400yearsofsurvival | New In Town.... (for Arkin, potentially NSFW)

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New In Town.... (for Arkin, potentially NSFW)

After all the flashiness of Las Vegas (and that whole narrowly escaping death thing), Jerry needed somewhere a bit quieter. Somewhere his comfortable blue collar act would go unnoticed. As would a disappearance or two. Far enough away that a gaggle of bumbling hunters could never find his trail. Which is how he settled on Detroit.

The recovering from the tussle in Vegas had left him far weaker than he'd like to admit, so he needed to change up his tactics. He preferred a more hands-on approach to his living space, doing it all himself. He still had enough strength to set up his nest in the basement, but hunting was something else entirely. So he needed a trap. He already had the bait. Relics collected over his life. Rugs, tapestries, items of gold and silver. As if it were a small peek at secret wealth.

With the bait in place, it was time to set the trap. He called every contractors, scheduling them to stop by for an estimate. He made sure they believed two important facts before they left. The first being that he worked nights, implying the house would be vacant. And the second was that the basement was off limits.

While he waited for someone to take the bait, there was always delivery.

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The set up was suspicious, Arkin knew that. But it was also the kind of place the masked man would choose. He had escaped him and he was going to catch that asshole again. The last murder was three weeks ago 20 miles away. He's due.

The suspiciousness was a point in the place's favor. It could be a set up by exactly who he's looking for. It didn't matter that the owner was someone else entirely, he's had accomplices before. Besides, if it wasn't him, Arkin could lift a couple things to help fund his search. At worst, he figures, he'll just have wasted half the night.

In addition to his usual breaking and entering tools, he brought a knife and a snub-nose revolver. He took his time getting up to the house, almost overly cautious, even for a thief. He settled on trying the side door first.

A few had fallen for the bait already, and none had been anywhere near as cautious. Jerry took care to make it appear as though no one was home. He even left the house in his truck every night at sundown, as if heading to a very late job. Of course, he'd just find somewhere to park and returned on foot, slipping in through the back so any half baked thief watching for their chance would have no idea.

He was just returning from that little trek, when he spotted Arkin sneaking around the side of his house. It was about time someone took the bait. He stalked through the shadows, watching. The man was already afraid, that much he could smell. But there was a strange tinge to it, as if it were an old fear. Not the sharp tang he was used to. Interesting.

The side door was unlocked, a simple mistake a trusting person could make.

The unlocked side door immediately put Arkin off. Instead of taking the bait and going in that way, he doubles back. If he's going in, he's using a different entry point.

He moves to inspect the closest window instead. If it's locked, he'll consider entering. If it isn't... he'll rethink things.

Every other point of entry was properly closed and locked. As if the side door had been a genuine mistake.

In the dark, Jerry leaned on a tree, watching his newest intruder not take the easy way in. That was an unexpected move. Did he have a smart thief on his hands, or an incredibly dense one?

Still suspicious, Arkin moves back to the door. He opens it while keeping his body as far away from the door frame as possible. He's used to doorway traps. He then does a quick check with his flashlight for any trip wires or anything out of place.

It's possible that this is just some moderately wealthy guy and there's no connection to anything he's after. But caution doesn't hurt.

Finally, Arkin slips in through the door.

Jerry is completely oblivious to the reasons for Arkin's strange behavior. But should he find out there's another hunter of sorts...well, he did so love a touching reunion.

The house appeared much like it did the last time Arkin was there, complete with being trap free. Most everything was in disarray, the signs of someone trying to move in and get set up while also working full time. A few more boxes were unpacked, and a lot of the clutter had been relocated, but it was still rather chaotic. The only clue of something being not quite right was all of the windows were somehow blacked out. Some had stuff stacked in front of them, or bits of cardboard taped up. While others, specifically those in the living room, were painted over with black.

Beyond that, the house was relatively unsecured. With the exception of two doors. The first one being a door through the kitchen, leading to the basement. That was held with a padlock, the hardware having recently been added. The second was perhaps even more tempting. The office, which contained most of the old looking artifacts had door that logically would have been a closet, yet it too was held shut with a recently added padlock.

Which one would tempt Arkin more?

Yeah, this wasn't house connected to who he wanted but it certainly was connected to something. He shouldn't stick around long.

He shifted his weight as he considered his options. Artifacts were hard to move if you didn't have a buyer lined up. Might be able to move the smaller stuff. He still didn't like this. He briefly inspected the padlock to the basement then decided whatever was here was not worth it. He turns back the way he came.

A lesser man would have busted down that locked door in Jerry's office in a heartbeat. It seemed Arkin was too smart for that. But Jerry liked them smart, it made the fear hit so much harder.

He would find his path blocked by a rather imposing figure. Jerry, standing in the doorway leading outside. With house so dark and only dim lights behind him, he was little more than a shadow, his face unseen.

