Don't Stand So Close To Me [DEMIN, PRIVATE]

[Kiroro {D.evil's A.dvocate}]

The night was young.

The sun had just slipped beneath the horizon, the last of it's fiery rays fading softly into the earth. The starts were not visible yet, but then again, in a city like Thor, very few ever were.

Ignorant of the impending chaos, human bustled about and minded their own business. They mostly kept their heads down, eyes focused on their scuffling shoes. Oh, how she wished to reach out to them....

Arria stood, spying on the humans below. None of them looked the the man she was after. She was perched atop an old, dreary building that screamed of inept keeping. Ivy and weeds crawled and clutched along it's side, and it was quite clear that no one had inhabited the building for quite a while. It was mostly ignored by the average passer-by, which is exactly why she decided to start hiding here.

From what Arria understood, she should be looking for a skinny-to-the-point-of-being-malnourished man, with tan skin and a sarcastic demeanor. She realized personality traits would be hard to pick up on from up here, but she planned to single him out before confronting him.

Rumors has been flying around that he was quite the fighter. In fact, there had been so much talk about him amoungst the 'unsightlies' that her boss had caught wind and ordered Arria to bring him to the underground.

Arria sighed, wishing there was an easier way to go about all of this. She crouched, still focused on the 'intolerants' below her. He was sure to be around Thor somewhere. She also had a hunch she might run into him here.

Deciding that it was best if she appeared as human as possible, she stepped out of sight from the intolerants below and, with several sickening cracks and a few moments of violent trembling, appeared just as human as anyone else, minus the decision to keep her canines slightly more pointed. She sighed pleasurably, enjoying the sort of euphoria that always followed a change, and reached for the pile of clothes she was required to wear when 'hunting'. She had several outfits stashed in various places around the city, especially in her favorite spots.

Arria moved back to her station and crouched once again, her fiery red tressed falling smoothly over her shoulders. Tonight she donned short black short-shorts, a tight black tank-top, and the usual sword slung side-ways on her back. She had a knife tucking inside one of her boots in the event that something went wrong, as well as a backpack full of things like nets and smoke screens. She preferred, however, to just knock the thing out and carry it to wherever the designated dumping spot was in secret. She felt that nets and smoke screens were a form of cheating.

Finally, she caught a whiff of something abnormal. Her cunning gaze swept the area below her in an attempt to single out whoever reeked of beast. She shivered for a moment, but whether it was from excitement or the cool winter air, she did not know. A faint breeze whipped by, bring the scent to her nose again. This time she winced slightly. It seemed that there was something more to the smell. Something putrid and unsanitary. Perhaps her prey simply hadn't bathed? How crude.

So she crouched even lower, and waited.

[demin]

Selia had told him he needed to stay off his feet for as long as possible with his injury, but it just wasn't possible. He had to escape the confines of the little abandoned store located in an abandoned part of the city. He had to escape and just think for a bit. At any moment the Virus could take him over again. People would die, children would be butchered, women and elderly, and he knew this fact well, but sitting in that dingy little store did nothing to help him. He had to get out and think, do anything that could possibly keep It from taking over again, and sitting for hours upon end did nothing but bore him, slowly chipped away at his mental guard. Here in the hustle-and-bustle of the city he was forced to constantly keep his wits about him, his mind focused and alert, this held the Virus at bay for now.

The young man walked on the sidewalk, hands shoved in his tattered black jeans, ebon bangs swaying to-and-fro in front of amber eyes with each step. He had left his signature black leather armor at his hideout, now sporting a simple white shirt so as not to attract too much attention to himself. A rather difficult task with the light jingle-jangle with each step he took as the shackle and chain around his left wrist jumped and swayed about, a constant reminder of his past servitude. He was extremely skinny now, just skin and bones. The Virus had taken its toll on his once strong body, and it was painfully obvious. On he walked through the streets of Thor, refusing to make eye contact with anyone lest they see him for what he really was. People passed him by without even a second a look, which left him to his thoughts. Thoughts of his beloved mate coming back to an empty hideout, deathly afraid of what he could do out in the big city with the Virus coursing through his veins. Even now he could smell the corruption slowly taking hold of him, and it sickened him. The thought of becoming a mindless beast whose only purpose was to feed and kill made him angry, frustrated. He refused to give in. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts he never even noticed the familiar scent of a fellow were-creature sitting close by, hunting him down.

