Multiverse Crisis MUSH - User contributions [en]

5717/Revisiting the Lot

2018-02-25T04:56:12Z

DariRyu: Josuke returns to Windknight's Lot to see how things are coming along.

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2018/02/24
|Location=Windknight's Lot <WKL>
|Synopsis=Josuke returns to Windknight's Lot to see how things are coming along. He scares the hell out of poor Anco with his restoration abilities, finds Jonathan in the castle, and offers further assistance in making the castle livable. Jonathan also asks an uncomfortable question!
|Cast of Characters=1119, 1107
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' It's been a while since Josuke's checked up on Windknight's Lot. There's just been so much going on that he hasn't had much free time. But after school one Saturday, Josuke prepares to do just that. He'd heard there had been a problem there with a vampire, and he wanted to see how things were going. Hopefully it got straightened out without too much trouble. Now, Josuke hasn't just expected to waltz back into town in modern attire and call it done. He remembers these people being skittish -- and for good reason, too. He slipped up last time, repairing the tunnel within full view of the coachman. Poor guy, he'd had a bit of a fit. So let's not do that again. He's actually done some research here, and spent some of his carefully-saved money to get something that might look a little less anachronistic there, and might also attract less attention. Though they're just going to have to deal with his hairstyle; there are some things he won't change for anyone. Sadly, he can't wear a lot of purple, since that's such a rare color in the time period Windknight's Lot appears to be from. Instead he's gone with navy blue, another color he wears a lot. It's a blazer and matching slacks, with a waistcoat. His usual shoes aren't too out of place here; he's worn a brown pair. But he can't get completely away from hthe purple; the waistcoat he picked out is purple. He actually stopped off in London first, because he needed either a horse or a horse-and-carriage. He doesn't want to scare people with his car. In fact, thanks to his pirate adventures not too long ago, he might have some actual Spanish gold to pay for it with! Whichever one he managed to secure out this way, rented horse or carriage, is fine with him. Just so long as he gets there in one piece. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' The care Josuke takes to blend in as much as he could bring himself to works out well for him. Thankfully, his mildly foreign features and outlandish hairstyle don't work against him very much, most assume that he is from a noble family from the far side of the continent, one that perhaps mixed their blood with women of Oriental birth, reinforced by the unusual color of his waist-coat. The poor folk give him stink-eye, but the people he really had to interact with were incredibly pleasant to him. Such was the dichotomy of social classes. With his recently acquired riches being more than pliable in this era, Josuke's trip in the finely furnished black carriage was certainly a smooth one. ... Well, metaphorically speaking. It was actually very bumpy and to someone used to the modern comforts of automobiles, no doubt uncomfortable. Setting out in the early morning, Josuke Higashikata arrives in the Lot sometime around mid-day. The town didn't seem to be quite as dire, in fact, it was practically flourishing as crops were coming back in. With the help of Jonathan and his allies, the woes of Windknight's Lot were slowly being washed away. The supposed exorcism that took place in the graveyard to make it safe again helped reconstruction and cleaning of the area get underway. The dwindling population of the town looked to be working hard with the re-opened trade route leading into London. "Y'know," the lanky carriage driver, not a day over twenty two, began speaking. "I heard a rumor that Lord Joestar has been putting a lot of time into this town. After losing the Joestar's ancestral home a good while back, I reckon he might be lookin' to rebuild his legacy here. No one wants to go back to where the old manor was, so I can't blame 'im. Most of his land was returned to the crown, so all he's got left is that place or startin' anew. Everyone says that the ruins of the Joestar Estate're cursed, but then again, people say the same about Windknight's Lot. Well, be seein' ye' good ser. If you'd like me to come back for ye' it'll be five gold pence." 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' One of the few times that being Amerasian works out for him. Particularly since his American parent had been British at one time. Or was he still? Josuke didn't really know how that worked. America was weird like that; somebody could go there (legally), proclaim himself an American, and bam. He was American. Weird. Anyway. Ouch! Josuke hadn't quite been expecting the bumpiness of the ride in a carriage. He'd always heard they were so romantic and everything... all this bouncing and bumping around isn't very romantic! Unless one finds bodily trauma to be romantic! Hey, some people do, he's not gonna judge. But it's SO not his thing. He listens to the carriage driver, with interest. "Well... I guess that makes sense," Josuke replies. "If this is the only place he's got, then..." A pause. "I can understand not wanting to go back to the estate... he lost his father in the fire too." Josuke nows now, from having done THAT research too, that it wasn't the fire that killed him. But let's not scare the locals, huh? That said, he offered the coachman one of the gold coins he'd brought with him. He'd only brought a handful, because he didn't want to get mugged. He actually has no idea how much a Spanish dubloon would be worth, but these are definitely Spanish. "Is this enough? It's all I have with me, I'm afraid..." 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' The man shook his head. "Well .. I'm not s'pposed to do this, but you're only a mite short. I don't know why, but you seem like a good fellow, as far as the aristocrocy goes, y'know? Almost like an every man." The spanish gold was worth four coins, apparently. Hopping off the carriage himself to go through the process of switching the pulley to the hind side of the cabin and tying the horse back into it, it seemed he'd be here for another good half-hour before leaving back for London proper. As for Josuke himself, where would he go now..?     The riverside.     The graveyard.     Poco & Anco's.     The castle approach. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Four coins -- good to know! "Thank you, your kindness is appreciated," Josuke replies, bowing to the driver politely. If he missed the driver, he'd just bug Jotaro to come here and pick him up. He could probably just avoid the city and still get here soon enough. And the idea that he'd have paid for a wasted trip wasn't a big deal -- the driver would have a bit more to feed his family. Josuke understood things were hard for those who weren't nobility in this time. Now... as for where he should go. The first thing he wants to do is talk to a local. See if he can get their perspective on what had been going on. Hopefully he could find Jonathan along the way. So for now, going to where Poco and his sister live to ask seems like the best idea for now. To the residential areas with him! 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' The residential areas themselves were, for the most part, sparse. This is understandable given the recent troubles left all the tired men to break their backs in the field with by and large, no one to tend to their homes. Anco and Poco lived alone though, and thus, were one of the only people milling about the living areas. Anco, the older sister, was doing laundry while Poco was nowhere to be seen. Given the small rack by their home lined with hooks, perhaps he'd gone off to the river to catch something to sell. Pausing in her labors, she wiped the sweat on her face away with her forearm. "Aren't you one of those people from the Concord? I saw you here sometime last year, right? Yeah ... your hair says it all." Could you really get steamed at that remark when it was punctuated with such a sincere smile? Ordinarily looking very stern, the way life was winding down seemed to be doing good for her. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Josuke smiles when Anco looks in his direction. Though thee remark about his hair does kind of take him aback. But he didn't see any sort of malice there. And it was true that his hair was indeed distinctive! That's part of the reason he kept it like this. Part of the reason, a very small one. Just... some people thought that was a bad thing. Or were just trying to get on his nerves. Anco didn't seem like she was trying to get him upset. He does need to explain to her comment about the Concord though, "I'm, uh... not actually a member of the Concord. I just work with them on occasion." Then again he worked with the Paladins and the Watch as well, but he doesn't say that. And he could hardly tell her his ancestor was in the Concord. But he does add, "I just help out wherever I can. I came by to see how things were going, since I heard there was more trouble around here recently." 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' "You're not? ... a mercenary then ..?" she mutters the last part to herself, looking a little uncomfortable, before seemingly letting it go. His previous assistance and earnest attitude won him enough points for the benefit of the doubt, in her book. "Yes, jt turned out that our area got mixed up with another ... world, I think? I'm not entirely sure about the details, but the Lot was being preyed on." Her deeply colored blue eyes narrowed hotly as she recalled the more recent troubles that befell her and her people. "Some monster went around attacking people during the night, leaving them on the brink of death. It was a little confusing .. apparently it was some other monster impersonating a vampire that the Concord worked with? Apparently, another world's forest replaced our own, one with some kind of lair ... well." It was apparent she didn't have the whole story. "The fiend was trying to resurrect something in the Castle, but Lord Joestar and his friends put a stop to it. Ever since then, a real effort has been going on through here to get us on our feet." 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' The word 'mercenary' sort of makes Josuke uncomfortable, and the slight wince says as much. "Not... as such. I'm not doing it for money. I'm helping out because I want to help." He's telling the truth about this, his tone an earnest one. "My name's Josuke." Maybe a weird name for here... and he's not about to saddle the poor girl with his surname! He listens to Anco's account of the situation, his brow furrowing at the words 'resurrect something'. He assumes Anco doesn't know what it was, or she'd have said. Instead of asking about it, he addresses the latter point. "I've noticed," he agrees. "It looks a lot better than the last time I was here. Do you still need people to help with stuff around here?" He may be dressed like the upper class, but he has a very informal way of speaking. It would be unbecoming of a noble, wouldn't it? 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' "It wouldn't really be proper for a nobleman to get his hands dirty with commoner's work, but .. " Anco's smile widens. There's something decisively..off, about it. Actually, it reminds him a little bit of his own Mother. "You could start by stringing up the clothes I'd washed on the tether over there. Make sure you pin them right, you hear? And after that, I could really use some help cleaning all the homes around the Lot. You see, since I'm the only able bodied woman up and about right now, that means I'm the only one keeping things around here relatively clean. Another set of hands would be a real benefit .. " Ah. So that's why. It seems both of them had a good idea on how to put a strapping young man to work. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Josuke looks at the laundry, at the pins, with a thoughtful pout. He's not about to complain, no. But there is one problem. The clothespins he's used to dealing with have springs on them, so they close easier. These probably don't; they're probably the kind of clothespins meant to be slid down over the clothes and the line. Not only that, but he's more used to a washer and dryer, so he's not absolutely sure how this works to begin with. Better to ask than to mess it up, right? So, he inquires, "My world actually has machines that dry clothes, so I've never hung clothes out to dry. Can you show me, so I don't mess it up?" He doesn't look or sound like he's kidding, either. He can start there. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' She looks somewhere between confounded and skeptical, but, given his earnest disposition thus far ... "I wish we had one of those ... alright, watch carefully, okay? If you don't do this right, it won't dry correctly." And so, she showed him how to string up a pair of cover-alls, a somewhat difficult task given that trying to pinch the wooden snips open too far could break them, and not applying enough pressure would get you nowhere. Of course, he could sneak off sometime after the first basket, or keep working with her on the chores until sundown. What will Josuke do? 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Yeah, Josuke's going to break a few of those. Or... is he? The first one that breaks, he quickly summons his Stand and fixes it, before Anco can scold him about breaking it. They're probably not cheap to buy, and take some time to make. Though he should get the hang of this quickly enough, no pun intended. In fact... he pauses, thinks a moment. Anco knows about the existence of other worlds. And she knows there are weird things in it. So... Josuke looks to Anco. "Don't freak out, okay?" Why does he warn her about freaking out? Because he's going to have Crazy Diamond help with the clothes-hanging. Anco probably won't be able to see the Stand. So... it'll look like the clothes are hanging themselves on the line to dry! Also... "Er... I was also looking for Lord Joestar," Josuke notes. "Do you know where he is?" 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' It's pretty hard to freak Anco out, given all the supernatural going ons that afflicted Windknight's Lot. That said, her eyes nearly bug out as she drops the garments she was washing into the washbin entirely, blinking slowly. "I-is this magic? Oh, you must be one of the people he wanted to talk to about renovating the Castle .... I'm not entirely sure. But if he returned already from the forest. then he must be up there." After regaining her bearings, she points upwards. To the misty, haunted looking Castle that looked just as ominous as Josuke remembered it being. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' "Not exactly magic," Josuke replies. "It's hard to explain, though. That's how the tunnel to here got fixed." To demonstrate, he picks up a clothespin, and purposely breaks it. And then he uses Crazy Diamond to fix it again. This time he does it in full view of Anco, so she can clearly see it. He looks up at the ruined castle, with a frown/pout. Oh yeah, he most definitely remembers that place. "Thank you," he notes. "I will come back to help," he promises. "But I do want to help him fix the castle, and... well, I think I'm probably a pretty good choice for the job, yeah." 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' The act of reconstruction blows her mind. So much so that she can barely register what he said about fixing the tunnel from the Lot to London. "R-right ... yeah, you know the way to the Castle, from last time? Not much has changed, just follow the path." Still under the impression that he was someone that Jonathan was inviting to the spooky old palace to assist with something, she needs to sit down for a little while. While she was used to outlandish things happening, 'magic' was definitley new to her. The Castle in question hovered ominously over the Lot, as it always does. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Josuke actually seems upset that he's startled her so badly. Regardless, he does need to find Jonathan. And he's got a feeling that leaving Anco to her thoughts is probably a good idea right now. "Thank you!" he offers brightly. He wants her to see that he's not a bad person, despite having 'magic'. So he'll start down the path to the castle. He's keeping a brisk pace, since he doesn't want it to get dark before he gets there. He did promise to come back and help Anco, after all. Even if he can't today, he'll come back another day; tomorrow maybe, since he'll be able to devote all day to helping. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' By the time Josuke arrives at the front, he notices some of the more immediate changes from the last time he was there. The main hall had occasional bouts of inhuman blood spatter, and a colossal suit of armor easily the size of four men, collapsed and defeated in some sort of battle. The fine coating of dust over everything, bar some footprints leading upstairs, show that not much has been touched here for several months. Most of the previous bone-dry corpses left behind seemed to have been repurposed for something, or put to rest, as they were all conspicuously absent, replaced by the occasional scorch mark. Following the foot tracks eventually leads him to the height of the Castle, where that overlooking balcony was. It was already looking much tidier, with a giant of a man spying at the other towers of the Castle via a set of modern binoculars. " ... Hm?" Jonathan Joestar turns around, a look of mild surprise on his face. Dressed in fine black slacks and a white shirt, sleeved rolled up to his elbows, what distinguished him from the every-man in terms of fashion had to be the star-shaped buckles adorning his outfit, and the miniature bow-tie strapped around his collar. "You're looking well cut, Josuke." There was a prevailing awkwardness in the air. He hadn't had much interaction with his descendant, after all, as odd as it was to think of him that way. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Josuke takes note of the changes as he enters the castle. Maybe fix a pillar or two that looks like it could support the structure a little better. He follows the footprints up, and finds Jonathan there. He's reminded again how much bigger than himself Jonathan is; Josuke had never seen his father Joseph during his prime, and Jotaro may be tall and well-built, but he's still reasonably proportioned. Seeing Jonathan Joestar, Josuke can understand where he got his own size from. The greeting gets a smile. "Thank you -- I didn't want to scare the people too much, so I tried to fit in as well as I could." Oh Josuke can definitely feel the awkwardness. He figures that he must represent something Jonathan would rather not have in his family, an illegitimate child. That's why he hasn't told anyone else in the town about his relation to Jonathan Joestar. Also why he was very careful to make sure his outfit hid the back of his neck! "S-so... how have things been?" Josuke asks, making a visible effort to relax. "I came by to help if you needed it. I actually got here a while back, but I was helping Miss Anco with hanging clothes up to dry," he admits, with no shame in his voice for having done 'woman's work'. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan's large hand rubs the back of his neck. "Ah, I see. It's good of you to help her like that, sometimes I wonder if she's going to run herself ragged trying to care for the whole town." He'd spent long enough in the greater multiverse to become more, how should one say, open-minded about gender roles. Even so, he himself would be too embarassed to ever admit doing 'woman's work' so brazenly. "Ever since the incident several months ago, I've been wanting to turn this Castle to better days. It seems to attract evil like a magnet, so fixing it up to defend the town sounded sensible enough in my head. It's proving more difficult than I imagined, however." Josuke's thoughts weren't far off the bat. While Jonathan thought he was a wonderful young man, it was none the less uncomfortable to know that his great grandson was a bastard. To begin with, being a great grandfather before even marrying his fiance proper was a strange feeling. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Josuke nods, a worried pout forming on his face. "I've offered to come back and help when I can," he replies. "Even if it's just sweeping up, it's stuff that has to be done. And if I do that, she can focus on bigger things," he reasons. As for the castle itself? That gets a bright look. "That's a good idea. Light the place up, tighten the security, and evil things just might think twice before using this place as a nest," he agrees. "I fixed a couple of pillars on the way in, that should help a little." Which of course is why he offered to help. He can't 'just fix' the whole castle, particularly not in one go, but he can get a lot of it done. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' The larger man nods, a small smile appearing on his face. "If you have the time to pitch in, I'd really be in your debt. There's been so much fighting here, I'm worried it'll all fall down, soon. As well, I need to contact some other people to make changes to the place. Maybe something for Alchemy and Astronomy." Despite being a man of science, Jonathan very much turned to the occult as a solution when faced with an issue. Josuke might be reminded of some of the rumors passed around about the Joestars and their misfortune, how it all began with Mary Joestar's 'obsession' with such things. There'd even been suspicion that the family had been pagans behind closed doors. But, rumors will be rumors. The bad luck of the Joestar family began long before the Joestar matriarch found that stone mask. It was not a cause, but rather, a symptom. 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Considering Josuke's hardly 'Christian' himself, he doesn't really think anything of those rumors. Well, not as much as others would. Some people are just attracted to weird things. Though, he once thought his weird luck was because of his Stand... but now he's not so sure. Maybe the Stand was due to the family's luck overall? Hard to say. He nods to the mention of helping. "Sure!" he agrees. "I won't be able to fix everything all at once -- this place is WAY too big for that. I know my limits pretty well; I fixed a Spanish galleon, I think it was, and that HURT." As for the astrology and alchemy? "That I don't know anything about," he admits. "The things I do aren't magical. I'll keep a look out for anyone I might be able to send this way, though." 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' "Then you have my gratitude. I'd offer tea, but ... " Jonathan trails off, motioning to their surroundings. It was highly doubtful that there'd be anything here that a human being could consume, that much was apparent. " ... if you don't mind me asking something personal, Josuke?" Pausing momentarily to gather his words, Jonathan irons out his gaze to look the shorter Joestar in the eye. "How do you feel about your Father?" 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' "That's okay," Josuke replies. Then he gets a sudden idea. "Oh, but I did get an idea... maybe you could put up some solar panels for a little bit of electricity? It wouldn't give much, but you could have a few appliances in here, like a refrigerator." The question for permission strikes him a little oddly, and he blinks. "Huh? Oh, sure. I don't mind." He pauses then, at the question... and he looks away. "...I've never met him. But I... I don't think I like him very much. Jotaro told me he was already married when he was with my mother. But my mother loved him... still loves him. She doesn't know he was married. I haven't told her, and I made Jotaro swear not to say anything to her about it. It'd break her heart if she knew..." 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' "I see..." was all Jonathan said. It's not as if he couldn't understand why someone would cheat, he'd been tempted several times in his adventures across the multiverse to date, but even still, he'd always made an effort to refuse such advances. He loved Erina, after all, they were engaged. Did that mean Josuke's Father didn't love his wife? Or had he just indulged in baser needs? In other words, he couldn't comprehend Joseph Joestar's mindset. " .. I think this is about all I can do on my own, for now. Why don't we go see Anco? If we jog, we should get there before the sun goes down." 

:'''{{#var:1119|Josuke Higashikata (1119)}} has posed:''' Josuke didn't really try to understand Joseph Joestar's mindset. Maybe it was because he hadn't met him... but he just couldn't understand how someone could love someone, then cheat on them. He actually felt just as bad for Suzie Q as he did for his own mother. It couldn't have been easy on her to find out. But hey! Jonathan's got a good idea there. And he did promise to come back and help Anco. So he looks back to Jonathan, with a nod, a smile starting to form. "Good idea. I can probably get us there pretty fast, if you don't mind getting picked up." Crazy Diamond can dent steel with its punches, picking up even someone Jonathan's size shouldn't be too terribly difficult. ...Mind, the 'fast travel' option is a 'fastball special'... 
}}

5584/Invasion of the Sweeper

2017-11-24T08:18:54Z

DariRyu: Alucard and Eithne talk about events, and what is "family".

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/11/23
|Location=Castlevania World
|Synopsis=Eithne feels responsible for the near-destruction of Alucard's "bed" (his stone sarcophagus), so she travels to his sanctum to help sweep up the bits. Alucard finds her there and the two discuss what happened, and the definition of "family".
|Cast of Characters=1128, 1016
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard has not been seen at his sanctuary of late. Maria has had a devil of a time recovering her strength following the curse Magnus placed upon her. And since Alucard felt personally responsible for her condition -- which really isn't anything new; he feels responsible for everything bad that happens to anyone if it involves his world -- he's stayed there at the Belmont estate to care for her.     Now though, since Maria has all but fully recovered, Alucard turns his sights on another task -- replacing his sarcophagus. This will, thankfully, be easier than getting the damn thing down here the first time was, since the rest of the Multiverse has technologies that he can use to make the work easier. For the time being, though, he's taking a smaller option. A wooden coffin.     He has this coffin with him, on a flat trolley of sorts, as he enters the Shrine aboveground. But the statue. He pauses, looks at the statue that normally hides the entrance to the underground area. It's been pushed aside already. Alucard narrows his eyes, opens his senses -- a human. There is a human here. But not just human. Something of blood and death. Not a combination that bodes well for whatever may be down there.     Leaving the trolley with the coffin on it behind for now, Alucard changes to bat form and flies down into the underground area, following his nose. Where to? The coffin room, of course. The place he sleeps. Alu-bat alights on one of the unlit candelabras to take in the scene. What's going on, and who is this strange person in his sanctum? 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     A human, perhaps. There were faint hoofmarks in the damp moss aboveground, but no horse to be seen. A faint scratching noise can be heard as he flies closer - pebbels and something else against stone.     There, in the sanctum, a place that should be safe from invasion...!     ...There's a human girl, sweeping up little chunks of marble into neat piles. The larger bits have already been stacked in one of the corners. A crow is napping next to one of the currently-unlit sconces, beak tucked under its feathers. And Eithne Sullivan takes a break to wipe a smear of dust from her forehead and look up at the newest 'intruder' to Alucard's bedroom.     "Hullo there!" she waves cheerily, and goes back to sweeping up the dust of the battle from a couple of weeks ago. "Sorry, I'll get out've here in a minute. I suppose yer lookin' fer that pale fella, aren't yeh." Apparently, she thinks he's a regular bat? 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard looks around the space, catching sight of the crow first, since he's managed to alight not too far from the crow. Hopefully Alucard's aura of darkness doesn't spook the bird. That would be all he needed, to give away his unnatural nature to the crow.     The girl's words draw his attention, and the bat's head swivels to regard Eithne. He lets out a squeak, though it's unclear whether he's responding to her words or not.     Does Eithne know her bats? Because that black bat is clearly a vampire bat, ribbed ears and a smushed-looking nose. But... aren't vampire bats supposed to be smaller than the hand? That bat is almost as large as that crow... 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     Eithne does not, in fact, know all that much about bats. Just that different species eat different foods, they have cute faces, and they aren't actually blind. The crow, for its part, doesn't seem to care at all about Alucard - it just makes a quiet noise before settling more securely into its impromptu napping spot.     She seems to take the squeak as some kind of acquiescence. "Well, I haven't seen him around yet, but I suppose he's got to come back eventually, right?" Eithne pushes a tangly lock of black hair behind one of her ears and starts sweeping again. "With luck, he won't come back before I'm done here. Wouldn't it be nice if he came back, expectin' to have to clean all this mess up by himself, but it was already done?"     Eithne glances back at the sarcophagus, frowning briefly. "Not much I can do about the lid. But at least it'll be clean, an' he can do whatever he likes afterward!" She seems very pleased with herself, brooming a small pile of dust and pebbles across the stone floor. "It's my fault anyway," she continues, as if a random enormous bat must find her chattering fascinating. "I mean, I'm the one what broke it." 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Perhaps 'a random bat' DOES find her chatter interesting. Because it releases another squeak, this one kind of... ascending. Upward-lilting, as if asking a question. Then again, if it was a random bat, would it be there in the first place?     Though that's about to be a non-issue. The bat takes off from the candelabra. But as it flies up from where it dropped to catch air, it seems to freeze in place in the air. And its shape changes, wavering and growing larger. Before long, Alucard stands there!     Busted? 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     Who knows what lurks in the hearts of random bats? Eithne isn't bat-aligned!     She watches the bat take off, a mild sort of curiosity passing across her face... which slowly turns into surprise, and from there into embarrassment. The taller and more Alucard-shaped he gets, the pinker her face becomes until she's standing there, mouth drawn back into a 'whoops' expression, broom held loosely in her hands.     And with that, Sheela suddenly untucks his head, glances around, and squawks to alert his mistress that there's danger afoot. 'KRAAAAA!' Duty fulfilled, he flutters down from the sconce and alights on the edge of the sarcophagus, peering into one of the big cracks Eithne left in it.     Eithne stares silently at the gentleman vampire for a moment before saying the first thing that comes to mind.     "...Welcome home?" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard's attention is first drawn by the loud cawing of the crow, and then he watches it alight on the sarcophagus. He peers at it a moment, to make certain that it's not about to attack him. He's noticed the cracks, yes. But he did arrive towards the end of that fight. Besides, it was a fight, he couldn't expect things to not get damaged.     Though, as he realizes the bird is not about to attack him, he turns to look at Eithne. Then at the pile of broken stone she's swept to the side. His expression is difficult to read, since he's so stoic. But then he dips his head politely.     "Thank you," he offers quietly. 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     Now that he's unfolded himself, Sheela is revealed to be a young crow - probably a teenager in bird years and utterly uninterested in doing anything besides 'being kind of a jerk'. He prods at one of the cracks with his beak, testing it for anything tasty hiding inside.     Well, Eithne thinks optimistically, the worst that he's likely to do is be disappointed or something. She didn't see him much, only at the end of the battle in this very crypt, but she remembers that Alucard hadn't seemed very upset about the collateral damage. He'd been worried about his manservant's health.     "...Yer welcome," she replied, smiling a little - though the pink's not so fast to leave her face. "How's yer servant doin'? What's his name, uh... Lyudmill?" Lyudmill, Ludwig... she's not too sure anymore. It's been a while! 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     There might be a nice, juicy beetle in one of the cracks of that sarcophagus. While most normal animals tend to flee from the site of a vampire's lair, a number of them still make their homes in that area -- bugs, worms, snakes, rats, wolves, bats, and the like. Things that people generally avoid.     "Lyudmil?" Alucard supplies. "He is well. I have left him at the estate of a friend of mine. He will act as a servant for the family, as he once served me." 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     Though Sheela looks like a normal enough crow, he is about as normal as his mistress. Just a liiiiiittle bit strange. It seems that vampires, tall and gothic or red-headed and haggard, don't frighten him. Spying something moving in the crevice, he makes a birdy grumbling noise and starts picking for it harder.     "Lyudmil," she nods, correcting her pronunciation just a hair. "I'm glad. Poor fella..." Eithne turns to watch Sheela dig. "Yeh gotta take care of people who depend on yeh, I suppose. Sure he won't miss yeh, though?" It's kind of weird to think of...     A thought occurs to her, and she lifts an eyebrow at Alucard, resting the bristles of her broom on the crypt floor. "Yeh left him? He didn't stay on his own accord?" Now it's Eithne who is the suspicious one! And she's eyeballing him like she's gearing up to be Disappointed. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard's expression seems to waver a bit at the 'poor fella'; a frisson of something akin to pain flickers over his face for a split second. He doesn't elaborate on why, but it's definitely there, however briefly. "I will need to return every so often to bring him food. Lyudmil is fully a vampire, and will need to consume blood to survive. So I will see him again." Good, he hasn't just dropped the poor guy off and thought to disappear.     The second question gets a quiet sigh. "I would not foist him onto Mr. Rizzo indefinitely. And I have done enough to him already. If he were to accompany me, he would only find more pain." Oh geez. The emo sort. Oh well, all vampires have that phase, right? 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     Did he just abandon his friend at someone else's house? Even a fancy manor would be lonely if your (possible) best friend just dropped you off there. Is Alucard the kind of man to just ditch a friend, even if he thinks it's for the friend's sake?     It mollifies her a bit to hear that Alucard will at least visit his friend, and that he will go back for Lyudmil. But her demeanor changes completely when he says the detective's name. "Oh, he's roomin' with John? He'll be fine, then!" And just like that, it seems she's forgiven some slight against him. "Can he not hunt on his own?" Eithne frowns. He'd seemed a bit fancy... is he really cut out to be a vampire, after all?     "I take blood to John's place sometimes. He won't drink human, but animal is okay. How about the two've yeh?" she asks, tilting her head at him. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     "He was." This to the mention of Lyudmil rooming with Rizzo. "I did not wish to expect Mr. Rizzo to take care of him. Lyudmil is my responsibility. It was I who... made him," he admits. "I will not expect another to care for him."     As for whether he can hunt on his own? "...Perhaps he can. It was, after all, him who attacked the women in Windknight's Lot, though it was while under another's control. That he left them alive enough to be found speaks for his control, even while ensorcelled by Magnus. However, he has... never truly needed to. While in Father's castle, his... 'meals' were humans held captive in the Coliseum. Lyudmil told me later that Magnus brought him humans. So I do not know."     But there's also another concern. "He has always been brought humans to feed upon. I do not know if the transition to inhuman blood will be difficult for him," Alucard replies. "I survive on the blood of evil creatures. Targoviste is a breeding ground for evil creatures. But those creatures will not merely offer themselves to be fed upon." So... Lyudmil may need to learn to become a monster hunter to survive... 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     She doesn't seem to be overly put out by the very idea that's probably the source of a lot of Alucard's worry. Everybody is born somehow! The fact that Lyudmil was clearly already born as a human doesn't seem to bother her at all. "If he can adapt then it'll be good! Even if John always acts like drinkin' animal blood is worse than chewin' nettles." She makes a wry face at the very thought!     "But if he's only ever had human, it'll probably be tough to change over. John told me it was like... uh, all the drugs an' sex an' a birthday party all at once. So that's why he doesn't." Eithne doesn't really understand why anybody would avoid it at all times, because those all sound pretty great, but he must have his reasons. Probably good old-fashioned Catholic guilt.     To think of having to fight every time you want to eat...! "Suppose I'll never take the fridge fer granted again. But really," she frowns, and crosses her arms over her chest. "Has nobody ever heard of just buyin' the stuff? Is there some kind've big vampire rule that yeh have to do everythin' the absolute hardest way possible?" She taps her foot once, then unfolds her arms and leans the broom against the wall. "It's not like there aren't people who'll help!" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     "There are those who cannot adapt to what they must do as a vampire," Alucard replies. "For some, the thought that they must drain life is more than they can bear. They fear becoming inured to committing atrocities -- beginning with animals and moving to their own people, becoming something of a predator of their own kind. So I do not hold having a displeasure for the need to drink blood against Mr. Rizzo."     Alucard nods to the assessment of human blood. "It is in our nature to prey on humans. Perversely, it is the greatest -- and darkest -- of delights to vampire-kind," he confirms. "Please, think no ill of Mr. Rizzo for his dislike of what he must do. He likely fears escalation, as I mentioned... escalating from feeding upon animals, to feeding upon humans."     There is the ghost of a smile on Alucard's face as she mentions buying blood. "There are butchers in the rest of the Multiverse that cater to this sort of clientele," Alucard replies. "I have utilized them before. Though the blood drained from a dead animal has less of the... 'spark', if you will, of a living creature. Indeed, a human could survive on bread and water, but it would be a diet that would leave them malnourished after a time. I do not know how other worlds' vampires work, but in this world, that 'spark' feeds a vampire as well." 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     Eithne is young yet, despite the ancient blood in her veins. She's a teenager, and doesn't really give a lot of thought to things like 'actions that can't be undone' or 'clinging desperately to one's sense of self'. But she listens to him, because while she may be stubborn, she truly /wants/ to understand things. "..."     It must be tough. Maybe it's harder than she'll ever understand, trying to hold on to your humanity. Could she hold out if she were in their shoes? "I guess yer right," Eithne admits after a few moments of quiet. "It makes sense. It wouldn't be just like... like birthday cake. It'd be addictive, wouldn't it?" Realization dawns in her eyes. "It wouldn't just be somethin' yeh could do once and give up."     She crosses the room to where her bird is munching on a hard-earned grub and picks him up, ignoring Sheela's squawk of protest to hold him in her arms. "Can't believe I didn't understand it. Don't I feel a right git!" She chuckles with a bit of chagrin - because of /course/ she's still learning, of /course/ she can't ever know everything - but maybe now she'll be able to understand some people a little better.     "...THe first time we ever met in person he'd come over to my apartment to tell me about stuff fer a history paper. I knew he was a vampire so I'd fixed him a cup of blood to drink - it's custom to offer tea an' such, I'd never had a vampire over before. I didn't understand 'till now why he was so upset when I said it was mine!" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard nods. "Indeed. It is poisoned honey," He confirms. Oh but it gets worse. "Worse yet, the vampire is generally aware of its poisonous, addictive nature. It forces one to acknowledge this, to acknowledge that a part of one knows it is addictive, yet that taking it can mean another's death. It forces one to choose between delight and humanity, and heavily 'stacks the deck', as it were, for one to reject one's humanity."     When Eithne says she feels 'like a right git', Alucard shakes his head. "Do not think ill of yourself, either," he reassures. "It is difficult for those who do not struggle with this to understand. Particularly because it is not as simple as 'avoid it'. On the one hand, a vampire will generally die without blood. On the other, obtaining it can be traumatic for the vampire in question.     "Mr. Rizzo is one of the most peaceful vampires that I have ever met. It makes sense that he would dislike the thought of drinking another being's blood," Alucard replies further, his voice quiet. "Would that I could aspire to his peaceful nature. If he wishes, I can make available the address of the butchers I have patronized. They collect blood from animals they intend to prepare for humans to consume. The animal would not be killed by his hands, and would be going to feed human beings. Perhaps that would ease his conscience." 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     Heh. To think, all this time she'd just been looking at it wrong.     Sheela has calmed down by now, merely squirming a little when Eithne hugs him. "He's really great, isn't he?" she beams up at Alucard. She's missing a tooth on the left side. "And a cool detective like in those old movies, too."     "Yeh know, I think he'd appreciate it. I'm sure he's probably already got his own supply an' all but it's great to have backups!" She's taken bottles of it to him sometimes when there were leftovers from slaughtering animals in Dun Realtai. It's important to let people know you care, and Eithne has always tried to do that by feeding them.     Sheela finally has had enough and nips her fingers until she lets him go. "Fine! Fine, brat, go on then." She takes the broom up again as Sheela flies out of her reach (inspecting Alucard as he passes by - what a tall human!) and a dustpan. "Thanks fer explainin' it to me, yeh know," Eithne tells him, glancing over at him. "I don't always understand people, an' I don't always know how to ask about it. If I understand the two of yeh and Lyudmil better now, that's a real good thing." She'll go back to sweeping up the dust, depositing it into a pair of ten gallon buckets in the corner. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard nods at the mention of Rizzo being a great guy. "I have not often seen vampires who could channel holy power," he remarks. "It normally has deleterious effects on a vampire, whether the exposure is on the inside or outside. That he can speaks highly for him." To the words of the butchers' places? "Indeed. You need only have him get in touch with me. He knows where to find me as well." Since they're, uh. Like right there, where he can be found!     He raises a brow at the crow as it flies away. Strange, he thinks, that a familiar would backtalk his mistress so. He probably doesn't quite get the relationship there. But Eithne's words of understanding draw his attention back. And he nods. "Understanding is... something that is rare in this world. Have you see the ruined city near here?" 'Near' is a little subjective, because it's not within walking distance. But it's... sort of near. Car-ride near. "That city once was large and full of people. A lack of understanding led to its current state." 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     If only Eithne's familiar were half as well-behaved as Alucard's! If she knew, she would be /so/ jealous of him.     "I first saw him use it on another vampire. The other guy was feedin' on women, an' John followed him to try an' tell him to stop and there was a fight. Serves 'im right, threatening to use me as a bargainin' chip! He didn't even have a hand on me yet!" Eithne observes her handiwork in the crypt with a smile. Nice and tidy! "So John punched 'is lights out. I didn't even get to punch him once." She... sounds quite disappointed.     Eithne picks up the buckets of stone and dirt, stepping around Alucard as she heads for the stairs. "Oof. Up here, right?" she asks after him, hauling the last remnants of the fight upstairs. "What happened to it?" 'A lack of understanding' is awfully vague! "Was there a war?" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     "There are some vampires who cannot adapt... and some who adapt to the life of a predator of humans all too well," Alucard replies. Though unsaid goes that turning into a monster could also be considered 'not adapting well'. But it doesn't need to be said.     Alucard follows her up the stairs, though, because... well, he left that coffin up there. It'll probably still be there, on the flat cart/trolley he brought it here on. Unless someone's taken it. Which would be dumb, because there's no body in it, so it doesn't really have any usefulness.     Though Alucard is willing to answer her question. "...In a matter of speaking. My father was responsible. But just as Magnus merely wanted to 'go home', Father wished to return the pain that the people of Targoviste had dealt him. And it began the cycle of death that now consumes this world." 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     It makes sense, she supposes. Not everybody can handle everything life throws at them, after all. Not everybody can be strong all the time. ...She's quiet for a moment.     "Ah. Yer da was Dracula, right?" she asks, humming a pleased note when she sees the cart with the coffin inside. If there's no place around here to dump the rubble, she can borrow the cart to take it somwhere else. She loves forests a lot, but it's sure a pain trying to find places to throw stuff away!     "Targoviste, Targoviste..." The name should be familiar, shouldn't it? But it's not. "What was so bad that yer da went ape about it?"     Setting the buckets down for the moment, Eithne jumps into the cart to walk a circle around the coffin, admiring the polish. "Pretty! Not as solid as marble, but surely easier to move." As if she wants to test the theory, the girl hefts one end of the casket out of the cart, eyeballing the shape of it. "Wanna get the other end?" she offers. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     "He is," Alucard replies. Notably he uses the present tense... as if Dracula is still around. As for what was so bad? "My mother was born there. She was burned for heresy," he answers. The connection might not be immediately picked up. Or it maybe it will. If the death of Alucard's mother affected Dracula deeply enough that he wanted to ERASE A CITY, he must have loved her very much.     The mention of the coffin gets a nod. "It is a temporary solution, until the stone coffin can be repaired." He doesn't answer whether he'll grab the other end, he just does exactly that, picking up the end that Eithne isn't holding. Presumably she's heading back down into the sanctum with it, and he'll follow. 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     "Is," she repeats easily. ...Wait, wasn't Dracula's death the entire reason that Magnus wanted Alucard to take the throne? She frowns. Well, Alucard would know better than anyone, she supposes, if his father was truly dead. Wouldn't he?     She carries her end of the coffin easily. "...I'm sorry about yer ma," Eithne offers after a few moments. Could it've been because he loved her? Surely even Dracula wouldn't destroy a city over a simple insult. No, it only makes sense if she thinks about it like this. What would her father have done, if there had been anybody to blame her mother's disappearance on?     "Were yeh close to her? Were yeh a family? ...What was it like?" She looks at him over her shoulder as they descend the stairs. She's a little crude, but Eithne is still curious - how do you get from 'a man and a woman love each other very much' to 'razing a town' to 'your dad is dead for now but his spooky castle is still waiting for a new dark lord'? 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     "Thank you," Alucard offering quietly, in response to the condolences. "Though it was centuries ago." Once they're down the stairs, Alucard suggests, "We should place this coffin next to the stone one." Orders are a bridge too far, it seems.     The question asked about his family gets... silence for a moment. He places his hand upon the closed coffin, and turns his gaze to it, as if the contrast between his pale skin and the dark wood of the coffin were fascinating. But before Eithne can worry she's been too nosy, Alucard answers.     "We were... as much of a family as we could be," Alucard says quietly. His tone is dull, as if he's trying not to sound too affected by it all. "Mother often left for Targoviste, to heal those who were sick. She was a healer. But it was soon after I accompanied her to the city that she was captured. I am certain the people realized who was my father, and arrested my mother for 'consorting with devils'." 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     She doesn't really know much about 'families'. Not the nuclear kind, with two parents. Just secondhand experiences, shared memories that belong to other people. She can't help but be curious, even if she should know to leave well enough alone.     They get the coffin settled down on the stone floor, arranged nicely. It'll be good enough, she supposes, until he can have the stone one repaired or replaced. Her eyes travel up his arm to his half-turned-away face. "..."     A mother and a father. A vampire lord and a healer. And the last vestiges of her earlier blush slowly drains from Eithne's face as she listens to Alucard. "...Devils," she frowns, and leans back against the wall. She's starting to see the picture form and she doesn't like it. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard nods. "They were afraid," he says quietly, finally looking to Eithne. "They were frightened of my father. They still are. And they saw a woman who, to their eyes, had willingly consorted with the thing that had already caused them no end of pain. A woman who had lain with such a thing, allowed it to violate her. And who bore the child of that horrible thing. To their eyes, the only way to cleanse her was to burn the taint away."     A pause, and then he offered, "Lyudmil tried to save her, but he was discovered and forced to flee for his life. He came to the castle, and it was only through him that I learned of it. After she died, he pledged himself to serve me. He said, if he could not save my mother, he would then serve her son." So that explains the connection between Alucard and Lyudmil. 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     She keeps looking at the ground. Even though she knew it wasn't going to be a happy tale, she didn't realize it was like that. "...Sorry," she offers when he's done. "I'm sorry about yer ma." So, no wonder his father had gone to the town and laid ruin to it.     Eithne can't even blame him. She would've felt the same.     "No wonder he's so attached to yeh then," she sighs. Guilt's a hell of a monster, one worse than any vampire or ghoul. So is anger, she supposes. Even just thinking about it, even /she/ wants to... Eithne breathes deeply and lets it out. The town is destroyed already. There's nothing left to do. They already got what was coming to them and more.     "I asked 'cause I grew up with just my dad and we moved around a lot." Eithne shrugs apologetically. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     "Worry not. As I said, it happened centuries ago," Alucard offers. "I thought that I owed you an explanation, since Mr. Rizzo seems an associate of yours, and he spared Lyudmil's life. It would have been easy to simply eliminate him, thinking he was myself who had lost to my darker urges. He continued to believe that there was something to save, even if everything pointed to the opposite."     Though at the mention of Eithne's father? "'Family' is not always the same for everyone. For some it is a mother, a father, and siblings. For others it is a group that are no more related by blood than you and I. Blood may be thicker than water, but it is not the strongest bond in the world. The strongest bonds are those of love, for those bonds rarely break. They may be changed into something else, but they do not break." 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     At his reassurance, Eithne does relax a bit, enough to smile when he repeats the proverb about family. "I always like hearin' that one because nobody ever knows the rest of it. 'The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.' It means the exact opposite of what people always use it fer."     "So blood is thicker than water, and that's /why/ family isn't always made of people who share yer DNA." Tucking her hands into the pockets of her skirt, Eithne glances at the new coffin. "My da's a good man most've the time. Maybe in his own way, so is yers." She shrugs right after, though. "Wouldn't expect anyone to agree with me there, John least of all--"     She's interrupted by a loud KRAAAAA that echoes down from above the crypt, followed by a wet whinny that echoes strangely. "RIGHT, RIGHT, I KNOW! I'M COMIN'!" she yells up the stairs, with no regard for any poor dhampirs that are stuck in a tiny echo chamber with her. Apologetically, Eithne smiles at him. "Fer what it's worth... most've us believed in yeh, even the ones who'd never met yeh. Yer record spoke fer itself." Eithne gathers up her broom and the dustpan and walks toward the stairs. "That's my own little retinue callin'," she smiles wryly. "Lyudmil's a lot more agreeable!" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard also seems to offer a smile, though a very small one. "Words in general are often misused, wielded as weapons to justify much pain against those undeserving of it," he observed. The caw, and then the yell, forces a bit of a wince, but he covers it well. Despite the clear call for Eithne to leave, he does offer, "He was never 'nice'. But he was... less evil once. Mother had quite the effect on him, both in life and in death."     He shakes his head, amused. "Agreeable, perhaps. But I am fairly certain you would not trade your 'retinue' for all the world." He pause, and he dips his head. "Thank you for the assistance. Both for this, and with Magnus. Take care." 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     "Less evil's worth a lot when the alternative's, well, Dracula," she counters, halfway up the stairs. "So's the love of a good partner, or so I'm told!" After all, her father still gets misty-eyed when he talks about her mother, and they were barely together a year. "And even if they're brats, I'm fond of 'em... so yer right there, too." She turns back long enough to wave. "Same to yeh, Alucard. Sleep well!"     She doesn't push the statue of the contemplative woman back over the entrance to his sanctuary when she leaves, reasoning that he may want to return the cart to wherever he got it. Out in the dim light of the clearing, a dull-colored horse waits for her. Eithne takes off in a light run, leaping up onto the horse's bare back and tangling her fingers into its limp, weed-strung mane.     The kelpie paws at the ground and snorts; Sheela wheels through the air above them before alighting on her head. "Brat," she huffs at him, transferring him to her shoulder. "C'mon then, we've got to make a stop at the fabric store before we're home..." Nudging the horse on with her knees, the Scion holds on tight as it breaks into a gallop for the village. 
}}