"Now where do you think you're going?" He said, his voice low and ominous.

Arkin instantly pulls his knife, for a brief moment, he almost thinks Jerry is someone else. The one he's looking for. The voice was wrong. The sick excitement faded away.

"I'm just leaving," Arkin said with an eerie the sort of calm. No fresh fear. Whoever snuck up on him can't be worse than anything he's already faced. "The door was open."

That's where Arkin was very wrong. The man he'd expected was merely human, after all. And that was a lesson Arkin would learn soon enough. Jerry stalked forward. But for just a moment, almost too fast to see in the dark, he wasn't there. Like a skipped frame in a film. And in that single moment, the door behind him slammed shut with so much force the dishes in the cabinets shook.

"Was it?" Jerry glanced back at the door as if he hadn't heard anything and he was just checking. "I don't think you'll be going out that way.

Arkin startled slightly with the slamming of the door. He didn't react as strongly as most people would. All he really did was jerk slightly and step back.

"That's gonna be a problem then." Aside from a little nervous, he isn't scared. One hand slips to his concealed gun but he's still hoping he won't have to use it. He still has his knife brandished.

"I'm getting out of here."

Jerry so enjoyed it when they started out so confident, so fearless. It always made it so much sweeter when they knew what they were truly up against.

For now, he behaved as if he couldn't see Arkin reaching for his gun. As if he couldn't smell the gunpowder waiting to be fired. Instead, he focused on the knife. He pressed his finger to the tip, hard enough to draw a few drops of blood as he moved it slightly side to side, like a slow scolding finger.

"And if I don't let you just walk out...what?" He smiled, too dark to see his whole face, but light glinted of his teeth. Was it the shadows, or were his canines way too long? "You'll stab me?"

Arkin watched his finger, reminded of the same sort of mocking movement from someone else. He held back the urge to attack him like the person he's after.

He doesn't even answer the question. "Just do whatever it is you're gonna do, man. You caught me in your cute trap. It's been working out real well for you so far. How many kills you got? Ten? Twenty? Nobody reports missing thieves." The other other move Arkin made was a very deliberate step back.

Letting out a small laugh, Jerry stepped a little closer. His finger moved to the side of the knife, smearing blood as he dragged his finger along the flat of the blade. Now why would he be killing anyone? Their skills were far too useful to throw away like that.

"And what about you, Arkin? Can you even feel afraid anymore?" That's what Jerry intended to find out real soon. But which of them would make the move to reveal it?

The faint smell of arousal comes off Arkin, when his finger runs down the blade. It's not something he's proud of so anger swells up with it. He'll find the fucker that turned him into this.

"Does it matter?" He takes another step back, hoping to skirt his way back around to the door.

Well that would explain the lack of fear. He loved attracting those who were into a bit of danger, but this was on a completely different level. And the perfect excuse to draw things out.

He moved with Arkin, less than a heartbeat behind, not allowing him to get any further away. In direct response to the question, he just let out a small huff of a laugh, as if vaguely amused. "Either way, we'll find out. Together." All at once his hand was off the knife, as sharply clawed fingers gently caressed the side of Kadin's face.

Edited 2021-08-03 03:02 (UTC)

Arkin lashed out with the knife as soon as he was touched. A pure instinctual response, no real thought. He slashed at his arm, more to get his hand off him. A not-quite-fear came off him the moment he was touched. A mix of anger, despair and arousal.

Between the less than effective attack and that sudden shift in Arkin's scent, Jerry let out a low, dark laugh. The knife cut deep enough for blood to spill out rather dramatically. But it only lasted a few moments as the wound started to heal almost immediately.

Jerry's hand moved from Arkin's cheek to the back of his neck, his grip like a vice. He was nose-to-nose with the thief, now. In the deep dark shadows of the house, it almost seemed like his eyes were nearly solid black.

"It's going to take a lot more than a blade to save you."

None of what just happened made sense. He couldn't have possibly seen what he thought he saw. It was probably a stupid thing to do but Arkin actually tried to stab him. The fact his eyes suddenly resembled someone else's made trying to stab him just feel natural.

The eye change brought the smell of old fear to the surface followed immediately by rage. He didn't even bother trying the gun. He growled, "Fuck you! I'll rip your fucking heart out! Don't you fucking touch me!" He grabbed Jerry's wrist then tucked both his legs to kick him in the chest.

Arkin may as well have been leveraging a reinforced brick wall for all that it shifted the grip on his neck. At last he'd struck a nerve. This was more the reaction Jerry was accustomed to. Fear. Anger. Frantic attempts to escape.

It was as if only then he noticed Arkin had stabbed him. He looked down at the knife, unconcerned. Slowly, he pulled in free, only a vague grunt of effort belying that he felt anything at all. In truth, it hurt a great deal, having gotten so close to his heart. But he wasn't about to let Arkin know that.

