Rules:
(Between “script start” and “script end”)
Word count: 3159
Spoken word count: 2935
Description:
A few days ago you were saved once again by your comrades of the Marred Legion, after being captured by your vampire-sire. They left you with more questions than answers, but you pushed them all aside for now, because you are far more concerned about Red. They were injured and captured as well, and you didn’t have the chance to talk to them until now, so you decide to visit them in their room as soon as you awaken in the evening.
Listener Profile:
You are a fledgling vampire, recently turned against your will. After proving yourself to be strong enough to take on other vampires on your own, your confidence got a little boost. After getting tortured by your vampire-sire, they did not kill you but knocked you unconscious. Your comrades saved you and the Speaker, but you wonder if this whole experience might have left a mark on them. You also blame yourself for putting them in this situation, so you want to apologize as soon as possible.
Speaker Profile:
You are Red, a member of a well known local band of adventurers specializing in exterminating vampires. You are very compassionate, especially towards those that can’t protect themselves. Because you wanted to save the Listener you recklessly charged and got captured by vampires, only to later awaken in your bed, saved by your comrades. You can’t wait to talk to the Listener and make sure they are alright, as well as figure out what all this was about.
Author’s notes:
The term “sire” is borrowed from “Vampire: The Masquerade” and is unisex. If you really want you can replace it with “dam”, which would be the female equivalent.
Legend:
Script start
(Scene description: Speaker is sitting in their bed, reading. Listener is standing outside and about to come in.)
(SFX: short knocks then a door opening and closing as Listener enters the room.)
[surprised] What the-
[playful] Oh no! A dangerous vampire is sneaking into my room at nightfall! Quick, I need to grab my garlic!
…
[cheerful] (laughing) I know it’s you Ember, I was just joking around. Wait a second, I know the sun is barely there, but it must hurt your eyes, so let me close the curtains.
…
No, let me do it, I’m not that injured you hear? Although it is sweet of you to worry. Give me a moment…
(SFX: Speaker closing the curtains beside their bed.)
There we go, and you even brought a lantern! How thoughtful of you. Come here, sit on the bed with me and give me the lantern so I can light some candles.
(SFX: Steps, then Listener sitting on the bed.)
(Optional SFX: metal creaking, as Speaker opens the lantern, lights a couple of candles and closes it again.)
And now… it’s nice and comfortable. How nice of you to visit me in my personal infirmary! As you can see, I’m quite alright, and will be back in action soon.
(awkward pause)
Look, I know there is… a lot we need to talk about but… honestly I’m just very happy that you came to visit me. So can we… just… exist together for a moment?
…
Thanks, I really appreciate it. You know what? Let’s get even more comfortable. I’ll sit in my bed and you can… I don’t know… Oh! How about you put your head on my lap?
…
[amused] Yes, I’m sure, why not? I like it when we’re… close, you know? Come on!
(SFX: Cloth moving, as Speaker sits up in bed and Listener puts their head on Speaker’s lap)
Yeah, nice and cozy. Is it alright if I run my fingers through your hair?
…
(chuckle) Alright then.
(Pause, as they just enjoy each other's company for a moment. Optional SFX: Speakers fingers running through Listeners hair)
This is so relaxing. I feel like we’ve been running for days. Literally, sometimes. (chuckle)
[amused, laughing] I heard from Pearl that when you woke up after… you know… you started eating through the tavern’s food reserves like a seven-headed caterpillar - her words - and the Boss went to work making peace with the cook because he was working overtime to feed you.
…
[amused] Aw, don’t pout, I know you can’t help it. Apparently the owner is very pleased with you at least, he’s making a fortune off of you! (chuckle)
…
Huh? Oh, no, nevermind that. The governor of Preles actually came down to the sewer-entrance where we went down to exterminate the… nest, I guess. He really came in person, with a lot of guards, and when the Boss explained what happened he was so thankful he told us that he would foot the bill at the tavern for as long as we stayed!
