-][L-B][P-1x1] The beginning of the end [Nileregwen DoUrden]

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

"Can't I at least finish my coffee?" Shou asked, blue gaze focusing on Kei for a moment as he sat back up and slouched over, elbows on his knees as he reached for the mug.
A few sips later and Shou was feeling actually awake for once.
He hadn't really noticed Kei's odd behavior... since... well... Kei had always had odd behavior at times anyway.
"You get a kick out of pointing out my mortality, don't you?" the young man replied with a frown. "I'm getting better at this, you know. I'm not some stupid kid anymore."
Watching the vampire stretch and smile, made Shou's frown disappear and he smirked slightly. "I'm waiting on a call from Toshi about the new mark anyway... so unless you want to go out for a bit, we can't act yet. I don't want to run into a building of guns without that pizza, you know?"

 

[ReiGenx13]

Kei rubbed the back of his neck, "Someone has to remind you that you're only mortal Sho." he said, suddenly serious as he folded his arms.

"Sometimes I swear you forget that little fact." He shook his head, a frown marring his lips.

"One of these days you're going to get yourself killed: just think about how that will make me feel." Kei said, briefly running his fingers through his hair.

"Also don't you think the whole pizza delivery idea is a little overdone these days?" he asked, shaking his head.

He disappeared into his room for a moment to grab his pack of cigarettes: suddenly needing one with his feelings out of wack lately. He snatched the pack up and pulled out one: searching for his lighter next. He grabbed the lighter and lit one: taking a deep lungful of the nicotine that wouldn't hurt or kill him unlike humans.

"Come on: let's go out then. I'm not staying cooped up in this place unless I really have to."

And last time he checked it was night and the air outside was nice enough. It wasn't too chilly for Sho to be out or too hot to have to worry about changing in more comfortable clothes.  

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

"Sometimes I think you take things too seriously, you know?" Shou asked, downing his coffee before standing up.
Heading toward the door, the young man pulled his white jacket from the coat rack, throwing it around his shoulders, though neglecting to zip it up. He returned to grab his own cigarettes and lighter, pulling his hair out of the jacket collar.
"Why are you in such a bad mood anyway?" Shou replied as he opened the front door, heading out. "We've been working with the pizza trick for years. It hasn't failed yet. If it isn't broken, Kei... why try to fix it?"

 

[ReiGenx13]

"Someone has to be serious in this screw-up relationship" Kei muttered around his cigarette: smoke curling off the end of it and into the air.

Kei's sharp eyes followed Sho's movement: drinking in the way he moved and how his clothes moved with him instead of just laying there. Smelling a strong wiff of blood due to the other pulling his hair out of the jacket Kei turned his head away.

He frowned around the cigarette, "I'm not in a bad mood: I just feel like one of these days something is going to go wrong."

He moved smoothly past Sho, threading his fingers in his hair as he folded his hands behind his head. Lately a feeling of something Kei wasn't use to kept bothering him. What it was Kei was having trouble figuring it out. He hadn't felt it in a long time that much he was certain of.

"One of these says Toshi ain't going to pull it off: you might think these bastards we go against aren't smart but one of these days one of them is going to get smarter then us."

He turned slightly to Sho, "It's a feeling I have and I've learned from my mistakes to listen to themwhen I get them."  

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

"What else am I supposed to do?" Shou asked with somewhat of an annoyed pout. "It's not like I can just go get a decent job somewhere."
Walking down the stairs, both men were soon out on the street, darkness hugging every corner of the night except where the street lights actually worked.
And yet the sky seemed to glow unnaturally, no doubt from the mass of lights in the middle of the city.
People were coming and going, though nowhere near as busy as during the day. Night... had a way of driving most people back indoors.
"Besides, we turn a good profit. I couldn't afford this place otherwise. It's not like you can get a normal job either, Kei." Shou replied, looking over his shoulder at the vampire.

 

[ReiGenx13]

"You know pouting like that isn't going to help: even if it is cute." Kei commented, seeing the annoyed pout on the other's face.

Of course Sho had a good argue there. Kei was a vampire and could only survive during the night: there was no way to get an actual job. That and he'd been dead for long enough that he had no chance of getting a job even if he wanted to. Kei frowned lightly, turning slightly to look over his shoulder at the building they had just left. It wasn't the best apartment building in the world but it was far from living in the sewers. Kei pulled the dead cigarette out from between his lips, throwing it on the ground: walking over it seconds later to make sure it wasn't still lit.

