((:D Pony!!))

"Stupid question, but... see anything?"
Rai was looking into the next room when Mellony asked her question, and he smiled grimly. "Just darkness and a dusty old room." The silver-haired male turned when a familiar scent tickled his nose. The metallic hint made his lip curl in disgust. Blood.

The lamps went out the moment the breeze swept through the hall. Rai tried to see through the darkness, but no matter how much he focused he could make nothing out. By the time the blue light from the lamps illuminated their surroundings once more, the armor had changed. Everything had changed. Darkness and horror suddenly filled the once-normal hall.
"Blood," Rai stated, his gaze locked on the nearest suit of armor. Lots of it. Standing as though frozen, the male continued to stare at the jagged sets of armor as they squealed in protest and began to move. The sounds the metal made reminded him of the sounds of a breaking ship.

The hull shrieked in protest as the ship was hit. Metal, cold water and blood were everywhere. "Dad!" His father's hand disappeared under the roaring foam that separated them.

Rai's blue eyes were unblinking, and he hardly heard Mellony's comment. They needed to run - oh, how true that was. A burning ache made his throat tighten, and Rai didn't look to his companion as he spoke next. "I can't." His need to stay, despite the risk of being wounded, outweighed any thought of fleeing. Rai's jaw began to throb. He'd clenched it so tightly that it was beginning to hurt.
-

Astryd slipped on yet another patch of leaves. She'd been running for many minutes, only stopping when her heaving breath was too painful. Coughing and heaving dryly, the redhead finally reached for the wall of the maze to steady herself. Looking up, she let out a weak cry of dismay. She'd seen that exact broken stone just moments ago.
Am I going in circles? Astryd tried to keep herself from crying, but her tears began to fall once more. I'm lost. She'd die in the maze, even if the experiment never reached her. Cursing her luck, she wiped her tears away with a dirty hand. It left smears of dirt over her cheeks, but Reed didn't notice.
"Just calm down and think," she muttered to herself, sniffing and wiping her face with the back of her hand. "There's a way out. There was a way in, so there's a way out." Her green eyes trailed over the stones that she'd found so familiar. A few moments later, she yanked off her mask, annoyed by how damp it had gotten from her tears. "I hate this."
She just wanted to wake up.

Picking up a loose stone, she set it near the right corner of the next turn. It meant she'd gone right. Maybe she could do this through the process of elimination. Astryd convinced herself that she had to keep trying. She absolutely couldn't give up.

((OMG THREAD FULL OF BRONIES))

"I can't."

Mellony started at Rai's words. "Wh-what?! What are you going to do, fight those things?!" She demanded, grabbing Rai's arm. She stopped as she felt how tense he was, then looked up at his face. His jaw was clenched so tightly she was surprised she couldn't hear his teeth cracking from the pressure."Rai? What- what's wrong?" She asked quietly.

That was when she remembered something else Rai had said. Blood. From the armor? Looking at the armor again, Mellony couldn't make out any details in the semi-darkness. How had he... a dark, unthinkable theory struck her. One that she normally wouldn't have considered, if she hadn't already been chased by a possessed skeleton and wasn't standing in a hall full of apparently sentient suits of armor.

And now, she wasn't sure what she was in more danger from- the armor, or Rai.

((So, Mellony has a theory about her new traveling companion... but she's not going to leave. Because running off right now would probably just run her into something worse.))

The sound of rustling leaves and churning earth came from behind Astryd as the hedges themselves began to move, changing and reforming until a whole different set of paths, twists, and turns were all around her.

The armored suits stepped off of their stands and moved into a double file formation and stared at the two of them... before the hall was filled with deafening screams! Emerging from the helmets of the armored suits all began to scream, but in varying voices, some even screaming with multiple voices at once, "NO, PLEASE, MERCY! Mommy, save me mommy! AHHH! Please, no more pain... just let me die? MY AAAAARRRRMMMM!" And then, they began to step forward, the blood beginning to gush out of their wounds and even Rai could see it despite the darkness.

