I won't be your victim {Tag River}

[Dita Longoria]

I'd finally landed a gig at Danse Macabre, a high class club owned by a vampire named Jean-Claude. He was the Master of the City in St. Louis, and though vamps didn't really bother me, I was a little sketchy about dancing there. I was also extremely excited. This would not only pay bucko bucks, but be a great way to get my name out on the east coast. As debuts go, landing Danse Macabre as a venue was stellar.

I had everything ready on stage, and stepped up on my cue as soft jazz filtered through the speakers. Two large, pink feathered fans sat on a stool near the back of the stage. I'd get to those once I lost some of my clothes. I wore a fluffy toole skirt of off white over nude, thigh-high stockings that slid into a pair of pink toe shoes from my old ballet class. The garter belt and matching bra and panties were black lace. I had pasties on, along with a g-string under the panties. I used a lot of layers when I danced. More to take off. Off white gloves covered my arms from fingertips to just above my elbows. And I had a tightly laced corset, also an eggshell color, covered with rhinestones on top. My dark hair was neatly curled and hung down my back.

The music began and I stepped forward, into the light. The crowd clapped quietly as I began to move and spin to the melody. I rose onto my toes, piroeting as I twirled, my skirt fanning out around me. In the middle of the turn, I reached behind me and tugged the string that tied the skirt tight loose, letting it spin and fall to the floor. Gliding over to my fans, I picked each one up and unfurled them with a flick of my wrist, holding one before me, and one behind. As I danced, I moved the fans with my body, using them to accentuate what I was and wasn't wearing.

Tossing the fans down I perched on the stool and delicately untied my ballet slippers, making a show of it by extending my legs one at a time high into the air, gliding my hands along my calves. After the shoes came the stockings, in a similar, seductive manner. Never loosing the beat of the music, I retrieved my fans and moved across the stage once more, gyrating to the music before undoing my corset. The tunes hit a cresendo, and I whipped my corset open, tossing my head back and thrusting my chest out. Casting the corset aside I slowly peeled off each glove, tossing them about the stage as well.

I continued to dance, using the fans as camoflauge as I discretely disrobed, garter belt, panties, and bra flying in any direction as I moved with preternatural grace. Down to pasties and a g-string, I was coming up to the finale, using the fans spread behind me as I moved offstage, much like a peacock would display his tail feathers. The applause afterward was defeaning, especially to a shifter.

Stagehands gathered my things and left them in my dressing room as I changed into a sleek red dress. I tended to dress up even when I wasn't preforming. It made me feel special, somehow, to look good as often as possible. Once I was dressed, I packed my things in a duffle bag, collected my check and made arrangements for another show in the future, and headed out. I was planning on grabbing a bite to eat before going back to my motel. Shifters ate a lot, I found. More so after shifting forms.

I'd made it to my rental car when an odd noise stopped me. I peered into the darkness, searching for the source of the sounds, and found none. As I turned for my car again, there was someone there, a vampire. I smiled demurely. "You startled me. I'm sorry, but I don't generally give autographs." Before I was turned into a werepanter, when I was working as a stripper, I had a bodyguard to escort me to my car after my shows. Since then, I hadn't thought I'd needed one. I could shift if I was emotionally riled up, full moon or not. It never occured to me that I might have to fight off a vampire.

Moving so quickly I barely saw it, he'd pinned me to the ground, his hand over my mouth. I struggled, but he was old, and so powerful, it did me no good. I tried to force myself to change, but his other hand found my throat, as he warned me against shifting. He said if I shifted now, he'd kill me. I may be a supernatural being, but I wasn't invincible. I tried not to struggle. Whatever he wanted, I just wanted it to be quick. Kill me or not, just get it over with. I narrowed my eyes at him, challenging him to get it done, and get gone.

His hands left my mouth and throat as his fangs sunk deep into my neck. He'd pierced my jugular. I didn't know if weres could bleed out, and I didn't want to find out. His legs kept mine pinned, his hands holding my arms firmly in place at my sides as he drained the life from me. I couldn't scream, I couldn't move. I was helpless. I felt myself growing weaker as he sated his damn bloodlust, but the panther inside wanted out. She burned inside me, and a primal roar tore from my throat. It was a cry for aid, if any were to be found. For the first time in my life, I found myself praying that someone, something, would come to my rescue. This wasn't like when I'd been attacked by the panther that made me. This vampire wasn't going to lick my wounds and mkae friends. And I didn't think a car back-firing was going to scare him off either. The roar died on my lips as my heart beat slowed. Things were growing dim, as if a cloud had passed over the moon, and I felt cold. I was never cold. This wasn't a good sign. He was going to kill me, and there wasn't a thing I could do about it.

