galoppantecavallone:

“Of course I know the consequences.” Dino blinked up at the vampire, jolting a little when he was released. He picked himself up and dusted himself off.

He was surprised, though. The vampire had let him go. He didn’t expect that at all. The surprise was actually rather pleasant. Dino blinked a gain, curious. Reborn looked like he was remembering something important. He reached out, intending to place a hand on his shoulder. He thought better of it, withdrawing his hand back to himself.

The blonde watched him, still curious, and waited for the vampire’s response. He thought for sure that Reborn would give him the death sentence. Dino tilted his head, waiting ever so patiently. Using that time to consider the terms of the pact, just in case luck was on his side and the vampire answered in the affirmative.

His terms, his terms…

Oh. Reborn had spoken. “…Dino. My name is Dino.”

Right, his terms. He smiled, holding out his hand.

“Help me become a summoner that can help protect people. I don’t really have any ambition, but…” Dino paused. “I’ll willingly offer you my blood. Just… Allow me enough time between… Feeding. To recover. I’ll even allow you your autonomy. I’m not sure I could take that from you, anyway, so…”

Dino wasn’t sure what he wanted to do as a summoner. He did know he wanted to help people, that much was a given, but… He didn’t really have any drive.

Che, so they both had the same idea in mind, how… surprising. Where were all summoners in the past that were suppose to train their young? Had they been almost extincted in this current generation by time and war? Were their numbers decreased to almost a pitiable number by now that a weakling needed a demon to train him? Just how had the humans been surviving till now? Seriously.

While the blonde thought he didn’t notice what the human was about to do, Reborn actually had a sharp eye on that small, frail hand who had somehow inched towards him. And if that said hand were to be almost biting distance… well, the unforturnate boy would be left with one grasp by then.

Reborn tilted his head to the side as though in a mocking glance from above, glowing eyes still shadowed by his fedora. So small and tiny before him, yet, too thin and pale to fill his hunger completely. The vampire would have to toughen him up a bit for the time being. Get the brat all juicy and ripe for the picking as well as satisfying his pride in turning a weakling to one of the best summoners in the world.

Let’s see how this brat would cope with my… training… heh.

“I wonder if you do know the exact meaning of being a Summoner, youngling.” Reborn questioned with a sharp look, his gaze narrowed. “Your reason for it won’t be able to even get you far if you are mainly narrowing your goal down to just that.”

The vampire moved closer with his face right up towards the blonde’s. “To have summoned me and asking me to train you, the outcome won’t be how you wanted to be.” Suddenly, he paused with a hard unblinking stare and gave a cruel, cold smirk, his fangs revealed to be quite deadly. “I deal with killings, lust and torture due to my carnivorous, animalistic nature. And unlike your innocent light mind, you won’t come out untainted once I’ve gone through with you.

“…are you still willing to have me as your tutor?” He purred like a predator circling his prey.

And why was he being so generous for, giving a human a choice in rethinking his decision before the final outcome. If it was any other humans, Reborn would’ve played his meal a bit as entertainment before going in for the kill to end the mortal’s pathetic life. It was usually as a test to see if the summoners were strong enough to be at the vampire’s level in strength, intelligence, etc. And if they failed, well, too bad for them.

…however, all were unsuccessful except for one.

Him.

scientificbeauty:

The supernatural and mythological monsters were a new study for Verde and they were certainly interesting. Of course, separating fact from fiction was tedious- almost more so than actually finding evidence of the creatures themselves… Oh, but they were real. The living dead and monsters of folklore were far from fiction. Verde just wanted to find one specimen- one good example… something she could study.

The night was peaceful; Clear sky, a small mist, no noticeable wind… The scientist held a small thermos tightly in her hands and sighed. Another night of following vague clues as to where supernatural events had occurred. At least there wasn’t a dull moment in her research- a small book was set on the grass next to a leather bound journal so that she could still do her research even if the stakeout was uneventful. And perhaps it was nice to be out of the lab… It was truly a pleasant night, and her destination couldn’t be beat. She was far from the city limits, surrounded by nature… A large pine tree served as her back support and the light of the moon was reflected off the lake before her, easily creating enough light for her to see the surroundings. The forest wasn’t too dense, but there were easily hiding spots in case of any sort of predator. Not to say she was unarmed…

“…Please don’t be a dull night…”

Ba-dump ba-dump ba-dump

The sound of a strong beating heart sang out to him like a siren’s call, tempting like delectable bait in a sea of ancient vegetation. The hypnotic rhythm of thick blood pumping through delicate veins, its song as sweet like nectar and as rich like old aged wine. It was mouth-watering, an immediate response his undead body revealed. Hungered thirst burned within him, uncomfortable as it always did as fangs ache to be buried in the absent presence of moist, living flesh. To hear his victim scream to high heavens, body arched as though in ecstasy and molded perfectly against his would thrill the beast within him…

And unconsciously, he licked his lips in anticipation. But he stopped.

