Shawn looked at his offspring in amazement as Levi put himself between Shawn and the other man. Their emotional bond must be stronger than I'd thought.
He kept his sword up and ready, but stopped and examined Lex and his offspring carefully. The kid's teeth were sharp--he must be developing fast, but he still wouldn't be any match for his sire in a fight.

A tempting meal, sitting right there, and the kid... This one was proving to be a lot of trouble. Standing between your sire and food? What sort of behavior is that? You're a vampire now. The weak one--the one with only one hand to begin with--is prey. Food. You're hungry, aren't you? Why aren't you eating?

And if the kid didn't move? He could kill him then and there, no fuss, and have his fill--no different than if he'd killed him in the first place. But he didn't kill is offspring as a general rule. And he couldn't feed from the man without getting through and most likely killing the kid. Then there was that monster who seemed to show up whenever he fought--he glanced at the locked main door to the store again.

He wanted to leave before the Garuda came back and that thing came again. If his offspring wasn't okay with that plan, well--he might not kill it, but he wasn't above leaving it to fend for itself. If it didn't take his advice, what was the point in hanging around to give it?

It wasn't long before Aris reappeared, holding a box. Surely filled with food and water. "Always thinking of others aren't you?" she said with a smile. What a genuinely good person Aris was. People like him were so few and far in between. That was the expression right?

Jules hopped off the table and slipped her back pack on again. "We better get that stuff to..." well, to the others. But only one of them was human now, right? She didn't know how the vampire turning process worked, or that the boy would have to feed on fresh human blood straight from the veins to complete the transformation.

Perhaps it was a poor idea to have left the one handed man alone with the vampires. How was she to know Aris would leave them, too? And well, the others weren't her responsibility! Though she had a hard time tricking herself into believing she didn't care about anyone but herself. It just wasn't true.

"Well we should go make sure everyone is well anyway. Lex may need help today. His injuries were pretty bad." She wondered if there was a way to find him antibiotics. He would need those for an infection, right? But then what? Jules was going to continue on through the town like she'd initially planned. She wasn't going to stay here in the mall. She'd go alone, unless the others were headed that way, too. It didn't matter to her, at least she'd pretend it didn't.

They made their way out of the food court and down the escalator. Jules admired the effortlessness it took Aris to carry the large box through the mall. He was certainly something to admire afterall. She wondered if he realized his worth in the world. At least he had worth. Jules knew she had none.

They had to go back the way they came, through a different store and cutting through two more to get to the linens store. Jules opened the door for Aris since he had the box. It only seemed like the kind and helpful thing to do. She stepped inside and out of the way, light blue eyes scanning the large store for the others as she followed in behind Aris.

Levi watched Shawn closely, the shaking in his shoulders becoming more evident when he looked toward him. He was scared. He was very scared and every part of him was screaming for him to back down and just run.

His shaking stopped and his shoulders stiffened before he could really do anything though. That voice- was it really a voice?- was back again, berating him, chastising him. Calling him a vampire. He blinked, not really sure what to make of the new information. Especially the part about standing between sire and prey...

Then he jerked and backed up, suddenly going from trying his best to stay between the monster and his friend to backing away and shaking his head slightly, confusion and other emotions muddling up his mind. His stomach twisted again and he whined, lifting his hands and gripping his shirt.

He was hungry, but there was was nothing to eat. Yes there was. And it was sitting right behind him unable to move and-- he jerked his head, hands shooting up to clutch at his temple, legs wobbling before finally giving slightly and forcing him to crouch, leaning back against the bed. His eyes screwed shut and he chewed his lips as his instincts entered that conflict again, telling him to eat and run and fight all at the same time. But the one calling for food was growing louder and louder and he didn't know if he'd be able to ignore it for much longer. He didn't hear any door open or even notice that the girl and the winged creature were back.

Levi had curled over his stomach, arms gripping his shirt, head shaking as he backed away - closer to Lex, sure, but in the kids current state he wasn't sure if it was a good thing. Newly turned vampires are hungrier, less in control of themselves, and him lying in bed gave the boy full access to drain him dry and quench the thirst that must be burning in his stomach.