[River Lehane]

Danse Macabre wasn't a place I went to often. Hell, I never went if I could help it, too many vampires about that my Slayer instinct wanted to stake, even if they were good, I'd still want to stake them. Growing up(for a few months anyway) with my Watcher, I was taught vampires were bad, further driven into my brain when Rain, my best friend, was bitten and turned, killing herself when the sun came up. It was a sore point with me, I doubted that I was fully over her death, I supposed losing someone who was your best friend, you never really got over something like that too quickly. But hey, I was doing okay. Living with my cousin, staying actually safe and not being abused, to me it was the high life, and I didn't want to ruin it by thinking bad thoughts. I don't mean to sound so cold, but I've spent most my life being hurt, thinking dark and hurting thoughts, it was time I had a change, if your still with me that is.

Anyway, I stood outside, hearing that a woman was going to be dancing, burlesque or something to that effect. As much as I wanted to watch, I was here on business. These vamps had a nasty problem on their hands, another vampire, older then most, was causing them trouble. Not actually going in saved all their asses, like I said before, I would want to stake them, even as it was, it was hard to think about vampires being inside and living. It went against my instincts, but if they weren't doing harming, I had more pressing issues to worry about. Checking that a knife was still in my boot, they were black, heavy set combat boots with a silver buckle, a gift from my cousin Faith. Wearing standard, black pants, the edges went slightly over the boots, making it look rather, gothic-esque. A jacket over a light blue tee-shirt, under the jacket in the pockets were a stake and a bottle of holy water while a cross was around my neck. I wasn't religious, it just helped deter vamps from feeding from my neck.

Tilting my head, hearing the faint 'click' my muscles felt a little bit better, though I was bored. The cool winds tore through the outside while my eyes were trained on the club, watching people enter and leave without a simple care in the world. Sniffing, the scent of alcohol hit my nose, wrinkling, I had the sense to turn around, confronted by two vampires, full in vampire mode, licking their fangs which glinted horrifically in the moonlight. "I was wondering if I was going to get any action. Want to dance boys?" Moving in unison, the boys came towards me while I back peddled a few paces, moving my arms upwards and feeling the pull on my muscles before flipping back, landing in a crouch. Using the momentum, I swing my leg out, catching one on his shin and cracking bone. He howled in pain, carried by the wind as he hopped along, grabbing his shin and eying me with hatred. "Slayer, vampire, dead vampire. Do the math." I snickered, feeling my arms be pulled upwards, not of my own doing this time, the burn was reaching to incredible pain.

While I had been staring at the vampire with the broken shin, his mate had come around, getting me from behind. He lowered his head to my neck, ready to bite when he launched me forwards, screaming as he burned. Reaching up, I felt the cross and smiled in relief. It had saved me from being vampire kibble. "Alright, fun is over." I snarled, jumping forwards. A few moments of hand to hand combat, backhanding him across his cheek, ending with a punch to the nose that broke on contact, oozing blood, he countered with a kick to my stomach that made my breathe escape my lungs, doubling over and sucking in air that was like sucking through a straw. The primal roar echoed in the air itself, and it wasn't a vampire sound. Fumbling with my jacket, I pulled the stake free before hitting home with broken nose who had charged at me, exploding into dust that I inhaled, nearly choking, while the rest settled on my clothing and ground.

Throwing the stake back, it hit broken shin, he too exploded with a shocked look on his face, warily, I moved over, through the ashes was the stake that I picked up, brushed the dust and ash from before looking around. That roar still lingered in my ears, running towards where the sound had come from. Skitting past a few people, or vampires, I didn't stop to check, I came into the parking lot, a vampire was draining a woman dry. "Get off her!" I growled, virtually tackling the vampire. His fangs tore part of the womans neck, her aura telling me she wasn't human, but wasn't a vampire either. He snarled, spitting in my face, hating me for ruining and interrupting his meal. Rolling along the concrete added new scrapes and bruises to my body, legs moving up to my chest to kick him. He wasn't deterred. "Your the one they are having trouble with." I gasped, breathing getting difficult as he pinned me. "Your old, but I'm still a Slayer." That was all it took, saying the word Slayer made him hesitate, using that to my advantage. Throwing the stake up, hitting his heart, he exploded into dust, shutting my eyes to avoid getting it in my eyes.

