"I don't need any of your attitude, I have enough of my own," she retorted before he spoke of Calister again. She really wished he'd quit talking about that vampire and how he'd want to make a meal out of her, it was making her nervous. Of course, she was trying to hide that.

When Serk spoke 'Calister', Tessa's eyes darted around the area until landing on the green haired male. Sneaky thing. She frowned and stood her ground as he spoke. She actually agreed with Calister's comment about Serk's charm and did a mental chuckle. He didn't seem so bad.

As they continued on, she grimaced. A bloodshake? Ugh, she was really in over her head here. She couldn't make a shake for a vampire, much less with blood from her fellow humans. Still, she supposed if it would help her to her ultimate goal, she would do it.

She sarcastically saluted the vampire, "Aye boss," she added with a heavy accent. When Serk continued talking, Tessa stopped. "You're kidding right? You want me to get all smoochy with a vampire who wants to eat me?" She continued walking as she mumbled to herself. "Freaking fantastic."

When they reached the steps of the building Tessa stopped to stare almost blankly at the vampire for a moment. Could she trust him? Probably not. Was he going to make her his dinner once they were inside? Somehow she found that doubtful.

Tessa's eyes were a hazel shade of gray in the darkness of the night and they looked up the stairs. "I suppose you live on the top floor?" She took a deep breath. If she was tired now she'd be exhausted after a hundred flights of stairs. She did a mental shrug. Whatever it takes to find my brother and avenge my family. She headed up the steps.

"Yup." It was almost too cheeky sounding to be true. "I suppose I ought to give you an option, though." Pivoting on his heels so that he was now facing Tessa head-on, he rested a heavy hand on her slender shoulders. "You can leave whenever you want. I won't force you to stay." His tone was rather odd. It was almost sincere. That was until he bent over cackling like a hyena. "Bwah ha ha! You should have seen your face. Like I would honestly let you just leave on your own accord. But, seriously, leave whenever you like. But I guarantee once you see my sexy bod, you won't be able to leave."

And he was back to being that cocky SOB. Well, sort of. He was arrogant, yes, but he wasn't as arrogant as he was the first time they met. In fact, he actually seemed childish, in a sense. Perhaps… lonely? Why else would he keep a human (now two) near? And why would he tolerate that creepy yellow-eyed butler around? Maybe, just maybe, Serk feared being alone. However, Serk would never openly admit that even though it was entirely true.

"We don't have to walk. We have an elevator. But you'll be walking. You need to strengthen yourself. I would join you, but I need to make sure Pepper's cleaned the place up. Need to make sure there aren't any disemboweled body parts laying about." A laugh followed as he moved toward the hand-operated elevator. "See you at the top!" Wriggling his fingers to wave "adios," he began to pull himself up to the top floor. Sooner or later, he would let Tessa do this for she probably needed to strengthen her arms, but, for now, she needed to work on those legs.

Making it to the top before his human mouse did, Serk slicked back his hair and tried to removed the grim from his vest -- the vest Pepper previously fixed.

Tongue hanging from his mouth and eyes looking at the floor, the haughty male didn't even know Pepper was before him until he plowed right into her.

"PEPPER! Pepper! We need to move this end table at one… oh, it's just you. Nevermind." Grabbing the ginger's arms just above the elbows, he shifted her to the side and continued on into the living room. "Eh? I was only gone a little over an hour and you already managed to clean the place up and do the laundry. I should fire you for being too good."

Looking over his shoulder, he poked his tongue back out at the woman. "Oh, do change. We have a guest. And yes, this one's still live and walking. Should be here within the next ten minutes or so. Maybe more, if the stairs were too much to handle."

When he was done ordering Pepper around, the male began to unbutton his outfit. Peeling the vest off and then the shirt, he flung the hardly-dirty clothes at Pepper. "Patch me up. While I was fooling around, I managed to scuff up my body. I cannot let Calister see this little flesh wound. He would never let me forget this." Now standing in the bathroom, he coated his toothbrush with mint flavored toothpaste. Silent for a bit, he scrubbed his pearly whites clear, so clean that they glistened.

"Does my breath smell good," he said huffing into Pepper's face. Frankly, the pale-haired vampire couldn't get any closer. He was already stepping on her toes, lightly. "How do I look? Are my clothes done yet? Did you set the table? Have you made up the guest bed?" Walking toward the front door, he swung it open and, without looking, turned back to Pepper. "Oh, you got your hair cut."

In about fifteen minutes, Serk had went from bossing Pepper around, to stripping, to bombarding her with questions, to answering the door, to commenting on Pepper's shorter hair style… all while being shirtless. As expected, Serk sure knew how to keep things… interesting.

Pepper heard movement near the door. She'd been waiting, honestly. Setting aside the book she'd been reading (she'd decided that she'd worked hard enough for the day), the redhead stood from her seat near the elevator. Just as the portal opened, she nearly squeaked in surprise. He hadn’t seen her until he’d nearly knocked her over.

"Your room is in order again," she said, not seeming to realize that there was someone else standing beside the vampire. "I found the papers you were looking for last night." With a self-conscious frown, she reached up to straighten a bit of her fiery hair. "I'm glad you've returned," Pepper finally said, smiling at the dirty patch on the clothing. Even though it had been cleaned recently, she had expected it to return in such a state.

She felt her pulse lift when he shifted her to the side, and her bare arms seemed to spark with heat after his cool hands drifted away. Pepper’s features lit up with a slight blush of pleasure after hearing his praise. She knew his comment about firing her was only for show. It was one of the many things she enjoyed about being around Serk. Somehow his sarcastic and demanding demeanor merely made him all the more interesting . . . and friggin’ hot.

Pepper glanced down at her dirty jeans and t-shirt. Yes, she’d change. ”Yes, right away.” Of course, that was when he went about demanding that she fix him up. Her green eyes locked on Serk as he flung the clothing at her, smiling a bit as she bundled up the vest and other bits of clothing. ”Of course.” She would have all of it cleaned and patched by morning. Her gaze lingered on Serk’s face before slowly moving to the vest in her hands. Pepper had thought about her work before he even mentioned it. It would be at the top of her list of priorities.

Whenever Serk stuck his tongue in her direction, Pepper merely smiled a bit. She thought it was charming. Despite the crazy attitudes that her “employer” held tightly to, he’d always been perfect in her eyes. Well, as perfect as a perverted vampire could get while he was delusional. . . .
Her thoughts were snapped back to Serk as he began to brush his teeth. ”This might sting,” she said quietly, and reached for the thread and needle that were kept within easy reach near the sink. Pepper was prepared: she knew how things went whenever Serk went out. It wouldn’t really sting a vampire, but . . . she was too nice to really say anything else.

Her pulse went haywire as she tried to concentrate on the scrapes, cuts and already fading bruises that peppered Serk’s pale skin. Ever since he’d flung his shirt off, she was having trouble breathing. This always happened. . . .
When Serk finished brushing his teeth, Pepper finished with the last of the scrapes. She didn’t have time to step back before the vampire whirled on her with unearthly speed. Her green eyes widened, and her thoughts immediately moved on to Serk’s features as he blew in her face. That was when her heart nearly stopped dead. Every time he looked at her, it just . . . stopped.

