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Rosso's stomach made a large growl. "Man, I'm hungry!" She began to walk out of the courtyard, but stopped when she saw a guy a few yards away. He was practicing kratae techniques.

Rosso approached him. "Hey, Ryuoku!"

Ryouku stopped what he was doing and faced her. "Mornin', Rosso." They weren't really friends, more like acquaintances. Just about everyone know Ryouku because he was the sensei of the Tengu-Ryo Karate Club. "Sleeping again?" he asked.

Liaria (Li)

No, it was a false alarm. I was safe.

Yet, I had to get moving. I couldn't stay here too much longer; I would get too intuned to this natural world, my realm, and I would transform. I didn't need that...

I rose and approached the walkways alongside the buildings, where - just to my luck - a couple of people were conversing. One of them drew my attention quickly: he was practicing some form of fighting style...

"Hey, Ryuoku!" someone called at him. I slipped into his mind, reading his aura. Rosso.

"Mornin' Rosso. Sleeping again?" Ryuoku called back.

Now I knew why he was familiar. Ryuoku was the master of the Tengu-Ryo Karate Club. A club I would probably never set foot in.

"Riley seems different." Tatu stated as we made our way into the lunchroom.

"Stupid. It's because he's hungry." I said to her.

"Well, he's eating now so he should be nicer. Right?" She said as she grabbed her food and started to walk towards him.

"He's not going to be any different right now." I rolled my eyes and grabbed a plate of spaghetti.

"Why not?" Tatu stopped walking and turned towards me.

"I told you why a long time ago." I tried to get her to remember.

"Oh yeah! That! Maybe he's strange because he can sense my blood." Tama's voice was a whisper now.

"More than likely. Since he's always been fine around me and since I'm a cat demon and I have no blood, even in my human form." I agreed. Tatu nodded and began walking again.

"So should we bother him?" She asked. I shook my head 'no' and walked to a table in the far corner of the lunchroom, four tables away from Riley.

I looked down at Tatu's plate, which was stacked with fried catfish. "Once you enroll in this school tomorrow and get some rabbits you are going to pay me back." I told her calmly as I took a bite of pasta.

"Oh Yeah that reminds be! How many people in this little "town" do you know?" Tatu asked out of the blue.

"All of them." I said still eating my pasta.

"And out of all 587,843 of the people here, how many are your friends?" She asked and began eating.

"Uh..two. Why?" I asked.

"Because you need more friends." She said as she scarfed down her fish. I rolled my eyes and threw a meatball at her. Tatu looked up quickly and caught it in her mouth.

"Showoff." I murmured. She stuck her tongue out at me and transformed back into her cat form.

"Throw that away for me, will you?" She said as she jumped out of the lunchroom chair and darted out the doors. I growled at her and layed my head on the table. I soon drifted into a deep sleep, ignoring all the noise around me.

Beth:

I didn't really want to leave the solace of my room, but I had no choice. Hunger was getting the better of me. I smiled, amused at myself. At least I wasn't thirsting blood anymore...as long as I couldn't smell it. I missed having someone close to me...someone who truly new me. No one here was even close to it...well there was one. Riley Patch. He was too close to me...at least in the vampire sense. We were nothing alike...and I was afraid he hated me. Then again, he kept mostly to himself. I sighed. Why not try to make actual friends? I thought. Oh sure, I knew everyone...and was...pretty popular...but no one really knew who I was. They all thought I was just a pretty face. I hated it. They all asumed that they knew who I was! Or at least, that's how it seemed. I fumed, my anger getting out of control despite myself.

Of course at that moment is when my roomate decided to barge in...finger bleeding. My mouth watered from the smell.

"I'm going to go get something to eat..." I told her, rushing out of the room trying to get away from the smell at all costs. I hated what I was. Cursing my creator again, I hurried somewhere, anywhere! I really wished there was someone I could talk to...someone who would want to just listen...and would understand. Before I could stop them, tears started flowing down my face...

I woke up five minutes later. No. More like shot up. Someone in the school was worried. Crying even. I stood up and quickly dumped both plates. I ran towards the door. Part of being a 'protector' was to keep the people in this town safe and happy, even though that was impossible since most people hated it here. I thought to myself as I ran down the hall. All of a sudden Bethany ran past me in her half vampire speed. Tears were falling from her face. She seemed fine this afternoon at practice. What happened in the last two hours I wonder. I skidded to a stop and transformed to my normal cat demon form and took off after Beth.

