[For Nick] Hunting for a liquid diet

[masochistic_lion]

I was awake far earlier than I'd expected to be, both nervous and anticipatory about my plans for the day. I dressed quickly and then left my hut, heading at a brisk walk to Nick's to meet up with him and start hunting. Today I would find out if my lingering food aversion was simply that, or if I still craved my previous diet, illogical as the idea may seem. I wasn't certain which result I hoped for, honestly. On the one hand, it would be nice to find something that actually tasted good. On the other hand, I didn't like the connotations that would accompany a continued thirst for fresh blood. Here I was supposed to be as human as anyone else. Then again, the faint sparkle to my skin that had remained after my transformation already belied that assumption. Perhaps I had retained other aspects of my vampiric nature, as well.

I reached Nick's at last and let myself in, announcing myself as I did so. "Nick? It's Edward."

Comments

[darkest_hunter]

Nick looked up from his heavy bag and gave the thing one last kick before straightening up and motioning him in. "Come on in, Edward. I'm just fucking around and killing time since i got up at dawn for some stupid reason this morning."

He took a drink from the water bottle near his mat and walked over to his friend, a grin pulling up the corners of his mouth. "I've got good news and bad news. Which d'you want first?"

[masochistic_lion]

That was definitely not the start to this expedition I would have hoped for. I tilted my head and regarded him as I replied, "It's always best to get the bad news out of the way first."

[darkest_hunter]

Nick laughed. "Relax, man, we're not talking end of the world kind of news here, just that the best you're going to get is wild boar. Unless you really want to get adventurous and try for birds, which I don't recommend at all. The good news," he continued with a grin, "is that we have boar all through the bayou and I know a few tricks to chasin them down."

As usual, the more he talked about home, the more the cajun creeped back into his voice.

[masochistic_lion]

I relaxed a little and smiled. "Boar is fine. I'm not sure if I'll even be able to taste the difference between predator and prey, anyway," I pointed out, quietly amused by the thickening of his cajun patois. "And that's definitely good news, as I've never hunted as a human. Well, not in so long that I barely remember it, anyway."

[darkest_hunter]

"Losing the discriminating palate, huh?" Nick grinned. "Had the same problem when I moved from the bayou to the Garden District. All of the sudden, surrounded by decent cooking and high quality meat, my mother's squirrel and sausage gumbo started to taste horrible."

NIck paused, looked at Edward. "And if she ever shows up here, and you repeat that, I will take my chances with the IPD. Clear?"

[masochistic_lion]

"I have no way of knowing," I pointed out, "But since I no longer have the fierce thirst for blood I did as a vampire, I can only hypothesize that other aspects of it have changed, as well." I chuckled softly at his warning and nodded. "I wouldn't dream of it. Your secret is safe with me."

[darkest_hunter]

"Good. Because much as I love her, that woman's scarier than hell itself when she's pissed and I really don't want that shit unleashed on me if I can help it."

Nick clapped his hands and rubbed the palms together. "Now then. Our little wild pigs like to forage in the mornings and they're loud damned eaters, so it's the best time to sneak up on them, because they're not listening too hard."

[masochistic_lion]

"...You're looking forward to this as much as I am," I observed with a faint smile. "And as you seem to be the expert," I gestured to the door, "lead the way."

[darkest_hunter]

"You kidding me? This is like reliving the best part of being young and stupid but with age and skill on my side. Something tells me I'll win over the boar this time, not get chased up a tree until the boar gets bored and goes away."

Nick stopped at the doorway and strapped his shortsword to his back. "Grab that net on the porch?"

[masochistic_lion]

"Sure." I followed him out and grabbed the net as instructed, then hesitated, eyeing his sword. "I don't have a weapon." It had been stupid of me to not think of it, but...I didn't own a weapon. I'd never needed one, before.

[darkest_hunter]

Nick grinned. "You will as soon as you pick up the netting. Your job will be up a tree, mine will be chasing the little bit of swine towards you. Drop the net and he'll get tangled. Next thing you know, it's breakfast time for those on a former liquid diet. Easy, right?"