"Fine we'll keep using the pizza deal: if it ends up falling through one of these days I'll try to refrain from saying 'I told you so' Sho."

Kei's eyes scanned the roads, checking every dark corner for anything out of the ordinary. There was nothing so far so Kei relaxed enough to look back at Sho.

"Have you seen your brother lately?" he asked, wanting to change the direction their talking had gone in.  

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

"Guess you'd make a good night watchman somewhere though if it came down to it." Shou spoke, shoving his hands into his tight pockets as they walked.
He completely ignored Kei's comment about his pout being cute.
Well, kind of ignored it...
He looked away quickly, finding the lights of the city more interesting.
At least until the vampire continued speaking.
Shou shrugged his shoulders, hands still in his pockets. "Yeah, I saw him a couple days ago. He'd blown the money I gave him last month on drugs... again... and didn't have enough to pay his electricity bill. Bailing him out sometimes is a pain in the a**..."
Sighing, the young man shook his head. "I can't really say we work HARD but we work, which is more than I can say for him half the time... sakana ya ja nee...."



(((Translation:
Sakana ya ja nee = Fish store my a** (or the equivalent of the same saying) )))  

[ReiGenx13]

Kei frowned lightly, slowly reaching out to touch the other's shoulder. He paused, his hand hovering over the other's shoulder. He shook his head placing his hand on Sho's shoulder and squeezed gently: being careful of his strength.

"I know its hard, but he's your brother." he said softly.

Kei moved his hand in favor to ruffle Sho's hair. He chuckled lightly, letting his hand for to his side. He moved further ahead of Sho and turned to walk backwards. He folded his arms behind his back and tilted his head slightly.

"What do you want to do?"  

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

"Wakatta yo!" Shou replied, ducking out of Kei's hair ruffling.
But he was smiling just slightly as he watched the vampire turn around and walk backwards down the street.
"I want to go to a club and have fun." the young man spoke confidently. "It's been a while since we did that... you know, dancing and drinking. It'd do us some good to stop worrying about everything for a change."
Shou didn't want to think about the pizza scam or his drug addict of a brother or, and especially or for this one, Kei's seeming detachment from everything lately.
He wanted fun.
Wanted things to go back to how they had been a few years ago... before Kei started entertaining the notion NOT to drink blood.

 

[ReiGenx13]

A frown was itching to mar its way onto his lips at the mention of going to a club. Any other day Kei would just shrug it off and do whatever Shou wanted to do. He had been pretty good at doing just that except lately he wasn't into too populated places. He tilted his head upwards slightly, turning back to face forward. He could say he didn't feel like going to a club but he didn't want to upset Shou. The boy was smarter then people gave him credit for: and he was already worried enough for Kei as it is. Finally Kei tilted his face towards Shou.

"Sure. A club sounds nice. It'll be a bit of a rest from what we normally do,"

Kei licked his lips, patting his front pocket to make sure his cigarettes were still there. Lately nicotine and -not that he was going to admit- watching Shou were the only thing keeping him from doing something he'd later regret. Kei shook his head to push that depressing thought out of his mind.

"It's early so the club should be slightly packed. Don't start any fights Shou: I'm not getting into the middle of one this time. You cause it you finish it."

Kei smiled slightly to show he really didn't mean it. If his Shou -which he had been referring Shou to in his mind for reasons he really didn't want to dwell on- was in trouble he'd be there in the blink of an eye backing him up. Kei looked up at the moon praying for the strength to not attack any human out of blood lust: especially Shou since he owed a lot to the brat. He also didn't need to give Shou's brother any more reasons to not like him. Suddenly Kei threw an arm around Shou's shoulders.

"Come on brat. Last time I checked our favorite club is on the other side of the street."

He chuckled -teasing the other slightly because he knew Shou didn't like being called a brat: which he found funny- pulling Shou with him as he crossed the street. He could hear the pulsing beat of some song coming up ahead faster then a human would. Sometimes having enhanced senses was good except hearing and smelling when it came to blood.  