If he stayed on the bed he was guaranteed as a meal plan for these two leeches. But he didn't have the strength to go anywhere that would for sure protect him - like behind Aris and Julia who had just strolled back in for example. He would if he could, but that was if he were in the condition to do so. Actually, he could probably still do it. Just not at the speed that would give him the chance to slip past these two, even with the element of surprise. So he took one of his limited options.

Lex was grateful that the covers hadn't been placed on him when they arrived - it made this all the much easier to do. Tensing slightly against what would soon be pain he jerked to the side, away from Levi and Shawn, and landed on floor, using his hand to cushion the fall. He pushed himself under the bed, making sure to tuck his legs up and under as well. His wounds were groaning, the one on his thigh screaming at him in protest. His teeth clenched tightly together.

"A little help might be nice."

He tried to put volume behind his voice but it came out cracked and the sentence broken in some places. Hopefully, though, the others would realize that not everything was hunky-dory since they left. Lex craved for his sword, for a knife, hell for even a shard of glass - anything to protect himself with. He really needed to get back to them.

They continued towards the others, coming around a display of some sort before seeing Levi, looking, a little crazed. Maybe pained. Or both. Maybe more. What was happening to him? Is that what is was like to turn into a vampire? He was even scarier looking than before. Still scrawny, but more rabid.

Lex fell from the bed, catching Jules' attention. "He's fallen!" she said to Aris. But what could they do? Levi was between them and Lex. Jules looked at the other vampire questioningly. "Can't you help him?" she asked.

---

Just then Mtumishi came in, from the same door Jules and Aris had entered through. He looked at Aris with an approving look, seeing that the winged man was ready to keep the peace if need be. "The kid needs to eat," Mtumishi said. "Then we're all leaving," he added matter of factly. "So hurry him up."

His words lacked compassion and any hint that he really cared about any of them. No matter though. He wasn't going to let any of them kill each other. There were others to do that. Those that he answered to.

He passed by Levi and to Lex before dragging the man out from under the bed, not very gently either. "As long as you are with me, you will be safe." That much was actually true. It wouldn't be until after they were all delivered that their fates would be decided.

Aris quickly set the box of foodstuffs down when Lex slipped off the bed. He was already moving to help when Jules said something, and Mtumishi burst in. Aris paused, hesitating, he let Mumu take control of the situation, his eyes now on the two vampires. Inexplicable hatred of them rising to the surface for a moment, pushing against the enchantment on his mind. Pushing, and straining against the invisible threads that held him under that spell. Then that emotion was gone, slipping away to hover once more just at the edge of his consciousness. Lingering there, never fully going away.

The Garuda's body had tensed slightly, the vampires needed to feed. But on what? Certainly not on the humans, or himself or Mumu. Aris frowned deeply, unsure of how to tend to the needs of a vampire. The humans were easy enough, the things in the box would be good enough to sate their appetites and thirst but not a vampire. Vampires needed blood. So Aris stood there, watching the vampires with uncertainty.

Pain. His body flared up in sudden agony and tension. Yes that was definitely pain - but the person who caused it by dragging him out from under the bed was not who he was expecting. In the first place, they weren't even a vampire. Secondly, this was the man who he had briefly seen back in the ammonia-soaked battleground. He was the one who practically scared Shawn into submission - hell, he thought the guy managed to run him out of the mall until the leech returned. However he hadn't seen him since he dragged Aris and the bloodsucker out through the door way back when. Well, to be fair it wasn't that long ago. But the man certainly didn't spend the night locked in with them.

Lex wasn't sure if he liked 'Hood' or not. Sure he saved him back then but now he dragged him out from the only protection he had back into the midst of the vampires he was avoiding being fed from. There was also the fact that the guy had a grip as strong as a vamp's, if not stronger - impossible as that may be.

He kept silent though he huffed air out through his nose louder than was normal. The facts were as long as Hood was around Lex wouldn't be made into an all-you-can-eat buffet. Hell the guy said so himself - though his previous statements left a bit to be examined.

