Always tumbling down over that abyss of Madness

[moonlitknight]

Who: Zero and Open
What: Zero loses his shit falls to his bloodlust
When: May 4th
Where: Everywhere.
Warnings: Blood, violence, manipulation, self-harm, he'll be an arrogant ass too


He digs at his throat obscuring the tattoo. The pain a welcome change to the raw hunger clawing at his throat making it impossible to even think! His stomach churns and his form convulses bringing him to his knees. His hands slam forward breaking the fall as his instincts single out the faint sound of a heart beating in the distance. He covers his ears to block out the sound but it doesn't go away!

Starvation.

It turned vampires mad. And Zero had been starving himself for far too long.

His body screams in agony, forcing his instincts to the surface as hunger grips him in its claws forcing his heart rate up, the sound mixing with the steady one in the distance. It was close. If he--

"Stop it!"

He grits his teeth and his breathing falls into ragged breaths. He's losing control. Beneath the blood and raw skin, his tattoo begins to glow and his eyes pulse a deep red. He's slipping, falling off the ledge of sanity and the monster lurking inside raises its head and tests the will that always kept it at bay, and for the first time it come away with a grin. The Hunter lost more than his memories, he lost his strength to defy it.

Time passes and his throat begins to heal while that beating heart echoes in his mind drawing the vampire toward the source, a wide grin marring its lips when its meal falls within its sights.

Comments

[moonlitknight]

A chase!

Excitement rang through his blood as he landed on the ground, his prey already steps ahead. A rush of adrenaline hit his system drawing out his instincts as he launched himself into the chase enjoying every second as he rushed through the trees, following the scent of blood intent of catching his prey.

[candyconsumption]

Oh--

At first, Itachi ran, because it seemed like the sensible thing to do. He pushed past trees, his long hair flying like a whip behind him. His red eyes glanced back to see--

Something that looked like a beast tailing him. Zero.

He dodged left. He threw himself behind a large tree, taking a in a deep breath before going quiet, trying to listen out for him.

[moonlitknight]

He couldn't smother the hot scent of blood in the air anymore than he could the sound of his heart beating in his chest. The vampire locked on his hiding place almost instantly and crashed through that same tree bringing it down.

[candyconsumption]

Well that didn't work. Itachi made a noise, something akin to a harsh gasp of air in surprise, and he hit the ground when the tree seemed to shatter, wood spraying everywhere, and the tree hitting the ground. He managed to scramble out of the way.

He didn't have a choice. He didn't know how long he could run. His stamina felt like it was already suffering, and as he lifted up a hand, he let out a heavy cough into it. Not the first time. Was he coming down with something?

The Uchiha rose to his feet. If he kept running, Zero would catch him eventually... and if not him, then someone else, so...

He didn't know how to fight. But he'd do what he could. As he locked onto Zero, something changed. The way he was seeing the other felt as if it was transforming. Motions seemed slower. The black marks in his eyes started slowly turning, like gears to a clock. He held his hands up, showing that he was about to engage with him.

[moonlitknight]

The gesture went unseen by the vampire, lost in his adrenaline rush he launched himself at him without pause.

[candyconsumption]

He felt a swipe that caught onto his shirt, and fabric tore, but Itachi's own hand flew out to strike Zero in his side.

[moonlitknight]

No reaction. He continues with his forward motion to take him down.

[candyconsumption]

The continued charge has Itachi dodging out of the way to escape him. His back ends up bumping into a tree. He's still not used to how he moves--and trying to learn while fighting someone was not exactly the ideal condition.

"Zero-san!" What did he need to do to get him off his tail? His Sharingan was spinning sharply, taking in everything surrounding him: Zero, the drop of blood that had flown off of his neck when he hit the tree, still flickering in the air, and his surroundings, seeing if there were any good hiding places or... no. Hiding wouldn't work. He'd tried that already. Zero could hunt him down by... how? His scent?

[moonlitknight]

A quick pivot has Zero changing directions as long talons rush forward to claw him down.

[candyconsumption]

He... had no choice. Dancing around the other wouldn't work. If he wanted Zero to back down, he'd have to hit him hard: hard enough to think twice.

With that, Itachi pushed himself off the tree to meet Zero head on. He'd get hurt in the process, no doubt, but...

He swung his fist outwards, hoping he and Zero's velocity would work for him and he moved to punch the vampire square in the face.