Fight. That might be the case. Rai never took his gaze off of the moving suits of armor as she spoke. Once again, he didn't seem to hear Mellony's words. What's wrong? That was a loaded question, really. The answer wasn't as simple as anyone would have cared for.
The voices that rose from the helmets of the assembled creatures made Rai narrow his eyes. They suffered. Who wouldn't have? Still . . . he couldn't bring himself to turn and walk away, even with the door right behind him. Through the thick darkness Rai's blue gaze lingered on the dark liquid that spilled to the floor.

Everything was covered in warm liquid. Rai looked up from his own hands, coated in blood, in utter confusion. Reaching a shaking hand up, he wiped away the wet hair from his eyes. The hardly distinguishable body of an unnamed person lay a few feet from him. "Help me . . . somebody help me!"

Despite the horror that the armor creations radiated, Rai couldn't turn away. Instead, he stepped toward them. His thirst had grown too strong for him to manage - and it was either take his share from Mellony, or the manifested suits before him. With a low hiss, he fought against the pain his his jaw until he knew it was useless. Even as instinct took over, Rai protested. It was never enough - it never had been before.
As the armor moved closer, Rai seemed to gravitate toward them. He would destroy them, if necessary . . . but he needed to feed.
-

Astryd looked over her shoulder as she heard the rustling. At first, she thought it might be the experiment chasing her. As her heart rate spiked, she found something else instead: the path was changing. "Hey!" the redhead shouted, trying to get back to the rock she'd used to mark her place. "That isn't fair!"
Reed bit her lip in an attempt to keep herself from cursing her luck. Instead, she whipped around and furiously took another path. When this one, too, shifted . . . she kicked at a hedge and growled in frustration. "It's only a game if there's a fair chance of winning!"
Clenching her fists, Astryd started down the next path. How do I get out of something like this? Was it really the safer path? The Host had herded her into the maze for his own entertainment.

((Well, I'm at least glad Rai's not taking the path of least resistance and, y'know, deciding to eat Mellony. ^^;))

Mellony couldn't stop tears from leaking down her face as the voices started. Oh god... they're all victims of this house, aren't they? If we die here... we'll never leave. We'll be trapped in this place. Forever. The thought struck her with a horror so deep that she couldn't move, even as she watched Rai step out in front of her. He was actually going to fight those things. Better them than me. Mellony thought grimly.

That's when the smell hit her. The overwhelming smell of rust and salt. Mellony's eyes widened as she saw the liquid gushing out of the armor. Blood. So... so much blood. Mellony's heart began to pound frantically in her chest as she fought to breathe. "No..." She gasped, her lungs beginning to hurt as she fought to not hyperventilate. "Make it stop... make the blood stop." She pleaded to no one, muttering to herself as she clutched her chest.

((Oh dear. Mellony may be having flashbacks. And that's just seeing the blood. I do hope Rai doesn't make a mess of the bloody armor or one doesn't get past him and -le gasp- try to touch her. >:-3))

((Victim's of the house? No... it's the voices of the victims of the dark knights... every soul of every man, woman, and child that they beat, raped, tortured and murdered is in a constant state of pain, locked within the armor of the dark knights. The knights who wore the armor are long dead, hunted down for their crimes, but the armor still carries all the victim's pain, fueling the still present insane hatred of the armor's former bearers))

The first suit of armor to close the distance with Rai bore a pair of curved, serrated blades, made for gutting their victim and causing a slow, painful death. The armor struck out at Rai with the speed of a trained bladesman.

Soon, the hedges ceased their shifting... but a few patches of dirt continued to move, as if something were moving beneath it. A hand burst from the ground near Astryd, the flesh rotted and discolored. A figure that was once a young man dressed in a fine masquerade outfit pulled itself out of the ground, his skin discolored and rotted with the skin around his left eye completely gone, leaving bare bone visible around a hollow socket. The zombie looked at Astryd with its one eye, completely empty of life, and let out a deep, almost sorrowful groan, as it pulled itself from the ground completely and began to shuffle towards her, accompanied by a symphony of groans throughout the maze as more hands burst from the ground.

((*laugh* Right! Still: Rai may be a creep, but he doesn't like what he is. :sweat:))

Just as he stepped away from Mellony, Rai's mind snapped back to the moment at hand. He'd been listening to her quickly-beating heart like a kind of song. It was worse than any siren's call and stronger than any temptation. The only thing calling to him more was the thrill of the coming battle.
As the first creature drew a pair of wicked blades, Rai seemed to tense. Still, he kept stepping forward until he was within range of the armor. Just as the blade moved, Mellony reacted strangely. Rai glanced back to ensure that she was alright, frowning when he saw that she was merely standing still. Her heart was going haywire, and her lungs were heaving.