[masochistic_lion]

"...Got it." Now I just had to hope I could pull it off. It sounded simple, but without my vampiric reflexes I would have to have the timing just right. "Let's go find a victim, then."

[darkest_hunter]

"That's your other bit of good news," he grinned wider. "I ransacked leftovers at the Compound kitchen last night and took them out into a good tree'd area and left them. That should bring the little creeps snuffling around and keep them there for a good long while." He walked down the steps and to the trees then turned to shoot a sarcastic grin over his shoulder. "Think you can handle the excitement?"

[masochistic_lion]

I chuckled and rolled my shoulders. "We'll have to see," I replied as I followed him into the trees, because while he was clearly joking, I was more nervous than I was letting on about fighting an animal in my fragile, human body. It would be good practice, and something we should likely make a regular habit of, whether today's experiment went well or not.

[darkest_hunter]

While they walked back towards where he'd left the boar lure, Nick kept his voice low to pass the time but not scare off any potential prey. "So, any reappearances of your redheaded friend since you last ran across her?"

[masochistic_lion]

I shook my head as I looked around, trying to listen for movement in the undergrowth. "Nothing," I answered quietly. "I think they must be right. She wasn't real." Surely if Victoria was truly here she would have done something by now.

[darkest_hunter]

"I'm thinking the same since I haven't seen my twisted, fucked up father around either. Not so much as a glowing yellow eye around any corner. Doesn't exactly rock me to sleep thinking that he might just eventually show up for real, but I'm saving that energy for if he actually does. Maybe that part won't happen this time, right?"

It was foolish optimism, but he was clutching onto it with both hands.

[masochistic_lion]

"Exactly. I'm still on guard, but not expecting death and horror around every corner at this point," I answered wryly. "How much further?" I was starting to scout out the nearby trees, looking for one that would afford a sturdy perch.

[darkest_hunter]

Nick stopped walking and held up a hand, turning his head to listened further down the path. "Damn, I miss my hearing the way it was," he grumbled. He was quiet another minute then nodded. "We've got one, maybe two snacking away on what I left behind. You see a good place to perch up?"

[masochistic_lion]

"You and me both," I murmured with a sympathetic smile. Then I nodded and gestured to a nearby tree. "Right there." Without waiting for further instruction I moved over to the tree, sighing a little as I realized my progress would be slow and clumsy, compared to what I was used to. I gathered the net up and grasped it securely so it wouldn't hinder me, and began laboriously climbing toward the branch I'd selected.

[darkest_hunter]

Once Edward was set, Nick nodded and wheeled around to the outside, trusting that his earlier instruction of dropping the net on the animal didn't need any further explanation. Luck was on their side and by the time he came up behind the snuffling boar, there was a clear line to the tree where Edward was perched.

After that it was as simple as him running at the thing and the boar squealing its way toward the trap. "Drop it!"

[masochistic_lion]

I'd gotten settled in the tree and spread the net, holding it at the ready, so when Nick called out the instruction I was ready. I released it and curled one arm around the branch as I leaned forward to see if my first attempt had been successful, watching the net drop quickly toward the ground and the boar directly beneath me.

[darkest_hunter]

Nick watched the net fall and gave a full Bayou whoop when the boar started squealing when it hit. He continued the chase until the boar had done the work for them and tangled himself in the ropes. Then Nick turned his grin to Edward. "That's the bayou way. Don't work any harder than you have to. If you're patient, it'll get done. If you're ready, come on down and we'll get to the taste test."

He was pretty sure the only real test was warm blood and it'd cool pretty quick after he put the boar down.

[masochistic_lion]

I nodded, my stomach twisting in nervous anticipation and my mouth watering a little at the remembered bliss of sating that eternal thirst. I closed my eyes for a moment, then swung off of the branch, hanging from it for a moment before releasing and dropping to the ground in a crouch. The impact sent an uncomfortable jolt through my legs, reminding me yet again that I was no longer what I used to be.

I sighed and straightened, eyeing the struggling boar. With a deep breath, I nodded, wishing there was an easier way to do this. "Ready."

