The Shimmer of Steel and The Shimmer of Water

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The sun lay high in the sky that afternoon, its reflection dancing in ripples of its waters and casting its light against old dilapidated boats and piers as it did so. The area around the lake was silent, save for the song of birds and the lapping of the lake against the stone shore. On its southern edge stood a man, perched on a towering rock overlooking the water. Caught within the eye of the sun his shadow seemed to dance upon the rippling surface with its movements. Adhering to his own rhythm, Ian's blade whistled through the air in a graceful arc...all whilst doing so on a single, naked foot. The Vampire's movements were an elegant orchestra of blade and balance, showing no signs of faltering with each shift in stance and each flourishing swing of the glaive. As a normal man, he had been in good physical condition...but even with the martial arts training he had, he would not have been capable of anything near to what he was doing; such a thing was within the realm of masters who were at the peak of human fitness, something which he was well beyond now.

As to why he was out here, it was simple; practice makes perfect. Back in the Junkyard, he could train with his bow and sawed-off shotgun, but the full scope of his physical abilities had to be worked on, away from the eyes of everyone that knew him. Save for his trousers, a sash containing his kris and bracers, the Treasurer's torso and feet were unadorned, revealing a physique that was rather well-built by the standards of this age. Reaching the end of the training regimen, he would leap into the air with a graceful flourish; with a twist, he would bring the blade down in an overhead arc, whilst landing in a low stance.

Posted 06-25-2021, 01:31 PM This post was last modified: 08-04-2021, 08:35 AM by Andromeda

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There were times when even North, a Major in the Military, grew tired of his time spent in Stronghold. There was only so many things one could do it an otherwise stagnant society before boredom crept in like a disease. It also didn't help that his Infected blood had a sense of wanderlust, an urgency to keep moving and keep hunting. That was the main reason why North currently found himself outside of Stronghold, dressed in regular civilian clothing as to not give himself away as Military. Even the truck he had driven out to No Man's Land remained free of any sort of Military insignia. He was, in essence, completely incognito.

Sticks and rocks crunched underfoot as he walked along the shores of the lake, blue eyes eagerly searching the surrounding area for wandering drifters that he might invite for lunch. He spotted the lone man long before he was even close to him. The silhouette of the man from a distance was still very obvious to a creature such as North, whose keen eyes allowed him better vision for hunting. He saw the glimmer of the blade in the man's hand, familiar movements that he himself knew from his own hobby of sword fighting — albeit different enough, due to their usage of different weapons while fighting.

Curiosity was enough to draw North closer to the man, and as he came within speaking distance of him, one sniff of the wind caused a flicker of disappointing in his veins — Infected. Looks like he wasn't going to get a snack out of his interaction. But... Blue eyes roamed over an exposed torso, muscles rippling beneath the surface of pale skin. He grins — he could live with that.

“Swordplay isn't a skill you normally find amongst men nowadays,” North comments aloud as he approaches the man once he's finished with his little display, a smirk upon North's lips. “Then again, you aren't exactly a man from 'now', are you?” he tilts his head, almost as if curious for the answer, even though they both knew it was rhetoric.

TAG Ian Donnaghan

Posted 07-10-2021, 10:41 PM

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Ian was still in his low, landing stance when a voice on the wind caught his senses; that same subtle gust brought a few other aural motes to his sense of smell. As he turned to look at the stranger, he noted the scent of kin first and foremost...an Infected like himself. There were faint traces of soap and alcohol as well among the scent; intriguingly enough, there was a strong musky hint to that smell too...indicating that the man in question not long ago partook in the more socially-acceptable pleasures of the flesh. Eventually, the doctor's deep green eyes would meet with the stranger's blue. Naturally, he was conflicted; the Vampire had never met another individual like himself...he knew he couldn't have been the only one to have come back from their bestial state. As curious as he was, Ian was also very wary as well, for reasons that'd take far too long to list; something to do with power and its effects on the human psyche or the volatility of their condition. Still he masked this inner conflict with a smile as he spoke, his accent a relic of a world drowned in fire and blood.

