This is the bad before the worst

[Sebastian Jung]

"No, what's going on?" Sebastian was taken before all this shit happened and was missing for a while. Concern fall cross his face what had he missed while he was missing? For some reason he felt like vampires had something to do with it. Before he went missing some shit was going on but that seemed to clear up and the inn was closed. Things were getting back to normal but it felt luke Ryland was going to inform him otherwise.

"Is it vampires?" Shaking his head, "How the fucked did I get caught up in this? I don't play with vamps they are not my thing. I hate the bloodsuckers!" Sebastian was a little heated he was free now and that's what mattered, right?"

"Do I need to see a doctor what if those freaks gave me a disease?" He looked over his body and his wounds he felt fine but he needed to know. He felt so dirty thinking he was part of that.

[Ryland Ren]

"Heh." Ryland made a small amused sound and nodded. Vampires? Yep. At least, that was the story he was getting from the supers that lived nearby--and those that he could get a hold of. Ryland perched on the edge of the window-seat that looked out on the street below, the very street he'd found Sebastian wandering on his own.

"I guess there's a group of vampires with a barrier around part of the Hazleton suburbs," Ryland said, nipping idly at his thumbnail. It was hard to get the full story since Hazleton still tried so valiantly to hide what their community was mostly made up of--the supernatural. Quickly, he dropped his hand and moved to Sebastian's side.

"Hey, no. You probably have nothing to worry about." He glanced at the marks on Sebastian's neck. Okay, maybe he did. Ryland had no idea what happened to Sebastian and it seemed like most of Sebastian's memories were hazy. Still, it couldn't hurt to get him to talk about it. Maybe something Ryland asked would jog his memory. Maybe it would loosen up something and they'd get to the bottom of what really went down.

"Do you remember if they made you eat or drink anything?" Ryland asked. "Do you taste anything... metallic on your tongue?"

[Sebastian Jung]

Sebastian tried to wrap his head around all of this, his vampire mustn't have been a part of what was going on since he was able to leave, no barrier stopped him from leaving the house. He now wondered if the vampire let him leave or if he escaped. He could kinda make out a face but mostly his eyes they were very sharp and narrow. He shook his head and came back to reality. "I can kinda see his face in my head. But not that I remember, no metallic taste."

He tried to recall anything but he didn't know if the flashes he was having were memories or his mind running wild about the event's that took place. He closed his eyes and tried to remember anything, anything that could help him piece the puzzle together. "What would a vampire want with me? Maybe they liked my blood type," why was he joking with himself? This was no the time for it.

Sebastian's eye popped open and he shouted, "Oh, oh, he surrounded himself with a lot of young men, And I saw him at the harvest festival!" He pointed his index finger at Ryland proud that he was able to remember something. It was weird not being about to remember anything from the past few weeks. He felt vulnerable to think someone could take his memories away am made him frot get them.

"Where you there? Maybr you saw him too!"

[Ryland Ren]

"Oh, good!"

Ryland immediately reached out and lightly squeezed Sebastian's shoulder. Not that he hated vampires or anything but transitioning into one sounded like hell. In all honesty, Ryland didn't know if Sebastian could even be turned, since he was a shifter. Could he? Ryland had never met a hybrid--or at the least, he'd never met one that he knew of. Usually, people were one thing or the other. Besides, things were complicated enough for Sebastian without adding in a transition on top of everything else.

Relieved to hear that Sebastian was just the same old Sebastian, Ryland relaxed and he started to smile before Sebastian suddenly grew more animated and pointed at him. He remembered something! Ryland quickly straightened. Maybe this guy would lead him to whatever happened to Aldon and Alva.

"The harvest festival?" Ryland made a slight face and turned away. The harvest festival was kind of a sore point for him. "I don't think I saw him."

Even if he did, it was doubtful he would remember him, what with all the other dynamics at play at the time.

"But lots of young men... That sounds unique." He brightened. "It's a lead!"

Just... one that he couldn't currently connect to anything...

[Sebastian Jung]

"Why do you ask?" He was now wanted to know why Ry brought it up, he arched his brows as he worked his head around that one too? was it a spell or something?

When Ryland turned away Sebastian knew something happened there it must have been Aldon! He was not the right guy for him but it was his life so Sebi let him live it. He reached out and now comforted Ryland, "You wanna talk about it?" Ryland might feel like he as to be there for him but he was there for him as well that's what friends did well at least true friends. He felt like a bad friend now, stepping back rather than being there for him.