[darkest_hunter]

"All right," Nick nodded and walked over to the boar, now motionless except for the panting, frozen in his panic. "I've been thinking of the best way to do this, and since neither of us have the jaw strength to bite through skin this tough anymore, I think our best option," he said, already making quick work of throwing a rope over the branch Edward had just vacated. Two hangman's loops over the boar's back feet and he hoisted him into the air.

"The best option is to get the throat and let gravity do the work for us. You can just cup your hands and catch some for tasting." Nick pulled his shortsword from his back sheath and looked at Edward a second before he sliced across the boar's throat.

[masochistic_lion]

It was probably for the best that he didn't really allow me time to think. A sheet of blood poured from the wound made by his knife, and I quickly held a hand out, the warmth of the liquid and the faint, coppery aroma waking something in me that I had not felt for months. I added my other hand, cupping it to catch a pool of blood, then brought it to my lips, my eyes closed as I sipped, then drank more deeply, sighing. It didn't taste exactly as it had when it had been all I'd thirsted for, but it was far more appealing than any solid food I'd tried on the island, and I licked my lips as my hands went out to gather more.

[darkest_hunter]

Nick stood back while Edward sated his thirst. He was pretty sure the blood wouldn't nourish him, but what he wasn't sure was if too much would make him sick. When he finished the second round of drinking from his cupped hands and looked ready to go back for thirds, Nick cleared his throat. "I think that might be enough for his round, Edward. Your stomach's human no matter how good it tastes."

[masochistic_lion]

I looked up at him, my expression probably somewhat chagrined. "Right, I know." I took a step back and sighed, licking some of the blood from my fingers. "Well. I guess that answers that question."

[darkest_hunter]

"It does, and I'm glad we did this the way we did. If it'd let you at the boar's neck, I'm staring to think you have tried your best to drain him." Nick stepped over to where the last of the blood dripped from the boar's throat. "How do you feel? Not making you sick at all?"

[masochistic_lion]

"I think I would've been able to stop myself," I answered dryly, though honestly I wasn't sure.

I rubbed my hands together, the blood turning thick and sticky as it cooled, and took a deep breath, considering Nick's questions. "No, not really. I feel fine." I held my hands up with a wry smile. "Other than needing to wash up. I was never this messy when I was a vampire."

[darkest_hunter]

"From what I can see, man, you're still a vampire. Just like I'm still a demon. We're both just non-practicing at them moment. Kind of like lapsed Catholics," he grinned. He was one of those, too, but that wasn't really relevant to the moment. "And since I'm pretty sure you did a direct keg-tap when you were practicing rather than pouring into a cup, right? Probably why you never got messed up."

[masochistic_lion]

I laughed a little at both analogies, though I didn't know if I agreed with the first. "I suppose that's one way to look at it. And yes, I generally drank right from the source."

I eyed the now-bled boar. "By the way, can we keep this between us? I don't particularly want everyone knowing about it." Especially certain people. I wasn't sure what Bella would think if she knew--and I didn't want to find out. "There are already enough people that mistrust me for who and what I was." Not that I expected Nick to go tell everyone about it, but it was best to let him know unequivocally that I didn't want this to become open knowledge if possible.

[darkest_hunter]

"So I should take down the full page ad I've drafted for the paper? Cancel the billboards?" Nick teased for a second before his face sobered. "Don't worry about it, Edward. Secrets and I are pretty good friends and I don't have any trouble keeping them close. The only stipulation on my part is my girlfriend. If she asks me a direct question about it, I won't lie to her. But I won't go offering the information, either. Fair enough?"

[masochistic_lion]

"I wouldn't expect you to lie," I answered, nodding. "I'm not sure exactly how the subject would even come up, but if she asks you a direct question, of course you can answer." I turned to the boar again and mused, "I suppose we should take the carcass back to donate to the food stores."

[darkest_hunter]

"Honestly? I'm never sure what Dairine's going to come up with from one day to the next, but it doesn't seem like the kind of thing she'd spend too much time puzzling out. She's too worked up with the twenty classes she's taking on top of trying to get a generator that'll harness tidal energy, or something like that."

Nick bent to start tying the rope around the carcass' feet, ready to hoist the thing over his shoulder. "Looks like fresh meat for dinner tonight, huh?"