((Terrible, terrible. At least I'm RPing again. Hopefully I'll regrow back into the habit of not failing at making decent posts. >> ))

[Kiroro {D.evil's A.dvocate}]

"There!"

She rejoiced inwardly, finally spotting an awfully gaunt-looking man, dark hair, tan skin. He was even coming from the direction that the wind had carried that rank scent. She was now one step closer to changing his life. She stood and ran to the side of the building and jumped, hitting the ground in the alleyway with a sharp thud. Certain that this was the Lycanthrope she had been looking for, she forced her way into the crowd and turned to face him.

She was a good ten feet away. If he didn't look up soon, he would crash right into her. And, knowing the rigidity of the body of a were-creature. They would smack into each other, but neither would budge. It would certainly draw attention, so she quickly made up her mind. If he were to crash into her, she would fall back and whine like a baby. Isn't that how the humans did it?

She stood, fixated on the man. Another burst of wind tunneled down the street, once again carrying that awful smell with it. She knew that she had the right guy.

Suddenly, she realized that it probably wasn't smart for her to look directly at him. Her golden orbs were an unusual color, and the intolerants would certainly noticed, should anyone happen to look at her.

Arria lowered her head slightly, peering up at Mat from behind they shield of her bangs. They were still glowing, but at least now it was harder for a human to spot.

What would he do?

[demin]

Matias was deep in thought thinking of what Selia would do if he perished in the middle of the city, of just how much hope there was for finding a cure, and what they would do if they could even get a hold of the cure if it even existed. He snapped out of his self-induced delirium and now felt something watching him, hunting him. Amber eyes looked out from beneath black bangs, seeming to glow in the fading light, and he saw just what it was that was hunting him. His efforts to go unnoticed were wasted. Quickly, his eyes scanned over the red-headed female, seeing a little glint and glow from her eyes. Unless humans had suddenly gained golden night-vision eyes, he was dealing with another of his kind. Matias stepped slightly to the left and continued walking, purposefully bumping into the girl, and walked on. As he passed her he finally noticed her scent: that of a fox. This discovery brought back many, many bad memories... and one good one for more carnal reasons. Still, he walked passed her, not looking back and continuing on with his destination-less journey.

[Kiroro {D.evil's A.dvocate}]

"DisGUSTING."

As the man bumped into her, Arria got a noseful of his awful stench. It was a mixture of rot and disease, like fuming pus. She winced and turned dramatically, desperate for fresh air. She felt dizzy and hot, the purtrid stench had actually managed to screw with her senses. Ugh, this was going to be harder than she thought.

Suddenly, she realized that the Lycanthrope had simply disregarded her. She brooded, anger rushing through her veins. No one ignored her! She took off, running gracefully after him, fuming.

Once she caught up with him, she grabbed at the clinking chain with the intent to jerk him around to face her, anger flashing in her golden eyes. She knew she needed to be discreet, but she was so incredibly pissed that she disregarded the intolerables.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" she demanded, her displeasure apparent with the way she enunciated her words. She felt like hitting him. Hard.

Suddenly, she calmed. She was once again focused on the mission at hand. She spoke again, her tone more even now.

"I want you to come with me. It's of dire importance."

Realizing that anyone would be reluctant to follow a stranger, she took a long shot and hoped for the best...

"You're mate... she's with us."

[demin]

Matias smirked as the girl whipped around and chased after him. Angering others was always one of his favorite pastimes. She jerked at the chain around his wrist, and he turned around to face her, expression unchanging as she yelled in his face.