5562/Soliloquy of Reproach: Release, Part II

2017-11-11T07:02:03Z

DariRyu: Formatting fix

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/11/10
|Location=Windknight's Lot <WKL>
|Synopsis=The two groups met up again in the throne room of the castle, to face Magnus for the first (and last) time. Attempting to masquerade as Alucard, who he had previously kidnapped, proved fruitless for the incubus, as the Elites saw through his scheme this time. A battle commenced, and through the efforts of the Elites, Magnus was sent back to Hell, and both Erina and Alucard were rescued safely. All's well that ends well, at the final '''"[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMWtp_ke9Ws Roundabout]"'''!
|Thanks=Jonathan Joestar, and everyone involved in the plot that brought it so smoothly to its conclusion.
|Cast of Characters=1128, 1100, 290, 571, 707, 994, 1011, 1107, 1084
|Tinyplot=Soliloquy of Reproach
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:''' LAST TIME:     The group that has been investigating the vampire in Windknight's Lot came to the ruined castle that seems to loom over it like a predator crouched over its territory, to rescue Erina Pendleton, kidnapped by an incubus named Magnus. The decision was made to split into two groups. FRONT TEAM:     Reimu's orb strikes with its holy power and throws the giant into a wall -- probably cracking the stone. It catches the Weapon Master between the wall and itself, damaging it further as it refuses to relent. It holds the Giant in place for the rest of the group, too. Xiaomu's ice shots freeze its armor over well, and the anti-spirit rounds pierce its armor easily; and Seras just UNLOADING on the bastich... just DEVASTATES the area it's standing in. Probably including the wall it's been held to by Reimu's orb.     When the smoke clears, the giant's armor is still there, though scattered around as if it had fallen off and then been scattered by the Elites' deadly volley. The Giant itself? Nowhere to be found. Its weapons remain, however, broken and twisted -- leaving little doubt that it's not coming back. STEALTH TEAM:     Erina seems to be coming towards the group! Rizzo can see it in her aura -- worry. Fear. Anxiety. And a little bit of anger, too, but far eclipsed by the other emotions. Rizzo's hopes for a peaceful ending to all this may be coming true...     But there's something off about her, though, on a deeper level than just her physical appearance. Which is bad enough, she looks like she's been smacked around a little. But she appears dark, somehow, on that deeper level that Rizzo's looking at.     "Jonathan!" Erina declares. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you! Come, let's leave this horrible place!" She runs towards Jonathan, arms outstretched, as if to embrace him. But one hand is held in a 'clawed' pose...     Alucard suddenly exclaims, "Joestar! Move, quickly!" As he calls out a warning, 'Erina' swings that hand down, fingers still clawed. But instead of Jonathan as its target... Alucard leaps between Jonathan and 'Erina' as the hand swings down.     The claws seem to wound him on a spiritual level rather than actually touching him, which those sensitive to such things might see. He emits a cry of pain, reacting as though he's been physically struck, and then crumples to the ground.     'Erina' grabs him by the back of his cloak and begins to literally float backwards. Her form blurs and... guess who? Yup, it's Magnus. Who smirks.     "Well, that wasn't QUITE how I saw that happening. But I'll not look a gift horse in the mouth," he declares. "Come, then. Follow me to your death, if you wish to save your beloved. You will all make ideal sacrifices for the rise of the new Dark Lord."     And then his form blurs again, and he disappears.     With Alucard. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace keeps her Bushmaster lowered as the smoke clears, looking out over the strewn armour. "Scratch one." She mutters, smoke curling up from the barrel of the massive cannon. She begins to track around the room, looking for additional threats that may flicker out of the darkness. "Not seeing anything else." Tiny comments, after scanning the four corners of the room. "Should we check in with the other team?" 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Even if she wasn't actively visible for the time being, Rebecca was assisting in the fight with the giant as best as she could. The medic came prepared, bringing her MP5K as well as her Magnum and even a shotgun as well. How does she carry all those items? (Well, she has six item slots, so each weapon takes up one slot. As for ammo, don't ask.) Regardless, Rebecca gave it her all in the fight against the giant, and upon seeing that the giant is now pretty much in pieces, she takes a moment to reload her shotgun. "That was a tough one. Used up quite a few shotgun rounds on him." She looks to the others to make sure everyone else is all right and that nobody is in need of first aid. When she sees nobody needs any first aid, Rebecca smiles a little. "Well done, everyone." She nods to Leyanne. "I agree, we should try to meet up with the other team now. I wonder if they've found anything?" 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka advances just in time to see Erina! "You're alive! And you escap-" Wait. She pauses, and sudddenly, 'Erina' pounces toward Jonathan just in time for Alucard to interrupt her. And then they disappear. "...what just happened?" 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Xiaomu reloads, keeping her ears perked and her eyes open. Also sniffing cautiously at the air - not just with her mundane sense of smell, but stretching out her supernatural awareness as well. Not that she expects to get particularly detailed ideas of what's going on or where any additional foes may be lurking in wait. "Doesn't matter quite so much how much ammo you've already used as how much you have left," she observes to her allies. "And more importantly than that, anyone hurt?" 

:'''{{#var:994|Athela Valemore (994)}} has posed:''' Athela got involved in this matter a bit behind the others, and as such as been taking up the role of rear guard to make sure the main team doesn't get ambushed by more problems while they deal with the one in front of them. She's been around enough old castles to know one should never presume they aren't being watched or followed. It's a good explaination for why she hasn't been on-screen until now, right? As such she's remained at the back of the area, assisted by her Timburr in the overwatch until the giant finally falls. "The size of the foe matters not when Justice and Honor are brought to bear 'gainst them." 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' Alucard reacts faster than Rizzo can--but that does no one any good. It was a trap, something he should've come to expect by now. Even so, however successful the incubus thinks his ploy was, it's going to be taken as another nail in his coffin by the other elites. "Magnus, pal... you're gettin' to be a real wet sock around here."      Raising his watch to his lips, he considers relaying the situation to the others... no. No, then it's just going to be even more of a witch hunt. If somone else wants to spill the beans, they can, but him? He's gonna nip this in the bud, like he should've done at the start of all this bad business.      "The greaseball got the bulge on us, that's what happened." He isn't upset--but there is a certain disappointment within him as he follows after Magnus. The vampire raises his St. Jude medallion and his will radiates from it brightly. No more stealth, now--just pure willpower, attempting to forcibly repel anything that stops him from pursuing the incubus. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' "Erina..!" Jonathan could hardly believe his eyes. The knee-jerk response was so powerful that, without even thinking about it, Jonathan's guard was left wide open. His arms outstretched, as the two moved towards each other -- but in the blink of an eye ... everything changed. Alucard was swiped brutally, yet left no blood behind as he was dragged off. His foe's taunts did nothing to alleviate the acute familiarity with the kind of loss he was experiencing. Once again, in this damned ruin, an ally had all but sacrificed themselves for him. The sound of strained leather filled the hall as Jonathan clenced his fists as tightly as his own hands would allow. Magnus knew they were here now -- in other words, advancing with caution was now pointless. John Rizzo had a similar idea, advancing forward with his bastion of light. Jonathan breathed in, so deeply that his chest seemed to expand like a small balloon. It charged his whole body with energy, vitalizing him into a high speed dash down the narrow corridors he now knew intimately.         "I won't let you have your way!" 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' Seras can't help but walk over to examine the remnants... and is baffled by the complete lack of anything filling the armor. Very weirded out. But magic is weird like that. After giving Reimu a helplessly quizzical look, she turns her attention to her radio... and her face goes starkly white at the news. With a sudden flaily panic she bolts back towards the door to regroup!     "Bad... badbadbad. He's going to do something awful with him!" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:''' FRONT TEAM:     Everything seems quiet, and the group can go further into the castle now. Nothing stands between them and the ruined throne room but hallways. But off in other parts of the castle, there's screeching of unnatural things! But a laugh comes from the direction of the ruined throne room. Ever get the feeling you're walking right into a trap? STEALTH TEAM:     Little can touch the group as Rizzo and Jonathan come tearing through the hallways radiating faith, strength, and SHEER DETERMINATION. Lesser demons are put off even the approach by the combined willpower of Jonathan and Rizzo and flee; anything stronger is burned and repelled by that willpower. This should make enough of a path for the group to meet up again, even if some of these creatures do manage to make half-hearted grabs. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka sticks behind Rizzo and Jonathan, swapping to her shotgun as she finishes off anything that tries to grab her. Point blank buckshot will do a lot of havoc on you, after all. She has no problem keeping up with the two, as she sprints, reloading offhandedly. The demons won't be nearly an issue now, between the three of them. 

:'''{{#var:994|Athela Valemore (994)}} has posed:''' Athela Valemore frowns farther at the news over the radio. "We must make haste." Her cloak gives an appropriately dramatic flare behind her as the young knight marches forth, caring not for the creepy sounds coming from all sides of them. If anything is foolish enough to put itself to her blade, so be it. "The field will certainly be expecting us, but it matters not. We have allies and fair maidens needing to be rescued. Onward, stalwart allies of mine!" Her goblin-like pokemon gives a grunt in agreement, sholdering the massive log he uses for a weapon and following her. It probably -is- a trap, but if it's meant to scare them off whoever laid it doesn't know them vary well. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace scowls and follows Seras, shaking her head "This feels a bit like a trap." She calls out as she hears the laughter, following after the police vampire. She's glad she brought the Bushmaster; the steadi-cam-styled supporting rig allows her to run almost at full speed while keeping the cannon near-ready. "I can't believe I'm the one saying this, but maybe we shouldn't just charge on ahead, and be a little more cautious instead?" 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Okay, so it's not like the castle is normally full of monsters, but Xiaomu still feels like there should be more resistance presenting itself than there already is. Rather than walk around with her guns out, though, she just keeps her staff handy - whether to whack something with it, to draw Suiren and stab or slice, to unleash ice magic or other forms of sorcerous force, whatever the moment seems to demand. And yeah. This is totally a trap, she can all but literally smell it. But sometimes, when you're expecting a trap, the only thing you can do is walk into it and then counter it when it goes off around you. Xiaomu actually starts whistling as she walks, the thud of her staff on the floor adding a percussion line to the tune. Not quite in time with the music, but that's not exactly the point. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Anything that stepped in Jonathan's way was dispatched, not thoughtfully. All it took was one touch to release a surge of Hamon directly into their bodies, leaving them dead or dying in his wake. Re-animated skeletons, little devils, and even the occasional wolf-on-two-legs found themselves being subjected to the very potent sensation of magma flowing into every nook and crevice in their bodies. Jonathan himself was fuming with as much loathing for himself as his opponent. Using his dear Erina's face for such a diabolical move, if there were a way to push the gentleman over his edge, then surely Magnus was gunning for it as hard as he could. Frankly, he wasn't sure if he could hold himself back to let Rizzo have his chance at peace. The double doors ending the connecting bridge that led from the tower they were in back into the main castle burst open as Jonathan bulldozed his way through. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Rebecca also follows behind Seras, having a bad feeling in her gut about this whole thing, but knowing they have no choice all the same. She keeps a tight grip on her shotgun, eyes dartig from side to side in hopes of avoiding a possible ambush or trap from the side. When Xiaomu starts whistling, Rebecca shoots a glare at her, but then realizes that she can understand Xiaomu doing so, since the place is rather creepy... 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' Between himself and JoJo, it seems like most of Magnus' resistance is easy pickings for Maaka. The odd one that manages to muster the will to do more than ruffle the sleeve of his coat his shoved aside with force grossly inproportionate to the red-headed beanpole of a vampire. The last vestige of subtlety is shattered when Rizzo graps a man-sized demon by the collarbone, digs his fingers in, and hurls it into a suit of armor with a noisome clatter.      This he does with a solemn, dispassionate frown. The frown remains on his face as he and Jonathan storm through the double doors. He isn't the strongest of Caine's children, the fastest, or the toughest. But one thing his Clan is known for, even feared for, is their ability to read people. There's murder brimming not just in Joestar's eyes, but in his every movement. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' Seras gets about as far as the main doorway before realizing... oh right. THIS is the castle that Magnus would've taken Alucard to somewhere in. Probably. Right? Everyone else jumping after those sudden screechings gets her spinning around with a fearful scowl on her face. She clutches her weapons even more tightly... and just barrels for the throne room. Still somewhat flaily. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     The throne room is appropriately dark, but the hallway leading to it does that thing where all the torches flare to life as they head down it. And once they enter the throne room, the candles whoosh to life, illuminating the area. It looks... empty?     But there's a flicker of movement at the throne. It's a figure with a long cape that flutters as it turns, facing the assembled group. It looks like...     ...Alucard?     "...We were too late," he says flatly. "He has already begin the ritual." And those sensitive to such things can probably sense it -- the darkness has begun to increase in the area. "You should go, all of you -- I cannot guarantee your safety if you remain here." 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' "Riiiiiiiiiight," drawls Xiaomu. "Try that again without cliches so old they're still encased in the stone that fossilized 'em. Or actually -" The butt of her staff slams down on the floor next to her, hard enough to set the rings on its headpiece jingling even over the resounding *CRACK* of the former impact, and mystical energy blossoms in her upraised right hand. "- don't try at all. Sage Fox Sorcery: Demon Gate Seal!" A Taoist-based magic circle flares into existence, intended to be centered at Alucard's feet, and a bubble of magical force rises around it in the next instant - an attempt to contain 'Alucard' where he can't move ... and, hopefully, to force him out of whatever transformation he's using. If it's an illusion, Xiaomu's trying to counter that as well. "Honestly," Xiaomu continues while she's exerting her will, "you drag Alucard off right in front of some of us, and you think we *won't* smell a rat when Alucard tells us it's time to go? Particularly when he's so sure it can't be stopped or interrupted but he doesn't even mention fleeing *with* us?" Of course, if that really *is* Alucard, gosh is the fox ever gonna be embarassed. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Meanwhile, Rebecca has no idea what to do. She would level her shotgun, but she knows that this may not work on spiritual enemies. Not to mention, she doesn't know for certain what is really happening here. All she can do is step back a little and wait for the others to try to handle this directly. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace snorts at Alucard's words "We ain't too late until we're dead and buried, bud." She explauns. "Besides, was there any point today at which you /could/ guarantee our safety?" She looks at Alucard, with a smirk. "I mean, this always was a bit of a do-or-die thing right? Besides, Alucard, I'm here for more than just you, Johnathan, and the lady. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if we fail here, he turns you into Vlad the Impaler Junior, and this whole world suffers." Leyanne shakes her head. "Fuck that, mate. That's not the Martian way. It's not the Polar City way, and it's sure as fuck not the Mace family way No. I'm seein' this through to the end." And Xiaomu smells a rat. Tiny's not complaining; she listens and watches, turning to cover the group's six with her 25mm autocannon. 

:'''{{#var:994|Athela Valemore (994)}} has posed:''' Her power comes from a source that by her world is considered divine, and right now perception is not having a good time. The dark and ominous presence lords over them like an ever enclosing specter, but it still fails to deter her steps. If anything the sense of something being very wrong, as well as the task they originally came to complete, drives her forward without hesitation. Though she does take pause when they step into the throne room and it lights up, grimacing farther at the impending forebodance and movement at the throne. Alucard?!.. But the others said he was... this might be a trick. "Started doth not mean it cannot be ended still..." It would seem Xiaomu has the same feeling, and better equipped to try and do something about. Athela's hands remain tight upon her relic sword, the blade already sheening as if wet as elemental energy is focused at the ready in it. Next to her Timburr clenches his hands around one end of his weapon, the vein-like vines wrapping his arms bulging with strength. "Be ready for whatever she reveals," she murmurs to the others. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka doesn't even think to try and hear 'Alucard' out again. "You dumbass. You tried this already, do you think we'd fall for it a second time?" She swaps to her SCAR-H, and the rifle barks loudly as she opens fire upon him. If it IS Alucard, she's gonna look a little stupid, but to be honest it's been a long night. Maaka's done with this bullshit, so she's going to let the 7.62 speak for her as she fires in a rapid-double tap aimed chest-level. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan's face looks like it's been carved from granite. His overly stern features devoid of his usual gentleness as he continues to advance, at first, not even bothering to trade words. When he finally did speak, it was in a strained tone. "Where is Erina?"         A single question. John Rizzo, easily able to read the emotions of others, already had a good idea of Jojo's emotional state. The answer to his question was more than likely what would push or pull him to the line of his temper. Whether or not the ritual is underway was irrelevant. Magnus would be stopped. Whether or not this was a doppleganger, was irrelevant too. He had to know what was done with his betrothed, or he was going to go crazy. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' Seras arrives at the throne room, spotting... Alucard on it? Seated on it? warning them to leave? After all the things the dhampir said about the scenario, this leaves her blinking and pursing her lips a bit. And a more telling concern reaches her. "... How do I know you're not Magnus in disguise or someone else he tricked and mind controlled? We're not leaving. Not until we have this matter solved!" 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' "Nothing doing, pally," says Rizzo with a firm swipe of his hand. Xiaomu has the right idea.      He approaches the vampire--or, rather, the incubus, in all likelihood, still radiating a white corona of faith. With Xiaomu holding him there, it should be making whoever's being held in that bubble /awfully/ unfomfortable. But instead of pressing his would-be advantage, Rizzo takes a knee.      "I'm begging you--begging you. To stop this." His hands are brought up before him in a pleading gesture, fingers interlocked as he looks up at Alucard (or Magnus!Alucard.) "Let Erina go--"      At that point, Maaka begins opening fire. And Rizzo leaps in front of Alucard's form. Bullets zip through his body, tearing holes through the trenchcoat and leaving bright scarlet stains upon his crumpled white dress shirt. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard shakes his head at Leyanne. "This ritual -- if it happens here, there will not be TIME for you to leave," he insists. "Go, while you still can." Athela's words get another shake of his head. "The magic released will kill anyone too close to it. Leave now, or you will die."     Seras gets a look. "There is no solution, not now." And to Jonathan? "At the center of the ritual. She cannot be saved now. To do so would kill everyone else here." His voice is flat and calm though, betraying no emotion despite the dire situation. The astute will see that his eyes are dull, too. Besides, didn't he say something about having to kill him if the ritual happened?     Xiaomu DOES have the right idea, it seems. Because as she casts the binding circle at him, he draws back! It's too late, though, and the seal forces his figure to waver. He releases an angry roar, one that raises in pitch to the screechy voice of Magnus! "BLASTED FOXWOMAN!" he screeches angrily. He's held, unable to move for the time being.     Rizzo gets a snarl from the now-revealed incubus, as he seems to wriggle in those bindings, trying to twist away from Rizzo's sheer light. "I will NOT! I WILL have the Castle back!" He looks up in time to see Maaka aiming at him, and his eyes widen as he realizes there's no way for him to dodge it. However... Rizzo, of all people, blocks it for him?!     "Fool!" Magnus laughs. "Like the young master -- so foolish, with misplaced belief in these humans. But now you see! Humans are no better than they proport us to be!" Yes, he's lumping Rizzo in with himself. "But perhaps you will be useful after all..." He reaches out a hand towards the blood that Rizzo shed upon the ground.     "DARK METAMOPHOSIS!"     Magnus glows with a bright crimson light -- much like the spell Alucard used on the blood in Windknight's Lot the night Jonathan stumbled across him and the two fought -- and the blood seems drawn to the incubus's palm, where the light glows even brighter. And yes, he laughs. His eyes glow brightly, and then the throws his arms out to the sides, his wings flaring up behind him. The sealing magic breaking with this motion is almost audible.     But more than that? He splits into six identical images of himself. "I am too close to going home!" Each of the Magnus images speaks, making a cacophany of screechy incubus voices. But they all six take to the air. "I WON'T LET YOU TAKE IT FROM ME AGAIN!"     This just got a lot more complicated, didn't it? 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka is VINDICATED! Or maybe not. But that's not the issue here. She runs to go and get Rizzo to his feet, just in time for Magnus to duplicate himself. "Time and place, mate." She whispers to the detective, before she takes aim at one of the incubi's duplicates. Her rifle trails on the clone, before she opens fire with a few more shots. This time she tries to keep Rizzo out of the line of fire, hopefully he doesn't try AGAIN to get in between her and her target. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace picks one of the clones, based on a combination of factors perceptible apparently only to the mouse, and opens fire. Her antennae seem to be stretched out to their fullest extension, sticking out like the antennae on an old-style television for the best reception. She brings the massive Bushmaster cannon she calls Crocodile to bear, its steady-gun rig helping her stay on-target as she rips off a six-round string of chaingun fire. "Rizla, mate?" She calls out. "Some folks are just unredeemable. Let's just smoke this bastard and save those who we CAN save, yeah?" The recoil of the cannon pushes her back several steps. The loudness of the gun, her sheer size, lack of cover, and bright red armour conspire together to make her a very impressive, tempting target... 

:'''{{#var:994|Athela Valemore (994)}} has posed:''' Sigh, it can just never be as easy as it could of been, can it? Not that Athela could truely blame Rizzo, it was entirely possible that it had been Alucard under mind control, so.... But in the end, it does make matters a bit more contrived. So be it. "Then you shall just have to keep waiting." But then he pulls some trick similar to Double Team or Substitution to leave an entire group of himself for them to face. But when there is multiple potential targets, there is one reliable way to handle having to pick out the right one. "The tides shall wash away your foul presence!" Athela, wary of the others using ranged weapons, opts to do similar as she takes a swing with her sword. Her elemental power is channeled through it, releasing a surge pulse of water wide enough to hopefully hit several of the Magnuses at once much like a wave would. This was a lot quicker than trying to pick through which ones are real or not, deal with the whole group. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Well, it SORT of worked. Xiaomu would have drawn down and opened up on 'Alucard' if she'd been absolutely certain that it was Magnus - but there WAS that shadow of a doubt, and sometimes, that's all it takes. The binding circle SHOULD have held Magnus just fine, too ... except for two things. One of them was Maaka jumping the gun. The other was Rizzo jumping in the WAY of the gun. And then Magnus went and *used* that blood to bust loose while Xiaomu's attention was wavering. The fact that there are shortly no fewer than six of Magnus draws a spectacularly cross look from the sage fox as she cancels her binding circle - but there's one bright side to it: Plenty of Magni to shoot at, just so long as she doesn't wound any of her allies due to any of the copies being, say, less substantial than they look. She doesn't need autofire or AoE attacks, either - she draws Silver and Platinum, both of them currently loaded with an alternating mix of anti-spirit and mundane bullets, and just starts shooting at the flying Magni. Worst-case scenario, the way she figures it, is that shooting a fake unleashes some kind of counter - and, well, that's the kind of mistake that only one person needs to make to find out WHAT happens. She may as well share the risk, right? 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Going with her gut instinct, as well as remmebering that encounter she had with a giant bat at Umbrella's Training Facility, Rebecca switches to her Magnum and fires upon the flying target as well. It's strange that she'd be going with such an instinct, but that's just the way Rebecca is sometimes. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' It felt like the situation was continuing to devolve every second. First Rizzo was shot right in front of him, sent sprawling down, and then Magnus with his form revealed, multiplied himself and went on the attack. Many of his compatriots were using ranged methods of attack, but undeterred and reckless, Jonathan opted for his usual go to of using stepping into effective melee range to defeat his enemy. Jonathan closed his eyes, and like the Vikings lead by the north wind, left his offense to instinct and fate. The Sword of Luck & Pluck was drawn from its scabbard, lightning rolling off in crackling licks of the brightly glowing blade colored in bright reds, oranges, and blues. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' "I wish you hadn't done that," Rizzo says sadly, leaning on Maaka for support. Through the myriad holes in his trenchcoat, Maaka and Tiny can see the wounds closing up in his body--and pushing out the bullets with a brief tinkling of metal hitting the floor. Fixing Magnus and his doppelgangers with a frown, the vampire rises to his feet as the silent hall is suddenly host to the roar of gunfire.      The incubus had been given the opportunity to stop his own suffering, to free himself from his self-imposed blindness, to break the shackles of sin... and he'd refused. There's nothing the vampire can do to stop the other Elites from killing him, or sending him back to Hell--however things work here, he's sure they're not going to make it a pleasant experience for him.      "I tried to nurture the good in you and I failed." Standing fully and without support from Maaka, he raises his medallion aloft once more. "Please forgive me." The vampire's will extends from the medallion like a spotlight, shining on each phantasm in an effort to dispel the incubus' magic and make the fight as short and painless as possible. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' It's Magnus! Seras's suspicions are proven unfortunately true! And it gets a grimace from her. She brings up both cannons threateningly. "...Bloody pig. Just a selfish demon with no conscience. GO BACK TO HELL!" BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM!     She's not going to consider mercy or negotiation any longer. ONLY BULLETS. Very big bullets from the Harkonnen cannons she's touting as if they weighed nothing. They spit fire and noise and most especially 30mm explosive shells one after another! Casing after spent casing rattles to the ground around her. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Maaka's clone dodges a shot, but in doing so, it brings him in range of another shot. He yelps as the rifle shot takes a chunk out of the side of his torso. Leyanne's isn't sticking around, but even if the shot misses its target directly, just the force of the shot alone tosses the Clonecubus through the air to smack into another of them. The two of them go down in a cacophany of cursing, but they're probably not out. And Athela's powerful wave of water is the last thing Magnus is expecting, it seems -- any of them! They're staying far apart, mostly, but three are tossed back into walls and structures -- the one Maaka wounded and the two that went down from Leyanne's cannon fire. Now that's teamwork!     Fortunately for Xiaomu, and all her allies, these clones seem to have just as much substance as the original one had! The anti-spirit rounds especially seem to hurt quite a bit -- shortly a fourth of the six is shortly thrust down into SAGE FOX BULLET HELL and peppered with bullets that throw it back in the air. Disadvantage of fighting from the air is there's no stable platform to defend from! The fourth clone tumbles right into Rebecca's range, too, and gets peppered even MORE! The shots from both women tear through its body, and it flails in the air, seeking some escape from the double-team bullet hell!     The fifth of these clones sees Jonathan. "HA! Weep not, sirrah! You and your lover will join each other in the embrace of Death!" So said, it swoops down on Jonathan, arm outstretched. On the fingers of that hand? The same dark, chitinous claws that had struck Alucard without seeming to leave a wound.     Rizzo's radiation of goodwill seems to hurt the sixth of these clones, and it squirms, trying to draw away. But doing so puts it into Seras's range, as well as holds it in place for her... and the clone gets several holes in itself as payment! The clone screeches, the sound more angry than anything else.     In short order, the clones will get themselves reorganized, and draw away from fire as much as possible. And then they align themselves in the air in a circle. Which makes it seem like they're going to be easy targets; perhaps he's giving up and letting them take him out? But in the next instant it becomes clear that no, he is not. As one the group screeches, "HaaaAAAA!" Their hands clap together in front of them, as one.     And as their hands pull apart again, large orbs of purple light start to emanate from their palms, one from each clone's hand -- many of them, one right after the other. The orbs fly in unpredictable patterns, and strike with a great deal of force if they're not dodged. And it's advised to dodge, because whatever the orbs happen to hit, it'll burn with purple fire for a brief instant. Like a dark magical molotov cocktail. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace takes a hit from one of the magic fireballs, knocked back and down to one knee. The brief flare of purple fire leaves her exposed fur singed in places, and there's a nasty hole now in her right shoulderplate, revealing an open wound with blood that glistens with the sparkle of nanobots. To the vampires in the room, it has a strange, alien scent to it that may, or may not, be unpleasant. Leyanne grew up on a world with a much lower oxygen content to the air and a much higher iron content to the soil, along with a few exotic chemicals that would probably be toxic to earthborne. She stands back up again, swinging her cannon to bear. Her chosen target is tracked, the mouse's antennae still identifying for her exactly which one it was she laid into. He gets another string of fire from Leyanne's autocannon, the mouse growling a little as the recoil causes her new burn to hurt yet more. "Ow bastard bastard ow..." 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Unfortunately, one of the balls homes directly in on Rebecca herself, and poor Rebecca gets hit. She is knocked to the ground, tumbling a few times before recovering in a fetal position for a moment, before forcing herself up. "That was clumsy of me!" Rebecca says as she rubs her torso, feeling the pain. "But I'm not done yet!" Dashing towards where her Magnum fell out of her hands, Rebecca dives for it, doing a forwards roll before landing in a semi-kneeling position and firing on her target once again. "It takes more than that to put me down!" 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' The cone of white light locking down one of Magnus' clones quickly retreats, reforming itself into a shield. It seems Rizzo didn't get the memo about these. At first, the shield holds fast--but the purple flames licking at the surface with each hit? Well, the Beast inside of him isn't too fond of that. And True Faith takes constant willpower to maintain.      The battle of wills between his better nature and his darker side weakens the shield enough for a volley of three projectiles to hit him, briefly searing his flesh and singing his coat. And this little bit of fire, plus the egregious expenditure of blood already committed to this engagement, is ultimately what ends up unleashing the beast.      John's normally sedate gaze becomes a wild, panicked thing, his pupils dilated. His instincts tell him Kill--Kill the Fire-Thrower. Claws extend from his fingernails and tear up the carpet as the frenzied vampire runs on all fours towards the clones.      With a howl of rage and fear more animal than man, Rizzo leaps into the air, attempting to tackle one of the clones to the ground and tear out his neck with his teeth. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka throws a thumbs up to Athela when she slams three of the clones at the wall, before she takes aim at them. She opens fire, not picky which of the clones she wounds, before she catches a fireball to the chest. She screams, knocked over as she tries to frantically smother the flames, before she tosses the ruined rifle aside and draws her sidearm. The .45 fires repeatedly at the clones, as she takes a knee, clearly undeterred by her injuries. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' There's an old saying about 'those who would shoot must be prepared to be shot,' but Xiaomu wasn't quite expecting THAT much retaliatory bullet-hell from the incubus. She re-holsters her guns and focuses on being as evasive as possible ... ... which would normally work better than it actually does in this case, but Magnus is spreading his balls all around and not letting himself fall into any kind of predictable pattern. Jerk. Whatever rejoinders Xiaomu might be launching verbally at Magnus, she's too busy trying to minimize damage to herself to actually say much of anything, or even to yell. That doesn't mean she's purely on the defensive, though. In between dodges, near-misses, and actually getting burnt by a few of those orbs, she manages to launch a measure of retaliation - namely, one of her Shinra Special grenades, the mundane explosion enhanced with magical fire. If she can pop that down the center of the Magni formation RIGHT at he instant it detonates, the fireball should at least peg all of them. If her aim is off (which is very probable), some of the clones will go unscorched while others get a bigger dose of fiery explosion. And the timing - She's been using these grenades for a while, she knows how long the fuse is, and she's timing her throw to make as certain as possible that it goes off when, and thereby roughly where, she wants them to. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' Purple flames up above! And Seras has used up quite a bunch of ammo so far. But she's one angry little Draculina right now. And anger plus her vampiric nature leads to her eyes shifting from baby blue... to glowing like the pits of hell.     She zigs and zags, streaking around with short steps back and forth as if the path of the flame spray is all too obvious to those glowing eyes. Only a few handfuls of it scorch her arms and legs, just enough to get a few angry growls from her.     To finally evade the mess she VAULTS up into the air and, while airborne, keeps unloading those cannons up towards the clones--     UP until she sees John Rizzo going completely ballistic at them anywys. THAT shocks her out of what might well be a combat zen. Her eyes return to normal once again. "... Mr. Rizzo! That's too clo--"     Of course, then she sees him going for the throat. ... and presses her lips together thinly, quivering a little herself. 