The most pressing one was him saying that Levi had to be fed. That may very well be the case, but there weren't exactly any animals around the kid could drain and he didn't think there would be anyone volunteering to become his breakfast.

And what exactly did he mean by "we're all leaving?" Lex had no idea where they were going - the safe place for humans, that town, perhaps, but they couldn't bloody well lead a vampire there - and why did the guy say it as though they had no choice? Who made Hood leader here anyway?

He was beginning to get a bad feeling forming in the pit of his stomach, not that there was a good feeling to begin with. Monsters he understood, it was his own race he couldn't figure out. And right now this felt more complicated than a simple trip down to safe haven. There was something going on, information he wasn't being told, something vital being kept from him.

I mean, who in their right mind would willingly travel with a vampire?

Maybe you, idiot, because you still want to look after Levi.

Then again, he wasn't exactly right in the head to begin with.

((Sorry I've been a little lax in replying. School is keeping me busy, and it looked like things here were moving along sort of slowly until last night.))

Sunlight and stakes. The Garuda was back--along with the girl, and the kid looked like he was about to collapse. Shawn moved forward, ready to grab the kid by the shirt and put his lips to the one-handed man's wounds if he had to, when the man fell off the bed--rolling somewaht, but fell.

"Can't you help him?" It took Shawn a second to realize the girl was addressing him, never mind which "him" she was referring to. He resisted the urge to laugh. If he was fed and got himself and his offspring out alive, that would be a feat--never mind helping anyone.

Then it came in. That monster. Shawn's eyes narrowed, and he backed away, his sword and the kid's knife ready. Maybe its eyes would be vulnerable? Stab through to its brain?--if it had one. Since blades didn't seem to affect the rest of it.

It looked at its angel-slave, then spoke. It wanted--Levi to feed? And then for everyone to leave. Right. If you're leaving, I'm staying with my offspring. Its words just made Shawn more suspicious of it, even though it hadn't done Shawn himself any harm yet--actually, it seemed to work more in Shawn's favor than anything else. But that didn't mean he trusted it. It wasn't a vampire--he knew that much--and what besides another vampire would want a vampire to feed?

The hooded thing dragged the one-handed man out from underneath the bed, promising it safety. Yeah, right. He moved forward, shoving the kid's knife in his belt, and grabbed his offspring by the arm, keeping his sword at the ready. Shawn dragged Levi back, away from that thing and the one-handed man, towards the girl--and the Garuda, but the angel was thankfully standing still at the moment. He wasn't unnecessarily rough with Levi, but was none too gentle, either.

Making a split-second decision, he turned to the girl. "Can he feed from you? He needs to eat." He could feel his own fangs pricking his bottom lip, but he could pick up something later--feed off the rats, if need be. The kid needed blood sooner, and more of it.
She had wanted the kid to be helped...

((Hey it's OK. School's important yo. Just a warning but my posts are probably going to be on the equivalent of poop for a little while. I haven't been feeling too hot.))

Levi's mind had finally come to an understanding with itself; he was hungry and he needed to eat. His shaking and trembling had stopped, lifting his head slightly as something passed close to him. He hadn't heard or even seen Lex fall from the bed, had no idea where he was now. The voices had past him by as well. All he knew was that he was hungry and Lex could provide for that. But he still didn't want to. Lex was his friend. Or...close acquaintance? He hadn't really known him for that long in all actuality.

His legs tensed to move at whatever was next to him, suddenly not caring about that figure leaning under the bed and reaching for...something. He just needed food now, to eat. And if it moved it had meat and blood and both were something his body called for. The call for blood seemed a tad more prevalent so maybe the meat could come later.

He was about to go for it, about to silence the need in him when his arm was jerked, pulled off to the side and away. He turned his face, giving a slight whine at the rough treatment. But he didn't protest. He didn't have the strength to. The only resistance he did give was a halfhearted tug, a simple sign he didn't appreciate the treatment. But it was okay. The half of him that thirsted for blood told him this was okay, that the man holding his arm and speaking to something was ok to be with. Like he was family. Another part of him just screamed to bite Shawn and run, that he wasn't food.