Rai let out a muted gasp upon feeling a serrated edge tear into his forearm. Using that arm to push the first weapon back, he dismissed Mellony's words and focused on the suit of armor. Rebounding with a blow that should have caved the thing's breastplate in, he found his mouth nearly watering. It was taking every ounce of will that he had not to just fall to his knees and give in to his thirst. Even now, every little sound seemed to distract him . . . and the thought of feeding sent shivers down his spine.
The throbbing in his jaw was now an aching fire like no other. With a snarl that would have made a beast proud, Rai moved with incredible speed, slamming his shoulder into the next suit of armor. The only stupid part to his instinct-driven plan was the spiked breastplate. Rai cried out, shoving the monster backward and into one of the others. There was a deep puncture wound in his shoulder and arm, but he didn't seem to notice. This just meant he needed to feed even sooner.

Rai spun and crouched low in a swift movement, dodging the weapon of one suit while knocking the feet out from under another. It's weight happened to catch his leg, making the silver-haired male stumble. He didn't care how much damage he sustained. He just needed to feed.
By now his blue eyes were glowing, and his fangs clearly visible. If the light in the hall had been any brighter, Mellony might have seen his claws as well. Rai slammed another suit of armor away from him, shaking with the effort not to fall victim to his blood lust. His control was rapidly slipping away. There was blood everywhere. Taking a step back, Rai visibly fought with himself as he brought a hand to his lips. Just a taste.
-

Astryd's scream filled the maze. If there was one thing that frightened her more than anything, it was rodents. But, almost equal to that, was her fear of the undead. Granted, they weren't supposed to be part of an imaginary horror story . . . but Reed knew better than to stick around and see if it was still a dream. If it was a nightmare, she would have woken up already.
The shuffling sound of the zombie following her made Astryd quicken her steps, trying not to listen to the cacophony of groans and shifting soil as other creatures made their appearance. Soon, she was running again. Now, instead of one enemy, she had many. And here she'd thought it couldn't get worse.

"Please! Someone!" Astryd didn't know where to go. Everything looked so unfamiliar, yet she could have sworn she recognized some of it. Choosing to just run in as straight a path as possible, she shoved her way past one of the shambling corpses before her. With a disgusted cry, she ran.

((Ah, well, while that's certainly a bit more interesting, Mellony doesn't know that they're NOT possessed by the poor souls lost to the house, Graxdon. And neither did I, considering you just had a talking doll a page back ;P))

Mellony was somewhat glad that she hadn't slipped deep enough into a panic attack that she was no longer aware of her surroundings. She also found that there was a downside to this, as she could still focus on the fact that Rai was looking less and less human the longer the fight went on. She could also focus on the fact that there was blood pooling even more heavily on the floor- most of it thankfully from the armor. The smell was making her sick, permeating the air with its terrible smell, which was unlike normal blood. It had a lingering odor of rot and death and something dark and unnatural. But the epic amounts of it seemed to be taking less of an effect the more she saw. It's not my blood. She told herself, it's not mine, and it can't hurt me.

Through her somewhat abating panic, she felt the horror of her uselessness beginning to take hold in its place. Rai was fighting those monstrosities alone- and even if she was a more... physically intimidating specimen, the blood still gave her pause. While she may have been able to rationalize her panic at the sight of the blood away, the thought of one of those things actually touching her made her lungs burn with phantom pain. But, she thought suddenly, if I didn't have to touch them... Mellony began to look around frantically, trying to find something that she could use to at least get one of the suits off of Rai's back, if not do more.

Even if that would put their attention on her.