:'''{{#var:994|Athela Valemore (994)}} has posed:''' So only one may be the real Magnus but they are all tangible targets. That is good to know. Unfortunately that also apparently makes them all perfectly capable of attacking as well, turning one spell into a shower of several projectiles. Too many for Athela to effectively dodge even with her heightened battle senses. But her pokemon snaps into action, leaping in front of her and using his massive wooden beam as a shield against the barrage. Several of the magic spheres slam into it, bursts of purple not-quite-fire leaving scorch marks on the surface in their wake as he's bowled backwards from the force of the hits. Magic fire's a bitch, but it's not enough to put the Timburr down when there's a fight to be had. What remains of the log is thumped to the ground and used to pick himself back up, then tossed aside as it's burned too short to be useful as a weapon. "Burrr," her practically growls, clenching his fists once more. "Alright then." Athela steps back for a moment, letting the pokemon take the fight. "Vine Whip!" A jerk of the arm unfurls the vines from around the limb, and then with a powerful swing due to his stout strength Mizzen flings the length at one of the Magnusclones, intending to yank him away from the formation and slam him into whatever surface is convenient. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Two eyes snap open, burning with an inner flame as Jonathan whirls around at the last second. The crackling blade is swung with air-splitting speed with his movement to cut through the clone's arms and upper chest in equal measure, intent on severing its whole body into two pieces. "What are you saying?! I WON'T ALLOW IT!" The battle rages. John Rizzo seems to go from man to monster in the blink of an eye, and moments after his assault, he finds the blade bristling with power pointed in his direction. "Regain your senses, I don't want to hurt you!" Like this, he was as much a threat to them as Magnus was. Perhaps more so, in some regards. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Xiaomu's grenade ends the barrage of burning balls, throwing the clones in different directions and breaking their magical synergy. And hurting a lot, too. Seems like they don't share the resistance to fire that the giant outside had. One is set ablaze, and screeches as it falls from the air, flailing, trying to put itself out.     This time Leyanne's shot strikes true, making a large hole in the torso of the clone. It screeches in pain and falls from the air, with a new hole in its torso. It's probably not going to be much of a threat, but it IS still alive.     Rebecca further perforates a second of the clones with more gunfire, this time shredding the wings. And a second drops -- now flightless but still in the fight. It demonstrates this by leaping at Rebecca, claws bared, snarling, "INSOLENT HUMAN '''TRASH'''!"     A third of the clones seems taken aback by Rizzo's animalistic attack. So much so that it's easily tackled to the ground, with a grunt. But instead of seeming angry? The tackled clone grins broadly! And even as it wrestles with Rizzo, it laughs. "Yes. YES! Give in to your nature!" He seems content to be Rizzo's victim, even though it appears to be losing the battle. It barely gets its arm in the way of Rizzo's teeth, and in short order finds its arm shredded. And it's in no place to be able to extricate itself.     Maaka's gunfire seems to be helping too, particularly if she takes potshots at anything she can see. Particularly if it happens to be the clone that's leaping at Rebecca. A well-placed shot will put it off its aim long enough for Rebecca to move. And possibly for her to plug the clone in the head, if she's fast enough!     Seras's canons force one of the clones into too tight of confines. It flies into the shot and screeches as a wing is hit -- the force and explosion tears it basically off, and the clone falls. It's this clone that the vine from Athela's Timburr catches around the ankle as the clone falls, flinging it into a wall. It doesn't get back up immediately.     Magnus swoops from above, claws outstretched, at the English gentleman. But Jonathan's blade slashes through the air, and the strike hits home. The blade snips cleanly through both the arm and the slender torso of the incubus. The claws seem to crumble to nothing, for some reason, and the demon screeches loudly as he falls. More than that. The attack dealt to the demon by Jonathan seems to break the spell. The demons disappear as if they had never been there, dissipating into so much smoke and disappearing.     Magnus isn't quite dead, but that's not far off. "Ha... haha... I knew it..." he rasps. "There is... no place for us... in the humans' world... They will not... allow it..." His eyes close. "...At least now... I'll never have to... see another human again... Whatever Hell awaits me... it will be preferrable... to that..."     And then he just... collapses into dust.     There's silence after that, and the dark feeling that surged at the beginning seems to have abated. It seems Magnus is gone, hopefully for good.     Suddenly the silence is broken by a howl from a chamber on the other side of the throne room! Notably, Erina doesn't seem to be in THIS room. Hopefully that's not from the room she's in... 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace looks at Magnus with pity. "Rizla and I are proof that they'll let anyone live in their world if they're not a complete cuntbag, Magnus, even if they're crazier than a bag full of ferrets." She explains, shaking her head. "The only reason there was not space here in this world for you is the fact that you were an evil fucknugget. Your exile is your own stupid ignorant subborn-ass undead fault." She looks around. "Speaking of Rizla... Joe mate, ease off him I got this. Haven't you got a missus to save?" And she walks up to John and, if he's still frenzied, simply picks him up and holds him at arms length with her left hand. "John. Oi. Rizla! Rizla, look at me. Look at me. Don't make me slap some sense into you." 

:'''{{#var:994|Athela Valemore (994)}} has posed:''' "Cast not judgement on all because a few stood against you for your actions, fiend," Athela retorts to the icumbus' last words. But a wail is a good reminder that they don't have time to waste celebrating over Magnus' defeat. "This be not over yet." The fate of their foe is promptly put aside as she turns heel to run in the direction of the horrible noises. "Hurry, before it truly is too late!" 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' In his frenzy, Rizzo easily sloughs flesh off of the clone's arm. Blood stains his mouth, and as Xiaomu's grenade detonates, the noise elicits from him a bellow of fury. It's as if someone tapped on the cage of an already agitated animal. The vampire plunges his fangs into the clone's neck and attempts to sate his thirst... only for Jonathan's strike to kill the real Magnus.      Rizzo rises, claws still extended and searching for food. Joestar is nearest, and at first, it seems as if he's going to advance. He's then promptly picked up by Tiny, and he even attempts to claw her face. When the clones turn to dust, however, spasms in her grip. Only the mouse's hands keep him from slamming his face into the ground, and with an unflattering sound, the vampire heaves up a cloud of dark red ashes.      This has, evidently taken the fight out of him, so much so that when the last of it leaves him, Leyanne sees not animal fright in his eyes... but shame. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace looks at Rizla... and it's not pity, or anger that crosses her face, but understanding. She sets him down with a gentle pat to the side of the head. "The real measure of a man is how he defeats his demons, and his actions after those demons took control." She says, warmly. "You've aquitted yourself pretty well on both counts. I've... I'm harder to calm down than that when I flip m'shit." 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' Down goes Magnus. Sadness flickers in Seras' eyes. But only for a few moments. She's surprised to find herself feeling any sort of sympathy for a statement like 'not being accepted'... from such a monster.     Her shoulders heave... and she drops the cannons with a heavy *WHUNK*, her ammo almost entirely spent.     "Just need to rescue the hostage... whew..."     Of course she turns her gaze towards Leyanne Mace and... and John Rizzo.     She sends him a look that is, strangely enough, highly sympathetic... if childishly so. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' "There could have been a place for you," Xiaomu says, her voice quiet but harsh. By the time she speaks, Magnus's body has already disintegrated - she speaks not so much to *him* but to the nothingness left behind. "If you had chosen to live among humans, to do little harm instead of treating them as prey or property, to accept the laws which govern them and exist in harmony within those strictures ..." She trails off, falling silent and turning away, her ears drooping - only to perk right back up at the sound of that howl. "Right," she mutters. "Not done yet." She starts making her way towards that next chamber, reloading as she goes. "Rizzo, don't go dying on us just yet. If you need blood, I can get a unit or two, just hang in a little longer." She pauses briefly, looking around at the others. "Anyone *not* ready to push onwards?" 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan couldn't bring himself to feel sorry for the creature. As cruel as its fate was, in the end, it had been little more than an incarnation of evil. Its idea of a home was a place where even good, honest folk would be slaughtered like cattle. Jonathan looked between the now subdued Rizzo, and the origination of the menacing noises that were now sweeping into the room. He shakes his head at Xiaomu. "I'm going." Truthfully, he did feel a little bit tired. But this was nothing compared to the night he fought Dio's minions here, so surely, this he could handle. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' The enemy pounces on Rebecca, driving its claws into her in spite of having parts of its wings blown away. She cries out in pain and attempts to force the creature off of her, but it's no use. In desperation, Rebecca takes out a small chemical vial and tosses it at the creature, hoping to knock it off of her. There's still the issue that Rebecca will be within the range of the explosion, leaving her with a few minor chemical burns, but once she gets away completely, she finds that they're mostly minor. Even the bleeding from her injuries can be treated with a spritz of green herb spray. After that, she double checks her weapons and then looks to Xiaomu. "I'm fine here. If anyone needs patching up, I can help with that if necessary. Other than that, I'm ready to go when everyone else is!" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Inside the room -- it once was a large master bedroom suite, from the look of it -- Erina is indeed inside. But instead of some horrible thing looming over Erina as it prepares to kill her? There's a much different scene.     There is indeed a horrible thing in there. More specifically, it's a werewolf. But rather than looming over Erina? Alucard is there, between the werewolf and the blonde woman, seeming outlined by a vile red light -- Jonathan might remember it again, not only from back then, but that time he fought Alucard in Windknight's Lot. More than that, the blade of a very familiar sword pokes out of the thing's back, right about where its heart would be. But there is no blood flowing from the wound. The few droplets on the blade seem to be being drawn up the blade itself... towards Alucard.     Alucard pulls the blade back, and the beast collapses, bursting into flame. And then, he gives a choked sound and stumbles to a knee, only saved from falling on his face by virtue of supporting himself with the sword braced against the ground. He pants for breath, perhaps not recovered from the attack yet.     Hearing the group approach, he tilts his head up, tensing as if expecting more enemies. But when he sees who it is, he relaxes again. "...If you are here... then Magnus is no more. Good. I apologize for being unable to assist you..."     For herself, Erina seems unhurt. She looks much like the apparition did -- rope burns on her wrist and a mark where something hit her in the face. She sees Jonathan and her eyes light up. Her voice rings with relief as she calls out, "Jojo! Oh, thank God you're all right!" She makes to move forward, but pauses when she nears Alucard. She seems like she isn't quite sure about him.     "...Go on," Alucard replies. "Yes, I am a monster. You saw as much. But I mean you no harm, now or any other time." Erina pauses again, looking to Jonathan, and then to the others for a moment, before she darts past Alucard to Jonathan. HUGGING WILL HAPPEN! She'll doubtless be concerned about Alucard in a minute -- he did help her, after all -- but give her a bit. She's super-relieved that all this seems to be over!     In that vein in fact... "Is it... over? Is that horrible creature gone?" Erina asks. 

:'''{{#var:994|Athela Valemore (994)}} has posed:''' To the rescue!... Not that it's needed, as the rescue is already there in the form of Alucard. Athela lets out a sigh of relief when the slain wolf-beast collapses. She sheaths her own weapon as it is no longer needed, and steps over to help Alucard up as Erina runs to embrace Jojo. "You may be a monsters... but that does not inherently make you a bad person." Especially not in comparison to ones like what they fought in the previous room. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace hefts up her gun, engaging the storage mode of the smartgun rig and letting go of the gun. The Bushmaster stows itself against her backpack. She looks over at Alucard. "A monster? Nah." She shakes her head. "You ain't a monster. A monster is defined by the choices he makes when he has all his faculties. You and Rizla? You're not monsters, despite what the ignorant might call you." A pause. "Unless, 'course, that's an actual species definition like those pokemon types." She pulls a wooden humidor from her backpack and offers it around; Victory Dance-brand cigars. She takes one for herself, lighting it with a zippo - which she shields from Rizzo's view, out of courtesy. "The pretty girl is safe, none of the good guys died, so the fat lady's singing." 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' "Yes," Rizzo says firmly. "Yes we are. At least, /I/ am. It's a miracle things turned out as good as they did. Me and my worse half almost made this a trip for biscuits." He should've just... ducked out as soon as the fighting began. This was a warning, a shot across the bow by the Almighty to let him know he's playing too fast and too loose with his own rules.      "I appreciate the thought, Tiny... and your offer, Xiaomu. But I gotta blast." After all, the whole thing is his fault. Had he spotted Magnus' deception when he first tried to play everyone against Alucard, they wouldn't be in this predicament. Erina's life wouldn't have been in danger, nor Lyudmil's, nor Jonathan's or Alucard's had he just... put any thought into anything he did, ever. SO stupid.      "Catch you cats later." Shoving both hands into his pockets, Rizzo edges his way past everyone--politely. His eyes never leave the ground. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace looks over at Rizla, with a sigh. "Yeah, well, maybe it's time you shared that burden, eh? I've read the Earth stories of the religion you follow. That Jesus dude never did much without his twelve mates, and the times he DID do things without them, things went to shit. Maybe you ought to invest in some of your own, eh?" Leyanne completely misunderstands the Bible... but maybe she understands the message... 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan's sword clatters to the ground, the Hamon quickly fading from its form as Erina's safe form enters his vision. His large, muscular arms lift her off the ground in their embrace. It felt like a downpour of soothing rain fell to cool the overworked furnace that had been his heart for the past twelve hours. The injuries that blemished her quashed any post-mortem regrets he may have been developing for Magnus, at the very least. "It's over now -- you're safe. After we take you back to town, we'll need to sweep the castle grounds for any leftovers that cretin brought with him, but otherwise..." They should be fine. Jonathan turns down the cigar. "Thank you, but my Hamon requires my lungs to be in tip-top shape. Smoking would be a quick way to get myself killed." "Though, Constable .... some wisdom passed down by my master, before you go." " 'A good human is a brave human, courage is a marvel of humanity.' ... being courageous is more than just fighting. It's about being able to do the right thing, regardless of your fears. Tonight, I think you were very brave." 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Xiaomu nods to Erina first, "Yeah, Magnus is dead. Can't say as I'm going to cry for him - he picked a fight he shouldn't have tried for, then he made it bigger whether he meant to or not. He was an idiot and he got stomped on for it." Her gaze shifts to Alucard .. and she just smirks. "Bein' a monster doesn't mean you lose your right to exist, Luke. Fine, you're not a regular human; your old man did terrible things, and one of his surviving retainers tried to get you to follow in his footsteps. You *didn't* take the bait - you clung to what was precious, protecting the person whom somebody else cares so deeply about, and in so doing, protected *your* desire to help others. To be good. To do what was right, not just what you wanted." She rolls her shoulders briefly. "That's why you're qualified to join the Paladins, right? You aren't human, you have abilities beyond what anyone I know would call 'normal'. I may walk around in the shape of a cute young woman, but I'm less 'human' than you are when you get right down to it. And you use what you have to help the people who need it, to help keep society stable and to fight down those who would break laws for their gain and others' pain." 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Rebecca nods as well. "Magnus has been taken care of." She sighs a little, as she remembers all that they went through during that battle. It's kind of a mixed bag of emotions for the medic. Nevertheless she smiles a little as she speaks. "The more we have in the Paladins, the better we'd be." 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard stands, with Athela's assistance, and nods in her direction. "Thank you," he offers. he doesn't speak to her words of 'monster' and 'bad person' not being the same thing. But there is the ghost of a smile on his face there. Leyanne gets much the same, but he does note, "It is difficult to think of what else to call my kind. But thank you, nonetheless."     Rizzo's words get a wince, though Alucard suppresses it. ''('We are too much alike,')'' suddenly flashes across Alucard's mind. "Mister Rizzo," Alucard calls to the vampire detective as he's leaving. His voice is quiet. "Thank you. For sparing Lyudmil, and keeping him safe from Magnus."     He agrees with Jonathan's words, but he can't rightly say anything to dispute Rizzo's either. He's felt like that himself enough times. He does offer, "True courage is indeed acting despite fear. And I thank you for your help." Xiaomu's words take him aback, though. But he listens. "...I... suppose you have a point," he acknowledges. Rebecca gets a nod. "That was why I joined, after all -- to keep those safe who could not protect themselves."     He sighs, and then looks around at the assembled Elites. "This would have ended badly had all of you not stepped in to assist. More than that. If Magnus has been destroyed, Maria should soon recover. He did indeed place a curse upon her. So you have saved her as well. So, for that as well, I thank you all."     Here he pauses, a thoughtful look on his face. And then he turns to address Jonathan and Erina, and bows deeply. He is indeed supporting himself on his sword. He doesn't straighten up as he speaks. "I... beg your forgiveness. It was those from my world that caused this trouble for you. I cannot make amends for this... I can only hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me." 

:'''{{#var:994|Athela Valemore (994)}} has posed:''' Athela Valemore and her pokemon both bow briefly to Alucard. "It was our duty and honor to assist you." As one would probably expect a knight to respond. ""Lives were at risk and such a fiend could not be left to roam freely." She stands upright, politely shaking her head to Leyanne. "I appreciate the sentiment but must decline. The smoke muddles my head more than I feel comfortable with." 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Rebecca salutes formally and says, "I'm glad we were here to help." She smiles a little more than she did before, having regained her confidence for the time being. "This was too unreal, but honestly, I'm glad I experienced it!" 
}}

Soliloquy of Reproach

2017-11-11T06:25:24Z

DariRyu: /* Full List of Participants */

{{TPPage
|Summary=While the vampire Dio Brando disappeared into the greater Multiverse before Jonathan Joestar could defeat him as their world unified, Windknight's Lot is not without its troubles. Another vampire has descended upon this small seaside town, and three women have been attacked. But thankfully they've been found before they could lose their lives. Can this vampire be stopped before he finally claims a life?
|Scale=Minor
|Plot_id=-1
|Runner=Alucard Tepes
|Contacts=Jonathan Joestar, Alucard Tepes
|Theme=Castlevania: SotN-2, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure-2
|Audience=Anyone
|Genre=Gothic, Victorian, Intrigue
|Events=* '''[http://multiversemush.com/mw/index.php?title=5501/Soliloquy_of_Reproach:_Prologue Soliloquy of Reproach: Prologue]:''' Three pretty blonde girls of marrying age have been attacked for their blood in Windknight's Lot. Drained near to the point of death, they've only survived but for their speedy discovery. Jonathan Joestar asks for assistance in investigating the matter, and a team of Elites come to gather clues.
* '''[http://multiversemush.com/mw/index.php?title=5511/Soliloquy_of_Reproach:_Duplicity Soliloquy of Reproach: Duplicity]:''' After many days of ill omens -- unnatural fog, clusters of bats, and even reports of a wolf in the countryside -- Jonathan finds a man that exactly matches the image in the three girls' mind. The man does nothing to dissuade this notion. Jonathan defeats him, but he escapes. However a woman named Maria appears, claiming to know the vampire. She offers to return, and tell all that she knows about the vampire that plagues Windknight's Lot, if Jonathan will but gather his allies.
* '''[http://multiversemush.com/mw/index.php?title=5517/Soliloquy_of_Reproach:_Forewarning Soliloquy of Reproach: Forewarning]:''' Maria Renard draws together the Elite defenders Windknight's Lot and gives them the information about Alucard she has. She points the group to Alucard's resting place, and begs them to end his reign of terror. Not all of the gathered Elites are convinced that killing him is the best idea, but all seem to agree that to get to the bottom of this, Alucard must be confronted.
* '''[http://multiversemush.com/mw/index.php?title=5523/Soliloquy_of_Reproach:_Beset Soliloquy of Reproach: Beset]:''' A group of people go to Alucard's tomb to confront him for his role in the attacks at Windknight's Lot. A fight ensues and Alucard summons several beautiful thralls to battle the group. However, "Alucard" is revealed to be someone else -- a vampire named Lyudmil, a servant of Alucard's from long ago, mind-controlled by an incubus named Magnus. While the group is in Wallachia, Erina Pendleton is kidnapped by Magnus. He demands that Alucard raise Castlevania... or he will kill Erina.
* '''[http://multiversemush.com/mw/index.php?title=5537/Soliloquy_of_Reproach:_Release,_Part_I Soliloquy of Reproach: Release, Part I]:''' The group gathers to rescue Erina Pendleton from Magnus, and to end the incubus's danger. The group splits up -- some of them making a ruckus at the front, while others take a back route. The team at the front tangles with a dangerous Weapon Master, toughest of the Giant Brothers. The team sneaking in the back way confronts Magnus... and his treachery! Disguising himself as Erina, Magnus attempts to rend Jonathan Joestar's soul. He is stopped by Alucard... who takes the attack in Jonathan's place. Now Magnus has Erina AND Alucard, and he invites the group to try to stop him now that all the pieces of his plan are in place.
* '''[http://multiversemush.com/mw/index.php?title=5562/Soliloquy_of_Reproach:_Release,_Part_II Soliloquy of Reproach: Release, Part II]:''' The two groups met up again in the throne room of the castle, to face Magnus for the first (and last) time. Attempting to masquerade as Alucard, who he had previously kidnapped, proved fruitless for the incubus, as the Elites saw through his scheme this time. A battle commenced, and through the efforts of the Elites, Magnus was sent back to Hell, and both Erina and Alucard were rescued safely. All's well that ends well, at the final "'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMWtp_ke9Ws Roundabout]'''"!
|Info=N/A
|State=Finished
}}
==Full List of Participants==
* '''[[Alucard Tepes]]'''
* '''[[Jonathan Joestar]]'''
* '''[[Alexis Maaka]]'''
* '''[[John Rizzo]]'''
* '''[[Eithne Sullivan]]'''
* '''[[Xiaomu]]'''
* '''[[Ainsley]]'''
* '''[[Rebecca Chambers]]'''
* '''[[Seras Victoria]]'''
* '''[[Leyanne Mace]]'''
* '''[[Reimu Hakurei]]'''
* '''[[Athela Valemore]]'''

Soliloquy of Reproach

2017-11-11T06:24:20Z

DariRyu: Tying up the loose ends, as the plot has finished.

{{TPPage
|Summary=While the vampire Dio Brando disappeared into the greater Multiverse before Jonathan Joestar could defeat him as their world unified, Windknight's Lot is not without its troubles. Another vampire has descended upon this small seaside town, and three women have been attacked. But thankfully they've been found before they could lose their lives. Can this vampire be stopped before he finally claims a life?
|Scale=Minor
|Plot_id=-1
|Runner=Alucard Tepes
|Contacts=Jonathan Joestar, Alucard Tepes
|Theme=Castlevania: SotN-2, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure-2
|Audience=Anyone
|Genre=Gothic, Victorian, Intrigue
|Events=* '''[http://multiversemush.com/mw/index.php?title=5501/Soliloquy_of_Reproach:_Prologue Soliloquy of Reproach: Prologue]:''' Three pretty blonde girls of marrying age have been attacked for their blood in Windknight's Lot. Drained near to the point of death, they've only survived but for their speedy discovery. Jonathan Joestar asks for assistance in investigating the matter, and a team of Elites come to gather clues.
* '''[http://multiversemush.com/mw/index.php?title=5511/Soliloquy_of_Reproach:_Duplicity Soliloquy of Reproach: Duplicity]:''' After many days of ill omens -- unnatural fog, clusters of bats, and even reports of a wolf in the countryside -- Jonathan finds a man that exactly matches the image in the three girls' mind. The man does nothing to dissuade this notion. Jonathan defeats him, but he escapes. However a woman named Maria appears, claiming to know the vampire. She offers to return, and tell all that she knows about the vampire that plagues Windknight's Lot, if Jonathan will but gather his allies.
* '''[http://multiversemush.com/mw/index.php?title=5517/Soliloquy_of_Reproach:_Forewarning Soliloquy of Reproach: Forewarning]:''' Maria Renard draws together the Elite defenders Windknight's Lot and gives them the information about Alucard she has. She points the group to Alucard's resting place, and begs them to end his reign of terror. Not all of the gathered Elites are convinced that killing him is the best idea, but all seem to agree that to get to the bottom of this, Alucard must be confronted.
* '''[http://multiversemush.com/mw/index.php?title=5523/Soliloquy_of_Reproach:_Beset Soliloquy of Reproach: Beset]:''' A group of people go to Alucard's tomb to confront him for his role in the attacks at Windknight's Lot. A fight ensues and Alucard summons several beautiful thralls to battle the group. However, "Alucard" is revealed to be someone else -- a vampire named Lyudmil, a servant of Alucard's from long ago, mind-controlled by an incubus named Magnus. While the group is in Wallachia, Erina Pendleton is kidnapped by Magnus. He demands that Alucard raise Castlevania... or he will kill Erina.
* '''[http://multiversemush.com/mw/index.php?title=5537/Soliloquy_of_Reproach:_Release,_Part_I Soliloquy of Reproach: Release, Part I]:''' The group gathers to rescue Erina Pendleton from Magnus, and to end the incubus's danger. The group splits up -- some of them making a ruckus at the front, while others take a back route. The team at the front tangles with a dangerous Weapon Master, toughest of the Giant Brothers. The team sneaking in the back way confronts Magnus... and his treachery! Disguising himself as Erina, Magnus attempts to rend Jonathan Joestar's soul. He is stopped by Alucard... who takes the attack in Jonathan's place. Now Magnus has Erina AND Alucard, and he invites the group to try to stop him now that all the pieces of his plan are in place.
* '''[http://multiversemush.com/mw/index.php?title=5562/Soliloquy_of_Reproach:_Release,_Part_II Soliloquy of Reproach: Release, Part II]:''' The two groups met up again in the throne room of the castle, to face Magnus for the first (and last) time. Attempting to masquerade as Alucard, who he had previously kidnapped, proved fruitless for the incubus, as the Elites saw through his scheme this time. A battle commenced, and through the efforts of the Elites, Magnus was sent back to Hell, and both Erina and Alucard were rescued safely. All's well that ends well, at the final "'''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMWtp_ke9Ws Roundabout]'''"!
|Info=N/A
|State=Finished
}}
==Full List of Participants==
* [[Alucard Tepes]]
* [[Jonathan Joestar]]
* [[Alexis Maaka]]
* [[John Rizzo]]
* [[Eithne Sullivan]]
* [[Xiaomu]]
* [[Ainsley]]
* [[Rebecca Chambers]]
* [[Seras Victoria]]
* [[Leyanne Mace]]
* [[Reimu Hakurei]]
* [[Athela Valemore]]

5562/Soliloquy of Reproach: Release, Part II

2017-11-11T06:12:49Z

DariRyu: Finale of Soliloquy of Reproach.

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/11/10
|Location=Windknight's Lot <WKL>
|Synopsis=The two groups met up again in the throne room of the castle, to face Magnus for the first (and last) time. Attempting to masquerade as Alucard, who he had previously kidnapped, proved fruitless for the incubus, as the Elites saw through his scheme this time. A battle commenced, and through the efforts of the Elites, Magnus was sent back to Hell, and both Erina and Alucard were rescued safely. All's well that ends well, at the final '''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMWtp_ke9Ws "Roundabout"]'''!
|Thanks=Jonathan Joestar, and everyone involved in the plot that brought it so smoothly to its conclusion.
|Cast of Characters=1128, 1100, 290, 571, 707, 994, 1011, 1107, 1084
|Tinyplot=Soliloquy of Reproach
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:''' LAST TIME:     The group that has been investigating the vampire in Windknight's Lot came to the ruined castle that seems to loom over it like a predator crouched over its territory, to rescue Erina Pendleton, kidnapped by an incubus named Magnus. The decision was made to split into two groups. FRONT TEAM:     Reimu's orb strikes with its holy power and throws the giant into a wall -- probably cracking the stone. It catches the Weapon Master between the wall and itself, damaging it further as it refuses to relent. It holds the Giant in place for the rest of the group, too. Xiaomu's ice shots freeze its armor over well, and the anti-spirit rounds pierce its armor easily; and Seras just UNLOADING on the bastich... just DEVASTATES the area it's standing in. Probably including the wall it's been held to by Reimu's orb.     When the smoke clears, the giant's armor is still there, though scattered around as if it had fallen off and then been scattered by the Elites' deadly volley. The Giant itself? Nowhere to be found. Its weapons remain, however, broken and twisted -- leaving little doubt that it's not coming back. STEALTH TEAM:     Erina seems to be coming towards the group! Rizzo can see it in her aura -- worry. Fear. Anxiety. And a little bit of anger, too, but far eclipsed by the other emotions. Rizzo's hopes for a peaceful ending to all this may be coming true...     But there's something off about her, though, on a deeper level than just her physical appearance. Which is bad enough, she looks like she's been smacked around a little. But she appears dark, somehow, on that deeper level that Rizzo's looking at.     "Jonathan!" Erina declares. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you! Come, let's leave this horrible place!" She runs towards Jonathan, arms outstretched, as if to embrace him. But one hand is held in a 'clawed' pose...     Alucard suddenly exclaims, "Joestar! Move, quickly!" As he calls out a warning, 'Erina' swings that hand down, fingers still clawed. But instead of Jonathan as its target... Alucard leaps between Jonathan and 'Erina' as the hand swings down.     The claws seem to wound him on a spiritual level rather than actually touching him, which those sensitive to such things might see. He emits a cry of pain, reacting as though he's been physically struck, and then crumples to the ground.     'Erina' grabs him by the back of his cloak and begins to literally float backwards. Her form blurs and... guess who? Yup, it's Magnus. Who smirks.     "Well, that wasn't QUITE how I saw that happening. But I'll not look a gift horse in the mouth," he declares. "Come, then. Follow me to your death, if you wish to save your beloved. You will all make ideal sacrifices for the rise of the new Dark Lord."     And then his form blurs again, and he disappears.     With Alucard. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace keeps her Bushmaster lowered as the smoke clears, looking out over the strewn armour. "Scratch one." She mutters, smoke curling up from the barrel of the massive cannon. She begins to track around the room, looking for additional threats that may flicker out of the darkness. "Not seeing anything else." Tiny comments, after scanning the four corners of the room. "Should we check in with the other team?" 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Even if she wasn't actively visible for the time being, Rebecca was assisting in the fight with the giant as best as she could. The medic came prepared, bringing her MP5K as well as her Magnum and even a shotgun as well. How does she carry all those items? (Well, she has six item slots, so each weapon takes up one slot. As for ammo, don't ask.) Regardless, Rebecca gave it her all in the fight against the giant, and upon seeing that the giant is now pretty much in pieces, she takes a moment to reload her shotgun. "That was a tough one. Used up quite a few shotgun rounds on him." She looks to the others to make sure everyone else is all right and that nobody is in need of first aid. When she sees nobody needs any first aid, Rebecca smiles a little. "Well done, everyone." She nods to Leyanne. "I agree, we should try to meet up with the other team now. I wonder if they've found anything?" 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka advances just in time to see Erina! "You're alive! And you escap-" Wait. She pauses, and sudddenly, 'Erina' pounces toward Jonathan just in time for Alucard to interrupt her. And then they disappear. "...what just happened?" 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Xiaomu reloads, keeping her ears perked and her eyes open. Also sniffing cautiously at the air - not just with her mundane sense of smell, but stretching out her supernatural awareness as well. Not that she expects to get particularly detailed ideas of what's going on or where any additional foes may be lurking in wait. "Doesn't matter quite so much how much ammo you've already used as how much you have left," she observes to her allies. "And more importantly than that, anyone hurt?" 

:'''{{#var:994|Athela Valemore (994)}} has posed:''' Athela got involved in this matter a bit behind the others, and as such as been taking up the role of rear guard to make sure the main team doesn't get ambushed by more problems while they deal with the one in front of them. She's been around enough old castles to know one should never presume they aren't being watched or followed. It's a good explaination for why she hasn't been on-screen until now, right? As such she's remained at the back of the area, assisted by her Timburr in the overwatch until the giant finally falls. "The size of the foe matters not when Justice and Honor are brought to bear 'gainst them." 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' Alucard reacts faster than Rizzo can--but that does no one any good. It was a trap, something he should've come to expect by now. Even so, however successful the incubus thinks his ploy was, it's going to be taken as another nail in his coffin by the other elites. "Magnus, pal... you're gettin' to be a real wet sock around here."      Raising his watch to his lips, he considers relaying the situation to the others... no. No, then it's just going to be even more of a witch hunt. If somone else wants to spill the beans, they can, but him? He's gonna nip this in the bud, like he should've done at the start of all this bad business.      "The greaseball got the bulge on us, that's what happened." He isn't upset--but there is a certain disappointment within him as he follows after Magnus. The vampire raises his St. Jude medallion and his will radiates from it brightly. No more stealth, now--just pure willpower, attempting to forcibly repel anything that stops him from pursuing the incubus. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' "Erina..!" Jonathan could hardly believe his eyes. The knee-jerk response was so powerful that, without even thinking about it, Jonathan's guard was left wide open. His arms outstretched, as the two moved towards each other -- but in the blink of an eye ... everything changed. Alucard was swiped brutally, yet left no blood behind as he was dragged off. His foe's taunts did nothing to alleviate the acute familiarity with the kind of loss he was experiencing. Once again, in this damned ruin, an ally had all but sacrificed themselves for him. The sound of strained leather filled the hall as Jonathan clenced his fists as tightly as his own hands would allow. Magnus knew they were here now -- in other words, advancing with caution was now pointless. John Rizzo had a similar idea, advancing forward with his bastion of light. Jonathan breathed in, so deeply that his chest seemed to expand like a small balloon. It charged his whole body with energy, vitalizing him into a high speed dash down the narrow corridors he now knew intimately.         "I won't let you have your way!" 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' Seras can't help but walk over to examine the remnants... and is baffled by the complete lack of anything filling the armor. Very weirded out. But magic is weird like that. After giving Reimu a helplessly quizzical look, she turns her attention to her radio... and her face goes starkly white at the news. With a sudden flaily panic she bolts back towards the door to regroup!     "Bad... badbadbad. He's going to do something awful with him!" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:''' FRONT TEAM:     Everything seems quiet, and the group can go further into the castle now. Nothing stands between them and the ruined throne room but hallways. But off in other parts of the castle, there's screeching of unnatural things! But a laugh comes from the direction of the ruined throne room. Ever get the feeling you're walking right into a trap? STEALTH TEAM:     Little can touch the group as Rizzo and Jonathan come tearing through the hallways radiating faith, strength, and SHEER DETERMINATION. Lesser demons are put off even the approach by the combined willpower of Jonathan and Rizzo and flee; anything stronger is burned and repelled by that willpower. This should make enough of a path for the group to meet up again, even if some of these creatures do manage to make half-hearted grabs. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka sticks behind Rizzo and Jonathan, swapping to her shotgun as she finishes off anything that tries to grab her. Point blank buckshot will do a lot of havoc on you, after all. She has no problem keeping up with the two, as she sprints, reloading offhandedly. The demons won't be nearly an issue now, between the three of them. 

:'''{{#var:994|Athela Valemore (994)}} has posed:''' Athela Valemore frowns farther at the news over the radio. "We must make haste." Her cloak gives an appropriately dramatic flare behind her as the young knight marches forth, caring not for the creepy sounds coming from all sides of them. If anything is foolish enough to put itself to her blade, so be it. "The field will certainly be expecting us, but it matters not. We have allies and fair maidens needing to be rescued. Onward, stalwart allies of mine!" Her goblin-like pokemon gives a grunt in agreement, sholdering the massive log he uses for a weapon and following her. It probably -is- a trap, but if it's meant to scare them off whoever laid it doesn't know them vary well. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace scowls and follows Seras, shaking her head "This feels a bit like a trap." She calls out as she hears the laughter, following after the police vampire. She's glad she brought the Bushmaster; the steadi-cam-styled supporting rig allows her to run almost at full speed while keeping the cannon near-ready. "I can't believe I'm the one saying this, but maybe we shouldn't just charge on ahead, and be a little more cautious instead?" 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Okay, so it's not like the castle is normally full of monsters, but Xiaomu still feels like there should be more resistance presenting itself than there already is. Rather than walk around with her guns out, though, she just keeps her staff handy - whether to whack something with it, to draw Suiren and stab or slice, to unleash ice magic or other forms of sorcerous force, whatever the moment seems to demand. And yeah. This is totally a trap, she can all but literally smell it. But sometimes, when you're expecting a trap, the only thing you can do is walk into it and then counter it when it goes off around you. Xiaomu actually starts whistling as she walks, the thud of her staff on the floor adding a percussion line to the tune. Not quite in time with the music, but that's not exactly the point. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Anything that stepped in Jonathan's way was dispatched, not thoughtfully. All it took was one touch to release a surge of Hamon directly into their bodies, leaving them dead or dying in his wake. Re-animated skeletons, little devils, and even the occasional wolf-on-two-legs found themselves being subjected to the very potent sensation of magma flowing into every nook and crevice in their bodies. Jonathan himself was fuming with as much loathing for himself as his opponent. Using his dear Erina's face for such a diabolical move, if there were a way to push the gentleman over his edge, then surely Magnus was gunning for it as hard as he could. Frankly, he wasn't sure if he could hold himself back to let Rizzo have his chance at peace. The double doors ending the connecting bridge that led from the tower they were in back into the main castle burst open as Jonathan bulldozed his way through. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Rebecca also follows behind Seras, having a bad feeling in her gut about this whole thing, but knowing they have no choice all the same. She keeps a tight grip on her shotgun, eyes dartig from side to side in hopes of avoiding a possible ambush or trap from the side. When Xiaomu starts whistling, Rebecca shoots a glare at her, but then realizes that she can understand Xiaomu doing so, since the place is rather creepy... 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' Between himself and JoJo, it seems like most of Magnus' resistance is easy pickings for Maaka. The odd one that manages to muster the will to do more than ruffle the sleeve of his coat his shoved aside with force grossly inproportionate to the red-headed beanpole of a vampire. The last vestige of subtlety is shattered when Rizzo graps a man-sized demon by the collarbone, digs his fingers in, and hurls it into a suit of armor with a noisome clatter.      This he does with a solemn, dispassionate frown. The frown remains on his face as he and Jonathan storm through the double doors. He isn't the strongest of Caine's children, the fastest, or the toughest. But one thing his Clan is known for, even feared for, is their ability to read people. There's murder brimming not just in Joestar's eyes, but in his every movement. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' Seras gets about as far as the main doorway before realizing... oh right. THIS is the castle that Magnus would've taken Alucard to somewhere in. Probably. Right? Everyone else jumping after those sudden screechings gets her spinning around with a fearful scowl on her face. She clutches her weapons even more tightly... and just barrels for the throne room. Still somewhat flaily. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     The throne room is appropriately dark, but the hallway leading to it does that thing where all the torches flare to life as they head down it. And once they enter the throne room, the candles whoosh to life, illuminating the area. It looks... empty?     But there's a flicker of movement at the throne. It's a figure with a long cape that flutters as it turns, facing the assembled group. It looks like...     ...Alucard?     "...We were too late," he says flatly. "He has already begin the ritual." And those sensitive to such things can probably sense it -- the darkness has begun to increase in the area. "You should go, all of you -- I cannot guarantee your safety if you remain here." 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' "Riiiiiiiiiight," drawls Xiaomu. "Try that again without cliches so old they're still encased in the stone that fossilized 'em. Or actually -" The butt of her staff slams down on the floor next to her, hard enough to set the rings on its headpiece jingling even over the resounding *CRACK* of the former impact, and mystical energy blossoms in her upraised right hand. "- don't try at all. Sage Fox Sorcery: Demon Gate Seal!" A Taoist-based magic circle flares into existence, intended to be centered at Alucard's feet, and a bubble of magical force rises around it in the next instant - an attempt to contain 'Alucard' where he can't move ... and, hopefully, to force him out of whatever transformation he's using. If it's an illusion, Xiaomu's trying to counter that as well. "Honestly," Xiaomu continues while she's exerting her will, "you drag Alucard off right in front of some of us, and you think we *won't* smell a rat when Alucard tells us it's time to go? Particularly when he's so sure it can't be stopped or interrupted but he doesn't even mention fleeing *with* us?" Of course, if that really *is* Alucard, gosh is the fox ever gonna be embarassed. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Meanwhile, Rebecca has no idea what to do. She would level her shotgun, but she knows that this may not work on spiritual enemies. Not to mention, she doesn't know for certain what is really happening here. All she can do is step back a little and wait for the others to try to handle this directly. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace snorts at Alucard's words "We ain't too late until we're dead and buried, bud." She explauns. "Besides, was there any point today at which you /could/ guarantee our safety?" She looks at Alucard, with a smirk. "I mean, this always was a bit of a do-or-die thing right? Besides, Alucard, I'm here for more than just you, Johnathan, and the lady. Correct me if I'm wrong, but if we fail here, he turns you into Vlad the Impaler Junior, and this whole world suffers." Leyanne shakes her head. "Fuck that, mate. That's not the Martian way. It's not the Polar City way, and it's sure as fuck not the Mace family way No. I'm seein' this through to the end." And Xiaomu smells a rat. Tiny's not complaining; she listens and watches, turning to cover the group's six with her 25mm autocannon. 

