2020-10-11 - Aagh Real Monsters

The warm weather won't last forever and Easton didn't get to take his bike out once so plans were made as soon as these two could comfortably ride. There isn't much of a destination in mind, just a sense of route that Geoff likes to take on warm fall days. Easton is more than happy to let him lead the way. Dressed in a black motorcycle jacket, faded jeans and motorcycle boots Easton's comfortable in the cooling fall air. His Harley softail is more than a few years old but looks brand new, in part because he doesn't ride all that much, and in part because he's meticulous about cleaning and maintaining it. The black sidebags are loaded up with some beers for later and a few other necessities, but other than that it's just these two guys, their bikes and the open road.

The sun set over the mountains turns the sky into a warm pink that sets off the few trees that have already started to change. But from somewhere a cool breeze suddenly kicks up and before the men have realized it, the sky has turned from pink to red, not a warm sunset red but an angry, foreboding red. The shadows of the trees stretch out across the road and seem almost resistant to the bikes' headlights. Easton pulls up side by side with Geoff to shoot him a look, he doesn't need to mentally reach out to communicate that things just got weird. And they get even more strange when they pull around the next curve and come across a village. Not a small town, no a village. There is no sign of an electric light around as gas lanterns light the various doorways. There are a few people to be seen, moving about quickly, no one strolling through the streets, only glimpses of people shutting doors and closing blinds. It's hardly the most welcoming place they've ever stumbled on.

Geoff jumped at the chance to go out riding with Easton, not only because he'd been fairly preoccupied with everything else over the past summer and hadn't had much of a chance to ride, but also a good chance to spend time with his best friend and husband under the king. The man clad in his heavy leather riding jacket, a pair of jeans with discretely sewn in pads to protect in the case of a wipe out and his favorite pair of riding boots.

Everything seems to go well until the sky gains that unhealthy color and he nods back, of course things can't be normal in this place, they never can be. However when they pull up on that village he pulls over to the side and slows to a halt "We'd better figure out what's going on." he gestures to one of the scurrying towns people with his thumb which causes the man to wince and dart inside his house and throws the doors shut "I've got my money on druidic murder cult."

Pulling up next to Geoff, Easton looks out over the town. He hmms thoughtfully at Geoff's guess of what this weird little spooky village and a blood red sky means. He narrows his eyes as if considering and says, "Yea, I'm gonna go with demonic rape bears?" And then he nods to himself as if affirming that this is what the scenario brings to mind for him. But he does agree, "But whatever it is we should figure it out and kill it. A lot." And there in Easton's eye is definitely a glint of pleasure at the talk of murder. Not necessarily because he enjoys that, but for the first time in a long time he's not thrown into this situation alone. And he's not unprepared either.

Easton stretches himself up off the bikes and rotates his arm a bit before popping open the saddle bar and pulling out two beers. Despite the little folding cooler, they aren't terribly cold, but he hands one to Geoff anyway. And then he reaches back in, way in, up to his shoulder. It's far longer than should be possible but well, veil physics. He pulls out a monster of a shotgun and then reaches back in for a belt lined with shells. Yeah, not only is he reunited with his husband, he's also reunited with Sheila (https://tarantacticalinnovations.com/tti-m2-tactical-12-gauge-shotgun/) a gorgeous after-market customized Bernelli m2 assault shotgun. While Easton gets the belt situated though, he misses some movement in the village.

As the shadows lengthen between buildings, unnaturally fast in the dying light of day, other things begin to move. There is a flicker of movement here, a flicker there. Whatever is moving is too fast to see though, just the suggestion that you missed something that was there. By the time Easton has realized something is happening the shadows nearly cover the whole town with little blips of movement now flickering between nearly all the houses, looking like they are checking in windows and doors.

Geoff is reaching into his own saddled bag pulling out a sheathed combat knife, unsheathing to check the blade before closing it once more and tucking it into his boot. Accepting the beer he flashes Easton a grin that's hard to mistake for anything other then eager anticipation, the man having showed a certain...Proclivity for enjoying violence in the past. Taking the beer he pops the cap and tips it back as he looks about, catching sight of those zipping figures "Looks like we got some dance partners, what do you say we show them a good time and ask our questions later." Tilting back his beer to finish it off and tossing down the street to crash away from them with the distinct crack of breaking glass, his hand slipping down to draw his knife from his boot.

The belt fastened and the beer chugged Easton grins right back. "I would absolutely love to." There isn't any hesitation about what the right action to take here is. It's cut and dry, there are evil things attacking the townspeople, they need murdering for Easton and Geoff to move on. He tosses his own empty in a different direction and racks a slug in the shotgun. He starts off down a street, keeping track of the shadows and trying to keep his feet out of them when possible? They look unnaturally black as if someone might fall into them. When he finally has to step on it though nothing happens, just a slight ripple effect like he stepped in a puddle of ink.