A soft but sad voice called from behind Mellony, a man's voice that whispered to her, "It isn't real you know." A young man, not even 20 stood there dressed in normal clothes. His hair was combed back and a deep black, and he seemed like a high school student... except for his eyes. They were normal blue eyes, but they were the kind of eyes that screamed of age and experience, eyes far older than a teenager... and they had an exotic, inhuman beauty to them, almost hypnotic. He looked at Mellony and seemed to look straight through her and see her very soul. He just stared for a few seconds before looking to Rai and saying, "The armor, the blood, all of it isn't real. They're just ghosts... but so long as he believes it's real, they can kill him. He's just so thirsty." As he said this, to Mellony's eyes, the hall seemed to take on a sort of double layer. On a more surreal layer, she could see the depraved paintings and blood and hellish armor, but on the layer behind that, the more solid of the two, she saw the hall as it was when they first went through, and the only blood was Rai's.

As soon as the man appeared, Rai could sense him, smell him. Just as he could smell the blood all over the room, the blood pumping through Mellony's very veins, just as he could hear it course through her arteries like a waterfall as he heart pounds like a drum he could hear the abrupt nothing coming from this man. He could smell the dead, still blood that simply sat in his veins... just as he had smelt it from the punk vampires from earlier... just as he could smell it on himself... but to compare the two was like comparing the dead smell of fresh roadkill, and that of an lost, ancient burial chamber of some mighty lord.

As Astryd ran through the maze, going left and right as she ran from the zombies appearing all around her, she finally took a turn only to bump into something... soft. Falling back, she could finally see the exit of the maze leading to the house's entrance, and that which she had bumped into... and It seemed to smile as its mouth tore open, the Experiment letting out a piercing screech as its diseased tongue whipped to and fro, pus-yellow saliva flying everywhere.

Mellony jumped as she heard the voice, turning around to see the young man standing behind her. "Wh- who are you?" She demanded. "And what do you mean that it isn't real?!" She felt her head pound slightly as he continued to stare at her before he explained further. She turned to look at the hall, and gasped at what she saw. The horrifying scene in front of her seemed to be losing its solidity, and she could now see the calm, rather beautiful original hall beneath it. "What... what's going on...?" That was when she realized it- if none of it was real, then the blood she was seeing...

"Rai! Rai, stop!" She cried out. "They aren't real, you have to stop fighting them!" I have to stop him before he kills himself! A terrible thought struck her then, as she remembered something else the stranger had said. "He's just so thirsty..."

Mellony looked down at her arms, more specifically, her veins. She shuddered at the thought of willingly opening her veins for any reason, but if it would save Rai... then again, if the vampire was as thirsty as the stranger said, it could kill her. Taking a deep breath, Mellony stepped forward, prepared to take on the ghostly illusions on her own if it would snap Rai out of it. She may have already lost Astryd to this horrible house, and she was determined that Rai wasn't going to fall to it as well.

Rai managed to shove one of the sentient suits away from him, clamping his hand over the slow-flowing liquid that streamed from his shoulder. The male hissed at the nearest of the creatures, his blue eyes glowing brightly. When he brought his bloody hand up to his lips, it merely reminded him of what his feeding should taste like. Baring his fangs, Rai braced himself to slash the helmet off of the next enemy.

A scent stopped him dead. The silver-haired male froze, his gaze tearing away from the armor. He glimpsed the figure standing near Mellony, and his eyes narrowed. Before he could even think of what the old scent would be, one of the suits lashed out with one of their blades. Seeing the movement out of the corner of his eye, Rai twisted away and dealt the creature a kick that caved its helmet in.

Mellony's voice drew his attention once more, but this time it had a weaker effect. Rai seemed to hesitate. The living blood in her veins was strong, but the free-flowing liquid from the armor was stronger. Hissing again, the youth stepped between her and the nearest rusty creation. "Back, Mellony!" His voice was deep and husky with lust, and he took a deep breath in as he scented both the vampire and the blood. He didn't seem to realize that she was speaking to him about the danger they were in. The animated suits might not have been "real," but they were real enough to harm him.
Shaking so badly he could hardly manage, Rai lashed out and shoved another creation away from Mellony, desperate to keep them away from the girl. "What are you doing?!" She needed to stay back. Mellony was in more danger from Rai himself than the armor that was attacking them.
-

Astryd muttered a curse when she ran into something. Taking a step back, the redhead tossed hair from her eyes . . . and sucked in a breath that caught in her lungs. Unable to speak, she stared at the Experiment. The cry it made brought Astryd to action. "Go away!" There was NO WAY she was going back into the maze. The only way out was blocked by this . . . thing.
Closing her eyes, Reed tried to ignore the "smile" on the Experiment's face. I'm getting out of here. Her green eyes opened to witness the tongue whipping about. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Gagging as she pushed her way toward the thing, she slammed into it, trying to squirm past it as it stumbled. Ignoring the slimy feel of something brushing against her arm, Astryd shrieked and scrambled onward. She had to get out.

