Sighing as Braith slammed into a lamp post. Arlotte was starting to regret the decision to help these people. This one seemed to be quite the klutz. Funny, yes, but a clumsy person nonetheless. Her impression of him was not too good at the moment, but she knew that she’d run into these two people for a reason; fate made it be. Though she was a vampire, she could still believe in some kind of faith, no?

Seeing that the man was going to follower her, the vampire quickly placed the mask on her face and started to run out of the alley. “You’re strong, love,” she cooed. It’d be best to get him a little more into this whole running after me thing. “You can carry him and run, I’m sure. Let’s get going before those vampires catch up.” The British vampire looked back to make sure he was following her and started to run – just run. There was supposed to be a citadel not too far away, so Arlotte was aiming to that area. Of course, she wasn’t the most welcomed person there. As long as they don’t make a huge announcement about it, I’m all good.
As she ran, she noticed another vampire lurking around. He was definitely not like her – a different kind of vampiric creature that seemed to be able to pull at one’s energy. The female was far from stupid and far from senseless. She felt the tug at her energy and smirked.
Just as she ran right past the man, she mumbled, “There is such a thing as good in this world.” In all honesty, she didn’t mean for it to sound cryptic in any way, but… it could probably be taken that way.
But, that’s besides the point.
Soon enough, Arlotte and the gang neared the citadel. There was not even an ounce of desire to go in there – she’d never been in one, but she’d heard the rumors of vampire hunters hiding in there. There was no doubt that they’d be more aware of her than Braith. Sighing, the black-haired Brit spun on her heels to look at the red-eyed male. “You two chaps go in. I think I’ll stay here,” she stated curtly.

Blinking a few times, his head cocked to the side as he stared at the woman. "Umm. Okay?" Braith wasn't too sure he liked her plan of standing outside, alone, but he wasn't about to stand their idly with her while carrying Nym.

Pushing himself into the safe house, his nostrils flailed as the scent of hatred whiffed into his nose. Never before had he smelled the scent of scorn humans. Unlike himself, these hunters were to be the most feared people in the land. Too bad they didn't know of Braith's hidden strength and power. Too bad they didn't know his secret.

His eyes scurried around the room, looking for a safe spot to place his injured comrade. When he finally spied an opening, he was rudely greeted by a human with an eyepatch.

"We don't accept his kind." Her lengthy gunmetal gray curls covered her upper torso. Dull grey eyes mimicked her cold, daunting voice. Despite having pink splashed on her nails and lips, the woman was plainly boring, yet there was a hint of beauty to her, despite her lackluster demeanor and style. Her lower half was covered in what appeared to be a million belts and a pair of torn boots snaked their way up to her knee. Her top bore a two thick buckles that crossed over her breasts to form a large "X." Had the belts been any tighter or smaller, Braith knew she's have popped out of the outfit for there was no way anything less could contain her oversized... coconuts.

"What? He's human, like us." Braith's brows furrowed as he stared the woman in the eye. As he analyzed her, he noticed the long star that trailed down from her ear to her collar bone. She reminds me of a zombie.... Despite the gravity of the moment, Braith always found time to make side remarks.

Smirk on her face, she cackled. Her finger reached out, pointing to Nym's bloodstained body. "He's no use to us in his condition. He would only be a… liability. Kill him and put the chap out of his misery."

Taking a few steps back, Braith drew the injured human closer. A look of disgust and confusion was expressed clearly on his face. There was no way in hell he would purposely kill his kind. Turning his nose up, the redhead scoffed, "Tch, like I would fall to there level. If you won't help him, then you're of no use to us."

And, just as he walked in, he walked out.

Arlotte was still there, thank god. Besides, it's not like he was in there for long. Hell, he was hardly in there for five minutes.

"Hey," it was the only word he could utter out right now for he was still enraged with his kind for shunning Nym in his time of need.

Finally finding the right words, his scornful eyes sent the building a ghastly glare. "Damn bastards. They would rather kill blondie here than save him. Have they no sense of decency? Of humility? Of… hope?" His head dropped as he rested Nym up against the cold surface of a nearby building.

Tugging at a pouch on his hip, he pulled from it some cotton and wraps. "Hang in there, pal," he said while mummifying Nym some. Dressing each wound as he found them, Braith's ears stayed alert, anticipating a hoard of vampires. However, he didn't hear anything. Perhaps the building - it's name and reputation - were enough to keep the bloodsuckers away. If so, he would have Nym patched up in no time.

"Thank you." His slender face turned to look at Arlotte. "It's nice to know that there are decent people in this world." Smile on his face, he tied the final knot on Nym's wrapping. "Well, I've done all I can do. Would you mind escorting us toward… my place?"

---

Why would he help her? He still hadn't figure out an answer to that. It was a work in progress. Perhaps he waned to help her because it seemed like fun. Serk was all about doing whatever was most interesting. If training a human how to kill his kind was a better option than killing humans, he would do it. And, right now, it seemed like a far more entertaining plan.

"Oh dear little mouse, don't you worry. I'm all about whatever game is the most enjoyable. I may be a vampire, but, by all means, don't label me like those filthy, poor taste vampires. Have you not seen how they dress? Just one look at them and they make me what to slit my wrists!"

He didn't really answer her question. It was an implied answer. Tessa would have to dig a little deeper to find that he was really just doing it because he could. Serk was, without a doubt, the kind of man that did what he wanted when it wanted. If she didn't already put that together, she would soon.

Another question slipped from Tessa's mouth. But, unlike the last reply, Serk was straightforward and blunt about it. "I just want to piss Calister the hell off. He hates when I help humans out. He's probably the lowest of low vampire out there. He kills anything than moves. Humans, birds, mice, vampires, dogs, cats… anything." Smirk coming onto his face, Serk wrapped an arm around Tessa's neck. "All in all, I just like to toy with Calister. Oh, and for the record, he's my butler. A slave to my every command. Don't ask about how he became my slave. He just did."

So there you have it. Serk was really out and about for his own enjoyment. He killed humans to make Pepper cry. He brought humans home to piss Calister off. He rode the fence to piss off his kind and to confuse the humans. He worn fine and fancy clothes because he wanted to out-class everyone else. So, yes, Serk was one of those snot-faced, arrogant, rich lords that had the ultimate power, the power of freedom.

