Mara's Day Out

Chapter 3: Tastes Like Cranberry

 Every night is a fine night, depending on who tells the tale. For this night, the moon hung high in its full radiance—a full moon. The quiet path in a poorly lit alleyway between two buildings shows a strutting, busty figure. She is Mara, having taken her time to enjoy the city during the day. Given her recent escapades, she had made herself skinnier once more to reset her weight. A figure like herself can't be roaming around, stacking a quarter ton every day, without losing it. No, she much prefers a fresh slate every so often. Like now, as she is strolling through the area from dawn to dusk, even after dusk. There was so much for her to do and see, even for the hundredth time.

 Just then, right in the middle of this poorly lit alleyway, a figure emerges from behind a dumpster. Their eyes were pale, sickly white from the irises, and their skin matched the tone. Their hair is nonexistent at first glance, given how the black hoodie is covering most of the scalp. The short jeans go down to their knees, with their feet bare. This figure faces Mara with fixed, still eyes under a yellow-lit light, head hung low, and posture hunched. Mara had stopped to examine them closely, followed by a sniff. The moon spirit can tell when something supernatural is nearby, but this feels a lot more artificial. Scarily so.

"Dear? Are you alright?" Mara asks with concern, tilting her head as she cautiously approaches the figure. The figure's body jerks into a sudden sprint toward Mara. Its footing left an imprint that cracked the concrete where they stood. Arms reach out for a clawing swipe at her waist, yet upon contact, it phases through. Halting right behind Mara on all fours, the ominous figure jerks out a kick, again phasing through Mara's body. Her body moves to the wind, no, the shadows, upon disruption, and even to her will. With pure caution, they jolt up back to their feet, jetting out a palm to try and grasp at them, failing. They do so again and again, finally stopping. Their face remains staring straight forward, not even glancing up at Mara.

"... Are you... blind?" Mara asks with her concern still present, now facing the figure. Their height differences weren't that far from each other, which means that the stranger is still quite tall, around 6 feet.

"That is not of your concern, spirit. You will be mine." She finally speaks, her voice somehow sounding fine and sharp. Still in an offensive stance with her claw-like, she reaches out for a swipe onto Mara's face. Once more, she is met with that same shadowy haze.

"... got a name or something?" Mara chimes up with another question.

"Vae is the last thing you will hear before your death!" Vae exclaims.

"Were you just... sitting behind that dumpster all day?" She points to the pile of garbage at the dumpste

"The scent camouflages my bloodlust." Vae points out.

"... Look." Mara's arm becomes ghastly for a moment, reforming to cup Vae's cheek. The stranger flinches, remaining calm. "I can see you're... in need of help, but you're clearly not in the right place. "And I can't allow you going around and murdering people."

"..." Vae's eyes suddenly focused, red filling the iris. They finally move, their eyes glancing up at Mara while adjusting to the darkness. "... Vampire. You feel different, but you're a vampire."

The most tired expression grows on Mara's face. Being called a vampire so blindly just by her attire, red eyes, and nearly pale skin has been getting to her. In this moment, she really wishes that Vae would go back to being blind. "H u n, no, far from it."

"Very well. I can't kill you, so... can you help me scout out for another passerby? You're my first ever." Vae admits, her eyes flushing out the red and returning to their previous sickly white.

"NO-I just went over this with you: you cannot go around murdering people!" Mara raises her hands and raises her shoulders, her palms nearly touching at her own neck level.