Deathstroke (Eda/Kail)

[qhostqrowls]

Each punch landed with a satisfying, heavy thwack, and yet the man was still grinning. Wider and wilder than before. Kail almost seemed to hesitate as he drew back for a third blow. He liked a fight as much as the next man, but being punched in the face - who liked that?

Niran bucked upwards, and suddenly their positions were reversed. The wendigo hissed, at the threatening pressure on his throat, the purred words of the other, and turned his head to the side, bringing an arm up to try and block the coming punch from landing on his face.

His other hand clawed at Nirans back, scoring lines through his jacket, and he braced for the coming pain.

[kilnarak]

"Tch. Don't hide. Let us see that pretty face. Are you scared?" Niran laughed again. The split in his lip had already closed, the bruises were fading. The perks of his nature - although sometimes he did wish the marks stayed longer. With his first punch blocked, instead of following with a second he tried to catch Kail's arm and pull it away from his face.

A hiss escaped him when Kail clawed at his back, his grip on the other's throat tightening slightly for a moment, then releasing abruptly as he tried to pin the other's clawing hand as well. "Delicious. But I don't think you want that. Not if you're scared I'll ruin your pretty face." The shifter's facial features had definitely changed, not entirely human anymore. With both of Kail's arms pinned he leaned down close and dragged a sandpaper-rough tongue over the other's cheek, then turned his head to bite down hard with teeth that were not-quite leonine on the wendigo's shoulder. The other's jacket blunted the bite, kept him from taking a chunk out of Kail, but that didn't mean it wouldn't hurt - and that was what he wanted. He was having too much fun to do serious damage to his new playmate after all.

[jarahamee]

Eda watched the fight reach its inevitable conclusion, rising slowly to her feet. She had no doubt that the two of them would drag this out or however long, but she had finally run out of patience for it.

“Alright, that’s enough.”

She stepped in front of the body, as if shielding it from further interest from the two predators, crossing her arms. She wouldn’t have minded if they tore one another’s’ clothes off right here and now, but there wasn’t much she could do in her current position apart from watching them.

“Now now, I think we’re done. Unless you want more, Kail.”

The vampire gestured to Niran, as if it was an open invitation for more punishment from her through him.

[qhostqrowls]

Kail glared up at Niran, his features a pale imitation of anything human.

“Man, don’t make it weird.” He spat, straining against the hold on his wrists.

He snarled a curse at the rasp of his tongue against his cheek, and then swore, loudly, at the searing pain of the bite. Even with his jacket dulling the damage he could feel blood welling and knew he could’ve ripped out a good chunk of muscle if he’d bit harder.

Two could play that game. He wouldn’t be so smug with a torn throat, and went to lunge upwards just as the vampire intervened.

He paused, pale gaze flicking from Niran to stay on Eda.

“Yeah, I’m good.” He said, after a pause, and slumped back against the ground, staring up at the shifter. “Draw?”

[kilnarak]

The warning growl that rolled through his throat when Kail began to tense to move wasn't anything near human, his teeth pressing down more firmly into the wendigo's shoulder. But 'Jen' had told him to stop and, for the time being at least, he was inclined to play the good pet. He held on a moment longer, then released Kail slowly, easing back up slowly as his features smoothed back into something like human. He waited until Kail answered before releasing his wrists and getting off of him, stepping back toward the vampire's side.

"It's a draw then," he agreed after a moment, licking his lips absently. "We'll play again some other time, hm?" He laughed, watching Kail a moment, then turned his attention to Eda, focusing on her. "Do you want to give that to him? It's cold now and I don't want it. I'd rather find something with a bit of fight still in it."

[jarahamee]

Eda shifted, standing up straight. What did she want? She looked between the two men, and then down at the rapidly cooling corpse, then smiled back at the two of them. What did she want? She wanted to know more about their new friend Kail.

“Well then, Kail. Don’t be cagey about your past if you want a meal. Tell me about you. Who are you? Why are you here?”

She crossed her arms, taking another step towards her companion, as if to square shoulders with him. While this individual might have physical power, she knew well enough that she had mental and physical means.