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

As the pair walked, Shou kept his blue gaze focused on everything else except Kei.
At least until the vampire turned around and started walking normally again... then those icy eyes were locked on the other man's back. Watching... staring...
Worry set itself up in the pit of Shou's stomach and he sighed. "If you don't want to go we can..." but before he finished the sentence, Kei accepted the idea.
That tilted head made Shou smile slightly, though he tried to cover it up by coughing a second later. Kei didn't need to know... that making the vampire happy... actually made the young man happy as well.
"Oi, Kei..." he began, thinking over things for a second. "You sure you're alright with this?"
But then the vampire was teasing him and Shou couldn't help but cross his arms over his chest. "They start it... picking fights about the way I talk... bastards... I'd rather avoid Cantonese if I can help it, you know." it had always been a sore spot with him...
He was Japanese... his friends were Japanese... and damn it, he'd speak Japanese where and when he wanted.
At least, in a perfect world... well... that would've been true.
But Malepa was far from a perfect world.
Having been lost in his thoughts, Shou didn't notice Kei until the vampire slung an arm around his shoulder. The motion made the young man smile slightly... until he remembered what his friend was calling him. "I'm not a brat!" Shou retaliated, ducking out of Kei's arm and turning to mock strangle him. "Just cause I'm young than you.... baka..." a teasing smile painted his expression and he let go of Kei, taking off at a run across the street... dodging cars and bikes the entire way until he was on the other side.
 

[ReiGenx13]

Kei shook his head, watching Shou with worried eyes. He was tensed for lunging towards Shou if he was in trouble of being hit. Luckily Shou made it to the other side without no trouble. With grace that came with his species Kei made it to the other side: mock dusting off imaginary dirt. He swept his gaze over Shou. Even though he knew the other had made it across safe he had to check to make sure. That and it was always nice looking at Shou: he was a pretty boy after all. Kei shook his head of those thoughts before they became something entirely not appropriate.

"You're going to be hit one of these days if you keep that up Shou." he mused, shaking his head.

He placed his hands in his jacket pocket as he walked down the street. Coming upon the club was tiring on Kei. His teeth hurt once more because of the strong scent of possibly hundreds or more blood that willingly pumped through their veins to keep them alive. Maybe coming to a populated place like this wasn't really a good idea but he wanted Shou to be happy. Shou wanted to come here then that was what he was going to have to get over.

"Well come on then brat." Kei snickered, entering the club.

His nose wrinkled up at the smell of blood, scent and something else that Kei really didn't want to think of. This was a club after all so the smells were normal after all but that didn't mean he was going to like it one bit.  

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

Laughing, Shou shook his head. "I haven't been hit yet. What's worse? Dodging cars or bullets?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, obviously pointing out the fact that Kei had a habit of trying to teach him very VERY dangerous tricks.

As they entered the club, Shou immediately knew Kei was uncomfortable. He glanced to the vampire, then, instead, moved his body so that he was directly in front of the older man.
"Oi, Kei... daijoubu ka?" Shou asked, glancing around the club. "You're paler than usual..."
He would have offered to go get them both a drink, but in all honesty, the young man didn't know if it would help his friend all that much at the moment.
"Too many people? Look, we can go some place else... really..."

 

[ReiGenx13]

Kei blinked, turning his gaze away from the bodies and to the one that mattered to him. He had to smile softly at Shou. He was happy Shou was thinking of him but there was no way Kei was going to ruin this night. There wasn't many nights that Shou could relax: what with their life, how Shou's brother was and the fact that Kei was a vampire who never drank unless he really needed to.

"I'm fine Shou. Don't worry about me." he said, ruffling the others hair.

He moved gracefully past Shou -briefly pressing his arm to Shou's arm- and towards the bar. He slid into a bar stool, crossing his ankles as he leaned forward: his elbows on the bar. He cradled his chin in his palm as he lazily took in the bottle of alcohol that he could see.  

[Nileregwen DoUrden]

Sighing, Shou followed after Kei, taking a seat at the bar beside his friend.
In the background, the music was blaring, and the young man quickly ordered a full bottle of scotch, paying cash for it, and two glasses. He poured a drink for himself, then one for Kei.
"I plan on getting very... very.... drunk tonight. You?" Shou asked, downing the glass quickly and refilling it, even as the liquid burnt the back of his throat.
He wanted to see Kei have a good time... wanted to watch as that lazy smile was genuine.