'Late again...' Raito thought sadly, his one visible eye darting around the empty space that had been occupied but a moment before. 'Food scrounging no doubt...we've been running low...' He looked around once more before shifting the bookbag he carried on one shoulder, "I suppose I should get going as well." He whispered and then darted for one of the many exits, his shoes making soft thuds where they landed. Normally his footsteps were silent but since he was running he didn't really care, the tunnels were empty anyway. He cast a glance up to the far-off ceiling and shuddered at the banging sounds before ducking his head to disappear into one of the smaller exits. 'Wonder what I'll find...?'

Ruby nodded and linked her arm with Aruna while they walked through the tunnels; it almost felt like old times. At the boarded off entrance she let go of her friend and took a deep breath. She took out the knife, cracked opened the door and stuck it out to look around the corner. There was no one around. Pocketing the knife again she pushed the door open further. "Okay, let's hurry. There was a store only a mile away right? If we stay low we should be able to get there and back in thirty minutes without much issues." She looked at the setting sun and cursed under her breath. "Ready? Let's go."

So far...nothing. Raito looked around again, he had left the tunnels a few minutes ago and was now browsing through the aisles of a store he had entered. he had pocketed a few packs of batteries and some flashlights, plus a few bottles of water, the few he could find that weren't covered in blood. he had tried to avoid most of the blood and rotting corpses. Finally, "Jackpot." He whispered. There, hidden in the back of a shelf, were two boxes of unopened cereal. He reached for them and then froze when he heard something crunch behind him. He quickly swiped the boxes and stuffed them into his bookbag before turning around and staring wide-eyed at the werewolf advancing slowly at him. He swallowed dryly and then slowly backed up, then he turned back around and ran as fast as he could, weaving left and right, the werewolf following behind him. The wounds on his arms throbbed painfully as memories of the breakout flashed through his mind. No, not again...

Aruna took a deep breath and walked out into the sun, tugging Ruby along with her. She looked around, seeing a small abandoned building nearby and walked over to it. She looked around the corner and noticed something moving off in the distance. She unlinked arms with Ruby and told her to stay where she was. "I'll be right back." She assured her.

Aruna slowly and cautiously walked over the other side of the building, peeking around the corner. What she was shocked her. Two werewolves her feeding on some type of animal. There snouts were covered in blood and they were growling at each other viciously. Aruna slowly backed up and jogged back to where Ruby waited. She grabbed her elbow and quickly walked the other way.

Ruby opened her mouth and was ready to protest her friend leaving when Aruna came back just as quickly as she had left, grabbing her elbow and tugging her along. "What? What's the matter?" Ruby demanded, jerking her arm free after a while. She looked around and ducked into an ally way to stay out of sight. "What did you see?" Her eyes looked past Aruna and landed on a shadowy figure in the distance. It was oddly shaped like it had a backpack on, or a werewolf hunched over from old age. Licking her lips nervously she crossed her fingers hoping it was one of her friends and not the latter.


----

Belle Noir sat in one of the blown out windows of a second story building. She was nibbling on her left thumb in thought while she looked around the dead city. Her people were dropping like flies these days. If it weren't for the random survivors that were barely clinging to their own life, and wild animals that would cross her path, she would have been dead a long time ago; or turned into one of the really vicious vampires. As they wind shifted course the scent of fresh, hot blood wafted at her and she nearly drooled. There were humans around. "But where," she muttered to herself and dropped from the window. "I've looked ever where. Maybe I'm just hallucinating..." She walked across the deserted street, kicking a dead bird out of her way. I need to find another stray soon, she thought in disgust.

Raito cursed as his feet slipped and he skid a few feet, tripping over a pile of bones. the wolf was soon on top of him, snarling and snapping. Raito raised his arms to protect his face and his sleeves fell back, revealing his bandaged arms. The wolf got a sniff of his wounds and then backed up, snarling again. Raito shakily raised himself up, eyes meeting the wolf's, what had just happened. He glanced at his arms and shuddered, his wounds had reopened and were bleeding again, soaking the white bandages red. When he looked back, the wolf was gone and he was by himself again. He quickly got to his feet and grabbed some of the first aid supplies off the shelf behind him before deciding that it would be a good idea to head back to the tunnels then. As he passed the front desk he peered behind it and held his breath, it was covered in blood and rotting flesh but there...there were boxes of chocolates and candies, the small ones. He quickly stuffed all of it into his bag and left the store, pulling his sleeves back over his bandages, he would need to change them later...