:'''{{#var:994|Athela Valemore (994)}} has posed:''' Her power comes from a source that by her world is considered divine, and right now perception is not having a good time. The dark and ominous presence lords over them like an ever enclosing specter, but it still fails to deter her steps. If anything the sense of something being very wrong, as well as the task they originally came to complete, drives her forward without hesitation. Though she does take pause when they step into the throne room and it lights up, grimacing farther at the impending forebodance and movement at the throne. Alucard?!.. But the others said he was... this might be a trick. "Started doth not mean it cannot be ended still..." It would seem Xiaomu has the same feeling, and better equipped to try and do something about. Athela's hands remain tight upon her relic sword, the blade already sheening as if wet as elemental energy is focused at the ready in it. Next to her Timburr clenches his hands around one end of his weapon, the vein-like vines wrapping his arms bulging with strength. "Be ready for whatever she reveals," she murmurs to the others. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka doesn't even think to try and hear 'Alucard' out again. "You dumbass. You tried this already, do you think we'd fall for it a second time?" She swaps to her SCAR-H, and the rifle barks loudly as she opens fire upon him. If it IS Alucard, she's gonna look a little stupid, but to be honest it's been a long night. Maaka's done with this bullshit, so she's going to let the 7.62 speak for her as she fires in a rapid-double tap aimed chest-level. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan's face looks like it's been carved from granite. His overly stern features devoid of his usual gentleness as he continues to advance, at first, not even bothering to trade words. When he finally did speak, it was in a strained tone. "Where is Erina?"         A single question. John Rizzo, easily able to read the emotions of others, already had a good idea of Jojo's emotional state. The answer to his question was more than likely what would push or pull him to the line of his temper. Whether or not the ritual is underway was irrelevant. Magnus would be stopped. Whether or not this was a doppleganger, was irrelevant too. He had to know what was done with his betrothed, or he was going to go crazy. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' Seras arrives at the throne room, spotting... Alucard on it? Seated on it? warning them to leave? After all the things the dhampir said about the scenario, this leaves her blinking and pursing her lips a bit. And a more telling concern reaches her. "... How do I know you're not Magnus in disguise or someone else he tricked and mind controlled? We're not leaving. Not until we have this matter solved!" 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' "Nothing doing, pally," says Rizzo with a firm swipe of his hand. Xiaomu has the right idea.      He approaches the vampire--or, rather, the incubus, in all likelihood, still radiating a white corona of faith. With Xiaomu holding him there, it should be making whoever's being held in that bubble /awfully/ unfomfortable. But instead of pressing his would-be advantage, Rizzo takes a knee.      "I'm begging you--begging you. To stop this." His hands are brought up before him in a pleading gesture, fingers interlocked as he looks up at Alucard (or Magnus!Alucard.) "Let Erina go--"      At that point, Maaka begins opening fire. And Rizzo leaps in front of Alucard's form. Bullets zip through his body, tearing holes through the trenchcoat and leaving bright scarlet stains upon his crumpled white dress shirt. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard shakes his head at Leyanne. "This ritual -- if it happens here, there will not be TIME for you to leave," he insists. "Go, while you still can." Athela's words get another shake of his head. "The magic released will kill anyone too close to it. Leave now, or you will die."     Seras gets a look. "There is no solution, not now." And to Jonathan? "At the center of the ritual. She cannot be saved now. To do so would kill everyone else here." His voice is flat and calm though, betraying no emotion despite the dire situation. The astute will see that his eyes are dull, too. Besides, didn't he say something about having to kill him if the ritual happened?     Xiaomu DOES have the right idea, it seems. Because as she casts the binding circle at him, he draws back! It's too late, though, and the seal forces his figure to waver. He releases an angry roar, one that raises in pitch to the screechy voice of Magnus! "BLASTED FOXWOMAN!" he screeches angrily. He's held, unable to move for the time being.     Rizzo gets a snarl from the now-revealed incubus, as he seems to wriggle in those bindings, trying to twist away from Rizzo's sheer light. "I will NOT! I WILL have the Castle back!" He looks up in time to see Maaka aiming at him, and his eyes widen as he realizes there's no way for him to dodge it. However... Rizzo, of all people, blocks it for him?!     "Fool!" Magnus laughs. "Like the young master -- so foolish, with misplaced belief in these humans. But now you see! Humans are no better than they proport us to be!" Yes, he's lumping Rizzo in with himself. "But perhaps you will be useful after all..." He reaches out a hand towards the blood that Rizzo shed upon the ground.     "DARK METAMOPHOSIS!"     Magnus glows with a bright crimson light -- much like the spell Alucard used on the blood in Windknight's Lot the night Jonathan stumbled across him and the two fought -- and the blood seems drawn to the incubus's palm, where the light glows even brighter. And yes, he laughs. His eyes glow brightly, and then the throws his arms out to the sides, his wings flaring up behind him. The sealing magic breaking with this motion is almost audible.     But more than that? He splits into six identical images of himself. "I am too close to going home!" Each of the Magnus images speaks, making a cacophany of screechy incubus voices. But they all six take to the air. "I WON'T LET YOU TAKE IT FROM ME AGAIN!"     This just got a lot more complicated, didn't it? 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka is VINDICATED! Or maybe not. But that's not the issue here. She runs to go and get Rizzo to his feet, just in time for Magnus to duplicate himself. "Time and place, mate." She whispers to the detective, before she takes aim at one of the incubi's duplicates. Her rifle trails on the clone, before she opens fire with a few more shots. This time she tries to keep Rizzo out of the line of fire, hopefully he doesn't try AGAIN to get in between her and her target. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace picks one of the clones, based on a combination of factors perceptible apparently only to the mouse, and opens fire. Her antennae seem to be stretched out to their fullest extension, sticking out like the antennae on an old-style television for the best reception. She brings the massive Bushmaster cannon she calls Crocodile to bear, its steady-gun rig helping her stay on-target as she rips off a six-round string of chaingun fire. "Rizla, mate?" She calls out. "Some folks are just unredeemable. Let's just smoke this bastard and save those who we CAN save, yeah?" The recoil of the cannon pushes her back several steps. The loudness of the gun, her sheer size, lack of cover, and bright red armour conspire together to make her a very impressive, tempting target... 

:'''{{#var:994|Athela Valemore (994)}} has posed:''' Sigh, it can just never be as easy as it could of been, can it? Not that Athela could truely blame Rizzo, it was entirely possible that it had been Alucard under mind control, so.... But in the end, it does make matters a bit more contrived. So be it. "Then you shall just have to keep waiting." But then he pulls some trick similar to Double Team or Substitution to leave an entire group of himself for them to face. But when there is multiple potential targets, there is one reliable way to handle having to pick out the right one. "The tides shall wash away your foul presence!" Athela, wary of the others using ranged weapons, opts to do similar as she takes a swing with her sword. Her elemental power is channeled through it, releasing a surge pulse of water wide enough to hopefully hit several of the Magnuses at once much like a wave would. This was a lot quicker than trying to pick through which ones are real or not, deal with the whole group. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Well, it SORT of worked. Xiaomu would have drawn down and opened up on 'Alucard' if she'd been absolutely certain that it was Magnus - but there WAS that shadow of a doubt, and sometimes, that's all it takes. The binding circle SHOULD have held Magnus just fine, too ... except for two things. One of them was Maaka jumping the gun. The other was Rizzo jumping in the WAY of the gun. And then Magnus went and *used* that blood to bust loose while Xiaomu's attention was wavering. The fact that there are shortly no fewer than six of Magnus draws a spectacularly cross look from the sage fox as she cancels her binding circle - but there's one bright side to it: Plenty of Magni to shoot at, just so long as she doesn't wound any of her allies due to any of the copies being, say, less substantial than they look. She doesn't need autofire or AoE attacks, either - she draws Silver and Platinum, both of them currently loaded with an alternating mix of anti-spirit and mundane bullets, and just starts shooting at the flying Magni. Worst-case scenario, the way she figures it, is that shooting a fake unleashes some kind of counter - and, well, that's the kind of mistake that only one person needs to make to find out WHAT happens. She may as well share the risk, right? 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Going with her gut instinct, as well as remmebering that encounter she had with a giant bat at Umbrella's Training Facility, Rebecca switches to her Magnum and fires upon the flying target as well. It's strange that she'd be going with such an instinct, but that's just the way Rebecca is sometimes. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' It felt like the situation was continuing to devolve every second. First Rizzo was shot right in front of him, sent sprawling down, and then Magnus with his form revealed, multiplied himself and went on the attack. Many of his compatriots were using ranged methods of attack, but undeterred and reckless, Jonathan opted for his usual go to of using stepping into effective melee range to defeat his enemy. Jonathan closed his eyes, and like the Vikings lead by the north wind, left his offense to instinct and fate. The Sword of Luck & Pluck was drawn from its scabbard, lightning rolling off in crackling licks of the brightly glowing blade colored in bright reds, oranges, and blues. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' "I wish you hadn't done that," Rizzo says sadly, leaning on Maaka for support. Through the myriad holes in his trenchcoat, Maaka and Tiny can see the wounds closing up in his body--and pushing out the bullets with a brief tinkling of metal hitting the floor. Fixing Magnus and his doppelgangers with a frown, the vampire rises to his feet as the silent hall is suddenly host to the roar of gunfire.      The incubus had been given the opportunity to stop his own suffering, to free himself from his self-imposed blindness, to break the shackles of sin... and he'd refused. There's nothing the vampire can do to stop the other Elites from killing him, or sending him back to Hell--however things work here, he's sure they're not going to make it a pleasant experience for him.      "I tried to nurture the good in you and I failed." Standing fully and without support from Maaka, he raises his medallion aloft once more. "Please forgive me." The vampire's will extends from the medallion like a spotlight, shining on each phantasm in an effort to dispel the incubus' magic and make the fight as short and painless as possible. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' It's Magnus! Seras's suspicions are proven unfortunately true! And it gets a grimace from her. She brings up both cannons threateningly. "...Bloody pig. Just a selfish demon with no conscience. GO BACK TO HELL!" BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM!     She's not going to consider mercy or negotiation any longer. ONLY BULLETS. Very big bullets from the Harkonnen cannons she's touting as if they weighed nothing. They spit fire and noise and most especially 30mm explosive shells one after another! Casing after spent casing rattles to the ground around her. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Maaka's clone dodges a shot, but in doing so, it brings him in range of another shot. He yelps as the rifle shot takes a chunk out of the side of his torso. Leyanne's isn't sticking around, but even if the shot misses its target directly, just the force of the shot alone tosses the Clonecubus through the air to smack into another of them. The two of them go down in a cacophany of cursing, but they're probably not out. And Athela's powerful wave of water is the last thing Magnus is expecting, it seems -- any of them! They're staying far apart, mostly, but three are tossed back into walls and structures -- the one Maaka wounded and the two that went down from Leyanne's cannon fire. Now that's teamwork!     Fortunately for Xiaomu, and all her allies, these clones seem to have just as much substance as the original one had! The anti-spirit rounds especially seem to hurt quite a bit -- shortly a fourth of the six is shortly thrust down into SAGE FOX BULLET HELL and peppered with bullets that throw it back in the air. Disadvantage of fighting from the air is there's no stable platform to defend from! The fourth clone tumbles right into Rebecca's range, too, and gets peppered even MORE! The shots from both women tear through its body, and it flails in the air, seeking some escape from the double-team bullet hell!     The fifth of these clones sees Jonathan. "HA! Weep not, sirrah! You and your lover will join each other in the embrace of Death!" So said, it swoops down on Jonathan, arm outstretched. On the fingers of that hand? The same dark, chitinous claws that had struck Alucard without seeming to leave a wound.     Rizzo's radiation of goodwill seems to hurt the sixth of these clones, and it squirms, trying to draw away. But doing so puts it into Seras's range, as well as holds it in place for her... and the clone gets several holes in itself as payment! The clone screeches, the sound more angry than anything else.     In short order, the clones will get themselves reorganized, and draw away from fire as much as possible. And then they align themselves in the air in a circle. Which makes it seem like they're going to be easy targets; perhaps he's giving up and letting them take him out? But in the next instant it becomes clear that no, he is not. As one the group screeches, "HaaaAAAA!" Their hands clap together in front of them, as one.     And as their hands pull apart again, large orbs of purple light start to emanate from their palms, one from each clone's hand -- many of them, one right after the other. The orbs fly in unpredictable patterns, and strike with a great deal of force if they're not dodged. And it's advised to dodge, because whatever the orbs happen to hit, it'll burn with purple fire for a brief instant. Like a dark magical molotov cocktail. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace takes a hit from one of the magic fireballs, knocked back and down to one knee. The brief flare of purple fire leaves her exposed fur singed in places, and there's a nasty hole now in her right shoulderplate, revealing an open wound with blood that glistens with the sparkle of nanobots. To the vampires in the room, it has a strange, alien scent to it that may, or may not, be unpleasant. Leyanne grew up on a world with a much lower oxygen content to the air and a much higher iron content to the soil, along with a few exotic chemicals that would probably be toxic to earthborne. She stands back up again, swinging her cannon to bear. Her chosen target is tracked, the mouse's antennae still identifying for her exactly which one it was she laid into. He gets another string of fire from Leyanne's autocannon, the mouse growling a little as the recoil causes her new burn to hurt yet more. "Ow bastard bastard ow..." 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Unfortunately, one of the balls homes directly in on Rebecca herself, and poor Rebecca gets hit. She is knocked to the ground, tumbling a few times before recovering in a fetal position for a moment, before forcing herself up. "That was clumsy of me!" Rebecca says as she rubs her torso, feeling the pain. "But I'm not done yet!" Dashing towards where her Magnum fell out of her hands, Rebecca dives for it, doing a forwards roll before landing in a semi-kneeling position and firing on her target once again. "It takes more than that to put me down!" 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' The cone of white light locking down one of Magnus' clones quickly retreats, reforming itself into a shield. It seems Rizzo didn't get the memo about these. At first, the shield holds fast--but the purple flames licking at the surface with each hit? Well, the Beast inside of him isn't too fond of that. And True Faith takes constant willpower to maintain.      The battle of wills between his better nature and his darker side weakens the shield enough for a volley of three projectiles to hit him, briefly searing his flesh and singing his coat. And this little bit of fire, plus the egregious expenditure of blood already committed to this engagement, is ultimately what ends up unleashing the beast.      John's normally sedate gaze becomes a wild, panicked thing, his pupils dilated. His instincts tell him Kill--Kill the Fire-Thrower. Claws extend from his fingernails and tear up the carpet as the frenzied vampire runs on all fours towards the clones.      With a howl of rage and fear more animal than man, Rizzo leaps into the air, attempting to tackle one of the clones to the ground and tear out his neck with his teeth. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka throws a thumbs up to Athela when she slams three of the clones at the wall, before she takes aim at them. She opens fire, not picky which of the clones she wounds, before she catches a fireball to the chest. She screams, knocked over as she tries to frantically smother the flames, before she tosses the ruined rifle aside and draws her sidearm. The .45 fires repeatedly at the clones, as she takes a knee, clearly undeterred by her injuries. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' There's an old saying about 'those who would shoot must be prepared to be shot,' but Xiaomu wasn't quite expecting THAT much retaliatory bullet-hell from the incubus. She re-holsters her guns and focuses on being as evasive as possible ... ... which would normally work better than it actually does in this case, but Magnus is spreading his balls all around and not letting himself fall into any kind of predictable pattern. Jerk. Whatever rejoinders Xiaomu might be launching verbally at Magnus, she's too busy trying to minimize damage to herself to actually say much of anything, or even to yell. That doesn't mean she's purely on the defensive, though. In between dodges, near-misses, and actually getting burnt by a few of those orbs, she manages to launch a measure of retaliation - namely, one of her Shinra Special grenades, the mundane explosion enhanced with magical fire. If she can pop that down the center of the Magni formation RIGHT at he instant it detonates, the fireball should at least peg all of them. If her aim is off (which is very probable), some of the clones will go unscorched while others get a bigger dose of fiery explosion. And the timing - She's been using these grenades for a while, she knows how long the fuse is, and she's timing her throw to make as certain as possible that it goes off when, and thereby roughly where, she wants them to. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' Purple flames up above! And Seras has used up quite a bunch of ammo so far. But she's one angry little Draculina right now. And anger plus her vampiric nature leads to her eyes shifting from baby blue... to glowing like the pits of hell.     She zigs and zags, streaking around with short steps back and forth as if the path of the flame spray is all too obvious to those glowing eyes. Only a few handfuls of it scorch her arms and legs, just enough to get a few angry growls from her.     To finally evade the mess she VAULTS up into the air and, while airborne, keeps unloading those cannons up towards the clones--     UP until she sees John Rizzo going completely ballistic at them anywys. THAT shocks her out of what might well be a combat zen. Her eyes return to normal once again. "... Mr. Rizzo! That's too clo--"     Of course, then she sees him going for the throat. ... and presses her lips together thinly, quivering a little herself. 

:'''{{#var:994|Athela Valemore (994)}} has posed:''' So only one may be the real Magnus but they are all tangible targets. That is good to know. Unfortunately that also apparently makes them all perfectly capable of attacking as well, turning one spell into a shower of several projectiles. Too many for Athela to effectively dodge even with her heightened battle senses. But her pokemon snaps into action, leaping in front of her and using his massive wooden beam as a shield against the barrage. Several of the magic spheres slam into it, bursts of purple not-quite-fire leaving scorch marks on the surface in their wake as he's bowled backwards from the force of the hits. Magic fire's a bitch, but it's not enough to put the Timburr down when there's a fight to be had. What remains of the log is thumped to the ground and used to pick himself back up, then tossed aside as it's burned too short to be useful as a weapon. "Burrr," her practically growls, clenching his fists once more. "Alright then." Athela steps back for a moment, letting the pokemon take the fight. "Vine Whip!" A jerk of the arm unfurls the vines from around the limb, and then with a powerful swing due to his stout strength Mizzen flings the length at one of the Magnusclones, intending to yank him away from the formation and slam him into whatever surface is convenient. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Two eyes snap open, burning with an inner flame as Jonathan whirls around at the last second. The crackling blade is swung with air-splitting speed with his movement to cut through the clone's arms and upper chest in equal measure, intent on severing its whole body into two pieces. "What are you saying?! I WON'T ALLOW IT!" The battle rages. John Rizzo seems to go from man to monster in the blink of an eye, and moments after his assault, he finds the blade bristling with power pointed in his direction. "Regain your senses, I don't want to hurt you!" Like this, he was as much a threat to them as Magnus was. Perhaps more so, in some regards. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Xiaomu's grenade ends the barrage of burning balls, throwing the clones in different directions and breaking their magical synergy. And hurting a lot, too. Seems like they don't share the resistance to fire that the giant outside had. One is set ablaze, and screeches as it falls from the air, flailing, trying to put itself out.     This time Leyanne's shot strikes true, making a large hole in the torso of the clone. It screeches in pain and falls from the air, with a new hole in its torso. It's probably not going to be much of a threat, but it IS still alive.     Rebecca further perforates a second of the clones with more gunfire, this time shredding the wings. And a second drops -- now flightless but still in the fight. It demonstrates this by leaping at Rebecca, claws bared, snarling, "INSOLENT HUMAN '''TRASH'''!"     A third of the clones seems taken aback by Rizzo's animalistic attack. So much so that it's easily tackled to the ground, with a grunt. But instead of seeming angry? The tackled clone grins broadly! And even as it wrestles with Rizzo, it laughs. "Yes. YES! Give in to your nature!" He seems content to be Rizzo's victim, even though it appears to be losing the battle. It barely gets its arm in the way of Rizzo's teeth, and in short order finds its arm shredded. And it's in no place to be able to extricate itself.     Maaka's gunfire seems to be helping too, particularly if she takes potshots at anything she can see. Particularly if it happens to be the clone that's leaping at Rebecca. A well-placed shot will put it off its aim long enough for Rebecca to move. And possibly for her to plug the clone in the head, if she's fast enough!     Seras's canons force one of the clones into too tight of confines. It flies into the shot and screeches as a wing is hit -- the force and explosion tears it basically off, and the clone falls. It's this clone that the vine from Athela's Timburr catches around the ankle as the clone falls, flinging it into a wall. It doesn't get back up immediately.     Magnus swoops from above, claws outstretched, at the English gentleman. But Jonathan's blade slashes through the air, and the strike hits home. The blade snips cleanly through both the arm and the slender torso of the incubus. The claws seem to crumble to nothing, for some reason, and the demon screeches loudly as he falls. More than that. The attack dealt to the demon by Jonathan seems to break the spell. The demons disappear as if they had never been there, dissipating into so much smoke and disappearing.     Magnus isn't quite dead, but that's not far off. "Ha... haha... I knew it..." he rasps. "There is... no place for us... in the humans' world... They will not... allow it..." His eyes close. "...At least now... I'll never have to... see another human again... Whatever Hell awaits me... it will be preferrable... to that..."     And then he just... collapses into dust.     There's silence after that, and the dark feeling that surged at the beginning seems to have abated. It seems Magnus is gone, hopefully for good.     Suddenly the silence is broken by a howl from a chamber on the other side of the throne room! Notably, Erina doesn't seem to be in THIS room. Hopefully that's not from the room she's in... 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace looks at Magnus with pity. "Rizla and I are proof that they'll let anyone live in their world if they're not a complete cuntbag, Magnus, even if they're crazier than a bag full of ferrets." She explains, shaking her head. "The only reason there was not space here in this world for you is the fact that you were an evil fucknugget. Your exile is your own stupid ignorant subborn-ass undead fault." She looks around. "Speaking of Rizla... Joe mate, ease off him I got this. Haven't you got a missus to save?" And she walks up to John and, if he's still frenzied, simply picks him up and holds him at arms length with her left hand. "John. Oi. Rizla! Rizla, look at me. Look at me. Don't make me slap some sense into you." 

:'''{{#var:994|Athela Valemore (994)}} has posed:''' "Cast not judgement on all because a few stood against you for your actions, fiend," Athela retorts to the icumbus' last words. But a wail is a good reminder that they don't have time to waste celebrating over Magnus' defeat. "This be not over yet." The fate of their foe is promptly put aside as she turns heel to run in the direction of the horrible noises. "Hurry, before it truly is too late!" 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' In his frenzy, Rizzo easily sloughs flesh off of the clone's arm. Blood stains his mouth, and as Xiaomu's grenade detonates, the noise elicits from him a bellow of fury. It's as if someone tapped on the cage of an already agitated animal. The vampire plunges his fangs into the clone's neck and attempts to sate his thirst... only for Jonathan's strike to kill the real Magnus.      Rizzo rises, claws still extended and searching for food. Joestar is nearest, and at first, it seems as if he's going to advance. He's then promptly picked up by Tiny, and he even attempts to claw her face. When the clones turn to dust, however, spasms in her grip. Only the mouse's hands keep him from slamming his face into the ground, and with an unflattering sound, the vampire heaves up a cloud of dark red ashes.      This has, evidently taken the fight out of him, so much so that when the last of it leaves him, Leyanne sees not animal fright in his eyes... but shame. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace looks at Rizla... and it's not pity, or anger that crosses her face, but understanding. She sets him down with a gentle pat to the side of the head. "The real measure of a man is how he defeats his demons, and his actions after those demons took control." She says, warmly. "You've aquitted yourself pretty well on both counts. I've... I'm harder to calm down than that when I flip m'shit." 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' Down goes Magnus. Sadness flickers in Seras' eyes. But only for a few moments. She's surprised to find herself feeling any sort of sympathy for a statement like 'not being accepted'... from such a monster.     Her shoulders heave... and she drops the cannons with a heavy *WHUNK*, her ammo almost entirely spent.     "Just need to rescue the hostage... whew..."     Of course she turns her gaze towards Leyanne Mace and... and John Rizzo.     She sends him a look that is, strangely enough, highly sympathetic... if childishly so. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' "There could have been a place for you," Xiaomu says, her voice quiet but harsh. By the time she speaks, Magnus's body has already disintegrated - she speaks not so much to *him* but to the nothingness left behind. "If you had chosen to live among humans, to do little harm instead of treating them as prey or property, to accept the laws which govern them and exist in harmony within those strictures ..." She trails off, falling silent and turning away, her ears drooping - only to perk right back up at the sound of that howl. "Right," she mutters. "Not done yet." She starts making her way towards that next chamber, reloading as she goes. "Rizzo, don't go dying on us just yet. If you need blood, I can get a unit or two, just hang in a little longer." She pauses briefly, looking around at the others. "Anyone *not* ready to push onwards?" 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan couldn't bring himself to feel sorry for the creature. As cruel as its fate was, in the end, it had been little more than an incarnation of evil. Its idea of a home was a place where even good, honest folk would be slaughtered like cattle. Jonathan looked between the now subdued Rizzo, and the origination of the menacing noises that were now sweeping into the room. He shakes his head at Xiaomu. "I'm going." Truthfully, he did feel a little bit tired. But this was nothing compared to the night he fought Dio's minions here, so surely, this he could handle. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' The enemy pounces on Rebecca, driving its claws into her in spite of having parts of its wings blown away. She cries out in pain and attempts to force the creature off of her, but it's no use. In desperation, Rebecca takes out a small chemical vial and tosses it at the creature, hoping to knock it off of her. There's still the issue that Rebecca will be within the range of the explosion, leaving her with a few minor chemical burns, but once she gets away completely, she finds that they're mostly minor. Even the bleeding from her injuries can be treated with a spritz of green herb spray. After that, she double checks her weapons and then looks to Xiaomu. "I'm fine here. If anyone needs patching up, I can help with that if necessary. Other than that, I'm ready to go when everyone else is!" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Inside the room -- it once was a large master bedroom suite, from the look of it -- Erina is indeed inside. But instead of some horrible thing looming over Erina as it prepares to kill her? There's a much different scene.     There is indeed a horrible thing in there. More specifically, it's a werewolf. But rather than looming over Erina? Alucard is there, between the werewolf and the blonde woman, seeming outlined by a vile red light -- Jonathan might remember it again, not only from back then, but that time he fought Alucard in Windknight's Lot. More than that, the blade of a very familiar sword pokes out of the thing's back, right about where its heart would be. But there is no blood flowing from the wound. The few droplets on the blade seem to be being drawn up the blade itself... towards Alucard.     Alucard pulls the blade back, and the beast collapses, bursting into flame. And then, he gives a choked sound and stumbles to a knee, only saved from falling on his face by virtue of supporting himself with the sword braced against the ground. He pants for breath, perhaps not recovered from the attack yet.     Hearing the group approach, he tilts his head up, tensing as if expecting more enemies. But when he sees who it is, he relaxes again. "...If you are here... then Magnus is no more. Good. I apologize for being unable to assist you..."     For herself, Erina seems unhurt. She looks much like the apparition did -- rope burns on her wrist and a mark where something hit her in the face. She sees Jonathan and her eyes light up. Her voice rings with relief as she calls out, "Jojo! Oh, thank God you're all right!" She makes to move forward, but pauses when she nears Alucard. She seems like she isn't quite sure about him.     "...Go on," Alucard replies. "Yes, I am a monster. You saw as much. But I mean you no harm, now or any other time." Erina pauses again, looking to Jonathan, and then to the others for a moment, before she darts past Alucard to Jonathan. HUGGING WILL HAPPEN! She'll doubtless be concerned about Alucard in a minute -- he did help her, after all -- but give her a bit. She's super-relieved that all this seems to be over!     In that vein in fact... "Is it... over? Is that horrible creature gone?" Erina asks. 

:'''{{#var:994|Athela Valemore (994)}} has posed:''' To the rescue!... Not that it's needed, as the rescue is already there in the form of Alucard. Athela lets out a sigh of relief when the slain wolf-beast collapses. She sheaths her own weapon as it is no longer needed, and steps over to help Alucard up as Erina runs to embrace Jojo. "You may be a monsters... but that does not inherently make you a bad person." Especially not in comparison to ones like what they fought in the previous room. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace hefts up her gun, engaging the storage mode of the smartgun rig and letting go of the gun. The Bushmaster stows itself against her backpack. She looks over at Alucard. "A monster? Nah." She shakes her head. "You ain't a monster. A monster is defined by the choices he makes when he has all his faculties. You and Rizla? You're not monsters, despite what the ignorant might call you." A pause. "Unless, 'course, that's an actual species definition like those pokemon types." She pulls a wooden humidor from her backpack and offers it around; Victory Dance-brand cigars. She takes one for herself, lighting it with a zippo - which she shields from Rizzo's view, out of courtesy. "The pretty girl is safe, none of the good guys died, so the fat lady's singing." 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' "Yes," Rizzo says firmly. "Yes we are. At least, /I/ am. It's a miracle things turned out as good as they did. Me and my worse half almost made this a trip for biscuits." He should've just... ducked out as soon as the fighting began. This was a warning, a shot across the bow by the Almighty to let him know he's playing too fast and too loose with his own rules.      "I appreciate the thought, Tiny... and your offer, Xiaomu. But I gotta blast." After all, the whole thing is his fault. Had he spotted Magnus' deception when he first tried to play everyone against Alucard, they wouldn't be in this predicament. Erina's life wouldn't have been in danger, nor Lyudmil's, nor Jonathan's or Alucard's had he just... put any thought into anything he did, ever. SO stupid.      "Catch you cats later." Shoving both hands into his pockets, Rizzo edges his way past everyone--politely. His eyes never leave the ground. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace looks over at Rizla, with a sigh. "Yeah, well, maybe it's time you shared that burden, eh? I've read the Earth stories of the religion you follow. That Jesus dude never did much without his twelve mates, and the times he DID do things without them, things went to shit. Maybe you ought to invest in some of your own, eh?" Leyanne completely misunderstands the Bible... but maybe she understands the message... 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan's sword clatters to the ground, the Hamon quickly fading from its form as Erina's safe form enters his vision. His large, muscular arms lift her off the ground in their embrace. It felt like a downpour of soothing rain fell to cool the overworked furnace that had been his heart for the past twelve hours. The injuries that blemished her quashed any post-mortem regrets he may have been developing for Magnus, at the very least. "It's over now -- you're safe. After we take you back to town, we'll need to sweep the castle grounds for any leftovers that cretin brought with him, but otherwise..." They should be fine. Jonathan turns down the cigar. "Thank you, but my Hamon requires my lungs to be in tip-top shape. Smoking would be a quick way to get myself killed." "Though, Constable .... some wisdom passed down by my master, before you go." " 'A good human is a brave human, courage is a marvel of humanity.' ... being courageous is more than just fighting. It's about being able to do the right thing, regardless of your fears. Tonight, I think you were very brave." 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Xiaomu nods to Erina first, "Yeah, Magnus is dead. Can't say as I'm going to cry for him - he picked a fight he shouldn't have tried for, then he made it bigger whether he meant to or not. He was an idiot and he got stomped on for it." Her gaze shifts to Alucard .. and she just smirks. "Bein' a monster doesn't mean you lose your right to exist, Luke. Fine, you're not a regular human; your old man did terrible things, and one of his surviving retainers tried to get you to follow in his footsteps. You *didn't* take the bait - you clung to what was precious, protecting the person whom somebody else cares so deeply about, and in so doing, protected *your* desire to help others. To be good. To do what was right, not just what you wanted." She rolls her shoulders briefly. "That's why you're qualified to join the Paladins, right? You aren't human, you have abilities beyond what anyone I know would call 'normal'. I may walk around in the shape of a cute young woman, but I'm less 'human' than you are when you get right down to it. And you use what you have to help the people who need it, to help keep society stable and to fight down those who would break laws for their gain and others' pain." 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Rebecca nods as well. "Magnus has been taken care of." She sighs a little, as she remembers all that they went through during that battle. It's kind of a mixed bag of emotions for the medic. Nevertheless she smiles a little as she speaks. "The more we have in the Paladins, the better we'd be." 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard stands, with Athela's assistance, and nods in her direction. "Thank you," he offers. he doesn't speak to her words of 'monster' and 'bad person' not being the same thing. But there is the ghost of a smile on his face there. Leyanne gets much the same, but he does note, "It is difficult to think of what else to call my kind. But thank you, nonetheless."     Rizzo's words get a wince, though Alucard suppresses it. ''('We are too much alike,')'' suddenly flashes across Alucard's mind. "Mister Rizzo," Alucard calls to the vampire detective as he's leaving. His voice is quiet. "Thank you. For sparing Lyudmil, and keeping him safe from Magnus."     He agrees with Jonathan's words, but he can't rightly say anything to dispute Rizzo's either. He's felt like that himself enough times. He does offer, "True courage is indeed acting despite fear. And I thank you for your help." Xiaomu's words take him aback, though. But he listens. "...I... suppose you have a point," he acknowledges. Rebecca gets a nod. "That was why I joined, after all -- to keep those safe who could not protect themselves."     He sighs, and then looks around at the assembled Elites. "This would have ended badly had all of you not stepped in to assist. More than that. If Magnus has been destroyed, Maria should soon recover. He did indeed place a curse upon her. So you have saved her as well. So, for that as well, I thank you all."     Here he pauses, a thoughtful look on his face. And then he turns to address Jonathan and Erina, and bows deeply. He is indeed supporting himself on his sword. He doesn't straighten up as he speaks. "I... beg your forgiveness. It was those from my world that caused this trouble for you. I cannot make amends for this... I can only hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive me." 

:'''{{#var:994|Athela Valemore (994)}} has posed:''' Athela Valemore and her pokemon both bow briefly to Alucard. "It was our duty and honor to assist you." As one would probably expect a knight to respond. ""Lives were at risk and such a fiend could not be left to roam freely." She stands upright, politely shaking her head to Leyanne. "I appreciate the sentiment but must decline. The smoke muddles my head more than I feel comfortable with." 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Rebecca salutes formally and says, "I'm glad we were here to help." She smiles a little more than she did before, having regained her confidence for the time being. "This was too unreal, but honestly, I'm glad I experienced it!" 
}}

5537/Soliloquy of Reproach: Release, Part I

2017-10-28T05:48:38Z

DariRyu: Erina's rescue does not go as planned...