"I think I'm a guy minding his own damn business. You're the one grabbing onto people and yelling in their faces." he said, just as emotionless as his face. He saw the anger in her eyes and it amused him to no end, but he kept that to himself. What she said next, however, piqued his interest.

"And I want to go on my merry way, but there's a little fox nagging at me."

At the mention of Selia, though, something changed in his eyes. A momentary gap in his defenses allowed a flash of anxiety to show through. The thought of Selia being captured was one that upset him, but he quickly regained his composure.

"You know what I am," he said in a slightly quieted voice lest a less-than-friendly human overhear, "so you know what she is. You expect me to believe my mate would be taken without incident? I would've heard something about it. Last time I trusted one of your kind I ended up with the shackle you have in your little hands. Find some other lycan to nag."

[Kiroro {D.evil's A.dvocate}]

Good God. He reminded Arria of her mother. And she hated her mother.

Arria noticed he was stoic. Just another thing that made her think of her bitchy mother again. Oh, what a dreadful thing this was becoming.

But then.... she couldn't help but smirk inwardly as the anxiety flashed momentarily. So, this was the great fighter's weak point. His mate. How coy.

She quickly recovered, answering his question candidly.

"Of course I know what you are. Any one within a five mile radius down-wind does, if they're like us..." She paused, allowing him time to turn that over in his mind.

"And... I never said it was without incident." She looked him right in the eyes, trying to muster the most confident, least guilty expression she ever had. Oh, moon, how she hated her job.

"Besides. It's not my fault that you're racist. You can either come with me and see her again, or you can wander the city by yourself. You'll never find them without me."

Arria did not intend on telling him who 'they' were. It was too much too soon. And if he knew what was actually going on, then there would be no way in hell he would ever come with her.

[demin]

Thinking clearly had been a massive problem since he had been infected. The more Arria spoke, the more what she said made sense. If Matias had been of sound mind, he would see through what was an obvious lie. He had heard nothing of a werewolf cutting a swathe through humans attempting to harm it, and he listened to the crowds' murmuring, listening to those who thought their conversations went unheard in the hustle and bustle of city life, yet heard nothing.

Go with her, little pup. Go with her, then sink your claws into her throat when she's taken you to your precious whore, then kill her too. You know you want to.

[/color]

The virus had become subtle. Instead of screaming into his mind and forcing him into a blind rage, it now whispered in his ear, influencing him subconsciously to do its bidding. He nodded, begrudgingly agreeing to accompany the fox to wherever she lead him, something he would likely regret in the near future but something the virus now assured him was the smart thing to do. "Fine. You'll have to let go of my shackle though." he said, forcefully pulling his arm away. "I've been lead around by a fox with this thing before. I don't wanna go through that again."[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Kiroro {D.evil's A.dvocate}]

As he pulled away, she loosened her grip on the chain, allowing it to slide smoothly from her hand. He was cooperating, which was wonderful for the time being. However, she doubted he'd remain cooperative for long.

"Let us haste then. She's waiting for you."

Arria turned swiftly and pushed her way back into the Alley that she had emerged from just minutes ago and took off, sprinting. She ran swiftly, but not full speed. She was unsure of how much his concave little body could handle.

She began to lead him to the heart of Thor. This seedy underbelly was well known for its excessive crime rate and violent nature. Just another reason she loved her job. It required her to remain alert and sharp at all times, without allowing any outside mischief to affect her missions. Thor's reputation was hardly admirable, and the further they ventured, the more apparent that became.

Instead of traveling the streets, she led him through buildings and across rooftops. She knew her home well enough to navigate easily through the network of buildings. As usual, abandoned buildings reeked of rotting flesh. The streets, like alcohol, oil, and blood. Passer-bys stunk as well, from lack of preening. But above all the others scents, the Lycanthope's behind her was overpowering. Her nose still burned from when he rammed into her. She would never understand why anyone, human or otherwise, would neglect their hygiene in such a way.