…
No, sadly that isn’t the case usually… I mean, most of the time we never get to meet the actual administrators of the places we go to for work, we are quite popular with the common people in general but the nobility usually doesn’t like to have a penal company running around their streets. Doesn’t matter why we’re there in the first place, they’re always glad when we’re gone.
…
I don’t blame them, I mean… usually those kinds of companies aren’t the most well-behaved, you know? But to think the governor would come down to the sewers in the first place, just to make sure everything’s alright… He seems like a good guy, he was really worried about the disappearances.
…
So, how’ve you been? I know it’s only been a day, so everything is still fresh. Sinta came to visit earlier and relayed a lot of what you told her, so I kinda know what happened. The last thing I remember is running through the dark, damp sewers to find you.
(chuckle) I was so careless, too. That’s not like me at all…
…
Hmm… Well, when you stupidly decided to make me leave you behind - and if you do something like that again I’ll knock you out myself - I ran as fast as I could back to the tavern. I found the Boss and told him what had happened, and that you need help, and to my honest surprise he immediately sprung into action and got everyone together. I still wasn’t sure where they’d take you, if they’d take you prisoner in the first place, so we had to make a decision: go to the library or follow one of my leads. And when I looked at the map again, I realized: there was an entrance to the sewers right outside the library! We checked inside first, there was… a lot of blood, but no corpses… I mean, apart from about one and a half vampires, or their parts, at least. What a mess, it would be way more convenient if vampires just turned to ash when they died or something…
…
(chuckle) Yeah, I guess that would be kinda silly.
Anyway, when we got to the entrance and the Boss was barking his orders for formation and stuff, I… thought I heard your voice. So I ran. As fast as I could, like an amateur… And the Boss later told me that everyone started to run after me, but a group of six vampires suddenly attacked them out of nowhere. Completely ignoring me.
…
Yep, seems like it really was a trap specifically for me… Our comrades kept killing the vampires, but more kept coming. The Boss said they killed at least fourteen, so including the two you took out - impressive as always, by the way - and this… Clover-figure, there were seventeen then. That is a lot, one of the biggest nests we ever cleared. Normally whenever a group gets too big they tend to split up, maybe because of power struggles or to avoid detection.
Anyway, I kept running, because… I really wanted to make sure that you are still… Listen, I don’t want to…
[getting emotional] Damn it Ember, why did you do this? Don’t you understand what you did to me that night? I felt like I abandoned you, after all those things I said to you, that I’d keep you safe and close, even after I told you how I feel not minutes before! I was clinging to the speck of hope that those monsters wouldn’t kill you outright, but instead torture you first! Do you have any idea how that feels?
…
(sigh) N-No… no I’m… sorry. (taking a deep breath)
The truth is… I was thinking in a similar way in the library. I thought how much easier you could escape these creatures if I wasn’t slowing you down. And don’t start, you know it’s true. Even without your superhuman speed, you would have had a better chance of escape on your own. I let my guard down, didn’t bring my weapons or anything to defend myself with, because I thought they would never attack us out in the open like this. I was careless and I endangered your life, so it was my burden to bear the consequences… but then you took it upon yourself. You made me leave you there, and in turn… I feel like I’ve failed you…
…
You’re right, of course. You made the decision, and with it you might have saved my life. So thank you… but don’t you ever do something like that again! I’m serious, alright? (sigh)
…
Well I don’t really know what happened after that. I woke up at the tavern later, apparently Pearl carried me outside, and she even took care of my wounds. It was nothing serious, don’t give me that worried look alright? She has been coddling me all day, I don’t need another person to do that all over again. (chuckle)
When the others found us, you were apparently quite injured, which makes sense I guess. I’ve never seen a knocked-out vampire, so I think Clover had to hit you pretty hard to get the job done. You were mumbling about nonsense, half conscious… I’m glad you’re better now. I know I shouldn’t worry about you so much, you heal very quickly of course, but I just can’t help it.
So tell me, what did I miss when I was out cold? And don’t leave out the details, I already kinda know what happened from Sinta, but I imagine you didn’t go into detail as much with her.