"Bethany!" I called after her once we finally reached the outside of the school. My cat eyes allowed me to see in the darkness and I could tell that she had stopped running, but she was still crying.

Beth:

I turned slowly, wanting only my instincts to take over. I didn't feel like being civil at the moment. I glared at the cat in front of me...My instincts were to suck it's blood out, which of course made me cry more. Why was I so emotional?! It was stupid! I could act all tough around all the guys...and then have a melt down in front of a talking cat.

Nice. I mentally said, rolling my eyes in disgust. I wanted to run, to fight, to do something! I couldn't just stand still. So, I fled, to my safty zone, practically rushing to the practice arena, drawing my swords, and chopping any dummy in front of me, allowing my anger to flow out, to slow, and the tears to recoil. Why was I the only one cursed? The only one that hated what she was? Everyone else loved being magical, and my wizard side loved it. But I hated thirsting for blood, wanting to kill and always luring guys to me. Sometimes I just wished they would all leave me alone...but right now, I could use one of them...just a nice hug...from someone who truly knew me...

Of course, that was impossible. I bet none of those guys cared one lick who I was...they just wanted to date me, to be the "big man on campus." With this thought the anger and resentment returned, fueling more of the amazing moves I was allowed due to my vampire side. The lightening movements, the precision and accurecy, the deathly blows that no one could block, all flowing together, making me a meanance to anyone who dared to try their luck with me at this moment...but inside all I felt was pain...pain and sorrow.

I ran after Beth still in my cat form. Nobody really knew what I was except Tatu and maybe Riley. But, I knew Beth hated being a vampire. I stopped chasing Beth for a second and watched her enter the arena. I heard her slicing the dummies. I had just enough time to think. I sat down and began. I hate being a cat demon. I want to be the same as everyone here, but I can't. I'm sure Beth feels the same way about her vampire side. I remember that when I was younger the cat demon first came out. I thought as visions of my thirteenth year flashed through my mind. On my thirteenth year I killed half of the seventh grade class. The visions came quickly, all at once. I think know how to help Beth. I transformed back to a human before walking in the gym. I expanded my sword and watched Beth's lightning quick, vampiric movements. I smiled at her once she noticed that someone else was in the arena.

"Wanna practice with me? You did miss practice today." I said still smiling. Beth stared at me with eyes that I could tell were truely thinking about it.

Beth:

"You sure you want to mess with me? Most of the guys won't even take me on." I said warily. I really didn't want to hurt anyone. Dummies were a little different than an actual human being, no matter how thirsty I was.

I shook my head, trying to clear it of the thirst. I knew that everything about me was made to lure, but no one had every wanted to fight me. Especially like this.

"Besides," I glanced around at the damage I had created. "From the looks of it, I don't need practice." Despite myself, I smiled, my teeth gleeming in the light. I snapped my mouth shut, feeling stupid, mentally kicking myself.

"Please don't be stupid." I begged, knowing that if she did engage me now, I would not hesitate to kill, then drink.

"Beth, Beth, Beth. Are you worried that you'll hurt me? Or maybe even kill me?" I asked with a laughing chime to my words. She stared at me as if I was insane.

"The truth is I'm a cat demon." I admitted in a low voice. "So since you are a vampire and I am a cat demon we are alnost matched. So how bout it?" I now held my sword at arms length and carved a figure of a man-killing cat in a pratice dummy.

[Riley Patch]