While most of the houses have their lights out a few lanterns remain on and one door even swings open in the breeze. Easton starts to head for that house when a horrible growling noise breaks out in a barn nearby. The barn is shut up tight but something in there is very angry and banging against the doors. Huh, maybe there are demonic rape bears in this one after all? Easton looks over at Geoff, then at the barn and then at the house. "I say we checkout out the house? And steer clear of whatever that i-"

Easton doesn't get to finish that sentence though before something knocks him off his feet and slashes him across the chest. It's fast, super, super fast and all Geoff might get a glimpse of is a pale skinned figure that looks at him and the melds back into the shadows and is gone.

The growling, snapping and shaking of the barn continues.

Geoff notices how those shadows seem to ripple as Easton steps in it, and takes the few steps back to his bike to grab a bundle of glowsticks from his saddlebag. HE's busy breaking one and pulling back his arm to toss it into the shadow when Easton gets knocked back and raked across the chest. Tossing the glowstick into the shadow, Geoff rushes over to grab Easton by the collar and pull him back from the edge of it, scanning around for where the next attack might come from "Holy shit I think it's a dracula, that or an albino." Offering his hand down to help Easton up he voices "Let's go check out that lit house, yeah. I like it better then the rape bear den." No sooner is Easton up then he'll fall back to watch the man's six while he lets the shotgun take point

The glow sticks help, creating small puddles of light that the darkness can't touch and seems to actively edge away from. The quick attack sadly means that Easton doesn't even have time to fire a shot off before he's on his ass. Thankfully Geoff is there quickly and can pull him out before anything goes further wrong. "Stupid draculas." Vampires, but Easton agrees that all vampires are just knockoff draculas, the og vamp. As they make their way towards the house, Easton leading with shotgun out and ready they don't make it in the door before another vampire pops up, Easton manages to block it's blow with the gun but can't turn and fire in time before it moves on to Geoff. Sadly that means Easton can't get a shot off but is ready to drag Geoff into the house once he's clear if possible.

And then because thing should always get worse the doors to the barn come clear off. There is no light inside but what comes out is some sort of monster four legged beast. It's hard to see as it's also black and seems to fade into the shadows but bared teeth and snapping jaws catch enough lights as it comes barreling out.

"Oh fuck, inside Turner!"

"Stupid draculas." Geoff confirms with a distinct distaste for the blood suckers, which perhaps is only intensified as he is caught completely off guard by the attack. The vampire manages to hurl Geoff up against the side of the lit house with its brutish force. He can barely let out an oof before the vamp has closed the distance between them in a blink of an eye, catching both of the ex con's wrists and pinning them to the wall as it leans in to go for his throat. Kicking and doing anything he can to dislodge the vampire's hold on him he calls to Easton "Fuck, it's got me knock this thing off. Or it's gonna struggle snuggle me."

"Are you shitting me?" Easton hears the doors break loose and now there's some sort of giant hell hound on the loose, closer in size to a donkey than a dog. But he has more pressing matters to deal with, as Geoff's pinned up by a vampire. "Heeey, twilight back the fuck up." He grabs a knife from his boot and goes to sink it into the vamp's back but it sees the attack coming and spins to block it away. But before the vampire can press it's advantage it finds it's hand in the mouth of the oversized beast. Well ONE OF the mouths, as now that the thing is in sight it's clear that the beast has three distinct heads, one of which is currently gnawing on the vampires hand. Easton looks at the cerebus clone, looks at Geoff and books it for the open door. "Go. Go. Go."

In this situation there are so many things for Geoff to be concerned about, the dracula that has him pinned up to the wall like that, the mysterious puddles of darknes, the hellhound charging towards him, or the fact that the vampire blocked the knife attack. As the hellhound closes in he grits his teeth and prepares for impact, but luckily it goes for the dracula. He doesn't need the encouragement og that 'go go go' no he's already dashing for the open door with all his speed. Bursting into the house he lets out a laugh and flashes a broad grin "That was so fucking close, my blood is rushing." bringing one hand up he checks his neck to see if there was any damage before actually taking a quick look about the room to see what they might have burst in on "So I'm just saying that we should take the heads of that dog back home with us so we can mount them on your wall."

Easton manages to get into the house after Geoff and takes a glance over his shoulder that is very, fortunate. He sees the hellhound start to ragdoll the vampire and toss it into the open door. It slams into the wall and then rises as if unphased and turning it's attention to Easton and Geoff now. But this time Easton has a clear shot and he takes it. The shotgun blast at close range takes the vamp's head clear off and leaves a horrible mess in what was otherwise a cosy living and dining area.

