<strong>"I don't have pets hon I have guests, I know its not custom to bring others to meetings like this but well she has just lost her marriage and I am taking her under my wing for a moment. Doing such things keeps me grounded, something I highly recommend."</strong><br/><br/>Kathyrn put a book down which she wasn't really reading and regarded lex with an smile which seemed genuine enough.<br/><br/><strong>"Well Lex you really do look well, it is good to see. How your nature disguises your strength is very deceptive you honor your bloodline."</strong><br/><br/>The compliment concerning pets warranted a compliment of its own. It was custom. Not following the traditional complement exchange could easily be interpreted as something else. Best to keep such customs until there was need not to. Elders typically had been alive for at least two hundred years still tempers could easily fire, old hatreds resurface.<br/><br/><strong>"Will you drink my blood"</strong>Lisa had tensed the moment the name pet was used to refer to her this time however<br/><br/><strong>"Oh Lisa the best way to avoid being a victim of a Vampire is not to annoy them. Try and observe and learn what you can. If you don't Lex may very well teach you a thing or two but in ways considerably less pleasant than being uncomfortable. If it makes you feel any better I'm scared of Lex also." </strong>Kathryn placed a calming hand on Lisa ... and the effect was instant. Immediately Lisa seemed like she was drugged to the eyeballs on valium.<br/><br/>Kathryn produced a small vial and placed it on the table before Lex<br/><br/><strong>"So far this is how close my laboratory has got"</strong><br/><br/><div align="center">(http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk225/Leathurkatt/My%20Interests/Ruby%20Glass/rubyglassscentvial.jpg)<br/></div><strong><br/>"It does serve as a blood replacement technically however its gives one blinding headaches and tastes revolting to a point it is impractical. For this reason i have nicknamed it "bloody-hell" For all the technology and options money brings it seems we are still far way from a true blood substitute, which we would sell to hospitals of course - all in the name of blood replenishment for the injured. If your still seeing to labs of your own feel free to give this to them, that is if the agreement we give each other breakthroughs on this one issue still holds."</strong><br/><br/>Kathryn arched and eyebrow at Lex to see if this was still the case but before Lex could answer Lisa chimed ..<br/><strong><br/>"Why don't you all just drink from animals instead? "</strong><br/><br/><strong>"At some point all vampires try Lisa." </strong>Kathryn shook her head<strong>"But its like drinking a cheap bottle of red. The experience is unpleasant and it does leave one with the most horrible of hangovers. The substitute some of us have been trying to produce so far does stops the cravings to prey on people, but it exchanges it for something that is equally as bad. Until we have one most vampires that have anything like a soul settle for a compromise and seek to prey on those that believe they are beyond the law or are cruel, unloved and not supporting others. Other things I can explain later "</strong><br/><br/>After Kathryn informed Lisa, the elder Rectoris turned her attention back to Lex.<br/><br/><strong>"All that nonsense in the Nephie district...do you know much about it ? I have followed the reports but the police are stumped and frankly so am I. If it is what I think it is we have a problem, as if mages hunting us down isn't enough."</strong><br/><br/>The lion-killings were well covered by the media, reports of attacks from some beast wasn't really Lex's style but Lex was an elder she had eyes and ears just like Kathryn did, probably not as many as Kathryn had, still there was a chance Lex knew something about this that Kathryn didn't.<br/><br/>