"Well, last I checked, I'm definitely not eunuch..." he remarked with a dry chuckle, though given the examination of his own gametes under a microscope, he came rather close when it came to the fertility aspect. His hand was still clutching the glaive as he continued on, rising from his stance as he did so. "Then again, I suppose a man like you is also of a sanguine disposition too?"

As for the arts of the blade, the Briton had his own thoughts on the matter.

"I suppose its because very few have the patience to do so...it was the same back before the world became buggered; the folks of back then saw it s pointless then as much as they do now, albeit for different reasons."

Tag North Sigurd

Posted 07-11-2021, 08:06 PM

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North is very aware of keeping himself on guard around the stranger — for multiple reasons, really. One, because he never particularly liked being around others of his kind; they just never seemed to get along for some reason. And two, because pretty much anyone that lived outside Stronghold was immediately a threat to him as a Military officer, even if it wasn't currently obvious that he was part of the Military. It still was enough to keep him on edge, North positioning himself a respectable distance away from the other man, a slight grin on his face.

He tilts his head slightly as the man begins to speak to him, letting out a low hum in response even if he doesn't verbalize his thoughts about the joke. He watches as the man slowly raises himself into a standing position, but his next few words catch North's attention and he grins broadly at the other man — allowing his fangs to briefly slip from his gums and peek over top of his lips, teasing the man with his identity.

“Indeed I am,” he purrs in response, allowing his fangs to slip back into his gums once more; back into his secret identity as a human. “It sure comes in handy, having to not worry about Infected hunting me from the shadows,” he comments aloud, a sweep of his hand indicating that he was talking about the man as well. Would a human be so brave as to practice out in the open like him? He doubted it — they were like lambs, afraid of their own shadows. Only when hiding behind ramshackle walls did they ever let their hair down to have some fun.

Besides, what good would a sword do a human against Infected?

“How true. I myself only picked up a thing or two on blades after the fallout from everything. I had... Much more carnal inclinations as a human,” he responds to the man's words, and with an obvious purr in his words, he follows his suggestive tone up with a wink. “What brings you out here alone? Besides the obvious,” he continues, deciding to push the man a bit for some information. It was helpful for him to know that there was another Level V Infected running around, and it was imperative for both himself, as well as the Military, to know if there were any more of his... ilk.

TAG Ian Donnaghan

Posted 07-16-2021, 12:20 AM

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Ian observed and listened to the Vampiric stranger before him; the purring of his speech naturally made the doctor wonder, based on the stranger's previous mentions of having previously been of a carnal disposition, if this individual was planning on flirting with him or fuck him over in a way that was less than fun. Still, the Eclipse Treasurer watched, ever wary of the other Vampire; he wasn't going to let his desire to know another Infected like himself make him drop his guard now...power can make a person unpredictable to say the least. Being a courteous man however, Ian opted to oblige the stranger's question with an answer.

"Besides from the obvious, I am simply on an errand from my community...it just so happens that it has given me ample opportunity to practice my arts to their full etent without drawing a suspicious gaze."

Naturally, the British Vampire's answer was veiled; he was all too conscious about letting others know that he was on assignment for Eclipse...one simply never knew who one might be talking to, even if they too shared the same liquid all-protein diet. If he too had integrated into one of the few remaining human societies in this section of the continent, then who could have this Infected integrated with as well?

""So...how long has it been since you...well...re-emerged?""

Tag North Sigurd

Posted 07-23-2021, 12:19 PM This post was last modified: 07-23-2021, 12:19 PM by Ian Donnaghan

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“Ohh~? A community, you say? I didn't realize there was a drifter colony nearby,” North immediately perks up at the man's comment, suspicion and intrigue filtering its way into his speech. This was definitely something that he was interested in, as both an Infected as well as a Military Major. Although No Man's Land already began to stretch beyond the Military's immediate reach, it was still always important for them to know what was going on beyond their walls. Still, he wasn't stupid.

They had just met one another, he wasn't about to act nosy and push for information that any normal drifter wouldn't. Much as he wanted information now, he knew he'd have to charm the other man first. Smirk. Well, he was experienced with that, wasn't he? North tilts his head a little as the man asks how long it had been since he had awakened as a Level V, so to speak, and he places an elongated finger against his chin as if thinking about the answer.

