The Gluttons...
As she moved through the bar, she remembered that night almost a year ago...
She and her cousin had gone to the park. There were teenagers there, clearly inebriated, and so they did God's Work and fed from them...
"Ah, the blood of sinners. Nothing quite like it. And they'll wake up so sick they won't be doing that again."
"Hmmm. Why is that tree...smiling?"
"I beg your pardon, cousin? Which tree?"
He pointed. The tree had a crack in it...or else it was smiling? She looked away and then looked again. It was leering.
She whispered "...It isn't smiling, it's," she gasped "it's growling!"
It was fight or flight, and the tree was three times their combined size and so they flew. They skimmed over the grass and then over some buildings and streets; the windows like autumn leaves in a darkened pool.
The back of the alley approached almost too fast but stopped in time, and they returned to human shape. She started giggling, and he joined in.
"Your...your hair, Kaoniki...it's got...it's got LEAVES in it!"
"Thought it'd scare that growling tree."
And then they giggled some more, and she ripped the leaves out of her hair.
"I want...food? How strange. I want to...chew...on something..."
"Don't tell Carver. I think he likes you."
She laughed so hard she dropped to the ground. "No, no. He likes my...hmmm. It's because I'm married."
"I smell...dead cows. Yeah. Old dead cows."
"The Three?"
This time he laughed so hard he fell to the ground.
"I want dead cow. Come on."
"You don't have money."
"You do."
They staggered out of the alley, giggling and leaning on each other. Inside the building it was very bright and they blinked. Their noses led them to the back of the store.
"Oh boy. Oberto!" She grabbed a handful of the plastic bags.
"Oh girl. Slim Jims!" He grabbed a handful of sticks.
They giggled all the way to the register. The kid behind the counter looked as zoned out as the kids in the park had been, and so they had a pick-me-up while making their purchase.
"Go to church tomorrow, kid!" And he slapped a pamphlet down on top of her money. She snorted with laughter and they sprinted out of the store.
Back in the park, there was no sign of mortals anymore. They ripped open the packages of dead cow, chewed and spat. Laughed. Chewed and spat again. Laughed again.
Somewhere, there was a tire swing. She hung upside down from the bar, her braid almost touching the ground, and squeaked like a bat. They laughed and she fell, and laughed again.
"What's this tire for? What's it doing hanging from your upside-down bar?"
"It's a swing...you know, for swinging."
"A what?"
"Sping. I mean, Sing. No, String."
"But what's it for?"
"Springing!"
"Ok, it's springtime I get it. What's the tire for?"
"Watch."
She sat on the tire and kicked her feet, moving the tire.
"Ooooooh! Let me try."
"Gimme more dead cow first."
"Make me."
She pounced at him and they fell on the ground laughing. As he got up to move toward the tire, she stole all of his Slim Jims.
"Hey!"
"You have tire, I have dead cow." She stuck out her tongue at him.
"Moooooooooo."
They laughed and he sat down hard before he reached the tire.
"Lightweight."
"You're a lightweight." He sat on the swing.
"Am not."
"Yeah you are."
"Are not."
"Are too."
"I can kick your ass."
"Don't doubt it. Still, you're a lightweight."
She pounced at the swing as hard as she could, and the chains snapped dropping the tire and the two Gangrel to the ground in a puff of dust.
Inhuman laughter rang through the park along with the sound of the tire swing being torn to pieces.
The next morning, nothing remained to be seen except rubber tire shreds and red plastic wrappers. And bits of chewed up dead cow, of course.
She and her cousin had gone to the park. There were teenagers there, clearly inebriated, and so they did God's Work and fed from them...
"Ah, the blood of sinners. Nothing quite like it. And they'll wake up so sick they won't be doing that again."
"Hmmm. Why is that tree...smiling?"
"I beg your pardon, cousin? Which tree?"
He pointed. The tree had a crack in it...or else it was smiling? She looked away and then looked again. It was leering.
She whispered "...It isn't smiling, it's," she gasped "it's growling!"
It was fight or flight, and the tree was three times their combined size and so they flew. They skimmed over the grass and then over some buildings and streets; the windows like autumn leaves in a darkened pool.
The back of the alley approached almost too fast but stopped in time, and they returned to human shape. She started giggling, and he joined in.
"Your...your hair, Kaoniki...it's got...it's got LEAVES in it!"
"Thought it'd scare that growling tree."
And then they giggled some more, and she ripped the leaves out of her hair.
"I want...food? How strange. I want to...chew...on something..."
"Don't tell Carver. I think he likes you."
She laughed so hard she dropped to the ground. "No, no. He likes my...hmmm. It's because I'm married."
"I smell...dead cows. Yeah. Old dead cows."
"The Three?"
This time he laughed so hard he fell to the ground.
"I want dead cow. Come on."
"You don't have money."
"You do."
They staggered out of the alley, giggling and leaning on each other. Inside the building it was very bright and they blinked. Their noses led them to the back of the store.
"Oh boy. Oberto!" She grabbed a handful of the plastic bags.
"Oh girl. Slim Jims!" He grabbed a handful of sticks.
They giggled all the way to the register. The kid behind the counter looked as zoned out as the kids in the park had been, and so they had a pick-me-up while making their purchase.
"Go to church tomorrow, kid!" And he slapped a pamphlet down on top of her money. She snorted with laughter and they sprinted out of the store.
Back in the park, there was no sign of mortals anymore. They ripped open the packages of dead cow, chewed and spat. Laughed. Chewed and spat again. Laughed again.
Somewhere, there was a tire swing. She hung upside down from the bar, her braid almost touching the ground, and squeaked like a bat. They laughed and she fell, and laughed again.
"What's this tire for? What's it doing hanging from your upside-down bar?"
"It's a swing...you know, for swinging."
"A what?"
"Sping. I mean, Sing. No, String."
"But what's it for?"
"Springing!"
"Ok, it's springtime I get it. What's the tire for?"
"Watch."
She sat on the tire and kicked her feet, moving the tire.
"Ooooooh! Let me try."
"Gimme more dead cow first."
"Make me."
She pounced at him and they fell on the ground laughing. As he got up to move toward the tire, she stole all of his Slim Jims.
"Hey!"
"You have tire, I have dead cow." She stuck out her tongue at him.
"Moooooooooo."
They laughed and he sat down hard before he reached the tire.
"Lightweight."
"You're a lightweight." He sat on the swing.
"Am not."
"Yeah you are."
"Are not."
"Are too."
"I can kick your ass."
"Don't doubt it. Still, you're a lightweight."
She pounced at the swing as hard as she could, and the chains snapped dropping the tire and the two Gangrel to the ground in a puff of dust.
Inhuman laughter rang through the park along with the sound of the tire swing being torn to pieces.
The next morning, nothing remained to be seen except rubber tire shreds and red plastic wrappers. And bits of chewed up dead cow, of course.