(A/N: In order to study for my vocab test tomorrow, but also update this fanfic, i'll be using various vocab words throughout the fic in an attempt to assuage my conscience. (...there's one!). i know, i've reached a new low in decadence, which actually means decay or deterioration, and has nothing to do with describing the traits of yummy chocolate cakes, which is both shocking and disturbing. Apparently, i've been using that word wrong all my life. i know this isn't a good way to elicit reviews (there's three!) and i understand you hardly want to read the result of an action that is hardly meritorious (there's four!). no remonstrations, please (there's five!). i already know this is outrageously low of me. Also, see if you catch the saladfingers reference).

Integra stiffened and looked around the room. She had safely hidden away the package Walter had sent, and not a moment too soon, if the prickly feeling at the back of her neck was anything to go by. For some reason, it seemed to be coming from the attic.

Integra jerked her head up and peered intently at the ceiling. "Dr. Acula, come down from there at once!" she demanded indignantly.

A thick black sludge slid down from the trap door and pooled on the floor in a menacing puddle of shadowy goo.

"Pull yourself together," Integra snapped, eyeing the sticky river of inky blackness with distaste. "What are you doing in my attic?"

Dr. Acula half-heartedly assumed a solid form and sprawled out on her floor. Integra paused to take in his appearance, and felt the slightest bit of concern for him. He really didn't look well. Not only was he immensely tired, but his whole figure seemed to droop—actually, he was drooping, against the side of her chair.

"Are you all right?" Integra finally asked, when he continued to sit there, just staring at her.

Dr. Acula started, and seemed to focus on her for the first time. "Oh yes," he answered with difficulty, "I'm fine."

Integra gave him a dubious look. "You look exhausted," she observed bluntly. "And you look like you haven't fed in a while." Her second observation prompted something of a reaction from Dr. Acula—that is, his eyes gleamed unnaturally, and shifted in his droopy position against her chair.

"That's right," he breathed, looking at her intently. "I haven't gone hunting in a while."

Integra took a step backwards and glared at him. "I hope you weren't considering me," she said lightly, but she tensed, just in case he moved suddenly.

"Ha. I won't bite," Dr. Acula promised, hauling himself up to his feet and using the chair as a brace.

Integra glared at him. "Why are you here, then?" she asked carefully, unsure how to act around him now that she knew who he was.

"I came to where I felt I was safe," Dr. Acula said simply, his eyes daring her to refute that statement.

Integra contemplated him carefully. "What do you want me to do for you?" She asked finally, making him smile.

"How shrewd of you," he commented, collapsing on the chair when his legs suddenly gave out. "If you acquired some blood for me…" he began, looking at her hopefully.

Integra looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Excuse me," she began coolly, "If I did what?"

Dr. Acula grimaced. "If you knew how hard it was for me to restrain myself from sinking my teeth into your neck, you would not be so quick to refuse," he remarked pointedly.

Integra clenched her teeth. "I'll see what I can do," she said with a sigh. She hesitated, thinking of Walter's package, before grabbing her coat and going out the door. Dr. Acula would not be so rude as to go through her things.

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When Integra reached town it was already early evening, and she had few ideas as to where to go. She had ruled out animals, not only was she unable to catch them, but she also wasn't sure if that would sate Dr. Acula's thirst.

For the hundredth time, she wondered how he had gotten her into this.

Where the hell do I go? Integra mused, pausing in the middle of the main street. To her left were a café, the post office, and a watch repair store. On the right was a pizzeria, and if memory served, a rather shady bookstore that Leslie had always suspected was a drug front. Ahead was a small hospital.

Bingo, Integra suddenly realized. What did hospitals commonly do? Blood transfusions. How did they store them? In frozen, individual packets. Slowly, a near impossible plan developed in Integra's mind, and she set towards the hospital at a brisk pace.

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The hospital was nearly empty, which was rather fortuitous for Integra. She easily slipped past the front desk and found her way towards the back storage room. Cautiously, she made her way towards a likely-looking refrigerator and slowly eased it open. A cursory glance over the blood packets stacked up in neat rows told her that type A was the most abundant. If someone needed a transfusion of type A, one packet wouldn't go amiss. Satisfied, she slipped it into her coat pocket and closed the refrigerator door. Peering out into the hallway, she darted out and slipped out an exit into the cool evening air. Her watch informed her it was getting close to dinnertime, so she broke into a run for the college and hoped Dr. Acula would make do with one packet.