Taking Tessa's arm, he attempted to escort her to the door, but noticed her hesitance and how she wanted to pull away from him. "Little mouse, you cannot learn to hunt if you can't walk like a princess. Where I come from, fine and fancy are a way of life. You must hold that pretty head of yours high and proud. Once you've mastered the walk, you can learn to master the hunt."

What was Tessa getting herself into? If she were to spend the next few months under his wing she would not only become a corrupt girl, but she would also be just as arrogant and snotty as he. And who, in there right mind, would want to stoop to his lowly level?

Voices. Familiar voices. They went on for a short while, and Nym found himself unable to open his eyes. Slowly, pain began to spread over him. Oh, that's right. He was bleeding to death.

Nym groaned as he felt the world spin. Gravity seemed to suddenly kick in, bringing him out of his unconscious mind. He was sitting on the ground again. "They always have pity for the dying," he growled sarcastically. "Liability. . . ." Nym's words lowered to a growl as he spat out a few curses. "I'll take her other eye for even mentioning it."

That was when he realized that the cool side of the building had been what woke him. He also noticed that Braith was wrapping him in multiple bandages. Well, whatever worked for the time being. It would help stem the blood flow, even if it was only a little bit. Nym grimaced as the final knot was tied, and looked at Braith. The redhead was doing him a bigger favor than he could hope for. His life was in this guy's hands . . . and the debt for that was something Nym was not sure he wanted to repay.
With his blue eyes narrowing, Nym took in Braith's strangely optimistic demeanor. "Just leave me. I'm going to draw them to you. It's better to just leave the bait behind, boy." Boy. Even though they were roughly the same age. Nym shifted a bit, looking down at his bandaged wrists. I should be dead.

His pale gaze darted to Arlotte suddenly. Something about the very way she held herself screamed out that she was different. Nym didn't want to admit that he was already thinking it, but she was unnatural. A vampire, perhaps? Or just an upheld human with incredible grace and posture. In this day and age, that didn't seem likely.
-

Pepper slowly set down the cup of water that she'd been sipping. Everything in the house always tasted wrong. Still, she stayed. Serk needed it. He needed a lot more than her, apparently.
Green eyes slowly moved over the kitchen. It was imaculately cleaned - she'd done it herself - and since it was never used by anyone but herself, it stayed that way. Pepper tossed a few locks of red hair from her face and sighed. She'd been in the kitchen because she knew that was the one place Calister tended to avoid. It wasn't worth his time, apparently. That, and Pepper knew that she should generally stay out of the man's way. He was . . . feral. It was only his servitude to Serk that kept the green-haired male from eating Pepper alive.

Shuddering, the young woman stepped out of the kitchen. She should get around to cleaning up the clutter that Serk had undoubtedly left behind in his room. He wasn't the most cleanly of people . . . after all, he had Calister and Pepper to take care of the "fodder" and "useless actions" around the penthouse.
As her thoughts moved along to Serk, Pepper's brow pulled into a frown. "Always gone," she whispered to herself. Ever since she'd first met the vampire, she'd followed him. Why? Well . . . only a crazy fool would follow Serk. Or fall for him. Pepper considered herself to be one of the most crazy people on the planet. She was human, living in a vampire's home in the presence of another vampire. Somehow she was lucky to be alive, and she knew it.

The redhead lifted a book that had been carelessly tossed onto a table. Closing it slowly, Pepper looked up toward the window. When are you coming back, Serk?

"So he speaks. I was being to worry that drool would start oozing out your ajar mouth," Braith said with a side smile as he looked Nym over. But as the male continued speaking, that handsome grin of his soon vanished. "Bait or not, the alpha never abandons his pack. You're stuck with me until you're able to stand on your own two feet again." A semi-cocky tone was used as he spoke to Nym. Now, it should be noted that Braith didn't mean to come across cocky, he was really, if anything, trying to be funny. But sometimes Braith lacked the ability to switch his tone between humorous and snotty.

Turning on his heel, he whirled around to look at Arlotte. Still just as classy as ever, Braith wondered what his odds were. 30 percent? 50? 99? He liked the sound of a 99 percent change that Arlotte would be interested in him and agree to a date. But where would they go, especially at this late hour? And with a third wheel?

A third wheel immediately killed the moment. He was now half-tempted to leave Nym to fend for himself so he could wine and dine the lady. But he just couldn't leave the fellow. He was, after all, bleeding like he'd just been bitten by a vampire. Oh yes, that's right. He was.

"So miss prim and proper with the funny sounding voice, what say you? Should we leave Mr. Bait N. Liability all to his lonesome? Or shall we keep him company and assure that he gets home in one piece?"

Even if both rejected the offer, Braith would stick around and watch Nym from the shadows. Or, better yet, he would pop a squat and join Nym on his suicide adventure. Not that the redhead would do that, though. He would simply scoop the blonde up, swing him over his shoulder, and then take him home. No sexual innuendos intended.

"Is that so?" Nym eyed Braith for a few moments before sighing. "I'll have to try and stand pretty quickly then, won't I?" Stuck with these people until he was worthy of moving on his own sounded like . . . hell. "I don't play well with others," the blond said, resting his head back against the cool building. It felt so nice. . . .

By the time he opened his eyes again, Braith was talking with Arlotte. With a grunt at the mention of being a liability, Nym almost reached for his gun. Then again . . . these people had just helped him. It wouldn't be right to act out in anger. And . . . he wouldn't mind a bit of help getting to safety. Especially since most people would have left him to his ill fate. It was actually quite the miracle that Braith had been able to carry him. Nym wasn't the lightest of people. . ..
The blond hissed as he used the wall to support himself, stubbornly forcing himself to his feet. It wasn't easy to stand when the world was spinning. Using the wall to keep on his own legs, Nym lifted his gaze to the two people a few feet away. "I . . . think we should get moving."

It was the closest thing to asking for help that would ever leave his lips.

When the red-head went into the citadel with the blond man, Arlotte almost felt as if a weight had been place on her shoulders. The boy's peppy attitude was something that she rarely came across, and it was refreshing to hear someone like him speak. Then again, it was probably the first contact she'd had with someone who wasn't a vampire and who wasn't going to kill her. For once, she did not have to use her blade in front of another, and that feeling brought with it a sense of joy. Perhaps, she wasn't as emotionless as one might think, but it was still hard to see it through her indifferent exterior.

