<span style='color:red'>Nah, this'll do, thanks.</span> Korif smirked as he took another swig from the bottle. He was getting used to the sensation it left on his tongue, close to that of Ramathian absynthe, but not as bad. Or, in a way, good. <span style='color:red'>You keep it next to the orange? Ever gotten the two mixed up?</span> It wouldn't had surprised him if she had, especially since orange juice was something of a 'morning drink'. Grab for it, still half-asleep, and hope for the best.
<span style='color:purple'>Sure, although they're both good for waking up.</span> She said. Leah tipped the chair and put her feet up on the table, drinking some more of her bottle's contents, screw manners. She could feel the effects of the blood numbing the edges of her mind, making her sleepy to say the least. She didn't much like being out of control of herself these days, but still, some habits are hard to break, even when you've been trying for several centuries. <span style='color:purple'>Nothing like drinking before breakfast.</span> She mumbled, mostly to herself.
<span style='color:red'>Oh, hell, that must be some strong stuff if you're mumbling already.</span> Korif chuckled. A call of <span style='color:blue'>'Ey! Korif! To de window, mon!</span> echoed in through the window. Taking one last swig from the bottle, Korif headed over to talk to who he knew it was. <span style='color:red'>V, what the-?</span> <span style='color:blue'>No time, blud! Ya bin ratted out! Dey on dere way to de safe 'ouse! Get whatcha need then come down to de workshop if you want. 'Ell, come back 'ere, whatever. Just lemme know datcha safe. Dey got a mystic wid 'em, so your 'magic wall' trick just went out de window. Be safe, brudda.</span> And with that, just like before, Viriathos was away. <span style='color:red'>V, wait, you-</span> Korif called, but he was already out of Viriathos' earshot. <span style='color:red'>Oh... hell...</span> he murmured shakily to himself. He knew that the feds in Bhim were able to respond fairly quickly, so he really didn't have much time.
Leah heared the arden below the window, V, probably the one that had been outside the other window earlier that morning. She came up behind Korif with the speed normally akin to her kind, and also proved that she was above the drink. <span style='color:purple'>I can't go out in the sun, but if there's anyway I can help, I will.</span> She said, taking one of his hands in hers. She stood there with him, not sure what he was thinking, or rather what he wasn't. He'd gotten that blank look, the kind that meant he was either thinking about awful things or he wasn't thinking about anything at all. <span style='color:purple'>You're always welcome here, but I suggest you get your things now.</span> She said, she too knew just how fast the feds responded, and hell with a mystic. They might as well have brought an exicutioner with them, it was cheaper, not that she wished death to Korif, but yeesh, this was a mess. Something was going on and she had no idea what. She didn't like it in the least.
<span style='color:red'>Thanks...</span> With a smile, Korif gave Leah a tight hug, and with one look back, was out of the door. He headed down the hall, down the stairs and out into the street at an abnormal speed for him. There were some valuable things in that safehouse, and he wasn't willing to let the feds get their corrupt hands on them. Arriving at the hideout and halfway through gathering up his belongings, he could hear sirens and cars screeching outside the magic wall. Deciding that he'd gotten everything together, he threw it all into a backpack and made for the window, just as the police had entered. They started unloading their pistol clips his way, most of the shots whizzing past his ears, until two managed to hit him with a horrible bite. One in the hand, the other in his uninjured leg. Still keeping up the dash, Korif winced in pain as he felt blood spit out from the leg every time he put his weight on it. They were still in pursuit, but V's workshop was just around the corner. He slid to a halt outside a door with a slider at eye level and banged it. <span style='color:red'>V! V, for the love of god, let me in!</span> The door was opened and Korif seemed to slide down it. Viriathos pulled him in and threw him on the sofa. <span style='color:blue'>Stay wit me, blud. I just need ta get a few tings and I can fix ya-up.</span> <span style='color:red'>Feel free to drop round tonight... if I'm still alive. I'll let him know you're coming...</span>
<span style='color:purple'>{If you're ali- Korif where the hell are you?}</span> She thought back as soon as she picked up his thought. For the past half an hour or so Leah had been pacing the length of the apartment, taking swigs of the blood among other, slightly stronger, things. She'd turned on some music, but it did nothing for her and she quickly shut it off. She waited almost patiently for Korif's reply. His thoughts were strained, he was probably hurt, though she trusted 'V' to tend to him, they seemed like good friends. Still, Korif probably wasn't that bad off, if he was she'd just take the tunnels, you can't kill the undead with out ripping out their heart anyways. She'd be fine.