((No worries! The event has been keeping me busy. And your posts aren't poop you silly woman. ))

She watched the hooded man drag Lex out from under the bed. He said something to the one handed man but she didn't hear it with her lame human ears. She wondered if the kid was going to pass out or something. Surly Aris or the other vampire would help him though.

Slipping the backpack off of her shoulders, she dropped it to the ground against a display before sitting down in front of it. She leaned against the pack and drew her knees up, resting her arms around them lazily. She looked at Aris, then Lex and the hooded one, then the vampires.

What a strange group. Even stranger that there had been three humans all in one area. She should have known it wouldn't last long. They were already down to two. Jules had heard the caped man say that the kid needed to 'feed', but she didn't think about from whom.

When the vampire who she had incredibly mixed feelings about asked her if it could be her, she frowned, eyes widened slightly in a sort of shock. She put her hand on her chest. "Me?" What, she wasn't some kind of human blood bag! She'd only let what's-his-name feed because she needed his help, and they were alone so she knew he'd probably have just taken it anyway if she'd said no.

"Why me?" she questioned again, "Why not him?" She pointed at Lex. "They were friends or something already anyway!" Honestly, she probably wouldn't have minded, but the kid had tried to hit her with a pipe yesterday after all. And more importantly, she wasn't totally stupid.

He was a new vampire. She'd heard of them. They were nearly insane with hunger. Unable to control themselves. Like she was going to risk being killed for a vampire who'd tried to hurt her yesterday. Shawn was crazy.

((No, they're not, Cupcake. Don't sell yourself short. ;3 ))

The girl seemed surprised at his question, her voice slightly shrill with indignation. "Why not him?" She pointed at the one-handed man.

Why not indeed? First, there was that monstrosity there, guarding it. That was Shawn's main reason. However, he wasn't sure what had her so upset now when she had let him feed earlier. He narrowed his eyes at her, hunger making him more easily irritable, more ferocious, and he debated for a second, holding Levi by the arm. "I just wanted to give you the chance to help us with dignity... We could just take it."

But a glance at the Garuda standing close to the girl, then at that--whatever-it-was underneath that hood--made him change his mind. The Garuda had attacked him before--the hooded thing had saved him. Whose protegee would he rather go after? Hadn't that thing said something about the kid needing to eat, as well? Maybe he'd be a little less averse to them feeding on the man. The vampires feeding would probably severely weaken the one-handed man, possibly kill him in his already injured and weakened state, but what was that to Shawn? Nothing more than revenge on an old annoyance.

A small smile slid across his face as he looked back at the girl. "But have it your way. What is it to me if our feeding weakens that man enough to kill him?" She was concerned for others, he knew--at least she had been last night--and perhaps she would take his bait. If not...

He nodded to Mtumishi and dragged Levi towards Lex a little more gently this time. Use your feet, kid. I know it hurts. You'll get food soon--but you should have taken it when it was lying there in front of you. He raised his voice a little as he asked Mtumishi, "Can you hold the guy up so the kid can reach his neck better?"

No. No no nonononono. Stay away - get away from me.

Fear bubbled up from his stomach, twisting his insides and choking at his throat. His feet pushed against the floor, shoving back against the man as he tried to get away from the advancing vampires. He could feel his breath wanting to become shallow and rapid. Calm down - he needed to calm down, but the flame and the void were slipping out of his grasp every time he reached for it.

He was about to be bled to death by two vampires while he was defenceless. This was his worst nightmare come to life and wrapped up in a pretty pink bow.

The guy said I would be safe with him - Hood wouldn't let them drain me dry. Relax, Lex, you have to control yourself. A panic attack isn't going to help anyone, least of all you.

Closing his eyes he took a deep shuddering breath, working on getting his fear under control. Flame and void. Flame and void. It didn't help much, the fear still clogging his system, but he was no longer hyperventilating. As it stood there was no way for him to refuse the two other than with words. He wasn't sure what Hood was going to do, though, and that added level of unknown fed into his sense of panic - the man himself said that Levi needed to eat, would he care who gave the blood.

