Thread: A Darker Shade of Night: Dragondancer+BlisteredBlood

The light misting of rain shimmered in its descent from the somber night sky as it passed through pools of jaundiced light cast from streetlights lining the bleak walkway. Darkened and shuttered storefronts hosted a collection of wastrel - both human and vermin taking what shelter could be found from the cold and damp as reluctant companions. Discarded newspapers were transformed into makeshift blankets and umbrellas, and the garbage of the better-off became the meals of the forsaken. A lone car sped by, the tires hissing on the wet road, the sound accompanied by a deep thudding bass audible even with the windows rolled all the way up. At the end of the block, adjacent to a pitch-black maw that was an alley, thumping music was bleeding out from behind a thick wooden door lit by an overhead red bulb. A hulking bruiser stood guard, his bare and tattooed muscular arms crossed in front of his chest menacingly, displaying full sleeves of various inked nymphs, breasts, claws, and tribal art. A man and a woman approached the entrance to the club, an obvious couple by the way they hung on each other - whether together for the night or something more permanent, who knew. The woman was scantily clad in a skin tight black dress, her cleavage spilling over the low cut neckline, and most of her bare legs on display below the high cut hemline. The man wore dark jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt decorated with the generic rose and thorns pseudo bad boy artwork that was found everywhere these days. He had the woman tucked under his jacket, pressed close against his side for warmth - and his enjoyment. As the pair negotiated their entry, the door behind the bouncer banged open with a thud, and a sandy-haired young man walked out a bit unsteadily. He reached up to brush his shaggy hair out of his eyes, and stumbled sideways, catching himself on the doorway with a sheepish chuckle. The bouncer glanced over his shoulder at the man with a disgusted look, then turned back to usher the couple into the club. The young man rolled his eyes in mock disgust, mimicking the bouncers condescending expression. He swayed slightly as he raised his arms, intending to throw the gatekeeper a couple of birds as a mute parting shot - when his body was suddenly and violently jerked into the blackness of the alley, disappearing from sight in the blink of an eye. The bouncer shut the door after the couple, and returned to his sentinel position, completely forgetting about the tipsy man of just a few moments ago. Standing hidden in the alleyway, the woman wore all black. Her lithe body was poured into soft leather pants that lovingly cradled her enticing curves in all the right ways, finished off with knee-high leather boots buckled snugly over her shapely calves. Her long dark hair flowed around her shoulders and down her back. Her black lace blouse covered her skin from neck to wrist, but her appearance was anything but demure. Blending almost completely into the darkness, her glowing amber eyes were the only part of her that was visible, had anyone been looking. The woman wiped her mouth slowly and sensuously with the back of her hand, leaving a faint red stain on her pale skin. She closed her eyes and leaned back into the wall as she ran her tongue sinuously over her top teeth, and then darted her tongue out to lick along her full bottom lip, as if savoring a flavor in her mouth. Ah, the heady taste of human blood never loses its allure, the woman who was called Laela mused. She enjoyed a wide range of blood types, reveling in variety. Yes, she had her favorites - and a witless young drunkard was not among them, just convenient. But she actually didnt mind the taste of alcohol in the blood, it gave her a kind of fond remembrance of her life long since gone. Literally gone, she chuckled humorlessly to herself. Looking down at the crumpled form at her feet, she propped the unmoving man against the wall. He let out a soft groan as she moved him, his hand shakily reaching up to feel his neck with his hands as he regained consciousness. His neck felt a little sore, and his fingers found a warm dampness as they felt the side of his neck. His brow furrowed as he tried to recall where he was and how he had gotten there. He looked up and around, but he was completely alone.