”Yes . . . I did,” Pepper breathed, looking almost disappointed when Serk moved away from her. ”Does it look alright? He’d noticed. It made her features glow with a strange kind of happiness. Just before the vampire opened the door, Pepper stepped up to him and reached up to wipe away a small bit of toothpaste from his lip. She shivered as her fingers ran over his cool skin. ”You always look good,” she breathed while stepping back. Serk pulled the door open without looking to see if the human had come.

She hadn’t given much thought to the guest. Pepper froze, her green eyes locking on Tessa. Though the woman wasn't rude enough to burst out with the "who's she?" question, it was all over her face. Her smile disappeared, and she tried to ignore the way that Serk had prepared himself to meet the newcomer. Perhaps she was merely that night's dinner. It wasn't a pleasant thought, and Pepper hated the feeling it gave her, but it was better than the alternative. Why on earth would Serk be inviting someone to the penthouse? The glowing smile on her face faded, leaving an absence of expression on her flushed features.

Between being eaten and covered, Braith's brain jumped right into the gutter. How was he supposed to function under these terms and conditions? Now that he was fighting to hold back a blush and fidgeting to easy his butterflies, he was hardly ready to take on any vampire. Thank god for Nym the kill joy. Had he not decided to pass the hell out, Braith would have considered rattling off some perverted joke. However, with Nym collapsing into his arms, the redhead didn't really get a chance to do much of anything, save for catch the guy.

There was one string of words that really won him over though. "Don't let go." How much cuter could Nym be?

Nym. Cute. THE HELL! Since when was Braith bisexual? His brows furrowed as his eyes crossed for a bit. It was complicated. He was, as far as he knew, a straight man and yet, there he was, thinking about how Kerian was going to eat him and how Nym didn't want to be let go. Oi, were things ever out of whack. He wondered if all men went through this. Praying they did, he supressed the urge to caress Nym's face and plant a sincere little kiss on the side of his face.

"And he was just complaining about the extra company," Braith exclaimed. "Glad to have you, Keri. We could use the extra help now that Nym and I are out of commission."

Putting Nym back on his back so that the guy's face was propped against his right ear, Braith pointed with his nose. "Southeast or southwest?" he questioned, knowing all to well that either option would be on the edge of Calister's roaming range.

OOC // Wasn't sure if Braith would interfere with your post or not. If so, I can always go back and edit/add more should you post with Nym.

A long night of dancing around, making money, even though it was unnecessary. To tell the truth the half naked girl with flowing white hair on stage, though seemingly sweet, was looking for her next meal and a meal for her so called master. The man that had raised her as a vampire had called himself her master and told her that she was to call him that until he released her or was killed. All she was able to do was continue on with her usual work and stripping to attract the men. Even in these dark times, men were still as perverse as they had been.

After her number on the pole, she moved to dancing in the cage for the rave portion that started up. All the people seemed to be enjoying this part where there were plenty of women dancing but one seemed to be taking the crowd on a ride. It was a pretty good club from what she could tell seeing how big the crowd always was. After the cage dancing, she started the bar tending while the crowds changed from strip club to rave party period with a band and everything. When her shift was over she continued to look through the crowd and found a couple absolutely handsome young men that had been staring at her all night. She quickly made her move on both of them, stroking their egos, then made her exit for the door.

They seemed to be in quite a hurry to keep her with them as they followed her out through the alley. Thats when they made their move, calling her sweet stuff and whatever other names they could think of to get her to go with them.

One tried to attack her, but she carefully grabbed his arm as soft as she could and looked back up at him. "I could lead you to my place or you could try to rape a defenseless stripper right here..."

"Well darlin, you should make time for both of us if thats the case. I'm sure my partner and i would love to make your night spectacular." They looked at her with lust in their eyes.

"Well my friend, you have yourself a deal." The white haired girl took them both towards her home. Master will be pleased with two strapping young men to feed on. Her smile grew larger as the men started to talk to her as if trying to get to know her, trying to kiss her neck every so often, but she didnt let it happen. It was a miracle she had gloves on when she grabbed the man's arm. They could not feel her skin being as cold as death could make it, but then again, it was a cold night which would explain her skin being so cold on her hand arms, but the neck region was always warm on a human.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hunger strikes as a man sits in his desk chair, waiting for his pet to come back home. Her beautiful white hair would be flowing into the house at any moment now with a delicious feast. He had already had a hard days work with fighting off any vampire hunter that came by. To tell the truth it was more like playtime than work, but what was he suppose to do while she danced the night away?

Finally the door creeps open and he can hear giggling inside. "Master, I brought home some guests." He heard the angles voice coming from the door.

Guests? There is more than one with my darling pet? The men that were with her seemed to giggle and he knew what she meant by guests. A twosome had decided to enter his domain. From what he could hear the men were wondering about the word master she had spoken. Was she into S&M or something? The smile grew widely on his face as he got up from his chair and walked to the door. He heard the careful creak of the door closing, but the locking of it once it shut was as loud as a bullet exiting a gun. The men looked behind them as Nikia removed her jacket to reveal her fair skin.

The male walked to the entrance and Nikia immediately went to her knees in front of him to show her loyalty and submission. The two men looked at him as if a little weirded out, but they could handle it as long as they got the girl for the whole night, just as promised.

[COLOR="DarkRed"]"You did good my pet."[/COLOR) He said as he walked over to her and had her stand. "Lets bring them to the dining room shall we? They might be hungry." With that, the four went into what the men thought was the dining room. As soon as they got there, he took his fill of their blood, the men's screams turning to gargles as the blood filled their lungs. It was such beautiful fun.

Her expressions changed at each of Serk's statements, until she was left staring at the vampire, one eyebrow twitching lightly. See his bod?! Maybe she needed to re-think why she was being brought here again.

Before she could open her mouth to say anything he was talking about leaving her to climb the stairs alone and getting on an elevator. She blinked owlishly at him as he disappeared from view. Huh, he was serious. Awesome.

Five minutes later Tessa was two thirds of the way there. She'd run up the stairs, sometimes taking two at a time, until now, she stopped. She was breathing hard and put her hand out on the wall to help hold her up while she rested for a moment. Was there supposed to be some sort of lesson here? Slow and steady wins the race?

Maybe that was it. Because at this point, she kind of just wanted to lay down and not move anymore this week. Granted it was already the end of the week. But sill. She was already worn out, and it had already been such a long day. Maybe she should have taken it slow.

She sighed and continued pushing forward. She walked the last third of the stairs to calm her breathing and cool off so that she could appear calm, collected, and not so pooped when she arrived. Another few long minutes passed and she was standing in front of the door. She stood there for a moment weighing her options. Pros, cons... it all mulled around in her head. Tessa took a deep breath and reached out to knock just as the door flew open.

Her eyes moved from Serk to Pepper to Serk's body. It really was a nice bod. She stared blankly at it for a minute before snapping herself out of her daze and finally lowering her arm. She cleared her throat, directing herself at Pepper as she spoke.

"I'm Tessa. You must be Pepper. Your..." vampire, boyfriend, vampire boyfriend? What was their relation? "vampire told me about you." She paused. 'Your vampire? Uhg.' She wasn't sure how she felt about someone who chose to live with vampires.