<span style='color:red'>V's-agh!</span> His wince travelled through his brain as well as his throat as Viriathos pulled the bullet out of his leg and hurriedly clotted the wound. <span style='color:blue'>'Alf way dere, brud. Stick wimme, ya hear? You ain't going now'eres, I'm tellin' ya now.</span> <span style='color:red'>I'll be fine... V used to be a medic for a little while... he's good for what training he got-f...!</span> That was the second bullet out. The problem was that this had stuck, whereas the bullet in his leg was just beyond creating an exit wound. Again, the inventor clotted the hole. <span style='color:blue'>A'right, we be done. Ya just need a bit a' rest now, bretren.</span> <span style='color:red'>V, if a gal comes to the door, ask her to smile. If her canines're... odd, let her in.</span> This confused Viriathos a little, but thinking back, he remembered catching the scent of a female near Korif. Must've been a lady friend. Probably the same one he meant, too. <span style='color:blue'>No problems, mon. Now, get some sleep, else ya gonna be off ya feet for a while, y'ear. If ya need me, just 'olla. Might hafta shout a lil' loud, but I'll 'ear ya.</span> With that, Viriathos descended into the main workshop, concerned, but feeling safe in the knowledge that his friend was damn resilient.
Leah tracked his thoughts this time, he was near where his hideout had been, around the corner it seemed. She thought about going through the tunnels, but there wasn't any let-ups near where he was. She sighed angrily, and went back to her rrom. She pulled herself up onto one of the rafters and threw herself into a dead-sleep. She woke up some hours later, it was newly night, not ever, the last pink rays of the sun lingered, she could feel it. She dropped down and shook her head, to clear it. Walking out, she grabbed a pair of sunglasses, her keys and put the bottles away. The answering machine light blinked, she checked the number. No way was she working first shift that night. She deleted the message and called up an internal map, allowing her to make good time in getting to V's workshop. She knocked on the door, her sunglasses pushed up so that they were on her head, and one of those devious smiles that showed her fangs on her muzzle. <span style='width:100%;font-weight:bold; font-size:10px'>Out of Character</span> <table class='ooc'><tr><td>Last post until probably tuesday for me, I'm in London, probably no computer.</td></tr></table>
<span style='color:blue'>Ah, ya must be de one Korif e'specting. Just a sec.</span> Viriathos closed the slider and heaved what sounded like the same mechanism, magnified about 10 times, across the door, and opened a series of smaller, less significant locks. He opened the door and gestured with a thumb for her to come in. <span style='color:blue'>He be in no bad wey. De shots'wa supafishal, and blud's a damn resiliant member of de Anubi. Ya shud be proud, 'specially if ya was one of us.</span> Viriathos had, strangely enough, detected the faintest scent of Anuban blood from Leah. He didn't ask, as he reckoned he knew what she was. He led her into the front room. <span style='color:red'>Hey.</span> Korif smiled, his voice a little quietened. Seemed like he wasn't going to waste energy on raising it when he didn't need to. <span style='color:red'>Glad you came.</span> Blood adorned bits of cloth and the sofa around Korif's healing wounds. <span style='color:red'>Told you he'd fix me up good.</span> Korif nodded at Viriathos and he simply smirked. <span style='color:red'>Excuse me if I don't get up and hug you. My leg's numb from blood loss and my arm still has tiny shards of lead in it.</span> he chuckled, as if it were all some big joke. Indeed, Korif had sustained worse in his career, but these injuries were enough to debilitate him for a little while. <span style='width:100%;font-weight:bold; font-size:10px'>Out of Character</span> <table class='ooc'><tr><td>Alrighty, no worries.</td></tr></table>
She walked in, almost about to make a comment about all the locks, but she stopped herself. One of the other things that hit her was the very pungent smell of blood. It was underneath Korif's wounds and seemingly clung to everything it could, not only his blood, but blood of others. It was making her realize that she was hungry. She swallowed, bringing the hunger down and doing a very good job of not seeing the two ardens as food. She walked over to the couch Korif was lying on and flopped gracefully onto one of the cushions. Her features softened a bit as she watched him in silence. Slowly she moved one of her hands, first running her fingers through his hair, then bringing them along the side of his face.
<span style='color:red'>Hey, c'mon, don't look at me like that. I've had worse.</span> He gave her a reassuring smile, hoping she wouldn't feel so bad. He gently stroked her hand, looking at her, worried. He'd not seen her bottling up her concern so much before, but hey, he hadn't been around her for long. What, a few days, maybe a little more? It was odd how much you could see emotion-wise from a Vampdragon in the space of so few days. <span style='color:red'>Seriously, I'm fine, just a few holes that are a little hollow.</span>
Leah smiled as Korif assured her that he was fine, she believed that he'd had worse. She took his injured hand in hers and ran her thumb lightly around the edge of the wound, V had clotted it with a sort of inner bandage, quite clever. <span style='color:purple'>You probably have had worse, but still...</span> She said, trailing off. There was one thing that was still gnawing at her however. <span style='color:purple'>What reason did the feds have for going and raiding your place?</span> She asked.
