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[[Text that looks like this goes to the next passage.|START]]
Text that looks <<cycle "$c1" autoselect>>
<<option "like this">>
<<option "toggle!">>
<</cycle>> can be toggled, and is a choice that will be saved once advancing to the next passage.
<d style="color: red">Red text</d> appears in QTEs -- click it! Or ignore it...</p>\
<center><<button Begin 1>><</button>></center>
<<if $e gte 1>>\
<center><<button "Skip to..." "Skip">><</button>></center>
<</if>>\
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<center><<button "Bonus content!" "Bonus content">><</button>></center>\
<</if>>
<center>$e of 4 endings achieved!</center><<audio "default" loop play>><<set $ac to "img/ac/neutral.png">><<set $kr to "img/nil.png">>\
It is the dead of night, the stroke of the witching hour, when you reach the mansion. The lights inside are on. The steps to the entrance outside are empty.
You were told there was a [[vampire]] here, and so here you came.
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hello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello helloh[[next]]ellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hellohello hello
<img @src="$ac" height=400px><<set $kr to "https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/377005955054960640/1340306134476652605/achurtblood.png?ex=67b1e0dc&is=67b08f5c&hm=f44aad13391216a5a9e649f76440b73dd97acb4fee80df7941fec6339568695e&">>\
TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST
There is no movement, but there is a knocker on the door. Ornate, carved from precious metal, a ring of tarnished gold held gingerly in a lion’s mouth. You bring your hand up to grasp the knocker and you strike the ring against the wood <<linkappend "once," t8n>><<linkappend " twice, " t8n>><<linkappend "three times. " t8n>>
The sound doesn’t seem to travel anywhere. The floorboards of the porch creak underneath your boots as you take a step back. The windows on both sides of the door have their [[curtains drawn]].
<</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>>You bring out your pocket watch and follow the needle across the intricate graduations on its face.
You'll wait <<cycle "$c1" autoselect>>
<<option "a minute">>
<<option "two minutes">>
<</cycle>>\
. You have [[time]].<<switch $c1>>\
<<case "a minute">>\
<<set $kr to "img/kr/neutral.png">>
You are fully ready to break down the door, but you try your luck with the handle first and it gives with a rusty click. This gives you pause.
The door is silent as it swings open. There is no smell of mildew, no whiff of dust. There is, however, someone on the imperial staircase that is situated in the vast hall, a couple of steps from the bottom.
A large candelabra hangs in the middle of the room, casting flighty shadows on both of your figures. They are looking [[straight at you]].
<<case "two minutes">>\
<<set $kr to "img/kr/neutral.png">>\
The door opens and you are ashamed to admit you are startled -- there was hardly any notice of your receiver's approach. You draw your gaze up from where it was fixated on the light that was seeping beneath the frame.
They have a striking face. Freckles on a vampire? How did they get them?
It is his voice that draws you to his eyes, brown irises that you imagine might possibly be red if not darkened in the dim candlelight: "I've been [[waiting for you]]."
<</switch>><<set $kr to "img/kr/smile.png">><<set $ac to "img/ac/neutral.png">>\
They're wearing somewhat stereotypical fare -- a frilly white shirt, a jabot set nicely on top, tight-looking leather pants and a cape draped over their shoulders. They wear it well though. This is something you admit begrudgingly.
"I appreciate the initiative," he calls to you. You slide the door back into place behind you and walk to meet him halfway, and he asks:
"Would you like some [[tea]]?" <<set $kr to "img/kr/smile.png">><<set $ac to "img/ac/neutral.png">>\
They must be a fan of niceties. "You knew I'd be coming?"
He walks back into the mansion and beckons you forth in lieu of an answer. You shut the door silently behind you. He asks:
"Would you like some [[tea]]?" <<set $ac to "img/ac/talk.png">><<set $kr to "img/kr/smile.png">>\
"No," you say, though you do often enjoy a cup before bed. "Thank you.” Your voice is stern, or at least, you try to make it so. “I'm here on important business."
“Important business?” he repeats. He looks you over; he must recognize your outfit, your colours, the symbol that adorns your sleeve. He must know the weapon that you’ve concealed in your coat. “What is it that’s so urgent at this late hour?”
“Not urgent,” you correct them. “And what it is depends on your answers to the questions I am going to [[ask you]].”
<<set $ac to "img/ac/talk.png">><<set $kr to "img/kr/neutral.png">>\
"You are assuming," he responds, "that I will tell you anything at all."
He -- the vampire -- looks to you [[expectantly]].<<set $ac to "img/ac/neutral.png">>\
Your usual target -- the regular vampire -- is a creature of pretension. For some reason most of them are boring old presumably cishet men who act like they’re rich beyond their means and prey specifically on young human girls because they like it.
You have run into exceptions, of course, that you have had a lovely time with before their eventual departure, but this one in front of you right now, specifically, is [[not like all the rest]].You don’t know for sure but you suspect that they were made a vampire, not born into it. He understands the human mold and he understands what it’s like to break out of it.
