Once Bitten

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SKID ROW
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--Syaka
She licked her lips, spitting out another tuft of fur. Feeding from domestic animals wasn't the most noble of rituals, but she considered herself above what wasn't right in polite vampire society. The scent of the dog still permeated her nostrils, its unsavory blood sating her hunger and little else. Like drinking a glass of milk left out in the sun, animal blood was just a bit *off* in her tastebuds.

Blowing a lock of hair off her face, she climbed up a chainlink fence with little effort, getting atop a short ledge in the alley she'd been stalking. She watched over the streets not unlike a cat viewing their territory.

--Patty
It was a full-on bender, and she was just getting started. It's amazing how many liquor stores there are in Skid Row, and how much Thunderbird you can buy on a budget. Her hands were scratched and bloody from beating against the glass, embedded with small shards, but that didn't impair her drinking arm. Every few steps was another swig.

Fuck you, liver. You're gonna regret you were ever born. You too, stomach. Her eyes already began to swim, she had yet to perfect the fine art of being pleasantly drunk over the course of an evening. Instead she was going too hard, too fast, as always.

Between swigs, she muttered to herself. "Fuckin' right you are, fuck him. He didn't mean nothin' to me. I was just putting him on the entire time! Fuck him! And his two little tramps! Fuck them, who do they think they are?? I'm a better tramp than they could ever be!" She snarled, throwing an empty bottle against the wall, causing it to clatter inside the paper sack. Next bottle, time to get busy. She's not blacked out yet, and she's tired of being awake for this.

--Syaka
That was hard to miss. She leapt from her perch, sauntering across the street to block her path. Towering over her, she raised one of her hands tentatively, a tad too stoic to bother resting it on her shoulder.

"You look like shit."

The scent of alcohol stung at Syaka's nostrils, making her open her mouth and scrunch up her nose. She scraped its surface against her top teeth, trying to get the flavor out of her mouth. "Gh..."
A more powerful scent overpowered her, bringing her full attention to the wound in her hand. Her pupils honed in on it, watching her intently.

"And you're hurt."

--Patty
She almost plowed into her, and it she was already more than white girl drink. Her eyes are swimming, blinking madly and trying to focus in on her. "Hey, FUCK you to tell me how drunk I am, officer Cock-Snout! I'm not even half-way, wasted!" The bottle slipped from the bag and shattered on the ground. The swill that passed for alcohol was noxious, like kerosene. Despite this, she looked almost like she'd found out her mother had died.

"Ooooh, no nono... that's my last bottle! THOSE are my last bucks! NOO...." She fell to her knees in mourning, head in her hands. Finally she blinks and looks up at the towering monstrosity in front of her, blood dripping from her hands as she squeezed them into fists, "...Sy? ...when the Hell'd you get here?"

--Syaka
She was breathing through her mouth, tasting the scent in the air. It was an overpowering fragrance, alluring beyond the acrid smell of cheap alcohol. Patty's words where in the back of her mind by now, as the beast within her honed in on the vitae in her hands. It'd been... too long since she had a taste of something succulent.

Snapping her mouth shut, she gripped both of her shoulders, trying to at least hide the true nature of her concern. "You're drunk." Pulling her to her feet, she tried to guide her back into the shadows, paying no mind to her loud complaints.

"Let me help you."

--Patty
Patty snarled, "Hey FUCK OFF, what are you, my mother?? Join the fuckin' line, alongside that no-account, good-for-nothing little PIZZA SHIT!" She suddenly finds herself hilarious, and bursts out, "HAAA! PIZZA SHIT! FUCKIN' PRICELESS.." And then just as quickly, she turns surly again and pulls away, shoving her hand in Syaka's face and pushing her away, "Hey, don't get fuckin' handsy with me, She-Ra! I ain't nobody to be FUCKED with!" She howls in the air, "I'M UN FUCK WITHABLE!"

--Syaka
Syaka growled, scowling, but not relenting in her attempts to drag Patty back. The glass and blood, the loud screaming- This wouldn't fly anywhere but in Skid Row. Her words were biting into her limited patience, which was already whittled by the loathsome food she'd been surviving off of.

"Calm the fuck down, and stay quiet."

--Patty
She reeked of blood, of booze, of sweat and she was warm, warmer than Syaka. She kicked her legs up a bit before she realized she was off the ground, and her eyes swam, "Oh shit.... I'm totally being fuckin' kidnapped." She said this in an extremely matter-of-fact tone, as if this was inevitable. Her head lolled to the side, and the vertigo began to kick in, "Oh God.. don't carry me, I'm gonna hurl.. uck.. ugh... och..." Gagging emanated from her chest, head flopping whichever way she was moved.