It was just a bowl of warm blood but it meant the world to Riley. He quickly lapped up the sweet red "elixer of life" and then felt it. His senses, another vampire. Vampires could feel eachother, sometimes even see through the other's eyes. Right now he was feeling Beth, she was upset. Lonely, needed someone to talk to. She had thought about him. She half wanted to be friends. Maybe he could try. But they had already tried to be friends, their efforts had failed completely. They were complete opposites. She was popular, he was a loner; she was usually happy and knew lots of people, Riley kept to himself mostly and had just a few friends. He finished his meal and noticed that Tatu and Tama were gone now. He threw the bowl in the rubbish bin and thanked Suki on his way out. She was the only mother he had ever had. Then a few seconds later he was where Beth was. A practice arena. He could smell the passion she was putting into the fight. She was hungry too. He thought she had good self control, then again he didn't know much about her. He decided to watch the fight. Suddenly things took a turn for the worse. The person he was fighting, which he was pretty sure was Tama, took a blow and Beth attacked. Ready for blood.
"Oh no you don't" Riley muttered and grabbed her in mid lunge.
"Get offa me!" She said. He turned her and firmly held her wrists. She was only half vampire so he was stronger. Also he was a fair bit older than her. His chool records said 17 but in actuality he was 253.
"Here you are wishing you had someone to talk to that really knew you and you are throwing me off without even giving it a chance." He was teasing her now, he knew she was irratable, but he couldn't help it. She was quite adorable when she was angry.
"I don't need you!" She yelled, eyed reddening around the irises.
"WELL FINE!" He growled. He wasn't in the mood for this, he was trying to help and she was being a well.. you know, "But I am not going to stand by and watch you eat one of the few friends I have." He let go of one of her wrists and dragged her by the other one.
"I cna take care of myself!" She tried to wriggle from his grasp, but it was pointless.
"Oh really? And how long has it been since you have eaten? anorexic doesn't look good on vampyres." He said really losing his temper now, "Just because you don't like what you are doesn't mean you can ignore it." Without another word he picked her up and raced off to the kitchens, again.
~~~~~~
She ate two bowls of blood, somehow when Suki made it it didn't feel like you were really eating blood. She took hers through a straw which he found quite amusing. He wanted to find Tatu and Tama, he knew he had frightened Tatu earlier. Now that she was human they would have a lot to talk about. He wondered if she would still want to be his friend after she heard all the gory details. But he knew he couldn't leave. He sensed that whether either of them wanted to or not they were in for a long talk. All of their previous conversations had consisted of mostly yelling. They were like siblings at times. He was interested though, in her. He wanted to see what she was like, how she handled the desease of vampyrism.

I watched Riley and Beth walk out of the gym. Darn, there goes my fun. I sighed and sat down.

"Tama!" I heard a familiar voice call. I turned around and saw Tatu in her human form again.

"Hey Tatu! Wanna fight?" I asked her and tossed a small sword. It had been ages since we really 'fought'. The last time we fought was when I was thirteen and it was right before the masscre of the 7th Grade class. I smiled a small smile. I could tell I was getting hungry, so could Tatu.

"I'll fight but that means he have to go to the higher ups the second you start." Tatu stated. I nodded and my sword glew red. Demons weren't like vampires. They didn't thirst for blood. They thirsted for death.

Tatu stared at me and her sword began to glow blue. I smiled and lunged at her. She easily blocked my attack and attacked from below. I snickered and jumped backwards. I went back in again, this time cutting her arm. She healed the bleeding cut swiftly and attacked me from behind, cutting the back of my leg open. I winced as 'blood' fell. I healed the cut and attacked again. It continued like that.

(I don't have time to post, so keep me active, K?)

Beth:

I looked at Riley greatfully. He was exactly what I needed. I was surprised that he thought I was really going to hurt someone so sweet. But...I was on the verge of hunger, and I wasn't really pretty like that. I sighed. I wished I could be closer to him, feel what he went through as he felt me. But, unfortunately, being only half vampire, I didn't have a lot of the abilities I knew others did. Normally, I wasn't like this. But...I didn't really want to be around my normal crowd. None of them knew me...they just saw what they wanted. I hated my life. I hated who I was...sometimes I enveyed Riley. I knew he didn't want to be here...especially with me, but I didn't want him to leave. In fact, when he held me in the practice areana, it felt comfortable, warm, safe. Something I had never felt before. I yearned to feel that again, but thought that it would be wrong to ask...after all, he probably hated my guts. I wasn't his normal "type". So...I sat there. Feeling lonely and miserable, and most of all greatful.