“I would say about ten years ago now,” he muses, silently adding that it was around the time that Level V first started popping up, according to Cypher's archives. Perhaps it was because of that, that he was able to slip into human society so easily. No one was suspecting an Infected to be able to do that at the time. Now? Now they were much more cautious, even if there was still no fool-proof way of testing for a Level V. North shakes the thoughts from his head as he focuses his attention back on the man in front of him, blue eyes glinting as he once more throws a devilish smirk in the man's direction, a careful step closer.

“What about you?” He questions with a bit of a growl in his words — but it wasn't done as a threat. “Better yet: does your community know about you? Do they welcome you with open arms, or do you simply keep them around as livestock?” Ah, the dream. A farm of humans made to be fed on by Infected like him. It would definitely make feeding much easier but...

He still enjoyed the hunt once in a while.

TAG Ian Donnaghan

Posted 07-24-2021, 05:13 PM This post was last modified: 07-24-2021, 05:14 PM by Silhouette

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"Same here...what was your first moment as yourself again like?"

Asked Ian, who remembered all too well that first moment of humanity again; it had felt as though he had been waking up from a long slumber, coupled with blearily comprehending the light of the sun shining in his face. Honestly, he had felt extremely groggy in that moment, completely unaware of what transpired so many decades ago. He felt things were going rather well, until the next question that started causing alarm bells to ring within Ian's psyche. Had the stranger kept it to just a matter of whether or not his community knew of what he was, to which he'd happily have answered. But no! The bugger just had to go and refer to them as livestock! Came the irritated thought. Still, the Doctor maintained a calm veneer; the only sign of his concern being the tightening of his grip on the glaive's shaft and a brief micro-flicker of red in his eyes.

"No...." he began, "they do not know of my nature...and I do not see them as livestock whatsoever."

Ian's next words then emerged; the tone was as neutral as he could must....even then, there was a subtle feral edge to as he returned with a question of his own.

"And I assume your perspective on other people is the opposite of mine?"

Tag North Sigurd

Posted 07-24-2021, 06:24 PM

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The question asked makes North grin.

“I remember thinking it felt good to have sex again,” he purrs with that dreadfully sinful voice, woefully unashamed of being so forward with a man he'd met just a mere seconds earlier. It was true of course, the carnal beast felt more like himself again when he was back in his right mind and able to enjoy the pleasures of the flesh that didn't end in death. The toothy grin that accompanies his answer makes it very clear he was answering more as a joke than anything else. However, his amusement starts to fade ever so slightly when the other man begins to answer his question.

Interesting. There was a shift of mood in the other man as he answers, even if it's not obvious what the change is — although it's revealed not long after, with the answer that's given to him. Still, his gaze sharpens ever so slightly at the information that the man hadn't yet revealed himself to his colony. Even though he claimed he didn't see them as livestock, was he afraid that his true nature would cause them to run for torches and pitchforks?

Either way, it was absolutely ridiculous to the predator to view humans as anything but food. North tilts his head almost in a condescending way as a question is returned to him, but the grin doesn't disappear from his expression.

“Of course. Infected are apex predators, with humans being our choice of prey. It seems silly to view them as anything but food,” he muses aloud, and seeing as how the man hadn't reacted to his breach of space earlier, the Major decides to take another bold step closer. “You can try to play house with them as much as you'd like, but one slip up, one moment of weakness, and—”

Fangs slip from his gums as his eyes bleed yellow, and he makes a mocking gesture of snapping at the air, as if sinking his fangs into a human's neck. A cruel and mocking laugh accompanies his words, his eyes trained to the man's face.

TAG Ian Donnaghan

Posted 08-02-2021, 12:50 AM

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Oh bugger me sideways! Thought Ian with a mixture of irritability and disappointment. First other sapient Infected I meet and he's a bloody sex-crazed psychopath! The stranger's words definitely rubbed the Eclipse Treasurer up the wrong way, inspiring revulsion and anger in equal measure within him. The thought of even contemplaring the non-infected as just fodder made his stomach churn; it went against every single value that the Doctor held very close to his heart...the very things that made his own existence much easier to bear with in the face of the immense guilt within his psyche. As far as Ian was concerned, he was still fundamentally human in terms of his nature...it just so happened that it came with its benefits and flaws. Hosting his glaive across his shoulders like a martial arts master from 1970s Hong Kong Kung Fu movie, the Doctor finally gave his response to the stranger.