Maybe Pepper hadn't chosen. Maybe she was trapped here by the bod. Tessa did a mental shrug. Well, Tessa was choosing to stay here, so either way it would be pretty hypocritical. She looked passed them to take in the sights of the home. She'd never been in a vampire's home before. "I don't have to sleep in a coffin, too, do I?"

For being a vampire hunter, it would seem that Tessa really didn't know very much about vampires at all. She wasn't sure though whether to be thankful that Serk had come along yet or not. Her eyes flicked back to Pepper. Surely she didn't sleep in a coffin.

Kerian frowned deeply, his eyes were on Nym, his brow furrowed as he studied the man. Keri didn't really expect that Nym would survive the night, especially if they didn't find somewhere to hide. Then Braith was asking a question, the words interrupted his thoughts and those brown eyes blinked quizzically for a moment as he looked from Nym to Braith. Kerian shrugged and looked to Arlotte, really it didn't matter which direction they went, though he was now thinking himself quite foolish for joining this group. Nym smelled like vampire bait. Though that had probably been part of his reason for turning to these people. They would need help, and Kerian might be able to help. Somehow. At some point. Maybe.

"Her vampire? Since when does she own me?" Wrapping an arm around Pepper, he waved his free hand between the two. "Pepper, I've been watching your books lately. All of them revolve around being lonely and coping with it. Or was it that they all revolved around romance? Pepper! Pepper, Pepper, Pepper! Calister hates love, you know this. Please, please don't kill my butler."

Once again, he missed the mark… by a mile. Was he doing it on purpose? No, not at all. In all honestly, he had no idea that the woman was helplessly in love with him. Had he known, he might not have invited another woman into his house, especially such a gorgeous one.

Cackling at Tessa's comment about coffins, the vampire was practically rolling on the floor by now. "No, no, no. None of us sleep in them! Not in this household. We all have beds. None of us turn into bats. And, believe it or not, we all eat normal food twice a day -- Pepper eats it three times." He had to make sure he remembered to include the human that lived in the house. Didn't want to make Tessa feel awkward if she ever asked for food.

Zipping around to the fridge, he pulled it open to point at a whole slew of typical food eaten by humans. "Calister and I might be vampires, but, no offense, blood isn't all that tasty. He would disagree, but he still loves his breakfast. Waffles are his favorite. I'm more a pancake kind of guy. We both like our omelets, too." Yanking open the freezer, he reached for another door, but immediately withdrew his hand. "Bloodbox. Don't go in there." Head whipping toward Pepper, he smirked. "Pepper doesn't like to be reminded of Calister's vampire-nature. She goes out of her way to mask it. Anything in a box within a closet, fridge, room - whatever - means it's vampire related. There's a small red 'X' on it, too."

With the freezer still open, Serk reached his ice cold hands into the frosty box and pulled out three freezer pops. "These are my favorite. Pepper, really need to stop reading my mind. It creeps me out." Eyes shifting blue for a moment, he etched in the ice something foreign. Within seconds, some ice crystals grew from the thin layer. "You can cross off buying ice, Pepper. I can just make it."

Eyes going wide, he rushed back to Tessa. "I need your identification number, full name, finger prints, and a spec of blood, stat! Calister could come home early and I need to make sure you're untouchable!" Serk glared over to where Pepper was standing. "What's gotten into her? She's been acting weird. Maybe she cut too much hair off and has lost her wits?"

With a shrug, he yanked the other human into the living room. That room, unlike the rest of the house, was simply stunning. It was gold, red, and black themed. The couches had red cushions, trimmed with golden wood. The window frames were gold, too, and the curtains were red and with black vine-like patterns. On the cherry end tables sat candles that gave off the scent of vanilla and lavender.

"This page, if you please," he said while shoving a book into the woman's chest.

"Of . . . course." Pepper seemed to droop slightly as Serk mentioned Calister. The butterflies moving through her fell and shattered into hopeless pieces. It isn't Calister. She would have to watch where she kept her books in the future. . . .

Coffins. For a moment, Pepper almost laughed. That had been one of her questions, too. Sleeping in coffins wasn't . . . well, it wasn't normal. There might be a coffin stashed away somewhere, but she wasn't sure of where. Pepper stared at Tessa as she asked her questions, and as Serk responded. Is she . . . going to stay?! Her disappointment grew as she heard what Serk was saying. Of course he invites a pretty woman to stay. Pepper's heart sank, thudding in her chest in a painful rhythm.

Of course she knew which foods were Serk's favorites: she'd made it a priority to ask. Her green eyes slowly trained on Serk as he moved about the kitchen with quick movements. Pepper couldn't even fake a smile as disappointment flooded through her. It had been bad enough to live with a man who didn't see her love, but it would be worse with a pretty girl around to tempt him.

"No more ice," Pepper muttered under her breath, reaching a shaking hand up to brush some hair from her face. Now that it was shorting, it was always falling into her eyes. Recalling the joy she felt at Serk noticing her new haircut, the ginger tried her hardest to ignore the jealousy that clawed at her stomach.

She slowly followed Serk and Tessa into the living room (though she had no choice, really, with Serk pulling her around like he was). The freshly lit candles were a nice touch, and Pepper had set them out because she knew that Serk enjoyed the scents. Everything she did revolved around Serk, really. Her green eyes locked on the vampire as he spat out a list of requirements. Dread deadened her - her senses were numb suddenly. She's staying.

Blinking back a sudden rush of emotion, Pepper cleared her throat. Though she didn't want Tessa in the house, she would do everything and anything for Serk. The redhead moved to grab a pen, setting it on the surface nearest to Tessa. She also made sure to pass over a small needle-like pin for the blood letting. She remembered this - she knew every detail of that page now.

Maybe I did lose my wits along with my hair. The girl's green eyes lingered on the book in Tessa's hands before she swallowed thickly and looked back to Serk. Why? Why is she here? For a moment, she desperately wished that the vampire could read her thoughts. Perhaps that would have made everything so much easier in the long run.
-

((Aaaand Nym is conscious, but barely. :XD))

So much to take in. So, Pepper likes Calister, hidden boxes are vampire things, they don't sleep in coffins, they eat normal food and Serk could make ice. The one thing Tessa suddenly realized she didn't know, was the vampire's name.

Before she could manage to get a word in, he was shoving a book at her. She blinked owlishly down at it. He really needed all of those things? She glanced over to Pepper when Serk questioned her. She looks pretty glum to me, Tessa thought.

She directed her attention back to the book and picked up the pen. Tessa wrote down the information requested and set the pen and book down before warily picking up the needle. She hated blood. So far it was obvious she was a vampire hunter who was afraid of the dark and hated blood.

Tessa sighed and looked up to Serk while holding the needle carefully and away from herself. "So, how does this make me untouchable?", she questioned as if she didn't believe it would be so magical. She eyed the needle again before letting go of the object.

With any luck, it would hit the ground, somehow become lost and she would get to skip that part. "Oops." Heheh, no pricking me now! she thought.

Erol and Nikia were done drinking the two boys. This was the fun part. They needed to get rid of the bodies. Quickly, Nikia chopped them up into little pieces and put them in the cellar, in the ice box like every other body, except without the bones. The bones and entrails were taken out of the house and given to the dogs that sat outside on the property. It was the only property Nikia was allowed to have. The dogs were her babies. She trained them, fed them, raised them. They were her pride and joys. After they ate, they followed her back into the house.