He is aware of the exact distance from mortal that a vampire has declared themselves to be. He knows what that gap will [[allow him to do]]. You are <<linkappend "too prideful to call for backup." t8n>> You are the highest-performing hunter in your chapter. The smell of blood both human and other is familiar on your hands, arms, face. <</linkappend>>
But you are also experienced enough to know when you will lose. There will be a more opportune time. Maybe you can soften them up. Make them think you’re [[less competent than you look]].
<<set $ac to "img/ac/smile.png">>\
“I think we got off on the wrong foot,” you say. “It was my mistake.” Humble yourself – let them think you’re unconfident, stalling, or both. (Okay, the latter is true, but still.) “If you’re still extending it, I’d like to take you up on your initial [[kind offer]]."<<set $ac to "img/nil.png">><<set $kr to "img/nil.png">>\
You follow behind them as they ascend the last of the steps and enter a side room with a small table laid out, a couple of chairs surrounding it, a fireplace crackling in the back.
There is a small warming stand on the tablecloth with a glass teapot cradled on top of it and a steel kettle to the side – there are leaves already in the brew. A collection of porcelain cups and saucers are positioned nicely around [[the arrangement]].
They go over and pull a chair out for you before taking the kettle and putting it somewhere else. How gentlemanly. As you lower yourself onto the cushioned seat he comes back with a different drink in hand and sits across from you.
If one looked in from the doorway, they would see the two of you perfectly situated such that the hearth and the tea set filled the gap [[in-between]]. <<set $ac to "img/ac/neutral.png">><<set $kr to "img/kr/smile.png">>\
“It is not often I get to chat on… civil grounds, with your kind,” he says. They're swirling a wine glass in their right hand.
It’s, predictably, filled with a red liquid. Translucent, so maybe it’s just wine. They love both. “It’s a pity, because I’ve always found you [[very interesting]].”
<<set $kr to "img/kr/neutral.png">>\
He sets his glass down and pours you a cup from the glass teapot -- you contemplate and then refrain from responding. None of the other cups are currently filled, though there are tea rings to varying extents on all of them.
He serves it to you on a quaint little saucer. The set is of a simple but elegant design. They [[know what they want]].You look at the cup of tea in front of you. A few stray bits of tea leaf have been caught inside. They notice you staring. He reaches to pick it up for himself and he takes a sip with his [[pinky out]].
<<set $kr to "img/kr/talk.png">>\
They put the cup back down when they're done and slide it back to you. There’s a faint stain of – <<linkappend "lipstick?" t8n>> on the rim. It wouldn't be a very vibrant colour if not for its stark contrast against the bone white porcelain. He has noticed that you’re looking at it. Your gazes meet. His mouth looks just a bit paler. <</linkappend>>
“Been spiked before?” he asks.
“Once.” You pull the cup back and let it warm both your hands. You take care to avoid the mark as you drink. The tea has a floral, fruity aftertaste. “Also by a vampire. I don’t think it was intentional, though. She just didn’t realise the [[effect it’d have on me]].”
<<set $ac to "img/ac/talk.png">>\
He raises his eyebrows. “...You were knocked out then, but you got out alive?”
“She didn’t know what I was,” you say. That one had been <<linkappend "particularly entangling." t8n>> There were these websites where humans who were attracted to vampires signed up to meet them and… well, you're not especially good at acting, but it lasted for a while somehow nevertheless. You stopped searching for targets that way afterwards. She hadn't even been that harmful.<</linkappend>> “I liked having [[some sense of a veil]], back then.“
“You humans usually hate change,” he says. They’re leaning across the table with one arm propping them up, their other hand back to swirling their glass. “[[What happened?]]”
<<set $ac to "img/ac/neutral.png">><<set $kr to "img/kr/neutral.png">>\
You drain your cup -- the liquid burns down your throat -- and lean back in your seat. “That’s a very generalising statement,” you say. And: “What’s with all the questions? I chose not to interrogate you. <<linkappend "Don’t turn it back on me." t8n>>”
He draws back. “Fine,” he says, neutrally. “If it’ll make you feel better, we can have a quid pro quo.” He takes a swig. They’re not the only vampire to have offered you this. It usually ends before it gets anywhere though. “Go ahead. A good relationship is built on [[mutual exchange]], after all.”<</linkappend>><<set $ac to "img/ac/talk.png">>\
You look at the way they’re looking at you and think you are on more similar grounds than it may have seemed earlier. This is a persona they had to have practised beforehand. There is a distinct dogged intention to not let go, to prove themselves worthy of what they have been given.
Of course, you could be imagining all of this. But the ball is in your court now. You ask: “Were you turned? Did you [[use to be human]]?”
<<set $ac to "img/ac/neutral.png">>\
Your particular branch has been working on a cure for induced vampirism. It’s not yet complete, but it’s in progress, and that is at least a hope for the unlucky few who turn against their will. You’re making a guess here.
There is a pause. He eyes you. Brown, definitely, now. A very [[natural shade]].
<<set $kr to "img/kr/talk.png">>\
“What does that matter?” they respond. “Is being human something so precious?”