About three-fourths of the way to her destination, she slowed her pace. They were on a rooftop, facing north-east. The sun was now almost completely down, which made her eyes glow intensely. She turned to look at the man behind her, giving him a chance to catch his breath.

"You know, it wouldn't hurt to bathe every once in a while. It was too easy to find you. We thought she smelled bad, but yours is much, much worse."

She put her hands on her hips, and bent slightly forward.

"When we get there, I'll see to it that you get a nice preening."

She taunted him in a suggestive tone, flashing him a sharp-toothed, sultry grin. She loved to tease, especially her prey. Whether or not he found it amusing meant nothing to her, it was merely fun to paw at him. She expected him to either become angry, or stare at her silently. Either way, she hoped he knew better than to start screaming his head off for no damn reason. Then shed have to knock him out and carry him back... and that was a thought she was not too fond of.

[demin]

The pain in his leg during the duo's journey intensified with each step. The wound that had been the entry point for the Virus still hadn't healed, despite being suffered many weeks ago. By the time they had nearly arrived at their destination his leg was constantly throbbing with a sharp pain that was spreading through his whole body. He was grateful when the fox decided to stop. Matias' breathing was labored, the pain sapping his strength and energy.

His eyes snapped to Arria as she spoke, though now there was a slight difference in them. If one were to look closely, they could see a ring of glowing scarlet along the edges of his amber eyes, a symptom of the plague in his veins.

"Sorry to offend your delicate senses, princess." He said rather plainly. He wouldn't rise to her bait, not this time. "We gonna keep goin', or you got something else to say?"

[Kiroro {D.evil's A.dvocate}]

"Well, well. Looks like he won't stand for playfulness right now."

Arria took in his appearance once more. He didn't look like he was taking the jog very well, all winded and tense like that. She decided not to let her gaze linger on him for too long, and instead turned her attention to the street below.

"I'm going to advise you not to say a word when we enter. They're expecting us. Just let me do the talking..."

She turned to face him once again, locking onto his eyes. The scarlet ring around his eye made her feel strange, she could have sworn that wasn't there earlier...

"But I'm warning you, they definitely aren't happy with your girlfriend. She did a good deal of damage to our network when they brought her here."

The hardest part of her mission was approaching. She was well aware of what was about to take place, even though it went against everything she stood for. But she needed him at the time being, or else her plan would never work. He was going to be vital to her crusade.

"He'll just have to suffer some minor inconveniences....whether he likes it or not." she thought, wondering how exactly she was going to make her underlying goal come to fruition.

"We're not far now, are you ready to keep moving?"

[demin]

A smirk played across Matias's face at mention of the pain his mate had caused whatever group Arria was with. He had to admit, he felt some sense of pride in Selia.
"Yeah, bit of a temper on that girl,"he said, slightly amused. His breath was no longer labored or strained, but his leg still throbbed with pain. Arria's revelation that their trek was nearly over was a welcome bit of news, but his curiosity grew.

"Lead the way..." he hesitated, wondering for a split second if he really wanted to know who these people were. "Who are you people?"

[Kiroro {D.evil's A.dvocate}]

Arria wondered exactly how she could answer his question without seeming suspicious.

"We are all just like you."

She stepped towards the ledge of the roof, and looked back once more.

"We're different... we're better than the humans. Stronger, faster, more intelligent. And if we don't stand together..... we'll fall apart."

She gave him time to think about it before she spoke again, biding her time. Her answer wasn't completely true, but it wasn't a complete lie either. Everything she had been planning was riding on this moment, on getting him into Underground.

"That's all I can say for now, but rest assured, you'll know everything in a few moments."

A small, reassuring smile played across her lips. It was more to reassure herself than Matias, but she doubted he'd know the difference.

She turned and jumped down to the street, then turned her gaze upwards. She was forever thankful for her strategic abilities. There was no other way she could make it in this world without careful planning and her willingness to take risks. Now, all she could do was wait.