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/10/27
|Location=Windknight's Lot <WKL>
|Synopsis=The group gathers to rescue Erina Pendleton from Magnus, and to end the incubus's danger. The group splits up -- some of them making a ruckus at the front, while others take a back route. The team at the front tangles with a dangerous Weapon Master, toughest of the Giant Brothers. The team sneaking in the back way confronts Magnus... and his treachery! Disguising himself as Erina, Magnus attempts to rend Jonathan Joestar's soul. He is stopped by Alucard... who takes the attack in Jonathan's place. Now Magnus has Erina AND Alucard, and he invites the group to try to stop him now that all the pieces of his plan are in place.
|Thanks=Jonathan Joestar's player, for letting me mess with him like this.
|Cast of Characters=1128, 972, 707, 1100, 1107, 1084, 571, 1011
|Tinyplot=Soliloquy of Reproach
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     There have been strange lights coming from the ruined castle at Windknight's Lot. The townsfolk can probably feel that air again, that feeling that something horrible has invaded their town, yet again. Not to mention there's the little issue of Erina Pendleton being missing. Which those gathering here tonight will know the reasons behind!     Magnus himself has holed up in that ruined castle, with Erina, having kidnapped her while the others went to see to stopping 'Alucard'... who wasn't really Alucard at all. Magnus had played his hand well, and used a brainwashed and disguised servant from Alucard's past to distract from kidnapping Erina.     His conditions for her release? Alucard was to raise Castlevania again, and claim the title of its Dark Lord. An absolute last resort, but Alucard filed away the possibility, should everything go horrendously bad.     Alucard had chosen to skip over the town completely in his trip here, merely flying over it in his bat form rather than attempting to navigate it. After what had been done in his guise, he was almost certain the remaining townspeople would come after him with pitchforks and torches. And they wouldn't be in the wrong either, Alucard felt. They'd been through enough. It was times like this when he understood why his mother had stopped him from hurting people to rescue her from burning -- SOMEONE had to pay, to give them peace of mind.     The castle itself looks largely unchanged, but there are eerie lights in windows, and frightening sounds -- groans and growls mostly, and the odd bit of cackling. Looks like Magnus has brought friends. Is the desire for a Dark Lord so strong? Strong enough that all manner of frightening things would join him so quickly?     For his part, Alucard isn't about to just rush the place. That would be foolish. So instead, he waits on the pathway to the castle, on the other side of the village. They need to present a united force if this is to be won without costing Erina her life. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      Reimu had merely flown off at a rather frighteningly fast pace. Her body had left afterimages merely from the speeds she flew at. The four orbs were also orbiting her body as well. She began to grit her teeth on the way there though. $t "I hate situations like these!" She shouted out."      Honestly, if it wasn't for Jonathan's fiance, she would have finished this already but sadly, she had to follow after everyone else instead. This is the one time where flying forward just wouldn't work. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' There are times to be considerate of the times, the place, and the people along your way from point A to point B. And there are times to throw tact and consideration to the wind and just GO FAST. When the incubus who worked for your ally's evil old man has been setting up a frame job to push the aforementioned ally into going evil, and has another ally's betrothed as a hostage, it is not particularly a time to emphasize being a good visitor - particularly when that's the slow option. So Xiaomu is, at this moment, hunkered over her lightcycle and pouring on all the speed she can safely manage; the limits of her being careful about creating an uproar are defined by 'go around as much of Windknight's Lot as possible instead of barreling down the main street' - and even then, if the choice is between 'road' versus 'edge of a mountain,' she's taking the freakin' road and just trusting her reaction time so she won't run over anyone. She *would* go all the way up to the castle itself if it weren't for Alucard waiting where he is; instead, the lightcycle pops a truly epic wheelie, nearly angling up to a true vertical orientation - sharp enough that it looks like it might fall over and land on its topside, and on top of Xiaomu ... But instead, the sage fox dismounts and the lightcycle derezzes, reverting to a wireframe which retracts and shrinks into baton shape, and she just catches the 'baton' as it falls into her free hand. "So glad I didn't use a lot of ammo or grenades at the crypt. We got a plan of attack, or is the plan just 'attack'?" 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne roars up the path on her bike. She's taken a very brief detour home to raid her armoury; with a hostage in danger, her minigun is now a liability, not the undead-slaughtering bullet hose of usefulness she'd indended it to be; this is a hostage situation. And so it is that Windnight's Lot, if not already awake, got roused by the wake-the-dead roar of Leyanne's Harley Davidson red-lining through the town to catch up to the others. She slews the bike to a halt, showering Alucard's boots with gravel, and then hops off the bike to unstow and... put on her gun.. She's got to put the gun on because it's mounted on a steadicam-style harness that lends Leyanne a more than passing resemblence to a smartgunner from a certain sci-fi horror franchise, once it's all strapped into place. Today's gun is a Bushmaster, a longer, heavier, single-barrled autocannon. One with a much slower rate of fire than the rotary minigun, allowing Leyanne to, in theory at least, avoid hitting anything too important. "I thought I should bring something a a little more precise. Hope I didn't slow everyone down too much..." 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Even sprinting at his top speed, and with a headstart, Jonathan was still only the third person to arrive. The path that connected Windknight's Lot to the Castle was fairly direct, but, there was in fact another entrance. An unintended one created the year previous, a hole in the wall of The Chamber of Dragon Decapitation. "As many of you who wish to should charge the main entrance." Jonathan suggests. The menacing feeling projected by the Castle, the awful noises -- yes, it was almost identical to its previous inhabitants. Jonathan's fists found themselves clenched so tightly that the leather began to creak. "I'm going to go around and use the entrance I did previously, across the ravine and through The Chamber of Dragon Decapitation. If this Magnus has his attention on a frontal assault, it'll make breaking into the throne room easier." Those who choose to look in that direction can see a single broken breastplate in perfectly lively foilage, exuding a peculiar warmth, and a lake so shallow it would only go up to your heels, the backdrop of a whole garden of perfectly bloomed flowers. Odd, considering the time of year. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' Seras Victoria's brought MUCH MUCH MORE FIREPOWER this time. She's sporting two huge cannons, one clutched under each arm, and is dashing for the meeting place as if each weighed nothing. Long chains of ammo dangle from each... the shells are HUGE. What are these weapons meant to take down, anyways?!     When she finally does come to a halt near the others... her eyes are set on the castle quickly, after glancing around at who else has come.     But instead of the usual greeting... she blinks a few times... and shuffles over to stand next to the distant Alucard.     "What are we likely to FIND in here...? It's a spooky-looking old castle with an angry wizard throwing around black magic!" 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka wastes no time in driving for Windknight's Lot. There was this 'OH SHIT!' moment where everyone hightailed it towards the castle, and Maaka was first in line to lead the charge. Her motorcycle tears across rough terrain, the cyborg putting everything into getting there soon as humanly possible.     She grits her teeth, knowing the stakes at hand are too great to afford wasting any time or effort if Erina is to be rescued safely. She's made it a point of pride to hunt down monsters like Magnus, who hide behind innocents like shields or demand ransom. Bringing destruction on those who prey on the weak certainly gives her purpose.     She hops off the bike, and draws her SCAR-H, removing her helmet as she begins to take point. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' Things aren't looking great for a peaceful resolution. Magnus not only took a hostage, but openly mocked everyone over the radio. Tempers will be flaring, and to be honest, when he's wondering whether Magnus deserves mercy. Even so, he's got to be there, to give the demon every chance he can to give up his goal of Alucard claiming the castle--and to redeem himself. So, with his thin lips pulled into a frown, he arrives at the castle. He's brought relatively little. save for his gun and his St. Jude medallion. As a precaution, he begins burning blood, increasing his strength and speed--better to have them and not need them.      "Alright, Alucard. I'll put on a little glamour, sneak in with you and run interference on anything Magnus throws your way. He's gonna realize you're missing anyway--better you have a little backup." 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard does serve as a good place to gather. He's standing far enough from the castle that Magnus shouldn't feel threatened by his presence, but close enough that they can make the final push without much trouble. He's dressed in black, but he has his hood down, so his hair and pale skin will stand out enough to see him. "My apologies," he offers to Reimu in response to her shout. "Had I been faster in discerning the one responsible, we might not be here now."     Xiaomu's arrival gets Alucard to take a step back, not wanting to be in the way of her cycle. But her question also gets an answer. "For now? I will try to determine where he is holding her. Would you feel comfortable drawing his attention to the front while I found another entrance to the place?"     Alucard nods to Leyanne, not seeming to mind the spray of gravel. "That is appreciated," he replies. "Miss Erina's safety is paramount; it would not do to harm her ourselves in the attempt to rescue her."     Alucard nods to Jonathan's words. "That was my thought as well," he agrees. "Magnus is fairly showy. I have doubts that he will allow the bigger distraction to go unchallenged. This will give a smaller group the chance to find another way in." A pause, and he ducks his head to Jonathan. "...Will you allow me to accompany you?" he requests. "I may be able to assist you if the path is difficult.     "An incubus," Alucard clarifies, to Seras's words of a 'wizard'. "Their kind are well-versed in magical arts, particularly those that cloud the senses. And it seems that he has brought other demons with him. As I expected him to do. I can smell the scent of Castlevania's demons. Expect to encounter resistance on the way in."     Maaka's arrival gets a greeting, "Thank you for coming." And he ducks his head in a small bow. "My apologies for this. I do blame myself, but for now all we can do is try to salvage the situation as best as we can."     Alucard greets Rizzo as well, with a nod. To the suggestion, he notes, "He will indeed. Magnus is proud, but not stupid. You do seem to operate more quietly. It seems Sir Joestar knows another way into the castle. If he has no objections, we may use this route." Another look to Jonathan, in question. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     "Brainwashing is a bitch, don't sweat it." Maaka says, clapping Alucard on the arm firmly. She nods to Rizzo's suggestion, when he brings up the option of a stealthier entrance. "I'm no stranger to stealthy insertions myself, I'll go that route too if there's no objection to it." She says, slinging her rifle as she begins to search her coat's pockets to check for a suppressor. There's one for her .45, luckily, as she takes note of that. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace grins to Xiaomu, Maaka, and Seras. She peers at Seras a moment longer. "Honey. I have got to get the number of your armourer." She decides. "So, I'm with the front door team. Stealth isn't my thing too much, especially not with Crocodile here." She hefts the gun on its servo-harness. She grins, moving to where the front door team are gathering. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      Reimu begins to nod and answers politely, "It's perfectly fine. Misunderstandings happen all the time in my line of work. However, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go for the front entrance since I'm certain you guys can handle stealth better than me."      The young maiden begins to smile as the four orbs arrange themselves parallel to her body. Two of them were on her left and right sides. Without a word, she flew off to the front entrance of the castle. As she begins to fly forth, the four orbs begin to glow for a moment. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' "A-an incubus." Seras gulps. She's read up on this since before. And the idea makes her nervous indeed. The Draculina's lips are pressed tightly together and she tightens her grip on the twin Harkonnen cannons...     "N-... no use being stealthy for me. I'll go through the front with Xiaomu and make a distraction!" 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' "I ... don't suppose I mind." Jonathan didn't explicitly trust Alucard, but given the situation, they had no choice but to work together. As well, he hadn't exactly done anything deserving of hostility. Perhaps, much like Seras or even that Constable that would be coming with them, he could be given a measure of trust. Jonathan could do that much, at least. A nod is given to those present, as Jonathan begins to walk off the beaten path. "Good luck, everyone." With the group splitting up, heeding Jonathan and Alucard's suggestion, it was time for him to enter the same way he had one year prior. It honestly brought up bad memories, just like it had during his last visit several months ago. The place that Zeppeli had been killed ... it still felt like yesterday. Surrounding foilage, dry and dying leaves were gathered quickly in preperation. "We'll be entering from the left side of the grounds, this means we'll have an advantage in how this incubus has fortified himself. His personality might be similar, but he's no Dio. He can't raise an infinite amount of minions to assist him, that means his coverage of the castle will either by weak in power but widely spread, or tightly formed pockets for a more formidable squad of goons. I suspect the latter." Lightning crackled at his fingertips as he breathed in so deeply that his chest seemed to expand. The yellow sparks hardened each leaf, and made them stick to one another. The end result was a sort of hang glider that seemed to stick to Jonathan's fingers, holding his weight even when he jumped off the edge of the cliff seperating them from the actual door leading into the Chamber, and the hole in the wall below it. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' So, some go loud, some go sneaky, and somewhere in between them, Magnus is gonna go down. At least that's how Xiaomu is hoping things will play out. She personally wants to wreck that incubus's face until it stops being attractive no matter *how* hard he shapeshifts, so going in as part of the big flashy noisy distraction sounds really good right now. The sgae fox glances at Seras as they make their way towards the front door - Xiaomu at least is moving as quickly as she can, so as to keep up with the flying miko. "You worried that he'll try to seduce you in mid-battle or something?" she asks mildly. "With this many supernatural types on our team, I guarantee *somebody* won't fall victim to any whammy he tries to deploy on us. And he probably doesn't have as thick a book of tricks as most of us do, either - most youkai I've dealt with just stick to what they're good at and don't try to flesh out their repertoire; it's the ones who *do* diversify that can cause real trouble." 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:'''      Rizzo eyes the route that Jonathan points out. "Think you could give me a lift?" Malkavians are hardly the most physical of Caine's children. Even pumped all the way up, he couldn't make a jump of that size. Jonathan's glider isn't an option either--someting about that power makes him uncomfortable even at a distance, and it messed up Lyudmil's mug plenty.      Fortunately for Alucard, Rizzo is exactly as light as he looks. Rail thin, even, perhaps enough to draw question to his health, whether before his siring or otherwise. Should he choose to carry the younger vampire across, he'll notice also the man tenses, as if locked in a battle with some sort of animal fear.      Upon landing, Rizzo relaxes visibly. Producing a Zippo lighter from his coat and shoving a slightly bent cigarrete between his lips, he thrusts the box towards Alucard in a silent offer. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard nods to each person's choice of team. It seems he has no disagreements. To Jonathan, though, he ducks his head in a bow. "Thank you." Perhaps on some level he realizes that this a lot for Jonathan. He has very good reasons to distrust vampires, and yet he has three of them along on this. Two of them in close proximity to himself.     Maaka gets a look, one that... well, it's not a smile. Alucard doesn't do that very often. But the glint in his eyes is softer as he looks to her following the clap on his shoulder. "Yes. I only curse my own inaction. But there will be time for regrets later." Hopefully.     Alucard bids to the group at large, "Be careful, all of you. Not only for Miss Erina's sake, but for your own as well. I do not wish to lose anyone here." That said, he heads the direction that Jonathan leads. FRONT TEAM:     The team heading up front can hear a laugh growing from the castle as they near it. Magnus's voice broadcasts from the structure. "So there you are~," he sing-songs. "I haven't had much time to prepare for your arrival, but I simply MUST entertain my guests!"     The door opens of its own accord, and there in the broken foyer is a golden-armored knight. The knight is MASSIVE, easily ten feet tall, and built slimly yet powerfully. And it positively BRISTLING with weapons! There's a double-bladed gurkha in each hand, a warhammer on its back, and enough daggers shealth in its belt to look vaguely like a porcupine pelt is being worn as a belt! Magnus voice speaks up again, from somewhere else in the castle. "Ah, here are your playmates, Weapon Master. Do amuse yourself. But play nicely, won't you? The young master may require their services after you've amused yourself with them."     The voice that comes from the knight seems to echo, not just in the foyer, but in the helmet being worn. "With pleasure, Master Magnus!" The knight begins to spin the double-bladed knives in each hand. These weapons look dangerous, as if a pair of curved gurkha knives had been joined together at their pommels. This knight wields two of these combined weapons, spinning them so quickly their shapes blur into a circle of glinting metal. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:''' STEALTH TEAM:     Alucard nods to Jonathan's observation. "Magnus's minions are limited by those remaining that he could coax or beguile to assist him," he confirms. "Likely most of the castle will be unguarded, save for where he has placed Miss Erina, the front entrance, and what other side entrances he has become aware of."     It's worth it to note that Alucard views the water with distaste, but once he realizes it's only a few inches deep, his expression returns to the normal stoic one. Alucard pauses, blinking slightly as Jonathan creates a hang-glider out of leaves. But he also flinches a bit at that lightning. He remembers how much it hurts!     For himself and Rizzo's purposes, Alucard gets a running start... and then jumps. His arc looks like it's going to take them both right down into the canyon below, disturbingly enough. But at the height of his jump, his cloak seems to take the shape of a great pair of wings -- feathered, oddly enough -- and flaps once, giving him a bit of extra height before returning to normal.     It's just enough to land them both safely on that platform, and he releases his hold on Rizzo as soon as he's certain it's safe to do so. Alucard raises a hand in offer to the cigarette. "No thank you," he says quietly.     The door is still open, and everything looks quiet, unchanged from the last time Jonathan visited this place. Perhaps Magnus hasn't discovered this particular entrance after all, and they will be able to make entry into the castle unnoticed. Could it really be that easy? 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     STEALTH TEAM     "We'll fix that soon." is all Maaka says, before she follows Joestar, swapping from her SCAR to her sidearm, threading on a suppressor to her .45 pistol as she covers corners, trying to keep the team from being caught off-guard. Jumping down the canyon isn't an issue, as she leaps and throws a grapple out so she can rappel down until she's at a height she can survive the landing of. She lands in a 3-point stance on the platform, before she enters the doorway with her pistol held out, moving quickly and silently despite her heavy boots. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      Reimu merely smiles as she looks at the massive knight. The four orbs immediately arrange themselves in front of her body before promptly emitting a large, rapid fire assault of violet talismans. They seem to spread out like shotgun shells but the knight's massive body will only make it easier for the shots to hit. Immediately afterwards, she shifts upwards and follows it up with throwing out two large blue, rotating talismans. Afterwards, they break apart into a large cluster of smaller blue talismans and home in directly on the enormous knight. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace peers at the weapon master a moment, hanging back with the group. As Reimu's talismans make their attack, Leyanne plants her feet firmly and swings her gun around to bear. She looks over at the weapon-master, her cannon's pack whirring loudly as Leyanne unlocks the safety. Rounds slide down the armoured feedway and into her 25mm cannon, which clicks into the locked position as the mouse centres her crosshairs across the creature's helm. "FIRE IN THE HOLE!" Leyanne warns. "I'm gonna try and keep distance so I can fire over the top of you. Reimu, don't drop too low. Everyone else, don't jump!" And thenshe opens fire. It's loud, and the recoil is enough to push even Leyanne back, limiting her to five round bursts before she's got to take a few steps back to avoid falling over. Should the explosive rounds hit, even if they do nothing else, they're going to make the poor knight's head ring like a gong, and he's going to have some nasty dents to beat out of it. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' "Who said we're anything else's playmates?" Xiaomu snarks openly at Magnus and the Weapon Master. "Far as I'm concerned, you're nothing but a plate of hors d'oeuvres before we hit the main buffet! Granted, it's nice that you brought your own can openers, saves us the trouble of looking -" She may be prattling on at the moment, letting the 'knight' have it with both barrels of withering but witty repartee, but the sage fox isn't *just* running her mouth. She leans casually on her staff ... and ice begins forming along the floor. A lot of it, underneath and in front of the Weapon Master's feet. One of two things is meant to happen: either the big knight gets his feet frozen in place on the floor - in which case he can't continue advancing to menace them - or the floor will freeze into an ice slick, and with her allies pouring on the heavy firepower, the Weapon Master is liable to lose his balance and get knocked over. Granted, if the latter is what happens, the ice slick will probably get smashed under the knight's weight - but knocking him down in the first place is the point. Or, as mentioned, freezing him in his tracks in the most literal sense imaginable. "- for that matter, where *is* the kitchen? I'm gonna get hungry if this takes too long," Xiaomu finishes, seemingly without a care in the world. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' With the offer of a cigarette refused, Rizzo puts them away and focuses his mind. A focusing of his mind, and he sort of... fades into the background. It's time to let the plot advance without him necessarily being a part of it--this'd be the part in the book where the narrative focus is off him. John liked those moments, when he could feel the author's gaze off of him. When he used Obfuscate to escape the notice of others? It was one of the few moments he could enjoy relative freedom.      Under the effects of Obfuscate, Rizzo adopts a villanous posture (because that's probably what's normal arround here) and pretends to patrol the premises, doing some recon for Alucard. Anything he can do to get them to Erina faster is more and more fights avoided, more chances they can get through this without having to hurt someone potentially just acting under Magnus' mental influence. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' Being asked THAT outright brings an unwitting flush to Seras' face, one that's quickly tamped down by a scowl. "I don't know what a demon would do!" She spits out. Well it's not as if she hasn't had ONE bad experience with something of that nature already.     Seras has no trouble keeping pace with Xiaomu's dashing and Reimu's flight, her own legs carrying her onwards with gale-like speed!     ... and straight through the open door.     Responding to the armory of weapons, she deftly spins her own out into the ready!     "Giant knight... okay, that's something straightforward!" It helps that she operates at DISTANCE.     Because Seras just takes aim for the knight's head and BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!     Huge explosive shells go straight for that helmet. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' The Chamber of Dragon Decapitation looks as quiet as it was the last time he'd been here. The leaf-glider lay abandoned, as he looks around the room. The same broken chains. And Tarkus' armor lay discarded in the corner, the vampiric giant having been disintergrated by his Hamon. And so here it sat, untouched ever since. "This way. It won't be the longest walk, but we can cut across one of the connecting bridges to get closer to the Throne Room." His leather boots make subtle noises as he ascends the small stairwell out of the chamber, which from all the chains and neck-locks hanging from the ceiling, looked very much like a torture room. Strangely, most of the neck-locks appeared to have shoulder pauldrons identical to the ones Jonathan used as armor. Perhaps this is where he obtained them. Each step Jonathan took was taken with such righteous purpose that if you applied a narrative perspective, it was hard to imagine the focus being anywhere but on his advance. It was just the kind of prescence the large man had when he was on a mission. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:''' FRONT TEAM:     Reimu's shots home in on the golden knight! However, it uses those spinning double-blades to deflect some of the shots, even if it can't deflect them all. Those that don't hit, don't smoke as though hitting the unholy targets of before. Also while the height of the knight definitely does make it a bigger target, its slim build also means that it's remarkably agile for being ten feet tall. So while the shots do home, the giant leaps around a handful of them. Those that hit, though, definitely seem to be doing damage, as the sound of a grunt echoes with each one.     Further, it keeps the knight from moving while Leyanne and Seras unload on it. Exposive shots from both clang off the helm, knocking the creature into a clear stumbling posture. Xiaomu's ice further complicates things, and the giant flails a bit, trying to keep is footing. But the ice is just too much with its balance upset, and it falls onto its back.     Though it's worth it to note that the armor and helm both look unscorched by the fiery explosions from Leyanne's rounds. But there ARE a lot of dents, and the knight seems disoriented, as it doesn't immediately try to get to its feet. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:''' STEALTH TEAM:     Rizzo's Obfuscation seems to be working, though there aren't many things in this part of the castle. Magnus seems to have left it mostly unguarded. A few imps roam around here -- tiny little red, blue, purple, or green miniature demons with wings like bats -- but little else. They don't seem to notice Rizzo. Though he can hear voices further in. Mostly demonic cackling and the snarling of something monstrous.     On the other hand, Jonathan's lifeforce can probably be sensed by some of the beings here; he does sort of BURN with life energy. Because of that, Alucard's remaining reasonably close to Jonathan, hopefully to defend him if something should attack him. Though not close enough to make the man uncomfortable.     Once the whole group gets into the castle itself, those imps will definitely see Jonathan, Maaka, and Alucard. "Imps. Quickly. Fell them before they can flee and alert more threatening beasts. Do not let them behind you." They're reasonably weak and fall easily. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka does her best to avoid being spotted. She doesn't have her STALKER suit, with the fancy gadgets that's affixed to it, but she's accustomed to being sneaky all the same. Creeping around warzones or musty castles, she's no stranger to being unnoticed when she needs to be. Once she spies the imps, the cyborg takes aim and begins to fire on them with suppressed cracks of her .45 pistol echoing mildly. It's a lot quieter than if she were going loud, that's for sure.     She does get aggressive, sprinting towards the nearest imp, shoulder checking it as she puts the pistol to its head, and fires point-blank. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' "Please, don't get up!" Xiaomu calls out mockingly as the Weapon Master goes down, hard enough to bounce her up into the air a little from where she's standing some dozen or so feet away. "We'd just have to knock you back down again ... but seriously -" She fishes a grenade out of her vest while she's talking, then yanks the pin and tosses the grenade underhand towards the giant knight ... actually, right up in between its presently-sprawled legs. "- just don't get up at all." *BOOM!* The grenade goes off, conventional explosive accentuated - maybe outright amplified - by the fire-element magic which had been woven into the grenade's construction. The result is a serious fireball - emphasis on the *fire*. Gods alone know what that kind of heat and shock will do to the Weapon Master's lower body, especially if the grenade went off as close to the crotch as Xiaomu was aiming it. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      Reimu blinks for a moment, but then she immediately seems to get a guick idea in her mind. She chuckles for a moment before her eyebrows furl downward. At that point, she throws out a large barrage of evil-penetration needles, before quickly throwing out the same blue talismans one more time. As the blue talismans break apart into homing talismans, she promptly poses with her left arm in the air before turning to the Weapon Master with her arms spread out.      "Spirit Sign: Fantasy Orb"      A large barrage of homing shots, all of which appear to be a tad stronger than usual judging by how they seem to be rainbow colored materialize and force themselves directly to the Weapon Master. They will certainly burst upon impact. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' Rizzo spots the imps, stepping around them. Just keep walking like this, hunched over and predatory. Maaka's working on some of them. And when he passes the last one, he reaches down. A finger flicks into the imp's temple with the force of a swung ball-peen hammer. Hopefully that knocks it out, but he's all too ready for the notion that something down the hallway will observe this act and break the glamour.      To that end, he draws his revolver. They had those in this time period, didn't they? Hoo boy. Hopefully they did, otherwise the illuaion ia in even /more/ danger. Quickening his pace a little, he tries to duck out of sight of the imps.      Now--what's around the corner? And do they see through the illusion? 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' With three elite warriors pounding on it, the Knight goes down! Seras... is a little amazed at this. The freakish magical displays confound her, but she's more or less gotten used to that sort of thing by now. Still.... that their opponent took all that, but is only JUST DENTED A LOT has her incredibly concerned.     "What does it take to bring it down...? Is it still alive?" ... And is leaving it like this okay?     She's really not sure. And as such, she brandishes her weapons and points it at the giant's legs!     "Surrender or we will keep this up!" 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' The small devils were taken with a narrowed eye. Jonathan drew his blade as Alucard explained what they were, their resemblance to what most religious texts would describe as the physical manifestation of demons not going unnoticed. None the less, Jonathan Used the length of his sword and his own height to attack them in the air, with powerful slashes and attempts at grabbing their pitchforks to hold them in place for stabbing attacks. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace growls quietly and keeps her cannon pointed at the creature. "Surrender? I'm not entirely sure it knows the meaning of the word. It... smells wrong. Evil." She shrugs, and then resumes attacking its head, circling around a little to make sure she can still keep her angle without getting anyone in danger. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:''' FRONT TEAM:     Xiaomu's grenade goes off, lifting the knight's lower body and sort of sending it flopping over its upper body. But the fire doesn't seem to have done too much. The sheer force of the explosion seems to have hurt it more. And Reimu's rainbow-colored shots explode against the still-prone knight, sending it rolling. NOW the shots smoke as they spark off the armor! And from the screech, it sounds like it hurts.     Seras's amazement gets a laugh from the Weapon Master, and it pulls itself to its knees. "Please do, little one! A fight can only be only exciting when it is against a worthy opponent. SHOW ME your worth!" And then it flings both of its double-Gurkha! Mostly at Seras, but anybody standing too close might get hit, since both are being thrown.     Leyanne's shots impact the chest and knock it back down. But not for long. Instead, it kicks up to its feet in a way that nothing that big should be capable of and pulls the hammer from its back. Roaring loudly, the Weapon Master leaps up and tries to slam the head of the massive hammer into the floor to cause a shockwave. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:''' STEALTH TEAM:     The imps are barely fight-capable, preferring to try to sneak up on the group than engage them directly. They're also small enough that Maaka's shots should disable them in one or two hits. Particularly if she can pull off a headshot against the annoying little fleas.     Rizzo's not noticed, so the imp is easily rendered unconscious, with a quiet little screech. Kind of sounds like a bat-chicken, humorously. And Jonathan's blade is easily able to take these things apart, particularly if he's holding onto their tiny little tridents to attack. They burst into a small poof of smoke when killed.     Alucard uses magic to disable what he can -- that same spell he used versus Jonathan. "Soul Steal!" It won't kill them en masse, but it will definitely weaken a group.     Rizzo may be the first to hear it, since he's going on ahead. A woman's voice, and it's coming towards them. Running feet -- small feet. Rustling cloth. Labored breathing. Someone is heading their way. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      "Alright, just shut up and stay down already! I wasted a bomb on you!"      From there, she decides to bring out an entirely old style of fighting. She extends her hand outward and swings her gohei. This creates a barrier in front of one of the double-Gurkha. The barrier looks just like a large blue talisman as well. Afterwards, she extends her hand forward.      "Holy Relic: Yin-Yang Sanctifier Orb"      From her hand comes forth a giant, blue Yin Yang Orb the size of a boulder! The orb is actually pretty close in size to the knight while managing to be much wider than it as well. The giant orb moves forward as it spins through the air toward the knight at a slightly slower pace than the other projectiles, but considering that this is a sanctifier orb, exposed contact with it will lead to further damage. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     STEALTH TEAM: Maaka sees John take off after something, and she offhandedly fires one more time before she sprints towards the vampire, following him as she holsters her sidearm. "What do you hear?" she asks, swiftly moving as she tries to see down the pathway, to determine who it is herself. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Oh, that's not even fair, thinks Xiaomu. Fire grenade against a big METAL enemy, that should have done extra damage - and yet the giant lump is still fighting, not even showing any signs of lingering pain after that grenade went off. She is, somewhat noticeably, no longer snarking - and when the hammer comes down, while she's plenty far away from it to not get driven into the floor like a tent peg, the impact DOES fling her off her feet for a moment. The landing is awkward and undignified, but the sage fox scrambles back to her feet in a hurry. And when she does, she's got a handgun in each hand - Silver in her left hand, the Roc's Icebrand in the right. Suffice to say that the difference between them is a lot clearer when she opens fire: the Roc's Icebrand delivers bullets of elemental ice magic. The other handgun, though, is currently loaded with a mix of anti-spirit and anti-vampire rounds; she's not quite sure what the Weapon Master qualifies as, but she ought to be doing *some* serious damage. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan finds these small, annoying things much easier to take down than the supernatural monsters he was used to dealing with, stabs, flourishing jousts and stiff chops rendering the tiny demons into naught but puffs of smoke.         Faintly, he heard..steps. His finely sharpened senses could tell something was coming, but as to what, he was unable to discern. He holds his sword defensively in front of himself. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' IT TALKS! THIS... well, she wasn't sure it could. So this gets her eyes going wide... but her instincts warn her just in the nick of time. With a yelp Seras dives sideways. It doesn't quite protect her though... the weapons slash some nasty-as-hell deep wounds into her arms and legs, certainly cutting into muscle. The vampire girl screams and topples into a rolling mess that only manages a few blood-splashy somersaults before her oversized weapons clang into the ground and bring her slamming both feet to the ground.     She's clearly fighting AGONY to raise her weapons, even as the wounds slowly heal and lukewarm blood drips from wounds that should honestly be GUSHING it...     "Have it... your way then!!"     This time when she levels both weapons at the warrior, she DOES NOT STOP FIRING! 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' Rizzo hears the sound of someone coming. The imps don't raise any alarms, and he still feels Malkav's gift upon him, covering him like a veil. He'd like to believe the person coming towards them is Erina, having escaped from Magnus' clutches. That'd be ideal--it'd preclude the need for any fight against the incubus, and perhaps, with a little more luck, Jonathan might even be talked out of violence.      But it's too suspicious, too good to be true. Once, his lack of foresight put someone in danger, but this time he's ready. The vampire continues to sneak through the castle posing as one of Magnus' minions, but as he walks he activates a discipline. Peering straight ahead, he tries to survey the aura of any incoming individuals and discern for himself whether they're mortal or not. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:''' FRONT TEAM:     Reimu's orb strikes with its holy power and throwns the giant into a wall -- probably cracking the stone. It catches the Weapon Master between the wall and itself, damaging it further as it refuses to relent. It holds the Giant in place for the rest of the group, too. Xiaomu's ice shots freeze its armor over well, and the anti-spirit rounds pierce its armor easily; and Seras just UNLOADING on the bastich... just DEVASTATES the area it's standing in. Including the wall it's been held to by Reimu's orb.     When the smoke clears, the giant's armor is still there, though scattered around as if it had fallen off and then been scattered by the Elites' deadly volley. The Giant itself? Nowhere to be found. Its weapons remain, however, leaving doubts that it's coming back. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:''' STEALTH TEAM:     Rizzo can see it in her aura -- worry. Fear. Anxiety. And a little bit of anger, too, but far eclipsed by the other emotions. And as she comes closer? It seems Rizzo's hopes may be coming true...     It's Erina! Her wrists are bruised, and there's a clear mark where something has hit her in the face. Rizzo may note, though -- there's something off about her, though, on a deeper level than just her physical appearance. Which is bad enough, she looks like she's been smacked around a little. But she appears dark, somehow, on the deeper level that Rizzo's looking at.     "Jonathan!" Erina declares. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you! Come, let's leave this horrible place!" She runs towards Jonathan, arms outstretched, as if to embrace him. But there's something off about the one hand. It's held in an oddly 'clawed' pose...     Alucard suddenly exclaims, "Joestar! Move, quickly!" Sure enough, as Alucard calls out a warning, 'Erina' swings that hand down, fingers still clawed. But instead of Jonathan as its target... Alucard doesn't wait for Jonathan to react. He doesn't question the instinct, doesn't hesitate. He leaps between Jonathan and 'Erina' as the hand swings down.     The claws seem to pass through him more than just physically. Those sensitive to such things might see it -- it's his spirit that's been clawed. He emits a cry of pain, reacting as though he's been physically struck. And then he crumples. 'Erina' grabs him by the back of his cloak and begins to literally float backwards.     Her form blurs and... guess who? Yup, it's Magnus. Magnus smirks. "Well, that wasn't QUITE how I saw that happening. But I'll not look a gift horse in the mouth," he declares. "Come, then. Follow me to your death, if you wish to save your beloved. You will all make ideal sacrifices for the rise of the new Dark Lord."     And then his form blurs again, and he disappears.     With Alucard. 
}}

5523/Soliloquy of Reproach: Beset

2017-10-21T14:32:40Z

DariRyu: More typos! Devils get everywhere.