Arlotte looked over to Braith as he came back out of the citadel. It seemed like even humans were fighting against themselves at this point. Worthless beings, she sighed inwardly. People must not kill each other in times of need. "Braith, people these days are fighting for their lives, and I suppose that they feel as if others shall hinder them. It is not a bad thought in of itself, but... this is absolutely not the time nor the place nor the era to be thinking nonsense like another human being is a 'liability.' The only liability for any person is a lack of proper emotions." With a light sigh, the vampire removed her chipped mask and hooked it back on her belt, running a hand through her jet-black hair. According to the scent in the air, the vampire that were following them before were nowhere in sight now. It was probably safe to head somewhere else.

At Braith's little comment, the girl let out her first laugh in quite a few decades. "I think we'll make sure that he accompanies us. There is no reason for us to leave him, and I'd rather have him be safe then in harm's way." A tiny smile graced the woman's lips. It felt pretty good, to tell the truth. Perhaps a century had gone by since the last time Arlotte had something to smile about.

At the same time, the blondie was trying to stand up. With her eyes slightly widened, Arlotte let out a hushed, "Be careful!" and ran towards the man. He obviously could not even stand without falling over, and she definitely was not letting him get bashed into the pavement. Gently, she pushed her hand against this chest to support him, making sure to use only as much force as was necessary to hold him up. "You're injured," she hissed. "If you push yourself, your recovery will be stunted. And you're quite right, we should all go, but you're going to use us as supports, you understand me?" With bright red irises, Arlotte stared into the mans face -- it was mostly in an attempt to see how badly the venom had gotten to him. If it was bad, his eyes would be as large a saucers. This is nuts...

"You're injured."

"Tell me something I don't know." Wincing as a cool hand pressed against his chest, Nym focused on the woman's face. It was charming - she was worried about him. "I'll recover when we're safe," he said firmly, and his blue eyes narrowed as he inspected the woman. She held herself differently, and her accent was downright amazing. It was Arlotte's red eyes that made Nym's blood run cold. Her intent, unblinking gaze was almost unnerving. "I'll lean on whoever you want me to as long as we move now."
She was searching for something. Nym knew Arlotte was looking for the signs of vampirism in his face . . . but she would find none. Even as wracked as he was, the venom wouldn't take hold. Somehow his body rejected it. Hell, that rejection was starting to hurt something fierce. "I'm not infected," Nym growled, brushing Arlotte's hand away from him. Just thinking about his body rejecting the poison was beginning to make his hands tremble. The moment his body chose to cleanse him of the foul taint, he would be down on the ground again. And it would be soon.

"You're one of them, aren't you?" The bitterness in his voice was enough to kill. Her red eyes, cold skin . . . her lilting voice and perfect posture - it all screamed out that she was too perfect. That meant she wasn't human. Or, so Nym assumed.

"Excuse me?" Arlotte growled a little bit pissy-like. She didn't like being associated with vampires though she was one. Of course, there was also the tone of Nym's curt sentences. That just made her boil. "Don't you dare associate me with them." The female backed away from the blond and gave a huff of exasperation. In her opinion, her very appearance and her voice should have warned them that something was amiss. Of course, she was different than many vampires -- she never fed (unless the need was dire -- even then, animals sufficed) and she could eat normal food without having to puke it out. "Yes, by your horrid, bitter definition, I'm one of them. I'm one of the many scum that walks this planet, and I've been here since the 1800s. But, I'm not like them. Not at all." She shivered at the memory of the day she became... one of the undead. That night was terrifying and still haunted her. I will never forgive what they did to all those people... "I watched more than twenty people die because of a vampire. Those twenty people are my resolve," she added quietly, relaxing herself as much as possible. Sighing, and with little hesitation, Arlottle stood completely still and then looked at both Braith and Nym. "You both must want to kill me very badly. Go for it. I'm not stopping you."

And that line, Arlotte was 100% serious. She didn't mind if someone killed her, really. That would be one less undead walking the earth.

She was helping him. She was helping him! She was in love with Nym? Why were all the women never interested in him? Seriously, every girl he ever closed paths with always picked the other male. Braith was, forever and always, the second best option. Never picked first. Actually, thinking on it, he was never picked at all.

A frown swept over his face, but soon dropped when Nym started labeling Arlotte as a vampire. He was about to interject when the woman actually admitted she was. Brows furrowing and jaw practically on the floor, the redhead threw himself between the bickering couple.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let's chill people." Braith took a step toward the wobbly Nym and took the majority of the male's weight on his own feet. There was no point in having Nym hurt himself more. Once he had a good hold on the blonde, he flipped his attention to Arlotte. "You can be whatever you want to be. Just because you're born one way doesn't mean you have to embrace that name. I'm human but I call myself a wolf. You're vampire, but you call yourself an angel. You are who you chose to be. Don't let anyone - even this guy - tell you what you should be."

His red eyes stared into Arlotte's matching pair. Braith did find it odd that he was wearing the cursed red eyes, but he never once questioned his humanity. The more he thought about it, the more he began to believe that he and Arlotte were of the same piece of pie. Both were denying their true past and their true self.

Head turning to face Nym, Braith wondered what this one's story was. How was it that he wasn't one of them? He had been bitten so many times that he should have been converted. But, for some odd reason, he hadn't changed. Was he special? A special human? Or was he really a vampire who was unaware of his vampire ways.

Shaking his head, the redhead wondered why everything was so confusing and so wishy-washy. One minute all was good and the next... everyone was in a tissy.

Needless to say, Braith needed to break the ice and remove the thickness from the air. Arlotte's gravely serious voice frightened him a bit, but he wasn't about to let her death wish skew his judgement.

"Wasn't it you that said 'this is absolutely not the time nor the place nor the era to be thinking nonsense like another human being is a 'liability.' The only liability for any person is a lack of proper emotions.' So why are we even fighting. As you said, the only liability is one that lacks proper emotion. And, right now, both of you are out of line, which makes you both a liability. So let's suck up our pride and get back to being fleeing mice." Smile coming onto his face, he laughed before adding, ""Sorry, I couldn't help myself."

A vampire who . . . wasn't a vampire. He'd heard it before, so this wasn't necessarily new to him. She had to be lying. Nym narrowed his eyes, and when Arlotte gave him permission to end her life, his hand involuntarily moved for his weapon. It was Braith, once again, who saved him from his own decision.
Nym hissed in pain as he felt Braith accept his weight. It angered him that he couldn't do it on his own. The blond finally slid an arm around the other male's neck, using Braith as a support. He couldn't stand on his own . . . so he had to take advantage of whatever help he could get.

