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 Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 5:35 pm
((Branched off from the ORP of the same title)) 
Figuring he was close enough, Alucard pounced... and missed, yet again.
He could swear they were going round in circles.
This hunt was a bad one, and the vampire Kirin knew it. It had been stupid to waste so much time and energy fighting that other stallion, it had been stupid to wait this long between hunts. Stupid stupid stupid. He snarled in frustration, words beyond his grasp, as he raced with the mousedeer.
It all rested on who would tire first, now. Neither of them could afford a distraction.
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Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 5:49 pm
After a few more half-hearted words with Natsu and a promise that she'd look for the female again, Khalidia had decided to follow her heart. Instead of waiting as the stallion had asked, or rather told her, she went after Alu. Winding through the shadows, timid and shrinking back, her darker pelt blended with her surroundings in a way that her friend's didn't.
"Maybe... this wasn't such a good idea." she whispered to herself, gulping. Again, fear had set in now that she was alone, the trees seeming to crowd in and menace her silently. "Alu?" she'd meant to call his name loudly, but it escaped as a hoarse cry instead. "Alu are you there?"
The Kirin fell silent again as she heard an owl hoot above her, and a seeming commotion stir in the forest floor before her. "Please don't be something that will eat me..." she whispered, pausing, eyes going wide.
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Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 6:15 pm
The mousedeer burst into a small clearing, closely pursued by Alucard, whose cream coat gleamed in the moonlight... and then clouds obscured the moon once again, and it was dark.
A short scuffle could be heard, and squeaking, then silence - Alucard latched onto his prey's neck and drank deeply, ignoring the tiny hooves kicking at him. If he had more presence of mind the vampire Kirin could probably have sensed someone was watching, or at least nearby... but he was absorbed in the task of sustaining himself and did not look up.
He had a faint feeling a familiar voice had said something when he pounced on the mousedeer. Perhaps hunger had made him delusional.
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Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 6:28 pm
When the noises came to an abrupt halt, Khalidia shook herself free of her terrified stillness, and moved forward again. She arrived in the clearing several moments after Alucard... but was still in time to see what her friend was doing. Instinctive revulsion rose within her; he was feeding like a... a tick or... or some other horrid thing. And the poor mousedeer...
"A-alu?" she asked, the horror she felt clear in her voice.
Then she took a step back... then another, and another. Before she'd fully realized what she was doing, she'd turned and began to run in the opposite direction. Her best friend, and he'd never told her. That was what he'd been doing all along... he'd been sneaking off since they were foals to do that, and never even hinted! How could he?
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Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 7:51 pm
"What...?" At the sound of Khalidia's voice, Alu released the mousedeer. That had definitely been her, and he hadn't imagined it this time.
No, no! This isn't how I wanted you to find out! I told you to wait for me! He pulled the mousedeer to safety in the hollow of a bush, where it would be sheltered until it regained consciousness, then wiped his bloody muzzle on leaves, as he had done after every hunt.
Besides, he didn't want to face Khalidia in a mess.
"Khalidia, wait up!" He yelled as he ran after her, following the trail of broken branches and the sound of hooves drumming on ground.
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Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 8:02 pm
"NO!" she shouted back, almost childishly, stretching out her neck as she tried to push herself to run faster. He'd been hiding from her, and that hurt terribly - the pain cut far deeper and was longer lasting than the disgust, though she couldn't yet admit it to herself.
Could she outrun him, she wondered? On any other night, she knew the answer would be no... but he was tired. He had to be. After the fight and... oh Aerithe... the hunt. But did she really want to keep running? No matter what, this was still Alu.
This was her best friend.
Quit suddenly, she slowed, and then stopped, waiting for him to catch up.
She had to give him a chance to explain, because she owed him that much. If she didn't like the answer, though, she'd have to leave. She didn't know if she wanted to stay if he could hide things from her so easily; who knew what other secrets he was keeping, what else he did when he snuck off. "Why... what... Alu... why didn't you ever tell me?"
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Posted: Thu Apr 02, 2009 8:35 pm
Alu slowed as she did, leaning against a tree. He was full, yes, but also tired... and parts of him were starting to ache. Silvanus had known what he was doing during that fight, blast him. He wasn't about to drop from exhaustion, but if he kept prancing about like this, he'd reach that stage sooner or later.
He shook his head, trying to focus. This was important. If he didn't tell the truth, she would definitely leave... and Silarial would follow, and he would be alone again.
"Because I am a coward and a freak." He swallowed, tasting blood as he did and feeling disgusted that he liked it. "I was afraid that once I did, you would leave. I don't want you to leave.
You love the animals in this forest, I know, but... I can't live without blood, Khalidia. I've tried. I turn into this... predator every time I have to feed, and if I fight it it gets worse.
You saw me tonight, battling Silvanus. That's the monster I'm talking about.
I don't kill, I take what I need. I don't eat flesh. I don't attack other Kirin. I'm afraid that if I do... I won't be able to stop.
There, now you know my terms.
Please don't go," he pleaded, kneeling on his front legs and touching his horn to the ground.
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Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 5:14 pm
She hated seeing him like this.
He shouldn't be bent over like that, not for anyone, ever. He was so proud, and so strong... she liked that about him. But he was also right on a few things. She adored almost every other creature that walked - to know that he needed their blood to live made her deeply uneasy. She didn't like the thought of him hurting something else to stay alive.
But if he died, so would she, she just knew it.
That decided her, and she took several steps forward before kneeling herself, craning her neck so she could look up into his eyes. "Who said anything about leaving, idiot? I was just... startled. I... seeing you with blood..." Bile rose in her throat, and she had to pause a moment before speaking again. "I didn't like it... don't like it. The idea of it, I mean. But it's the way you were made. And I don't want you to die. So if you need blood, then you need blood. It isn't your fault." She thought a moment more, then pulled back slightly. "Really... I guess... it isn't that bad. Once you get used to the idea." Again, there was a pause.
"Alu? You aren't a monster. You're the bravest, strongest, most handsome stallion ever. So don't talk about yourself like that... okay?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 03, 2009 6:33 pm
I disgust you, Alucard thought sadly as he rose, watching his friend's body language. Maybe it would be easier if we had never met - and then you could flee without guilt, without struggling to connect a companion to behaviour that horrifies you.
However, if she was willing to try and accept him, he was willing to meet up to the rest of her expectations.
"I'm glad you think that way," he said, softly. "Even if I'm not really handsome, I can't help that... but I can at least try to be strong, and brave."
He grinned weakly and continued, "You know, if more stallions come into the forest acting like Silvanus, I may not have the luxury of being anything else.
Shall we head back to those berries, now?" He asked, wondering if she had eaten anything at all or just come after him immediately.
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Posted: Sun Apr 05, 2009 5:48 pm
"You are too handsome." she argued softly, sounding rather shy, pushing herself to her hooves as well. For a moment, she hesitated, and then she went to stand at his side, close enough that their flanks touched. "I think so, anyway." Khalidia nodded, then turned her head so she could look him over - at the moment, his markings reminded her of blood, and she repressed a shiver. Beyond that, however, she was telling the truth - she thought him a fine figure of a stallion.
"I would like to go back to the berries... I'm really hungry." her appetite was gone, but she knew she had to eat - otherwise she'd feel faint all the next day. "Come on. Do you think more stallions will come? It's always been so quiet here. I don't... I don't want you to have to fight all the time, Alu. I was scared for you during the whole thing." she told him as she started to walk back the way they'd come, knowing he'd follow.
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