That probably means you’re right. That also means he has [[no interest in turning back]].
<<set $ac to "img/ac/talk.png">><<set $kr to "img/kr/neutral.png">>\
“We know you’ve been preying on us,” you say. “We know you don’t have to kill to survive -- why don’t you just take what you need?”
“Maybe you know what it feels like,” they say, your statement glancing off of them. They’re leaning again. Forward, towards you. This time [[you reciprocate]].
<<set $kr to "img/kr/talk.png">>\
“You don’t belong. You don’t feel right. Well, I only felt truly alive when I was [[changed]].”
<<set $ac to "img/ac/neutral.png">><<set $kr to "img/kr/smile.png">>\
You open your mouth to speak and now his finger is on your lips, mischief playing on his face. <i>Enhanced speed and dexterity with which an enhanced mind is needed to [[keep up]].</i>
<<set $kr to "img/kr/smile.png">>\
“Then I will humour your quick change of mind,” they say. They smile – a flash of white teeth, the characteristic sharpened canines on clear display. He gestures to the imperial stairs. “[[This way]].”<<set $ac to "img/nil.png">><<set $kr to "img/nil.png">>
<<set $e1 = 0>><<set $e2 = 0>><<set $e3 = 0>><<set $e4 = 0>>
<<set $hurt to 0>>
<<set $slashed to 0>>
<<cacheaudio "default" "music/vamp1.mp3">>
<<cacheaudio "battle" "music/vamp2.mp3">>
<<preload 'img/ac/neutral.png' 'img/kr/neutral.png' 'img/ac/talk.png' 'img/kr/talk.png' 'img/ac/blood.png' 'img/kr/smile.png' 'img/ac/manicb.png' 'img/ac/smile.png'>>
<<preload 'img/kr/manic.png' 'img/ac/smirk.png' 'img/ac/smileb.png' 'img/ac/winded.png' 'img/ac/windedb.png' 'img/kr/bite.png' 'img/kr/biteb.png' 'img/kr/blood.png' 'img/kr/drip.png' 'img/kr/hurt.png' 'img/kr/manic.png' 'img/kr/manicb.png' 'img/kr/smirk.png' 'img/kr/smirkb.png'>>“You can choose to be higher on the food chain,” they continue. “You can take what was made to be yours. Why wouldn’t you? You’re already [[almost there]].”
<<audio ":playing" fadeoverto 2 0>>\
Your right hand is slipping beneath the folds of your coat to reach the sheath on your belt. He is holding your gaze and you are counting the near-impossible to notice darker flecks in his irises as you <<linkappend "slide your first dagger out of its hold --">>
<<timed 1.8s>><a class="special" data-passage="STRIKE.">STRIKE.</a>
<<timed 1.8s>><<goto "Hurt1">><</timed>>
<div class="round-time-bar" data-style="smooth" style="--duration: 1.8;">
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<</timed>>
<</linkappend>><<audio "battle" loop play>><<set $ac to "img/ac/blood.png">><<set $kr to "img/kr/neutral.png">><<shaketarget "#ac" 0.1s>><<set $hurt to $hurt += 1>><<overlay 'red' 5ms>>\
They are faster. They are on the table now, having leapt onto it faster than you could process, the sound of the momentarily shaken ceramics and ceramics making its delayed way into your brain. Your forearm stings -- your grip on your dagger remains tight, but your feet burn with the desire to run, to put some distance between the two of you, even though you know he can cross a room in a [[negligible amount of time]].
<<set $ac to "img/ac/hurt.png">>\
Your blood is on his dagger. The image is there only for a moment, for two hundred and fifty milliseconds of your human reaction time, but it is clear as day -- they’re licking your life off their blade before jumping back to dodge, your swipe’s trajectory altered slightly from the injury you sustained.
Your pulse is rising. You know they know this. To act now would be to be [[easily read]].
<<set $kr to "img/kr/smile.png">><<set $ac to "img/ac/winded.png">>\
“You could be perfect,” they call to you. They’re standing a ways back from the table, near the fireplace, adjusted as if nothing happened, save for the dagger still in their right hand, iron from your heart melded with saliva from his tongue smeared over its surface. “As you are now, there will always be this [[gap|chair]].”You are still on the chair, breathing hard for the relaxed position you’re supposed to be in. Your dagger remains in your right hand. It is carbon-fiber; it will not flash in the light. Theirs will [[shine]].
<<audio "battle" loop play>><<set $ac to "img/ac/winded.png">><<set $kr to "img/kr/manic.png">><<shaketarget "#ac" 0.1s>><<shaketarget "#passages" 0.1s>><<shaketarget "#kr" 0.1s>>\
They parry. They are on the table now, having leapt onto it faster than you could process, the sound of the momentarily shaken ceramics and glassware making its delayed way into your brain.
Yes, your kind has a lower skill ceiling -- you are limited by the resilience of your own make, an existence that relies only on what was determined for you at the start of your life. But the one thing you have over them is that you are unique. Their consumption of blood has created in them a weak subconscious hivemind -- though they, like you, have varying levels of competency, they always tend to be [[somewhat predictable]].
