restroom | ( open general rp post )

And yet you invited yourself to one of their parties.

[ Dry, but it is meant only as an observation, even a point of curiosity. It would be counterproductive to pick a fight with the man who is supposedly his ally, at least for the moment.

Carefully, Spock begins to pick his way down the hall. His steps are silent against the concrete floor, head tilted as he listens to pick out anything of substance from the low scramble of sound. ]

I like parties.

( he's not going to apologize for that. he likes parties and he likes free drinks and sometimes he can meet someone that he can enjoy some time with.

he shrugs, unapologetic. )

Can you blame a guy for having fun?

Yes. [ Flat and immediate. After a moment of thought he adds: ] Easily.

[ One of the rooms off the hallway has light spilling out from beneath the door. Spock slows as they approach it. He raises his head, sniffing. The scent of blood is nearly overwhelming.

He turns the handle and cracks the door. Inside, humans hang from the ceiling, their feet dangling above the floor. Blood drips down their naked bodies from small wounds carved into their skin, collecting into vats beneath their feet. Not a single human reacts as the door swings wider. They all stare blankly ahead, their eyes glassy. Every single one of the humans breaths at the same rhythm. ]

Wow.

( the scent of blood fills his senses and he can feel his pupils blowing wide but he resists the urge to do anything about it. that would just make him look terrible in front of his new friend. )

Before you ask, no, I don't know what's going on. This is beyond me. It looks like a farm. Harvesting humans for blood and keeping them in their thrall.

I agree with your assessment.

[ His own pupils have gone wide, and Spock finds himself clenching his hand at his side, an unforgivable show of emotion. He forces himself to loosen his grip and takes a few steps further into the room.

None of the humans react.

He prowls around the room, examining the equipment, the sturdy structures bolted to the walls and floor, the oddly sterile cleanliness of the room. As he crouches by one of the vats, his nostrils flare. Old blood has dried down the side of the container, rusty and dark. ]

This is not a recent installation. The nest is far more deeply entrenched than I was told. [ He looks over to "Roger". ] Leave.

What?

( you dragged him here and now you want him to leave? jim makes a face and looks like he's going to dig his heels in. )

You brought me here. Why am I going to leave now?

[ Abruptly, Spock stands. He brushes off his fingers even though they did not actually touch the vat. Without looking at Kirk, he moves to a door on the other side of the room and begins examining it for signs of use. His tone, when he speaks, is the same as it has been despite the strangeness of his words. ]

I was unaware of the true level of danger here. In asking you to prove yourself to me, I do not intend to ask you to die to do so.

[ Perhaps "Roger" is not the harmless, moral vampire he claims to be. It does not matter. Spock cannot draw him into danger he is unlikely to walk away from. If the nest is so old as this room suggests, he will not be able to protect the other man. He will only be able to care for his own life. ]

I'm not going to die.

( damn, stop underestimating him, spock. he makes a face and shakes his head, not going anywhere. it would have been easier to do that, step out and just let this whole thing be forgotten but he can't. )

You might have skills but I don't know if you can take this on on your own.

I am equally uncertain. [ Matter of fact. ] However, my chances of success increase if I need not be concerned with an untrustworthy factor at my back.

[ This is a secondary concern, but it is pertinent to the other man's objections. Stating that he has doubts about "Roger's" ability to protect himself would be redundant. The danger is clear and present. One need only take a second look at the humans hanging peacefully in their bonds to see how old and established the nest is. No doubt there are vampires to match that age somewhere as well. ]

Look, I came with you to this place. I'm still here and I'm offering to watch your back even if you've threatened to kill me a few times.

( he thinks he might have proven himself at least a little. )

If you really don't want any backup, I'll go ahead and leave. I can find better things to do.

[ He does not turn back to "Roger." The door, he decides, is an acceptable point of egress. When he tries it, the handle turns and the door swings open on well-oiled hinges. The upkeep in this area is such stark contrast from what else they've seen of the warehouse that Spock can only wonder at the difference between this room and the hall outside. ]

Do as you like.

[ He steps through the door, leaving it open behind him. ]

You're annoying.

( he says that loud enough that he knows spock is going to hear before he rolls his eyes. after a moment of thought, he follows behind the other man. )

Don't say I never did anything for you.

[ Spock refrains from the temptation to roll his eyes, but he does let out a slow breath, reminding himself that it would not, in fact, be advantageous to kill the other vampire.

In truth, he is genuinely surprised as he hears "Roger's" footsteps follow him. He does not know why the man has chosen to do this, but there is no point telling him to leave again. They cannot risk drawing any attention to themselves. ]

Technically, you have yet to do anything for me.

[ Low, as Spock shifts his weight, slowing slightly to turn his footfalls silent. They are in what appears to be a processing room, surrounded by the low burbling of liquid — no doubt human blood — passing through a series of pipes and tanks. Several voices are audible to Spock's keen hearing, though they are several rooms away. ]

I opened the door.

