Discussing Terms

'His name is white now. Could I convince him?' thought Alex, cautiously optimistic. He wasn't expecting too much when he uttered the last sentence, but it seemed to have worked, at least partially. Alex acknowledged that he couldn't win against the vampire, and that realization was acceptable.

"What do you propose?" the Bloodied Vampire inquired, showing a willingness to entertain Alex's proposition.

"First of all, let's put away our weapons and converse like civilized vampires," Alex suggested, hoping to diffuse the tension that still lingered in the air despite the change in the vampire's demeanor.

"Fine," the Bloodied Vampire agreed, retracting his claws back to their normal size.

With the immediate threat neutralized, Alex broached the topic that had been gnawing at him. "How did you manage to survive all this time trapped in here? I thought vampires needed blood."