This is the aspect of them that you must exploit. This is the intuition your chapter tries to train in every one of your ranks. They can see you prepare to strike them -- you just need to [[not prepare at all]].
In the clash of your dagger against theirs you see your face reflected across the silver of his blade -- werewolves’ bane. Your physical strength appears evenly matched. You are both creatures of agility rather than raw [[power]].<<set $kr to "img/kr/smile.png">><<set $ac to "img/ac/neutral.png">>\
“You would be perfect,” they tell you, before they dart backwards to stand near the fireplace, adjusting themselves so it’s as if nothing happened. “You need only that little [[push|chair]].” There is another dagger sheathed in the other side of your belt, but if you try to take it you will draw their attention. You are frozen in place. If you move, they will [[move]].
<<set $ac to "img/ac/neutral.png">><<set $kr to "img/kr/talk.png">>\
They say to you, “[[Get up]].”
You look back at them and don’t say a word. You are imagining their possible modes of attack in your head and coming up with a way to anticipate and block each one.
They continue, “I want a fair fight. It’s [[no fun]] if you’re immobile.”
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<</widget>>\Kiara
<<link "hurt">>
<<set $kr to "img/kr/hurt.png">>\
<<goto "sprites viewer">>
<</link>> | \
<<link "bloody">>
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<<link " smile">>
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<</link>>
Ace
<<link " hurt">>
<<set $ac to "img/ac/hurt.png">>\
<<goto "sprites viewer">>
<</link>> | \
<<link " smile">>
<<set $ac to "img/ac/smile.png">>\
<<goto "sprites viewer">>
<</link>> | \
<<link " neutral">>
<<set $ac to "img/ac/neutral.png">>\
<<goto "sprites viewer">>
<</link>> | \
<<link " bloody">>
<<set $ac to "img/ac/blood.png">>\
<<goto "sprites viewer">>
<</link>> | \
<<link " talk">>
<<set $ac to "img/ac/talk.png">>\
<<goto "sprites viewer">>
<</link>> | \
<<link " winded">>
<<set $ac to "img/ac/winded.png">>\
<<goto "sprites viewer">>
<</link>> | \
<<link " smirk">>
<<set $ac to "img/ac/smirk.png">>\
<<goto "sprites viewer">>
<</link>> | \
<<link " manic">>
<<set $ac to "img/ac/manic.png">>\
<<goto "sprites viewer">>
<</link>> | \
<<link " bloodmanic">>
<<set $ac to "img/ac/manicb.png">>\
<<goto "sprites viewer">>
<</link>> | \
<<link " ...strip her?">>
<<set $ac to "img/ac/nake.png">>\
<<goto "sprites viewer">>
<</link>>
[[back to bonus content|Bonus content]]
<<set $kr to "img/kr/neutral.png">><<set $ac to "img/ac/talk.png">>\
You are bracing for a blow that doesn’t yet come. “You care about [[fairness]]?”
<<set $ac to "img/ac/neutral.png">>\
“Only in these contexts.” They extend their hand out so you can clearly see them let their silver dagger clatter to the floor. The sound rings out clearly from the varnished wood beneath your feet. “There. You can have peace of mind that I [[won’t attack you]] while you’re leaving your chair.”You slowly stand up and vacate the seat, keeping your eyes trained on them the entire time. They regard you with interest, maybe even bordering on amusement. You are looked at with the perspective of a toy that they will take joy in [[crushing beneath their boot]].
“Ready?” he asks. Your grip turns white-knuckled -- the adrenaline is taking over. “<<linkappend "Your move.”">>
<<timed 1.8s>><a class="special" data-passage="NOW.">NOW.</a>
<<timed 1.8s>><<goto "Hurt2">><</timed>>
<div class="round-time-bar" data-style="smooth" style="--duration: 1.8;">
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<</timed>>
<</linkappend>><<set $ac to "img/ac/blood.png">><<set $kr to "img/kr/drip.png">><<shaketarget "#passages" 0.1s>><<shaketarget "#ac" 0.1s>><<set $hurt to $hurt += 1>><<overlay 'red' 5ms>>\
You have taken one step and they’ve crossed the room to meet you. There are two pinpricks of pain in the spot between your shoulder and your neck that are intensifying as you take stock. Your stab has connected with [[only air]].<<set $ac to "img/ac/manic.png">><<set $kr to "img/kr/blood.png">><<shaketarget "#passages" 0.2s>><<shaketarget "#kr" 0.1s>>\
You don’t know what you’re doing until you’ve [[already done it]]. You have taken one step and they’ve crossed the room to meet you; they’re in the midst of trying to gain height on you by springboarding off the table -- you suspect so they can sink their fangs into your neck -- and your dagger has been plunged to the hilt into their gut.
They falter -- are faltering -- they let out a choked sound. You are alive. Every breath you take makes you feel like you can [[run a mile]].
<<set $kr to "img/kr/hurt.png">><<set $ac to "img/ac/smirk.png">>\
You shove them off of you before they can make another attempt at biting you. They may have super speed, but they exert the requisite amount of energy all the same.