(( I shall be back. I'm going to make myself something to eat.
edit: Whoops! Posted that in the wrong thread. That's what I get for having too many open. ))

((okay...actually I need to shower...so I'll be back in like...an hour or less :sweat:))

Aruna shook her head. "Nothing." She turned to see what Ruby was looking at and saw a dark shape. She squinted and took a few steps closer, hoping it wasn't one of those monsters. Aruna let out a small sigh of relief when she realized it was Raito. She grabbed hold of one of Rubys hand and tugged her down the small ally. "Raito!" She called in a small voice.

((Lol, well I'm about to eat, so I'll be back in, um, half an hour?))

Raito turned his head at the familiar voice and stopped walking, looking around nervously."Aruna. Ruby." He acknowledged the two girls when they reached him, "Any luck?" He asked them, stuffing his hands into his pockets, and shuffling his feet a bit. He silently prayed the bandages would hold, it wouldn't due for them to know he had sustained wounds from the werewolves and vampires.

Tawny's head popped up and her ears tried to locate where the sound was coming from. She'd heard the distinct sound of a werewolf attack; it was a sound that she remembered well and would be able to pick out anywhere. Once she'd figured out which direction the sound was coming from, she immediately took off running.

When she was close she ducked behind a building. She watched as Raito, another of the Tunnel Dwellers, was attacked by a werewolf. She cringed, watching nervously as she hoped against hope that he'd be ok. When suddenly the werewolf... stopped... her eyes opened wide. She waited til it was completely gone then ran behind him until she caught up; once she did, she followed him. Her footsteps were silent and she doubted that Raito, anyone, or anything would have heard her. She glanced nervously around before speaking. "Raito!" She said in a loud whisper. "Are you alright? You're bleeding through your shirt." It was then that she noticed Aruna and Ruby.

Ruby shook her head. "We've actually just now come out. We were going to wait for you and the others but I guess we missed each other. Tawny already left about," she checked her watch "about an hour ago or so. Did you find anything around here? I don't think it's safe to head in that direction to the store that used to be down the street," she explained looking over her shoulder. "Everything okay? You're fidgeting."
She looked up when Tawny suddenly appeared behind him and tilted her head to the side, her eyes looking Raito up and down at the other girls words. He seemed okay to her.

((Sorry. >.< I'm an airhead. Just ignore this post.))

Raito's eyes widened as they moved to Tawny, "Y-yea, I'm fine. It's nothing you need to worry about." He cursed silently, the bandages hadn't held. He turned his eyes back to Ruby, "Oh...well I kinda just left that store..." Raito murmured, "And yea, I found some stuff we could use." He glanced up at the darkening sky then to Aruna, "I suggest we discuss this later...we need to get back below ground. Now. He could hear the distinct sounds of things moving about, waking up, he didn't know what had made that werewolf stop but he wasn't going to wait around to see if it would stop any of the others.

((lol his side? His arms are the only things bleeding XD and anyway it wouldn't be running, his hoodie would just be soaked ^^))

Belle sniffed the air with her mouth open to savor the sweet, metallic taste the air held. There was something bleeding near by; something that wasn't a rodent. She picked up her pace, jogging through the streets filled with broken down cars and shattered windows, keeping to the shadows so the damned mutts that were probably running around wouldn't be alerted by her. If they saw her running they would know something to eat would be nearby. She wanted the kill all to herself.
Belles nose brought her to the end of an ally and she pressed herself against the wall so she could peer around it. Four humans were at the far end, talking. Had she posses a heart it would have skipped with join. I'll feast for a month, she thought with glee. She sucked in a deep breath of air and gave a feral grin; one of them was even bleeding for her. Crouching low to the ground she began to silently make her way towards the group, darting from one object to the next, and staying closer to the shadows.

Aruna turned around when she heard something shuffling behind them. She turned back around and cursed under her breath. Since it was getting dark out, the vampires were waking up. And they could smell blood from miles away. "Come on guys.We have to go, now." She said, trying to usher them all back to the general area of the opening to the catacombs.

Ruby looked behind her as well when Aruna turned. She nodded in reply to her and Raito's advice and began walking. "We can always return tomorrow for more stuff if we really need to," she said, keeping her voice low. "Are you sure you're going to be okay Raito? Maybe you should take your jacket off so no one can follow us?" she suggested, thinking about the preternatural creatures keen nose.

----

Belle watched the one with the scarf waving at her companions, apparently trying to get them to move. She growled low in the throat and began to stalk towards them, hiding in the shadows completely forgot. They were only children, so she didn't think she would be in any danger. When one of them actually turned and walked away she lunged forward and wound the scarf of the first girl around her hand, pulling her roughly back. Belles mouth was already watering. "Hello there, dinner."