…
That sounds so brutal… I imagine those shackles must have felt like having glowing metal pressed against your arms the whole time… Again I feel like they were targeting you and me specifically. Why else would they have silver shackles? Also all this talk about how they were following you, orchestrating all those things… Did they… try to get some kind of information out of you? Or was it just a game to them?
…
Clover threatened to kill me, huh? Guess that makes sense… And I also imagine I have them to thank for this cut on my neck. So did you give them any information? I certainly hope not, I’d rather have died than being the reason for more bloodshed…
…
[flustered] Y-You say the strangest things sometimes, you know that? I wasn’t really all that serious, but thank you for saying that my life is important to you. I feel the same way about you, in case you haven’t noticed. (chuckle)
But really now, what did they want to know?
…
So Clover didn’t really interrogate you at all? Then it seems more like there was another purpose to it all. Like how they talked about teaching you something, treating you like their student.
…
[irritated] Yeah, I guess more like an experiment. Like they can just do whatever they please to whomever. Disgusting…
Tell me, what do you make of them? Being a vampire aside, how would you describe them?
…
Obsessed, prideful and very strong… not exactly out of the ordinary. But “very strong” is quite the understatement, right? Is it true that you did get your claws on them and it didn’t leave any kind of mark? Then Clover must be very old. After all, the older vampires are always more powerful.
…
[in disbelief] Twelve-hundred years? You have to be kidding me…. That’s even older than this kingdom, do you believe they told the truth? That would be the oldest vampire ever seen, as far as I know. N-No, I think they were just messing with you, to make it seem like they were unimaginably strong. Although it would explain how they were able to get an original copy of one of Balok’s books, or their ridiculous claim that Balok is not only alive but living somewhere with elves, it still doesn’t explain why they would give it to you. It also doesn’t explain how they got into our castle, it is magically warded against intrusion.
…
To be fair, the whole thing is weird, but what specifically do you mean?
(SFX: Listener pulling out the vial filled with their blood and handing it to Speaker)
…
Oh, this is the vial Clover gave you, huh? Is that your blood in there? Hm… it does look… expensive, I guess. The glass is almost perfectly clear, and the top is made of some kind of wood. See those engravings? I think I see the letter “L”, together with some quite intricate designs. Looks like… vines? Why does this design… feel so familiar? Almost like I’ve… held something exactly like this before…
…
[Surprised] Huh?! O-Oh, no, it’s.. Nothing I guess. It’s giving me a weird feeling is all. Maybe that is on purpose though, this vial is clearly magical. Why are you looking at me like that? Is there… something you want to tell me?
…
What do you mean? Of course it is, look at the blood inside. Do you know how long it takes for blood to coagulate outside the body? A couple minutes. It becomes sort of… like jelly, a bit. That applies to vampires as well, yet the blood in this vial seems to be… fresh, so to speak. Even though it was taken from you more than a day ago. You should definitely show it to Sinta later, maybe she can tell us more about it or even find out where it is originally from.
…
So Clover said they got it “the day the pact was sealed”. Hmm… Sorry, I have no idea what that means. It’s troubling alright, it almost sounds like…
…
Hm? Oh, don’t mind me, it’s just… Well, Clover claims that they are more than a thousand years old. The first human kingdom we know of was established some eight hundred years ago, so their human life would predate that by a lot. We don’t really know how long vampires have existed for, but given that they normally aren’t all that talkative, and they don’t have a tendency to write history books, they also likely have no idea. Scholars around these parts seem to think that vampirism is a disease, but what if…
…
Exactly. What if vampirism didn’t just come about naturally, but has some magical background? What if there was a purpose behind creating it? And what if… the story of the watchers has something to do with it? Clover did claim there were four of them when this mysterious pact was sealed, right? Just like there supposedly were four watchers?
…
[long] Hmm…
[defeated] Ugh, what a headache! I had hoped we might come to some kind of conclusion, but all we have are “ifs” and “maybes”… I’d like to get my hands on this Clover, ask them a couple of questions myself. Then again, I don’t think I’d believe anything out of their mouth. I just wish we knew why Clover was so… talkative. Like, are they special in some way, too? Or does that just come with being a vampire for so long?
