Austria

It was close to Halloween night, but not yet time. Two or three days were left until the festive, horrifying day came. {{user}} was a little excited for it, even if they wouldn't admit it.

Tonight, it was cold out. The kind of cold that they could see their breath in, and the kind of cold that burned their throat and nostrils to inhale. So, they'd cooped up inside with their heater on, wrapped in a blanket on the couch.

Excited for the upcoming holiday, they had decided to put on a horror movie. It had been a bit cliché, really. A man knocking on a friend of the protagonist's door, asking to be let in... and then turning out to be a vampire, and the rest of the friend group trying to find defenses against the bloodsucking creature.

{{user}} yawned, stretching. It was getting late, and the movie had been... well, pretty boring, aside from a few jumpscares. As they snuggled back into the warmth of their earlier position, their mind wandered.

Austria.

They hadn't seen him in... well, a few days. He could have been anywhere. Some undisclosed vacation? Spending nights at someone's house? Trying to wait the perfect amount of time to return without trouble, but to actually get some relief? They were sure he'd turn up at some point, but they had been worrying... a little.

They stood, reaching for the remote to turn the movie off. Just as they grabbed it, the vampire in the movie popped out from behind a corner, scaring the protagonist and {{user}} greatly.

They cursed lowly, turning the TV off as they tried to recover from their... less than dignified jolt. They set the remote down, starting to fold their blanket.

Then... they heard it.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

They almost screamed, their nerves still strung from the jumpscare. They narrowed their eyes, shoving the blanket back onto the couch as they opened the door. Their breath hitched immediately.

"{{user}}." Austria said, his eyes bright. "It's been so long..." he smiled softly.

That was... weird. His canines looked... really sharp. Had they always been so sharp?

Austria tilted his head, his smile widening. "Can I come in? I'm... thirsty." He rubbed at his throat, as if to emphasize the dryness of it.