You watch their blood spatter on the carpet -- the same bright red as yours, visually, but semantically [[entirely separate]]. You can feel yourself weakening. They’ve grabbed you by the shoulders, pulled off some of your clothes to reveal your skin and they must be tiptoeing at least a little to reach your neck comfortably.
They are losing themselves in the act of drinking, and you know if you can just muster up the strength, you could catch them off guard and -- and -- [[and --!]]<<set $kr to "img/kr/manic.png">><<set $ac to "img/ac/neutral.png">>\
They do not look at you. They are fighting to stay upright, and manage to do so after a few seconds. You can’t make out the expression on their face. You think for a second they might be [[smiling|release yourself]].
Your fingers are pale, bloodless, barely keeping a hold on your weapon. They’re all pressed up against you, your layers of clothes turning warm in the proximity. You need to escape. You need to submit. You need to escape. You need [[out]]. <<set $ac to "img/ac/hurt.png">><<set $kr to "img/kr/hurt.png">>\
With the last of your energy you knee them in the groin as hard as you can and they weaken just enough that you [[release yourself]] from their grapple. <<set $ac to "img/nil.png">><<set $kr to "img/nil.png">>\
You realise you are thrilled. Exhilarated. Again, do it again -- you want so badly to get back into the fight.
They do not come for you yet. You are sharing a [[momentary pause]].
Maybe you are both noticing how much you are invested in this. Or are you just [[projecting]]?
You look at him and you think he’s laughing, despite the telltale signs of exertion, of the [[effort]] he’s putting in.
You know where they will be. You are both participating in the same [[song and dance]].
Your left hand closes around your second dagger. You are two nobles courting each other on the ballroom floor.
<<timed 3s>>
<a class="special" data-passage="SLASH.">SLASH.</a>
<<timed 1.8s>><<goto "Hurt3">><</timed>>
<div class="round-time-bar" data-style="smooth" style="--duration: 1.8;">
<div></div>
</div>
<</timed>><<set $ac to "img/ac/blood.png">><<set $kr to "img/kr/manic.png">><<set $hurt to $hurt += 1>><<shaketarget "#passages" 0.1s>><<shaketarget "#ac" 0.1s>><<overlay 'red' 5ms>>\
You make a misstep. You fall back one beat [[too late]]. <<set $ac to "img/ac/manic.png">><<set $kr to "img/kr/blood.png">><<set $slashed to 1>><<shaketarget "#passages" 0.1s>><<shaketarget "#kr" 0.1s>>\
You find the [[opening]] in his attack pattern. Heat sears across your chest -- you may have gotten some scratches on them but in the flurry you’ve sustained much worse. You stagger backwards. They are eying you with a [[deliberate gaze]]. Your first blade goes diagonally, top-down, your second blade mirrors the direction, leaving a bloody cross over their frills, cutting through the fastenings of their cape, breaching the skin and grazing towards the bone of their [[ribcage]].You think you probably sustained some minor injuries in the process but that doesn’t matter, the warm liquid seeping through your back is inconsequential, it barely even hurts, because they stagger backwards, wide-eyed, open-mouthed, and everything else [[fades away]]. Time slows. The dance has become more deliberate. You matched their step; now you seize the [[initiative]]. You grasp the single-minded force of your desire to get one up over your adversary -- you charge straight at them and tackle them [[to the floor]]. They have their short sword out now, held in their left hand and wielded with so little fanfare that it feels like a [[taunt]].
Part of you is painted across the edge of that blade. You cannot help but be [[drawn]] to the sight. They give you a few seconds to recover, just observing your movements, your attempts to adjust. You feel like a rat in their [[cage]]. They sheath their short sword, re-conceal their dagger, and then they are upon you, tackling you [[to the floor]].<<set $ac to "img/nil.png">><<set $kr to "img/nil.png">>\
The struggle begins. Both of you give up one of your weapons in exchange for a free hand, for [[greater purchase]]. You are so close to ending him; he is so close to [[ending you]]. You both tussle over the floorboards in a frenzy. You can’t really see anything, only feel your pain from before, though it turns out to only encourage you -- you are lashing out with your hands and legs, teeth bared, the hardwood pressed against your knees and your [[back]].