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/10/20
|Location=Castlevania World
|Synopsis=A group of people go to Alucard's tomb to confront him for his role in the attacks at Windknight's Lot. A fight ensues and Alucard summons several beautiful thralls to battle the group. However, "Alucard" is revealed to be someone else -- a vampire named Lyudmil, a servant of Alucard's from long ago, mind-controlled by an incubus named Magnus. While the group is in Wallachia, Erina Pendleton is kidnapped by Magnus. He demands that Alucard raise Castlevania... or he will kill Erina.
|Cast of Characters=1128, 1100, 1016, 1084, 707, 571, 972, 290, 1107, 1011
|Tinyplot=Soliloquy of Reproach
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:''' -= AFTERNOON, WALLACHIA'S FORESTS =-     Maria's map led into a dark world full of gothic horrors and vast forests. In specific, her map also led to a small clearing in the woods. Most of the world had something of an unsettling aura, even to those who were native to there. But this clearing seems oddly tranquil, as if even the natural animals don't want to break the silence. It's not an air of fear, though. It's the solemn air of a church during mass.     But there is also a feeling of darkness. Not necessarily evil. But dark. Something that flees the light, even in daylight. And here, even in broad daylight it's dim, something about the environment leaving sunlight dampened and thin in this area. It should be easier for any vampires investigating this to not get burned to a crisp. Which should make this easier.     The clearing is not empty, though. There is a small building there, like a small temple. It's a small temple, only a single room, but the room is a large one. In the center of the room there is a statue of a woman in somber reflection. She isn't praying, but her head is down, her hands folded in her lap. The statue-woman wears a hooded garment like many saints in Christianity are depicted.     It's worth mentioning that there's no other visible exit to the room except the door to enter, and there's no tomb in that temple. But Maria has furnished the group with information here, too. The statue sits atop the entrance to Adrian's tomb. And there are marks where it has been moved very recently. Perhaps the vampire is in his tomb even now? 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne's entrance is heralded by the growling thrumm of a Harley Davidson. It's quite the feat to navigate a big, snorting hog through the forests, but somehow Tiny's managed it, pulling the oversized mile-eater up next to the tomb. She's heard on the grapevine that at least one fellow Watchman needs help... even if she was also warned that said watchman was 'a bit of a fruit loop'. She's not one to judge; there are many who would consider her a bit of one too. Especially after her BASE jump off the big Ravinica tower. The giant, red-armoured mouse steps off her bike and pulls off her helmet, shaking out her long, blue hair and tying it back into a ponytail. Her beret is placed on her head, and its position adjusted in the wingmirror. Then she opens up her panniers and starts preparing her weapons. Today, Leyanne is packing relatively lightly. A P-90 is clipped to the right side of her backpack, followed by several large, round drum magazines, which she feeds into a slot in the side of her backpack. From the other pannier, she pulls out a Atchisson Assault shotgun, the long-barreled model, and slips in another drum. She racks the slide, and then holds the gun in her left hand, finger above the trigger guard out of habit. Then, several wooden fencing spikes, about a foot and a half long, are tucked into the side of the pack, where they can be easily grabbed by either hand. Finally, a small wooden humidor goes into the pack, before she hefts the whole thing up and settles it on her back. THen nonchalantly, she leans against the tomb, next to the entrance, and lights up a cigarette. 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     Death rides a dark horse today. Also, it's actually just Death's kid, and the horse is dark because Eithne had finally talked her new mount into being something spookier than 'a soggy white horse'.     So she's riding astride the back of a black mare, a simple leather bridle and harness the only tack. The harness is in turn attached to a small farm cart, with a wooden coffin inside. A sassy juvenile crow rides on the edge of the cart, occasionally knocking on the lid with his beak.     Eithne has basically given up on getting Sheela to behave, and just hopes John Rizzo won't emerge with a splitting headache or anything.     Upon arrival, she hops off the horse's back and raps twice on the coffin lid. "We're here! It's even all dim and everything," she comments, turning back to the horse to remove the harness and set it inside the cart. "Behave, all right?" she tells the crow and horse sternly. Sheela flaps his wings and caws at her; the horse snorts and bares sharp fangs. Eithne rolls her eyes and heads for the temple-church-mausoleum thingy. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' "Of all the places to stick your lair," Seras warbles out in a hazy, almost out-of-it manner, "A gloomy forest?" The sunlight here is subdued and suppressed, the gloomy aura of this place a bit more suitable for a dark creature like her. And yet Seras still seems unhappy about the locale.     She's brought the same weapon as before - a sizable semi-automatic rifle that's about as long as she is tall. A pistol's holstered at her side, and several pouches on her belt are clearly holding extra ammo.     Seras Victoria pauses upon reaching the clearing, her eyes fixed and widening on that statue. A woman of great faith...? She slowly blinks a few times and relaxes.     Because the incongruity of the situation is just too gobsmacking. A kill squad waltzes in and finds a serene statue of a praying woman?     Seras makes a doubt-filled grunt.     Seras is clearly losing motivation for this operation. The mood is ALL wrong. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Whatever the era may be in Wallachia, Xiaomu didn't feel like wasting a lot of time walking; she committed the map to memory as best she could, and handled navigating most of the way to the indicated coordinates on her light cycle. The final approach is done on foot, though - light cycles may not be as noisy as your typical internal-combustion engine, but they DO make a certain amount of noise. She's geared up more or less as usual, save that her carry-pack has some specialty anti-vampire ammunition - plus two clips carried more readily, with the other magazines she toes around for occasional reloading. Also some holy water (Shinto-style rather than Christian, but water is water and blessings are blessings, right?). She does not appear to be carrying wooden stakes, garlic, or a crucifix. She has her Buddhist monk's staff (and the sword therein concealed), she presumably has her handguns. That's really all she feels a need for. And while she's waiting for everyone else to arrive, the sage fox busies herself checking the area around the statue - looking for scuff marks or the like - and giving Leyanne the occasional withering look when smoke from that cigarette wafts in Xiaomu's direction. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka hates wearing this coat. Her trenchcoat is a knee-length, glorified smock lined with bullet proof kevlar material that gives it a weight of twenty pounds soaking wet. A regular human would be insane to wear this thing day to day, but Maaka's enhanced strength and the fact the coat distributes the weight around evenly makes that work out. Add on a plate carrier with magazines, holster and sidearm, an HF combat knife meant to vibrate hard enough to burn through solid steel, among other equipment Maaka doesn't keep in her Matter Manipulator, and there's a LOT of weight on her shoulders. Sure, she can carry that weight fine thanks to both inhuman strength and sheer manly grit, but it's not exactly pleasant.     That's fine by her, she can take out her anger on the enemy. That's usually why she carries so much gear, beyond "I need it and you never know when you need a specific gun or tool."     As she hops off of her own motorcycle, she retrieves and hefts a SCAR-H CQC battle rifle from the bike's gun holster after mentally going over her gear. Beforehand, Maaka requested some ammunition in .45 ACP, 7.62 NATO, and 12 Gauge magnum from Xiaomu and her organization's quartermaster. THankfully, she got just that from the Huli Jing before getting here, and she is grateful to her friend and colleague in asskicking.     Speaking of those two things, Maaka spies not only Xiaomu but some other familiar sights, stopping beside the fox first. "Thanks again for the ammo, Xiao, wasn't expecting you to actually help out, but I appreciate it." She says with a nod, before approaching towards the towering mouse. "Hey," Maaka claps Mace's arm in a friendly if overly macho manner, as is her want, before she slings the SCAR and adjusts her coat. In the coat's sewn-in scabbard, she keeps a sawed-off Remington Spartan double-barrel holstered, just in case she needs it, as well as packing some wooden stakes she personally sharpened beforehand. Holstered on her plate carrier is an STI Tactical 2011, a double-stack magazine fed version of the classic 1911. "Didn't expect you to show up, but good to see you regardless." She says with a little grin to the Martian mouse, before she looks to see Enya arrive on horseback, with a card and coffin pulled behind the mare. "Seras, Enya, good to see you girls too. John in there?" She asks the perky child of Morrigan, before she begins to head her way towards the tomb, alertly keeping the battle rifle trained downrange as she checks corners and pathways. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      The sound of the odd motorcycle was enough to attract Reimu's attention completely. She began to descend from the daytime sky with a pair of red and white Yin Yang Orbs next to her. Both of them were rotating as they followed her around. As she lands on the ground with her shoes clacking on the ground, she walks inside as well. Her gohei is held out in her right hand as she glanced toward the unusual group.      "I assume that you're here for the job as well, right? If more people are arriving, then this is going to be much easier than I expected."      Afterwards, she glances over to Xiaomu and smiles slightly,      "It's nice to see that a familiar face is here as well." 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' The sound of running footsteps can be heard nearby, along with the sound of someone breathing rapidly. It's getting closer and closer... A few moments later, Rebecca arrives with her hands on her knees, catching her breath before looking up at the others who have gathered, and then surveying the general area. "So this is Wallachia," She comments. Then she spots Xiaomu and a few others she knows, giving them a nod, before taking out her Beretta and loading a fresh clip into it and then turning on the attached flashlight. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan's footfalls were resolute and steady as he, strangely, was able to keep up with most of the more conventional methods of travel for the time period that some of the group took, despite only using his own two legs. He'd considered going inside of the Armor of 77 Rings, but ultimately, he figured that Alucard's sword would easily slip through the gaps and impale him when it would be least fortunate for him, nullifying the defensive boons it would provide.     Seemingly unworn from the trip, Jonathan's eyes slowly wash over the rest of his cohorts. Some sort of eastern maiden, though dressed far more conservatively than Xiaomu, another animal person, Alexis, the vampires, that medic from before, the little girl.. It was a strange group indeed. The fact it was comprised primarily of women did not do his nerves any service, if he were being honest. "If this is everyone, then -- I'll go first." From the gloomy foilage into the aged stone. It was like an ancient cathedral, it didn't bear the imperial omens of Windknight's Castle, but none the less, he could equate this place to something similar. A modern torch, a stick lined with LED lights, was held up to illuminate the room better. " .... a woman." A statue of someone who bore a very close resemblance to the women who'd been attacked, and of course, Maria. More than that, however, was the disturbing resemblance to his own fiance. Jonathan sets the torch down, and presses his hands flat against the statue with a grunt. Buldging muscles expand as he brings his might to bear in pushing the large stone structure aside. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' John emerges from the coffin with a sluggish kind of awareness, the lid haphazardly pushed aside. His first reaction upon looking up into the sky is animal fright. The rays of the sun see him scrambling, first to grab the lid (which has fallen clear of the cart), then to get underneath the cart. But... something is different about this light. It doesn't burn him, for some reason.      That's one hell of a wake up call for a vampire, but once he's clear of the coffin, he takes a look around. Everyone seems to be loaded for bear, here, which is... disappointing, to say the least. On the off chance Alucard is innocent, it's going to look mighty suspicious, seeing allies showing up at his front door with all this firepower.      He's been on this Multiverse kick for a while now, and he knows the best way to keep this from turning into an incident is being there to stop it from happening. He therefore vaults over the side of the cart and enters in. Should no one attempt to stop him, he'll even try to step around people in the hallways to get closer to the middle-front of the group.      "Hardly an evil lair," he remarks as he passes the statue. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     It is a really heavy statue. But otherwise a normal statue, in an otherwise normal temple. Even if the land seems dark. Which really isn't weird, since pretty much the whole WORLD has that whole 'steeped in darkness' feel. However, there IS a 'hollow' feel under the statue. And thusly, as Jonathan pushes at the statue, it slowly begins to slide back -- indeed, re-marking those marks on the floor where the statue has been moved before.     Beneath the statue there is a staircase that leads down into the earth for quite a ways. At the bottom of the stairs there is a short hallway, with three doors -- one to the left, one directly forward, and one to the right. The doors to the left and right both lead to empty rooms with little more than the debris of destroyed rooms. One may have been a library or a study at one time.     The door directly forward of the staircase is the one where most of the attention will probably be focused. It's an open archway, and leads into a room about the same size as the temple room above. There's nothing here but a stone sarcophagus, in the center of the room. Unlike the rest of the place, the sarcophagus itself is very ornate. Intricate rose designs are carved into the sides.     The top of the coffin has an odd symbol carved into it -- a simple cross, with a pair of bat wings sprouting from the top edge, a snarling wolf atop where the two 'bars' of the cross intersect, and wisps of clouds or smoke around the bottom long bar of the cross.     Here, though, the feeling of wrongness starts to set in. Something is here that doesn't belong -- something truly evil in the solemn darkness. As the group enters, the multitude of candelabras on the wall light themselves, with malevolent red flames. But nothing moves yet. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      Reimu begins to follow after Jonathan Joestar closely. The orbs were illuminating the darkness on the way down the staircase with a faint red light. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs and immediately takes a moment to step back.      "Alright, this has the makings of an obvious trap. Come on out and speak with us immediately!"      The red and white orbs begin to spin faster as well as she swings her gohei. As the paper trails through the air, the black haired girl speaks further her joyous tone being in complete contrast with the malevolent flames.      "Because I'd be happy to play around with you otherwise!" 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     More and more people pile on in, some of them people she knows. Maaka and Seras get waves and a smile, Maaka because Eithne sort-of knows her and Seras because she always seems so discouraged. "Yup! I think he's about--" The coffin lid slides off, and there are a few very tense moments for the detective.     After making sure John is all right she walks up next to Jonathan and lays hands on the statue as well, helping him push it faster. She's stronger than she looks.     Though she peeks into the side rooms, the middle chamber is clearly where the important bits are. "Ooooo-er," she murmurs, sidling toward the sarcophagus (and by necessity, past Reimu). "What's this, then?"     ...She's admiring the roses carved into the sides instead of paying attention. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace appears to be counting each of her arriving comrades. "Awesome, I brought :enough Victory Dances." She mutters cheerfully, holding up her other hand for a fistbump with Maaka. She grins cheerfully, leaning across to whisper cheesily "I see dead people!" She giggles, wiggling her antennae. She's half-expecting a punch for that one. As soon as everyone starts getting down to business, she pinches out her smoke and puts the end in a little ashtray. "Yeah yeah I know the deal, don't fire 'till the dude shows himself to be a threat." She follows Joestar and Rizzo along, covering the corners with her shotgun. Her finger remains above the trigger, the mouse having to crouch slightly within the tunnels to fit. WHen Reimu calls out for the person to come out and speak, she lowers the gun, aiming it at the floor. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Once Jonathan starts trying to move the statue, Xiaomu abandons her inspection of the scuff marks and, and if an extra set of soldiers would be handy, she helps him with the pushing. Somebody physically stronger than Xiaomu might be better-suited if it comes to that - she's no weakling, but there are upper limits to how much she can lift or push, and some people have better capacity in that field than she does. If she has a moment to make up for lost greetings, she does so - it's always good to see familiar faces; for Xiaomu, though, pretty much *everyone* here is familiar to a greater or lesser extent. That doesn't stop her from giving Reimu in particular a grin and a thumbs-up before they move on. She heads down the stairs and into the crypt with the others; she's quite happy to let Reimu take the lead, given what the miko had to say about her attacks. But that feeling of wrongness sets her ears to canting back, the fur of her hair-tails fluffing out more visibly than usual; her usual good-natured snark actually peters out as those candelabras flare up in an ominous red hue. Even the way she's carrying herself changes - from a relaxed demeanor to a conscious balancing of her weight, maintaining a poise and position which will let her react quickly to a threat as soon as it presents itself. Most people might not pick up on the nature of that shift ... but she's in the company of Elites, who don't generally fall under the heading of 'most people'. She most noticeably is NOT focusing her full attention on the sarcophagus. She's not ignoring it, but whatever that sense of encroaching evil may be heralding, she's not about to assume the big, ornate coffin is the source of it. Her gaze and her ears angle this way and that, trying to take in as much of 'all of her surroundings' as she can pull off. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka definitely returns the fistbump to Mace, and she snorts in amusement as she gives the mouse a smack on the arm. Not enough to hurt, but definitely a firm rap of her knuckles. She lifts her battle rifle so she isn't flagging Jonathan and Rizzo with the muzzle of a 7.62 select-fire rifle that can punch holes in body armor and concrete with ease, before she trains her weapon on the sarcophagus when they reach it, expecting the worst and preparing herself to react accordingly. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' As soon as Jonathan moves the statue, Rebecca moves into position near him to cover him in case someone or something springs out to attack. Fortunately, there's no such thing, and Rebecca is relieved for the time being. She then notices the stairs and after a moment, shrugs a little. "I guess we're going down." She waits for a few others to go ahead before following behind them. As they go down into the crypt itself, Rebecca's breathing begins to grow a bit heavier and faster as she keeps moving, trying not to get uneasy. One look might spot a few beads of sweat on her forehead, and her lip is quivering a bit. Despite this, she's doing her best to keep a calm face in spite of all of this. She then takes a deep breath and seems to firm up a little. "Stay with it, Becky, you've got this!" Once they're inside, Rebecca sweeps around with her flashlight, looking around for anything that's possibly suspicious or out of the ordinary. She doesn't have danger senses like Xiaomu does, but she does have that gut instinct that's saved her before. "Something's definitely not right here," Rebecca says, scowling a little. "Everyone, stay alert!" 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' John does peer curiously into both of the ruined rooms--but it seems like it's just junk. The main attraction here is the coffin, which Enya seems interested with, as well. "Alucard's an old-fashioned guy," he says to Enya. "Traditional, too," he says, noting the cross on the top with a curious frown. It would of course stand to reason that Alucard, a vampire a few centuries his senior, would be more old-fashioned in his choice of haven.      Occasionally, John has no problem playing along with the narrative. At this point in the novel, something lurks in the room with them, waiting to emerge, announcing its presence with the slightly theatric display of candles suddenly alight. To find this entity, he would of course be expected to call upon Malkav's gifts. And so, to further the narrative, he does.      Upon seeing the candelabras light up, Rizzo searches the room for auras other than those of his allies. "Alucard," he announces. "There's some real itchy trigger fingers in this room," he says, paying a momentary glance to Reimu.      As he talks, he glances around the room in search of auras. "I ain't one of 'em--but I'm one guy. Now, you don't know me, but I came here at my weakest to talk to you, vampire to vampire. Whaddaya say we cut the Orlok routine before these folks fill us with daylight, huh?" One hand cautiously drifts to his neck, fingers dipping under his loose-fitting collar. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' The gloomy gothic decor is depressing Seras in a situation one would think a vampire would be in their element for. But the police girl gazes upon all the rows and rows of candles and the OVERTLY morbid resting place with a look that is... 'really?' written all over it.     Her disinterest in the CLEARLY CLASSIC vampire aesthetic aside though... the place soon gives her a nasty case of the creeps. Her undead body tenses and in a few moments, SERAS, TOO, is radiating some Creepy Vibes of her own as her eyes shift from an innocent blue to focused, determined, and aglow-from-within bloody crimson.     "Come out!" She shouts angrily at the darkness. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan looks appreciable of the help. He was more than strong enough to push it by himself, but the strain on his body would be largely unneccesary considering available help. "You have my gratitude." he says as they begin descending the stairwell. It didn't take long for them to reach another point of interest, accentuated by Reimu's boisterous response. For such a tiny, petit little oriental woman, she sure had a set of lungs on her. Yet, he wasn't so sure that it was so easy that they'd find their mark. He was fairly certain, this omen in the air -- it was different. Unlike what he'd felt before, when he fought the monster. Another being, perhaps? A servant creature of some kind? The vampire's lieutenants? Jonathan's hand rests on the hilt of Luck & Pluck. "Keep your wits about you, everyone." He did not make any flagrant demands of his own. No, he had no need of it -- even if he were wrong, and Alucard were indeed the one exuding this aura, they'd battled before. The vampire could not mistake his reasons for being here as anything else but his destruction if he did not have a very good explanation for his actions. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     A chuckle echoes through the chamber at Reimu's demand. It's a chuckle full of malice and evil, full of intent to harm. Eithne may want to watch herself, because at that moment the sarcophagus starts to open. The lid twists in a circle rather than being pushed aside, leaving the top half of the stone coffin open.     "You want to play?" A gloved hand reaches up and grabs hold of the now sideways lid. It's the same voice Jonathan Joestar heard in his battle with the vampire in Windknight's Lot. But it's not the same feel. There's something different about the voice. It bears the same quality that Dio's did, after his transition to vampire -- pure evil.     The coffin does seem to be where the feeling of wrongness emanates from. But Rebecca's words ring true in more than one way -- those with more sophisticated senses may note that it's not just a vibe of evil. It's a vibe of 'wrong', as if the thing there doesn't belong here. As if it is somehow out of place.     There's movement again, and someone sits up from inside the coffin. To all appearances, it looks like Alucard -- yes, the man that Jonathan fought, in his black cloak and black nobleman's gear. But his eyes glow red, and there is a smile on his face. No, it's more apt to say a smirk. It twists his face into a malicious charade of a smile, displaying one pointed canine tooth. Then he moves again, seeming to skitter out of the coffin much akin to a snake or lizard slithering over stone, flowing to the ground on the other side.     "Oh, but you've brought so many playmates..." he continues on, seeing the amount of people here. "That would hardly be fair, would it? I suppose I should call some of my own..." He reaches out to the the coffin he stands behind. The sense of a magical spell being used, and light shines from inside the open stone coffin. "Arise, my darlings..."     Suddenly more hands begin to reach up from the coffin -- delicate, beautiful hands. They're clearly not literally coming from inside; he's merely using the coffin as a portal. And what crawls out? A gaggle of beautiful women. Yes, all of them blonde and delicate-looking. Their eyes glow menacingly. Alucard notes, that smirk still on his face, "We have guests. Do please entertain them. But don't play too hard. They'll be lovely additions to our family..." 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      The young miko began to float in the air as she got directly out of the way of anyone else the orbs began to fire off sets of blue amulets one after the other. All of them appeared to be coming out of the two orbs at the rate of machine gun fire. Meanwhile, Reimu waved her gohei through the air and an enormous stream of red talismans began to fire forth directly in front of her. The holy elemental talismans hurtled themselves directly toward the doppelganger while the blue, holy elemental amulets threw themselves at both the hands and the zombie ladies.      The look on Reimu's face was surprisingly calm as well. It was perhaps, unnervingly calm. 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     "Traditional, huh?" she murmurs, looking up at John as he starts speaking aloud to the presumably-napping vampire inside the coffin. She can't feel the 'wrongness' in this place so overwhelmed with the psychic scent of death; Wallachia as a whole is playing merry hell with her Death Sense. It's like there's a corpse underneath every tree or something!!     She can feel the rumble of stone on stone as the coffin lid begins to spin - the edge of the lid touches her hip and almost manages to push her out of the way.     Eithne steps out of its way and waits for it to stop. Then she calmly grabs it in both hands and rips it free of its mooring, holding the hundreds-of-pounds slab of stone like an unwieldy parcel.     She lifts it up over her head...     And SLAMS it down onto the coffin itself. "Right then, that's enough sexy vampire ladies fer now," she admonishes, and reaches for one of the succubi to drag her right out of the ruins. GIRL FIGHT 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' His instinct was more or less, on point. Yes, something inherently evil. Something familiar. Staring at the red eyed, sharp toothed, pale haired man with a face beautiful enough to make some women envious brought back rather unpleasant memories of one year previous. But, this feeling was not .. true. Rather, he felt that what he was staring at was a falsity. Almost like a dream so real you could believe it were reality, yet it still held an uncanny quality ... ah. Of course, that had to be it. Before, when he'd fought the creature, there'd been differences. In the teeth, the eyes, and most importantly, the demeanor. It had been a cool, collected menace. Like Bruford's cold gaze. This sheer arrogance was uncharacteristic. Soon, enemies fill the room. Tantalizing, scantily clad women. Jonathan paid them no mind, however, as air seemed to rush into his flaring nostrils. It became apparent why -- his eyes were closed. Their faces and eyes reminded him too much of his dearest to knowingly strike at them. And so, he would not look upon their suffering. His whole body radiated ripples of the sun, as he calmly stepped forward. His body seemed to multiply almost, fading in a half-circle of afterimages in his approach, a serene movement with such mysticism that spoke of danger to any of the enemies that approached. And what seemed like far too quickly, Jonathan arrives at the Vampire, well within attacking distance. "I know not your purpose --- but whether you speak now or hold your silence, I am going to destroy you." 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace sighs a little. "And here was me hoping you'd talk. Pity." She brings up the gun. "Nobody ever wants to talk." And then she takes aim at one of the scantily-clad, glowing-eyed ladies, centring the simple sights on her centre mass and letting fly with a two-round burst of buckshot. At close range like this, if she hits, and they're not immune to lead, it should knock some pretty big holes in them... 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka wasn't sure what to expect, sure as hell wasn't a gaggle of suspiciously sexy women flanking this pretty boy vampire with a grin that makes sharks scared. She takes a breath, hissing as she takes aim at one of the succubi while Jonathan takes care of "Alucard". Impersonator or not, that guy is definitely suspiciously creepy looking enough to be the culprit they've been hunting for.     Her SCAR rifle barks out as the cyborg mercenary takes a few shots at one of the succubi, aiming to splatter that pretty face all across the walls of this tomb. Normally she'd be a little reticent to see anything happen to someone so pretty, but this sort of situation means that fair play comes second to survival, and she can't afford to fuck around with the undead. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Well, looks like Rebecca was on the right track after all. "I knew it was a trap!" Rebecca exclaims, ducking back a little to steady her aim on her handgun. "Sorry, but we're not here for a party I'm afraid!" Rebecca responds to Alucard, before firing upon the nearest succubus with her Beretta. She fires not once, but twice, hoping her bullets cause some damage. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' When your enemy sics succubi on you...     Well, that's when it pays to not be AT ALL interested in girls. Seras face sure does screw up at the unexpected development. A thousand thoughts of WHAT she is dealing with bring all kinds of dread and doubt crossing her face...     But the hesitation is gone. Seras flicks her weapon's safety OFF... and opens fire with blessed silver bullets in burst fire!     One of the supposed-succubi now has a bunch of holy rounds going for her heart and head and much of the flesh in-between. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' This complicates things. John's lived as a vampire long enough to know what evil is, and the reaction Alucard gives to Reimu's challenge surely won't be taken well. What certainly won't be taken well is the knowledge that Alucard not only intends to fight them, but with the aid of recently turned victims, as well.      As the thralls begin to rise from the coffin, Rizzo's hand rises from beneath his collar, revealing a silver medallion. When the stone lid slams shut, the medallion gleams in the light as if in response. It's a medallion of St. Jude, the patron saint of lost causes. Does something human remain within Alucard, or within his thralls? Probably not, but there will always be a ray of hope within him, no matter how dire the circumstances.      A white light emanates from Rizzo amidst all the chaos around him. Kneeling before the sarcophagus, he bows his head and recites scripture in an effort to undo what he hopes is simply ensorcelment, both on Alucard's mind and those of his thralls. It might work, it might not--but anything is better than standing by and watching.      "Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once. Peradventure only ten righetous souls be found within Sodom. And the Lord said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake."      Bullets zip past him, the vampire completely ignoring the thralls and Alucard, all in the name of saving any who might still have a shred of goodness within them. Bullets, magic, and all maner of projectiles zip past him, but his voice barely raises above speaking level even as chaos surrounds him. Even as Jonathan prepares to strike Alucard down, John attempts to use his faith to help, on the off-chance that this sudden shift of heart is the cause of evil magic cast upon him by another. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Out of all the things that Xiaomu had been expecting, that was about three which she WASN'T. Alucard comes out of his coffin all Evil Vampire Lordy, radiating that miasma of ominousness and Bad Things which Xiaomu had been *certain* had to be coming from somebody (or something) else. And he has company - a lot of it. Xiaomu isn't sure at first glance whether they're full-fledged vampires; Jonathan chimes in on the radio that they seem more like succubi. The difference is a little academic at the moment - vampires and succubi both kill by draining something vital, it's just how they go about it that varies, and in any case, letting a succubus get too close and too personal will ruin anyone's day just as fast - even Xiaomu's. Oh, and there's a *portal* in the coffin. Which explains why the sexy undead fangirl mob are coming out of the coffin. Dealing with the coffin portal seems like it should be easy enough: wreck it. Xiaomu calls for it, Eithne makes her way forward and does that with its own lid. That puts a limit on the number of problems; now they just have to bring the tally down. Once the battle has revved up around her and people have their priorities arranged, Xiaomu engages one of the succubi/vampires/whatever, they're blonde and too sexy for anyone's good and they're deadly. Call 'em succubi for now. The sage fox greets one with a hail of gunfire - anti-spirit gunfire, rather than specifically anti-vamp; that was what she had loaded and there's no time for juggling clips. And if the succubus (or not) gets close enough despite bullets in the everywhere, the sage fox channels ice magic out of Suiren to try and freeze the blonde into a solid block of ice .. Followed by just *kicking* the succubucicle as hard as she can, and hopefully sending it (her) sliding into some of the other succubi. Or just into the wall. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     The hail of blue magical pellets from Reimu gets the whole group of vampires on the defensive, and they start dodging. They're not going to dodge all of that, though, not even with supernatural speed, and several of the shots hit (or graze), raising smoke from where they strike.     Eithne, for her part, smashes the coffin pretty easily, and the magic within it sputters to a stop with a small flash and a tiny little magical pop. So there will be no more of the vampire's playthings to fight here. Then again, there are by far enough of them anyway. These women all sport fangs and hiss angrily at the attackers. Doubtless because of a vampire's turning. The women are dressed in filmy dresses that cover them well, though the skirts fade to transparency beginning at their knees. The dresses are various pastel colors, like those a young girl might wear, mockeries of innocence.     Alucard had been standing back, from the looks of things, but then suddenly found himself faced with Jonathan Joestar, way too close for comfort. "What?! How did--?!" That's about all he's got the patience for, it seems, bcause he goes on the offensive. Not with a sword. His gloves are off, literally, and he attack's Jonathan like a beast, clawed hands slashing for the Hamon-practitioner's face.     Leyanne's blast does hit one, and she screeches in an inhuman way as she falls, the blast flinging her back. But having a hole in her stomach doesn't seem to be more than a minor annoyance, and she soon stands up. "Master has no need to explain himself to a RAT!" she shrieks as she leaps at Leyanne. Looks like she's trying to bite her.     Maaka's shots tag one in the side, removing one arm in a smoking mess, but when she fires the second shot, the woman has figured out where the shots are coming from, and is putting on the speed. And she's also charging at Maaka, with the claw-like nails of her remaining arm outstretched.     Rebecca's target is struck by both bullets and staggers back. But she's not down. And now she knows where to aim. Much like the others, she lunges at Rebecca with a hiss, seeking to sink claw-like nails into her.     Seras's target is soon more hole-y than righteous, thanks to the large rounds. But there seems to be a difference here, between these girls and the thralls Seras might have fought in the past. These are tougher, and faster. As such, the thrall drops down under the shots to her head, one grazing the side of her face. ...Uhoh. She seems to pause, bringing her hand to her face as if shocked. "You... damaged my face..." And then a SCREECH! "HOW DARE YOU?!" Think fast, Seras... there's a very angry thrall coming after you, even if she's got smoking holes in her chest!     