“If you satisfy our curiosity, I don’t see why not.”

Her expression was almost placating as she gestured towards the corpse.

[qhostqrowls]

Kail shook himself out as he stood, a slow bleed of dark red blooming across his jacket. He rolled his shoulder out, and watched Eda carefully when she began to stalk nearer.

He felt a flash of irritation at the questions. He was not someone who liked to think about himself even in such a simple capacity. When he hungered he ate, when he was bored he hunted. He didn’t consider it to be anything more than that.

But he did really want the corpse. Cold or not, meat was meat.

“Uh. I dunno. I ate human flesh ‘bout 300 years ago, got cursed, been like this since.”

He shrugged, scuffing his boot against the flattened grass. She clearly wanted more than just the basics. 

“I hunt humans, and Hunters when I want more of a challenge. Run with a gang that’s tryna take down some of the bigger Hunter groups.”

He crossed his arms over his chest, grimacing at the pull of the wound.

“So what, you a vigilante vampire or something?”

[kilnarak]

Niran's attention flicked to Kail briefly as the other stood, but returned to Eda as she stepped up beside him. At her questioning he glanced toward the wendigo again, a little curious. The fighting had been more interesting for him than conversing, but Eda had made it clear that that was over for now. He shifted his weight slightly to one side, folding his arms over his chest.

"Any ol' human will do? Or do you have... preferences?" He was picky about who and what he hunted, but 'Monster Hunters' were a usual target. "Tell us about the gang."

[jarahamee]

Eda glanced at Kail and made a soft scoffing sound, her smeared lipstick mingled with the caked blood gave her a grotesque and unnatural appearance. She crossed her thin arms over her chest, and made a motion like she was going to step on the corpse again to bar him from it.

“Vigilante? What a strange way to frame it. I just. Live with purpose. Kill with purpose. I make the most of this curse I was forced to take, and I enjoy my freedom. It sounds like you’re hardly the type. Are you a common predator then?”

Her eyes flashed dangerously, and both Niran and Kail would notice how her arms tensed slightly, before she smiled and wandered closer.

“I suppose I can agree with some Hunters. They’re killing the indiscriminate feeders... Acting outside of the worthless WDSA laws… But there are some who simply believe that every person, cursed, born or otherwise, deserves punishment, and that, I cannot stand for. Those…have been our targets, Niran and I…”

The vampire reached out to take his arm. In the years they had known one another, her passion, and indeed, her deluded sense of idealism had taken on a life of its own, filling her with feverish passion.

“And of course, other monsters.”

Her smile spread wide and cruel.

[qhostqrowls]

Kails features settled into a sullen look of resignation. He had the distinct feeling even if he played along with her questions, he wasn’t getting that corpse.

“Kinda. Hunters are more of a challenge, put up more of a fight.” He replied to Niran, reaching into his jacket and fishing out what was now a very squished packet of cigarettes.

In truth he was opportunistic. He killed when he could, and didn’t discriminate any further than that. It was only when he was truly bored he went for a challenge, and then it was more about the fight than the feed.

“We’re making sure they all die slow. They deserve to suffer for what they do."

For the first time in the night, there was a note of true passion in his voice.

“For now it’s one by one, group by group, but we’re gonna get rid of whole factions, whole organizations, not just in this city but the whole country.”

He flicked his lighter on and off again and again, distracted.

“And yeah, I am. I’ve been saying that all night.” His attention was back on the vampire, his tone flippant, blunt, almost aggressive. “I enjoy my freedom same as you do. I just ain’t a picky eater.”

They at least had the shared common ground of a hatred for the WDSA. He lifted the cigarette to his lips, watching her all the while.

“The only good Hunter is a dead one.” He said. “They’dve staked you and saved that scum you drained, and they’d call themselves heroes for it.”