[moonlitknight]

He gladly took the hit, pain racing down his jaw as it snapped to the side, but the vampire turned the pain to pleasure and that wicked smile never left his face. The punch slowed him down, but it didn't matter, his prey had come to him, he simply accepted the hit along with the pain as his talons made to grab him, missing him by centimeters as he flew back through a tree toppling it down.

[candyconsumption]

The fact that Zero felled a tree had him coming to an abrupt stop. He skid a bit, getting used to his speed. He stood up straight, eyes wide, panting.

"...Zero-san?" Had that knocked some sense into him?

[moonlitknight]

The tree groaned in protest as it slowly fell down crashing onto the forest floor while the vampire stood in the rubble, scraps of wood falling off of him as thin scratches across his skin began to heal. He turned to look up at him that same smile still in place as he leaped up into the tree, ready to start the chase all over again.

[candyconsumption]

No. If Zero had higher ground than him, he would have the advantage. Itachi would just be helpless prey waiting to be landed on, and if Zero got on top of him there was no hope. He'd get pinned down too easily. Everything would be working against him.

There was only one choice then, and Itachi took off, getting enough momentum for that strange feeling to work into his feet, and he bounced up, into the branches. He listened for the sound of rustling leaves, before heading towards it, trying to be as cautious as possible. He wanted to shout his name, but why make it easy for the other to hear him... especially when he could already smell--

Oh! Of course!

Instead of moving along the same plane, Itachi went up, as high as he could go. He was smaller than Zero, so the young ninja shimmied between branches and through foliage, a trail of sweat and blood following. Zero would have to get up to him. That would give him a better advantage in fighting his friend-turned-fiend off.

[moonlitknight]

And he did just that following that scent of blood right up that tree. His mind focused solely on his prey and not on the obvious trap he was walking into. Not that it cared either way. All he knew was that his prey was up and up he would go.

[candyconsumption]

His heart was pounding non-stop. It felt like it would break right through his chest. The sound of Zero heading up grew louder and louder, matching the sound of his hammering heartbeat, drowning out all thought except one thing: hit him!!!

The moment he felt Zero underneath him, could see the glinting shine of his eyes, Itachi's hand gripped onto the branch he was sitting on top of and raising his right foot. As soon as Zero's face was in clear view--

With all the chakra build-up he could muster, he slammed his foot down to strike him in the face.

[moonlitknight]

His face took the brunt of the hit and the vampire slammed down, the force of that chakra adding enough strength to have him slamming into the ground below with enough force to embed him two feet beneath the top layer of soil. This time he didn't get up as quickly, in fact it took him at least half a minute to rise from the rubble on his hands and knees, as blood spilled down his face where he'd been hit.

[candyconsumption]

"Zero-san!"

Itachi was falling down fast, using the same technique: putting all of his chakra into his feet. This time, he crashed down on top of Zero fully, feet striking the vampire's shoulders as he launched his entire body atop the taller man.

[moonlitknight]

The dirt beneath cracked all around him into a wide circle as the force of that hit had him slamming down another two feet. This time his blood spilled into the cracks, as his shoulder rose and fell in heavy breaths. He didn't get up. Not yet, it'd take him at least a full minute with the way his strength was draining into the dirt beneath him.

[candyconsumption]

He was sitting on top of him, and Itachi panted, a bead of sweat falling along his brow. His hand scraped along in the dirt, grabbing a handful of it.

"Don't you dare take advantage of me like that again, Zero-san." And he threw the dirt right into his face, in the eyes, up the nostrils, and even in the mouth. "You made your grave now lie in it."

[moonlitknight]

The sudden jerk of his person by the man above him had the gun safely holstered inside his jacket falling out into the open. With Itachi's sudden attack, his hand moved to grab a rock to slam across his head, except it wasn't a rock he found but Bloody Rose. The gun instantly shocked him, earning a grunt of pain from the vampire as it quickly let go of the weapon, feeling the killing intent that even now licked up his arm in warning for daring to touch it.

[candyconsumption]

What was...

His hand had lifted to block the attack, only for it not to follow through, and Zero getting shocked from the weapon that was on the ground. This was as good a time as any to get out of here. He didn't want to leave the other like this, but... it was looking more and more like he had no choice.

He rose to his feet, hopping out of the hole that Zero was laying inside. His red eyes flickered to the gun, questioningly, but instead of wondering on it too much he took off, through the woods and hopefully, to safety.