Path of the Vampire forum

Jude nodded, instructing the others and helping ensure that the campsite was secured, any food supplies locked away to avoid attracting wildlife and any important personal items were secured away. Backpacks were packed with basics like first aid, water bottles and energy bars before he showed them the basic direction on the map. It was a pretty easy hike, the first half and hour lead them up to a series of intersecting paths, that veered off in varying directions. The first was about another hour, the second was a more difficult upward hike that was two hours but had an incredible view at the end of it and a third path lead to an easier but longer winding path around to a similar viewpoint that would take just under four hours.

The second one seemed best considering the time of day, sure it had a few steep inclines but they were all fit, young enough and eager for adventure.

He loved being outside like this, knowing he had time to just enjoy nature and quiet, to choose his own adventure and make his own time. A smile stretched across his face as they walked, turning back to face his companions. "Ok guys, we ready for this? The second trail, has a few steeper climbs but plenty of spots to take a breather and the view... Oh my lord, the view. You will love it, i'm pretty sure Lou here swooned the first time he saw it. He's a sucker for a pretty view though, I mean if you saw his ex's..." He trailed off, laughter cutting into his words, making him look younger and beyond cheeky as he danced ahead a few steps to avoid any risk of Lou's long grip reaching out to take hold of him and make him pay for the teasing. "This is going to be a really fun weekend. Campfire stories are going to be the best..."

Hannah was innately a people pleaser, or at least a person who tried to make very little waves in life. When Judah gave the suggestion of three trails, Hannah didn't really give much of an opinion. Either of them would have been fine with her, believing she could have tackled the most challenging and lengthier of the trails, and by default the easiest. To her, she had gotten to 'win' with the hiking being the chosen plan for the rest of the day, over fishing, and so Hannah was cool to do whatever everyone else wanted to do.

As they walked, Louvel engaged in some conversation about Judah, and Hannah could imagine it. Like her, Judah seemed to want to please people, or at least make them feel better and learning how to do the s'more thing did just that, didn't it? "Well, hopefully he'll share some of those skills this weekend, because I have not had the privilege." Hannah said as she thought about Louvel and his ex's. She already knew of one, thanks to the photo album and that thought alone stopped Hannah thinking about it too much. After following after the boys for a while, Hannah stopped to take in some of the view that Jude had sold her on a while ago. "This is amazing." Hannah let out a big breath as she took in the vast wilderness in the spot she slowed to a crawl to look at.

"So-which of the two of you is the older, cousin?" Hannah asked, genuinely curious as they both seem to have the air of a person who was just as old, if not slightly older than her. Each had an area of maturity to them that made it difficult for her to guess just who might be the older of the two based off how little she knew about them. Not that that really mattered, but asking one question, typically opened up other things people talked about, so hopefully Hannah would get to know more about the both of them.

Judah's laughter rang out at the familiar sound of Louvel's voice, managing to tease him in such a way that was entirely complimentary and rather hard to be even slightly needled by. The scenery was stunning, the company was good and he couldn't help the grin that stretched across his face. Hannah responded, remarking that she wouldn't mind finding out if it were true and he thought that he'd be quite happy to oblige. Something about her made him want to see her smile, to gain her approval and to trust her. He already had trusted her, entrusted more like, with a secret bigger than him and the truth of his past. She'd listened so calmly, so open to trying to understand and just let him talk. She'd talked too, but he felt like there was more to her, something beneath the surface that she kept for herself. Didn't everyone? "I solemnly swear to make you both s'mores, and put in a good word for your sinful backsides at the pearly gates if they happen to exist."

Jude was sure he believed in heaven at one point in his life, he'd always been devout yet certain aspects didn't ring entirely true. He took the lessons rather than reading every word as Gospel truth and subtle suggested that those who joined him in praise did the same. You could love your God without buying into the whole him giving good gosh damn about you. Right? He didn't know any better than others, he never claimed to have spoken to the deity in question.

As they came upon a rise the stunning view had them stopping, staring out across the world at their feet, Jude wishing that it was possible to fly, to really fly without the help of manmade contraptions. Hannah's question startled him from his reverie, tilting his head in Louvel's direction. "Oh. Lou, by a couple of years. Never really made much difference though, when we lived close by we always had similar friends and hung out together. Cali boys, on our skateboards, with our skater rock and tans. Well, Lou's tan was always more impressive than mine, not to mention all the girls who wanted a bit of the golden god." Jude hadn't done too badly himself. People thought he was cute, and more so they liked that he was often smiling or laughing, cracking a joke or pulling a prank. He loved life and he really lived it... Until he turned sixteen and got the weight of the von der Marck world on his shoulders. He'd still been Jude, happy, outgoing Jude but now he was even more studious, devoting himself to learning everything he could about their lineage, to increasing his knowledge of languages so he could better read the texts on top of all his school work and piano training.