"My pet. We need to go out and hunt some more. Maybe we can find some more pets for the house so you do not have to do all the chores. It would be like our own little army." the master said as he grabbed his coat and hers as well. She sort of curtseyed to him, then grabbed the coat and put it on.

"Yes master." As they walked out, she pet her dogs and they followed her.

The master went a different direction, going towards a bar to find some lovely girls to turn. He sat down at the bar and looked around at the ladies. "Get me a scotch on the rocks please. Put it on my tab." The vile taste of the scotch would make him seem like the rich gentleman he was. Most girls actually crowded around him when he got to the bar. This crowd seemed different than before though. None of the ladies were crowding around him at this point as his drink was handed to him.

Nikia walked towards the other houses around the area. That was when she saw a man (Calister) storm out of the house. It looked as though he was having a problem with some of the locals. "Excuse me sir. Would you mind if i asked if you were alright? You seem distressed."

Excuse me, sir. Excuse me. Oh, excuse me. Oh, sir? Are you okay? You seen distressed. You look green. Will you be… oh, you poor man! You've vomited on your shoe. Can I help you.

That woman. Pissed Calister the hell off. He already knew what would happen if he stayed around her any longer. He would not only vomit at her stupidity but he would also eat her. Yes, eat her. Not frame her like a trophy, which is what he usually do. No, no. She wasn't worth such an honor. She was lowly, sickening, and repulsive. Seriously, she asked him if he was all right. Did she have no sense of self-worth? A brain, perhaps? Maybe she was a zombie….

Either way, Calister gave the woman the cold shoulder for a good minute or five. When he looked over his shoulder, he noticed that she was STILL THERE. WHAT THE HELL! She was worse than fleas! Not that he had fleas, but, if he were a cat, she would be the most annoying flea ever!

Snorting, he continued to look down at her. "Are you daft? Or perhaps mentally deranged? Have you no sense of self-worth or dignity? Have you no idea who I am?" Still refusing to turn around, Calister crossed his arms over his chest. "You must be the dumbest, most unobservant, dimwitted vampire - no, you're not even a vampire - thing I have ever met! You dare cross into the territory of Lord Serkan Yavuz Sari! I suggest you leave, now -- or I will have to make a mess of your face."

He really had no interest in playing with her. She was, frankly put, boring. Besides, today was human hunting day. Yesterday was vampire and tomorrow would be vampire. He couldn't just break the rules as he saw fit -- well, he could, seeing as he made them. Nonetheless, he scoffed and began to walk away from the woman. "Distressed my ass," he spat as he rounded a corner.

At this point, Calister was beginning to like Pepper for Pepper was nowhere near as disrespectful as this wench. Despite being human, Pepper was also smarter for she knew to avoid Calister whereas this woman vampire -- erm, thing -- didn't.

Muttering under his breath, he started to waltz off toward the scent of fresh blood - Nym's blood, knowing full well that Nym was accompanied by another human and a pair of vampires. Dinner shall be interesting, he thought to himself.

But my god. He needed to kill everyone. This woman, Nikia, completely ruined his night. Ruined his ego, too.

Nikia smiled as he showed her a distaste for who she was. He may have a disliking for her, but she could tell that he was fairly distressed about something that seemed important. Apparently from the tantrum he was having, she had just ruined his entire day. It wasnt like being called a THING rather than a VAMPIRE was going to bother her at all. It wasn't the first time someone had called her a thing anyways

Another smile crossed her face as he seemingly started to storm away from her for that particular reason. Calister.... Caslister.... Lord Serkan Yavus Sari... Nope, she had never heard those names before. Of course since she had already bothered him, where was the fun in bothering him some more.

The dogs seemed itching to get in some action, but she quickly dismissed it as she ran. They followed and caught up with her. The trench coat flapped in the wind as she ran quickly passed Calister towards the blood her dogs and her own body could smell. It seemed so appetizing though there were different people over there. She watched the decisions of Calister with interest and found that he knew there was a human bleeding and that he was with two other vampires and another human. What a catch!!! All she had to do was to make sure she knew her opponents now. Master would be pleased with her find. The bleeding male didnt seem to have long now from how much blood he had lost, but unfortunately it was slightly under control.

The dogs started to run passed her as she continued on. They were beautiful to watch when they ran. Her white hair flowing in the wind as she looked back to see if Calister was following. He would be an interesting catch as well for the master, especially if the master knew who he was.

The woman moved through the alley to where the three people seemed to be, walking slowly as she looked at all of them. There were no weapons on her so she couldn't have seemed harmful except for the dogs that followed her. "My my.... This human seems to be attracting a lot of attention." She walked carefully towards the people, motioning for her dogs to sit. "You will need to suture that bite on your arm." Nikia went into her pocket and pulled out a needle and thread. "Would you allow me to do it for you? You need to stop the bleeding before you attract the attention of a very rude vampire down the way." Her complete attention was on Nym, but her abilities followed the others as well to make sure she was not in harms way.

OH NO SHE DIDN'T! She tried to pull that stunt! With ninja-like refluxes, he snatched the pin out of thin air and purposely flicked the little metal item at Tessa's hand. Sure enough, it sunk into her flesh. Nothing too serious, but deep enough that he could get the inner blood.

Holding his nose, he yanked the pin out with his teeth and squeezed the woman's finger with his free hand. A tiny spec of blood gushed out, falling perfectly centered in a black square marked "drop blood here." When it hit the paper, Serk watched as it started to spread out and form something -- her symbol of protection. Releasing Tessa's hand, he pointed to the mark, needle still in mouth. "Mmook! Mmore mimbmul mf mmmecfmum." Yeah, like anyone could understand that. Well, maybe Pepper who knew it was "Look! Your symbol of protection."

With an intricate design now sprawled out on the crisp white paper, Serk dropped the needle into Pepper's hand and turned to look at Tessa. "See, it wasn't that bad, was it?"

Moving back to Tessa's side, the white-haired vampire picked up the woman's pin-pricked finger and placed it in his mouth. Without using his fangs, he sucked, lightly, on her finger, drawing the platelets to the surface. Once he had sucked enough of her blood (which was hardly anything), he placed a peck on the woman's cheek.

"Let's get you that dinner," he said while moving back into the kitchen. Pulling open the refrigerator, Serk picked out some tomatoes. Sliding them into a pot, a devious grin came onto his face. Seconds later, a loud pounding commenced. Pulverizing the poor tomatoes, Serk was putting together pasta, or so one would think.

When he was finally done flattening the fruit (veggies, whatever), he pried open the freezer to retrieve a hunk of steak. "No, it's cow," he said without raising his eyes to meet Tessa's.

"Pepper, seasoning if you please."

A few moments later, he was sliding the meat into the red sauce and adding cheese, more colorful vegetables, and a slew of spices that didn't include garlic. But wait! He then dumped the contents into a pan rather than a pot. Turning up the fire, he watched for the contents to come to a boil before he backed it down so it was at a low rumble.

"Should be ready in…" he looked at the ginger, "…" Blinking, the red-eyed vampire cocked his head. "Psssst, Pepper. That was your cue to finish my sentence."