"You are right about the potential for how one slip can make things go tits up..." He aquiesced, having come to this conclusion long ago; humans have always feared what they did not understand and hated what they feared. Only nowadays, this state of being often resulted in a bullet to the head instead of a brick through the window...which Ian remembered all too well his own grandparents had received for being Irish. In response to the whole diatribe and the whole cruel laughter, the Doctor's eyes turned as red as blood as he began to speak.

"But all that talk of being the apex predator?"

A wicked smile crowned Ian's face as his own fangs slid out from his gums. Growing up in the 1980s, he had heard similar diatribes from his fellow working class Brits, who sought to belittle others who weren't of the same ethnic background as they were to distract themselves up from their harsh circumstances...and how crappy their own lives were thanks to their own efforts.

"That's the kind of ego-filled shite spoken by someone who's life has been a complete and utter failure...only now, with a blank slate and power handed to them, you think yourself a god amongst the masses when in truth, individuals like us two are mere examples of luck." The Briton's grin then took on an even crueller edge; normally he preferred to be civil in his discourse with other people, but as far as he was concerned, this arsehole really did need a good roasting. "Want to hear an inconvenient truth stranget? The truth is, no matter where you've taken this blank slate, deep down you're still whatever it was before you were bitten..."

Ian looked the individual up and down, his inhumanly red eyes seemingly scanning him, before voicing aloud his conclusions.

"And from what I see, very little has been done to improve that."

Tag North Sigurd

Posted 08-02-2021, 11:53 AM

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His words seem to provoke some kind of reaction from the stranger — exactly what he was looking for. North wasn't normally one that purposely tried to piss people off, but... Well, he couldn't exactly say that he liked being in the presence of other Infected, and it just happened to bring out a nastier side of him. Besides, he was curious just how much this stranger was going to carry on with his tirade of not believing himself to be better than humans. North couldn't even fathom such a possibility. In fact, he loathed the very notion that he had once been human.

But it doesn't go the way North thought it would. Instead, the stranger decides to flip the conversation back on North, and decide to start insulting him without even knowing him. It doesn't anger North — rather, it's almost amusing to him. Ah, when was the last time someone was so bold to speak to him in such a way? Long time ago, if he had to think about it. Being a top dog in the Military meant most of the people he interacted with knew to keep their mouths shut. But this man..?

North doesn't hide the shit-eating grin on his face.

“Oh my, are you trying to insult me~?” he questions the man, a sort of croon to his words laid over top of laughter that filtered through as soon as he was finished speaking. “Ahhhh, but you see, I'm not one that can be so easily angered. I simply don't care what others think of me — not that many are as bold to tell me such things as you are. For that, I'm almost impressed,” he continues, a slight sneer in his words, even if the amused grin on his face doesn't disappear. The devilish look on the other's face doesn't even dissuade him from what he's about to say next.

“Sounds to me like you just haven't experienced the full extent of the fun you should be having as an Infected. There's no greater thrill than having a human pinned beneath you, fear in their eyes as you devour them.” Words are punctuated by a lewd roll of his tongue across his fangs, their sharp tips pricking the soft flesh of his tongue just enough for the scent of blood to fill the air.

In a flash he's suddenly upon Ian, leaning in, whispering with a hot breath: “Want me to show you the fun you can have?”

TAG Ian Donnaghan

Posted 08-08-2021, 08:41 PM

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With his eyes still as red as the blood that coursed through his veins, he found his eyebrow raising at the man seeming not to care about what he had said. As far as the Doctor was concerned, this individual truly did not care or potentially had a humiliation fetish based on that infernal shit-eating grin. He was also stll confused as to whether or not the stranger wanted to fight him or fuck him...or disturbingly, possibly both. Ian lowered the glaive into a standing position as he spoke.

"Since when is speaking the truth an insult?" Remarked Ian in response, his fangs withdrawing as he spoke. "I've seen this rubbish before mate....and it isn't fooling me for even a second."