"I mean I will be happy to never see the guy again but I am with you to kick his face in." He playfully slapped his thigh. "I think you have a lot going on you don't have to worry yourself with me," he said his a semi whinny voice feeling guilty for stressing his already stressed out friend.

[Ryland Ren]

Ryland shook his head. There were a lot of people and things going on at the Harvest Festival so he couldn't say what might have gone on. What got to him, though, was the fact that Sebastian was now worrying about him for some reason! Quickly, he smiled sheepishly and gently shrugged Sebastian's hand off, so he wouldn't think he had to continue comforting him.

"No, no. It's okay."

He paused. Ryland wasn't much of a talker when it came to things that bothered him. For the most part, he left things unsaid for as long as possible. Forever, if he could. But when it came to people he was close to... Well, he didn't always let them in immediately, either. That was a problem. He bit his lower lip. Yeah, it was a problem but he also didn't want to set people off over concern that was misplaced. Ryland's problem was just with himself. Kinda. It was between himself and somebody else, though. Sebastian's problem was a lot worse and it had to be the focus of their attention.

"Too late," he declared. "I'm already worried. Besides, this guy could be going around kidnapping guys. What if those guys you saw were... what do they call them? Ghouls?"

[Sebastian Jung]

"Okay." Sebi wasn't going to push but he also wasn't going to let him go looking into the vampire alone. This was his problem. But if Ry wanted to help that's fine. He couldn't help feeling like he was also doing this to mask what he was going through. And if it worked cool. He just wanted Ry to be okay. He pulled his hand back to himself he could see he was making Ryland uncomfortable.

"I get you but I want you to know I just want to put this in my past." He didn't like others worrying about him. Maybe he and Ry understood one another better than they lead onto. "Yeah, I think that's what they are his bitches." He shivered, "He is so gross how does he get away with it He is sleazy is what I mean?"

[Ryland Ren]

Brightening at Sebastian's agreeable response, Ryland bounced away from him and started to rummage around in the kitchen cabinets. His stomach growled as if it knew exactly what he was doing and why. He looked over his shoulder at Sebastian and pulled out a box of tea. Ryland's mother swore by tea. If it were up to her, it would cure everything from world hunger to death. Unfortunately, it couldn't but it could calm frayed nerves, which was something he thought both of them could benefit from.

As he filled his tea kettle with filtered water, he shrugged at Sebastian's words.

"Somebody like that can't keep going on that way, right? If it's not us, somebody's going to come after him."

While the water heated up, Ryland leaned down and opened another cabinet.

"I got ramen," he said, pulling out a couple of plastic cups with colorful packaging. Nongshim. His favorite. "Want some?"

[Sebastian Jung]

"Your right but what are we going to do? I mean to make him stop kidnapping men." Rylen was busy in the kitchen while he sat in the living room he made himself comfortable on the sofa. Surrounding himself with the big pillows hugging one of them as he sat alone in the living room.

"I'm starved I could go for shrimp noodles." He glanced over to see if he could see a pink bowl. "What kinda tea you making?" He asked curiously as he dropped the pillow he was just hugging to accompany Ryland in the kitchen.

He couldn't let this set him back it happened and it sucked but he had to move forward from it. I mean how bad can it be he forgot most of it so he could just forget it ever happened but Ryland seemed like he wasn't going to let it go.

[Ryland Ren]

"Uhhhh..." Ryland didn't actually have a response for what to do about that vampire guy kidnapping people. What could he possibly offer up as a solution? He couldn't kill the guy, even if he was already technically dead. Just the thought of it made him sick to his stomach. He frowned slightly to himself. Maybe they could chase him off. No, well. Maybe? He didn't know so he didn't offer an answer. Instead, he focused on the tea question--that was a lot safer.

"Chamomile. It's what my mom always makes when she wants to calm down."

He opened a cup of noodles for Sebastian. When the hot water was done, he poured some into the cup and then into a couple of mugs for the tea. As he set everything down on the island counter in his kitchen and sat across from Sebastian, he drew his legs up. He waved a hand over the steaming mug in front of him to dispel some of the heat.

"You should stay here tonight."

[Sebastian Jung]

Sebastian could see they were not in a rush to talk to this vampire pimp or whatever he was.

"Hmm, do you have honey? and milk?" He licked his lips as he waited for his tea."We can use some relaxing time, for sure." He wished he could sleep for a month so he could recover from all of this. that was going on.

Once the tea and noodles were brought over Sebi took in a big whiff, the aroma of the tea and noodles made his stomach growl and his mouth water. "I'd like that." He said as he wrapped both hands around the mug, the warmth on his hands felt good, it was spring so it was chilly at night. He felt safe with Ryland, he wanted to thank him but he was just too beat to express it just yet, maybe in the morning after he is rested. He thought he would be able to express it better himself them.