A scream from upstairs pierces even the ringing of their ears from the shotgun blast. Easton keeps the gun pointed at the headless vampire, not sure what rules it follows. Maybe it can regenrate? But looks towards the stairs and says, "We should check it out?" But first, Easton moves to slam the door, they don't need any more company in the house right now.

Geoff watches the vamp come flying in with obvious appreciation for the hellhound's talents, the shotgun blast doesn't catch him offguard though it does leave his ears ringing its wake. Not one to leave a job potentially unfinished he strides across the room to the corpse and takes his knife, driving it past the vampires ribcage and down into it's heart, stirring it around quickly before pulling it out. Taking only another moment longer he pulls one of the glow sticks from his pocket, breaks it and jams it into the cavity in corpse's chest "There we go, don't want to have it following up on u---"

His words interupted as the window to his right bursts inwards with a vampire crashing through it. Within a split second it's chosen its target and dashes towards Geoff, but this time the man isn't caught unware and is able to drive his knife through its throat and use his heft to knock it onto its back, working to decapitate it with a grunt before standing, his clothes now satured in the fetid ichor of the undead. With flick of his wrist he sends meaty bits and blood to the ground from his knife and heads for the stairs "Maybe whoever that is is still alive by the time we get up there."

Easton keeps the gun pointed at the headless corpse as Geoff does his work, "That seems reasonable." is all he has to say about stirring a heart and shoving a glowstick into the chest cavity. It's not like they have a Giles handy to explain the rules here. When the next vampire crashes in through the window, which was oddly open, Easton swings his gun around but is too slow. Thankfully Geoff isn't, and he makes quick work. Easton is already moving for the stairs when Geoff suggests they might find someone alive. Easton pauses for a moment, looking out a window to see the three-headed beast prowling around the house, one of the heads licking at it's teeth like it has a chunk of vampire stuck in there.

When the two make their way upstairs, there is only one open bedroom at the top of the stairs. And there is their screamer, a young woman dressed in a white nightgown laying in bed one of the vampires hunched over her attached to her neck. "Back the fuck up Mr. Bitey." Easton calls out with the shotgun pointing at the vampire and motioning away from the girl. The pale vampire draws back, blood dripping from his mouth and hisses at the two of them in true creepy fashion. But before either man can take action the girl in the bed calls out, "No! Wait you don't understand!"

Easton looks at her, his face a mix of disappointment and disgust and then turns to Geoff, "Do we fuckin' care? Cause, I'm gonna hate whatever /this/ is.."

Geoff climbs the stairs, knife gripped tightly in his hand ready to pounce on whatever scene of gruesome horror they might find when they broach the room. When it turns out to be a damsel in distress and a vamp, a cocky grin pulls at lips and he gestures with his knife to back up Easton's words. IT's the young woman's words that first give him pause and then he makes that same sort of disgusted and disappointed look, and he glances to Easton "You know I was riding the combat high but this just completely ruined it for me." Gesturing to the couple in bed "For fucks sake I didn't expect necrophilia and degeneracy." The young woman opens her mouth to begin to explain when Geoff cuts her off "Look sugar tits, I don't want to be here. I certainly didn't want to be attacked by the children of the night, and now there is a three headed doggo out there and I'm cut off from my bike." Waving his knife about he explains "So either we get to go home now or we have to go back to playing van helsing."

"The door open means that we welcome the-"

Easton just cuts her off with a shot at the vampire. But the thing must have seen it coming because it's able to move fast enough even in the light to get away. Easton even more disgusted now than before calls out, "Oh fuck this, I'm takin my chances with fido!" He stomps down the stairs, not even bothering with the vampire up in the room. This was supposed to be about murdering monsters not weird medieval kinks dammit. "Stupid Dark Men, they ruin everything." Easton grumbles to Geoff as he pauses at the door, looking out to see if he can see any movement of either vampires or the dog. With nothing in sight he motions to Geoff that he's going first. They only get a few steps outside when Easton gets viciously mauled by the giant dog... well, it looks like that for a moment but really it just knocks him down and two of the heads start licking at him while the other chews on a vampire that is still trying to fight back.

"Hey! Watch it! ... woah, way too friendly!"

And with that, the two come back to this world. Their bikes are pulled off into a clearing off a back road. There is a small fire going and many empty beers around them as if they had just decided to have an impromptu camp out. Feeling like they may have actually drank that much they decide to make the best of it, roll up their jackets under their heads and try to sleep off the booze before riding home.