((Did I kill it? :cry:))

((I don't think it was you, Esmme. But I was waiting for Graxdon to post again...))

The Experiment let out a cry, the soft thing falling to the ground at Astryd's shove, but as she ran past, it managed to snake a few fingers around her ankle, the creature's skin stretching as she moved further away. Luckily for the girl, it hadn't managed to get a proper grip around her ankle, the grip loosening and the stretched fingers snapping back to the Experiment, it let out a forlorn cry as it struggled back to its feet.

One of the suits of armor moved past Rai as a different one attacked him, distracting the vampire. He could only watch as the armor closed in on her, a long serrated blade in its hand. She screamed as the armor stabbed her, twisting the knife before ripping it back out, flesh clinging to the wicked blade.

That was the vision that assaulted the young man, but Mellony watched as translucent armor closed on her, stabbing at her with the blade causing a cold sensation to pass through her as it went into her seamlessly, causing her no true harm.

Astryd fell. The ground sort of rushed up to meet her, really. She'd fallen just out of reach as the experiment's fingers returned to normal. "That's not creepy," she muttered to herself, scrambling back to her feet. Her breath rattled in her chest as she stood and turned to run again. She was out of the maze, and she needed to get away from this thing.
The first building in sight was her destination. Letting out another cry for help, the redhead pushed herself onward. Her legs were turning into noodles right about now, and her throat was so dry she could drink the entire ocean. When she finally got the building, she sent a glance over her shoulder. Momentarily, she couldn't see the Experiment. With a shudder, she searched for a door. Reed was practically falling over in exhaustion when she found a door, forcing it open. With shaking legs, she closed it behind her and sank down against the wall.
She needed to rest. Astryd had been running since the Experiment first appeared. "Just wake up! I hate this place!"
-

Just as Rai shoved another suit of armor back, he heard the sound of a blade striking flesh. Spinning, the male's eyes widened. "Mellony!" Sadly, the second thought that flashed through his mind wasn't for her safety. He could only focus on how much of a waste it was to see her lifeblood spilling to the floor.
Standing stone-still, the male finally moved to slam into the suit of armor that had attacked his friend. With a snarl, he caved its chest plate in and sent it tumbling backward. Rai reached for Mellony's arm, pulling her to him with hardly-controlled strength. "You should have stayed back!" his words were slurred by extended fangs, and the male's eyes glowed brightly as he looked at the girl. All he could see was the blood.

With no thought to the other dangers, Rai's gaze focused on Mellony's wound. What a waste. He pressed a hand to the wound on her torso, lifting it a few seconds later to lick his fingers. The blood was irresistible, but he couldn't help but notice something was different about it. As hunger began to take over, Rai hissed up at the nearest enemy. This time, it wasn't to protect Mellony . . . but to defend his meal.
Lifting the girl to him, Rai's attention turned immediately to the pulse at her throat. So thirsty.

((WOO NOT DEAD THREAD))

Mellony shuddered as the phantom blade passed through her chest. It was colder than anything she'd ever felt before, but it didn't actually hurt her. Her next thought was one of utter surprise, as Rai suddenly slammed into her 'attacker,' and knocked it away (she was sort of surprised he hadn't just gone through it, but it was still real to him, she remembered). She let out a gasp of pain as he grabbed her arm and pulled her into his chest, rasping out a warning to her. The sight of his fangs sent a flash of terror through Mellony, which quickly turned to confusion as he put a hand on her chest... where the incorporeal sword had passed through her.

'What... what does he see when he looks at me...?' She questioned herself, the question answered a moment later when Rai licked his fingers. 'Oh. That... is not good.' As another apparition approached, Rai turned his attention from her and back to his perceived foes. She had to snap him out of it, and fast... even if that meant putting herself in more danger by drawing the hungry vampire's attention to her. The vampire whose arms she was currently in, whose blood was dripping onto her from his wounds. The touch alone had her nerves frazzled, but the moment she realized that Rai was bleeding on her, her panic attack returned with a vengeance. 'It isn't your blood. It's Rai's. And if you don't snap him out of it, those things will kill him.