Coughing, I turned and rolled over, barely getting up when I remembered the woman. Almost tripping over in my haste to see how she was, my fingers moved to her neck, before grabbing her wrist. Her pulse was weak, if she didn't get help soon, she could die. "Hey, wake up, come on, I need to take you to the hospital. Or give you a blood fusion right here and now." Hell I didn't know how to do this blood fusion thing, but I had an inkling she may need one, unless her body could replace the lost blood, tearing a strip of cloth to wrap around her neck, keeping her wound sealed. "You are not human, that should help in replacing what blood was taken. Come on, I need to get you to safety." Moving her arm around my neck, I pulled her up, her limp form against mine. Seeing the car I chuckled, knowing it would have to stay here. I couldn't drive, but I had booked a room in a motel not far from here, which would have to do while this woman recovered.

Thinking I'd be around these parts for a while, I had the sense to book the room in case it was more than one night spent. Glad that I did, I began to move, careful and slow so the woman didn't feel dizzy, it took at least fifteen minutes other than the usual five it took. But I wanted to be careful. "I didn't tell you my name. I'm River, if you can still hear me, we are at my motel room. Rest now, if needed I'll take you to the hospital." Pushing open the door with my hip, an involuntary shudder rippled through me and the mention of hospital. I had a fear of them and really didn't want to go unless it was needed. Moving over to the bed, using my foot to shut the door, I placed the woman on top of the bedspread, putting a few pillows under her head. Switching on the lights made me blink, hoping that this woman didn't die. Those two vampires, if they didn't fight me I would have gotten to the woman sooner! I was berating myself, knowing that it would do no good.

[Dita Longoria]

There were times that I could literally feel the panther inside me. Almost like it was a separate entity, one that filled my body completely. I was always aware of that part of myself, but there were times when she seemed a part from me. Instead of part OF me. This was one of those times. I was growing weaker, and yet she was struggling inside me, I could feel her fur brushing against my insides. It was a strange sensation, one I wasn’t sure I liked. I saw her fangs flash in the moonlight, glistening with saliva, her claws reaching out. I tensed, but it had to be mentally. Aside from feeling her, I couldn’t really feel my own body. This wasn’t good. Not at all how I pictured dying.

Then, there was nothing. No sound, no sensation. Just darkness. I floated there, alone, the panther quieted for now, probably as weak as I had felt before passing out. Which is what I presumed happened. I didn’t see any bright light to move toward, so I couldn’t be dead yet. Unless I was in Limbo, or Purgatory, whatever they called it. A voice came to me, proving that I couldn’t possibly be dead. I tried to open my eyes, but couldn’t. I tried for my voice, but barely managed a strained whisper. “N….no hospi…” Everything faded to black again, a thick blanket that covered me, took me under.

It seemed like a lifetime passed before I vaguely felt the sensation of being lifted. Though it may have only been minutes. Am I having an out of body experience? I wondered to myself. I could feel wind rushing over my skin, and slowly, the building pain in my neck. I groaned at some point, opening my eyes to see a woman above me, her blue eyes startling. She was holding me. No, she was carrying me. I tried to inhale her scent, to speak, but I couldn’t, I was still too weak. The effort alone pushed me back into unconsciousness. But I still had some basic form of thought in that state. It had been her voice I’d heard. It had to be. She……she saved me. I owed this woman my life.

The next time clarity of any sort came to me, I felt softness beneath me. Blankets, mattress, a bed. My eyes cracked open, the light stinging at first. River…so that was her name. I tried to smile at her, but must have moved, the pain in my neck rushing back so fiercely that I hissed. I focused instead on her voice, something solid. “No hospital.” I took a deep breath, as deep as my body would allow. “Need to……shift……can heal.” I tried to sit up, realizing nearly too late that it was a mistake. I fell back onto the pillows with a soft grunt. She’d tensed when she’d said hospital. I wondered what had happened to her to make her fear hospitals. I wasn’t necessarily afraid of them, I just didn’t think they were equipped to deal with an injured shape-shifter. Especially when most of us can heal almost any wound through shifting.

