Protectors [Complete]

[zero_bloodyrose]

Who: Doumeki, Watanuki and Zero
What: Doumeki wants to see how his exorcising powers affect a vampire, and Zero offers himself as the target. Afterwards, Watanuki shows up and things go downhill from there.
When: Saturday night
Where: The Beach
Warnings: Blood. Yelling. Lots of angst and bitch slapping, mainly Zero getting slapped and liking it. >_>

Comments

[talldarknsnarky]

Doumeki had spent the evening making sure his new bow and glove were in top shape, cleaning and caring for them. The bow still felt unfamiliar and too new, slightly different than the one he had at home, but it was better than being completely unarmed. After making sure his equipment was in order, keeping himself a steady shade of purple throughout, he'd changed into his archery clothes and gone down to the beach at quarter to 10.

Waiting there, standing prominently on the sand with his archery bag over his shoulder, he'd tried to find his calm balance and keep himself centered, repeating chants his grandfather had taught him, regulating his breathing. This was going to be exceptionally difficult - seeing Kiryuu, and keeping calm while doing it.

Kiryuu, the person who'd...

Brushing the thought away, he lifted his chin when he sensed the presence of another person, and straightened out of the slight slouch he'd had in his shoulders. Kiryuu was black, from his head to his feet, while Doumeki himself was still a deep purple - though it lightened some when he saw the other young man.

Lifting a hand, he gestured at Kiryuu, but didn't say anything just yet.

[zero_bloodyrose]

He smelled him. Could hear his heart beat, his calm breathing. He didn't need to look around for the man. His senses told him just where he was. It was something he'd learned how to use while hunting. He had hated it at first, but Yagari had called him on his stupidity. He shouldn't be ignoring his senses, any small advantage a Hunter had was always a good thing. His shishou had always been a practical man.

His skin turned lighter, the black slowly turning gray. He deserved a better student than him, someone who would not have cost him his eye for their own weak naivety. Any thoughts that vampires could ever be more than beasts had left his childish thoughts that day.

The light gray became lighter--whiter. He reached the other Protector and greeted him with a nod.

[talldarknsnarky]

There was no need for fanfare or greetings, really. They'd nodded at each other, and Doumeki swung his archery bag off his shoulder, undoing the zipper with a grating sound that seemed louder than it should have been. Kiryuu's black was fading more, he could see some of his features better, though he didn't like to look. Didn't like to think about it.

[eye]His purple started to fade a bit, green beginning to replace it in places, as he put on his yugake glove and securing it at his wrist, pulled out his bow - a beautiful bamboo yumi nearly half a foot longer than Doumeki was tall. He didn't take an arrow out, standing and holding the yumi at his side, regarding the other young man.[eye]

He forced himself to find calm, and gave him a little bow, "Whenever you're ready." he said, simply, "It would be best if you were further away."

[zero_bloodyrose]

Zero noted the color change, but didn't comment. He had avoided coming out during this particular... event. He'd kept himself informed through the network, and knew what the colors meant, knew what his own white colored skin meant, and the green as well.

"How far do you need me," was Zero's only response, his face a blank mask, his skin glowing milky white like the moon.

[talldarknsnarky]

Doumeki forced himself to find his center again, seeking balance - after all, he was going to be aiming for the vampire hunter's shoulder rather than a vital area, and he needed to have balance and calm in order to frame up his shot correctly.

Gesturing vaguely, he furrowed his brows, calculating in his mind - a little further than the targets at the competitions, to make the shot less damaging...no. A bit closer, because this was a spiritual shot, and there was no arrow involved. Working it over in his mind, remembering the shots he'd taken - the woman in the park and other incidents, he gave a nod.

"Move back, I'll tell you when it's far enough." he said, his voice calm, "I'll be aiming for somewhere non-vital. Do you have a preference?"

[zero_bloodyrose]

"It doesn't matter," was all he said as he began to move back, his back turned to him as he waited for the call.

