RAMEN RUN! {Open}

[Urjasz Volkova]

Her story was too common a story and it hit him hard. But he was amazed to here how she endured more than her fair share. More than she should ever endure. He closed the gap, putting his arms around her to comfort her, stroking her hair as he hugged. "That is a burden no one should carry. And I was right in what I said, do not base your views on my kind by this meeting. Only you know too well, and it saddens me. When the hunger hits us, Lycans will feed it. But when they do, they leave nothing of what once was. When you vampires feed, it may hurt but it is quicker and more peaceful. Never trust a Lycan, not even myself, for we have two minds." Stepping back from the hug, he places his hands on each cheek and added "You are honourable for what you have done for Linx. With Blaise there was nothing you could do. If you had stayed, you would of died and his sacrifice would of been for nothing. And now you sacrifice your love for the life of the one you love. You amaze me how playful and full of life you are despite the past. But I disagree with what is happening. You're master has no right to say what you can and can't do. You should be a free person, not trapped in a life of regrets."

Dark reflected on his own life, looking back at his regrets and achievements. His regrets outnumbered heavily. Her story made him wonder if he was any use to the world at all. She would sacrifice her love, something so strong, for the life of the one she loved. And he knew he would of taken his own life to of saved Kaja. If he knew what the future would hold, he would of let the Lycan in the woods finish him. But he knew he could not change the past, however much he wanted to. As he thought, an idea came to his mind. He looked her in the eyes, and he accepted what was to be. Firmly, he asked "Who is your master? Perhaps I could have a word. My line of work involves finding people and solving problems. I am more than willing to find him, for free, and to help solve your problem. If it's the least I can do to help. Perhaps in this wretched life I may help someone solve a real problem."

[scarletcross]

Scarlet hugged Dark tightly, but it was in such a human way that she could have been one in that small moment in time. "Please do not worry about me, and sometimes, i do amaze myself. For all that has affected me, i am resilient. I bounce back from anything.... well just about everything." She looked at the lycan before her with such emotional strength that it was impossible to even think her little body contained it. "I cannot be free, and it is my fault. It was my own choice to join him. I regret nothing. It was his fault that he did not inform me about Linx." scarlet touched her chest, the black dragon mark there.

Suddenly she looked slightly panicked, Dark couldnt hurt her master, he would be killed if he tried and Scarlet would be beaten for it. "Dark, i cant tell you who it is. First of all, I'm terribly sorry, but you hardly have a chance.... and second... if he found out that you were fighting for me........... i dont know if i would live to see another day." her eyes were frightened. Scarlet looked at Dark carefully. "He treats me well, and has given me the slight freedom to see my love on occasions... with his permission. But i know that i wont see him for a long while...." Scarlet looked from the male, to the ramen shop. "Come, lets not talk about gloomy things anymore, okay? Would you like some ramen? My treat." Scarlet smiled brightly.

[Urjasz Volkova]

Her fear bothered him. He may be a cold blooded killer, but to see someone loose their freedom and are unable to change it, bothered him greatly. "Ok" he said, taking a firm sigh, "I will not seek him. But should you ever need me to, here's my card." He handed her a sleek white card with his name, alias and number on it. It was possibly the smartest thing he had on his person. "And you're wrong. I do stand a chance against him. If I can survive a fight with some feared vampire, what was her name... something Stone, I can survive anything. She put up a damn good fight and I respect her for it." What he said was true, but in his heart he knew next time he might not be so lucky. The only reason he survived as long as he did was sheer stubborness, refusing to die.

Looking at the Ramen shop, he finished "Ok, I'm up for a quick meal. But let me just say I don't agree with how you're life is going and like I said before, anything you need, just call. Right, what's good in this place?" He was new to the whole Asian cuisine thing, as he had never really been there. A few jobs here and there, but nothing major. He wondered what types of food there was and if he'd even like them. The world was small to him, yet there were some places he just couldn't be bothered to go. Russia and Europe covered most of his life, working in the Eastern block and occasionally in England (which he found paid very well). Africa was another place he liked, but it was more of a holiday place for him, as he enjoyed the whole tribe thing more than the work. There was no glory in killing tribesmen, so he would stay in a village and move on a week later. He enjoyed that year and if he made it to 200 would treat himself again with another visit. They were the only people who liked him for what he is.