You are both flirting with Death hoping it is the other one who will be chosen. It is contradictory, but it makes so much [[sense]] to you.<<set $ac to "img/nil.png">><<set $kr to "img/nil.png">><<shaketarget "#ac" 0.1s>><<shaketarget "#kr" 0.1s>><<overlay 'red' 5ms>><<timed 1s>><<shaketarget "#ac" 0.1s>><<shaketarget "#kr" 0.1s>><</timed>><<timed 1s>><<overlay 'red' 5ms>><</timed>><<timed 2s>><<shaketarget "#ac" 0.1s>><<shaketarget "#kr" 0.1s>><</timed>><<timed 2s>><<overlay 'red' 5ms>><</timed>>\
<<if $hurt lt 2>>\
<<timed 4s t8n>>It is too soon that you are looking down at them with your [[stake]] in your grasp.<</timed>>
<<elseif $hurt gte 2>>\
<<timed 4s t8n>>They are on top of you with the tip of their dagger [[pressing into your sternum]].<</timed>>
<</if>>\
<<timed 3.9s>><<removeclass ".invis" "invis">><</timed>>\<<set $ac to "img/ac/manicb.png">><<set $kr to "img/kr/manicb.png">>\
They are weakened -- their super speed can’t save them now -- they are looking up at you with glassy eyes -- they are struggling but you hold fast as you straddle their waist --
you have the means of their [[death]] held high in one hand, and you’re pinning their shoulder onto the carpet with the other. <<set $ac to "img/ac/manicb.png">><<set $kr to "img/kr/manicb.png">>\
It might be drawing blood. It might not. You have a lot of the stuff all over you so it's hard to distinguish the [[exact points of origin]]. There is panic gripping your body, but it is blooming in tandem with a fierce will to live.
Surely you’re not going to die here. That would be so fucking [[embarrassing]]. Now their prey is in their hands they are openly displaying a frenetic anticipation, a mania centred on fresh blood, a lust to consume you from the inside out.
They are interested in you the way a lion’s head [[snaps]] toward a deer when it passes by. You feel the weight of the wood, its gravity on your fingers. You feel it press against your palm, the roughness of its make leaving [[depressions]] on your skin.“Just get it over with,” he says, and he coughs up some blood, but he is grinning to the very end. Do they think they can win? “What’s stopping you? Did you get cold feet at the [[last minute]]?”You are savouring this. You probably have a stupid smile on your face too, one you didn’t manage to suppress, “It doesn’t feel right to just end it so [[quickly]] after all that,” you say. You know waiting is a risk. You know some vampires have advanced regeneration so they could be back in fighting shape in fifteen minutes while you are still burdened with the fragility of your mortal coil. But you [[don’t care]]. “You’ve gotten sweet on me,” they say. They look <<linkappend "beautiful" t8n>>, showered in violence<</linkappend>>. “Hey. It looks like you really enjoyed this, hah…
Don’t you want [[more]]?”“More?” you say, “I can <i>have</i> more. I can always find a new target. I could wipe all of you bloodsuckers off the fucking map if I [[wanted to]].” “That would defeat your purpose of living,” he says. “You’d run out of vampires.” A pause. “I want to tell you I still stand by my opinion.”
“What opinion?”
“That you’d be great as [[one of us]].” You bring the stake down, but not hard enough to breach the skin. You hold it there on the verge of puncturing their chest – their life hangs in the balance, and your hands control the pivot. Their heart is the nail you are preparing to hit.
“You are seriously trying to convince me to [[convert]]?” you ask. “Nothing is impossible,” they say, “given enough [[time|time2]].”“You [[won’t have time]] in a minute or two,” you say. <<if $slashed == 0>>\
Their clothes are thick – in order to line it up correctly, you end up holding the stake in your mouth with your teeth, like one would hold a flashlight, and using your freed hand to unbutton their shirt, exposing the [[flesh beneath]].
<<elseif $slashed == 1>>\
Their clothes are thick – in order to line it up correctly, you end up holding the stake in your mouth with your teeth, like one would hold a flashlight, and using your freed hand to peel away their bloodied shirt where your dagger cut through, exposing the [[flesh beneath]].
<</if>>As you’re concentrating, he speaks up again. “You’re set on [[killing me]].” You take the stake out of your mouth, back into your hand. “I thought that was obvious.”
Maybe you’re being too gentle – you feel like a surgeon calmly explaining to their patient what exactly will happen in the moments after. You continue: “What would I do instead? Let you go, then have you hunt me down for [[revenge]]?”With their chest now exposed – it rises and falls as they breathe – you visually line up the stake.
You’ve done this many times before. It needs to [[slide between the ribs]], slightly to the right of their sternum. “I wouldn’t,” they say. “I have an interest in keeping you alive. I feel like we have similar interests. Even if you take offense to that.
We could have a [[truce]].”
Your hand stills. This spot should be right. Your strike should be [[unimpeded]] by bone.They are not making any attempt to escape, even though their heart is beating [[wildly]] under your touch. You <<cycle "$c2" autoselect>>
<<option "drive the stake through their heart,">>
<<option "stand up to let them go,">>
<</cycle>>
and [[wait]].<<switch $c2>>\
<<case "drive the stake through their heart,">>\
<<goto "ENDING A">>
<<case "stand up to let them go,">>\
<<goto "ENDING B">>
<</switch>><<set $kr to "img/nil.png">><<set $ac to "img/nil.png">>\
They die in a [[matter of seconds]].