"Don't-"

But don't what? Come closer? They were already advancing on the two of them. Don't stick their pointy teeth into his soft and fleshy bits? Don't steal from him the little blood he still had?

"Just, don't."

As if that would stop them. His fate rested with the hooded man, and quite frankly that terrified him almost as much as being turned into a meal.

((Don't worry Cupcake! o: Your posts are as good as always :3 ))

It was true that they could just take it, and the reminder kept Jules quiet for a moment. Would they? Her heart rate quickened the slightest bit. She glanced at Aris. No. Aris wouldn't let them. He couldn't. He'd protected her before and he'd do it again. Wouldn't he?

It didn't matter. Jules wouldn't want him to. There were too many deaths these days. The last thing she wanted was for someone to die because of her. And that's exactly what was going to happen with the one handed man, apparently, if she didn't stop them. What was a little bit of blood anyway? Her body would create more, and they'd all still be alive in a few minutes. No fighting, no death.

She frowned and looked away from the vampires advancing on Lex. What did it matter to her!? Nothing! Who was Lex to her? A human. Like her. There were already so few left... And once Lex was gone, who was next? Her? Aris?

"Wait," she said, standing quickly. "I'll do it." To keep the peace, and to keep everyone alive. She knew she should have just left when Aris was in the cafeteria store room. She walked forward, only glancing at Lex for a brief moment with light blue eyes that hoped he realized what she was doing, partly for him.

Her heart rate had quickened significantly. Who would stop the kid if he couldn't stop himself? She glanced at the other vampire. He'd have to do it. He was the kid's... creator, or something. But would he? Once again, she was placing trust in the unknown, in the dangerous, the untrustable.

She hadn't realized she'd already crossed the space between them all, eyes now stuck on Levi. To keep the peace. To keep everyone alive. Just a little blood, you've done it before. No big deal. Was it too late to back out now?

((Thanks. I'll try to keep the quality, but I can't really promise much for later. I've zero motivation to do anything but sleep lately.))

Levi was being tugged again, pulled back in the direction they came. That confused him. Didn't they move away for a reason? He didn't want to hurt Lex and if they moved back he would. But Lex is food, you can smell it and taste in the air he fed you before he can-- No! Lex was a friend! Friends weren't food!

As that foreign voice-- again with the voice-- rang again in the back of his mind, he took its advice. He used his feet. He didn't want Lex. Well...part of him did but he was still so confused he couldn't really tell which part was him anymore. It was more a jumbled mess and until he could figure out which one was him he wouldn't touch Lex.

But even though he tried to root his feet he knew he was getting closer. He couldn't fight against Shawn's strength. Not that he was really fighting. It was more halfhearted tugging and scrabbles with no real conviction. He was hungry and, even though he didn't want to, if Lex's blood was put to his lips he would drink it. And he wouldn't stop until the yowling in his stomach ceased its wails for good.

Another voice drew his attention from his weak not-struggling, causing him to look behind them and at the girl. She was...offering? Why? Not that he was really going to complain. He'd much rather have her than Lex. He didn't know her and she was with the winged man, with the slaver. She could never be trusted and her offer was definitely suspect.

((Also yeah different font styles for different things because of reasons that I will explain if anyone asks. B) ))

The kid was dragging his feet--not walking as Shawn had meant to encourage him to. He inhaled deeply, trying not to snap at the kid and exacerbate the situation.
Bad decision. He could smell Lex's wounds, the blood, the warm flesh...
He struggled to keep out of the hunter's tunnel vision as his fangs grew sharper.

"I'll do it." The girl's voice. So she had changed her mind... he turned to look at her, smiling, remembering just in time to cover as much of his fangs with his lips as he could.
"So you did decide to help us. I do appreciate it." He turned to Levi, no longer dragging him towards Lex. "Be gentle. This lovely lady has kindly offered to feed us."
He shifted his grip to the kid's shoulder and held out a hand to Julia, who seemed a little apprehensive. "If you would kindly step a bit closer... I will make sure no lasting harm is done to you. I am sorry this is necessary."