The British Infected then began to stroke his beard in faux-contemplation. He could actually go on about what all Sapient Infected experience is still fundamentally a Human one, since the Human perspective is all that they have. Plus, he suspected that the painfully-smug individual before him wasn't exactly one for discussing the intricacies of life, but was definitely one for living the life sybaritic.

"Then again, such self-aggrandisement is still very much a human trait...perhaps you are more alike with your prey than you'd care to admit?"

That was when the scent of Infected blood began to come from the stranger, who seemed to licking his tongue against his fangs. As he did so, he spoke simultaneously of how he reckoned that the Doctor had yet to fully experience what it was to be Infected. Oh how wrong you are. Came the sad thought from the Doctor; from the few memories he has of the past decades, he had indeed had the full Infected experience...and it sickened him deeply. So deeply that his anger had disappeared, eyes fading back to their gentle green. As he came back to the here and now, the stranger was right there, breathing hotly in his face, very eager to show Ian the fun he wanted to have. The Treasurer gave a slight smile, speaking in a gentle, seductive whisper.

"Git kendini becer."**

The stranger would then suddenly feel something strong and hard press up to his loins...and then it would become sharp. With his free hand, Ian had drew his Kris and promptly positioned it in a place that could see the Stranger become a eunuch if he did not reign himself in. For someone who claimed to be an apex predator, he certainly seemed to act like an animal in heat.

Tag North Sigurd

**Turkish for "Go fuck yourself"**

Posted 08-08-2021, 09:34 PM This post was last modified: 08-08-2021, 09:35 PM by Ian Donnaghan

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The stranger doesn't seem to like what he's hearing — it's almost amusing how easy it was to get such heated words from the man. Still he continued to try and berate North — and still, the Infected simply let the man's words roll right off his back. What was the saying? Names will never hurt you? It was very fitting for this instance. Not matter how many times the man tried to bring North down a notch, it only fueled the fire in North's body, urging him to continue to poke and prod the bear just to see what kind of a reaction he could get out of him.

North didn't like others of his kind, it wasn't a secret. So clearly this was how he passed his time with them: either rolling around in bed with them, or seeing just how long he could push their buttons until they snapped. It wasn't like he could use them as a food source, so... He had to find other ways to amuse himself.

Golden eyes stared into now-green eyes, their breath mixed together with how close they were to one another. But apparently he pushed the limits just a little too hard, as the stranger suddenly spit some angry words in his face — another language, but North could get from his tone that it wasn't anything nice — and then something sharp pushes up against his groin.

Maybe some mean would feel fear at the threat of having a dangerous weapon pushed up against their most private place. But North? North simply chuckles, eyes narrowing slightly as he throws both his hands up in a mocking gesture of surrender.

“No need to get testy now—” he grins, lighting up his face at the stupid pun he just made, “I was simply offering. You may as well put your blade away. I'm a lover, not a fighter; I mean you no harm.” For now. In a flash North is back out of range of Ian's reach once more, safely away from the weapon that had threatened him bodily harm. The entire situation was rather amusing to North, but in the back of his head he was still taking notes for his Military report later. Not good to know there was a Level V Infected roaming around, that had skills with a blade and was willing to slice up a stranger he barely knew.

To be fair, North definitely started it.

“How do you view humans then, if not as prey. Hm? Are they your friends, your comrades? How do you even go about eating?” he questions, honestly curious. He wouldn't be surprised if the stranger decided to avoid answering questions, however, after that little display of power earlier.

TAG Ian Donnaghan

Posted 08-08-2021, 11:08 PM

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The stranger backed away just Ian had hoped; whilst part of him wanted to deprive the source of his revulsion of his favourite, the logical part of his psyche told him it would be a waste of effort. Being of a similar disposition, the castration would probably register dully...plus there was the possibility that the stranger might like it a bit too much. Once he said that he was a lover, and not a fighter, that was an opportunity that the Treasurer could not resist for a tongue-lashing as he begin to throw his longcoat on.

"Hmph, so that's what you mean when you say you practice the art of the sword...looks like your form would be somewhat limp however."