( remember that, spock? he'd gotten you in this place. jim makes a face and breaks away, looking around at where they are. he doesn't like this at all. )

There are people here.

( maybe spock can hear that too but jim says it quietly anyway, just in case. )

An action I was also capable of performing.

[ He does remember it. That he was testing Kirk makes the act immaterial as evidence of whatever "Roger" is attempting to make.

But he nods in response to the man's observation. There are people — and worse, there are footsteps. The group is moving closer to them. And behind them, another group has started moving.

Spock looks around, but in this sterile room, there is nowhere to hide. ]

They will be upon us shortly. I will hold them off as long as I am able.

[ This time, his hands remain human. He pulls a long, gleaming sword from the sheath slung across his back. ]

I can handle myself.

( and he knows that spock can too. two people were better than one. jim rolls his eyes. )

Stop trying to play hero. I can help you take them out. I've got no ties to them.

[ Play hero. Spock mouths the words to himself, disbelieving. Quickly, he sheds the emotion and focuses his mind. Now is not the time to be marveling over "Roger's" eccentricities. ]

As I said: do as you like.

[ Silent steps take Spock to the doorway. He braces himself, sword held ready and poised to strike. Nearly a minute passes before the door is pulled open.

Immediately, Spock swings. A head rolls across the floor and the other vampires shriek before they charge into the room, too quickly for Spock to so neatly deal with the rest. ]

Sure yeah, let me stand back and watch you deal with all this.

( jim says it blithely, rolling his eyes. he can't help how his eyes widen at the way the vampire's head rolls across the floor but that's one vampire and there's a lot more.

sighing, jim moves in closer and grabs at one who gets close to spock and snaps its neck before tossing it aside. )

[ There is no time for another pithy comment, but as he whirls into the rhythm of attack, Spock makes a note of that remark. Many would consider standing back and watching a hunter fight to be not only an acceptable course of action, but the preferred one. That "Roger" does not is notable. What it means will have to wait; Spock does not have enough attention to spare to follow that trail of thought.

Another vampire falls to his sword, run through and beheaded as Spock kicks him off the blade. Another grabs Spock and he spins, using the pommel of the sword to bash her away with a vicious blow to the head.

As he predicted, he does not have time to spend protecting "Roger." He is aware enough, keeping absent track of the vampires his companion downs, but there are more filling the room every second, and the few they slay is doing little to even out their odds. ]

( nothing to worry about, he doesn't need to be protected. he's holding his own just fine even if he doesn't have a sword like spock does. he's been a vampire for awhile and he's strong and smart.

a lot of these vampires are young and stupid which makes it easy for him. he grabs and snaps or rips their throat open or pulls their heart out of their chest. it might not kill them but it will incapacitate them until spock and his sword come around.

it also leaves him a bloody mess and reminds him that he's going to need to eat soon. vampire blood can take the edge off but it's not what he really needs. )

[ Perhaps it is because Spock is the one with the weapon, or perhaps it is solely because he is himself — but even as "Roger" incapacitates and kills any vampires who near them, more and more gather around Spock. The older vampires hang back, watching. Waiting for the throng to overwhelm — and it does. Spock goes down, buried in a pile of bodies, half of them dead or dying even as he falls to his knees, sword run through the crush.

There is not enough room to maneuver. There is not enough room to flee. There is not enough room to do anything, and Spock snarls, goes for a throat with his teeth when he has nothing else. An older vampire grins and starts toward him, reaching through flailing limbs, long claws aimed unerringly for Spock's head. ]

Oh no, we're not doing that.

( out of nowhere, jim hits the vampire full on, knocking him down and digging his teeth into the vampire's throat, ripping it out. the vampire has enough strength to shove him off but he's gotten the drop on him and jim knows he's going to lose blood quickly.

he grunts, standing up and spitting out skin and muscle. )

Why don't you all get off him and come after me?

[ Spock cannot believe what he is hearing. What sheer idiocy he is hearing — because the enemy vampires are of course happy to comply with the challenge. Even as Spock begins tearing through the bodies holding him pinned, the other, elder vampires turn on "Roger." They circle him, sizing him up. Three step forward, fangs bared, claws extended. ]

Terrifying.

( he might not be as old as these vampires but he's definitely not a baby vampire and he's got a few tricks up his sleeve.

he grins, bloody fangs on display, before he lunges toward one of the vampires. he grabs at him, swinging behind him and keeping him front as a shield of a sort to the other vampires for the moemnt. )

[ Clearly, Spock was entirely wrong about his companion. "Roger" seems to harbor nothing short of a death wish. He heaves bodies aside as he watches a new set of vampires step forwaard. There is no way for "Roger" to protect his back and they are quick to take advantage of that fact, lunging for him even as the remaining pair from the initial attackers distract him with feinted attacks.

That "Roger" considers one of their number a suitable shield is a mistake; one blow is not a feint. A vampire's fist pierces straight through his fellow, leaving "Roger" pinned between attacks at his front and his back. ]

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