"Fleeing mice?" he raised an eyebrow, finally pulling his gaze away from Arlotte. "Nice analogy." His grim smile was full of bitter emotion, but at least he wasn't still reaching for his gun. "I don't really care what you are right now," Nym said, letting out a weary breath. "If you can match their speed and strength, then you are fighting fire with fire. It's better than being weak."
Nym swallowed thickly, trying to keep in mind that Arlotte was an ally instead of an enemy. "How can a vampire not be like all of the others?" The conversation might have taken place at a later time, but no. Nym was stubborn about it. They could move and talk at the same time. Taking a step forward, Nym was sure to keep his weight mostly against Braith. He could move, but supporting himself was too much. . . .

"Whoa there, handsome," Braith said as he took a step forward, too. "You can't just start marching away without me or else you'll land flat on that pretty little face of yours."

Being a tease and being a flirt seemed to best way to combat the stubbornness of Nym and the rage for Arlotte. Although it wasn't quite appropriate, he didn't really care. He was used to getting the "angry eyes" and the "slap across the back of the head." Nonetheless, with the heat of the moment directed to him, there would be a chance to breathe -- Nym and the vampire would have their minds off each other.

Looking from Nym's legs to his own, Braith tried to calculate the pace he needed to take to keep his steps in-sync with Nym's. The guy was walking a bit slower than he was used to, but he would figure it out in due time. At first, he would probably be yanking the male around, and, as he predicted, when they started walking again, Braith's stride was too much for the blonde to handle. "Sorry," he muttered as he self-corrected the speed at which his feet tapped the earth.

It had probably only been a couple of minutes, but those minutes seemed like at least two hours. To make things worse, the two had hardly moved from where they once stood. Should they have been spotted by Arlotte's not-so-forgiving kind, they would have had one hell of a time handling the unwelcomed stalkers. Thank god Nym's hands still functioned and his draw was just as good as any other hunter's. Plus, if they were lucky, Arlotte would still have their backs.

Speaking of Arlotte, he had so many questions he was dying to ask her. If he were lucky, Nym would fall asleep and he would have a moment alone with the beautiful raven. Chuckling to himself, Braith already knew that his odds of getting a second alone with the beauty was near impossible. Besides, it was pretty obvious that Nym and Arlotte had some chemistry. It was plain as day, to him. Nym was handsome, strong, and stubborn. Arlotte was prim, proper, generous, and steady. They complimented each other in an odd way and yet, they both had their similarities -- they both hated vampires.

"Where do you live," Braith's eyes slid to meet Nym's icy blue ones. It would be interesting to see if the male gave up his true home for most humans made certain that their actual homes were kept secret. Why? Well, what if their friend turned vampire? Said vampire would then be able to turn their friend. It would just be a downward spiral for mankind. Thus, most humans had a faux home (or two).

Arlotte was almost surprised when Braith suddenly stepped between her and the blond. Honestly, she thought that they would go to all lengths to kill her at the moment, but, instead, the red-eyed male averted her death. And, of course, that was when she started to realize that they were similar -- her and Braith, at least. They looked physically similar in eye color, and they were mentally alike, as well. They rejected their inner self -- it was a start. If anything, she liked him more than Nym. That blond was a disaster waiting to happen for her.

As she listened, the vampire could only nod her head and stare at Braith with a mix of disbelief and understanding. Of course, when that "angel" word came up, she was ready to refute him downright, but he just kept talking. Everything that came from his mouth was the truth -- the cold, hard truth. It didn't exactly hurt, but it definitely opened her eyes a little bit. It seemed like not every human was a killing machine, and that gave her a little bit of hope. Arlotte was human at some point, and she had felt this same feeling of hopelessness before. I guess there's a light somewhere... she mused with a smile on her face. Though she was rendered speechless, she could at least crack a smile and show that she understood every single word that came from Braith's mouth.

"Yes, of course. We shall 'suck up our pride' and just keep going," Arlotte mumbled. At that, the girl silenced herself and made sure to stay a good enough distance away from the blond in order to guard their backs a little better. No one could ever know when a vampire was lurking.

However, the silence was extremely unsettling. The tension from moments before had left Arlotte's body, but she was not sure if the same was true for Braith. Either way, she did not want to get in another fight with him nor did she desire to become his enemy. " I never gave my name, did I?" she asked quietly, her voice ten times more relaxed than before. Her tone, soft and steady, reflected her 'young' age, which she estimated to be around 17. "I'm Arlotte, and it's a pleasure to meet you both. Hooray for belated introductions, eh?" With a light laugh, the girl shot a glance at the two men.

When Braith asked about where the other lived, Arlotte was fairly shocked. Normally, people never told others where they stayed even if it were a life or death situation. In Nym's case, he barely knew the two strangers that were trying to help him. If he so much as mumbled directions, Arlotte would have to slap herself silly in utter surprise.

Nym seemed annoyed with Braith's comment, but he finally just shook his head. Alright. He'd keep going, and he would let Braith support him. It was surprising when the other male had to adjust his pace . . . and Nym found himself eying his supporter curiously. "Where on earth did you get strength like this?" The question was serious, but at the same time it sounded like Nym wasn't really looking for an answer. Not immediately, anyway.

"I don't live around here," Nym said with a slight smile. "If I did, I wouldn't be blabbing about it in the open streets." His blue eyes filled with regret momentarily. Everyone in the city had shelter. Nym was no exception . . . only he'd recently lost his. He'd lost the building, along with the person inside to the vampires. He'd foolishly gone out after them only to get cornered in the streets. Nym had a bad habit of jumping into trouble when he was angry.

His thoughts were still lingering on his "home" when Arlotte introduced himself. "Good thing you're on our side, Sunshine." Nym shifted his hold on Braith before introducing himself. "Nym Daemos," he said, shaking his head. "It seems like Braith is the only thing holding us all together, isn't he?"
As the tone of conversation slowly lifted, so did Nym's anger. He was still cautious, but he wasn't as big of a jerk. That didn't mean he was nice, but at least he wasn't snapping at someone else's throat. "The sun's still sinking. There's a place not far from here, but I don't know if they'll let us . . . me . . . in." Heck, he wouldn't let a bleeding, obviously bitten man into his hiding place, either. "I know the man in charge there. He goes by Vos. He knows my face . . . but he won't let me past the outer gate."
The place was a cellar - but it was heavily gated in the front. It had an outer room for suspicious people, and the inner areas for the rest of them. Since Nym had been bitten, he wouldn't be allowed into the inner rooms until he was obviously improving.