...and if you do, he might just have you for dinner.'

Steeling herself, Mellony focused on Rai's face- the only part of him that didn't seem to be covered in blood. "Rai! Rai, you have to snap out of it! They aren't real! Look at me!" She demanded, grabbing his face. Her fingers left smears of Rai's own black blood across his cheeks. "I'm not really bleeding! The knights aren't real! Rai, please!" When she saw that Rai wasn't listening, she felt the bitter coldness return in her chest. The next words that came out of her mouth were so... so unlike her, Mellony wasn't sure she had control over.

"I know you're hungry, so if you have to feed, feed on me!"

Crap.

((*laugh* I know, right! I like this one. :insane:

lol, poor Mellony. She's like: "BLOOD!!! Vampire! Holy CRAP!"))

Rai hissed, his demeanor completely feral. Mellony was right in thinking that he hadn't heard her. His reaction when the girl grabbed his face was a snarl, and his "bloody" hand moved up to pull hers away from him. His blackened eyes narrowed as though he was trying to listen for the briefest of moments. Then, his hunger took over.
When Mellony's words left her lips, the vampire didn't think twice. Honestly, he couldn't. In that moment the knights ceased to exist to him. Only the pulse before him held his attention. And it was the most beautiful thing he'd ever heard.

With a seemingly practiced motion, Rai shifted his hold on Mellony. He held her to him firmly, tilting her head just to the point where he could easily reach her throat. Despite what the movies and fantasy books about vampires, nothing could describe what happened next. There was no "tingle" as his venom moved through her; there was nothing but blinding pain.
Rai viciously sank his fangs into the girl's throat with a growl, his instinct to feed stronger than it had been since his first feeding. I'm so sorry.

((Haha, I know. Poor thing. Her train of thought it basically a constant train of 'wtf is this I don't even...'

Also, as for that last statement: People do crazy things when they're in love desperate not to lose anyone else to this horrible place.))

((Alright, I edited my post. :3))

((Ha, I love it! Note though, she will only turn into a vampire if she partakes of his blood as well, as per Stoker-rules))

The mysterious vampire smiled slightly, leaving the room as Rai fed, not caring if he drained every single drop from the poor girl, though he doubted it considering what was coming next would serve to interrupt them. The 'hallway of horror' and its dark knights faded away, replaced by the nice hall from before, the beautiful suits of armor resting in their places as before.

The entrance hall of the main building was as magnificent in design as the rest of the other buildings though this one wasn't dusty and dark as the other one. Oil lamps burned brightly, almost cheerily, giving the hall a sense of peace. directly before her was a grandiose stair case leading to the second floor, on both floors multiple doors and hallways leading to the depths of the house. It was quiet, and downright tranquil. Until, that is, something smashed into the door, attempting to batter the massive oak wood down, the muffled scream of the Experiment sounding out on the other side.

((...crap, now I can't stop thinking of Graxdon as Discord.

Pony references. Pony references everywhere.))

Mellony's eyes widened as Rai shifted her in his arms, and her scream of pain died in her throat as his fangs sunk in. The pain was... intense, to say the least. Every nerve in her body burned with it. She tried to take a breath in, not because she needed it desperately, but because she needed to let out the scream trapped in her chest.

It was a terrible idea, because the moment she tried, the fire moved to her lungs- surprisingly, for once, the only thing not concerning her- and her mind flashed back to being twelve years old, trapped in her sterile hospital bed, needles poking into her everywhere... it had never been her throat before.

Mellony grit her teeth, pulling herself out of the past. Those weren't needles in her throat, they were fangs. And if she didn't get them out soon, Rai would drain her dry. Little windy friend, now would be a really good time to show back up! Mellony thought to herself, desperately trying to get into a position where she could at least try to push Rai off of her.

That was the last time she offered herself up as a meal for a hungry vampire.

