[Begin Log]

[Quiet footsteps]

[Ruffling of sheets]

Hunter: Huh, why is it still…

Luminita: [Flatly] I haven't slept.

[Hunter stumbles around]

Hunter: Where… oh. There you are.

Luminita: Yes.

Hunter: You look like shit, you know. Curled up on the floor like that…

Luminita: I'm aware. There wasn’t exactly time to doll myself up for the occasion.

Hunter: Mm. So what, are you trying to, like… make me—

Luminita: You read my blog. You know this isn't for you. Don't patronize me.

Hunter: Your blog post? Yeah, I saw it. Sounds like I was right.

[Luminita growls]

Luminita: And what, you've come to rub in mistakes you barely understand?

Hunter: I understand enough. Just the same old story. You ready to finish it off?

Luminita: If you’re referring to murdering me, then… no.

Hunter: Well, too bad. We both know there’s no point dwelling on it. Here, catch.

[Rummaging noises]

[A bag plops on the floor]

[8 seconds of silence]

Luminita: …Why are you even here? Do you distrust your memories that deeply?

[Hunter grunts]

Hunter: How are you—

Luminita: I'll get it later. Answer the question.

Hunter: I… No, no, I've listened to that tape like a dozen times. I get it.

Luminita: Then why.

Hunter: I dunno, why haven't you staked yourself yet, if you’re so scared?

[Luminita growls, then sighs]

Luminita: A snake cannot bite off its own head, hunter. I am… I've thought about it, but I couldn't. I never truly possessed the strength, or the weakness.

Hunter: So it was a lie, then.

Luminita: I suppose so. But enough deflection. Why are you here? Just to talk? What are you expecting to happen?

Hunter: I just… I don’t know. I had to, I guess— Oh God, did you entrance me into wanting to or something?

Luminita: Even the most vile version of myself could not bother to do something so pointless.

Hunter: Y-yeah, well, you'd say that, wouldn't you? Or… I mean…

[Hunter sighs]

Hunter: I don’t know.

[Luminita groans]

Luminita: Who are you, anyway? seeker_of_knowledge? hunter_419? God forbid, DEUS_VULT_420?

Hunter: Huh, so you know their names.

Luminita: I read my comments, hunter, I just find that precious few are worth responding to.

Hunter: Like your begetter?

Luminita: Yes, exactly. If my begetter posted there, and I will not confirm if she does, I would be more likely to reply to her, and I would be regularly asking her to stop posting there for her own safety.

Hunter: So you’re trying to protect her, too? Don’t you hate her or something?

Luminita: Few people I hate deserve to die for it. I don’t do what I do in pursuit of some revenge fantasy.

Hunter: Then what is it for? You were all on about how people like her get themselves killed in that ‘dramatic’ little monologue you did. Wouldn’t that just prove you right? Why not just let it happen?

Luminita: Because I’m trying to help her.

Hunter: And what makes you so sure you can?

Luminita: She’s so close, hunter. Tormented so horribly by that lamentable woman, I… With just a little work, the work people did for me, she can be freed.

[Luminita growls]

Luminita: I will not have her life ended before I can see that freedom in her eyes.

Hunter: Oh… I see.

Luminita: What.

Hunter: The way you’re gripping your legs when you talk about her… That’s blood lust, isn’t it? Or is it… posessiveness? Is there even a difference any—

Luminita: [Seductively] Is basic empathy truly so unrecognizable? Do you— wait…

[Luminita clears her throat]

Luminita: [Flatly] Surely you haven’t already beaten that out of yourself so thoroughly?

Hunter: No, I haven’t! I’m not just some— some total jackass the way you think I am, okay? I get it. But why her? Out of everyone, why does she get special treatment?

Luminita: Why does she— Why does—

[Luminita growls]

Luminita: And what of myself, hunter? Why are you giving me all this attention, personally? I’m sure you could track her down just as easily. Probably more easily. And you said it yourself, she is considerably worse than I. So what is it? What could I possibly provide that she… can’t…

Hunter: What? What’s that face? You think of a funny joke or something?

Luminita: …Are you even here to kill me? Truly?

Hunter: I…

[Hunter growls]

Hunter: Obviously!? Do you not see my knife? You think I brought all this kit for fun?

Luminita: I don’t know. But I can tell you’re barely taking this seriously.

Hunter: I…

Luminita: Again and again you come to me in particular, knowing the result, knowing the danger of continuing to tempt me. It makes so little sense… unless failure is an acceptable outcome.

[Hunter scoffs] 

Hunter: What are you implying!?

Luminita: I’ve been a trans woman for at least twice your entire lifetime, hunter. I know what a chaser looks like. 

Hunter: W-what!? Oh— Oh, fuck off. I— I—

Luminita: [Seductively] I sense I’ve touched a nerve. That usually means I’m onto something.

Hunter: [Strained] I’m not a fucking chaser.

Luminita: I…

[Luminita groans]

Luminita: [Flatly] Well, that’s a bit of a strong term, I suppose. And I’ve spent too much time assuming things lately. I don’t mean to insult you, I just… would like to hear your story, if you’ll tell it. God knows I’ve spared no detail in telling my own.