"Unless either of you have a place nearby?" he raised a pale brow, glancing from Braith to Arlotte. He doubted they could get more than a block or two before the sun finally sank, giving whatever weak sunlight a break . . . and releasing the rest of the vampires from their "sleep." The entire city would be crawling with them by the time the moon rose.

"My strength?" he said with a quizzical expression on his face. "I guess… when you grow up in the wild, you lear how to defend yourself and lift more than you're used to. My family always relied on me to cut the wood and make the fires or dens. Despite the fact that they were wolves, they were very hospitable, save for the fact that I had to learn to hunt like them. Oi, was that ever a pain. Running on all four. I do it from time to time just to keep in shape with my fury brethren." Looking Nym in the eyes, he went on as he wasn't a fan of the eerie darkness that was encroaching on them. Besides, it helped lighten the mood and thin the air, some. "When I was finally introduced to man… I was taken under the wing of a very brawny man. He had the strength of ten men. I… I was forced to learn his strength. Let me tell you, it was a painful trait to learn."

As the two exchanged their names, Braith could only smile to himself. They were finally on friendly terms where they could, if they so chose, be on a first name basis. When his name popped into the conversation, a brilliant red blush streaked across his cheeks, which caused him to turn his head away bashfully.

Wondering if they would make it to the spot suggested by Nym, Braith began to observe the building that were towering over them. Eyes darting up the walls, he feared that the night sky would fall long before they could even see the camp. Perhaps they should pick one of these nearby buildings? But what would ensure that vampires weren't already living in them?

Nose to the wind, his nostrils flailed as he breathed in the gloomy world around him. Somewhere, nearby, the scent of blood lingered like smoke in the dampening air. "I suggest we avoid the southern path," rolled off his tongue in a rather monotone demeanor. Ears wiggling and shifting forward, he listened for the sounds of the stalkers of the night. If only his brothers were nearby. The wolves would have been able to steer them toward a safe spot. But, with his brother falling to the rank of omega and the other one taking up the lone wolf title, Braith was out of luck. The new alpha, Ohm'briff, wouldn't let Braith anywhere near the pack.

A light nibbling nose entered his ear canal and brought a side smirk onto his face. "Well, it seems like the mice are still out. I say we join the mice tonight. Their scent will mask our…" his eyes jumped to the east as he saw a shadowy figure jump between the alleyways. "We're being followed," he growled while snaking his free hand down to his shotgun. "Keep your hand on the the trigger," he cooed to Nym.

Not wanting to be a sitting duck, Braith knew that they should move to an area with low-rising buildings for they didn't need to be corned with an aerial attack. Trying to pick up the pace, he estimated a good ten minute hike before they would get to a territory he knew all too well. A territory that was marked by the scent of a very powerful vampire. Odds were, no other vampires would be in his area for they knew that crossing into his territory would cost them their lives.

I pray this is not a foolish move, but it appears we have no choice. I hope he's preoccupied and that his greedy butler is already feasting on the other side of the territory….

OOC // Figured we could venture near Tessa and Serk. The trio could always try to "rescue" Tessa. BUT THEN SERK WILL BE LONELY. But then... he'd have to go home and see his Pepper. XD

((And then Serk could find Tessa later and reinstate his offer. :lol:))

Nym chuckled, looking genuinely amused. "So you really were raised by wolves then," he shook his head in disbelief. With the entire world circling down the drain and falling toward hell, he should have guessed that it was possible. Still, it was the stuff of stories.
He observed the strange observations that Braith made with a raised brow. I wonder how accurate his senses are? Nym told himself that once he was healed, he would find out. He merely decided to trust the male for a while. It was a different scenario, and he was weak. Braith would sense far more than Nym would. Trust seemed the only option.

"Done," Nym whispered in reply to Braith's warning. It would take more than death to pry his modified handgun from the blond's grip. He drew the gun from the side of his thigh, his fingers tightening about the weapon. "Do you have anything to add to what Spot just said?" Nym asked quietly, sending a curious glance to Arlotte. As they drew near to building, Nym narrowed his eyes. He hated getting close to the buildings that were "uncertain." This wasn't the home of survivors. Who knew what was inside?

This is the strangest vampire... Tessa thought, blinking owlishly towards him. So, he had a slave, butler? And he liked to piss him off. She did a mental shrug, okay, whatever creaks your coffin. Tessa didn't mind pissing others off, as long as it didn't become her problem. Then she'd have to kick herself.

As he tugged her towards the door she frowned and tried haphazardly to free her arm. She was leaning towards accepting his help, but, she wasn't one to be so bossed around by a vampire. Not Tessa Malone, the great vampire hunter! Now that had a nice ring to it.

Tessa stared at Serk for a moment. "Okay," she started, "I'll accept your offer." Whaatt? She'd totally meant to decline any help from a vampire. Well, she'd already said okay after all. "But, you have to stop being so..." Weird, bossy, creepy... She supposed it wasn't really her place to tell someone how to be.

Plus, she also supposed she could be thanking him for sparing her, and helping her, rather than judging him. She didn't finish her sentence. Instead, she finally jerked her arm away, crossing her arms and turning her nose up away from him. "I'm not so helpless you know," she said very matter of factly.

It was true. Backed into a corner in her very last moments, Tessa had abilities that she couldn't control that would suddenly arise and save her. It had happened on multiple occasions. Also, she could heal people. But not without absorbing the injury to herself, so she didn't use that one, ever, even though it was super easy. Come to think of it, she'd probably make a great vampire. But she'd never want to be one of those bloodsuckers.

Finally she seemed to quit pouting at his assumptions that she was the worst vampire hunter ever. "Let's just go, I hate being in the dark," she said. That too was true. Ironically enough, being that they lived in a world consumed with darkness, Tessa was afraid of the dark. Then again, most humans probably were.

What in the world have I agreed too? Tess thought as excitement grew, to be quickly pushed aside by self consciousness. What if he was setting her up? Or, what if she couldn't become anything more than another lousy vampire hunter? And what of her if he was to help her and then decide he didn't want too anymore. OR, what of her if he was to help her and then she became, like the best vampire hunter ever, and then they had to fight each other!?