With the jab given, Ian would continue to pack much of his gear together; his eyes were no longer focused on the sex-crazed Infected, but his ears were still ready, his kris was stowed in the coat sleave and the glaived was embedded on the earth in front of him. The Doctor was an idealist, but he wasn't a fool; this world tends to require that one be wary of those they meet; one minute it is a friendly greeting, the next its a shiv in the gut and the new face robbing you of everything as you bleed out. The stranger would then ask Ian his view on humans and what it was that he used to sustain himself. For a moment, he considered snubbing the other Infected's question; after all, what would this one understand of something that he seemed to reject. In the end though, it was his own high-minded values that compelled him to speak.

"I see humans the way I have done long before I swore the Hippocratic Oath back in the old world stranger...I see many people worthy of my compassion and protection, to show them that that there is more to life than simply survival for its own sake." He then hoisted the backpack, bow and quiver onto his shoulders. Once the words had been allowed to seek in, he then continued. "Of course, I'm not a fool...I know there's enough buggers out there who'd happily gut me and leave me there to die. Such is the duality of any being that has free will...it is such people, as well as those on the threshold of death and discarded blood that I use to nourish me, and it is has served me well ever since."

Tag North Sigurd

Posted 08-14-2021, 06:52 PM This post was last modified: 08-14-2021, 06:53 PM by Ian Donnaghan

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Still the stranger continues to try and insult him — and still, North reacts simply by throwing a smirk in the man's direction, seemingly unperturbed by the taunts. He doesn't comment on words that are meant to just be an insult, his eyes instead trained to man as he begins to pack up his gear. Weapons are kept handy, possibly in case North decides to push the boundaries again, but the Infected doesn't move closer to the other man a second time. He holds his ground, choosing instead to remain as something like an annoying fly buzzing around the stranger's ear.

He asks the question, curious as to how an Infected could sustain themself without preying on humans — and silence falls after his question for a moment. Almost as if the stranger is going to simply pack up and leave, refusing to talk to North further. But thankfully the stranger doesn't do that, swinging his backpack over his shoulder as he finally turns to give North the answer he's looking for. Not that it's an interesting answer.

North remains quiet, his lips drawn into a smooth line as brows furrow slightly at the answer. Compassion. Protection. How dull. Even as a human, North had mostly looked out for himself. The only time he'd ever cared about someone else was his family, and his younger brother... But those days were long gone, and if the man had to be honest, he was rather pleased with living just for himself. It's only the last few words from the man that finally draw a reaction out of North, who begins to prowl around the drifter with an awful grin on his face.

“So you're a vulture?” The question is hissed from his mouth in a disdainful manner, clearly unimpressed with the idea of drinking dead blood. How nauseating.

“Have you ever had Infected blood?” he questions suddenly, continuing his slow, methodical pacing around the man. “I've heard it takes a certain connoisseur to enjoy such things, but once you do... Human blood just isn't the same,” he muses aloud, as though he was very knowledgeable on the topic — in truth, he wasn't. He had no desire to drink from monsters. “Perhaps that is your true calling? To be a freak, as well as a monster?”

TAG Ian Donnaghan

Posted 08-30-2021, 06:59 PM

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"And what of it?" Replied Ian as he watched the stranger begin to circle him. "I have my way, you have your way, reprehensible though it may be."

The British Infected then cocked his head to the side with an increduously raised eyebrow.

"Besides, who the hell died and made you king of the Infected?""

Then the line of questioning turned towards the matter of consuming Infected blood. The Stranger spoke of having tasted it, even preferring it to human blood. Naturally, Ian suspected that he was probably lying, trying to get another rise out of the Doctor; having been splattered with such blood after fighting them, Ian had never felt any instinctive desire to consume it whatsoever. Human blood, however, inspired some primal desire, even if it was minimal for one such as him.

"Say if you were actually telling the truth about such an indulgence, no, I'v never partook of Infected blood. Even if the sight and smell of it inspired a desired it, I still wouldn't touch it; no one knows what would happen when two transgenic viral strains mingle their RNA together, even with the slightest differences between them. We both should be afraid of a Level V who has consumed too much of our blood, because for all we know, they might actually be mutating from the consumption of all those Drac-2 strains."

Tag North Sigurd

Posted 08-30-2021, 07:45 PM

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