--Syaka
"I'm not kidnapping you, idiot." She barked as she dragged her against her will into the back of the alley, not one drop of self-awareness tinting those words. Lowering herself onto the ground on her knees. With the help of her upper body and her strong arms, she tried her best to get a hold of Patty's hands, gripping her wrists as her face brushed against her neck.
She *would* help her. But first, due's due. Baring her fangs, she bit onto her neck, hoping the effects of the Kiss would be enough to calm her down from whatever she was on. They could go from there to see what she could do about the glass in her hands.

--Patty
"Wha-uh? Uuuuuh,... aaaaaaaaaaaahhh..?" She went from inane to completely incoherent, and suddenly it felt as if every shred of strength had left her arms*. It hurt to simply move them. Her eyes lulled back and forth as she tried to make sense of what was happening, fingers and toes clenched with the sudden sensation.

"Oh J-Jesus.." Well, she hadn't been lying. It was like being punctured by a dull needle, followed by a blissful numbness overwhelming her chest and spreading across her limbs. Her blood, it was thick with alcohol. If this didn't knock Syaka on her ass, it would at least give her a buzz.

The numb feeling was supplanted by a throbbing, a throbbing felt in the back of Syaka's throat. The spurts of hot scarlet throbbed with each beat of her heart, and it felt like it was going faster every second. She felt her entire circulation, pulsing through her. Every time it hit her brain she flashed with euphoria. It ached in her bones. How could it feel so good, and hurt so much all at once.

She crumpled into her arms, eyes darting back and forth in a doe-like way, face frozen.

--Syaka
Even beasts could feel greed. She'd kept herself fed from the blood of animals, but the terrible curse within her longed for more. Some 'Kindred' said those with her condition *needed* the nourishment of mortals, but she'd drank enough from the wilds to know it was nothing but an excuse. There was no need in this palate driven indulgence, only the desire to quell her irrational beast. Muricia had awakened them from the nightmare of Caine, but it was not a perfect process.
The curse... It made her wonder where her own selfishness began and where her monstruous condition ended.

She didn't drink too deeply, instead savoring the bite, washing away the taste of dull fur and blood. (+2 BP) The alcohol was more of a deterrent than a bonus, but it did little to stop her from taking from her veins. It was no wonder she'd long lost interest in human touch- What was affection to a creature that could feel *this?*

Prying her fangs away, she sealed the wound by licking her neck. In a swift move, she brought her own wrist to her mouth, biting a wound into it before she shoved it against Patty's face. "Drink." She demanded, hoping the buzz would be enough to make this simple.

--Patty
Her eyes fluttered, blinking and trying to make sense of what just happened. She could feel the strength come back to her body, as well as the pain of blood loss and that joy sapped from her. She reached up and grasped at Syaka with a look of confusion, "...no.." Patty clenched the woman's shirt, pulling on her, "...no! No! Why'd.. why'd you stop??" Her voice cracked, and she seemed genuinely distraught.

--Syaka
She flinched, opening her mouth to explain herself, but left with her jaw hanging as she was taken by surprise. That was *not* the reaction she was steeling herself for. Blinking repeatedly with disbelief, she struggled to find words to explain herself to Patty. Did she even have to?

"What?"

--Patty
She didn't have that agony and ecstasy coursing through her veins now, and she could feel her hands grab around Syaka's collar and pull her toward her neck, wrapping her arms around her neck, "Please! Please don't stop! Whatever that was, it... it was amazing!" She tried in vain to expose her throat to the towerting woman, practically whining, "You can't just do that and just leave it there!"

Patty's face was taut with desperation. Addictive personality was putting it lightly. It was the rush of death, the thrill of the fight, the joy of love and all the pain of having your life's energy ripped from you, all in a single moment.

--Syaka
Didn't have to ask twice for that one. They were entering dangerous territory, but her inhibitions weren't high enough for her conscience to start moralizing her about the dangers of her request. She wasn't a pretty Toreador or a well-off Ventrue, it wasn't everyday that she had a mortal *begging* to be bitten.

"...Fine." She grumbled, half-assedly pretending to feel bad. Hovering her fangs above her neck for a taunting second, she bit back into Patty's neck once again. At least this monster was keeping her end of this bargain, making it a point to drag on the Kiss for as long as she could restrain herself to do. She had little self-control when compared to most of her brethren, making for a decidedly dangerous mix when paired with the Queens' girl's penchant for indulgence. The only restraint she showed was for the sake of extending the exchange.

--Patty
Those hazel eyes fall on her for a moment, filled with gratitude for being taken away with this sweet, agonizing bliss. She didn't care about him. She didn't even remember him, or all the filth that her life had become over these few years. Her nails dig into the back of Syaka's neck, and her eyes begin to flutter, pupils so dilated her eyes were practically black. It was the oddest sound, like a cry and a whimper all at once, and her hands slipped from around the neck of the one embracing her, falling limp into the trash surrounding them with a limp thud.