OR! No, no... Tessa took a deep breath. No big deal, things were fine. She was only in a dark building with a strange vampire who acted at each moment as if he were the wind itself. Doing whatever, whenever, no one to answer too, probably no morals. She couldn't stand there in the darkness any longer and she reached out to try feel her way out of the building. She tripped over something in the floor and barely caught herself. If he was going to start helping her out, now would be a good time to start.

((Oh, also Wav, you can post with Cal any time. I'll add him now!))

Oh goody, he thought to himself. He knew exactly where to put this one. Pepper would be thrilled to know that he now had a personal maid for his office and bedroom. Never again would the ginger have to put up with the ceaseless piles of paperwork and blueprints. She would also have herself a roommate and another woman to confine in. Oh. Wait. Scratch that last part. There would be no gossiping and "girl talk" under his roof. Hell no. The drama with Calister was more than enough to deal with. On the topic of that green-haired fiend, Serk wondered how he would prevent Calister from eating this one. Perhaps it was time to summon up the rule book and make a new line to the rules. A line that said, "Killing the little mouse is forbidden." It would, obviously, be more drawn out than that, but, for now, that would do.

Overhearing the woman's dislike of the dark, he wondered how on earth the girl became a hunter. Seriously, they were the masters of the night that stalked the vampires. If she didn't like the dark then she must have real issues venturing out into the blackness and slaughtering his kind. Oh, wait. He knew that. Hence, he decided he would take it upon himself to train her and, hopefully, curb her fear of the dark. It honestly sounded like it would be easier to fight her fear than teach her how to fight, but Serk wasn't about to count Tessa out just yet.

"Have you a name?" his voice called out to her in the darkness. As the echoing reverberations finally died within her ear canal, a cold touch pressed against her back, hoisting her from the dust-covered floor. "Watch yourself, mouse. Would hate for you to cut up your legs and summon a flock of my kind. Granted, we are within my territory. So, you should be save."

Scooping her up so that her arm was draped around his neck, he helped half-carry, half-walk the woman to the door. Now, he didn't do it because he pegged her for being hurt. No, no. Serk did it because he could see the littered floor. Around ever nook and cranny was junk, junk that Tessa would trip on. So, in reality, he actually did more for her than she would ever know.

Once they were finally out in the near-dark streets, Serk's red eyes looked down at the woman. Releasing his grip on her, the pale-haired male dusted his vest when he noticed a patch of dirt was clinging to it. "Oh Pepper will not be pleased," he muttered.

"Pepper… you'll like her. If you don't mind, I'd like to bring you to her. I can see you've got some scrapes and bruises on you. Pepper can patch you right up. And, like you, she's human. That and you look famished. She's one hell of a cook, best on the planet. I also need to add your name to the books so… Calister… doesn't eat you."

Pointing to the tall building that was looming in the clouds, he smirked. "That's our destination. Think you can manage?" It wasn't too far far a walk, but Serk could sense Calister's presence. He didn't have a choice at this point. They were going to have to walk the long way home.

---

Yellow eyes flickered red as they continued to stare into the dancing golden-orange flames that were leaping out from the fireplace. With the house set warm so that the personal assistant with the frail ginger wouldn't freeze, the green-haired man was completing his final job for the night.

After being insulted by his master for poor vest taste, Calister found himself working sluggishly slow, despite his desire to sink his fangs in something. Trailing toward the front corridor of the penthouse, the male kicked his head backwards to spy on the woman nested in the kitchen. Knives at her disposal and the contract burning on his wrist, Calister knew better than to make a meal of such easy prey. That and he would never hear the end of it from Master Serkan Y. Sari. Hell, he probably wouldn't even live along enough to hear the man bitch about how he killed the only person he never really knew he loved.

Yuck. It made him want to hurl. This vampire was hopelessly in love with a human. Well, Serk wasn't aware of this love, but Calister knew it was there.

He could feel it. Every move Pepper made was made so that Serk would be at ease and be happy.

He could smell it. Pepper always doused herself with Serk's favorite perfume. And her hormones were always going haywire whenever the male was nearby. When he was out of the house, her other hormones were always in full whack and she hopelessly watched for his return.

He could taste it. Never before had he tasted the disgusting feeling known as love until he met Pepper and Serk. The way she bent to his ever command and the way she powdered her cheeks made him gag.

He could hear it. Heart skipping a beat every time he pulled her near, Pepper just couldn't control those true feelings, and Serk, he was always so oblivious to them.

He could see it. It was plain as day and so easy to read. Her eyes said it all. Her lips wanted more. Her body always leaned into his and her hands always stretched out for his.

"I'm going out," he snorted rudely as he watched Pepper slip from the kitchen. Probably going to weep on Serk's bed now…. Rolling his eyes, he really couldn't understand the woman's obsession with the guy.

Just as he had made it down to ground level, the vampire recalled that he had left his cleaver in his room. "You have got to be kidding me…." Not wanting to walk up the flight of stairs, he opted to take the make-shift elevator that was turned with a pulley and leaver.

Back at the penthouse, Calister stormed into his room, scooped up his knives, and walked back to the door. Unlike Serk, Calister refused to jump from windows as that was "Serk's move." With a sigh and a smug look, he walked down the thousand stairs.

It had been probably about an hour since he last saw Serk. Odds were, the pale haired vampire had already found his dinner for the night, which left everyone else to Calister's discretion.

Eyes scanning the ground, Calister's wispy shadow began to creep along the ground. Serk's nearby. Seems like he's found his dinner, too. It was now Calister's turn to dine on whatever creature dared venture into Serk's territory. Should nothing present itself, Calister was all for exploring new lands. He even knew that doing so would be great for the vast majority of the vampires (and hunters) did their best to avoid him for all knew that crossing paths with Calister meant crossing paths with death.

Kerian wasn't sure when it happened. When he had turned around and begun to trail along behind the vampire, red-eyed human, and the injured human. He didn't realize what he was doing until the sound of their voices had grown louder. They had stopped, and Kerian paused as well. Indecisive, he hesitated when they began walking again. He chewed his bottom lip gently for a few moments.