While preoccupied with cooking (and Serk being enraged that he didn't have a fire affinity), the handsome butler of the house was having his own issues. More like nuisances - Nikia.

Having to put up with her a second longer would have put him in an insane asylum. So, like a cloud of smoke, Calister vanished -- phased out of the air and was incapable of sensing. Oh how he loved his powers over darkness, the ability to completely hide and the ability to vanish all together.

Ducking down a side alley, he continued to suppress his scent, which wasn't hard for he was a master at doing such. Why was he so good, you might ask. Simple. When he was a little lad, he grew up with a gang of vampires -- a mafia group to be exact. To keep himself from getting abused, little Calister was forced to control his scent and his breathing. Hell, he even learned how to control his stomach and tongue. As he grew up with the gang, he was tossed in and out of training, which is why he's as feared as he is today. After all, how many vampires do you know that run with the mob? Not many, I figure.

Accompanied and raised by delinquents really fosters ones charming nature. Not. As expected, Calister grew up rather bitter and cold at a rip young age, learning all too well what it meant to survive in that life. It was either kill or be killed. Young Calister obviously assumed the first for he's still "alive" today.

Like a flash of lightning, Calister appeared in the house of Serk. Eyes flicking to Tessa, he rolled a snarling growl off his tongue. "Should have known you'd have brought another pet into the house." Popping tall, he pushed his fedora back and turned to face Pepper and Tessa. "Vampires within the eastern territory. Two humans - one injured - accompanied by a vampire that feeds off energy and your typical vigilante vampire-hating vampire." Now facing Serk, he reported, "Apparently, we're not as well-known as we hoped. I suppose it has been some time since we last…" he drew his lips tight and turned back toward the window he came in from. "I suggest you keep Pepper close." Yellow eyes dancing over to Tessa, he smirked. "I don't suppose you want to save your human-kin?" Calister wanted to smack himself for spitting that up, but he figured it wouldn't be that bad. After all, he had decided that he would rather deal with Tessa and Nikia.

"If you want to accompany Calister, Tessa, you can. He'll make sure you'll be safe from harm. After all, he is one hell of a butler." Smiling, Serk draped an arm around Pepper. "Pepper, get that horrific garlic necklace I burned my hands making for you. You'll need to wear that tonight. I won't take any chances." Breathing ever so gentle, he cooed, "Pepper, I can't lose you!"

THUD.

Calister's head rammed into the wall again. "You're so… oblivious," he muttered. Oblivious and a tease, that's what he wanted to say, but he kept his yap shut for now was not the time to knit-pick Serk's and Pepper's love interest. No, now was the time for action. If Tessa was interested, she could join Calister and watch how a butler dealt with intruders.

Pepper accepted the needle when Serk dropped into her hands, trying to keep herself from sighing loudly. She could remember the vampire doing the same thing to her. The redhead cringed when Serk sucked Tessa's finger to help it stop bleeding. Her green eyes lingered on the floor, the needle, the paper, the desk, the door. . . . What really did her in was the kiss that Serk left on Tessa's cheek. Her shoulders drooped ever so slightly, and Pepper fought to keep her expression calm. That should be me.

The ginger followed along and watched as Serk went about trying to prepare dinner. Pepper couldn't help but smile slightly as the vampire completely killed the vegetables and tossed them into a pot - and then a pan - for cooking. Still, she just couldn't stop thinking about the kiss that Serk had left on Tessa's cheek. She watched the vampire as he went about, talking to her. The way his eyes flashed with that slightly crazy look, and his pale hair got into his eyes . . . it just struck her. Why can't you see me? Was she just Pepper to him?

"Pepper, seasoning if you please."

She passed it over without even thinking. Heck, the redhead didn't even blink. Pepper fell into a line of thought that involved strangling the new guest and professing her love to Serk. Maybe . . . someday. That day was far from reality, though. Wait. What was he saying? Talking to Tessa, no doubt.

Psssst, Pepper."

"Hmm?" With uncharacteristic unattentiveness, Pepper blinked and tried to mentally catch up on what was said. "Ten minutes," she said, slowly stepping toward the stove. She added a few different spices before reaching for a small spoon. Lifting it to her lips, Pepper started suddenly when she heard Calister's voice. Her green eyes flickered to the other vampire, and she listened to what he had to say in silence.

"I suggest you keep Pepper close."

A blush spread over Pepper's cheeks, and she swiftly set down the spoon she'd been using to taste the sauce. Her heart went into sudden overdrive with a kick start as she felt a solid, cool arm drape over her shoulders. He isn't wearing a shirt. Looking up at Serk with a strange mixture of excitement and embarrassment, the ginger tried to ignore the warmth spreading through her. He could so easily turn her mood around. Pepper responded every time he touched her without even trying.

The garlic necklace. Pepper could easily recall how horrified she'd been that the vampire had seared his fingers when he bound the cloves together for her. She'd accepted his gift with equal shares of horror and adoration. He'd hurt himself to keep her safe. It was the most precious thing he'd given to her, yet she rarely had to use it. Pepper was sure to keep the necklace tucked away in the drawer near her bed. It often smelled strange, so she had it in a ziploc bag of sorts, and that inside a plastic container. Still, it would definitely keep her safe from vampires.

That was his solution? Sending a hesitant glance in Calister's direction, Pepper nodded. "I'll make sure to find it before I go to sleep." But when she felt his cool, sweet breath on her cheek . . . Pepper shivered, her heart thudding almost painfully. "You won't," she breathed in return, unable to get her voice to work properly. Her green eyes were on Serk's face then, wishing and hoping that those words meant more than they seemed. Knowing Serk, though, he hadn't thought too deeply on what they meant to Pepper.

Pepper jumped when she heard Calister hit his head against the kitchen wall. Oblivious. He always has been. Her fingers reached up touch Serk's hand as it hung over her shoulder. "Dinner needs to be stirred," she said quietly, wanting so badly to just reach up and kiss him. It killed her not to.
-

Nym felt himself weakening further. He was going to have some pretty strange reactions to the venom, and he didn't want to be out in the streets when it happened. Trembling from the blood loss coupled with the burn that froze its way through his body, the blond winced as pain stabbed through his head. It was a white, cold light that burned everything it touched.
"I-it hurts like h-hell," he growled, stumbling as he stepped wrong. He literally couldn't feel his feet anymore. Nym hated this feeling: not the pain, but being a useless burden.

Suddenly Nikia appeared. Nym looked confused for a moment - it was a sure sign that he was losing himself within the flow of venom that moved through him. He hadn't turned, but that vampire poison had to come out. Nym looked down at his free arm, frowning darkly. "W-which one, Princess?" There were so many torn marks along his skin that they would be dripping had Braith not bandaged them up. Already the cloth was nearly soaked through completely.

Losing further control over his own body, Nym fell against Braith more heavily. "C-can't . . ." He couldn't continue. Shaking heavily, Nym fought against the convulsions he knew would soon follow. He hated this part. It was like the worst withdrawal possible . . . times a thousand.