Instead of trying to sit up again, I lay still, calling up the image of my panther in my mind. I tried to take deep, even, breaths, fighting past the searing pain that seemed to travel from my neck all the way to my toes. I could see her, black fur so dark it seemed to have a blue tint in the right light. I called her to me, embraced her and knew we were one. It happened then. I felt fur lining my body as my bones cracked, joints popping in and out of the sockets and my skeleton remade itself. My vision cleared even more as my eyes changed to an amber gold. I turned those eyes to River, my tongue hanging out of my mouth as I panted. My wound was healed, but I wasn’t recovered yet. I’d need to eat, get plenty of fluids, and rest. But the worst of the damage had been healed. Below my cheek was a scrap of cloth she must have used to tie off my neck wound. My blood coated it. I moved my head forward, stretching out my neck so I could reach her. I sniffed her hand, bumping my nose against it before giving it a tentative lick. It was the only way I could thank her while in this form, and I wasn’t ready to shift back just yet. Shifting while injured takes more out of you than the change normally does.

[River Lehane]

Hearing a hiss, I spun around, expecting an attack, but none came. Managing a smile, I moved over, closer to the woman who had spoken the words 'no hospital' and I relaxed almost immediately. My muscles loosened, my shoulders drooped as they were raised when I tensed, and I think an actual smile lined my face, reaching towards the ice, cool blue eyes of mine. "No hospital." I repeated, noticing how awful I was at tying stuff around wounds. The cloth was barely holding on, just enough so that it didn't flutter down, still, it was a pretty bad job if you asked me. "Don't worry, I won't make you go anywhere you don't want to go." I assured the woman, hoping she would believe me because my words were true. Moving hesitantly, and staring into her own eyes, I tilted my head, shift? It dawned on me. A shifter of some sorts, I just hoped not an evil shifter. I wasn't equipped with dealing with a shifter if one should attack. Eh, I would deal with it if, or when it happened.

"Uh, sure, shift. As long as you can shift." I replied, watching in complete awe while she was silent at first, unknowing what to expect I just stayed kneeling beside the bed, gripping at the covers and entwining my fingers around the blanket, tugging slightly. Incredible black fur lined her body, with her eyes turning into an amber golden color which seemed vibrant almost, despite her wounds and massive blood loss. Touching her nose and feeling the tentative lick, I giggled, unable to help it. The fear I had previously was gone, replaced by somewhat of a type of respect for this shifter, which I gathered was a were-panther. I adored shifters and stories on werewolves, other weres, myths, legends. It was all fascinating. Sure that meant allot of teasing was had but I cared little. To be able to change forms into an animal, it was just awesome. Being a Slayer was cool, but a were-creature would just take the cake. And I'm digressing.

I knew she was trying to thank me, with words unconveyed since she wasn't able to speak human language while in this form. A panthers voice box, tongue and jaw wasn't meant to be able to talk. "You don't have to thank me, its what I do. I just wish I'd gotten there sooner." Rubbing my hand along her head, feeling the silky fur beneath the tips of my fingers, I moved down towards her neck, undoing the cloth before scrunching it up in my fist. "Stay there." With a soft smile I stood, cracking my knees and feeling dizzy from the sudden upright movement. Heading towards the small kitchen, I placed the cloth in the bin, searching the cupboards for something to eat, mainly for the shifter. Plus I was a bit peckish myself. Finding only a loaf of bread, some peanut butter, I pulled those down and cradled it in my grasp. Setting them down on the bench, I then looked in the fridge for the steaks, remembering that I had brought some to eat for dinner, but they would be best suited for something else.

Ripping off the plastic, taking a plastic plate from the opposite bench, I set the steaks on, raw and bleeding since hey, I didn't know if she wanted them cooked or if she would eat at all. Next a knife, the two steaks wobbled on the plate while I carefully lifted it up, juggling to hold those items and the bread and peanut butter. Needless to say, after a few agonizing moments, I made it back to the room to deposit the items, feeling relief at not dropping any. "Here, bread, raw steaks, I didn't know if you wanted them cooked or raw. I can easily cook them for you. I figured you may need food after the whole loosing blood thing. There is water and juice if you are thirsty." Tearing into the loaf of bread, just ripping the plastic protection, I opened the jar of peanut butter, used the knife to dollop some onto the bread before spreading it around. "I should have gotten smooth, at least it would have lasted longer." Chuckling, I smushed the bread together before taking a bite. "Feel free to eat if you desire." I spoke around the food, swallowing and taking another bite. After a good slay, I was always rather starved.