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Just before Integra went inside the college, she thought she saw a familiar figure walking towards the bridge. It almost looked like Maddy, but then Integra remembered Maddy had been a victim. Shrugging, Integra figured it was someone she didn't know and continued towards the staff room. What she needed to do now was heat the blood—it was still slightly frozen. It was risky, but the staff room was the only place with a microwave, and at this time of day, it would probably be empty.

Though she was extremely nervous, Integra, in a stroke of luck, found the staff room to be completely empty. Casting furtive glances towards the doorway, she heated the blood packet in the microwave and took it out after a minute and put it back in her pocket. On her way out, she bumped into a teacher, but said "errand for Dr. Acula" over her shoulder and managed to make an escape.

She cleared the stairs at a run and hurried to her room to avoid contact with others and practically threw open the door.

"Dr. Acula?" she said, panting. She fumbled for the light and flipped the switch on, closing the door behind her. Light bathed her circular room and she saw Dr. Acula drooping over her chair. His hair rustled in recognition at her approach, and she went ahead and opened the blood packet for him, approaching him slowly.

Some spilled on her hands, but at the scent of the heated blood, Dr. Acula's head shot up and he leaped at the packet, knocking Integra down and spilling most of the blood over her face and neck. It felt repulsive, and Integra could feel it trickling down the side of her face towards her neck. "Dr. A—" Integra exclaimed in surprise and then dawning horror, before she felt his tongue and his lips going over every inch of her face. His tongue forced apart her lips and licked up the blood that had found its way into her mouth, then he continued to her neck and paused.

Integra could almost feel the sanity returning to him. "Miss…Wingates?" He said in a groggy voice.

"Dr. Acula," Integra greeted him in a surprisingly calm voice. She watched as he moved off of her and wound his tongue around the blood on his fingers to lick it up. He faltered when he saw Integra gazing at him coldly, and took the blood packet and her bloodied appearance into account.

"From the hospital?" He asked conversationally, swallowing.

Integra nodded.

"Genius," he complimented. "Forgive me for losing control."

"Oh, it was nothing," Integra said tightly. "Don't ever ask me to do that for you again."

Dr. Acula was about to apologize again when there was a brisk knock on the door.

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no, ewan is not the vampire, though I can see the possible intimations of that in earlier chapters. Sorry for any confusion ( on another note, Wallace and grommit: the curse of the were rabbit, coming in October!).

Integra: WHAT? you need to know the LATIN ROOTS of your vocab words

hat n' clogs: yeah.

Integra: why didn't you do this earlier?

hat n' clogs: had a six paragraph essay to write on freedom of the press.

integra: why didn't you do this yesterday?

hat n' clogs: what do you mean, 'why didn't i do this yesterday? I had to go to the protest in washington d.c., man.

integra: and that lasted all day?

hat n' clogs: i was held up by bible school missionaries on the metro trying to convert me to christianity.

integra: that's a lame excuse.

hat n' clogs: not really at all, no. and i don't have time to argue with you. help me study, please.

integra: pre, plus "rogare".

hat n' clogs: to ask. prerogative.

integra: you didn't use that in the fic.

hat n' clogs: well, that's my prerogative, isn't it?

integra: …..i don't have to put up with this. get Dr. Acula to help you. He probably helped invent Latin.

Dr. Acula: I'm not :that: old, my dear. but I'll "inter" plus "cedere" meaning "to pass" modern word "intercede" in your study session and take over from Integra.

hat n' clogs: thanks a million, Dr. Acula, you're the best. you "trans" plus "scandere" meaning "over" and "to climb" modern word "transcend" all my hopes.

Dr. Acula: anything to "ad" plus "suavis" meaning "sweet" modern word "assuage" your stress, darling.

Integra: I'd like to "ex" plus "postulare" meaning "to require" modern word "expostulate" your use of that pet name in the future for hat n' clogs.

dr. Acula: you're being "petulans" meaning "making slight attacks upon" modern word "petulant", my dear. I don't need your "Ad" plus "probare" meaning "to approve" modern word "approbation" of what i choose to call hat n' clogs.

integra: well, maybe hat n' clogs needs to go back on "hiatum" meaning "to gape" modern word "hiatus" so i can form a "co" plus "alescere" meaning "to grow", modern word "coalition" to beat the crap out of you, Dr. Acula.

hat n' clogs: i think you're taking "umbra" definition "shadow" modern word "umbrage" over a trivial issue, integra.

Dr. Acula: I agree, Integra, my darling, my sweet, my little sugar plum. no need to be so possessive.

integra: don't be so "unctum" definition "to annoint" modern word "unctuous" towards me, dr. acula. i'm not the one being possessive.

Hat n' clogs: oh, and this isn't beta'd, sorry.