I forced myself to meet his eyes. "Look, you don't have to stay if you don't want to. I know that you'd probably prefer to be with someone else,...and now that my temper is in check, I shouldn't be a menance anymore." I grinned, trying to make things light. Apparently that didn't work. He frowned. I looked away and sighed agian. A tear started trickling down my cheeck...I tried to whipe it away..."Look, you really don't have to stay. I'll be fine...I always am." I whispered the last part, knowing how empty it really was. On the outside I was always fine...but somehow I could never mend myself.

[Riley Patch]

Oh God, water works. He had never dealt with that. But now he had to stay, she was so lonely. It was sad, and when he felt her emmotions he caught a glimpse of what she really wanted, which was.. him. To hold her agian, make her feel safe. He though the last thing he made anyone feel was safe. She kept telling him that she would be fine, but that was an indicator that she wouldn't be. He wasn't too perticularly fond of the group she hung around with, and they would outcast her if they saw the two together. Riley didn't want her to be cast out of her own social status, not that he really cared or anything. She was beautiful, a vamypres pleasure and curse. This was the first real conversation the two had ever had, that didn't involve yelling and unitelligable words. It was getting late and he didn't feel like hanging around the kitchens anymore.
"Come on." He said rising gracefully. The way he felt her emmotions effected him, he was becoming less and less like himself and more like her. More caring, compasionate, lonely. He was begining to lose his rough and tough exterier and he didn't even do that around Tatu and Tama.
"Where are we going?" she sniffed.
"My room, I dunno bout you but I don't feel too inclined to stick around here much longer." He waited for her while she made up her mind. She was torn between the decision. He could tell. Besides, who would want to go anywhere with him? She stood and followed him back to his room, this time Riley closed the door. Technically it was completely against the rules to have members of the opposite sex in your room, but it wasn't as if they were actually going to do anything, just talk. Beth floated gracefully down on to the edge of the bed, Jinx jumped in her lap immediatly. Riley stayed standing for a minute longer comtemplating where to sit, there was only one other chair in the room. He decided on the opposite side of the bed and he sat facing away from her. He could feel something changing in the air. Barriers were breaking down and he was able to look past what he saw and fell her, really feel her. And they hadn't even spoken. He felt suddenly so close to her; he told himself it was just their animal nature. But when he leaned back and accidentally brusehd her hand he couldn't ignore the shock that ran up his arm. She seemed shy and comfortable sitting in his room. Jinx jumped down from her lap and she scooted herself more up onto the bed, just noticing that Riley was laying beside her.
"Whats the cat's name?" She asked.
"Jinx." He said monotonely reaching up and stroking her hair. What was he doing? She was making him go insane. He had never felt this way around her, or anyone else for that matter, before. Must get better self control.
She didn't shudder away from him as he expected her to, she just kept talking, "You have a room mate?"
"No."
'Oh, what are your classes like?"
"Stupid." She giggled; and thats what threw him. A giggle, he hated giggles. But he was pulling her so close to him so face she didn't even have a chance to breath before his lips were on hers. He tried to stop himself, rationalize the situation. But it was no use. He pulled back and waited for her responce.

Beth:

I sighed. This felt wonderful! How could this have happened? I knew exactly how it could have happened. At least on my side. Why this wonderful guy would like me was a mystery, but I knew why I wanted him. He was...comforting. I had never know what it was like to be protected. I had always had to do that myself. One reason why I was so good at what I did was that I had a lot of practice fighting. A passion I had to posses.

I looked at him. He seemed anxious, like he was waiting for something. What could I say? I cleared my throat and stared into his eyes. I couldn't help myself, I laughed. "What do you think they'd try to do to us if they found me in here?" I grinned, the absurdity of the situation hitting me. I glanced around his room. Books were everywhere. I was suddenly envious. I loved being here. With him. Alone.

I looked back into his eyes, wondering how on earth I could convey that...without scaring him away. I smiled softly, tentavily, shy for the first time in my life. I blushed and bit my lip. Would he kiss me again? Did he know how good it felt? His hands in my hair...stroking it. I felt like I was coming unglued!

I cleared my throat again, nervous.

"Um...maybe I should leave, before I get you in trouble. I would hate to have the administration on your back...and for it to be my fault." I smiled. "Maybe I can come back...sometime? If you want..." I glanced off, tongue tied. How could I not be? I had seen how all the other girls looked at him...and he was gorgeous. And HE had kissed ME! I was still shocked. "Um...I'll go now..." I hesitantly got up, not wanting to leave. I liked it. I blushed.