Don't take too much. I know it's hard, but I will stop you if you start to drain her dry.

Levi twitched visibly when Shawn spoke, stopping with the tugging and turning away from Lex. He cast him an uneasy glance, gaze shooting between him and the girl as he spoke with her. His hunger began to rise again, starting to drown out an clarity the thoughts of eating from his still living friend shook into him.

His vision was starting to tunnel as his stomach started to cry in earnest again, the prospect of eating causing instincts to kick in over rational thought. He could still think; he understood some of the words leaving the other's mouth, understood that he should be gentle. Didn't understand the why though. He had a simple desire now to drink and eat as much as he could.

But the voice- this voice is getting annoying- that was ringing for the second time in so little time told him not to. Told him not to take too much that he would be stopped. That was annoying. He needed to eat so he would eat. But you have to listen, it'll be bad if you don't. He growled in his throat, the sound low and hungry...viscous.

His fist clenched, nails that had been bitten almost down to the quick pressing into the skin of his palm. The kid was going to do it - he was really going to do it. He was going to bite into Jules and take a hearty gulp of her lifesblood, and what made it worse was that Lex knew he was going to like it. Probably crave for more, maybe even drain her dry if given the chance - though Shawn seemed to be taken with her and would probably intervene should that happen. He didn't know for sure though, Shawn could easily let Levi leech off of her till she was nothing more than a withering husk of her former self. What he did know was that this was his fault.

If he'd been faster, smarter, better, he would've been able to spare his friend from this nightmarish fate. But he wasn't - he wasn't good enough and that had gotten the kid into this situation, for years and years and years to come. He had doomed him. Guilt mixed with the fear in his belly, twisting into a molotov cocktail of emotion. There was nothing he could do - this was all because of him. He had failed again. He was a failure.

"Levi.."

Even to his own ears Lex sounded broken. He slumped in Hood's arms, exhausted from everything. It was like the strength drained from his veins, so much like the blood would be from Jules. His eyes screwed shut, teeth clenching and unclenching in a rhythmic pattern. He took a breath, the inhale sharp and the exhale shuddering. If she died it would be on his hands once more - this was his fault. And though the fear threatened to choke at his throat he knew that it wasn't fair for another to take on his burden.

Locking his knees he shrugged out of Hood's grip, taking a few stuttering steps forward, closer to the ravenous teen. He heard a growl escape from Levi's throat and Lex almost stopped, almost turned back, almost let the panic consume him again. Another breath, another step until he was within the kid's reach.

"Come here."

He just hoped the others would stop him from being bled dry.

Be gentle? Julia refrained from a hysterical laughter. Hysterical in the sense that none of this was actually funny, in any way. It was terrifying. Gentle, was something the older vampire had been. Jules was having a hard time imagining the kid as anything near gentle in his newly forming vampiric state, and it caused her heart to pick up speed again.

Could they hear that? Shut up heart! She took the hand offered her, and stepped forward reluctantly. She could just say she'd changed her mind. But then what? Would Lex be able to feed the boy and survive with those wounds? If he didn't, she'd blame herself. She could feed him, easy. If he could stop himself from killing her anyway.

The kid growled an awful sound and Jules' grip tightened on the hand she held. Then Lex said something that caught Jules by surprise. Was he actually going to try and feed Levi? Was she spared? Relief and apprehension consumed her.

She was close now. So close Levi had to full on fight the urge to just grab and bite and pull at her skin. Make her blood and meat his. But he didn't. He waited because Shawn's hand was on his shoulder and, deep inside, part of him was protesting. It was quiet, pushed to the back of his hunger addled mind, but it was there. And it did cause hesitation.

Another voice cut through to him and he turned, his one dilated eye falling on Lex. When did he get so close? Why was he so close? He opened his mouth as if to ask, but almost immediately forgot what he was going to say at all. Any rational thought or ability to form a coherent sentence was lost on him. He could barely even remember his own name at the moment.