[scarletcross]

"Dark, i assure you that you have never met anyone like him. You would die no matter how hard you tried. Enough with this though." Scarlet said, brushing back a peice of crimson hair that stuck to her still wet face. her mind wanted to dismiss the thoughts of her master and wanted to focus on good times. She did accept his card though, it was nice to know that there was someone there to help her. But seeing as her clothing was wet she just held it in her hand. Scarlet wouldnt put it in her pocket just yet. "Thank you." She said softly, referring to the card.

Scarlet took Dark's hand gently, walking into the warm little shop. "Here you can get anything. Ramen noodles, any sort of rice.... if you like chinese, they have it here." She took a seat close to a heater so that thier clothes could dry out some. Her arms rested upon the table. "I've already eaten about three bowls of ramen and im still starving! All the training. Grr..." Scarlet popped her knuckles and neck, feeling relaxed afterwards. "Order anything, I've got money to burn tonight." Scarlet smiled dazzlingly, not caring whom saw her fangs.

[Urjasz Volkova]

The warmth of the heater soothed Dark, and he struggled to remember the last time he was warm. He looked at the menu, wondering what half of it was. "umm.... I'll have what ever you recommend, I've not tried this stuff before so I wouldn't know what I want just yet." He was a novice in this food, and he hated being a novice with a passion. Despite being a quick learner, the actual stage of learning annoyed him, for he liked to be able to do things quick and efficiently without having to ask for help. Trial and error was his main method of learning, and he had some bad memories to prove it. He only hoped he wasn't allergic to the stuff, otherwise he'd be in big trouble.

She mentioned her training and he took a keen interest straight away. "Ah training, dare I ask what kind? My personal training is years in the wilderness hunting, and studying Kicking boxing and Kung Fu whilst in England." The memories of winning fights without changing amused him, as he knew from the start he'd win one way or the other. Humans were never more than prey, entertainment or background noise to him. They only lived a mere 80 to 100 years. How boring. He couldn't believe how close he was to living that life. He'd seen man go from the industrial revolution to the modern era. What a leap eh. His only concern was the weapons to hunt him would be more advanced and one day will get him. Looking at Scarlet, his interest in her response could not be more focused as he loved the idea of seeing her fighting, for someone so fragile looking. But he knew well looks can be deceiving.

[scarletcross]

Scarlet was ready for yet another round of her favorite ramen. Beef, with the complementing vegtables and chunks of meat in it. Since he didnt know what he was ordering, he asked Scarlet on her opinion. "Well, if you like meat i suggest the beef ramen. The spices in it are amazing and they put amazingly seasoned beef chunks into it. But, if your more of a veggie person... which you dont look like you are... Theres the toss rice with all the veggies you could ever want. I like both. But theres also your special fried rice with ever meat on the planet in it." Scarlet then stopped talking, realizing that she was probably rambling. "Well... those are my favorites." she said softly.

Scarlet watched as an asian boy came by for thier order. She smiled and asked for her usual. The boy smiled and laughed softly, knowing what Scarlet wanted right away. The sparkle in his eyes lead her to believe that he liked her, or at least thought she was cute. "Well Dark, your choice now." She smiled happily, waiting for him to take his pick as she put the card he had given to her in one of her dry pockets.

[Urjasz Volkova]

Chuckling, he ordered the beef ramen thing. She was right, he definately wasn't a veggie. And he certainly didn't look like one. Least he hoped not. He never understand the idea of not eating meat. After all, if other animals can eat each other, why the hell couldn't he eat them? By not eating meat he would be denying himself the freedom which he loves. As he ordered, he took note of the Asian lad checking out Scarlet. Smiling, he thought to himself "Hell, least he has taste", looking over at Scarlet. "What's not to like" he thought, smiling a little too much. Resuming his normal facial features, he tried to think of conversation.