What was he doing?! It wasn’t supposed to be like this. He wasn’t supposed to be reduced to this! He may have been a predator among his own kind in the past. But never did he allow himself to be reduced to the level of an animal. It was a disgrace to his pride! A disappointment even to his own standards. Tsk.

Snarling to himself silently in a small mass of dried dead trees, crimson rubies glowed faintly in the dark from where he stood hidden. Cloaked within his surroundings, Reborn blended in quite well together with his black suit and fedora. The weak moon barely gave his ghostly pale appearances much to reveal, his footsteps mute among the dirt beneath him. But when he moved, closing in to his prey, no human senses would be able to detect his presence appearing behind them.

Pale lips parted before an unprotected neck, his cold body close to hers but barely touching. Fangs began to expose, the heat of her skin was welcoming to his tongue. And as crimson orbs hid in shadows of his fedora, his nose was immediately assaulted thickly by her sweet, heavenly fragrance.

Reborn purred huskily.

“What is a lovely woman like you, doing out alone in a dangerous place during such a fine night, my dear?”

il-cavallo-rampante:

With a muffled ‘umpf’, Dino recoiled a little from Reborn’s action, causing him to automatically bring his hands up to pat at the one spot where the human had hit him. It was to be expected — though what he didn’t know exactly is that why he let the Hunter boss him around like that. Naturally he was older; and age demanded respect, but in their case, this rule doesn’t readily apply.

“You are not my enemy tonight,” He finally replied as he sat on the stools provided on the stall, “You don’t have to be. I have witnessed many battles, much more than you have. War is most undesirable.” The Fox leaned over the counter and requested some squid from Tsuyoshi, and the other fox nodded briefly, retreating toward his stack of supplies, as there weren’t any of the mentioned seafood served on his menu. “I haven’t been to many, but I have seen enough to know what I would chose. I am not always a beast. I do not destroy at one glance. Peace is something I value, and if you’re going to take that away from me, Hunter, I am afraid I have to —”

The sudden warmness on his head interrupted his speech; a pleasant, harmless touch on his fur. Golden caramel orbs wandered toward the human, his head tilting slightly in question. “Hunter? Have you been listening to me?” A frown. Well, it was rather rude of him not to pay attention to his thoughts. “Hey,” A sigh. Though the touch on his ears was distracting — goddamn his animal-side — he willed himself to snap out of it and reprimand the human.

…Which turned out to be a complete failure. 

“Please release my tail at once,” The kitsune managed to say, voice a little shaky from the sensation washing over him. Doesn’t this hunter know anything about etiquette? This action is inappropriate! “Human,” a whisper. Dino didn’t want Tsuyoshi to see him in such a state. Thank the heavens those squids are yet to be found. “Please cease touching my ta- ahh—”

A splash of heat washed over his face, hands flying to swat away Reborn’s probing palms as the latter pushed his kimono, bunching them on his hips to reveal lightly tanned thighs. Though the human seemed persistent — why was he so eager? Dino had to bury his face into his sleeves in embarrassment as fingers arrived at the junction where his tail and his back met. A shudder went up his spine as he felt the Hunter’s touch, though he could sense no malice over his intentions, causing him to be a little confused. Normally, this activity is only done behind doors. The Hunter doesn’t look like the type of man to be the one to ‘favor’ intimacy with his kind, but here he is, prodding at his skin in places he shouldn’t.

“H-Hunter, would you please,” His voice cracked midway through his sentence, face still alight with hot crimson. The Fox pushed the raven’s hands away in a great effort, just in time when Tsuyoshi turned, bringing the squid he ordered.

A troubled sigh rushed past his lips as the kitsune tried to compose himself again, shaking the pleasant sensation off his senses as he reached for a pair of chopsticks to pick some other boiling food as he waited for the other yokai to prepare his squid. He aimed to reach for some cooked mushrooms, but alas — as he was still shaken by Reborn’s unusual behavior, his actions got rather uncoordinated, causing him to flick a twin piece of stick off his hands. Determined to appear unfazed, Dino reached for another pair of wooden sticks, only to have them slipped from his grasp, causing one to fly toward Tsuyoshi’s face and one to fly at his.