Aruna gasped when she felt something grab her scarf. She turned her head and only saw two hungry red eyes staring back at her. She stood paralyzed for a few second before grabbing the other end of the scarf and throwing it into the vampires face, distracting her for a few seconds. She wiggled her way out the scarfs grasp and grabbed the switchblade from her pocket. Aruna yelled for the others to get back to catacombs before turning to face the vampire while she struggled with the scarf.

Belle snarled as the scarf flew into her face, blinding her for a moment. She heard the girl yelling at the others and grinned. "Run and the wolves will get you," she hissed as she wadded the scarf up between her hands and let it dangle to the ground. "Best to just give me the bleeding one and save yourself," she licked her lips in anticipation. The moon reflected off the little knife the scarf girl was holding and Belle laughed. "And what are you hoping to accomplish with that, mon petit snack? Cut me? Kill me? You'll have to try harder then that."

Aruna shook her head and looked over her shoulder. "Tawny, take Raito and leave." She said and faced the vampire. What in the world am I doing? She thought to herself. You're going to get yourself killed. She took a deep breath, held the knife up and lunged for the vampire. Hoping she could at least scratch her.

Tawny hadn't moved from where she'd been before. She'd stood listening to the others conversation and had only begun to move when she saw Aruna grabbed. She gasped but immediately dropped into the fighting stance she'd only had to use once. From her pocket, but seemingly from nowhere, she pulled out a silver stake. It was the perfect weapon: a stake for the vampires and made of silver for the werewolves. She lunged forward toward Aruna and the vampire as she swung the weapon. She pushed past Aruna, almost forcefully, but still with deadly grace. Her stake was aimed straight for the vampires heart.

Though she knew that no one else had ever seen her use it, no one living that is, Tawny was quite skilled with the weapon she held in her hand. As she swung it the needle tip passed Aruna without any difficulty. Her body flowed with the weapon as if it were a part of it. She had trained for years to get to this point. She remembered the long hours in the dark room with her father. He had trained her in the dark so that she wouldn't be at a disadvantage against the creatures that she fought. Her nightvision now was almost as good as that of a vampire. Nightvision had no part in this fight but the carefully honed skill with the stake did. She silently thanked her father.

Ruby backed up a few steps until she stood next to Raito, her hand on his elbow. For some reason she was surprised that she hadn't heard the Vampire approaching, but then her senses took hold of her again and she realized that she had been stupid to expect anything else. "You should go," she told Raito, keeping her eyes on the Vampire. "If it's just the one, I think we might be able to handle her."

---

Belle grinned at scarf girl and tisked. "So you're going to sacrifice for their sake? How charming. No matter, as long as I get a meal I'm happy." When the girl with the gloves lunged produced a stake from her pocket she chuckled. "A stake? And how many have you killed with that little toy of yours? I'll break your neck before you come near me." The girl with the gloves lunged forward and Belle tilted her head to the side as if bored. She melted into the shadows and appeared again behind scarf girl, running a finger gently up the girls spin. "Too slow," she hissed.

Aruna shivered when she felt a gust of wind behind her followed by the Vampire. She felt a sharp nail run up her spine and she gulped. Aruna blinked and tears welled up in her eyes. Well, If I'm going to die, I might as well put up a fight. She though, before taking a step backwards and stepping on the vampires foot with all her strength.


(( I wasn't sure what to do. And stepping on her foot seemed like the best idea. xD ))

Still crouched from her lunge and facing away, though a different direction from the one she'd started lunging in, Tawny smiled. "Check again leech." A single,small drop of blood dripped down the stake and onto the ground, and it wasn't human.

In the air, Tawny had suspected the vampire to move. She'd adjusted her own momentum and managed to drag her blade across some part of the vampires body. She wasn't sure which part or where the scratch would be, she only knew that she had made contact. "I've killed more than you'd know. More than you'd ever believe." She was completely bluffing of course, but she hoped that the vampire would believe her.

Raito bit his bottom lip lightly, his visible eyes moving to the end of the alleyway, "Too late." He whispered, his mouth dry. The scuffle the vampire, Aruna, and Tawny were having had attracted the attention of the werewolves. He reached forward and then tugged Ruby behind him so that his frame somewhat blocked hers, he quickly slipped his bag off and passed it to Ruby, closing his eyes and then pulling his hoodie off to reveal the sleeveless shirt he wore and the bloodied bandages covering his arms.