And then something very strange happens. Rizzo begins to pray... and then Alucard seems to pause. It's probably just long enough to save Jonathan from the attack. And it opens Alucard up to counterattack by Jonathan, too. The thralls, however, seem unmoved.     Xiaomu's got everything worked out, it seems, and her anti-spirit rounds tear into the side of one of the thralls. She gets the same treatment as the rest, it lunges at her. But of course the freezing startles the succu-pire (is that even a word?), and just as Xiaomu had planned, the vampcicle ends up smashing against the wall. That one's not out, but she's down; she needs to get her bearings. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace smirks as the succubus she's going for goes down. But when the thing gets back up, she prepares to open fire. But then she says the word. The R-word. Leyanne sees red. Literally red; her cybernetic optic flicks from green to red and she lets go of her gun, her left hand bending oddly as it pulls one of the stakes from her backpack and grabs it in her fist. All the red lights along the limb suddenly turn green. The mouse leaves herself WIDE open to attack from all angles as she sprints to meet the charging, face-biting succubus. She makes no attempt to avoid her attack. What she does attempt do do, as she comes in range, is thrust the stake so far through her chest that most of her forearm is likely to emerge from the other side. Gas jets from her elbow and shoulder.         "MOMMA DIDN'T RAISE NO STINKIN RAT!" Leyanne bellows, abject rage in her voice. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      Now was a perfect opportunity to go ahead and finish them off one by one. She merely floats to the side as another pair of Yin Yang Orbs appear as well. The four of them begin to spread out and hurtle themselves off directly to the walls of the enormous room. All of them appear to glowing a warm red and seem to sporting no signs of damage. The light that they emit glows a vivid and rather unpleasant shade of red.      "Alright, let's see you dodge this one then!"      She raises her gohei into the air and begins to swing it left and right as well. As she continues to swing it through the air, four lines of yellow talisman streams begin to make themselves evident as the sound of repeated shots being fired fills the air. As she finishes the swing, the four streams begin to curve themselves directly into the positions of the succubi. Meanwhile, the orbs just ricocheted off the walls and each one seems to be bouncing toward the succubi while glowing a rather bright shade of red. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Unfortunately, it seems Rebecca underestimated her enemy. The succubus comes at her and drives her nails into Rebecca's sides. Both of them spots where her kevlar vest doesn't protect her, unfortunately. "Yaahh!" Rebecca cries out in pain, trying to force the succubus off of her. "Dammit, that hurt worse than a Hunter!" She feels her sides where the succubus attacked her and is unsurprised to find blood coming out. The wounds don't seem too deep, but Rebecca knows the succubus means business. After getting the succubus off of her and checking her wound, Rebecca grabs her stun baton and attempts to strike the succubus with that before her enemy can recover fully. 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     There's something nice and simple about a fight, Eithne reflects. You hit the other person until someone stops moving, or the police arrive. A set of sharpened, thick nails rake down the side of her face; in return, she grabs a fistful of the succupire's hair and slams her head down into the stone over and over.     A floating bullet grazes her shoulder and Eithne yelps - that hurt more than it ought to! What the hell are those things even made of? Sadly, that might be just the opportunity the succupire (Eithne has privately named her Pinky for the color of her nightgown) was waiting for... 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka sees as the succubus's arm is taken clean off. She sees Reimu's torrent of...energy balls? Some kinda magic. Anyway, she sees those and promptly books it out of the way, just for the one-armed succubus to slash at her arm. The claws cut through armor and Maaka's jumper, drawing blood as she snarls in pain. "/FUCK OFF!/" she growls loudly, driving the buttstock of her SCAR into the succubus's face, with speed and strength that would pulp a normal human's skull as she tries to swiftly transition to her shotgun, the double-barrel barking loudly as she pulls both triggers to fire point-blank into the she-devil's stomach. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' The claw comes quick, like lightning. Yet. it did nothing but force a deeper frown to his features as he recalled their previous battle. Why attack him with his bare hands like this? Why step into Jonathan's own effective range? Surely the Vampire remembered the last time that happened -- he'd nearly been broiled alive by Hamon. But evidently, the creatures memory eluded him, or ... his suspicions that this was not the same Vampire would prove correct. Moreover, the previous engagement with this Alucard had shown an intelligent, cautious fighter. Not this haughty and rash savage. Red lines scratch across Jonathan's cheek as he waves around the lapsing strike, intent on grasping onto the would-be Dark Lord's wrist, his grip like an iron clamp. The stinging along his cheek bones did nothing to deter him. "Koooooooooooooh............!"         "OVERDRIIIVE!" Jonathan's fist meets Alucard's face, nose first, in a surging blast of ripple transmitting from knuckle to delicate white skin. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' "HYEEEEEK!!!" Seras FLINCHES, and that's a big no-no in combat. She wasn't expecting such terrific SPEED from her opponent and is caught a bit flat-footed...     Or is that the reason? It may have to do with the sudden BIBLE VERSE CHANTING happening nearby that got her squeaking like a hanged banshee.     Either way... the woman claws into Seras' undead flesh - specifically, an exposed arm raised to shield her own face.     The Draculina wails, because GOD that hurts!!     But with a surprisingly adept display of honed footsie, she hooks out with a leg to trip up her opponent the moment her feet are on the ground again... and tries to use this to PIN the succubis into a brutal hold!     "You have one chance--ngghhh!- to go back where you came from, or else!" 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' With the crowd getting sorted out a bit more, Xiaomu has the opportunity to appraise how her assorted allies are doing. Reimu's danmaku makes for excellent crowd control, as well as maintaining aerial superiority on the side of the good guys; the other shooty types are making a good accounting of themselves, as a rule, although the thralls aren't as easily subdued as you'd expect out of regular mooks. So clearly these are not 'regular mooks'. One more useful detail. The sage fox would be happy to help subdue Alucard, but there are still enough thralls at liberty that she can't make much progress in that direction. So, Xiaomu draws a bead on not one but *two* thralls who'd picked her out as a juicy target, sing-songing, "Juu no Kata!" as she practically dances between the two of them - and then she vaults up onto one of the walls, springing off to do a spinning cartwheel over the two of them and pump MORE anti-spirit bullets into the two of them. She should have a relatively clear spot to land in ... or such was her snap judgment at the moment she began that crazy maneuver. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' John finishes his prayer, looking up to see that, of the group within the haven, not one has turned; not Alucard or any of his thralls still standing. True Faith can do a lot, but it can't magically change someone's mind. Even for Malkavians, that takes time and effort, the former of which is in tragically short supply. All around him, succubi are being struck down, and with only one entity even showing a reaction--Alucard.      He hopes beyond hope it isn't a fluke, that there's something left of the man himself behind the monstrous mask serving as his expression. If he can't get to that shred with True Faith, he'll try good old fashioned talking.      Without rising from his spot, the younger vampire casts a somber glance Alucard's way, still surrounded by an aura of bright, white light. Were it not for the stubble and the ill-fitting contemporary clothes, he'd look like a Renaissance portrait of someone being knighted.      This is important. Important enough to drop the charade, if only for a moment, and speak plainly. "Is there no goodness left within you?" In contrast to Alucard's red eyes, John's are human, grey like the statue outside. As Jonathan's fist collides with the elder vampire's face (or at least, the fellow John presumes to be Alucard), those eyes are heavy with sadness... and pity.      He really, really doesn't want to hurt anyone. Hopefully that question will shake something loose just in time for Jonathan to knock the guy off his plates. But there's a lot of hoping going on, and things don't seem to be going the way he'd hoped--especially as Leyanne goes berserk over the insult from one of the succubi.      John rises slowly, and holds the medallion out towards Alucard. The light focuses into a beam, washing over Jonathan. To the vampire (?) it becomes unbearably bright--but it washes harmlessly over the hamon master. If Alucard won't stand down, he'll just have to make it increasingly difficult for him to continue fighting. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     The thrall going for Leyanne thinks she's won. She's broken Leyanne's composure, and made her be reckless. But if she gets her fangs into Leyanne's muzzle, it won't even matter. Why? Because there's a stake going for her heart. And in the next instant it penetrates the flesh. There's nowhere for the thrall to go. She screeches again, this time in agony, as the stake punctures her body... and yes, goes through the other side, along with Leyanne's forearm. Quite a mess, but not for long; the thrall goes limp, and then an instant later crumbles into dust. That's one down.     Reimu's orbs and shots seem to be a constant source of trouble for the thralls. They're unable to coordinate their attacks together, for needing to get out of the way of them. And those bouncing balls, too. The shots start making holes in the girls, and finally one of them goes after Reimu personally. She leaps high enough, but just as she gets in range, one of those bouncing balls hits her and knocks her unceremoniously back to the ground. She's smoking and doesn't get up. But she isn't dust/ash.     The thrall's hands glow red where they've pierced Rebecca. Hopefully Rebecca is smart enough to back off from that, because if she's not she might find her blood being drained. Through the thrall's nails, yes. Rebecca's got a moment either way, though, because as the nails are pulled free, the thrall begins to lick the blood from her fingers. "Mmm... such a delightful taste..." she breathes. Only to be nailed in the side of the head with a taser baton! She's stunned, and staggers back from the strike.     That's absolutely right, too. With her incessant bashing into the ruined stone, Eithne has reduced the face of the thrall she fights to a bloody mess. Yet in that instant she pauses, the thrall turns and tries to lunge right for Eithne's throat with her fangs!     The thrall after Maaka does a similar thing to the one after Rebecca; pausing long enough to lick the blood from her fingers gets her a gun stock in the face, and she screeches as she clutches her abused face and falls. A second screech follows as she finds her belly in a world of pain thanks to the anti-vampire rounds in Maaka's gun. Her stomach is obliterated in a smoking mess. And still she screeches angrily, clawing at Maaka from the ground with her one functional arm.     Jonathan's punch gets the kind of reaction he's used to this time -- the skin smokes and seems to melt at the strike, leaving the vampire's face quite disfigured. The vampire shrieks and falls back, staggering at the attack, but seems less pained and more angry. "You DARE?!" The words are muffled past the way he's clutching his face, though.     Seras may find that trying to pin a thrall is a bad idea. The woman struggles and screeches, seeking to bite any of her opponent's flesh that presents itself as a good target. Seras has a... well, not a 'live' one, but definitely a lively one! There's no sense of anything but a wild animal here, though. This woman's clearly beyond help.     Anti-spirit seems to be pretty effective against them too -- it's draining off whatever enchantment is making them more-than-mooks. In draining it off, it reduces the thrall in question to her proper mook status. So the bullets are then effective as they should be. Soon there's only dust remaining of the pair of thralls Xiaomu unloaded on. Dust which she might land in. Thankfully it's only gross, not diseased.     Rizzo's appearance near Jonathan definitely gives Alucard pause. Even as he clutches his face in pain from Jonathan's last attack, he backs away from the approaching Rizzo. And then he yelps at the bright light, ducking his head. "...Stay BACK!" But there's fear in his voice, as he continues to back away. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     After losing an arm, getting her head bashed in, and two shotgun blasts to the stomach, Maaka sighs with exasperation as the thrall refuses to take the fucking hint. "PLease just be reflexes." She mutters, then Maaka pops the break-action in her shotgun. Reloading shells, Maaka pins the thrall to the ground with her boot, bracing the weapon against her head. She pulls the trigger, firing twice to make certain. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      As the orbs vanish from their bouncing positions, they reappear next to Reimu on the spot. She merely smiles as the four orbs arrange themselves in front of her body. All four of them begin to unleash a much deadlier onslaught of red needles, each of them meant to tear through spirits, evil, and as expected, the undead. The entire stream of needles clump up together as they begin to resemble a small wave. She begins to perform an aerial run as she tries to shoot down the succubi with a much more lethal assault. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace snarls as the succubus' fangs sink into her muzzle. The thrall will get a brief taste of her alien blood before the stake goes through her. She snarls, glaring into her eyes angrily even as she crumbles to dust. With a satisfied snarl, she spits "Bitch. I am not a cunting rat." The mouse looks around, looking for another target, slowly calming down. The red in her eyes slowly fades back to green. Her face is gonna hurt some in the morning... 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' "HYAAAAAAAHHH!!!"     Getting suddenly BITTEN is not what Seras was expecting out of a supposed seductress-demon, if the succubi claim is accurate. The fangs sinking into her arm have her crying out and reverting to esomething less 'trained skill' and more...     Instinctive, angry flailing that will maybe-hopefully shake the thing off. Because she flips sideways and uses all the strength she can muster to DRAG the woman who's latched onto her arm up and around in what's almost a wrestling move. Or something out of a cartoon...     A big up-over-and *WHAM* slam to the ground with enough force to shatter stone! 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Normally, Rebecca would feel bad for Thrall, but the monster deserved it, after what she did. The electric shock should leave Thrall stunned long enough for Rebecca to land another attack against the succubus. "I hope Umbrella doesn't try anything like this. I'd be shredded alive!" Once Rebecca's finished musing to herself, she decides to finish what she started. "How did you like that?" Rebecca asks sarcastically. "I'm just getting started, you know!" Rebecca attempts to drive her baton directly into Thrall this time around, as opposed to just striking her with it. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Two more thralls down - and Xiaomu spares a moment to finish off the one she previously put on ice, before the thrall can regain her bearings and start wreaking havoc again. That matter handled, the sage fox looks around briefly, reloading her handguns - and then holstering them. Why put her handguns away when she just swapped fresh clips into both of them? Mostly because there are a couple more of the succubi-vamp women closing in around her, and they're not even close enough together for gun kata to be as much good. Plus, Xiaomu actively wants to mix things up some more - and once her guns are tucked away, she draws Suiren, ice magic making the air chill into mist as the blade cuts through the air, the staff's shaft/sword's sheath held in her off-hand so she can whack enemies with it. And then she goes to town on her latest crop of adversaries, each slash of her blade marking its passage through an enemy by leaving hoarfrost at the very least, big chunks of ice at the most, wherever Xiaomu wounds her foes. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan pauses as he watches Alucard go down, the Hamon surging into his face. The highly destructive force coursing in his body was certainly doing its work. If it had been any other vampire, Jonathan would not have given it a second thought, but because of their previous encounter, he couldn't help but pay close attention. His Hamon had done more damage here than it did previously. In other words, certainly, this could not be the same vampire. Not just a mind-controlled or otherwise possessed Alucard, no. The creature he fought then and the relative weakling he was fighting now, they were entirely different. Rizzo's light, and his change of demeanor washes over the both of them. Strange, yes, it caught a surprised look from the nobleman. But the last of the Joestars knew well how deadly it could be to not pay proper attention to your quarry, and as a result, his sword is drawn in a flash and pressed against Alucard's skull, ready to deliver a seismic Hamon shock at a moment's notice. "You're not the one called 'Alucard', creature. Call off your fiends." A fact stated with a hard voice. "Reveal yourself." 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     As if getting grazed by weird extra-holy energy bullets wasn't bad enough, the succupire she'd been beating on goes right for her face as soon as she's distracted. Eithne rocks back on her heels, arms up to protect her face, and gets a wristful of teeth for her trouble. Her blood's not like most.     But alas, Pinky only gets a fleeting taste of it. Eithne's free hand clamps down like a vise on her neck and tears the succubus off. She picks her up like a sack of potatoes and slams her down into the stone. Again, and again, and again.     And then she picks the poor woman up, still by the neck, and bashes her head in with a large chunk of coffin lid. "--feckin' arsehole goin' around in yer nightie, bitin' perfectly decent people and bein' a tatty nuisance!" she finishes, and tears the woman's head clean off with her bare hands. There is an impressive splatter, then dust. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' A light of a different, more figurative kind flashes across Rizzo's stony eyes. Hope. He wants very much to believe what Jonathan says, that this creature isn't Alucard. Indeed--he had't even intended to repel, but this creature recoiled as if by instinct.      At least, in his experience, most vampires don't know True Faith for what it is. Not until it burns them, or is explicitly used against them. Which... kind of starts a suspicious spark in his mind. "...the power of Christ compels you! Begone, unclean spirit! Out, you agent of Satan! In Jesus' name, I command you!"      A column of force rushes past Rizzo with such ferocity that dust sitting upon the ground is kicked up like the spray of a powerful boat crossing the ocean at high speed. His trench coat billows behind him as this invisible force rushes harmlessly through Jonathan on its way to Alucard. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Maaka's thrall is finally dust -- the first shot turns the brain to dust, and the rest of the thrall along with it. The second shot hits the ground unimpeded and cracks the stone.     Reimu's assault this time is indeed far more deadly -- the anti-evil shots seem particularly affective, raising smoke from where they hit. And another one bites the dust. Or becomes dust, in this case.     In the brief instant after the fangs strike home, Seras may feel blood being drained. And the injuries that this particular thrall had begin to close. Seras's blood is particularly potent, as she is a vampire herself, sired by an even more powerful one -- perhaps the most powerful vampire in her world. But it's not enough to make the thrall stronger. Strength has to be RESTORED before it can be increased, and Seras's flailing assures that the thrall can't stay attached long enough. And the bashing into the ground assures she's not going to stay in battle condition much longer. Seras might just continue until the thrall finally turns to dust.     Rebecca might not want to taunt too long; the thrall recovers quickly from her shock, and this time, as the baton is driven at her, grabs the haft of the weapon. She's supernaturally strong, so she just might be able to hold it back. Grapple time?     Xiaomu's ice sword cuts into the thralls, leaving ice in its wake. Even if it doesn't dismember them, it will leave behind enough ice to make moving difficult. Which will make it easier for Xiaomu to destroy them, since they can't move as easily.     Eithne's certainly dealt with her problem messily. But then, dust isn't quite so bad as bloodspatter. Then again there's a lot of both in that case. But that means the number of thralls are thinning out. By now there are only a few left, and those are injured. They should be easily dealt with.     'Alucard' doesn't really have much of a choice but to stay put, Jonathan has a sword on him. Thing is, Alucard could still turn to mist and escape. But this one doesn't. However, he blinks, looking up at Jonathan. "...Alucard...?" Blink. "Y-young master...?" The red glow is starting to fade from his eyes.     It's Rizzo's words, and his subsequent power, that drives the red fully from his eyes. A scream of pain and surprise, and the man falls to the ground. And his shape changes. No, as Jonathan thought, it ISN'T Alucard. Though this one could pass for his brother. He's dressed like Alucard, but his hair's shorter now, and darker -- more greyish than platinum blonde. His chin is wider than Alucard's, his lips thinner. And as he opens his eyes, they're still red, but that appears to be their color. They're not glowing. And he looks confused. "What... where...?" 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      This was starting to get a bit too easy at the moment. None of them were unleashing any bullets and normally that's what happens by now. As her attention shifts over to Rebecca, she sighs,      "Give me a moment!"      Afterwards, she promptly turns around and a large spray of anti spirit red talismans are sent forth toward the thrall grappling with Rebecca. Meanwhile, the blue homing, holy amulets have returned except now, they're curving backwards and moving directly toward the other thralls anyway. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' WHAM! WHAM! *WHAM!*     Again and again Seras screams bloody murder and REALLY IS TRYING TO DO JUST THAT to the thrall who bit her and drained her. with both hands clutching the woman's legs she - again and again - raises her up over her and slams her back down. Three, five, seven times!     But about then the police girl's panic recedes enough that she remembers the pistol at her side... and rapidly draws this and unloads half a clip of holy rounds straight into the back of her opponent's head. And heart. Several shots for each.     "Haaaah... whew... she BIT ME!"     This should HOPEFULLY be enough to put the thrall down and reduce her to dust... but whatever the case...     WHATEVER the case, when Rizzo starts chanting from the good book, Seras makes another panicked flaily yelp and hurls herself away from the confrontation with fear in her eyes. Whether it's his power affecting her or something else... who can say.     But when 'Alucard' drops in a daze, looking rather different...     "A trick? It was all a trick...? Then...who wants this young man dead...? No, that doesn't make any sense. Whoever did this to him COULD have killed him... if we'd killed him, what would..."     Welp. This case just got MORE confusing. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka breathes heavily as she holsters the shotgun, and she holds the SCAR on NOT!Alucard as the vampire shapeshifts. "...wait, what the hell?" It's like someone just got unbrainwashed, the cyborg supposes, as she approaches him warily. "Anybody awake in there?" She asks, lowering the rifle and letting it hang on her sling as she kneels and snaps fingers repeatedly at the grey haired man. "So we have a /lot/ of questions to ask, looks like." She muses. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace surges forward, the lights on her arm still glowing green. She sprints towards Rebecca, taking a few hits from the spray of red talismans but she ignores them; her red armour protects her, mostly. A few cuts are visible, but she doesn't pay much attention. Instead, she works on punching the thrall latched onto Rebecca in the side of the head. Probably hard enough to punch the thrall's head clean off. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' The thralls may be thinning out, but they aren't all disposed of yet - and even if the control over them is starting to fray some, the threats haven't all evaporated quite yet. But before Xiaomu can pick one of the remaining targets, two things happen. The first is Leyanne decking the living (and/or undead) hell out of the thrall who was about to give Chambers a bad time. The second ... is on the radio, and it's enough for Xiaomu to focus on confirming how much room they have between the good guys and the entrance, respectively, and whether any thralls are potentially in the path of a hasty retreat. At least she can focus on making sure the path is clear. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' So, it was an illusion after all. Perhaps even the thralls' apparent sapience was illusion--now that this imposter has been knocked down, they all seem to... power down? It's like watching the light fade on an old cathode-ray tube TV, gradually shrinking into a pinpoint and winking out. Perhaps there wasn't even a shred of thought in them, without this creature to pull the strings. If that's so... maybe there's some way to turn the lights back on--for those who are still alive, anyway.      Rizzo sighs, looking at those who turned to dust. Stupid. Slow. If only he'd been faster. If only he'd caught on sooner, there would be more left. It's his fault... but he can't mourn them now, nor can he atone. He has to get back In Character, or the blood of millions will be on his hands.      Shoving his hands into his pockets, he approaches the prone vampire and looks down on him. "John Rizzo, private dick. The torpedo with the sword here's Jonathan Joestar." He then points out each respective Elite that he's met, giving a name for each--Xiaomu, who he's at least familiar with from their time in the Union, Seras and Maaka, who he's become acquainted with over the course of their mutual investigations, and Enya, who may as well be family by this point. "Not too familiar with the rest of the trigger men here, but they're good people. Sure they'd tell you if you asked."      He kneels before the other vampire. "The 'what' is, some demon got the bulge on you and me and Jonathan had to send him back to the big house. He made tracks before we could finger him. The 'where' is Alucard's pad--or we thought it was, anyhow. Guess it was a trip for biscuits." 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     The good feelings from getting her kill on don't last very long in the face of the revelation that comes to them over the radio. If Eithne could go any paler, she might.     Her horse isn't fast enough - it's not a pegasus, or the Black or the Grey. That floaty girl, though, ought to be plenty fast. She chews her bottom lip in angry thought, but short of rushing off into a probable ambush there isn't anything she can do. By the time they all get back to Windknight's Lot, whoever it is will either be long gone, or there will be reinforcements waiting for them.     With a sudden explosive burst of power, the Scion kicks the wall hard enough to dislodge dust from between the stones.     Then, rage momentarily vented, she goes to check on the not!Alucard guy in a cape. "Y'all right, then?" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     The thralls have stopped now that the not-Alucard has been revealed as who he is. They are no longer attacking. There's only a couple left anyway. With this, it won't be too difficult for Reimu's shots to destroy them, since they're making no effort to dodge or attack her.     Leyanne fixes the thrall's little red wagon, too, knocking her block off expertly. The thrall turns to dust and is no longer a threat to anyone. Also Rebecca gets her baton back.     The thrall attacking Seras is quickly dealt with, too. Whether it's the slamming into the floor or the bullets to vital areas, the thrall is soon dust.     Rizzo's words get a blink from the injured young man. "What? How... no, wait. I remember..." He suddenly looks frightened. "Magnus! You have to stop him! He has something horrible planned for young master Alucard!" He blinks at Eithne's kicking of the wall. Her question gets a nod. "I will be fine. You must stop Magnus, before..."     Suddenly a crack of thunder and a screech of agony echoes from the doorway. Those turning to look? It's Alucard! And there's a couple piles of dust at his feet. And he does not look happy. If one can tell, that is; his expression is usually deadpan. "...What is the meaning of this?" That's the tone Jonathan should remember from their fight. It's calm and almost cold.     But then there is emotion there, as he looks past to Jonathan and sees the young man on the ground. His gray eyes widen, and he gasps, "Lyudmil!" In a flash he's crossing the room, trying to dodge past others to get to the young man. Apparently he knows him.     And so does the young man. "Young master!" He tries to rise, but fails. He's too injured. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka listens to the radio. Her gut is twisted and her calm is...compromised. The only thing that makes sense right now for her is to hunt down this "Magnus" and terminate him with IMMENSE abhorrence like the piece of filth that he is. Of course...thing is he has a hostage, and she has no idea where to find him right now. So right now, she needs to maybe dial it back.     Her rage briefly flashes up again upon spying Alucard, THE REAL Alucard, before he moves past everyone with downright unearthly speed that leaves her aiming a gun at thin air by the time she spins around.     "...he has the girl." She says frostily towards the Dhampir. "We need to act now, unless we want to have pieces of a man's wife mailed to us one by one every week." explains the cyborg, before she makes a move for the exit, to get to her bike.     They REALLY can't afford to sit around. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      The young miko merely flies down to the ground and lands on her own two feet. The four orbs promptly dematerialize as she carefully walks to the rest of the group.      "Alright, tell me where he is and I'll get on it right away. Judging by the conversation on that weird metal device, I assume that he'll expect you guys, but is there a chance that he'll know anything about me?" 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' What sucks most about the pieces falling into place the way they just did is how far SOME of the pieces landed from where they'd been expected to show up. It doesn't come as much of a surprise to Xiaomu that the real villain is, in fact, somebody entirely other than Alucard. She had a feeling there was missing information - you don't join the law-abiding faction if you're set on resurrecting a castle pretty much built out of evil. Sure, there were possible explanations, but she wasn't going to buy them until Alucard himself said that was his intention. Somebody ELSE apparently wants Castlevania back, and it isn't Dracula's heir apparent. And Magnus is, from all current appearances, utterly committed to being as evil as he thinks he needs to be in order to get what he says he wants. Maybe worse. A point comes in the conversation where Xiaomu *has* to speak up - she's seen this dynamic, the pattern of monsters being feared and hated and driven out by humans, only for the monsters to become even more monstrous to 'get back' at humans, whatever language they dress it up in. Magnus can't see the look on the fox girl's face; her allies in the crypt generally *can*, and it's a look of pained desparation - she wants to sympathize with Magnus, but that sympathy runs out against a solid stone wall when he's threatening (or actually doing harm to) innocents. ... also, there's the fact that, again, the 'home' he wants to go back to is Castlevania. And he's trying to forcibly drag Alucard into the side of the 'monsters' to make him *want* to. At this point, Xiaomu's just leaning on her staff, holding it with her left hand, while her right hand has drawn out the 'baton' her lightcycle formed when de-rezzed. She's just toying with it for now, twirling it idly in her fingers, but she's plainly ready to break out the wheels and just pour on the speed when the conversation runs into its all-but-inevitable dead-end ... 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace growls quietly as she listens to what's going on. Normally, this would be the time she'd hand out cigars, but... this doesn't feel like a victory to dance at. She stays silent, checking on Rebecca. She adds her opinion to the radio discussion, rolling herself a cigarette and waiting for the order to roll out. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan pays no heed to Alucard. His sword had been sheathed after the doppleganger had been unveiled and the truth revealed. The look on his face was unlike any expression Jonathan had worn before. Xiaomu looked sympathetic, but Jonathan -- he looked livid. Not the rabid, red-seeing rage sometimes described in books or what have you, but the kind of red hot rage that drove a man far past his conceivable limits. Everyone here continues to try and talk him down. Alucard might recognize the look on his face, if he cared enough to examine it. It was a hairs trigger away from the kind of fury that drove Dracula to his darkness during Trevor Belmont's age. The kind of vitriolic fuel that could warp someone if it weren't addressed. Crackles of hamon-turned-lightning danced between his grit teeth as he marched up the stairwell. The others could make peace all they wanted, but they wouldn't have long to convince Magnus to give up and repent. Because Jonathan had a very good idea where the talkative vampire was, just from the hints he dropped. Not far away, in a ruined castle.     Only one such place fit the locale.     It was time to return to Windknight's Castle. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard looks to Maaka. "Wait. We should present a united front." A look to Jonathan. "And he knows the area better than I do. He will know best how to enter the area. As it seems Magnus has set up in the old castle there in Windknight's Lot."     Reimu gets a look from Alucard. "You are a priestess? You would be invaluable; Magnus is a demon, and has unholy magics. You could be the key to breaking them."     A look to Jonathan then. "...I should apologize to you." Pause. He knows that look. "...But right now, it is not important. I will help you. This is partly my fault. Allow me to tend Lyudmil, and then I will go with you. 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     Eithne Sullivan looks at Alucard. Then looks at the coffin she absolutely obliterated.     The dark-haired girl slooooowly sidesteps away from the ruins and may in fact be trying to disappear behind John's coat. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      "That's normally what I do in life for the most part. Also, thank you for taking note of that. Not many people seem to notice and I'd be happy to help out for free again."      She grips her gohei in her right hand as she takes a deep breath.      "I can also make barriers and fly if needed as well." 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace stays out of the way and listens. Her eye stays green, but there are little smouldering red flecks flickering through the optic's status display. Her arm has returned to red glow, indicating all the assists are shut down, but her fist remains clenched, and rotating at a slow 1-2 RPM at the wrist joint. "Fuck off are we letting you do this alone, dude." She mutters, sourly. "Not a fucking chance mate." 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     If this were a cartoon, Maaka would be making that comical tire squeal noise as Alucard bids her to stop. She looks to him, and just narrows her eyes. That said, she's willing to hear the dhampir out after some clarification. "We're going to kill him." She says, in no uncertain tones. There's gonna be MURDER on the horizon, for Magnus. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' John's coat is big even on his lanky frame. There's room for hiding, and he doesn't make any overt moves to stop her from doing so. No, he's far too busy trying to wrap his head around the ethics of this situation. On the one hand, Magnus is literally a demon--an agent of Satan. But, even Jesus himself allowed Legion to flee when the demons asked mercy. It's a conundrum.      Perhaps... the fact that he's a demon means that judgment has already been passed. Even if that's the case, is there any other way this could go? Any way this could end without violence? If he withholds mercy even from one being, what's to stop him from doing it to the next? This is going to be something that defines the rest of his unlife. So what's a vampire to do?      Well... if he's going to make a stupid mistake, it's better that he makes that mistake erring on the side of forgiveness. After a long silence, he speaks up. "I'll help you," he says, mirroring his sentiment from the last time he was in this position.      "But if he waves the white flag you better believe I'll lay off." Besides--if there's the option to do so, and Magnus is indeed shown mercy... or rather, if John can /convince/ everyone, the humans of the group included, to show mercy? Maybe, just maybe, he'll reevaluate his stance on humans. It's one hell of a long shot, but that's John's raison d'être.      "I'll stick around till sundown, then I gotta blast." With that... he takes a moment to kneel before the ashes of the thralls, uttering quiet prayers of expedient rest and beseechments of forgiveness for his complicity in their deaths. 
}}