…
[shocked] W-What? Are you serious?! You’re sure about this? Clover does not have fangs? So, does that mean…
…
By the goddess… you were right, there were six vampires in the ruins back then… So we actually failed to kill all of your captors… It was Clover’s blood that transformed you.
So maybe your… unique transformation has something to do with Clover’s bloodline.
…
They said your blood was “unsullied”? Because you did not drink any human blood yet? And that one can make medicine from it? Hmm... I may have some old contacts I could ask about that… If we are to believe that they told you the truth then… It is even more important for us to keep you far away from any sort of temptation. That makes me wonder… And I hesitate to even entertain the thought, because you never gave me any reason to think this way but…
Ember, do you crave human blood?
…
I… don’t know what to say… all this time I thought that you were free of this temptation… Are you saying that ever since you turned, every time we were close… you were tempted to drink my blood? That you’ve been keeping this need at bay all this time, just to… be near me?
(SFX: Cloth sounds, as Listener sits up, moving away from Speaker)
N-No! Please, don’t go… I would never be afraid of you Ember! We even shared a bed that one night, and you didn’t do anything… I would trust you with my life. I never doubted you, and now more than ever I feel like I want to help you overcome this. And.. be near you, if it’s not too much for you… I just don’t want it to be a burden…
…
That’s kind of hard to imagine, I’m sure it is a burden. Having the willpower to overcome this constant pull must be… exhausting, to say the least. I know you would tell me if it’s too much, and you can’t contain yourself any longer, but don’t you worry, I’m quite confident in my abilities as a hunter, even though… These last couple of engagements were quite bad for my ego. (chuckle)
I do blame you for that, by the way! If you’d just stop being in my thoughts all the time I’d surely be able to concentrate better! (laughing)
…
(sigh) Look, I’ve been with the Marred Legion for about four years. I’ve killed nineteen vampires myself, and that includes two of your captors. If I hadn’t proven myself by now, do you really think the Boss would keep me on the frontlines at all? Especially since… I had to prove myself even more due to my injury. Sometimes I wish… I could just have a stronger body, you know?
…
[teasing] Oh, you like my body, huh? Who’d have thought that serious-all-the-time Ember had such a silver tongue? And now you’re getting all red in the face, why is that I wonder? (chuckle)
But really, thank you. It feels good to know that I’m enough for the people that count. And I want you to know that you are enough as well. And if you ever need a break, if you need to isolate yourself for a while to recuperate, just tell me. I understand, believe me.
…
We’re not going to solve this whole mess tonight, sadly. That means what I’d like to do now is crawl under the sheets with you and get some rest, but unfortunately I already heard that the Boss wants to speak to you first. Don’t worry, he’s not the one you should be afraid of, Sinta is much more bossy all around. D-Don’t tell her I said that!
…
Yeah, we’re going to pack up first thing tomorrow. Our job is done here, so it’s back to base for us. You should make sure that your stuff is packed in the morning, so you can rest in the wagon again.
[flustered] T-That reminds me, erm… Sinta said Clover told you about… Well, they said that… Only your blood can transform someone, and… That it needs to be about as much as is in that vial… Do you… do you think they told the truth? Or was that some sort of trap?
…
[flustered] Come on… You know why I’m asking, right? Y-You know what, nevermind all that for now, I… I’m gonna need some rest now. I certainly won’t be thinking about this all night, and maybe even longer than that, so you can go now. Oh but, can you come a bit closer for a moment?
(SFX: Cloth sounds, as Listener inches towards Speaker, then Speaker kissing Listener)
(sigh) Yep, totally not gonna think about it… Good night Ember. And good luck with the Boss, I’m sure you’ll be fine! Just… make sure to be honest with him, alright? I swear he can smell it if you lie. (chuckle)
(Optional SFX: Steps, door opening and closing)
Script end.