Remembering she hadn't answered about the training, he softly reminded her. He also added "Not to ask too much, but what do you plan to do in the future? Any big events in your life? Besides the obvious love story, what else does life hold for you?" His own question made him think. What was there in his life? Being with Scarlet was like starting all over again, as every question made him think. How come he'd never asked himself these questions. How come no one else had? Even in his own mind, he regretted the last question as he knew the answer. No one has asked because he either killed or pushed away anyone close. He didn't think much of the American Dream, as he was thought himself to be awake, but the idea of a new start appealed to him. The idea may of been centuries old, but he was nearing his 200th, despite being an 25 odd years or so to go. As the world changed around him, he had to change to survive, but he had never changed his lifestyle. It was about time, and not a moment too soon.

[scarletcross]

When the boy left scarlet went on to explain her training. "Well, if you hadnt noticed i've aquired the power of controling the weather. I can only do so much it seems, but im constantly training to improve it. I am only supposed to train once a day for only an hour, but i admit that now i've been getting used to it ive pushed the time limit a little." She smiled sheepishly, glad that Samael wasnt around to hear that. Scarlet didnt know if he would be upset for her doing that, but she didnt know for sure.

"My future hopefully involves improving myself, power, and being able to fight a decent opponent. I hate it how just because im younge they think i cant fight. It annoys me! I can fight, i can kill. I can do just about everything they can." Scarlet was looking down at her hand, twirling her ring. "Hopefully, i will get some time off and have that wedding i've been waiting to have. Everything is planned.... everything is sitting in my apartment, collecting dust." Scarlet sighed and thought about the silver dress just sitting there, untouched. She promised herself that she wouldnt touch it again until it was time for her wedding. "Otherwise... its life as usual."

A good ten minutes has passed and the same boy came back with the two large bowls of beef ramen, two sets of chop sticks and a fork for Dark. Scarlet giggled and broke apart her chopsticks, scooping up noodles and eating. "Mmm. Best ramen in town." She mumbled gently with a noodle filled mouth.

[Urjasz Volkova]

The idea of weather control sounded like magic to Dark and he had always thought of it as cheating in combat. But whatever he thought, he was out there and there was nothing he could do about it. Curious, he asked "Why the hour limit? Surely to become great you should practice as much as possible?" Her world was a confusing one, as he found all the greatness of it was always bound down by something. She had great potential and shouldn't be held down. "On the same note", he added, "what do you define as a decent opponent? Everyone has their own specific strengths and weaknesses."

He allowed her time to think, but before he himself forgot, he included "I hope you get to have that wedding some day. It'd be nice to hear you tell a nice story about your life. One that has some happiness in it. Plus you seem like you deserve a little happiness." The food arrived and he observed her tuck in. Looking at it blankly, he took the fork and tried to pick it up. It kept sliding off his fork and he was making a little too much mess. Manners aside, he thought he had it until it all slid off onto the table. "Hmm, not as easy as it looks".

[scarletcross]

"The hour limit is so that i dont kill myself. It's very possible that i cant tire myself until im on deaths door. I've also been known for not knowing when to stop." Scarlet giggled and slurped up some more of the warm beefy noodles. "Mnh, of course though, practice does make perfect." She mumbled slightly, to hungry to care about her manners. Scarlet swallowed the noodles, her voice much clearer now. "But i'd rather not die when i just started to learn." She paused, looking at him intently, her chop sticks lowering as her hand rested against the small table. What did she concider a decent opponent? "Hmm... i suppose its someone who has the spirit to drive for thier goal, but sense enough to know when they need to run for thier lives. Someone who puts up a good fight." She nodded, confirming her thoughts as she resumed shoveling the noodles and beef into her mouth.