Nikia looked at the others hoping that nothing would happen as she got closer to Nym. "Has anyone tried sucking the vampiric poison out of him?" Of course, she didnt want to of course. Another vampire to join the ranks would be absolutely amazing but this man was seemingly had friends that hated vampires. if she were to gain their trust, maybe she could find another person that her master would be fine with. What happened with her, still gave her nightmares sometimes. From what she could tell, this man had friends.

Without knowing what she was doing, she had gone to the man and taken him from Braith, laying him on the ground slowly. She went to where the bite was and pressed her lips against it, then started sucking. She wasnt going to drain his blood, just suck out the poison. Her hand moved up to the man's hair, which seemed to look like a very sentimental gesture.

~~~~~~~

Erol had lost interest in the girls at the bars until one particular girl walked in. She was slender, beautiful and seemed pretty out of place at the bar. It wasnt that she was young, it was that she didnt have anyone with her. No one around seemed to be calling her over either. She walked up to the bar and seemed to just want a drink. The only stool that was open was the one next to him. He smiled and made sure not to stare as she walked over.

"Sir? May i have a SoCo and Lime please." The woman said to the bartender who had just turned around.

It was almost too easy for him to woe her. Or so he thought.

"Madame... May I pay for your drink?" He said looking towards her.

"I dont know you.... what makes you think i want you to pay for my drink?"

"I was only being courteous, dear"

The girl looks at him in a sort of apology. "I'm sorry.... I havent exactly been having the best day."

The conversation between the two went on for a little while until finally, he was able to get the girl over to his mansion. When he got home, he wondered where his girl could have been, but of course the dogs were not back either so she was probably taking care of finding a new recruit for the house. He smiled as he showed the new girl around the house. Her name was Sandra. Pretty normal, but he didnt mind that.

Nym was almost unaware of what was happening. One moment he was leaning against Braith, and the next he was on the ground. Convulsing as the cold venom teased about his heart (though, of course, never entering it), he fought to keep himself breathing. The first time this had happened, Nym thought he was going to die. He'd woken up a few days later, starving and dying of thirst. He had still been human.

As cold lips pressed to the wound on his throat, Nym frowned. "W-what-?" He didn't have time to try and finish. The burn was worse as it moved backward. The blond let out a weak cry, unable to lift his numb hand to stop her. Nikia's fingers in his hair made Nym try and pull away. Sadly, he had no choice but to stay where he was.

As the poison neared the wound again, Nym's struggles grew more desperate. Talk about hurting like hell: it felt like she was pressing a frickin' brand to his throat. This time, he was able to bring a hand up and press against the woman. His cry was that of a tortured creature. If the scent of blood didn't draw the vampires in, his voice certainly would.

When he could feel his fingers again, Nym didn't hesitate in reaching for his gun.

Kerian growled ever so softly when the female came near them. He had felt her energy before she had come into view or hearing distance. He took a step back, her motives uncertain. Then again, he couldn't be certain of Arlotte or Braith either. Still the human worried him less than the vampires did. Keri's body tensed just the slightest bit and he watched this woman warily as she just came in and took charge. Taking over the situation. Kerian didn't like it at all. They shouldn't have stopped, not to do what this female wanted to do. Right here. In the dark, in the middle of the city. A city crawling with vampires.

Safely behind doors, though buildings could be but so safe. Still, it would have been safer in a building. Nym's scent would have been muted and hidden behind walls and windows and doors. Not out here, for the wind to carry it to every hungry blood drinker in the damn city. This was stupid. Kerian's brown eyes narrowed and he seemed to almost be glaring as he glanced to Braith and then Arlotte before staring at the girl as she bent over Nym. Either pulling the poison or draining his blood, honestly Kerian couldn't tell which. Kerian had been silent, just watching and keeping his thoughts to himself, until Nym cried out. It was a heart wrenching sound and one to surely bring other vampires down around their ears.

"This is stupid." His voice held contempt his tone made it clear of how intelligent he thought this woman. "It would have been better to bring him in a building. It would muffle the scent and the sound of his...discomfort, doing something like this in the open is just plain stupid." He ran a hand through his hair and glanced over his shoulder. Honestly though, Kerian had never heard of sucking out vampire venom. As if it were a simple snake bite. He wrinkled his nose slightly, shaking his head a bit and looking to Braith, almost hoping the young man would agree with him.

Before the needle could make it very far, Serk had snatched it from thin air with lightning speed, and before she really knew what happened, the needle was sticking out of her finger. "Ow!" she yelped. She brought her hand up to stare at the small metal object protruding from her skin. "That was mean," she sniffled.

It was rather amazing how easily he'd done that, with such perfect aim. When he pulled the needle from her stinging finger and held it over the black square, she watched with wonder, and slight annoyance. How is this going to keep me safe!?

She frowned up at his mumbles. What a frustrating man. Vampire. Vampire man. Whatever! She was still frowning as she looked at her poor finger. No, she supposed it wasn't that bad. She had after all had much worse.

When Serk lifted her finger to his mouth, her heart rate picked up slightly. What was he doing? Everything was changing so quickly for Tessa her head was almost swimming. Not much more than an hour ago she was alone, and never would she have thought that she would be staying in the home of a vampire.

Much less would she have ever thought that one would be sucking her blood. Of course, this wasn't the traditional way of sucking blood, so Tess had to assume he was helping to stop the bleeding from her finger. She did know a couple things about first aid.

She was blinking owlishly at him now, her hazel gray eyes had returned to their normal greenish color and when he placed a kiss on her cheek before speaking of dinner, she continued standing there, almost confused. Seriously, what was this vampire's game? She glanced down at her finger, the bleeding had stopped.

Tessa moved to rest against the counter as she watched Serk. Was he cooking, for reals? She was learning so much about the vampire species tonight. Maybe. Maybe Serk was just a weirdo. That seemed more likely. But still, she couldn't help but wonder how many vampires out there weren't so bad, who cooked, had friends, even family. She'd never thought about that before.

As he pulled a hunk of meat from the freezer, her eyes widened slightly. Was that... human... meat? It made so much more sense now. Of course they ate meals. Human meals, duh! No, it's cow. Oh. Cow. Right. Wait, could he read minds, too? Note to self: Be careful what you think around this vampire. She nodded to herself in compliance.

She watched Serk and Pepper for a while. They seemed to have a strange relationship. Really, Pepper was the one who seemed strange. She looked so, down. Tessa wondered if the woman was some sort of prisoner here. She glanced to Serk, seeing him shirtless, oh right, a prisoner of the bod. How could she forget.

But Serk had said Pepper was in love with Calister. Tessa needed sleep to think anything clearly at this point. In fact, part of her thought she was already asleep. This all had to be a dream. She jumped at the sudden sound of Calister's chilly voice.

She turned to face him. "Who are you calling a pet?" she almost growled back. She was certainly no pet. She was glaring at the creepy vampire now unable to mask her attitude. She listened to him speak. Almost everything went out the window as she wondered what it had been a while since they'd done...

Honestly, Tessa didn't care about others. If her human kin died, it was no concern of hers. She'd cared about far too many people, once upon a time, and they were all dead. She wouldn't make that mistake again. She appeared in deep thought for a moment. Was her brother dead?