He didn't care where the archer hit him. Whereever it was it would still hurt. Even if the arrow didn't work on his vampire side, he knew it would be painful, but it didn't matter. If the knowledge they gained could help Watanuki even a little bit, it would be worth it.

[talldarknsnarky]

Doumeki watched, holding his bow at his side as the vampire moved back from him, waiting until it seemed right and then calling out that it was the right spot.

Zero hadn't given a preference for where to be hit, so Doumeki chose his right shoulder - away from the heart, nothing too vital, and it would still leave movement in the arm and hand if it was injured, though not as much.

He still didn't even know if his shot would do anything.

Taking position, he found his center again, lifting the bow and drawing the string back behind his ear, focussing his attention, his energy, his spirit, into the shape of an invisible arrow, nocked at the string, resting against the yumi, part of himself, part of his spirit, part of his strength, his heritage.

There was no physical arrow, but the arrow created by his spirit was much more potent, in many ways. Taking a single deep breath, his golden eyes locked on the target, his skin a deep shade of purple, Doumeki released the string with a snap, the invisible arrow flying towards Zero.

[zero_bloodyrose]

Zero stared at him. Watched him take his time. He counted off the seconds and his color changed--light gray. He watched the arrow form out of nothing and locked away that information in the back of his mind.

Again he counted, the speed slow, very slow for the reflexes of a vampire... he thought about that had the time to think and when the arrow was released, he waited until it was a foot from him before moving, stepping to the side.

Too slow. It would never do.

"He turned silver eyes on Doumeki, his skin glowing a darker gray. "It's slow," he said. Stepping into the same place as before. "I won't move this time."

[talldarknsnarky]

Doumeki's colour shifted from deep purple to dark, dark grey in a flash moment, his brows furrowing as the vampire stepped away from his shot, leaving it to fizzle into nothing behind him.

As much as he knew his shots were slow - he was a practitioner of kyuudou, after all, an art intended for meditation, not war - as much as he was aware of it, Kiryuu stepping aside so casually and calling it slow irritated him.

It was adding insult to injury.

[eye] He flashed a darker grey, almost black, and without thinking very hard, eyes locked on Kiryuu, he drew back the string of the bow again, shoulders straining slightly, aiming at him, and releasing quickly, barely taking any time to choose his target properly, though he was still aiming for his shoulder. He could see his hand on the bow, coloured a deep, deep grey, and Kiryuu in the distance. The string released, and the shot went off, the spiritual arrow flying toward the vampire. [/eye]

It hadn't been a good shot, no. But it was significantly faster this time.

[zero_bloodyrose]

It was faster, but not nearly fast enough. His eyes could still watch it, but he didn't move. It was when it was a few feet away that he gauged it's trajecotry. Instinctively, he braced himself for the impact and the when it made contact with his ribcage, just below his chest--right side.

"Omph!"

He clenched his jaw as the arrow broke through muscle and sinew until it stopped, buried half way inside of him. His hand slammed on left knee supporting him as he bent down, the arrow slicing further inside of him. Stupid move, but he couldn't help it. The arrow it had weakned him.

He breathed harshly, biting his lip hard enough to draw blood. But it was worth it, he felt it... knew just how Doumeki's bow and arrow affected vampires.

His hand clenched painful as he tried to straighten his posture again. "Shit," he growled, staring the man with red eyes. His blood. It permeated the air. His pain. It awoke the beast inside.

His skin, two colors glowed brightly... or darkly. A dark green and pitch black.

[talldarknsnarky]

When the arrow hit, Doumeki flashed yellow for a moment, just a moment, satisfaction at having hit him, a moment of enjoyment out of making Kiryuu hurt like he was hurting, just for a second. Just a second before fading back to a white colour. Sliding the yumi safely back into his archery bag, he retrieved the medical supplies that he'd brought, some bandages and started moving toward the vampire.

He paused when he saw the red glowing eyes, stopping, waiting and watching, not approaching until he saw the red go away.

[zero_bloodyrose]

The beast. It was close to the surface. Even when he'd drunk three vials of that disgusting blood potion... it had still come out. Damn it!

