Log: Complete

[banditfox.livejournal.com]

When; August 17
Rating; V for Violence
Characters; Walter Dornez [dark_butler] and Youko Kurama [banditfox]
Summary; Under the influence of what might have been, a warmongering vampire and a temperamental demon enjoy a test of each other's skills.
Log;

Locating the Underground was a simple exercise. Kurama's favored commodity was information, and some judicious eavesdropping the night before had yielded a substantial reward, including a thorough working knowledge of the City and its locations. The youko made his way to the designated battleground swiftly, feeling the delicious tension of an impending challenge sing through his muscles, save for where the damage from his near-fatal encounter with a hunter twenty years prior had left his arm crippled and numb. To ensure he would have as much range of motion in it as possible when the fight began, he made a point of slaughtering two monsters who had the misfortune to come within range of his claws when he found the passageways beneath the City.

Comments

[banditfox.livejournal.com]

To Kurama, the lacerations were nothing. Pain had been the sensation of reiki tearing into him where a human's heart would have been, burning away flesh until nerve endings died and soft tissue was damaged beyond repair. What he felt now he reveled in.

"Perhaps you're worthy after all," he murmured.

Youki sped in a torrent into the seed Kurama cradled in his left hand. The energy was so strong a corona of power limned Kurama in pale blue light visible even to someone with no spiritual awareness. A blood-drinking plant of Makai unfurled its leaves. Obedient to its master's will, it ignored the blood of the demon who held it and struck the vampire with deadly speed.

[dark-butler.livejournal.com]

Cursed as he is, Butler has no memory of fighting Karasu. Why would he have? He wouldn't have cared for or about Kurama.

The blue glow the lit Kurama was a surprise that bore little to no attention when the plant struck, bringing pain and the promise of weakness in a moment's notice.

No! Oh no, this would not do. He jerked on the wires to call them home, to damage Kurama where he held them, to cut into the plant that threatened to end this before he was ready.

"NO!

[banditfox.livejournal.com]

Now it was Kurama's eyes that flashed red in the darkness. He let the vampire have his wires, but only with the rose whip still tangled in them. The youko funneled more of his strength into the blood-drinking plant, rushing its growth to heighten its hunger.

"You may want to try something more prosaic. You're going to die rather soon now."

[dark-butler.livejournal.com]

He lashed out again as the plant drained away his strength with nigh terrifying speed. He would not go down alone. He threw away concern about defense and went on a full offense, throwing himself forward into the plants to weave his way through and attack Kurama.

If he was dying, he would not die alone.

[banditfox.livejournal.com]

His efforts were rewarded by a sharp hiss of pain. Kurama's focus was on keeping his primary weapon secure and directing its appetite. He could only spare so much on the dying gasps of the wounded. The wires tore open his shoulder, cut deep into his calf, and drew a line across his chest, over the sunburst scar of the old injury that should have killed him. He snarled as he willed the Death Tree to wrap its thick vines around the vampire's throat and limbs to hold him down.

[dark-butler.livejournal.com]

To call it frustrating was to offer only a pale shadow of what Butler felt. He could not, would not resign himself to death.

He put his growing weakness aside to the best of his ability and focused on doing Kurama as much harm as he could with twists and slashes of wire. His control was minimal, but so long as he had hands and fingers, he was not disarmed.

[banditfox.livejournal.com]

A bud had formed between the mottled blue-and-grey leaves of the blood-drinking plant. It was still small, only the size of Kurama's hand, but it meant that the meal was almost finished.

"A matter of seconds," the youko warned. He left off the attempts to pin his victim. Let the vampire enjoy his futile struggles.

Kurama stepped back, out of range of the wires and guarded by his Death Tree. As a taunting gesture, he raised his crippled hand again and licked at the red fluid that stained his fingers.

[dark-butler.livejournal.com]

Tick. Tick. Tick.

His strength drained away in those seconds with a speed that left him wanting to shout his defiance, but he was too weak even for that.

The angry red glow in his eyes dimmed and he could not even summon the strength to voice the words his lips formed before the glow faded to nothing.

"Next time."

[banditfox.livejournal.com]

In that last moment, Kurama came forward and crouched at the vampire's side, demon blood falling tantalizingly close to parched lips.

"You won't be so fortunate."

He waited until he was certain that only a husk remained beneath the plant, then ruthlessly cut off its life. The shimmering scarlet flower the plant had produced crumbled, leaving behind a seed that Kurama tucked away in his hair. Not one glance was spared for the corpse as the youko quieted and reclaimed his pets, but at least he had the courtesy not to crush it underfoot before the Underground could see to its disposal.