Her eyes were rolled into the back of her head. She was out cold, breath shallow and labored. Her skin was damp with sweat, flushed face now pale and sunken with dark circles around her eyes.

--Syaka
The Ahrimane loomed over her, fangs still extended as the woman fell onto the ground. Everytime it seemed there was no way to slink deeper into the bottom, Patty found a way to crack through the foundation. There was no dignity in this- Not in Syaka's eyes, anyhow. Not a bit of glamour, or even a tad of decency to make this better than an embarassing mistake.

She pried the girl's mouth open, cutting the scars on her fingertips open before she shoved her bleeding fingers into her mouth, ensuring she'd at least survive the blood loss and the wounds from her drunken bender. Her vitae was inert. Free from the ties of any bonds, untainted by the chains of thralls and domitors. It would not grant her any power beyond what she had in her mortal soul, but it closed the wounds she'd inflicted upon herself with a speed that was supernatural.
With that ugly task out of the way, she waited to see if the mortal would stir. It'd be best for her sake if she awoke on her own terms, and not in whatever strange shelter Syaka had been dwelling on.

--Patty
Soft moans come from Patty as she stirs, still reeling from the loss of blood and throbbing headache. She wasn't sober, not by a long shot, but any buzz she had was wearing off, quick.

Her face is restored to a healthy flush, and she blinks her eyes until she can focus once more. Uncontrollable shivers from the loss of body heat hit her, and the towering beast above her brought no warmth. She wrapped her arms around herself silently, pulling herself away from Syaka in slow motion and pressing her back against the wall. There was a deeply troubled look on her face as she spoke, her voice hoarse, "...what just happened." It was flat, lifeless. She couldn't muster the strength to give it her normal oomph.

--Syaka
She landed on her ass, sitting on the ground with her arms resting on her open knees. "I bit you, the pleasure from the bite took over you, and I healed you with my blood afterwards." That was about as simple of an explanation as this vampire was going to manage under these circumstances.

"I found you drunk and distraught. So I helped." Very monotone, very matter-of-factly.

--Patty
The troubled look turned to twinge of fear, scrawled across her face. Her hands rise to her neck, but there was no wound. The pulse throbbed under her fingers, reminding her of that shot of euphoria every beat of her heart.

"T-thank you." it was a perfunctory thanks, and she recoiled from Syaka ever so slightly, trying to put some distance between them.

"I.. I dunno what to say about that." She is still rubbing her neck as she adds, "I'm not sure what I feel about it, either." And between the bouts of fear and desire, she could see a look of betrayal across her face. She broke into a broad, flat smile with no light behind it, "Wowzers. I mean, that was crazy."

Even now, her eyes would not fall on Syaka's.

--Syaka
Crossing her arms over her chest, her shoulders shrunk in a half-hearted shrug. It was bad, but it wasn't the absolute *worst* she could have gotten. Trust, betrayal, these were things that'd begun to slip with every year Syaka spent as a beast. Small whispers of self-forgiveness had long gathered into a chorus of conciesceless ignorance, paying little mind to the mortal's potential plight. She got fed, and she got a bit of a kick out of it. The hell was wrong with that, exactly?... This still felt more awkward than hitting and quitting it.

"You're welcome." She responded, looking everywhere but at her. "You have a place to stay, right? You should go there."

--Patty
She laughed and kicked Syaka in the thigh playfully, "What, you think I'm not a proper lady? I'm always home before curfew." Her nervous smile breaks into an awkward, pained expression, "I uh... Hey Sy? I think I'm a little.. fucked up. In the head." She nods to herself in affirmation, then, picking herself up she stumbles a bit before catching the wall and getting her bearings. She wasn't sober enough to drive, but walking shouldn't be too dangerous.

"I think maybe, maybe you made a mistake. All that was.. it was.. too much." She nods again, trying to verbalize it. "It was.. I thought I was gonna die right there. I felt like I was gonna die, right in yer arms.... and it's really fucked up. ...I kinda wanted to? Wanted to be dead, for good?" She shrugs, "Crazy, right? Yeah. Yeah." She begins to walk past her, steadying herself against the wall for the first few steps before she stops, and silently just puts her hand on Syaka's head, just for a moment. Then, she walked on.

--Syaka
The worst thing was, she didn't seem surprised. Patty's word had no sting, none of that painful realization when hearing something so dreadful. See something enough times, and you'll find yourself losing the dread for it.

Syaka slowly got up, lingering not too far from her as she watched her stumble. If something managed to get a reaction, it was the way she touched her head before moving on. She moved like a wild animal, unused to physical contact as she shivered.

"Everyone is, Patty." She didn't bother to remind her of where she'd be, as in her gut she had a feeling the girl would find her way back to her if she wanted to see her again. "You'll forget about it soon enough." She lied through her teeth. "Don't dwell on what happened here."