Red eyes stared at the archer, his skin flared completely black--pitch black for a moment before the green once again covered half of him. The pain. He knew it well.

An anti-vampire weapon like his Bloody Rose. Doumeki's arrow acted like an anti-vampire weapon which meant.

"Get away from me!" he growled at he approaching man. His hand slamming to his face. He needed another blood potion. His eyes flicked to the small bag he had brought with him. He had dropped it on the ground before he had met with Doumeki. He had brought a change of clothes, and two bottles of the blood potion.

He stepped forward, biting the inside of his cheek. this wasn't a battle, the adrenaline wasn't rushing through is system, his mind knew he wasn't in real danger and because of it... the pain. It wasn't easily ignored but he tried nonetheless. He went to his bag, picked it up. Hissed as he bent his torso and took out the two bottles.

[talldarknsnarky]

Doumeki was still white, though with a faint hint of orange. Maybe he was worried about his own safety, maybe he was a bit concerned for Kiryuu, but whatever the reason for the hint of orange, it didn't matter.

He stood still, keeping an eye on the vampire, taking a few steps back as he was ordered to, the medical supplies still in his hands, keeping a safe distance. The red eyes - that meant blood lust, didn't it? Ichijou had explained that. Blood lust. Maybe because of his own blood in the air, the scent of it.

Because Kiryuu was definitely bleeding. It was as if there was a real arrow there, blood spilling down from his ribcage...Doumeki had missed, because of his anger, and the fast shot.

Blood lust. Doumeki kept his distance, brows furrowed, just watching the vampire until he felt safe enough to come closer and offer medical supplies.

[zero_bloodyrose]

Unknown to the archer. It wasn't quite bloodlust that brought out the beast, making his eyes glow red. Red in anger. He had just been attacked, pierced by an anti-vampire weapon which instantly brought his more baser instincts to the surface and with it the beast. It stared at the archer with red eyes, angry. Zero--the vampire was in pain and his instincts told him to attack. To take down that which had hurt him, but Zero was in control and ignored the demand that pounded in his head. Red eyes, they indicated the vampire's ascension, it was close to the surface watching the archer, wanting to lash out.

He pitch black, the green had vanished once again. Zero stared at Doumeki through red eyes. He pulled out two glass vials. The blood potion. It should calm the vampire... maybe. He opened the vial and tipped his head back drinking it.

He wanted to throw up, the taste. The disgusting taste of the blood. It always hit him hard. He never imagined any blood could taste this bad, but the blood potion... old blood. Stale. it was all he could do to keep himself from retching it out. And when he had downed that vial, let it sit for a moment, he drank another vial and another battle to keep it down. And he glared at the archer through silver eyes.

[talldarknsnarky]

Doumeki stayed still, always keeping Kiryuu in his sight until he saw the vampire go for the vials in his bag. Blood potions, if he remembered correctly. Kiryuu downed one of them, and gagged a bit, it seemed. He got the feeling it didn't taste very good.

Brows furrowed together, wrinkled slightly at the center, he waited until the now-black vampire looked up at him with silver eyes, no longer red, and then approached him. He was slow, but it seemed Kiryuu had regained his control. Holding his hand out, he offered the bag of medical supplies.

"I'll help you with it." he said, the tone more of an offer than a command, "If you need it."

[zero_bloodyrose]

Zero stared at the bag and pushed it aside. Moving away from him. "I'll take care of it myself," he growled, still battling the need to lash out at him.

"Your arrows," he said, his back to him again, "they're like anti-vampire weapons." He would have stopped there, but he knew the other would need more of an explanation. He laid a hand on his ribcage, trying to stop the flow--unsuccessfully.

"Anti-vampire weapons can kill a weak vampire on contact turning them to ash. For stronger vampires, nobles and Purebloods... they stop their healing powers and if a killing blow is struck..." He turned around, dropping his hand. There was no point. It wouldn't heal.

"They will die."