When Lex told him to come he tilted his head, mild confusion on his face. But he didn't question, didn't complain. He slid himself out of Shawn's grip and turned to face his friend completely. The smell of blood began to prickle his nose and his lips unconsciously curled upward, revealing his not-quite-fangs. His mouth would have even opened again, another unconscious move, but his jaw was clenched. He pressed his teeth tight together, unwilling to let them open. His last real conscious effort to keep himself from giving into the hunger gnawing at his guts, to not his hurt his friend.

((Forgot about Mtumishi for a minute, lol. Not that there's really anything to post with him. But here ya' go!))

Lex finally moved, away from Mtumishi. The man let him. The kid turned towards the one handed and away from the woman. Mtumishi was losing his patience, though no one would be able to tell under that hood. He'd never seen a newborn vampire take so long to feed. Typically they didn't have the self control. And all this was doing was putting them behind schedule.

Mtumishi took a step forward, too. He wouldn't let the kid kill the one handed man. He might wait until the last minute, but he wouldn't let him die. The kid needed the blood to finish the transformation and Mtumishi needed all of them, humans included, alive.

If the kid didn't feed now, Mtumishi would take it upon himself to cut Lex. A fresh bleeding wound would drive the newborn crazy and he wouldn't be able to stop himself. Then they could get on with things. He was standing a few feet behind Lex. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Aris. Between the two of them, things were more than under control.

He wondered if he would have to enchant the kid to keep him under control on their journey to the city. No matter. He would do what needed done. The other vampire might need it, too. Vampires. They were always so hostile and unpredictable.

He's not coming. He's not coming - good? Is this good? Lex wasn't sure.

I mean, it's good I'm not being drained, but doesn't this mean he's just going to get hungrier and hungrier until it consumes him and he either dies or somebody else does?

Levi turned to face him now and at first he looked so human, head tilted, confusion barely scraping across his face. But the change came over him, his mouth curling up to expose partially formed fangs. This was suddenly becoming quite real. The kid's eyes were dilated beyond the point of comprehension - it was like looking into two deep pools of nothingness, the complete blackness reminding him of a sharks. An appropriate comparison.

Lex could tell Levi was getting ravenous. It would only be a matter of time before the boy's fine control over his urges would break and then he would have no control over the situation. It had to be done, and it had to be now. Either him or everyone else and he just couldn't take it if another person died - or became something worse than dead - because of him. He didn't know what he would do if it happened again.

Grin and bear it, Lex, you're going to be fine.

"It's going to be okay, Levi. Trust me."

He sincerely hoped that he didn't tell a lie - but with the Hood moving in closer behind him he felt marginally safer. If things went wrong at least Lex will have atoned for his sins and no one else would be hurt. The needs of the many came before the needs of the individual, after all.

He really didn't want to die.

((note: last post for a little while, until this evening at least))

Levi watched Lex, watched everything he did. The smell of blood was growing stronger, harder to ignore or resist. His fingers were starting to twitch, the clenching in his jaw starting to hurt terribly.

Then Lex spoke, telling him it was all going to be OK, to trust him. The voice pushed him over, convinced his rattled mind that the man talking was food. Any semblance of rational thought, of any control he had possessed, was gone. Levi was gone.

His mouth lolled open, some spittle that had pooled in his mouth dribbling out and onto his chin. Then he moved, arms shooting outward. His fingers, long and bony and sharp, latching onto the man's arms and gripping on tight. A hungry noise escaped his mouth, seemingly three part growl, gurgle, and whine.

Then his whole body lunged forward and his teeth latched to the skin and muscle just above the left shoulder, his not-fangs scraping in an attempt to break the skin. It took a lot more pressure than it would a fully matured vampire, but a lot less than a newborn fledgling, but eventually they did as his jaw latched and squeezed. Blood started to spill into his mouth and he sucked greedily, relief flooding him as his gut started to fill.

Whatever semblance to humanity Levi held had melted away at the sound of his voice, mouth dropping open and some globules of spit dribbling out of the kid's mouth. His eyes were completely dilated now, not a single shred of colour, nothing but inky black nothingness. An animal's eyes.

Lex was terrified - he could feel his heart rate skyrocket, the rhythmic beat pounding in his ears like a drumbeat towards his impending doom.