The arden chuckled. <span style='color:red'>Perhaps the better question would be what reason did the feds not have to raid my safehouse. Well, let's put it this way. It's not just the local dons that I've crossed before. The police aren't exactly fond of me, either.</span> He could hear Viriathos going at something with the blowtorch, which was amazingly quiet for a device like itself. He must've developed a muffler or something. <span style='color:red'>Seriously, don't make those eyes at me, you're gonna make me cry.</span>
She nodded, ah the police, what a lovely set of sexist bastards... no she hadn't had much luck with them now that she was dead, they liked the idea 'shoot first, question later.' <span style='color:purple'>Hrm... just thinking about it I mean unless you've been at the stealing thing for ages and you're some kind of local terrorist I really don't see much of a reason to go in shooting at you. 'Course I'm immoral and unethical, but hey, it never hurt anyone... too bad.</span> Leah smiled, unintentionally baring her fangs. <span style='color:purple'>Ah, but making you cry seems rather worth it if you're not pissed at me.</span> She said, the edge of a snigger in her voice.
<span style='color:red'>Unfair!</span> Korif grinned. <span style='color:red'>I don't you'd believe me, even if I told you how much of a little hooligan I was. Let's say I have an unhealthy liking for explosives and a penchant for using them on warehouses and such. Hungry, aren't you?</span> <span style='color:blue'>Way 'ead of ya, mon. 'Ere y'are, miss.</span> Viriathos tossed Leah a plasma bag. <span style='color:blue'>If ya plannin' on stayin' a while, me blood bank's in de kitchen down de hall.</span> With his non-goggle-covered eye, V gave her a wink and a smile before heading back down to the workshop. <span style='color:red'>Nice guy, isn't he? We go way back. Met him when I was just a kid. Looked after me while my parents were out of town. Only proper friend I had, really.</span> Korif shrugged, happy that Viriathos was willing to offer Leah his services and his spare blood.
Leah caught the bag, though at the time she didn't see a: much of a use for it, or b: why she needed it. <span style='color:purple'>Explosions are pretty though.</span> She said, her voice child-like whereas the look in her eyes was anything but. <span style='color:purple'>Just out of curiosity, why does he have blood? I mean he doesn't smell like a Vamp and he just doesn't have that air of a master either one would be a tip off. -Not saying that he's not a nice guy, but still...</span> She said, adding the last bit quickly, more as an after thought than anything.
<span style='color:red'>Heh. Got that right. Well, y'know I said he was a medic... he's had a little experience with blood transfusions, too. Not exactly clean, like, but the transfusions work, all the same.</span> Korif shrugged, finding himself pleased with his restored ability to move his arm. <span style='color:red'>Now, if I could get you working again...</span> he looked down at his leg and seemed to mumble at it.
She chuckled as Korif muttered at his leg. <span style='color:purple'>The first signs of insanity are talking to one's own limbs.</span> She said, quoting a psychology journal she'd been forced to read for a grade some years back. She brushed some loose strands of hair that had been moved when she shrugged away from his face. <span style='color:purple'>I'd love to stay and chat, but you're starting to smell really good, and your pulse is just a little loud. Which way was the kitchen again?</span> Leah asked.
<span style='color:red'>You wouldn't believe how many times I've been called insane in the past... well, maybe you would, but hey.</span> he smirked with a shrug. <span style='color:red'>Down the hall. What's wrong with the blood in that bag?</span> He gestured to the bag in her hand. <span style='color:red'>I know it's pretty much sanguine gizpacho, but still.</span> <span style='width:100%;font-weight:bold; font-size:10px'>Out of Character</span> <table class='ooc'><tr><td>Sorry for the shortness. Time of posting is 01:23 am >_<'</td></tr></table>
Leah turned slightly. <span style='color:purple'>I doubt there's anything wrong with it. It just doesn't smell like blood.</span> She said with a shrug, just one of her hang ups, if it doesn't smell like blood, or it doesn't beat like blood, it might not be blood. Even though she was fairly sure she could trust V, it still nagged at her. Worst came to worst she'd step outside for maybe ten fifteen minutes and fed on some unsuspecting 'dragon... no she was feeling charitable. She found the kitchen, looked where V had told her and found something that more resembled blood than whatever was in the bag, this also came in a bottle -a plus. She took it and opened it, taking a careful sip, it still had that coppery bite to it. She finished up and left the bottle near the sink, not quite sure what to do with it. Shrugging to herself she went back to where Korif was, leaning against the door frame, smiling at him.