((:XD Discord! HAHAHAH!!! Ponies!! That's awesome! :ninja:))

Astryd jumped when she heard the solid thump of the Experiment hitting the door. Shuffling away from it, she barely managed to stay on her feet. "Dear God, if I ever get out of here, I will be a better person in life." She wouldn't go out with friends who dumped her on the side of the road, that was for sure. She certainly wouldn't wake up inside of a nightmare again. This was hell, if there ever was one on earth.
The redhead stood silently, her breath finally returning to normal. Despite the anxiety she felt about the monster behind her, she felt a sense of calm filling the room. It was a beautiful room, with quaint lighting and a warmth about it. Rubbing her arms, Astryd paused to fix her hair up in a sloppy bun. It had been getting in her face all day, and it was about time it stopped that. She tried to ignore the slimy feel of her sleeve. The Experiment had touched it with its sickening tongue. Just the thought made Reed gag.

"Let's see what else is around here, shall we?" It was so easy to talk to herself. It would be nice to find something friendly in the building. Maybe even . . . the main hall. She needed to get below it, anyway. Shuddering, Astryd looked over her dirty clothing. So much for looking nice. She should have brought her street clothes with her in a bag or something. . . .
Astryd slowly started forward, keeping her voice to herself. If there was anything dangerous, she wanted nothing to do with it. She would really have liked to find Mellony again . . . but who knew if they were still alive?
-

Rai shuddered as Mellony's lifeblood filled him. His wounds healed visibly, and he seemed to regain a sense of calm. Though, in this case, calm meant he wasn't tearing into his prey. As the girl started to squirm, Rai's grip on her tightened. Her fear made her pulse race, which brought more blood to his lips. And he was enjoying it. His mental reasoning was trapped behind the veil of blood lust that filled his very being.
The vampire clamped his fangs down tighter as Mellony started to shift. Rai had one hand firmly holding the girl's neck, and the other wrapped about her waist to keep her close. Her movement didn't do much to free her. The silver-haired male let out a warning hiss as she struggled, and his hold on her tightened once more. If she kept it up, she would suffocate.

((Unfortunately, Rai is a vampire. The way I see it: vampires don't have the self-control that Edward Cullen has. :feesh: Besides, Rai's only been around for a few years. :sweat: Hmmm. . . . hit him in the head? :XD I actually have no idea why he would stop. Maybe she gets away somehow and talks reasoning into him. . . . *grimace* I'm not sure!))

((Oh, that problem with solve itself in a second. Rai DOES have traditional vamp weakness, yes?))

Mellony choked slightly as Rai's hand tightened on her throat. The message was clear- keep that up and I will choke you.

Her head was starting to feel rather airy and light, and her vision had started to swim. Humans could only lose so much blood, and she had no idea how much Rai had drank by now. The pain had severely distorted her perception of how long she'd been like this, but logically it couldn't have been for long.

She needed to find a way out. Now. She winced slightly as her head fell, dragging Rai's fangs into a slightly more uncomfortable position than a moment previous. She raised her head back up, feeling her mask drag across his face. Then she smelled something burning. Was there... real silver, in the mask's rose? If there was, maybe she had her way out. If there wasn't... well, it was worth the risk.

Bracing herself, Mellony pressed the flower of her mask against Rai's face, praying to whoever would listen that the pain wasn't making her delusional, that vampires really WERE weak to silver, and that it would be enough to make Rai let her go.

((Yep. Rather than bring back her 'wraith'- I was tempted, trust me, and if Rai doesn't let go it's making its glorious return. Seriously, never letting that go, no matter how long this thing runs. MELLONY SUMMONS WRAITHS, LOLOLOL- I figured, eh, let's hit him where it hurts, yes? I also considered just having her start praying aloud, but didn't really want to drag too much religion into it.))

((Also, Esmme, I love your signature quote.))

(("Did you miss me Celestia? I missed you... it's quite lonely being encased in stone, but you wouldn't know that, would you... because I don't turn ponies to stone!" ;P and no, silver is not a vampire weakness... that's the big furry things, but fret not, there approaches a... distraction 3:D one that I would love to to cause further splitting of the party))

Outside, a sound called to every primal cell in Rai's dead body that had come with his living death, a part of him that overcame the hunger only to be replaced with the rage that was part of the blood drinking legacy... the howl of a wolf.

The Experiment let out an upset growl, its smashing having no impact upon the oak doors, it let out another cry as it moved away, either to find different prey... or another way in.

((Nuh-uh, it is in certain cultures. I looked it up.))