He came to a decision, and picked up his pace. Quite simply, Keri was tired of being alone. Far from his home and without a friend, perhaps it was time he got involved and made a friend or three. Though he had little hope the humans would survive the night, but maybe if he was there and that female vampire there as well, it would help increase the human's odds of survival. Or maybe Keri was just trying to justify his actions.

Something had caught the red-eyed male's attention and Kerian glanced in that direction. A vampire no doubt, or so he assumed. With a shake of his head, Kerian quickly covered the remaining distance between him and the small group. "Let me join you?" It was such a simple question, though the way he spoke it, he sounded as if he expected them to turn him away with hardly a thought about it.

Listening to Braith speak about his wolf pack, Arlotte was quite surprised. She had heard of humans that lived together with vampires, but never of humans that were raised by and lived with wolves. The story caused her little smile to stay on her lips for quite a while longer -- it was a good change of pace for the vampire. "Well, you're very strong now, Braith. So, it was all for the better," Arlotte commented quietly. Her voice had become more hushed as the darkness spread around them. Very soon, there would be no light left, and they would all be in serious danger.

"Something to add? Well, the one following us is a vampire..." the girl started, carefully gripping the hilt of her katana, not out of fear of the one behind them but out of fear of what lay in front of them. "But, he's not dangerous in the slightest. He is definitely not the one we should be worrying about." It seemed, however, that her words did not do much good as they started to pick up the pace.

Suddenly, when they passed a certain point, Arlotte's senses were bombarded with the scent of blood and vampires. The issue was which vampire it really was. She could deal with one of them, but not the other that was infamous for his brutal killings. Her fear for the man was so deep that Arlotte could not even mumble his name. It was said that he never let his prey get away, and that was something that the three of them did not have time to deal with. "Braith," the girl whined. Gently, she laid a hand on the red-eyed male's shoulder and squeezed it softly. "Let's not go this way. I'm sure that you know of the vampire that dwells in that territory. If we go through... I'm not sure we'll be able to --"

Before she could finish, a voice called out to the three of them, and a few hurried steps followed it. It was definitely the vampire that was following them. Arlotte, who had a nasty trigger finger, slid the katana from its sheath and spun around, pointing the silver blade at the man's neck. Needless to say, it was surprising to see the energy-tugging fool from before. "Wha... You again?" the vampire laughed. She shot him an apologetic glance and returned the sword to its cover. "I have no problem with letting you join, actually. Braith? Nym? What do you guys say? He's completely harmless, I promise you." Arlotte could only hope that the two humans would listen to her. This new addition to their group could prove beneficial to the position they could be placed in if they ventured into that vampires territory.

"I know, I know," he said with a shudder. "But I would rather take chances with him than venture into the darkness and face a pack. Although, I suppose are odds are the same either way…."

When Keri was within smelling distance, Braith just kept his wary nose on him. However, a stranger turn of events happened, resulting in Keri approaching the group and asking to join it. Brows furrowed, Braith looked over his shoulder at the vampire that was now standing behind him. Smile coming onto his face, the redhead nodded in agreement with Arlotte's comment. He even took it a step farther, officially welcoming the newcomer.

"The more the merrier! Just know that if you try to eat us, I will probably cry, scream, and beg for mercy. I will be so annoying that you won't be able to eat me." A wink and then a cheesy grin smiled. "Anyway, I'm Braith and this dashing young man is Nym. Arlotte is our gorgeous British vampire friend. Who might you be, rockstar?"

Not wanting to cut the welcoming short, the brawny yet slender male slowed his pace as he waited for Keri to find his spot in line. However, a sudden coolness in the air forced him to pull the group onward.

"Guys, I think we're going to be sitting ducks in mere minutes. Seems as if that terrible vampire is out and there are others within running distance for us. What should we do? Try to give him the slip? Or take our chances with a pack?" Voice serious and hairs raising on the back of his neck, he was beginning to bet money against their odds of survival. They were getting closer and closer to facing death. Or at least a mouth full of fangs....

Once they were out of the building Tessa bit her tongue. She was originally from the South and had great manners and had been about to thank him for helping her, when she recalled his species. He certainly should never expect a 'thank you' from Tessa, at least no time soon.

She shrugged as he spoke of Pepper as if to say, 'Sure, whatevs, I'm cool.' But she was only trying to play off her nervousness. Plus, he was right, she was famished, and growing tired and didn't actually have a home. Not after his kind had emerged.

For some reason Tessa ad been under the impression that Pepper was his vampire companion, and that Calister was merely a human servant. But his words had cleared that up. "Tessa," she responded simply and quickly, almost as if she didn't hurry, Calister might attack and drain her right then and there.

Her eyes followed to the building he pointed at. "I may not be an expert vampire hunter, but I'm capable of walking," she said with an attitude. What she was getting at was that she was fit. And that was the truth. Tessa was stronger than most other women her size at any given time, and faster too.

She started walking. Note to self: Turn down the attitude while in the home of vampires. That would certainly prove to be hard. Especially if she knew that this Calister couldn't harm her. Hazel eyes watched Serk for a moment.

How did people come to be that way? She wondered how long he had been a vampire and if he missed his family. Mostly she wondered if he'd always been the way he was now. Probably not. For the first time, she was actually thinking open mindedly about vampires as a whole. After all, they were people once too.

((I hope that all made sense. I'm in the middle of cooking, cleaning, my H button is sticking and the t.v. is way too loud. A mom could go crazy under these circumstances!!! Gah! Anyway, didn't want to hold us up, so voila!))

When the woman suddenly had a sword to his neck upon his arrival, Keri barely batted an eye. Kill him or let him live. What was a life of no memories anyway? Then the sword was put away, and Keri looked them each over casually before shrugging and eyeing Braith with an amused expression. "Eat you? That would be impossible, at least in the way you're thinking."

Kerian ignored the chill and ominous feeling that was quickly creeping it's way up his spine. He had no idea about this brutal vampire they were discussing. Most vampires were merciless and brutal. Keri fell into step easily with them. "My name is Kerian..or Keri." A slight shrug, he really didn't care what they called him. As long as it wasn't anything dirty, or too mean.

][sorry for the lame short post. >.<][

The sheer manner in which Braith spoke graced the air with an instantaneous smile and laugh from Arlotte. It seemed as though everything he said was quirky and humorous. It was a happy sight, and happiness was a feeing the vampire had rarely crossed in the past 200 years. Of course, when the wolf-boy mentioned a few things about her, the girl shot a shy and nervous peek at him -- if she could blush, she probably would have, but she settled with just fidgeting around a little bit.

