it as quickly as he possibly could while still being quiet, and slipped into the dark hallway. He could vaguely make out the darker shadow of Felipe moving to lead the way, however Sol felt pretty much blind again. His eyes had adjusted to the moonlight, and now he was back to the darkness. It would take a few minutes for his eyes to adjust again. Thankfully, the going was a bit easier this time. Felipe was moving much slower than he had the first time they'd walked through these halls, and Sol couldn't say anything for sure, but he thought that they were moving in a different direction than last time. This set off his curiosity again, but he didn't dare ask where they were going. It was mostly out of fear that he would make too much noise, considering that they were clearly trying to move more quietly this time around. He managed to keep the question to himself, despite his curiosity and a slight bit of weariness. It was a reflexive weariness, one that he couldn't really shake off. Sol supposed it was useful from time to time.

The very slight anxiety that Sol felt wasn't helped by the fact that Felipe was quite obviously feeling similarly, however the longer that the two walked without interruption, the more at ease Sol felt. He quirked a curious eyebrow as they began to walk up a flight of stairs, but seeing as Felipe was now exaggerating the need for silence, Sol again kept his questions to himself. He stopped very near behind the prince as he paused in front of a door emitting bright light. The teen had to squint his eyes a little as they adjusted once again to the change in lighting. He glanced over his shoulder, mostly due to the fact that the pause had Sol feeling a little nervous again.

OC: Although his hearing was nowhere near as good as Felipe's, Sol still managed to hear the footsteps moving close to the door. Actually, they weren't very hard for him to hear. He puzzled at this, wondering why what he presumed was a vampire would walk so loudly. Maybe it was on purpose. He didn't really know. In any case, his heart just about jumped into his throat as he heard the footsteps. Sol held his breath, watching the light from under the door as it was cut off briefly. As soon as Felipe opened the door that the two were hiding behind, Sol breathed the quietest sigh of relief that he possibly could. He followed carefully behind Felipe as they crossed the hallway and entered a door on the other side. The teen looked around him briefly, this section of the castle looking just about the same to him as everywhere else: marble floors, high ceilings, the aura of it all rather cold. He didn't really know what was so special about this part of the castle that they should be coming here, but he supposed he'd know once he stepped through the next door. From the way Felipe's shoulders visibly relaxed as they entered, Sol could tell that this room was their destination, and-

Breathing out a quiet "oh!" of surprise, Sol looked around the room. It was clearly a bedroom, and he'd be safe to assume that it was the prince's. It was every bit as fancy as the tunnels and rooms under the castle weren't, and Sol almost felt a little uncomfortable standing in the middle of it all. He'd always be the outsider in these settings, the one who didn't belong, but this room made him just a little more aware of it. Oh, well, he supposed he'd just have to get used to it.

He paused for a long moment before sitting lightly on the very edge of the same couch as Felipe. Sol felt that if he touched anything, he'd somehow ruin it. Shaking his head lightly at the offer of food, the blond teen hesitantly took the glass from the prince. He found that he surprisingly wasn't hungry. It would probably catch up to him eventually, but for now, nothing. Sol sniffed slightly at the liquid in the glass he held; he'd never seen wine before, and the odd odor almost made him wrinkle his noise. He refrained and instead took a small sip. It wasn't bad, he supposed.

OC: Sol just tapped one foot on the floor lightly in response to Felipe's joking question. He supposed the answer would be yes, but he just really didn't want to ruin anything in the lushly furnished room.

Sol held his wine glass awkwardly, knowing the he was somehow holding it wrong but not caring to correct it. While Felipe held it delicately in one of his hands, Sol just cupped the glass in his fingers. Oh, well. It's not like he could really be blamed for not being used to what he supposed was a luxury. He watched as the prince finished his glass and set it on the table with the softest clink of glass, and Sol blinked in mild confusion as Felipe leaned forward with his hands clasped together. The serious look that he was given next,with so much attention focused on him, made Sol think of the plan again. He steeled himself to talk about it.

Sol simply nodded in understanding as Felipe explained his reasoning for the hiding place. At least the . . . awkwardness, he supposed, was mutual. The blond teen set his glass down on the table in front of the couch to hide the mild trembling in his hands, and instead placed them in his lap. It was the anxiety about their plan.

"Yeah," Sol said, his voice luckily conveying more confidence than he felt. He could only hope he'd retain that confidence as the two carried out whatever Felipe had in mind. Sol only had the vaguest grasp of it, which was fine; it would make his reactions throughout more genuine. He could only be glad, because it was obvious that his role in this was minor, as he'd hoped. Unsure of whether he should add anything else, Sol ran one hand through his hair in an attempt to steady its shakiness.