Hunter: I… I…

[Hunter sighs]

Hunter: Your… blog meant a lot to me, you know? I lost a friend a while ago to some of this stuff… He kept telling me his, uh, mistress, she wasn’t so bad, and then… well, you get it.

Luminita: I’ve been there.

Hunter: Don’t start. Look, just… This whole thing’s a bad idea, turning yourself. I’m not backing down on that. But… I can’t stop thinking about you having me in trance, either.

Luminita: I seem to recall you called me ‘mistress’ both times, without prompting.

Hunter: Yeah, I— Okay, I thought about it before it happened, too. Almost as much as it pissed me off, the idea of watching everything I respected about you slowly just crumble. And I just— It all just— I had to.

[Hunter growls]

Hunter: I still have to.

Luminita: That makes sense.

[Knife drops to the ground]

Hunter: I— W-what?

Luminita: There were three possibilities. You succeed, and you’re the hero who let me die a hero rather than become a monster, or however it was that the quote goes. You fail, and either I fall to corruption, dooming you to some sublimated sexual fantasy in which you suffer a similar fate to that friend of yours; or, I release you after drinking from you, helping to ward me away from temptation as I fulfill a less severe fantasy for you. Every option is a victory, in some sense.

Hunter: That’s… that’s… really specific?

Luminita: If I’m honest, I think I truly have been there.

Hunter: What, you mean—

[Hunter laughs]

Hunter: God. What the hell is this? What are you, my therapist?

Luminita: I have some of the same qualifications.

Hunter: Oh my— Shut up.

Luminita: I don’t see why. Even as flatly as I can, talking… seems to be working.

Hunter: I… I guess so.

[5 seconds of silence]

Hunter: You probably wouldn’t recognize my screen name. I mostly lurk.

Luminita: What is it?

Hunter: It’s, uh… SmallManForYou.

Luminita:  …Hm. No, I don’t recognize it. Are you actually a man?

Hunter: Not… really? I’m pretty agender these days, it’s just an old name from when I was a kid. Used to live in north Alaska, like really far north, where it gets dark all day long sometimes. I was actually born on one of those days, which I guess is why I always liked the darkness more than the rest of my family— But the point is, we had this whole… inside joke, or whatever? My dad always used to call me his small man.

Luminita: And you… what, did you respond with the rest?

Hunter: No, that’s a whole other story. Sorry, I’m… rambling.

Luminita: I honestly have nothing better to do than to listen.

Hunter: It’s not important. Although— Well, actually, I guess I should mention, thank you for not sending me home again. My apartment’s kinda… empty these days, so I found out the hard way that ‘home’ apparently means all the way up there with my parents. Y’know, in the middle of nowhere.

Luminita: …Ah. That sounds horrendous. I sincerely apologize.

Hunter: It’s fine… The trip back from out there was honestly way quicker than I expected. Like, impossibly quicker.

Luminita: Even so. It’s my fault for assuming.

Hunter: …Maybe.

[10 seconds of silence]

[Hunter picks up knife]

Luminita: Do you still plan to use that?

Hunter: Those options you laid out earlier. It feels like… I get it now.

Luminita: I’m… not sure I do.

Hunter: You can’t end it yourself, that… makes sense. But I can. And you can’t feed yourself either, and I can.

[Hunter groans]

Hunter: I hate that you’re right, but you are. I’ll do either. So what should it be? How can I… help you…?

Luminita: I… I…

[Luminita loudly clears her throat]

Luminita: [Extremely flatly] Are you absolutely certain you’re in your right mind right now?

Hunter: Bold to assume I know what that looks like.

Luminita: I just… just… [Strained] It may be in your best interest to take a walk around the block or some such. I fear I’ve—

Hunter: What difference does it make? I’m only gonna get more lonely. Either I’m putting an end to you at your explicit request, which is what I basically came here to do anyway, or I’m being reckless about fucking in a way that might work out, which, like, I already do that.

Luminita: I… suppose you wouldn’t be saying all that if I were affecting you too severely.

Hunter: Yeah! I guess? Just… just pick something. I’m done talking.

Luminita: …Very well.

[22 seconds of silence]

Luminita: I… suppose an ill-considered fling with the potential for more is… hardly the worst thing. I’ve met very special people that way.

Hunter: Option number one, then?

Luminita: I suppose so. What is your real name, by the way? I’d rather not resort to ‘screen names’ in an intimate situation.

Hunter: Oh, it’s, uh… You’re not gonna believe me.

Luminita: Try me.

Hunter: Hunter.

Luminita: …You’re serious.

Hunter: I’ve been meaning to change it, but… yeah.

Luminita: …Well, perhaps we can talk about it later. For now… [Seductively] I must admit, Hunter, you’re almost as difficult to hold back from as the other blood bag.

Hunter: O-oh, God— are we—

Luminita: Please, go strip and allow me a moment with that one. [Growling] I need it.

Hunter: Uh— Haha, uh, uh, y-yes, G-Goddess?

[Luminita clears her throat]

Luminita: [Flatly] When you’re back, we should… take a moment to discuss terms. Then, you can expect a lot more of that. Is that acceptable?

Hunter: I… woah…

[Hunter sighs happily]

Hunter: Y-yeah. Sounds… good.

Luminita: Thank you, Hunter.

[End Log]