Okay, so he could be a little dramatic at times, but on this occasion he thought it was excusable.

The teen moved in between his blinks. One second he was still staring, unmoving, and the next he had a vice-like grip around both of Lex's arms and already he could tell that there would be two perfect handprint bruises ringing them after this. If he managed to live after this, anyway. He tensed as Levi growled inhumanly - it didn't even sound like a starving animal, it was a sound purely unique to that of a ravenous vampire and it cut through him like a knife.

It was on an inhale when the leec- when the kid moved, mouth wide and aimed straight for just beside his neck, on the left. He jerked back at the movement but the hold the other had on his arms kept him firmly in place. In fact, if the teen wasn't holding onto him he'd have probably collapsed onto the floor already. Teeth pushed against his skin, putting harsh pressure but not quite breaking through - until they did. Lex felt as the fangs slid into his flesh, sharp points stinging as they passed through his body's flimsy protective barrier.

He could feel his breathing speed up as his eyes glazed over. Memories were superimposing themselves onto reality. The fire. The vampire - first Levi, then the other, and then back again - biting into his palm. Himself cutting off the hand with the monster still attached to it before slicing through half of the creatures neck.

His knees started wobbling, head feeling lightheaded. He was beginning a panic attack and he needed to calm down but he couldn't, he just couldn't, not with a vampire stuck to him.

Slow down your breathing, Lex. Your breathing. C'mon, c'mon! Control yourself - panicking is only going to kill you quicker.

Mtumishi didn't move. He didn't seem to be bothered by the kid's reaction to his friend, or the obvious pain he was probably putting his friend through at the moment of his attack. He was only surprised it had taken the kid so long. He'd had a strong will. But there was probably nothing left of that now.

He was standing there with his arms crossed. He could feel Lex's heartbeat. He could hear his every breath. Finally his heartbeat was slowing. A sufficient amount of blood had been lost, and his heart didn't have enough to pump to beat quickly with excitement. The man was probably beginning to feel light headed. If Levi didn't stop soon, Lex would pass out, or die.

Mtumishi uncrossed his arms and looked across the space at the other vampire. If he didn't stop his kid now, Mtumishi would. His eyes slid over to Aris. Or Aris would. He knew because he'd enchanted him to. Unknowing of the deep hatred the Garuda already held for vampires.

Meanwhile Jules was thanking the heavens that that wasn't here there. Somehow she felt bad. It felt wrong. How could they have let Lex volunteer? He was injured. Still, Jules couldn't help but be glad it wasn't her. Lex was becoming pale. His eyes were glazed over and Julia began to worry. "Won't you stop him?" she asked the vampire, believing that he might actually let Levi kill Lex.

She took a step forward as if she'd do something herself. But what? Someone needs to stop him! Jules knew she shouldn't have let Lex do this. He was going to die!

Aris was still, just watching as the vampires sorted things out for themselves and amongst the two humans. He seemed rather inclined to allow the vampires to feed, but when the fledgling bit into the one armed man, something began to flicker in Aris' eyes. A pressure was building up, his head was throbbing as the strong, deep seated emotion pushed forcefully against the enchantment that Mtumishi had placed over him. His lips parted, his dark eyes were on the fledgling vampire, and then it snapped. The enchantment fell to shattered pieces all around him, figuratively. In an instant, Aris was moving, his lips curled back in an expression of anger and hatred.

His dark eyes were full of that anger and hatred. His single wing twitched, and he pressed his lips together in a hard thin line. Aris seemed to ignore the others, his priority was to get the fledgling off the human and his quick, but calm steps brought him right up to the two in record time. The fingers of one hand wrapped around Levi's throat and squeezed, his other hand moved to work it's way into the fledgling's mouth. To pry those fangs from the human's flesh without making the wound there any bigger than it already was. Aris' movements were quick, almost precise. One of his legs was positioned between the fledglings, so when he did pry that mouth free and pull the vampire back, Levi would lose his balance and fall. Hopefully he would lose his balance and fall. That wing twitched again in aggravation, Aris body was tense.