Scarlet then realized that Dark was having some trouble with his food. Her eyes watched him attempt to pick up some noodles, but they splashed back into the bowl. He tried over and over, making Scarlet finally giggled. "Twirl the noodles around your fork like spagetti." she offered and somehow managed to do the same thing with her chop sticks. "It helps, but once you eat it...... 3 times a week, you kinda get the hang of it." She smiled brilliantly.

[Urjasz Volkova]

As he struggled to grasp how to eat the ramen, there was the sound of a plate smashing in the kitchen behind. Dark observed the asian waiter run in and thought nothing of it. "I'd like to meet a Lycan who could eat this stuff" he chuckled, catching some as it fell. "For my decent opponent, and nothing personal here, but it'd be someone who fights one on one without magic. I've always seen it as cheating. But then again, Lycan vs human is the same. I just want to meet something I deem worthy of ending my life. I want to die by the sword, not by magic."

He was interupted by a loud scream from inside the kitchen. Jumping up, he took hold of his knife out of his pocket and burst into the kitchen. A woman was sat in the corner crying and screaming, staring at the two bodies on the floor. Blood covered the kitchen, the chef and waiter twisted and torn on the floor. Both had large gashs in their throats. Passing the bodies, he took hold of the woman and asked what she saw. Terrified, she told him a man had them by the neck and she surprised him. Leaving her in the corner, he checked the pulses of both men and opened the kitchen door. Blood dripping from his hand, he asked Scarlet to join him. "I think you'd best see this."

[scarletcross]

"Well, if you are a graceful lycan with exquisite manners... you can do it." she laughed gently. "It really only takes practice... and you're evern using the fork! Im using chopsticks!" Scarlet smiled brightly, only poking fun, not being mean. When dark began to talk about his worthy opponents Scarlet snorted. "What do you mean "magic?" Are you reffering to the fact that i am able to control the weather at my will? Hell, i dont ever use it unless my opponent is more powerful. You need all you can get when you're odds are shit." Scarlet stopped and started poking at a peice of beef that bobbed in the broth. "Im so young, and im surrounded by much older vampires that control me. I need to learn all i can so that they will figure out that they cant push me around anymore."

Scarlet jumped at the scream, her knees hitting the table. She flinched and rubbed them, that would leave a bruise. Dark left in quite a hurry to see what had happened. Personally scarlet knew the girl was clumsy, and often burned herself. She really wondered why Dark jumped up like that. Her emerald eyes looked at the door, waiting for his return. When he did step out he beckoned her to join him in the kitchen, blood dripped to the floor. Something serious happened.

Scarlet stood up, a gun in her hand. It worked amazingly with all immortals. Strong enough to break bone, and silver bullets filled with holy water. She had been shot by one of these once before, and she found that it was better to have such a weapon on your side, than against you. She hurried into the kitchen, her shoes squeaking on the blood stained floor. The smell of blood had hit her like bricks, her body wanting to lurch forward and claim a body. She shook her head though, breathing through her mouth now. "What the hell happened?" She asked, walking around the bodies, her gun cocked and ready for anyone, or anything, to pounce at her out of a cabient or soemthing.

[Urjasz Volkova]

The warmth in his heart had gone. The reality of life had come back to haunt him, as it always did. This was nature's reminder of what he is, what he knows and what he must fight. Vampires were the Lycan's main rival for domination, to be top of the food chain. Lycans had the strength and power to kill almost anything, but vampires have techniques and skills to defeat their opponents. There was no official war between the species, it's just how it was. Like the fly and the spider, enemies for eternity. That was not to say there could not be truces along the way. Hyenas and lions are enemies, but they can still live side by side. Dark took a look at Scarlet, who was braced ready for an attack and pitied her. Not for what she is, but for what she must endure, much like himself. He knew what he is and accepted it. But does she? That question pondered in his mind.