<<timed 2s>><<removeclass ".invis" "invis">><</timed>>\<<set $kr to "img/kr/neutral.png">><<set $ac to "img/ac/neutral.png">>\
He stares up at you, disbelieving, before sitting up. His wounds are closing themselves, beginning from the subcutaneous layer, [[slowly but surely]]. <<set $kr to "img/nil.png">><<set $ac to "img/nil.png">>\
You are a <i>hunter</i>, a fate that has been written onto you since birth. You will [[not turn into the hunted]]. <<set $kr to "img/nil.png">><<set $ac to "img/nil.png">>\
His blood enters your system. You find yourself sucking at the back of his hand, [[desperate for more]].They want to peel off your shell and get at your flesh. They want to [[eat you alive]].…Well, metaphorically. Probably. They are [[searching for something]] in your gaze.“What are you looking at.” You state it more than ask it. Most of the wind has been knocked out of you. You feel like you’ve been [[stripped bare]]. “Do you regret this?” they ask. “Do you [[regret coming here]]?” <<set $ac to "img/ac/smileb.png">>\
“Now that I’m losing?” You laugh weakly. You find a smile crossing your face despite everything. “Yeah, I shouldn’t have come. But regret – is [[strong word]].” You know you have more to say – that you shouldn’t be so nonchalant – that you care a whole lot, actually, that your life is doing a seasonal rerun in the back of your mind, but the situation, you being here with them, kind of [[numbs]] you to it all. It is just the two of you. This side room is a [[microcosm]] of the world that surrounds it.You ask: “How long has it been since you [[last ate?]]” This text is shown after 3 seconds.
<<timed 3s>><<removeclass ".mytag" "mytag">><</timed>>\“Had steak for dinner,” he says. And, at your non-response, “maybe [[a week.]]” <<set $kr to "img/kr/smileb.png">>\
Their fangs are out again. They’re [[salivating]].“I’ve always wondered,” you say, “do you prefer feeding on people who are [[alive]], or…”<<set $kr to "img/kr/biteb.png">>\
“It’s easier to stomach when the food is properly dead.” They have dropped your gaze. The dagger begins to enter your chest. Your vision blurs at the edges. “Much the [[same for humans]], isn’t it?”
You’re not sure if they’re kidding. You’ve certainly heard of vamps who exclusively chase fresh meat before. You’re in [[no position to talk]], though. You have a family – a history – a presence. They will know you’ve gone missing. Someone will probably hunt this guy down in your [[stead]]. But you won’t be there to watch the life drain out of his eyes. (And, somehow, even though this goes against your worldview up to this point, you might almost say you’re [[glad]] that’s the case.)You are probably in shock. This is just a dream, surely. You sense more than see him push the dagger [[further]]. <<set $ac to "img/nil.png">><<set $kr to "img/nil.png">>\
You will [[remain]] for one to two minutes more. His face is hard to make out now. He’s saying something, but your [[hearing]] is starting to go. Cardiac stab wounds are the leading cause of death in your chapter. Some sort of poetic [[justice]] on the side of the vampire. Your heart will not reform like theirs can – wooden stakes aside. It should be beating weakly against the [[cold]] of their dagger, sinking nearly through now. They’re drinking from you, you think, though your entire body is in the midst of falling into a [[dreamless sleep]], so you can’t tell for sure. Then, leaning down so he’s speaking directly next to your ear, through the fog, he <<linkappend "says to you," t8n>>
"You can live if you [[convert|convert2]]."<</linkappend>>There is a pressure against your mouth. His knuckles, bleeding, scored by his own fangs, you assume, pressed up [[against your lips]]. “I’ve drunk from you already,” they say, “so all you need to do is [[reciprocate]]."Your world goes dark. Your sense of touch is the [[last]] to leave you. You <<cycle "$c3" autoselect>>
<<option "lick his wound,">>
<<option "keep your mouth shut,">>
<</cycle>>
and the time [[passes]].<<switch $c3>>\
<<case "lick his wound,">>\
<<goto "ENDING D">>
<<case "keep your mouth shut,">>\
<<goto "ENDING C">>
<</switch>><<set $ac to "img/ac/neutral.png">>\
The supernatural properties of your stake are very well-researched and, evidently, the vampires have been [[unable to keep up]]. Their eyes glaze over. They [[cease to breathe]]. You don’t feel the usual satisfaction of a job well done, but [[that’s what it is]]. Some in your chapter like to make a display of their work, a warning to the other vampires who knew them, but to you that’s [[needlessly cruel]]. You will not kid yourself and say your hands are clean – but you shut both of his eyelids, and leave the stake as a parting gift. A reminder they are still a part of this world [[in death]]. You move back to the [[table]]. You toast to their peace, mentally, with an audience of none, and you drink the rest of their wine, ignoring the faint mark of lipstick, wiping your mouth with the [[back of your hand]]. <<set $e1 to 1>>\
ENDING I – WELL DONE
[[Restart?|START]]They make no sudden movements. You are [[sure they will not come for you]] now. <<set $kr to "img/kr/talk.png">>\
You move quickly to the room’s exit. They say hoarsely: “[[Wait.]]”<<set $ac to "img/ac/talk.png">>\
You pause at the door. “Some other hunter might come back here,” you say. “You should [[relocate]] if you want to avoid them.”“What about you?” he <<linkappend "asks." t8n>>
“I’ll tell them I scared you off. They trust me.” You look back at them, battered, pretty in the way a smashed china cup is. “Still, it’s [[best]] to relocate.”<</linkappend>><<set $kr to "img/kr/neutral.png">>\
“I meant,” they say, and they hesitate, meeting your eyes, “[[will you be back?]]”<<set $kr to "img/kr/talk.png">><<set $ac to "img/ac/neutral.png">>\
You don’t have an answer. They ask a different question: “Why did you [[spare me?]]”<<set $ac to "img/ac/talk.png">>\
“You’re more useful to me alive than dead,” you say without even thinking. Maybe that’s enough to answer their first [[question]]. <<set $kr to "img/nil.png">><<set $ac to "img/nil.png">>\
You leave and shut the door behind you before you feel the urge to say more, to say <<linkappend " <i>I'll be here soon,</i>" t8n>><<linkappend " <i>Let’s fight again,</i> " t8n>><<linkappend "<i>Keep yourself alive for me.</i> " t8n>>
[[They don’t object.]]
