Second Prank- All the better to...

[doeswhathewants]

[Cold green light illuminates the dark room, camera focusing on the Serrure's face. His skin is pale and too much blood is drying at one side of his throat, staining the neck and shoulder of his hoodie a rusty brown. In the strange light, his green eyes appear to almost glow.]

Hello there. Serrure here again.

[His voice is rough, as though his throat is dry. He is far more calm than he ought to be for all the banging that is going on somewhere off camera.]

Has anyone lost a vampire recently? Answers to the name Karl? Very bitey?

I appear to have found him. If he is yours, please collect him at the haunted warehouse in the Underground.

[The camera flashes up and over to walls and a door covered in scrolling runes that shed that cold green light, as though made from the light itself.]

Not sure what those are or how long they will hold. [The camera pans back to Serrure as a sharp crack sounds.] Not long, apparently. Help?

[OOC: Backdated to the 10th.]

Comments

[doeswhathewants]

No, I've not met him before today. [A pause.]

Ah. I had been hoping the haunted warehouse was commonly known. Between the arena and the black market, near I can guess.

[errandry]

I'll figure it out. Is it actually haunted, is there anything in there you can call on?

[doeswhathewants]

Call on? I do not need ghosts or demons on top of vampires.

[And then he's running again, ducking behind a building.]

I have no powers, if that is what you are implying. I am a simple human.

[errandry]

I'm not implying anything, you said it was haunted! Figured maybe they'd defend their turf against him while you took off. Did you land in there?

[doeswhathewants]

Of course I did not land in there. He kidnapped me. And took me there. Entirely against my will.

[Eh, it is only a bit of a lie.]

And... technically I am not in the warehouse anymore. Closer to the black market, I think. He's still chasing me.

[errandry]

I'm on my way down. [ ugggh, still thinking. at least the kid doesn't sound panicked. ] You know anything about vampires?

[doeswhathewants]

Apparently everything I knew was wrong. He said nothing hurts him.

[He's much more afraid than he has been, but being chased, being threatened and hurt, it is par for the course on the street.]

[errandry]

Guess we can find out if he was telling the truth.

[doeswhathewants]

Tell me that you know him and you know how to stop him? [He doesn't have much of a conscience, but it does twinge a bit at that.]

[errandry]

He's on my team, but I dunno a whole lot more than that. Least I'm pretty sure I can hold him off.

[doeswhathewants]

Team? [A slightly unhinged laugh] Do you play for the same club? Kick the ball around a bit? Man oh man, if you are sure.

[errandry]

... Calm down, all right? Keep running—I think I'm around the market now. You see anybody waving?

[ well, he should, if he's anywhere nearby. ]

[doeswhathewants]

[He has to step out of his hiding place to look around, but-]

Yes- I think so.

[worldofourown]

[Enclosed as the Underground is, it's not long before Karl narrows Serrure's scent. There's not a person he's met whom he couldn't sniff out afterward. He could chase Serrure all night - until the boy is mentally and physically drained.]

[Flashing in bluish streaks - roof to roof - he sees Serrure racing down the street below. Talking - breathlessly - on his network device. With a dagger-bright grin, Karl swoops in.]

[Landing, catlike, right in front of the boy.]

...There you are~

sorry about that! keeping to this threading order?

[errandry]

[ Kazu's glancing up, looking for somebody out of place—sees a boy moments before an ominous figure drops between them. what little uncertainty he had about the situation vanishes. pretty sure, he's pretty sure — ]

Shit—Karl!

Sure, I'll let ya'll know if others jump in :3 PARTY THREAD

[doeswhathewants]

[He hears the other man call out, but does not take his eyes from Karl. Serrure's trying very hard not to try and run. Or appear as afraid as he feels.]

One of your friends is here. You might want to reconsider divining your future with my entrails. Awfully rude in front of guests.

-Jumps in like a partying, threading, jumping thing- <3

[worldofourown]

[He hears the semi-familiar voice call his name. Spares a glance - quick - sideways to see who it is.]

Hm. Kazu.

Out crow-shopping~?

[His tone is breezy, conversational. Alarming, in short - given the unhealthily bright gleam in his eyes.]

[To Serrure, in a voice pitched for his ears alone:]

I never said I minded an audience.

[Bravado or not, Karl can hear the boy's heart pattering. Smell the salty tang of fear. Delicious. It's those little signs that make the hunt worthwhile.]

[errandry]

[ there's no bravery in this, only some mix of irritation and frost crawling up his spine. he's fast about it all the same, kicking his trecks into gear. a snap of the air and Kazu's moving between them, fists clenched, wheels scraping—and all this proximity is not remotely comforting.

fucking vampires in Kogarasumaru. a fact which makes it his business, somehow. ]

Back the hell off, all right? What're you, hungry?

[ yeah, that's a line for the classics right there. ]

[doeswhathewants]

[He was very happy to stay behind Kazu, but he did pipe up from over his shoulder]

He ought not to be hungry, he already bit me!

[worldofourown]

[There's those skates he always sees on Ikki and his group. The treks. Little wonder they're like catnip for these teens - if they let you move so fast.]

[Idly, he wonders if Kazu could outrun him with the skates. The idea - naughty, nonsequitur - makes him smirk. But his tone is playful.]

...And if I was. Not volunteering, are you?

[As he speaks, his eyes stay fixed on Serrure. Their message is mockingly clear:]

[You think you're safe?]

[errandry]

[ no feeling in skin or nerve or vein, the air as dead to him as if he were sitting in a room alone—but he flinches anyway at Karl's idle malice. just a little. he shifts backwards on his heels and into Serrure's space—doesn't take his eyes from Karl, but the motion's as subtle a signal as he can get: executing plan "back the fuck away from the crazy bloodsucker". ]

Th—There's a damn vampire bar around somewhere, try that! Who the hell picks off random kids?

[worldofourown]

...Tch.

[Oh goodie. A lecture. What is it about this City and spoiling his fun? Saya has left. Perhaps ...forever. In her absence, he can only sink into excess - bloody, visceral - to stay afloat.]

I know there's a bar. [He manages it. But packaged blood and willing meals aren't his style.]

Besides. [The lie rolls glibly off his tongue.] The boy you're so-valiantly defending is a pickpocket. He tried robbing me. So I decided to punish him a little.

[The eyes - snakelike, glowing - stay on Serrure. Not getting out of this so easy~]

[doeswhathewants]

[Serrure kind of shrinks back behind the guy in the crazy skates, but takes the hint and begins to back up.

He's hoping this guy knows what he is doing.] I thought you said you were on the same team. [He whispers through his teeth]

[errandry]

[ things vampires usually have in mythology: superhearing. Kazu makes a face at the reminder anyway, and it's obvious enough in his voice, for all that he doesn't turn his head. ]

Guess we were pretty dumb to let him in. [ to Karl— ] And that's not how you get your money back anyway! Back off now.

[ the "or else" is implicit. unfortunately, Kazu with his skinny frame and ragged trousers has never cut a very imposing figure to anybody. ]

[worldofourown]

[The superhearing is right. He hears Serrure's whisper perfectly clear. And smiles, wider, at Kazu's muttered statement. The threat though - delivered by this little boy is skates - draws a harsh laugh from him.]

What are you, his guardian?

[He draws closer. Eyes on Serrure, flashing bright-red.]

This is between me and the little pickpocket. Move.