[demin]

The more he listened to this fox-girl, the more he distrusted her, as if he needed another reason other than her vulpine nature. For now, though, he had no choice but to continue following her. He had to find Selia and return her to safety. This fox-woman was his only lead, so he would follow her wherever she led him until he was reunited with his mate. Whatever ulterior motives she may have had for seeking him out were hidden from his addled and weakened mind.

Arria jumped down into the alley, and Matias followed, not knowing his hatred of the vulpine race would be further vindicated.

[Kiroro {D.evil's A.dvocate}]

A short time later...

Arria walked slowly down the hallway. They had entered the Underground, and she was leading him down a network of intertwining pathways. She hadn't bothered to blindfold him because they were so confusing. Only a few people really knew them well enough to navigate. So she led him in a few different circles until she decided that play time was over.

"So, you're aware that we know quite a bit about you...." she kept her eyes forward as she spoke, waiting for the right moment.

"But I assure you, that cooperation is of the utmost importance, even if you don't trust us. Of course, we're aware that the circumstances are less-than-admirable, but I think there's an offer that you can't refuse.... Matias...."

As soon as his name escaped her mouth, two creatures lept behind Arria and her prey. The two men had surprised them, and left little time for reaction. She stopped and turned to see Matias's reaction as the severity of the situation became apparent. It would be painful to watch what would happen next.

Almost instantly, the man on the left punched Matias square in the jaw. His friend followed the first hit almost instantly, and gave Mat a kick to the stomach. Matias gave his best effort, but the surprise was too much too fast. Even if he has suspected that something was up, her boys were well trained. His attempts to fight back were ultimately useless. They took turns roughing him up, but it lasted less than five seconds. A final punch to the nose sent Matias flying to the ground, knocked out cold.

Winded but not satisfied, the two stepped forward to continue the beating. Instantly, Arria was pissed.

"That's enough." her tone was firm as she looked them dead in the eyes, challenging them to push her. She knew they were aware of where she stood in their ranks, and one wrong move would send them to hell-on-earth. The bigger one snarled at her, his eyes glinting. He was momentarily distracted by the sounds of the ebon-haired man on the floor. Cracks, pops, and all sort of wonderful noises that made Arria crave it herself resounded in the concrete hallways. Regardless of her desire, though, she kept her eyes on the underling, and he backed away. His friend followed suit, and they faded into the darkness without another word.

She waited a moment until she could no longer hear their footsteps, then reached down to lift poor Matias from the floor. She slung him over her shoulder, with surprising ease. He was just... so skinny....

"We'll have to fatten you up..." she whispered softly.

She made her way through the compound until she reached a red door. Beyond this door, the holding cells awaited. As much as she desired to furnish him with nicer quarters, it would look too suspicious if she was caught favoring a prisoner.

"Prisoner...."

The word flashed it's ugly face in her mind, making her feel awfully guilty. But for now, that's what he was. And he had to remain that way for at least a little while.... But still, this did not ease her conscious. Looking around brought back memories of when she was first brought here. Dark walls, concrete floors, steel bars.... They were sparsely furnished as well, nothing more than a small, rickety cot and a sink. Whether or not the water actually worked was a mystery to her though, now that she thought about it.

"Ugh.." she shivered, dreading the moment when the Lycan on her shoulder would awaken to his new living arrangements.

"That's something I'd rather not be here for...." she decided as she walked past the cells, creatures moaning and yelling and barking all around her. She grabbed the keys from her belt and unlocked a cell door. She had chosen one just a few cells from the end of the hallway, furthest from the door. His cell-mate.... well... he would see when he woke up.

Once she had Matias on the floor, she tip-toed out and locked all four locks on the door. She had been blessed with a skeleton key, but the privilege was supposed to be short-lived. Soon, she would have to start stealing it once again periodically.

"Oh, moon...." she looked at him once more before she walked away, wondering what the hell she was getting herself into.