"They were killed by a vampire. This is what some of your kind call a messy death. It looks like the work of a newly bitten, they tend to be more messy. But it could be an ancient, for it was done very quickly and effectively. There are those in your species who enjoy a violent kill more than my kind. Of what I know about your kind, I do pity you. Not because of what you are, but because what you are born into. Or bitten perhaps. Either way, there is a war greater than that of the one between our species, but an internal war. There are elders, pure bloods, who think they are the only ones rightful to be here. They look down on half-breeds, bitten by pures and they believe lycans to be a mere opponent. We can be friends, and that I will not oppose, but you must accept that should our species fight, you must fight for your kind. But should the pure bloods try to take over, our species will unite. This is the reality of life. There will never be a superior race, the fight will go on forever. That is how nature sees it. If one was to wipe the other out, another race would arise." Dark leaned against the kitchen surface, looking at Scarlet. He would rather die than kill her. She was the kind of vampire he would love to co-exist with. Someone without biast, someone without a natural hate. It was alot for her to take in, so he paused for her to take it in.

[scarletcross]

"Well they were OBVIOUSLY killed by something. It doesnt nessicarily mean a vampire unless the poor girl said so. Anyone can slit a throat, even a human." Scarlet sighed and looked at him with blackened eyes, the taste of the blood on her tongue was making her thristy, but she was of no danger to Dark. Even though her innocent features had turned to a ferice and firghtening animal. Her emerald eyes that once gleamed were black holes that never ended. "I would appriciate if you didnt jump to conclusions. I know everything about my kind. I know that there are ones out there that kill for fun. I know it. You dont have to shove it in my face like im a child justbecause im reletavley new to this life, okay?" Her voice was hard and had a slightly different sound to it, she didnt sound like Scarlet. Innocence, and sweetness was gone.

Scarlet let her fingers touch the blood and then lick it clean with a shudder. It had been about a month, she would need to feed soon. "I know our species arent too keen of eachother but im not one of those people. I will fight for my kind, but i will also protect my Lycan friends. No one i know will die if i can help it. No one at all for that matter." She said in a deadly tone and stood up. "Im sorry you much see me in such a cruel and cold state, but im thristy. Im more animal than Scarlet now." Scarlet looked through the cabinets, everything. every corner and crack was checked. No one was here any longer. "Who ever it was, is gone, and i dont know the scent that they left behind. It is no one that i know." She leaned against the counter and closed her eyes, rubbing her forehead with her free hand. Her head was beginging to hurt from just the lights in the room. Damn her master for givng her the trait. "Do you have any sunglasses on you...? anything i can cover my eyes with?" she looked at him with her eyes squinted and her hand with the gun sheilding the light from her eyes.

[Urjasz Volkova]

Her innocence had gone for a moment, and in that moment, the only thing keeping him from wanting to kill her was gone. He held back, knowing it would pass, but the urge to tear her to a million peices bore through his body like a drug. Looking away from her, he clenched his fists. The animal inside which he controlled so well was fighting back harder than ever before. For a moment he almost wanted to let it win, unleash a force of pure chaos. But flashbacks of Kaja burst into his mind, and he fought it.

He had no answer for her. He didn't care what she thought or did. Everyone says they'd save the others if they could. He used to be one of them. That was till, he let the first person die. After that, he just didn't care. People died all the time, and no one ever tried to save him. Why should he save them? Especially humans, they had no purpose but to be eaten. He was gifted and blessed, he deserved to live. Taking a Colt from his pocket, he placed it on the counter. In case she thought anything, he calmly stated "For the people, in case they turn." He was lying. Thinking of using it on her, he leaned against the counter. As he did, two Chinese men burst into the room, both holding pistols. They started shouting at him in Chinese. He just assumed mafia and yelled back "I speak English, I don't know what you're moaning about!" As he did, they raised their pistols at him. Grabbing his gun, he fired at one of them. The man's face tore in half as the bullet ripped through. As he went to fire at the other, several rounds hit him in the chest. "Ah Fuck!" he shouted, slumping hard down the counter, firing off rounds blindly towards the Chinese man. Dark looked up from his wounds to see them man groaning on the floor. Dying preferbly he thought. Dark lay against the counter, holding his wounds lightly. It wouldn't kill him, but he forgot how much the damn things hurt. For the moment, he couldn't be bothered to get up just yet.