"Now that you're been welcomed by our welcoming party, Kerian" Arlotte continued, her voice becoming grave. "I think it's better to slip away from the disaster ahead of us and just run through the pack. You and Nym might be in a slightly immobilized position, but you'd best not underestimate me." A sharp glint flashed through her bright scarlet eyes as she stared at Braith, then at the side road that would lead them away from "disaster". Her senses were tingling uncomfortably due to the sheer number of vampires, but it was nothing that she could not take. The smelled quite young, actually, and they probably didn't have too much experience. "I'll make sure to cover all of your backs on the way, okay?"

Nym scowled when Kerian presented himself. Another one. He didn't greet the male. Heck, he gave him a strange look, and then turned his blue eyes to Keri's appearance. Now there were four of them, including Nym. He hadn't been around this many people as he traveled in a long while. "I wasn't planning on attracting this much attention," he growled, and then winced as he stepped wrong. Apparently his knee was messed up, too. Thank goodness for Braith's support.

Ah, Braith. Braith and his strange words, interesting story, and odd sense of strength and smell. Every person who had suddenly entered Nym's evening was so unique . . . and strange. The blond wasn't sure he was happy with the way things were turning out. Maybe it would have been better if he'd been dead. . . .

"I . . . can't feel my fingers," Nym breathed, his energy level dipping dangerously. They needed to get to safety now. He hardly managed to holster his gun before finding a strange feeling flowing through him. The venom was taking hold - which meant his body would be dealing with it soon. "Braith," the blond frowned, "don't let go."
The male started to tremble as the cold numbness started in his extremities and worked its way inward. Hell, maybe this time the vampires actually pumped him full of enough poison to kill him.
His arm about Braith's neck tightened as he tried to keep himself awake. He'd heard Arlotte's words about vampire territory . . . and he honestly wanted nothing to do with another leech. They already had two of them traveling beside them. Besides . . . they were being followed. Hopefully things wouldn't get too interesting. Nym hated missing out on all the fun. . . .
-

Calister's voice startled her, making Pepper nearly drop the glass object she was repositioning on its shelf. "Alright," she said, swallowing thickly and calming her pulse. She knew that she was technically protected from the vampire, but . . . no use being a temptation. A scared human brought out the hunter instincts of an animal.

The redhead cleared her throat and went back to straightening the mess that Serk had left all about his room. Oh, how Pepper loved this part of her work. The rest of the house wasn't as interesting as Serk's room. Everything about the crazy vampire she liked in some way. Well, most everything. She could do without his eating habits. Still, he always complimented her on the food she made. Perhaps he liked the smell?
A slight smile spread over her lips as Pepper straightened the bookshelf. "I wish you could eat with me," she muttered under her breath. Since she was often left alone in the house at night, Pepper often spoke to herself. It had been a while since she'd been under Serk's roof. The only humans she'd seen were . . . well, food. The very thought made the ginger's brow tighten. Hopefully no poor victims would be brought back to the house that night. Pepper hated that.

Carefully fingering one of Serk's favorite shirts, Pepper sighed aloud. Burying her face in the fabric, the woman breathed deeply. Her green eyes filled with sadness. I should just do the laundry already. Tossing the dark bit of clothing into the pile with the rest, Pepper sighed again. Her sighs were starting. She'd be at it all night.
As she carried the pile of clothes past her own room, she paused and gathered whatever clothing she could. This time it was all stuffed into a basket and lugged down the hallway. Going by many rooms, and then down the stairs and through the house, the redhead had worked herself up by the time she reached the laundry area. As she worked, her thoughts lingered on the one person they were always with: Serk.

He was going to need a little more than "Tessa." For this contract to work, he would need her identification number (social security number), her birthday, full name, and her finger prints. A spec of blood was needed, too. The blood was to ensure that Calister would avoid her for his nose would be trained to her scent and know to avoid it. But, for now, her first name would suffice. Once back to the penthouse, he would have her fill out the rest of the contract. Well, more like paperwork.

"I think we'll get along just fine. You're already picking up my attitude. This is good. In no time, you'll be just as much as ass as I! Together… we can piss be the hell off." Looking from his house to the streets before him, he sighed. "I suppose we should go the short way. I sense younglings in the lower part of my territory. They, unlike Calister would be more than willing to make a meal out of you. Calister, well, he would, but so long as you're beside me, he won't think twice about it."

Moving down the narrow path, he rolled his eyes at the sight of the green-haired fiend. "Calister," he scoffed while licking his lips. "Hope your hunting will go as smoothly as mine."

"Tch, how is it that you always get the women?" A hissing noise rattled from behind his closed teeth. Not that he really cared. He would take anything for he wasn't interested in the romantic side of it all. When he killed, he did it for the blood. "And don't say you 'charm' for we both know you're far from charming." Brilliant glowing green orbs seemed to lock on Tessa's body. As if he were staring right through her, Calister's eerie gaze was searching for her species. Of course, she was human. Serk never feasted on his own kind for that was "cannibalism."

"Don't stay out too late," he chirped, "recall that we're remodeling in the morning." Not even waiting around to hear Calister's comment (or watch him storm off), Serk continued his leisurely pace toward the house. "So that didn't go too bad. Although, I'm afraid you'll catch hell for it in the morning, but, by then, you'll be untouchable. Oh, and a word of advice, don't piss him off. Better yet, just avoid him. Should you be insane enough to approach him, back sure you have a bloodshake ready. He gets drunk off those things faster than anyone I've ever seen. Do remember to spike it, okay?"

Serk hoped the girl was actually paying attention and putting these things in her memory. The faster she learned about Calister, the better off she would be. Speaking of which, telling Tessa his one true weakness might be wise. But, could he really turn on Calister? HELL YES!

"He's absolutely terrified of romance." His red eyes slipped over to watch her face. "Should he try to feast upon you, just give him a kiss. Tell him he's handsome. Lean into him and caress his chest." Grin widening on his face, he went on. "Really, he's anti-romance. Hates it like there's no tomorrow. He purposely avoids Pepper because she's got a crush on him (author's note: this couldn't be further from the truth, but Serk is oblivious to the fact that Pepper loves him)!"

At the front steps of his building, he danced his hand along the railing before bowing. "After you, ma'am."