Well, this is an additional thing for the Hunter to know — Dino got clumsy whenever he’s embarrassed or uneasy.

Reborn had watched the entire process throughout his harmless not-so-innocent wandering with his hand. It was interesting to observe how human the demon fox was reacting, seeing such a fascinating flush colouring the blonde’s smooth skin. And then there was the telltale shudder beneath his fingertips each time the Demon Hunter had made contact with naked skin.

All in all, the blushing feline had made such a cute and tempting picture with his curiosity. He smirked, the corners of his lips twitching in amusement, watching yet another display of such human behaviour.

And if Reborn were to hide the feline tails and ears, Dino would certainly appear anything but a Demon. He tsk’d, reaching for a new pair of chopsticks and helped the blonde with his food. An arm was already around the latter’s shoulders while a hand was held over Dino’s hand, the very same one which the Fox used to eat with. Reborn pretended not to notice the close proximity between them as he guided each cooked item to the bowl, his face right beside the latter’s.

“My, my, a clumsy one, aren’t you?” He teased; his voice deep and sultry with a hint of a purr. “Should I help you in eating as well?”

The Demon Hunter did not care if there was an audience before them. This particular fox had gotten his interest and he was curious –though he wouldn’t say no to learning more about those tails of his. And now, Reborn would add the blonde’s cute behaviour to his list in observation.

scientificbeauty:

“That better not be a jab at my age.” Verde narrowed her eyes. The eldest Arcobaleno wasn’t sensitive about the topic, she wasn’t considered middle aged yet, but senile was not a term she associated herself with. “I’ve been promoted to ‘friend’ now? I didn’t get the memo.” 

Watching the hit man sulk in the door wasn’t exactly a sight she enjoyed. “I’m only teasing. You never were too good at being the butt of a joke.” She sighed and shook her head, a small smile finding its way to her face despite the harsh threat. “You wouldn’t break your pact now, would you? I know I have, but I’ve made amends since then.”

The scientist turned away from the other and made her way to a large steel desk. Her “home” was littered with paper drafts and machinery at the moment; her desk was almost no exception. There was just enough space cleared for a cup of coffee and a place to rest her head. Softly, almost as though she were just talking to herself, she continued, “It’s remarkable that despite our differences and everyone’s distrust with me, I don’t loathe you or rest of the Arcobaleno…” her head shook. There was no need to be sentimental or anything of the sort. Verde smirked again and looked over her shoulder at the male.

“Is there a real reason why you’re here? I’m genuinely having difficulty believing you’re here just to ‘check up’ on me. I’ve been ‘behaving’…for the most part.” 

With a slight lift at the corners of his lips, Reborn gave her an almost non-existing mysterious smile instead. “Hmm? Of course not.” There was a slight purr in his tone. “I don’t think I ever thought of the need for a memo to inform someone of that now, do I?”

Reborn just raised an eyebrow as she continue while he himself remained quiet instead, watching. And rather than answering, he lowered his fedora a little before petting Leon on its scaly green head with a finger. Curly sideburns bounced each time the hitman moved his head, his dark obsidian eyes still hidden in the shadows from his hat. But despite that, it didn’t hinder his observation skills as he watched her like a non-existing shadow at a corner. Or more precisely, a hidden predator watching his prey closely.

The sight of her place definitely screamed workaholic, the things there had already given the telltale signs at one look. The messy and endless piles of books, paper works or just basically machinery parts had cluttered and accumulated here like some dump, making this lab a good hideout for any assassins who might have had any hidden intention of eliminating the genius scientist. But so far, with Verde’s traps laying about in wait outside or the pathways into the heart of the lab, Reborn could see none had made their way in yet. Or perhaps the news about the break-ins and whatnot, did not reach to the outside of the underground lab.

And knowing Verde, the hitman knew the woman would make sure none of it happened in her territory.

Reborn gave her a look this time. And finally, he spoke again. “You’re too focused in your work than to be bothered with the likes of hatred and such -too much effort to, in your case.”

But when she questioned him about the purpose of his visit, he paused his lips for a moment with a slight tilt of his head. “…sometimes your silence makes us wonder if you’re up to something or not. It made us… curious in a way.” There was a soft sigh as though in resignation, finally revealing his reason for an unplanned visit. “Che. Dame Tsuna wouldn’t stop trying to question me about your welfare. Even though I’ve silence him for a bit, I could still tell he’s concerned. He’s known to wonder and care for others despite almost being killed by them before.” He tsk’d. “Such a troublesome student of mine.”