<</linkappend>><</linkappend>><</linkappend>><<set $e2 to 1>>\
ENDING II – MEDIUM
[[Restart?|START]]You will not give them the satisfaction of [[winning twice]].You don’t let yourself ingest any of their blood.
They say something, again, you guess maybe <i>[[“Your loss”]]</i>.[[Your time is up.]]
They are present by your side [[until you are gone]].<<set $e3 to 1>>\
ENDING III – BURNT
[[Restart?|START]]The life is ebbing back into your body. You have initiated the [[turning process]]. There is no going back. You have committed a betrayal of the highest order available within your chapter.
You are [[no longer human]]. And yet, the thought doesn’t alarm you right now. [[Maybe not ever]]. They are <<linkappend "stroking your hair" t8n>>, telling you you’re a [[good girl]]<</linkappend>>.
<<audio ":playing" fadeoverto 2 0>>\
You are awake for only long enough to feel your heart beginning to fix itself, regenerating with your [[newfound blessings]]. <<timed 4s>><<removeclass ".invis" "invis">><</timed>>\
You wake up in a [[fluffy white bed]].…Wait, what the fuck? What the [[hell]] is this? You are tucked in under the blanket. You scramble to get up and you notice your body is sore. And you have bite marks all over you.
Also you’re – you look to check – yeah, you’re [[fully naked]]. <<set $ac to "img/ac/nake.png">>\
You pull the blanket up to cover yourself as you sit up, even though you’re alone in the room. Your heart is beating quickly – evidently [[already healed]]. A distinct sense of humiliation creeps up on you. Your face is [[hot]]. The memories are coming back. The both of you – here – you realised there was <<linkappend" one thing you didn’t know about vampires" t8n>><<linkappend " and that was if they used contraception, which on hindsight was a really stupid" t8n>> – and anyway it [[wasn’t applicable]] to them in the first place because –
<</linkappend>><</linkappend>>Oh god. Fuck that. [[Where even are they?]]…You don’t think they’ve left you, but the fact that you’re relieved at this thought is cause for [[major embarrassment]] anyway. You opt to bury your face in the pillow and [[wait for them to return]].<<set $e4 to 1>>\
ENDING IV – RAW
[[Restart?|START]]Thank you for playing all four endings!
We were possessed by the spirit of our OCs and made this in a daze. Anyway here's some extra content as thanks:
[[more on the characters]]
[[sprites viewer]]
[[view the cover art in its full glory]]
[[back to start|START]]<<set $ac to "img/ac/neutral.png">><<set $kr to "img/kr/neutral.png">>\
<b>The vampire hunter</b>
Ace, 176cm, she/they/any
A vampire hunter who's kind of spoilt by her family and is desperate to prove her own worth by being #1 but she invariably always becomes #2 (if you didn't kill Kiara I think she drops a rank.) If not for the game she would probably lose to Kiara because she got distracted. What?
<b>The vampire</b>
Kiara, 172cm, they/he
A vampire who was turned by their mom and made to want to be the perfect offspring. Puts on quite a bit of theatrics here but prefers to keep to themselves. Ace is the most interesting thing that's happened to him in a long while. (In Ending D - Raw we think they would actually last quite long as a couple.)
[[back to bonus content|Bonus content]]
<center><<button "Skip to battle!" "almost there">><</button>></center>
(There are two ending branches, 1 and 2. Buttons will appear below once you've gotten to either track at least once. If you haven't found 2 (or 1), try losing (winning) at least 2 of 3 QTEs.)
<<if $e1 gte 1>>\
<center><<button "Skip to Ending Branch 1" "wildly">><</button>></center>\
<<elseif $e2 gte 1>>
<center><<button "Skip to Ending Branch 1" "wildly">><</button>></center>\
<</if>>
<<if $e3 gte 1>>\
<center><<button "Skip to Ending Branch 2" "last">><</button>></center>\
<<elseif $e4 gte 1>>
<center><<button "Skip to Ending Branch 2" "last">><</button>></center>\
<</if>><a href="img/cover.png" alt="Cover art" title="Cover art"><img src="img/cover.png" width="300px"></a>
[[back to bonus content|Bonus content]]