[kilnarak]

"Bit of fun, at least," Niran offered, looking to Eda again. He could tell she was losing interest in his recent playmate - he wondered if that meant she would kill him now or simply let him go. It would be a shame, but at the moment he had no inclination to stop her if that was what she chose to do; he was just along for the ride. He smiled at her when she took his arm, shifting to stand nearer her. They were together in this hunt, after all, even if he doubted she really needed the support.

"If you really felt that way, wouldn't you always go after Hunters? Not just for the challenge?" Niran tipped his head slightly to the side, regarding Kail again. "Personally, don't see the point in hunting someone that can't fight back - no fun in that, and the meat is sweeter when the death is deserved." He hummed thoughtfully, absently playing with the torn front of his shirt with his free hand. His gaze flicked back to Eda. "Dearest Jen, a penny for your thoughts?"

[jarahamee]

She slipped from Niran's side, nodding at him.

Eda’s eyes fixated on Kail, her pupils growing wide. Her expression quickly became blank, her mouth made a firm line. The face that had once been beautiful was now terrifying. Something inside her had snapped.

She staggered forward, drawing a bloody hand across her face, her voice rising shrilly;

“YOU’RE JUST LIKE THE ONES THAT TURNED ME. MONSTER.”

Her hands contorted, forming talons with her fingers. She breathed heavily, despite having a dead heart and lungs. Her flesh flushed with life, and she turned her head unnaturally as she stared at him.

The vampire’s lips curled back from her fangs. Her eyes were furious and wild. All thought of destroying the hunter’s guild was gone from her mind.

“TELL ME NOW WHY I SHOULDN’T JUST KILL YOU? TEAR YOU. FOR ALL THE WOMEN YOU KILLED?”

[qhostqrowls]

The wendigo stood his ground, snarling low in his throat. It was like a switch had been flicked, and he tensed in expectation of a blow as she staggered nearer.

"Christ." Kail's lip curled, nothing but disdain across his features. All those questions and he hadn't even gotten what he'd came for.

"Fighting your own over a few humans. At least Hunters are loyal to their kind." He spat. "You ain't worth the trouble."

She'd just fed - the man could heal as fast as he could damage. He wasn't getting in a fight over a cold body.

His focused on a shift, feeling the dizzying rush of wild strength and all-consuming hunger as his form twisted. The monster raised his head, a warning hiss slipping between his yellowed fangs.

He took a skulking step towards the edge of the clearing, his hackles raised.

[kilnarak]

Niran watched as Eda slipped away from him, noting her sudden fixation, the way she moved. He heaved a sigh, shaking his head a little. Well, that was that. It didn't matter that Kail had been fun to play with, his nature was an offense to her. He rolled his shoulders, then tore off the tattered remains of his shirt off and shifted. His other garments slid off as his body changed, and with feline legs he kicked them away. As a lion he stretched and yawned, his spotted hide rippling, and then he padded forward after Eda, following her.

He wasn't sure if he would attack, at least not unless Kail attacked Eda. He didn't much feel like chasing if the wendigo fled either. But maybe a chase could be fun? He hadn't gotten much of a taste through Kail's clothing, he wondered how a wendigo might taste? Would it even be worth the hunt, or would he be better off with the cold corpse Eda had left. It did seem a bit more appetizing, now that he had shifted...

For now he waited to see how things played out.

[jarahamee]

The vampire’s eyes remained wide, reflecting an unnatural red in the moonlight, but at his words, her body shivered, flesh warping unnaturally. She continued moving towards him, though somewhere in the process, she was no longer walking on two legs, instead bounding towards him on four with impressive speed. When she looked up at him again, her face was a disturbing mixture of felid and human, her voice distorted and mingled with the roar of a tiger.

“You are NOTHING LIKE ME.”

The very large, dark felid tore up the ground as she leapt towards him, pausing only to gently bounce shoulders with Niran in his lion form. Kail had seen enough felids to know that this was likely a dark-colored tiger rather than a panther or any other kind of mixed cat. It was just very, very large.

“YOU’RE JUST LIKE THEM! ALL OF THEM! YOU MONSTER!”

She showed no signs of stopping, or of mock-charging, her speed only increased as she came closer. The eyes of the creature glowed as red as her human form.