Holding the blade where Arkin could see, Jerry adjusted it so he gripped it by the blade. And with a little pressure from his thumb, used just one hand to bend it in half as if it were made of rubber.

The fact Jerry didn't budge, just made Arkin fight harder. Now he wants to kill Jerry, where before he just wanted to get away. Not that anything he does changes anything in the long run.

He did see what was done to the blade. He'll be surprised about it later. He's busy trying to leverage himself free, instead of trying to fight his strength. Even if that means he cuts his own neck against his claws. He's lost chunks of skin before.

As Arkin cut himself in his struggles, Jerry curled his fingers to dig them in harder. He let the thief continue struggling for a few moments as he tossed the knife aside. Then he switched hands. The claws dragged deep scratches across the back of Arkin's neck before his free hand wrapped around the front of his throat. he was then slammed hard into the wall, pinned with enough force that he would have to put in effort to draw each breath.

"You're not going anywhere, so you may as well give up..." he brought his claws up to his lips and licked the blood off one of them.

Only after Arkin is slammed into the wall does he seem to calm down. He is stunned briefly but the rage has eased off. He's calmed enough to actually think things through even as it's hard to breathe.

Arkin actually choked out a little laugh at being told to give up. He also makes an effort to ignore the blood licking. It triggers a few memories which makes the arousal scene come right back.

Interesting. He was accustomed to arousal from the bite, or even from the choking. But from that? Had Jerry been the curious sort, he might have been tempted to pick Arkin apart. But instead, he just saw things he could use to his advantage.

For the moment, Jerry tightened his grip. "Once settle down, I've got a nice little cell waiting for you..." He doubted Arkin would behave long enough to get there without extreme measures.

Arkin tried to growl and curse at him, despite the tightened grip on his neck. He certainly won't behaving.

His struggling kicked back up at the mention of a cell. He's not going to let it happen again.

"We can do this the easy way...." He ran his claw down Arkin's cheek hard enough to draw a line of blood. "Or the hard way." Then he dragged his tongue across the scratch, clearing away the beads of blood.

"But it seems you've already chosen...the hard way..." With the emphasis he grabbed the front of Arkin's pants, the force just shy of crushing.

Arkin had been hopelessly fighting and making all kinds of angry noises. A little whine of a sound comes out of him the moment he feels his tongue. Arousal fighting with anger. He shouldn't like this.

Then things get worse. He involuntarily jerked with the sudden rough groping. He wasn't fully hard but he was very close to it. He'd gotten used to pain in a sick sort of way.

Jerry lets out a low chuckle as he finally lets up slightly with the hand on Arkin's throat. Just enough to let him breathe somewhat freely. With his other hand, his thumb started to rub slowly over what he felt through those pants, teasing.

"Seems you're...happy to see me, guy." He spoke softly, right against Arkin's ear. "I know fear's a real turn on, but we've only just gotten started..."

Arkin took the opportunity to gasp and draw in as much air as possible. Flood his body with oxygen now before he can't breathe again. He's been choked enough that he knows that could buy him a few extra seconds later.

He tries to ignore Jerry's thumb, even through his jeans, it's enough to get him fully hard. He is so unused to being spoken to that he actually shivers a little.

Letting out a low chuckle, Jerry pulled his hand away from Arkin's jeans. He was going to have fun, with this one. His hand moved to Arkin's cheek, gently stroking it with a single finger.

"But that's gonna have to wait. There's something we have to do, first..." He just let that vague threat hang in the air as he drew his thumb across Arkin's lower lip.

As soon as his hand was away from his crotch, Arkin kicked at Jerry. He knew it would do nothing but it made him feel slightly better.

"I'll fucking kill you!" Arkin chokes out a very blunt and not at all vague threat.

Arkin may as well have kicked a brick wall for all Jerry seemed to notice.

"I'd love to see you try..." It was such an empty threat when he doubted Arkin even grasped what he was, let alone the how of killing him.

He brought his hand up to his own mouth, pressing the pad of his thumb to one of his fangs. It sank in easily, far more than a mere prick, letting a trickle of blood flow easily down his hand and over his wrist. He then rested his hand on the side of Arkin's head, the bloodied thumb hovering over the man's lips just shy of smearing them with blood. "Open."

A spike of rage at the words sparks a fury of pointless struggling. To Arkin's credit, if Jerry were human, he would've done some serious damage.

But Jerry is not human and that fact seems to finally be sinking in. Even so, he refuses to open his mouth. He turns his head as far away from him as he can.

Clicking his tongue, Jerry simply tightened his grip on Arkin's throat once more. Clamping down with such force it was a wonder he didn't crush anything vital.

"You have two options, guy," he said calmly. "I suggest you take the one where you remain conscious."

Even if Arkin wanted to keep his mouth closed, the instinct to gasp for breath was too strong. His mouth opens in a gasp.

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