The thud of Calister's head on the wall snapped her back into reality. Oblivious? Oblivious to what? She blinked owlishly from Calister, to Pepper, to Serk. It would seem that she too was oblivious. Then again, she'd only been there for a very very short amount of time.

"Okay," she finally said. "I'll go with the butler." She was still half glaring at the vampire, but trying to be more civil. Then again, he couldn't harm her now, right? That thought would certainly give her a cocky appeal, no doubt.

A whimper pursued his lips when he was forced to release his hold on Nym. Not wanting to stray far, the wolf-raised male darted down a nearby alley, letting out a horrific howl upon the sight of a youngling vampire. He swore he was only gone for maybe five minutes, but, upon his return, everything seemed to be haywire. Arlotte and Kerian were doing their own things and Nym? Nym was on the floor being straddled by a white haired woman. Correction, vampire.

Snorting, he ran at the woman with his arms swung back behind him. But with each step closer, those arms slowly slid forward until they touched the ground. Running on all fours, in a sense, the redhead lunged himself off his forearms, toppling into the vampire. Snarling as if he were a dog, his red eyes narrowed as wrinkles continued to form on his nose.

"Lay another hand on him and I'll destroy you," rumbled in deep reverberations from the back of his throat all while he was still growling.

Why Arlotte and Keri allowed Nym to fall into such a state was beyond him, but, perhaps, it was the fact that they were vampires and didn't really give a rat's ass about Nym's predicament.

Useless vampires, he thought to himself, but immediately dismissed his inner thoughts for now was not the time. Like Keri has suggested, Nym needed to be take inside. But where? Where would be far enough away from these creepy crawlers but close enough that he, Braith, could do it in less than five minutes.

That answer seemed to come all too soon when his nose suddenly filled with the scent of yet another human and… well, something else, or so he thought.

Red eyes flicking up toward a low rising building there, on the roof, he spied a black haired woman and what appeared to be a shifting shadow. Since when did shadows appear vertically without a backdrop? He was dying to investigate the phenomenon but the answer appeared before his eyes.

Another whimper followed as did the churning of his stomach. Heart nearly stopping, he froze where he was sprawled out over Nym. Lip quivering, Braith knew they were in over there head.

"Play time's over, mutt," Calister leaned inward, whisking away the foggy remnants of his shadowy friend. "Tessa," his yellow eyes jumped down to the woman that he had at his side, "let this be your first lesson in hunting. Never send a mutt to do a purebred's job."

With a snap of his fingers, the vampire vanished but suddenly appeared before Braith. Hand at the male's neck, Calister dug his long, pointy fingernails into the flesh of the redhead. Lips going to his ears, he whispered. "Play along, puppy. I'm - regrettably - here to rescue you as per my lord's orders."

Eyes widening, Braith's pupils shrunk to the size of a pin's head. A vampire, that vampire was coming to save him? Unlucky!

Fist uppercutting and moving toward Calister's jaw, the redhead rolled away from the eerie, shadow manipulating vampire. "You… you… you stay away!" Body trembling, he realized what was happening. He was on his territory.

Leaning forward, Braith yanked Nym and himself back across the imaginary line on the road. On his rump, his sweaty face looked up to see Calister towering over him with a cocky smirk on his face.

"Tch, you weren't worth my efforts, but you," his head snapped around and now stared Nikia down, "you might be more worth my time." Then he muttered, "But you're still worthless."

So how had Calister gotten here? And with Tessa? Simple. He used the shadows to quicken his speed and mask his scent. No one, not even the strongest of vampires, could sense Calister and Tessa's arrival. Well, not until Calister dropped the shadows and allowed himself to become visible.

Tessa would probably be a bit dizzy from the transporting, but she would get over her spinning head soon. Actually, probably right now, which was perfect timing. Why? Well, Calister was a little more preoccupied with the fast approaching youngling gang. Tessa could take on this white-haired woman. Right?

Another snap of his finger and Calister was sliding down the road. Yes, sliding. It's one of the many pros of controlling darkness. You're just an all around badass that can, essentially, do whatever the hell you want.

Tugging out his knife, he decapitated the first one in a flash. The second two were crippled before they even had a chance to attack. The female with the gray hair was pulverized with a million shadow needles. When examining her body, you would, literally, see a million tiny holes laced throughout her body. The older orange-haired male with the one eye fell too easily. Not even touching the guy, Calister's dark gaze petrified the male into a meltdown. The poor guy just died out of… fear.

Three down, two to go.

The last two were a pair of twins who, like Calister, had an elemental affinity. The girl with the obnoxious pink bow ruled over fire. The male with the gay cyan neck tie was controlling lightning.

Easy as pie.

The female was engulfed in a shadow while the lad was forced to take on Calister himself. Tongue whipping around, he got the boy into a choke hold too fast. With the kid squirming to break free, Calister plunged a knife into the guy's back, which caused him to scream out in pain. Then, as if that wasn't bad enough, he started to prying his nails into the skin of the boy. Inch by inch, he started to rip it off as if it were nothing. Growing rather bored, he then gave a good yank, which caused a horrific popping noise to echo through the chilly night air. The sound of a man in terrible pain followed, but was quickly silenced as Calister's right hand tore off the youngling's head.

The female, who was still facing the shadows, finally emerged. Lifeless.

The green-haired killer was probably a good one hundred yards from Nym, Braith, Arlotte, Kerian, and Nikia. They were to his south and located in the middle of the two and to the west is where Serk and Pepper are stationed.

Jaw on the floor, Braith watched as the vampire slew his own kind in just a matter of minutes. Three minutes and seventeen seconds to be exact. "We're next," he said while bending over to scoop Nym into his arms. "We need to get the hell out of here, now!"

"She wasn't killing him." Kerian spoke the words rather lazily after Braith had rammed the woman away from Nym. He shrugged though, seeming mostly disinterested. He wasn't really disinterested. When the green haired male appeared, Keri shivered lightly. That man's mere presence was just, chilling somehow. Kerian seemed rather uncertain now. This green haired man seemed like a threat. A very dangerous threat. Kerian didn't move, not at first.

Brown eyes just watched warily, then when Braith moved to pick up Nym, Kerian strode towards them and pulled the blond man from the red eyed human's arms. "I'll carry him." Kerian was, after all most likely stronger than the human, and carrying this man wouldn't slow him down, or cause him to run out of stamina and tire as quickly as it would a human. Kerian shifted Nym and picked him up completely, holding the man in that classic princess-style. He glanced at Arlotte, then at Braith expectantly. As if Braith were the leader of this little rag-tag group.

One minute Tess was in the building, and the next, she was standing on a sidewalk. Her head was spinning. She reached up to place her palm on her forehead as if it would steady her. What on Earth had happened and where exactly was she?

She heard Calister's voice for the second time, something about a puppy, but she couldn't quite focus. She was frowning deeply. How was she supposed to learn anything when all of her senses were humming like this?! She searched for Calister.

Her eyes finally focused as Braith dragged Nym away from the green haired vampire. They looked like humans. Her eyes watched Braith's expressions. He looked terrified. Was Calister going to kill them? She could say she didn't care all she wanted, but she couldn't help feeling sorry for them.

She wanted to learn how to kill vampires, not how to kill humans. She took a step forward as if she might try and stop Calister, but then he spoke to the female with pale hair and her eyes found the woman, too. Calister was certainly a mean one.

Tessa wondered about the woman. She didn't seem human, but Tessa couldn't be sure. Calister did say she might be worth his time, so Tess leaned towards vampire. In that case, she wouldn't let her guard down. She wouldn't anyway, not out in the open at night, but certainly not now.