He kicked his feet, they dangled a little on the bar stool. He took a few sips of his tea before he began to eat his food, "This is so good, your the best at making noodles. you know that!" He cried out as he was chewing a big bite. He was so happy to be eating, and even happier it was with his buddy Ry Guy.

[Ryland Ren]

"Yes. To both." He hid a smile as he turned away to grab the requested ingredients. Personally, Ryland had been raised on various types of teas (everything did something different according to his mom) so he could drink it straight. However, this wasn't the first time he'd encountered somebody who couldn't. Honey and milk could only help, anyhow. It might help Sebastian rest. Handing over the honey and milk so that Sebastian could put however much or little he liked in his cup, Ryland made himself comfortable again.

Amused at Sebastian's enthusiasm, Ryland laughed.

"It's just packaged noodles," he said, "but thanks."

His mom raised him right; he was supposed to take a compliment with grace. (Although... ahem, well it didn't always work out that way with certain people.) Taking a careful sip of his tea, he watched Sebastian eat. It was true, then. A vampire got a hold of Sebastian and he was ravenous now. Ryland didn't know from experience but people did say that even a little blood loss could make people really tired. He wondered how much had been taken from Sebastian. Probably enough to put him in the daze he'd been in when Ryland found him.

Stirring his tea around idly, he added, "It's not just the noodles, though. I bet the tea's helping, too."

[Sebastian Jung]

"Not just any packaged noodles, they were made by Chief Ry Guy." He added before he took another bite. "Plus any food after not eating for god knows how long will taste amazing." There was always this with food tasting better when someone else makes it too. He and Ryland can make the same noodles and Ryland's would taste better. It's just how it goes.

It was like nothing he had ever experienced before being under a vampires control. He kept getting flashbacks of what happened he didn't want to remember so he didn't tell Ryland. He tried not to stare blankly stuck in his own thoughts.

"Is it wrong for me to want to forget this ever happened?" He finally said after a while, he put his fork down and looked up from his food. "I think the tea is helping." But it won't be able to help forget not that he wanted to say that out loud. He felt like he was hiding so much from Ryland right now not telling what was really on his mind. He didn't want to worry him when he seemed to have a lot going on too.

He didn't realize how much he was going to hurt himself by holding it in and trying to act like nothing happened. That is not how to recover by hiding what he is feeling and moving along like nothing happened. He didn't know if he would run into the vampire again or what he would even do if he did see him again.

Sebastian was good at hiding his feeling and putting a smile on making sure everyone is happy before himself. He wished he could take his own advice to overcome this but he wasn't sure he had it in him to do so. He was tired of trying anymore.

[Ryland Ren]

"Yeah, can't argue there."

Whenever he was sick or lacked an appetite, the first bite of real food when it came roaring back was definitely the best thing he'd ever eaten. He smiled as he stirred his tea around to get it to cool down a little more before he took another sip. For a moment, he watched Sebastian eat and the apartment was mostly quiet, save for the ticking sound of the clock above the fridge, Sebastian eating, and the occasional sound of Ryland's cup touching the counter. It was peaceful and Ryland was admittedly already tired from all the worrying. So when Sebastian spoke again, he nearly jumped.

"Oh."

While his heart started to beat at a normal pace again, he fiddled with the handle of his mug. If it were him that had been absconded by a creeper vampire, would he want to just forget it? Maybe. But... Ryland frowned.

"I know... and I get it but... what about other people? Or do you think we should just leave it to guys like..." Susumu, was the name he almost said but he didn't think Sebastian knew him. "Those guys who hunt hunters. Have you heard of them?"

[Sebastian Jung]

Sebastian tried not to laugh when Ryland jumped. I guess both of them were off in their own world. The room was filled with background noise but they weren't really talking it was the company they, didn't have to talk all the time. They were good friends like that and even though they took a little break it didn't feel awkward it was like they never skipped a beat.

He shook his head, "No, not that I can think of." He heard of them but didn't he didn't know any himself to just leat it to "them" It sucked this happened to him and others but to concern himself with EVERYONE he wouldn't be able to live his life without constant worry. Sometimes he had to just think of himself he is only one man he can't save the world. "Why? Do you know any of them?" He then asked in hope that Ryland could fix his problem.

He was done with his food and tossed the bowl and put his fork in the sink he returned to the counter to finish his tea with Ryland.