She heard movement and turned to see a man who looked familiar to her. But why? The diner, that's right. "It's you," she mumbled, recalling how she had pretended to trip so she could feel the temperature of his skin. He was human, so she thought.

Her eyes followed his to see another woman with short dark hair. Were they all humans? What were they all doing out here like this? Part of her wanted to go and help them. Was she allowed to do that? Of course she was! She was no one's pet after all. Then again, they didn't really look to need any help and she was no doctor.

Tessa turned to search for Calister. Where had he disappeared to? She found him just as he pulverized a gray haired woman with some kind of black needle things... Tessa found that she couldn't take her eyes off of the gruesome scene. She didn't care in the least that Calister was killing these vampires, although she didn't understand why.

The sickening part was how he killed each of them. By this time, she'd completely forgotten about the pale haired vampire who'd been helping the others. Her back was to the woman and her eyes were glued on Calister. How would she ever be able to kill vampires like him. Were there others like him? If she were lucky, he'd be one of a kind. But that was unlikely.

When she heard Braith's fearful words, she glanced over to the group. Would they be able to get away? Surely Calister wouldn't kill them, right? He would, she knew. Serk had made it clear what kind of person, vampire, Calister was. But Tessa didn't tag along to watch him slaughter innocent humans, whether he had to eat or not.

She waited, trying to determine what she should do next. Her mind was still re-playing everything Calister had done and trying to wrap itself around vampire powers, but also prodding her to try and protect her fellow humans from Calister should he turn on them. But why? She didn't care about them! That wasn't the point, she decided.

Things were going too fast. First, that woman came and started sucking out the venom in Nym. Then, Calister came out of nowhere. Then, the younglings came over and Calister essentially annihilated them.

Arlotte, who wished so dearly that she could move and get her little group to safety, but her feet were planted in the ground. Some unknown vampire far off in the distance was restraining her movement, even her speech. CRAP. This isn't happening. This can't be happening! Ugh, damn it!

It was only to her extreme luck that she suddenly saw a young ghost standing in front of her. Again. The same one from before. The thing spoke before Arlotte batted an eyelash, though she could not catch any of the child's speech. Violently, the restraints were whisked away and a deafening scream came from the other direction. Who knew that poltergeists could kill? she mused quietly. "Perhaps, you can help again?" the vampire mumbled softly, staring at the ghost's face. It seemed almost at peace -- as though what it was doing now was really for the greater good.

Greater good? Arlotte had to scoff at that one. There was no true good in this world, though she liked to think of herself as something close to it. Everyone had an agenda, and everyone was there merely to protect themselves in a world where very few could be trusted. It was true that she'd somehow found this group of people, and it was true that she was about to drain herself of any remaining energy she had to give them time to get away, but it was worth it. In her mind, at least, what she was about to do was worth it.

You're absolutely sure that you should? the ghost girl suddenly asked. It was a mind-reader now?
"Quite," the young woman replied in monotone. Looking around her, she saw that Kerian had taken Nym into his arms. Certainly, he could move faster than Braith. Now, the red-head could run at full speed. Now, all Arlotte had to do was help these ghosts help her.

"Kerian, Braith, when I say three, you are both going to run along the Southwest road. I'll catch up quickly. Then, we'll go someplace safe and I'll tend to Nym. Please. Just... Listen to me..." Sighing once, Arlotte grabbed the hilt of her sword and drew it out. Lightly, she planted the tip into the ground and started to plead -- plead to the ghosts that surrounded them.

Please help us. Please, let us get away. Let the light shower upon you, and let the light create the wall that shall separate the evil from the good.

With an even mental tone, Arlotte repeated this until her katana began to glow.
They were listening.
"One..." The countdown had started.
"Two..." Braith and Kerian had to run as fast as they could now to escape the fate that could befall them.
"...Three!!" The last word came out as a yell -- a smooth, yet hard, yell -- as a bright light flashed from the vampire blade and almost seemed to pulse across the terra. One by one, shadows and figures began to appear along the streets, and in buildings, and even on rooftops. There was no doubt that everyone around Arlotte was surprised, shocked, and absolutely terrified. Sure, vampires were real and such, but since when were ghosts actually real?

Soon enough, the ghosts appeared like solid figures -- though they hadn't materialized fully -- and formed exactly what Arlotte wanted: a wall. A wall that was stronger than Calister in spirit, strength, and will. All of the apparitions banded together to stop the menace. It was almost as if a holy light had flowed over the area in a beautiful ebb of white.

This... thank you. Thank you!

Spinning around on her heels, Arlotte started to run down the Southwest road, knowing that Kerian and Braith must be running down there even if they didn't want to listen to her. This road was the only safe one -- the only one without any obstacles -- and was the only road that could lead them to the building that she called salvation. It wouldn't be long before she was running right beside them.

((Just letting you know Wavi, you might want to let me react to the actions you do seeing as she can see it coming as soon as the decision to do it is made by others. Pretty much she can get passed getting hit because she already knows its happening love.))

Nikia decided to get hit by the young wolf. Of course she had seen it coming. Her power made that happen almost definitely. Without a thought, she quickly sucked the rest of the poison out of him before she was pulled away.

Of course as soon as she rolled off the male, she gracefully got up and wiped her lips. Calister had come out of the shadows with another woman. From what she could tell the pieces started fitting together with everyone but her.

She looked at Calister as he told her she might possibly be worth his time now. She made sure she was not even close to the male or the female that came with him. The look that was given to her by the other girls that were there seemed a bit different than the look the other two had given her.

The humans wanted to get away. Although it would have been against her better judgement and her master's, she thought she probably should continue helping the humans. It seemed as though she was already in that business as it were.

The female that came with Calister didnt seem to be doing anything other than contemplating on what to do also. The killing of others seemed to be Calister's joy at this point.

((:sweat: I think everyone was just startled that Nikia showed up and altered the situation so drastically! :lol: Ah, well! It's over and done. :yes: *purrs* This is an amazing rp, by the way.))

Nym couldn't see anything through the pain. The only thing he heard for many moments after feeling a cold weight lifting away from him was his own heartbeat. The blond felt everything spinning again. He felt someone nearby, and it was Arlotte's voice that forced him out of his strange state. Forcing his eyes open, Nym sucked in a rough breath. He'd never felt so useless in his life.

He witnessed Calister's killing streak, but he wasn't really focused on it. Dragging himself farther from his daze, Nym tried to focus on whatever was in front of him. That "whatever" happened to be Kerian. Vampire? The blond grit his teeth and ignored the sick feeling in his stomach. Somehow, the venom wasn't as potent now. Had the woman sucked it from him? A vampire woman?!

Nym struggled against Kerian's hold at first, but soon found that he was in an even weaker state than before. It was useless. Besides, hadn't this one said he was there to help them? Catching a glimpse of Braith out of the corner of his eye, Nym merely growled to himself and settled in for the ride. There was really nothing else he could do against the . . . surprisingly warm grip of the vampire holding him.