5523/Soliloquy of Reproach: Beset

2017-10-21T14:30:55Z

DariRyu: Fixing a few typos

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/10/20
|Location=Castlevania World
|Synopsis=A group of people go to Alucard's tomb to confront him for his role in the attacks at Windknight's Lot. A fight ensues and Alucard summons several beautiful thralls to battle the group. However, "Alucard" is revealed to be someone else -- a vampire named Lyudmil, a servant of Alucard's from long ago, mind-controlled by an incubus named Magnus. While the group is in Wallachia, Erina Pendleton is kidnapped by Magnus. He demands that Alucard raise Castlevania... or he will kill Erina.
|Cast of Characters=1128, 1100, 1016, 1084, 707, 571, 972, 290, 1107, 1011
|Tinyplot=Soliloquy of Reproach
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:''' -= AFTERNOON, WALLACHIA'S FORESTS =-     Maria's map led into a dark world full of gothic horrors and vast forests. In specific, her map also led to a small clearing in the woods. Most of the world had something of an unsettling aura, even to those who were native to there. But this clearing seems oddly tranquil, as if even the natural animals don't want to break the silence. It's not an air of fear, though. It's the solemn air of a church during mass.     But there is also a feeling of darkness. Not necessarily evil. But dark. Something that flees the light, even in daylight. And here, even in broad daylight it's dim, something about the environment leaving sunlight dampened and thin in this area. It should be easier for any vampires investigating this to not get burned to a crisp. Which should make this easier.     The clearing is not empty, though. There is a small building there, like a small temple. It's a small temple, only a single room, but the room is a large one. In the center of the room there is a statue of a woman in somber reflection. She isn't praying, but her head is down, her hands folded in her lap. The statue-woman wears a hooded garment like many saints in Christianity are depicted.     It's worth mentioning that there's no other visible exit to the room except the door to enter, and there's no tomb in that temple. But Maria has furnished the group with information here, too. The statue sits atop the entrance to Adrian's tomb. And there are marks where it has been moved very recently. Perhaps the vampire is in his tomb even now? 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne's entrance is heralded by the growling thrumm of a Harley Davidson. It's quite the feat to navigate a big, snorting hog through the forests, but somehow Tiny's managed it, pulling the oversized mile-eater up next to the tomb. She's heard on the grapevine that at least one fellow Watchman needs help... even if she was also warned that said watchman was 'a bit of a fruit loop'. She's not one to judge; there are many who would consider her a bit of one too. Especially after her BASE jump off the big Ravinica tower. The giant, red-armoured mouse steps off her bike and pulls off her helmet, shaking out her long, blue hair and tying it back into a ponytail. Her beret is placed on her head, and its position adjusted in the wingmirror. Then she opens up her panniers and starts preparing her weapons. Today, Leyanne is packing relatively lightly. A P-90 is clipped to the right side of her backpack, followed by several large, round drum magazines, which she feeds into a slot in the side of her backpack. From the other pannier, she pulls out a Atchisson Assault shotgun, the long-barreled model, and slips in another drum. She racks the slide, and then holds the gun in her left hand, finger above the trigger guard out of habit. Then, several wooden fencing spikes, about a foot and a half long, are tucked into the side of the pack, where they can be easily grabbed by either hand. Finally, a small wooden humidor goes into the pack, before she hefts the whole thing up and settles it on her back. THen nonchalantly, she leans against the tomb, next to the entrance, and lights up a cigarette. 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     Death rides a dark horse today. Also, it's actually just Death's kid, and the horse is dark because Eithne had finally talked her new mount into being something spookier than 'a soggy white horse'.     So she's riding astride the back of a black mare, a simple leather bridle and harness the only tack. The harness is in turn attached to a small farm cart, with a wooden coffin inside. A sassy juvenile crow rides on the edge of the cart, occasionally knocking on the lid with his beak.     Eithne has basically given up on getting Sheela to behave, and just hopes John Rizzo won't emerge with a splitting headache or anything.     Upon arrival, she hops off the horse's back and raps twice on the coffin lid. "We're here! It's even all dim and everything," she comments, turning back to the horse to remove the harness and set it inside the cart. "Behave, all right?" she tells the crow and horse sternly. Sheela flaps his wings and caws at her; the horse snorts and bares sharp fangs. Eithne rolls her eyes and heads for the temple-church-mausoleum thingy. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' "Of all the places to stick your lair," Seras warbles out in a hazy, almost out-of-it manner, "A gloomy forest?" The sunlight here is subdued and suppressed, the gloomy aura of this place a bit more suitable for a dark creature like her. And yet Seras still seems unhappy about the locale.     She's brought the same weapon as before - a sizable semi-automatic rifle that's about as long as she is tall. A pistol's holstered at her side, and several pouches on her belt are clearly holding extra ammo.     Seras Victoria pauses upon reaching the clearing, her eyes fixed and widening on that statue. A woman of great faith...? She slowly blinks a few times and relaxes.     Because the incongruity of the situation is just too gobsmacking. A kill squad waltzes in and finds a serene statue of a praying woman?     Seras makes a doubt-filled grunt.     Seras is clearly losing motivation for this operation. The mood is ALL wrong. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Whatever the era may be in Wallachia, Xiaomu didn't feel like wasting a lot of time walking; she committed the map to memory as best she could, and handled navigating most of the way to the indicated coordinates on her light cycle. The final approach is done on foot, though - light cycles may not be as noisy as your typical internal-combustion engine, but they DO make a certain amount of noise. She's geared up more or less as usual, save that her carry-pack has some specialty anti-vampire ammunition - plus two clips carried more readily, with the other magazines she toes around for occasional reloading. Also some holy water (Shinto-style rather than Christian, but water is water and blessings are blessings, right?). She does not appear to be carrying wooden stakes, garlic, or a crucifix. She has her Buddhist monk's staff (and the sword therein concealed), she presumably has her handguns. That's really all she feels a need for. And while she's waiting for everyone else to arrive, the sage fox busies herself checking the area around the statue - looking for scuff marks or the like - and giving Leyanne the occasional withering look when smoke from that cigarette wafts in Xiaomu's direction. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka hates wearing this coat. Her trenchcoat is a knee-length, glorified smock lined with bullet proof kevlar material that gives it a weight of twenty pounds soaking wet. A regular human would be insane to wear this thing day to day, but Maaka's enhanced strength and the fact the coat distributes the weight around evenly makes that work out. Add on a plate carrier with magazines, holster and sidearm, an HF combat knife meant to vibrate hard enough to burn through solid steel, among other equipment Maaka doesn't keep in her Matter Manipulator, and there's a LOT of weight on her shoulders. Sure, she can carry that weight fine thanks to both inhuman strength and sheer manly grit, but it's not exactly pleasant.     That's fine by her, she can take out her anger on the enemy. That's usually why she carries so much gear, beyond "I need it and you never know when you need a specific gun or tool."     As she hops off of her own motorcycle, she retrieves and hefts a SCAR-H CQC battle rifle from the bike's gun holster after mentally going over her gear. Beforehand, Maaka requested some ammunition in .45 ACP, 7.62 NATO, and 12 Gauge magnum from Xiaomu and her organization's quartermaster. THankfully, she got just that from the Huli Jing before getting here, and she is grateful to her friend and colleague in asskicking.     Speaking of those two things, Maaka spies not only Xiaomu but some other familiar sights, stopping beside the fox first. "Thanks again for the ammo, Xiao, wasn't expecting you to actually help out, but I appreciate it." She says with a nod, before approaching towards the towering mouse. "Hey," Maaka claps Mace's arm in a friendly if overly macho manner, as is her want, before she slings the SCAR and adjusts her coat. In the coat's sewn-in scabbard, she keeps a sawed-off Remington Spartan double-barrel holstered, just in case she needs it, as well as packing some wooden stakes she personally sharpened beforehand. Holstered on her plate carrier is an STI Tactical 2011, a double-stack magazine fed version of the classic 1911. "Didn't expect you to show up, but good to see you regardless." She says with a little grin to the Martian mouse, before she looks to see Enya arrive on horseback, with a card and coffin pulled behind the mare. "Seras, Enya, good to see you girls too. John in there?" She asks the perky child of Morrigan, before she begins to head her way towards the tomb, alertly keeping the battle rifle trained downrange as she checks corners and pathways. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      The sound of the odd motorcycle was enough to attract Reimu's attention completely. She began to descend from the daytime sky with a pair of red and white Yin Yang Orbs next to her. Both of them were rotating as they followed her around. As she lands on the ground with her shoes clacking on the ground, she walks inside as well. Her gohei is held out in her right hand as she glanced toward the unusual group.      "I assume that you're here for the job as well, right? If more people are arriving, then this is going to be much easier than I expected."      Afterwards, she glances over to Xiaomu and smiles slightly,      "It's nice to see that a familiar face is here as well." 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' The sound of running footsteps can be heard nearby, along with the sound of someone breathing rapidly. It's getting closer and closer... A few moments later, Rebecca arrives with her hands on her knees, catching her breath before looking up at the others who have gathered, and then surveying the general area. "So this is Wallachia," She comments. Then she spots Xiaomu and a few others she knows, giving them a nod, before taking out her Beretta and loading a fresh clip into it and then turning on the attached flashlight. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan's footfalls were resolute and steady as he, strangely, was able to keep up with most of the more conventional methods of travel for the time period that some of the group took, despite only using his own two legs. He'd considered going inside of the Armor of 77 Rings, but ultimately, he figured that Alucard's sword would easily slip through the gaps and impale him when it would be least fortunate for him, nullifying the defensive boons it would provide.     Seemingly unworn from the trip, Jonathan's eyes slowly wash over the rest of his cohorts. Some sort of eastern maiden, though dressed far more conservatively than Xiaomu, another animal person, Alexis, the vampires, that medic from before, the little girl.. It was a strange group indeed. The fact it was comprised primarily of women did not do his nerves any service, if he were being honest. "If this is everyone, then -- I'll go first." From the gloomy foilage into the aged stone. It was like an ancient cathedral, it didn't bear the imperial omens of Windknight's Castle, but none the less, he could equate this place to something similar. A modern torch, a stick lined with LED lights, was held up to illuminate the room better. " .... a woman." A statue of someone who bore a very close resemblance to the women who'd been attacked, and of course, Maria. More than that, however, was the disturbing resemblance to his own fiance. Jonathan sets the torch down, and presses his hands flat against the statue with a grunt. Buldging muscles expand as he brings his might to bear in pushing the large stone structure aside. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' John emerges from the coffin with a sluggish kind of awareness, the lid haphazardly pushed aside. His first reaction upon looking up into the sky is animal fright. The rays of the sun see him scrambling, first to grab the lid (which has fallen clear of the cart), then to get underneath the cart. But... something is different about this light. It doesn't burn him, for some reason.      That's one hell of a wake up call for a vampire, but once he's clear of the coffin, he takes a look around. Everyone seems to be loaded for bear, here, which is... disappointing, to say the least. On the off chance Alucard is innocent, it's going to look mighty suspicious, seeing allies showing up at his front door with all this firepower.      He's been on this Multiverse kick for a while now, and he knows the best way to keep this from turning into an incident is being there to stop it from happening. He therefore vaults over the side of the cart and enters in. Should no one attempt to stop him, he'll even try to step around people in the hallways to get closer to the middle-front of the group.      "Hardly an evil lair," he remarks as he passes the statue. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     It is a really heavy statue. But otherwise a normal statue, in an otherwise normal temple. Even if the land seems dark. Which really isn't weird, since pretty much the whole WORLD has that whole 'steeped in darkness' feel. However, there IS a 'hollow' feel under the statue. And thusly, as Jonathan pushes at the statue, it slowly begins to slide back -- indeed, re-marking those marks on the floor where the statue has been moved before.     Beneath the statue there is a staircase that leads down into the earth for quite a ways. At the bottom of the stairs there is a short hallway, with three doors -- one to the left, one directly forward, and one to the right. The doors to the left and right both lead to empty rooms with little more than the debris of destroyed rooms. One may have been a library or a study at one time.     The door directly forward of the staircase is the one where most of the attention will probably be focused. It's an open archway, and leads into a room about the same size as the temple room above. There's nothing here but a stone sarcophagus, in the center of the room. Unlike the rest of the place, the sarcophagus itself is very ornate. Intricate rose designs are carved into the sides.     The top of the coffin has an odd symbol carved into it -- a simple cross, with a pair of bat wings sprouting from the top edge, a snarling wolf atop where the two 'bars' of the cross intersect, and wisps of clouds or smoke around the bottom long bar of the cross.     Here, though, the feeling of wrongness starts to set in. Something is here that doesn't belong -- something truly evil in the solemn darkness. As the group enters, the multitude of candelabras on the wall light themselves, with malevolent red flames. But nothing moves yet. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      Reimu begins to follow after Jonathan Joestar closely. The orbs were illuminating the darkness on the way down the staircase with a faint red light. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs and immediately takes a moment to step back.      "Alright, this has the makings of an obvious trap. Come on out and speak with us immediately!"      The red and white orbs begin to spin faster as well as she swings her gohei. As the paper trails through the air, the black haired girl speaks further her joyous tone being in complete contrast with the malevolent flames.      "Because I'd be happy to play around with you otherwise!" 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     More and more people pile on in, some of them people she knows. Maaka and Seras get waves and a smile, Maaka because Eithne sort-of knows her and Seras because she always seems so discouraged. "Yup! I think he's about--" The coffin lid slides off, and there are a few very tense moments for the detective.     After making sure John is all right she walks up next to Jonathan and lays hands on the statue as well, helping him push it faster. She's stronger than she looks.     Though she peeks into the side rooms, the middle chamber is clearly where the important bits are. "Ooooo-er," she murmurs, sidling toward the sarcophagus (and by necessity, past Reimu). "What's this, then?"     ...She's admiring the roses carved into the sides instead of paying attention. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace appears to be counting each of her arriving comrades. "Awesome, I brought :enough Victory Dances." She mutters cheerfully, holding up her other hand for a fistbump with Maaka. She grins cheerfully, leaning across to whisper cheesily "I see dead people!" She giggles, wiggling her antennae. She's half-expecting a punch for that one. As soon as everyone starts getting down to business, she pinches out her smoke and puts the end in a little ashtray. "Yeah yeah I know the deal, don't fire 'till the dude shows himself to be a threat." She follows Joestar and Rizzo along, covering the corners with her shotgun. Her finger remains above the trigger, the mouse having to crouch slightly within the tunnels to fit. WHen Reimu calls out for the person to come out and speak, she lowers the gun, aiming it at the floor. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Once Jonathan starts trying to move the statue, Xiaomu abandons her inspection of the scuff marks and, and if an extra set of soldiers would be handy, she helps him with the pushing. Somebody physically stronger than Xiaomu might be better-suited if it comes to that - she's no weakling, but there are upper limits to how much she can lift or push, and some people have better capacity in that field than she does. If she has a moment to make up for lost greetings, she does so - it's always good to see familiar faces; for Xiaomu, though, pretty much *everyone* here is familiar to a greater or lesser extent. That doesn't stop her from giving Reimu in particular a grin and a thumbs-up before they move on. She heads down the stairs and into the crypt with the others; she's quite happy to let Reimu take the lead, given what the miko had to say about her attacks. But that feeling of wrongness sets her ears to canting back, the fur of her hair-tails fluffing out more visibly than usual; her usual good-natured snark actually peters out as those candelabras flare up in an ominous red hue. Even the way she's carrying herself changes - from a relaxed demeanor to a conscious balancing of her weight, maintaining a poise and position which will let her react quickly to a threat as soon as it presents itself. Most people might not pick up on the nature of that shift ... but she's in the company of Elites, who don't generally fall under the heading of 'most people'. She most noticeably is NOT focusing her full attention on the sarcophagus. She's not ignoring it, but whatever that sense of encroaching evil may be heralding, she's not about to assume the big, ornate coffin is the source of it. Her gaze and her ears angle this way and that, trying to take in as much of 'all of her surroundings' as she can pull off. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka definitely returns the fistbump to Mace, and she snorts in amusement as she gives the mouse a smack on the arm. Not enough to hurt, but definitely a firm rap of her knuckles. She lifts her battle rifle so she isn't flagging Jonathan and Rizzo with the muzzle of a 7.62 select-fire rifle that can punch holes in body armor and concrete with ease, before she trains her weapon on the sarcophagus when they reach it, expecting the worst and preparing herself to react accordingly. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' As soon as Jonathan moves the statue, Rebecca moves into position near him to cover him in case someone or something springs out to attack. Fortunately, there's no such thing, and Rebecca is relieved for the time being. She then notices the stairs and after a moment, shrugs a little. "I guess we're going down." She waits for a few others to go ahead before following behind them. As they go down into the crypt itself, Rebecca's breathing begins to grow a bit heavier and faster as she keeps moving, trying not to get uneasy. One look might spot a few beads of sweat on her forehead, and her lip is quivering a bit. Despite this, she's doing her best to keep a calm face in spite of all of this. She then takes a deep breath and seems to firm up a little. "Stay with it, Becky, you've got this!" Once they're inside, Rebecca sweeps around with her flashlight, looking around for anything that's possibly suspicious or out of the ordinary. She doesn't have danger senses like Xiaomu does, but she does have that gut instinct that's saved her before. "Something's definitely not right here," Rebecca says, scowling a little. "Everyone, stay alert!" 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' John does peer curiously into both of the ruined rooms--but it seems like it's just junk. The main attraction here is the coffin, which Enya seems interested with, as well. "Alucard's an old-fashioned guy," he says to Enya. "Traditional, too," he says, noting the cross on the top with a curious frown. It would of course stand to reason that Alucard, a vampire a few centuries his senior, would be more old-fashioned in his choice of haven.      Occasionally, John has no problem playing along with the narrative. At this point in the novel, something lurks in the room with them, waiting to emerge, announcing its presence with the slightly theatric display of candles suddenly alight. To find this entity, he would of course be expected to call upon Malkav's gifts. And so, to further the narrative, he does.      Upon seeing the candelabras light up, Rizzo searches the room for auras other than those of his allies. "Alucard," he announces. "There's some real itchy trigger fingers in this room," he says, paying a momentary glance to Reimu.      As he talks, he glances around the room in search of auras. "I ain't one of 'em--but I'm one guy. Now, you don't know me, but I came here at my weakest to talk to you, vampire to vampire. Whaddaya say we cut the Orlok routine before these folks fill us with daylight, huh?" One hand cautiously drifts to his neck, fingers dipping under his loose-fitting collar. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' The gloomy gothic decor is depressing Seras in a situation one would think a vampire would be in their element for. But the police girl gazes upon all the rows and rows of candles and the OVERTLY morbid resting place with a look that is... 'really?' written all over it.     Her disinterest in the CLEARLY CLASSIC vampire aesthetic aside though... the place soon gives her a nasty case of the creeps. Her undead body tenses and in a few moments, SERAS, TOO, is radiating some Creepy Vibes of her own as her eyes shift from an innocent blue to focused, determined, and aglow-from-within bloody crimson.     "Come out!" She shouts angrily at the darkness. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan looks appreciable of the help. He was more than strong enough to push it by himself, but the strain on his body would be largely unneccesary considering available help. "You have my gratitude." he says as they begin descending the stairwell. It didn't take long for them to reach another point of interest, accentuated by Reimu's boisterous response. For such a tiny, petit little oriental woman, she sure had a set of lungs on her. Yet, he wasn't so sure that it was so easy that they'd find their mark. He was fairly certain, this omen in the air -- it was different. Unlike what he'd felt before, when he fought the monster. Another being, perhaps? A servant creature of some kind? The vampire's lieutenants? Jonathan's hand rests on the hilt of Luck & Pluck. "Keep your wits about you, everyone." He did not make any flagrant demands of his own. No, he had no need of it -- even if he were wrong, and Alucard were indeed the one exuding this aura, they'd battled before. The vampire could not mistake his reasons for being here as anything else but his destruction if he did not have a very good explanation for his actions. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     A chuckle echoes through the chamber at Reimu's demand. It's a chuckle full of malice and evil, full of intent to harm. Eithne may want to watch herself, because at that moment the sarcophagus starts to open. The lid twists in a circle rather than being pushed aside, leaving the top half of the stone coffin open.     "You want to play?" A gloved hand reaches up and grabs hold of the now sideways lid. It's the same voice Jonathan Joestar heard in his battle with the vampire in Windknight's Lot. But it's not the same feel. There's something different about the voice. It bears the same quality that Dio's did, after his transition to vampire -- pure evil.     The coffin does seem to be where the feeling of wrongness emanates from. But Rebecca's words ring true in more than one way -- those with more sophisticated senses may note that it's not just a vibe of evil. It's a vibe of 'wrong', as if the thing there doesn't belong here. As if it is somehow out of place.     There's movement again, and someone sits up from inside the coffin. To all appearances, it looks like Alucard -- yes, the man that Jonathan fought, in his black cloak and black nobleman's gear. But his eyes glow red, and there is a smile on his face. No, it's more apt to say a smirk. It twists his face into a malicious charade of a smile, displaying one pointed canine tooth. Then he moves again, seeming to skitter out of the coffin much akin to a snake or lizard slithering over stone, flowing to the ground on the other side.     "Oh, but you've brought so many playmates..." he continues on, seeing the amount of people here. "That would hardly be fair, would it? I suppose I should call some of my own..." He reaches out to the the coffin he stands behind. The sense of a magical spell being used, and light shines from inside the open stone coffin. "Arise, my darlings..."     Suddenly more hands begin to reach up from the coffin -- delicate, beautiful hands. They're clearly not literally coming from inside; he's merely using the coffin as a portal. And what crawls out? A gaggle of beautiful women. Yes, all of them blonde and delicate-looking. Their eyes glow menacingly. Alucard notes, that smirk still on his face, "We have guests. Do please entertain them. But don't play too hard. They'll be lovely additions to our family..." 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      The young miko began to float in the air as she got directly out of the way of anyone else the orbs began to fire off sets of blue amulets one after the other. All of them appeared to be coming out of the two orbs at the rate of machine gun fire. Meanwhile, Reimu waved her gohei through the air and an enormous stream of red talismans began to fire forth directly in front of her. The holy elemental talismans hurtled themselves directly toward the doppelganger while the blue, holy elemental amulets threw themselves at both the hands and the zombie ladies.      The look on Reimu's face was surprisingly calm as well. It was perhaps, unnervingly calm. 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     "Traditional, huh?" she murmurs, looking up at John as he starts speaking aloud to the presumably-napping vampire inside the coffin. She can't feel the 'wrongness' in this place so overwhelmed with the psychic scent of death; Wallachia as a whole is playing merry hell with her Death Sense. It's like there's a corpse underneath every tree or something!!     She can feel the rumble of stone on stone as the coffin lid begins to spin - the edge of the lid touches her hip and almost manages to push her out of the way.     Eithne steps out of its way and waits for it to stop. Then she calmly grabs it in both hands and rips it free of its mooring, holding the hundreds-of-pounds slab of stone like an unwieldy parcel.     She lifts it up over her head...     And SLAMS it down onto the coffin itself. "Right then, that's enough sexy vampire ladies fer now," she admonishes, and reaches for one of the succubi to drag her right out of the ruins. GIRL FIGHT 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' His instinct was more or less, on point. Yes, something inherently evil. Something familiar. Staring at the red eyed, sharp toothed, pale haired man with a face beautiful enough to make some women envious brought back rather unpleasant memories of one year previous. But, this feeling was not .. true. Rather, he felt that what he was staring at was a falsity. Almost like a dream so real you could believe it were reality, yet it still held an uncanny quality ... ah. Of course, that had to be it. Before, when he'd fought the creature, there'd been differences. In the teeth, the eyes, and most importantly, the demeanor. It had been a cool, collected menace. Like Bruford's cold gaze. This sheer arrogance was uncharacteristic. Soon, enemies fill the room. Tantalizing, scantily clad women. Jonathan paid them no mind, however, as air seemed to rush into his flaring nostrils. It became apparent why -- his eyes were closed. Their faces and eyes reminded him too much of his dearest to knowingly strike at them. And so, he would not look upon their suffering. His whole body radiated ripples of the sun, as he calmly stepped forward. His body seemed to multiply almost, fading in a half-circle of afterimages in his approach, a serene movement with such mysticism that spoke of danger to any of the enemies that approached. And what seemed like far too quickly, Jonathan arrives at the Vampire, well within attacking distance. "I know not your purpose --- but whether you speak now or hold your silence, I am going to destroy you." 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace sighs a little. "And here was me hoping you'd talk. Pity." She brings up the gun. "Nobody ever wants to talk." And then she takes aim at one of the scantily-clad, glowing-eyed ladies, centring the simple sights on her centre mass and letting fly with a two-round burst of buckshot. At close range like this, if she hits, and they're not immune to lead, it should knock some pretty big holes in them... 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka wasn't sure what to expect, sure as hell wasn't a gaggle of suspiciously sexy women flanking this pretty boy vampire with a grin that makes sharks scared. She takes a breath, hissing as she takes aim at one of the succubi while Jonathan takes care of "Alucard". Impersonator or not, that guy is definitely suspiciously creepy looking enough to be the culprit they've been hunting for.     Her SCAR rifle barks out as the cyborg mercenary takes a few shots at one of the succubi, aiming to splatter that pretty face all across the walls of this tomb. Normally she'd be a little reticent to see anything happen to someone so pretty, but this sort of situation means that fair play comes second to survival, and she can't afford to fuck around with the undead. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Well, looks like Rebecca was on the right track after all. "I knew it was a trap!" Rebecca exclaims, ducking back a little to steady her aim on her handgun. "Sorry, but we're not here for a party I'm afraid!" Rebecca responds to Alucard, before firing upon the nearest succubus with her Beretta. She fires not once, but twice, hoping her bullets cause some damage. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' When your enemy sics succubi on you...     Well, that's when it pays to not be AT ALL interested in girls. Seras face sure does screw up at the unexpected development. A thousand thoughts of WHAT she is dealing with bring all kinds of dread and doubt crossing her face...     But the hesitation is gone. Seras flicks her weapon's safety OFF... and opens fire with blessed silver bullets in burst fire!     One of the supposed-succubi now has a bunch of holy rounds going for her heart and head and much of the flesh in-between. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' This complicates things. John's lived as a vampire long enough to know what evil is, and the reaction Alucard gives to Reimu's challenge surely won't be taken well. What certainly won't be taken well is the knowledge that Alucard not only intends to fight them, but with the aid of recently turned victims, as well.      As the thralls begin to rise from the coffin, Rizzo's hand rises from beneath his collar, revealing a silver medallion. When the stone lid slams shut, the medallion gleams in the light as if in response. It's a medallion of St. Jude, the patron saint of lost causes. Does something human remain within Alucard, or within his thralls? Probably not, but there will always be a ray of hope within him, no matter how dire the circumstances.      A white light emanates from Rizzo amidst all the chaos around him. Kneeling before the sarcophagus, he bows his head and recites scripture in an effort to undo what he hopes is simply ensorcelment, both on Alucard's mind and those of his thralls. It might work, it might not--but anything is better than standing by and watching.      "Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once. Peradventure only ten righetous souls be found within Sodom. And the Lord said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake."      Bullets zip past him, the vampire completely ignoring the thralls and Alucard, all in the name of saving any who might still have a shred of goodness within them. Bullets, magic, and all maner of projectiles zip past him, but his voice barely raises above speaking level even as chaos surrounds him. Even as Jonathan prepares to strike Alucard down, John attempts to use his faith to help, on the off-chance that this sudden shift of heart is the cause of evil magic cast upon him by another. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Out of all the things that Xiaomu had been expecting, that was about three which she WASN'T. Alucard comes out of his coffin all Evil Vampire Lordy, radiating that miasma of ominousness and Bad Things which Xiaomu had been *certain* had to be coming from somebody (or something) else. And he has company - a lot of it. Xiaomu isn't sure at first glance whether they're full-fledged vampires; Jonathan chimes in on the radio that they seem more like succubi. The difference is a little academic at the moment - vampires and succubi both kill by draining something vital, it's just how they go about it that varies, and in any case, letting a succubus get too close and too personal will ruin anyone's day just as fast - even Xiaomu's. Oh, and there's a *portal* in the coffin. Which explains why the sexy undead fangirl mob are coming out of the coffin. Dealing with the coffin portal seems like it should be easy enough: wreck it. Xiaomu calls for it, Eithne makes her way forward and does that with its own lid. That puts a limit on the number of problems; now they just have to bring the tally down. Once the battle has revved up around her and people have their priorities arranged, Xiaomu engages one of the succubi/vampires/whatever, they're blonde and too sexy for anyone's good and they're deadly. Call 'em succubi for now. The sage fox greets one with a hail of gunfire - anti-spirit gunfire, rather than specifically anti-vamp; that was what she had loaded and there's no time for juggling clips. And if the succubus (or not) gets close enough despite bullets in the everywhere, the sage fox channels ice magic out of Suiren to try and freeze the blonde into a solid block of ice .. Followed by just *kicking* the succubucicle as hard as she can, and hopefully sending it (her) sliding into some of the other succubi. Or just into the wall. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     The hail of blue magical pellets from Reimu gets the whole group of vampires on the defensive, and they start dodging. They're not going to dodge all of that, though, not even with supernatural speed, and several of the shots hit (or graze), raising smoke from where they strike.     Eithne, for her part, smashes the coffin pretty easily, and the magic within it sputters to a stop with a small flash and a tiny little magical pop. So there will be no more of the vampire's playthings to fight here. Then again, there are by far enough of them anyway. These women all sport fangs and hiss angrily at the attackers. Doubtless because of a vampire's turning. The women are dressed in filmy dresses that cover them well, though the skirts fade to transparency beginning at their knees. The dresses are various pastel colors, like those a young girl might wear, mockeries of innocence.     Alucard had been standing back, from the looks of things, but then suddenly found himself faced with Jonathan Joestar, way too close for comfort. "What?! How did--?!" That's about all he's got the patience for, it seems, bcause he goes on the offensive. Not with a sword. His gloves are off, literally, and he attack's Jonathan like a beast, clawed hands slashing for the Hamon-practitioner's face.     Leyanne's blast does hit one, and she screeches in an inhuman way as she falls, the blast flinging her back. But having a hole in her stomach doesn't seem to be more than a minor annoyance, and she soon stands up. "Master has no need to explain himself to a RAT!" she shrieks as she leaps at Leyanne. Looks like she's trying to bite her.     Maaka's shots tag one in the side, removing one arm in a smoking mess, but when she fires the second shot, the woman has figured out where the shots are coming from, and is putting on the speed. And she's also charging at Maaka, with the claw-like nails of her remaining arm outstretched.     Rebecca's target is struck by both bullets and staggers back. But she's not down. And now she knows where to aim. Much like the others, she lunges at Rebecca with a hiss, seeking to sink claw-like nails into her.     Seras's target is soon more hole-y than righteous, thanks to the large rounds. But there seems to be a difference here, between these girls and the thralls Seras might have fought in the past. These are tougher, and faster. As such, the thrall drops down under the shots to her head, one grazing the side of her face. ...Uhoh. She seems to pause, bringing her hand to her face as if shocked. "You... damaged my face..." And then a SCREECH! "HOW DARE YOU?!" Think fast, Seras... there's a very angry thrall coming after you, even if she's got smoking holes in her chest!     And then something very strange happens. Rizzo begins to pray... and then Alucard seems to pause. It's probably just long enough to save Jonathan from the attack. And it opens Alucard up to counterattack by Jonathan, too. The thralls, however, seem unmoved.     Xiaomu's got everything worked out, it seems, and her anti-spirit rounds tear into the side of one of the thralls. She gets the same treatment as the rest, it lunges at her. But of course the freezing startles the succu-pire (is that even a word?), and just as Xiaomu had planned, the vampcicle ends up smashing against the wall. That one's not out, but she's down; she needs to get her bearings. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace smirks as the succubus she's going for goes down. But when the thing gets back up, she prepares to open fire. But then she says the word. The R-word. Leyanne sees red. Literally red; her cybernetic optic flicks from green to red and she lets go of her gun, her left hand bending oddly as it pulls one of the stakes from her backpack and grabs it in her fist. All the red lights along the limb suddenly turn green. The mouse leaves herself WIDE open to attack from all angles as she sprints to meet the charging, face-biting succubus. She makes no attempt to avoid her attack. What she does attempt do do, as she comes in range, is thrust the stake so far through her chest that most of her forearm is likely to emerge from the other side. Gas jets from her elbow and shoulder.         "MOMMA DIDN'T RAISE NO STINKIN RAT!" Leyanne bellows, abject rage in her voice. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      Now was a perfect opportunity to go ahead and finish them off one by one. She merely floats to the side as another pair of Yin Yang Orbs appear as well. The four of them begin to spread out and hurtle themselves off directly to the walls of the enormous room. All of them appear to glowing a warm red and seem to sporting no signs of damage. The light that they emit glows a vivid and rather unpleasant shade of red.      "Alright, let's see you dodge this one then!"      She raises her gohei into the air and begins to swing it left and right as well. As she continues to swing it through the air, four lines of yellow talisman streams begin to make themselves evident as the sound of repeated shots being fired fills the air. As she finishes the swing, the four streams begin to curve themselves directly into the positions of the succubi. Meanwhile, the orbs just ricocheted off the walls and each one seems to be bouncing toward the succubi while glowing a rather bright shade of red. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Unfortunately, it seems Rebecca underestimated her enemy. The succubus comes at her and drives her nails into Rebecca's sides. Both of them spots where her kevlar vest doesn't protect her, unfortunately. "Yaahh!" Rebecca cries out in pain, trying to force the succubus off of her. "Dammit, that hurt worse than a Hunter!" She feels her sides where the succubus attacked her and is unsurprised to find blood coming out. The wounds don't seem too deep, but Rebecca knows the succubus means business. After getting the succubus off of her and checking her wound, Rebecca grabs her stun baton and attempts to strike the succubus with that before her enemy can recover fully. 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     There's something nice and simple about a fight, Eithne reflects. You hit the other person until someone stops moving, or the police arrive. A set of sharpened, thick nails rake down the side of her face; in return, she grabs a fistful of the succupire's hair and slams her head down into the stone over and over.     A floating bullet grazes her shoulder and Eithne yelps - that hurt more than it ought to! What the hell are those things even made of? Sadly, that might be just the opportunity the succupire (Eithne has privately named her Pinky for the color of her nightgown) was waiting for... 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka sees as the succubus's arm is taken clean off. She sees Reimu's torrent of...energy balls? Some kinda magic. Anyway, she sees those and promptly books it out of the way, just for the one-armed succubus to slash at her arm. The claws cut through armor and Maaka's jumper, drawing blood as she snarls in pain. "/FUCK OFF!/" she growls loudly, driving the buttstock of her SCAR into the succubus's face, with speed and strength that would pulp a normal human's skull as she tries to swiftly transition to her shotgun, the double-barrel barking loudly as she pulls both triggers to fire point-blank into the she-devil's stomach. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' The claw comes quick, like lightning. Yet. it did nothing but force a deeper frown to his features as he recalled their previous battle. Why attack him with his bare hands like this? Why step into Jonathan's own effective range? Surely the Vampire remembered the last time that happened -- he'd nearly been broiled alive by Hamon. But evidently, the creatures memory eluded him, or ... his suspicions that this was not the same Vampire would prove correct. Moreover, the previous engagement with this Alucard had shown an intelligent, cautious fighter. Not this haughty and rash savage. Red lines scratch across Jonathan's cheek as he waves around the lapsing strike, intent on grasping onto the would-be Dark Lord's wrist, his grip like an iron clamp. The stinging along his cheek bones did nothing to deter him. "Koooooooooooooh............!"         "OVERDRIIIVE!" Jonathan's fist meets Alucard's face, nose first, in a surging blast of ripple transmitting from knuckle to delicate white skin. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' "HYEEEEEK!!!" Seras FLINCHES, and that's a big no-no in combat. She wasn't expecting such terrific SPEED from her opponent and is caught a bit flat-footed...     Or is that the reason? It may have to do with the sudden BIBLE VERSE CHANTING happening nearby that got her squeaking like a hanged banshee.     Either way... the woman claws into Seras' undead flesh - specifically, an exposed arm raised to shield her own face.     The Draculina wails, because GOD that hurts!!     But with a surprisingly adept display of honed footsie, she hooks out with a leg to trip up her opponent the moment her feet are on the ground again... and tries to use this to PIN the succubis into a brutal hold!     "You have one chance--ngghhh!- to go back where you came from, or else!" 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' With the crowd getting sorted out a bit more, Xiaomu has the opportunity to appraise how her assorted allies are doing. Reimu's danmaku makes for excellent crowd control, as well as maintaining aerial superiority on the side of the good guys; the other shooty types are making a good accounting of themselves, as a rule, although the thralls aren't as easily subdued as you'd expect out of regular mooks. So clearly these are not 'regular mooks'. One more useful detail. The sage fox would be happy to help subdue Alucard, but there are still enough thralls at liberty that she can't make much progress in that direction. So, Xiaomu draws a bead on not one but *two* thralls who'd picked her out as a juicy target, sing-songing, "Juu no Kata!" as she practically dances between the two of them - and then she vaults up onto one of the walls, springing off to do a spinning cartwheel over the two of them and pump MORE anti-spirit bullets into the two of them. She should have a relatively clear spot to land in ... or such was her snap judgment at the moment she began that crazy maneuver. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' John finishes his prayer, looking up to see that, of the group within the haven, not one has turned; not Alucard or any of his thralls still standing. True Faith can do a lot, but it can't magically change someone's mind. Even for Malkavians, that takes time and effort, the former of which is in tragically short supply. All around him, succubi are being struck down, and with only one entity even showing a reaction--Alucard.      He hopes beyond hope it isn't a fluke, that there's something left of the man himself behind the monstrous mask serving as his expression. If he can't get to that shred with True Faith, he'll try good old fashioned talking.      Without rising from his spot, the younger vampire casts a somber glance Alucard's way, still surrounded by an aura of bright, white light. Were it not for the stubble and the ill-fitting contemporary clothes, he'd look like a Renaissance portrait of someone being knighted.      This is important. Important enough to drop the charade, if only for a moment, and speak plainly. "Is there no goodness left within you?" In contrast to Alucard's red eyes, John's are human, grey like the statue outside. As Jonathan's fist collides with the elder vampire's face (or at least, the fellow John presumes to be Alucard), those eyes are heavy with sadness... and pity.      He really, really doesn't want to hurt anyone. Hopefully that question will shake something loose just in time for Jonathan to knock the guy off his plates. But there's a lot of hoping going on, and things don't seem to be going the way he'd hoped--especially as Leyanne goes berserk over the insult from one of the succubi.      John rises slowly, and holds the medallion out towards Alucard. The light focuses into a beam, washing over Jonathan. To the vampire (?) it becomes unbearably bright--but it washes harmlessly over the hamon master. If Alucard won't stand down, he'll just have to make it increasingly difficult for him to continue fighting. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     The thrall going for Leyanne thinks she's won. She's broken Leyanne's composure, and made her be reckless. But if she gets her fangs into Leyanne's muzzle, it won't even matter. Why? Because there's a stake going for her heart. And in the next instant it penetrates the flesh. There's nowhere for the thrall to go. She screeches again, this time in agony, as the stake punctures her body... and yes, goes through the other side, along with Leyanne's forearm. Quite a mess, but not for long; the thrall goes limp, and then an instant later crumbles into dust. That's one down.     Reimu's orbs and shots seem to be a constant source of trouble for the thralls. They're unable to coordinate their attacks together, for needing to get out of the way of them. And those bouncing balls, too. The shots start making holes in the girls, and finally one of them goes after Reimu personally. She leaps high enough, but just as she gets in range, one of those bouncing balls hits her and knocks her unceremoniously back to the ground. She's smoking and doesn't get up. But she isn't dust/ash.     The thrall's hands glow red where they've pierced Rebecca. Hopefully Rebecca is smart enough to back off from that, because if she's not she might find her blood being drained. Through the thrall's nails, yes. Rebecca's got a moment either way, though, because as the nails are pulled free, the thrall begins to lick the blood from her fingers. "Mmm... such a delightful taste..." she breathes. Only to be nailed in the side of the head with a taser baton! She's stunned, and staggers back from the strike.     That's absolutely right, too. With her incessant bashing into the ruined stone, Eithne has reduced the face of the thrall she fights to a bloody mess. Yet in that instant she pauses, the thrall turns and tries to lunge right for Eithne's throat with her fangs!     The thrall after Maaka does a similar thing to the one after Rebecca; pausing long enough to lick the blood from her fingers gets her a gun stock in the face, and she screeches as she clutches her abused face and falls. A second screech follows as she finds her belly in a world of pain thanks to the anti-vampire rounds in Maaka's gun. Her stomach is obliterated in a smoking mess. And still she screeches angrily, clawing at Maaka from the ground with her one functional arm.     Jonathan's punch gets the kind of reaction he's used to this time -- the skin smokes and seems to melt at the strike, leaving the vampire's face quite disfigured. The vampire shrieks and falls back, staggering at the attack, but seems less pained and more angry. "You DARE?!" The words are muffled past the way he's clutching his face, though.     Seras may find that trying to pin a thrall is a bad idea. The woman struggles and screeches, seeking to bite any of her opponent's flesh that presents itself as a good target. Seras has a... well, not a 'live' one, but definitely a lively one! There's no sense of anything but a wild animal here, though. This woman's clearly beyond help.     Anti-spirit seems to be pretty effective against them too -- it's draining off whatever enchantment is making them more-than-mooks. In draining it off, it reduces the thrall in question to her proper mook status. So the bullets are then effective as they should be. Soon there's only dust remaining of the pair of thralls Xiaomu unloaded on. Dust which she might land in. Thankfully it's only gross, not diseased.     Rizzo's appearance near Jonathan definitely gives Alucard pause. Even as he clutches his face in pain from Jonathan's last attack, he backs away from the approaching Rizzo. And then he yelps at the bright light, ducking his head. "...Stay BACK!" But there's fear in his voice, as he continues to back away. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     After losing an arm, getting her head bashed in, and two shotgun blasts to the stomach, Maaka sighs with exasperation as the thrall refuses to take the fucking hint. "PLease just be reflexes." She mutters, then Maaka pops the break-action in her shotgun. Reloading shells, Maaka pins the thrall to the ground with her boot, bracing the weapon against her head. She pulls the trigger, firing twice to make certain. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      As the orbs vanish from their bouncing positions, they reappear next to Reimu on the spot. She merely smiles as the four orbs arrange themselves in front of her body. All four of them begin to unleash a much deadlier onslaught of red needles, each of them meant to tear through spirits, evil, and as expected, the undead. The entire stream of needles clump up together as they begin to resemble a small wave. She begins to perform an aerial run as she tries to shoot down the succubi with a much more lethal assault. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace snarls as the succubus' fangs sink into her muzzle. The thrall will get a brief taste of her alien blood before the stake goes through her. She snarls, glaring into her eyes angrily even as she crumbles to dust. With a satisfied snarl, she spits "Bitch. I am not a cunting rat." The mouse looks around, looking for another target, slowly calming down. The red in her eyes slowly fades back to green. Her face is gonna hurt some in the morning... 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' "HYAAAAAAAHHH!!!"     Getting suddenly BITTEN is not what Seras was expecting out of a supposed seductress-demon, if the succubi claim is accurate. The fangs sinking into her arm have her crying out and reverting to esomething less 'trained skill' and more...     Instinctive, angry flailing that will maybe-hopefully shake the thing off. Because she flips sideways and uses all the strength she can muster to DRAG the woman who's latched onto her arm up and around in what's almost a wrestling move. Or something out of a cartoon...     A big up-over-and *WHAM* slam to the ground with enough force to shatter stone! 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Normally, Rebecca would feel bad for Thrall, but the monster deserved it, after what she did. The electric shock should leave Thrall stunned long enough for Rebecca to land another attack against the succubus. "I hope Umbrella doesn't try anything like this. I'd be shredded alive!" Once Rebecca's finished musing to herself, she decides to finish what she started. "How did you like that?" Rebecca asks sarcastically. "I'm just getting started, you know!" Rebecca attempts to drive her baton directly into Thrall this time around, as opposed to just striking her with it. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Two more thralls down - and Xiaomu spares a moment to finish off the one she previously put on ice, before the thrall can regain her bearings and start wreaking havoc again. That matter handled, the sage fox looks around briefly, reloading her handguns - and then holstering them. Why put her handguns away when she just swapped fresh clips into both of them? Mostly because there are a couple more of the succubi-vamp women closing in around her, and they're not even close enough together for gun kata to be as much good. Plus, Xiaomu actively wants to mix things up some more - and once her guns are tucked away, she draws Suiren, ice magic making the air chill into mist as the blade cuts through the air, the staff's shaft/sword's sheath held in her off-hand so she can whack enemies with it. And then she goes to town on her latest crop of adversaries, each slash of her blade marking its passage through an enemy by leaving hoarfrost at the very least, big chunks of ice at the most, wherever Xiaomu wounds her foes. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan pauses as he watches Alucard go down, the Hamon surging into his face. The highly destructive force coursing in his body was certainly doing its work. If it had been any other vampire, Jonathan would not have given it a second thought, but because of their previous encounter, he couldn't help but pay close attention. His Hamon had done more damage here than it did previously. In other words, certainly, this could not be the same vampire. Not just a mind-controlled or otherwise possessed Alucard, no. The creature he fought then and the relative weakling he was fighting now, they were entirely different. Rizzo's light, and his change of demeanor washes over the both of them. Strange, yes, it caught a surprised look from the nobleman. But the last of the Joestars knew well how deadly it could be to not pay proper attention to your quarry, and as a result, his sword is drawn in a flash and pressed against Alucard's skull, ready to deliver a seismic Hamon shock at a moment's notice. "You're not the one called 'Alucard', creature. Call off your fiends." A fact stated with a hard voice. "Reveal yourself." 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     As if getting grazed by weird extra-holy energy bullets wasn't bad enough, the succupire she'd been beating on goes right for her face as soon as she's distracted. Eithne rocks back on her heels, arms up to protect her face, and gets a wristful of teeth for her trouble. Her blood's not like most.     But alas, Pinky only gets a fleeting taste of it. Eithne's free hand clamps down like a vise on her neck and tears the succubus off. She picks her up like a sack of potatoes and slams her down into the stone. Again, and again, and again.     And then she picks the poor woman up, still by the neck, and bashes her head in with a large chunk of coffin lid. "--feckin' arsehole goin' around in yer nightie, bitin' perfectly decent people and bein' a tatty nuisance!" she finishes, and tears the woman's head clean off with her bare hands. There is an impressive splatter, then dust. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' A light of a different, more figurative kind flashes across Rizzo's stony eyes. Hope. He wants very much to believe what Jonathan says, that this creature isn't Alucard. Indeed--he had't even intended to repel, but this creature recoiled as if by instinct.      At least, in his experience, most vampires don't know True Faith for what it is. Not until it burns them, or is explicitly used against them. Which... kind of starts a suspicious spark in his mind. "...the power of Christ compels you! Begone, unclean spirit! Out, you agent of Satan! In Jesus' name, I command you!"      A column of force rushes past Rizzo with such ferocity that dust sitting upon the ground is kicked up like the spray of a powerful boat crossing the ocean at high speed. His trench coat billows behind him as this invisible force rushes harmlessly through Jonathan on its way to Alucard. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Maaka's thrall is finally dust -- the first shot turns the brain to dust, and the rest of the thrall along with it. The second shot hits the ground unimpeded and cracks the stone.     Reimu's assault this time is indeed far more deadly -- the anti-evil shots seem particularly affective, raising smoke from where they hit. And another one bites the dust. Or becomes dust, in this case.     In the brief instant after the fangs strike home, Seras may feel blood being drained. And the injuries that this particular thrall had begin to close. Seras's blood is particularly potent, as she is a vampire herself, sired by an even more powerful one -- perhaps the most powerful vampire in her world. But it's not enough to make the thrall stronger. Strength has to be RESTORED before it can be increased, and Seras's flailing assures that the thrall can't stay attached long enough. And the bashing into the ground assures she's not going to stay in battle condition much longer. Seras might just continue until the thrall finally turns to dust.     Rebecca might not want to taunt too long; the thrall recovers quickly from her shock, and this time, as the baton is driven at her, grabs the haft of the weapon. She's supernaturally strong, so she just might be able to hold it back. Grapple time?     Xiaomu's ice sword cuts into the thralls, leaving ice in its wake. Even if it doesn't dismember them, it will leave behind enough ice to make moving difficult. Which will make it easier for Xiaomu to destroy them, since they can't move as easily.     Eithne's certainly dealt with her problem messily. But then, dust isn't quite so bad as bloodspatter. Then again there's a lot of both in that case. But that means the number of thralls are thinning out. By now there are only a few left, and those are injured. They should be easily dealt with.     'Alucard' doesn't really have much of a choice but to stay put, Jonathan has a sword on him. Thing is, Alucard could still turn to mist and escape. But this one doesn't. However, he blinks, looking up at Jonathan. "...Alucard...?" Blink. "Y-young master...?" The red glow is starting to fade from his eyes.     It's Rizzo's words, and his subsequent power, that drives the red fully from his eyes. A scream of pain and surprise, and the man falls to the ground. And his shape changes. No, as Jonathan thought, it ISN'T Alucard. Though this one could pass for his brother. He's dressed like Alucard, but his hair's shorter now, and darker -- more greyish than platinum blonde. His chin is wider than Alucard's, his lips thinner. And as he opens his eyes, they're still red, but that appears to be their color. They're not glowing. And he looks confused. "What... where...?" 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      This was starting to get a bit too easy at the moment. None of them were unleashing any bullets and normally that's what happens by now. As her attention shifts over to Rebecca, she sighs,      "Give me a moment!"      Afterwards, she promptly turns around and a large spray of anti spirit red talismans are sent forth toward the thrall grappling with Rebecca. Meanwhile, the blue homing, holy amulets have returned except now, they're curving backwards and moving directly toward the other thralls anyway. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' WHAM! WHAM! *WHAM!*     Again and again Seras screams bloody murder and REALLY IS TRYING TO DO JUST THAT to the thrall who bit her and drained her. with both hands clutching the woman's legs she - again and again - raises her up over her and slams her back down. Three, five, seven times!     But about then the police girl's panic recedes enough that she remembers the pistol at her side... and rapidly draws this and unloads half a clip of holy rounds straight into the back of her opponent's head. And heart. Several shots for each.     "Haaaah... whew... she BIT ME!"     This should HOPEFULLY be enough to put the thrall down and reduce her to dust... but whatever the case...     WHATEVER the case, when Rizzo starts chanting from the good book, Seras makes another panicked flaily yelp and hurls herself away from the confrontation with fear in her eyes. Whether it's his power affecting her or something else... who can say.     But when 'Alucard' drops in a daze, looking rather different...     "A trick? It was all a trick...? Then...who wants this young man dead...? No, that doesn't make any sense. Whoever did this to him COULD have killed him... if we'd killed him, what would..."     Welp. This case just got MORE confusing. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka breathes heavily as she holsters the shotgun, and she holds the SCAR on NOT!Alucard as the vampire shapeshifts. "...wait, what the hell?" It's like someone just got unbrainwashed, the cyborg supposes, as she approaches him warily. "Anybody awake in there?" She asks, lowering the rifle and letting it hang on her sling as she kneels and snaps fingers repeatedly at the grey haired man. "So we have a /lot/ of questions to ask, looks like." She muses. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace surges forward, the lights on her arm still glowing green. She sprints towards Rebecca, taking a few kits from the spray of red talismans but she ignores them; her red armour protects her, mostly. A few cuts are visible, but she doesn't pay much attention. Instead, she works on punching the thrall latched onto Rebecca in the side of the head. Probably hard enough to punch the thrall's head clean off. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' The thralls may be thinning out, but they aren't all disposed of yet - and even if the control over them is starting to fray some, the threats haven't all evaporated quite yet. But before Xiaomu can pick one of the remaining targets, two things happen. The first is Leyanne decking the living (and/or undead) hell out of the thrall who was about to give Chambers a bad time. The second ... is on the radio, and it's enough for Xiaomu to focus on confirming how much room they have between the good guys and the entrance, respectively, and whether any thralls are potentially in the path of a hasty retreat. At least she can focus on making sure the path is clear. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' So, it was an illusion after all. Perhaps even the thralls' apparent sapience was illusion--now that this imposter has been knocked down, they all seem to... power down? It's like watching the light fade on an old cathode-ray tube TV, gradually shrinking into a pinpoint and winking out. Perhaps there wasn't even a shred of thought in them, without this creature to pull the strings. If that's so... maybe there's some way to turn the lights back on--for those who are still alive, anyway.      Rizzo sighs, looking at those who turned to dust. Stupid. Slow. If only he'd been faster. If only he'd caught on sooner, there would be more left. It's his fault... but he can't mourn them now, nor can he atone. He has to get back In Character, or the blood of millions will be on his hands.      Shoving his hands into his pockets, he approaches the prone vampire and looks down on him. "John Rizzo, private dick. The torpedo with the sword here's Jonathan Joestar." He then points out each respective Elite that he's met, giving a name for each--Xiaomu, who he's at least familiar with from their time in the Union, Seras and Maaka, who he's become acquainted with over the course of their mutual investigations, and Enya, who may as well be family by this point. "Not too familiar with the rest of the trigger men here, but they're good people. Sure they'd tell you if you asked."      He kneels before the other vampire. "The 'what' is, some demon got the bulge on you and me and Jonathan had to send him back to the big house. He made tracks before we could finger him. The 'where' is Alucard's pad--or we thought it was, anyhow. Guess it was a trip for biscuits." 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     The good feelings from getting her kill on don't last very long in the face of the revelation that comes to them over the radio. If Eithne could go any paler, she might.     Her horse isn't fast enough - it's not a pegasus, or the Black or the Grey. That floaty girl, though, ought to be plenty fast. She chews her bottom lip in angry thought, but short of rushing off into a probable ambush there isn't anything she can do. By the time they all get back to Windknight's Lot, whoever it is will either be long gone, or there will be reinforcements waiting for them.     With a sudden explosive burst of power, the Scion kicks the wall hard enough to dislodge dust from between the stones.     Then, rage momentarily vented, she goes to check on the not!Alucard guy in a cape. "Y'all right, then?" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     The thralls have stopped now that the not-Alucard has been revealed as who he is. They are no longer attacking. There's only a couple left anyway. With this, it won't be too difficult for Reimu's shots to destroy them, since they're making no effort to dodge or attack her.     Leyanne fixes the thrall's little red wagon, too, knocking her block off expertly. The thrall turns to dust and is no longer a threat to anyone. Also Rebecca gets her baton back.     The thrall attacking Seras is quickly dealt with, too. Whether it's the slamming into the floor or the bullets to vital areas, the thrall is soon dust.     Rizzo's words get a blink from the injured young man. "What? How... no, wait. I remember..." He suddenly looks frightened. "Magnus! You have to stop him! He has something horrible planned for young master Alucard!" He blinks at Eithne's kicking of the wall. Her question gets a nod. "I will be fine. You must stop Magnus, before..."     Suddenly a crack of thunder and a screech of agony echoes from the doorway. Those turning to look? It's Alucard! And there's a couple piles of dust at his feet. And he does not look happy. If one can tell, that is; his expression is usually deadpan. "...What is the meaning of this?" That's the tone Jonathan should remember from their fight. It's calm and almost cold.     But then there is emotion there, as he looks past to Jonathan and sees the young man on the ground. His gray eyes widen, and he gasps, "Lyudmil!" In a flash he's crossing the room, trying to dodge past others to get to the young man. Apparently he knows him.     And so does the young man. "Young master!" He tries to rise, but fails. He's too injured. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka listens to the radio. Her gut is twisted and her calm is...compromised. The only thing that makes sense right now for her is to hunt down this "Magnus" and terminate him with IMMENSE abhorrence like the piece of filth that he is. Of course...thing is he has a hostage, and she has no idea where to find him right now. So right now, she needs to maybe dial it back.     Her rage briefly flashes up again upon spying Alucard, THE REAL Alucard, before he moves past everyone with downright unearthly speed that leaves her aiming a gun at thin air by the time she spins around.     "...he has the girl." She says frostily towards the Dhampir. "We need to act now, unless we want to have pieces of a man's wife mailed to us one by one every week." explains the cyborg, before she makes a move for the exit, to get to her bike.     They REALLY can't afford to sit around. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      The young miko merely flies down to the ground and lands on her own two feet. The four orbs promptly dematerialize as she carefully walks to the rest of the group.      "Alright, tell me where he is and I'll get on it right away. Judging by the conversation on that weird metal device, I assume that he'll expect you guys, but is there a chance that he'll know anything about me?" 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' What sucks most about the pieces falling into place the way they just did is how far SOME of the pieces landed from where they'd been expected to show up. It doesn't come as much of a surprise to Xiaomu that the real villain is, in fact, somebody entirely other than Alucard. She had a feeling there was missing information - you don't join the law-abiding faction if you're set on resurrecting a castle pretty much built out of evil. Sure, there were possible explanations, but she wasn't going to buy them until Alucard himself said that was his intention. Somebody ELSE apparently wants Castlevania back, and it isn't Dracula's heir apparent. And Magnus is, from all current appearances, utterly committed to being as evil as he thinks he needs to be in order to get what he says he wants. Maybe worse. A point comes in the conversation where Xiaomu *has* to speak up - she's seen this dynamic, the pattern of monsters being feared and hated and driven out by humans, only for the monsters to become even more monstrous to 'get back' at humans, whatever language they dress it up in. Magnus can't see the look on the fox girl's face; her allies in the crypt generally *can*, and it's a look of pained desparation - she wants to sympathize with Magnus, but that sympathy runs out against a solid stone wall when he's threatening (or actually doing harm to) innocents. ... also, there's the fact that, again, the 'home' he wants to go back to is Castlevania. And he's trying to forcibly drag Alucard into the side of the 'monsters' to make him *want* to. At this point, Xiaomu's just leaning on her staff, holding it with her left hand, while her right hand has drawn out the 'baton' her lightcycle formed when de-rezzed. She's just toying with it for now, twirling it idly in her fingers, but she's plainly ready to break out the wheels and just pour on the speed when the conversation runs into its all-but-inevitable dead-end ... 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace growls quietly as she listens to what's going on. Normally, this would be the time she'd hand out cigars, but... this doesn't feel like a victory to dance at. She stays silent, checking on Rebecca. She adds her opinion to the radio discussion, rolling herself a cigarette and waiting for the order to roll out. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan pays no heed to Alucard. His sword had been sheathed after the doppleganger had been unveiled and the truth revealed. The look on his face was unlike any expression Jonathan had worn before. Xiaomu looked sympathetic, but Jonathan -- he looked livid. Not the rabid, red-seeing rage sometimes described in books or what have you, but the kind of red hot rage that drove a man far past his conceivable limits. Everyone here continues to try and talk him down. Alucard might recognize the look on his face, if he cared enough to examine it. It was a hairs trigger away from the kind of fury that drove Dracula to his darkness during Trevor Belmont's age. The kind of vitriolic fuel that could warp someone if it weren't addressed. Crackles of hamon-turned-lightning danced between his grit teeth as he marched up the stairwell. The others could make peace all they wanted, but they wouldn't have long to convince Magnus to give up and repent. Because Jonathan had a very good idea where the talkative vampire was, just from the hints he dropped. Not far away, in a ruined castle.     Only one such place fit the locale.     It was time to return to Windknight's Castle. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard looks to Maaka. "Wait. We should present a united front." A look to Jonathan. "And he knows the area better than I do. He will know best how to enter the area. As it seems Magnus has set up in the old castle there in Windknight's Lot."     Reimu gets a look from Alucard. "You are a priestess? You would be invaluable; Magnus is a demon, and has unholy magics. You could be the key to breaking them."     A look to Jonathan then. "...I should apologize to you." Pause. He knows that look. "...But right now, it is not important. I will help you. This is partly my fault. Allow me to tend Lyudmil, and then I will go with you. 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     Eithne Sullivan looks at Alucard. Then looks at the coffin she absolutely obliterated.     The dark-haired girl slooooowly sidesteps away from the ruins and may in fact be trying to disappear behind John's coat. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      "That's normally what I do in life for the most part. Also, thank you for taking note of that. Not many people seem to notice and I'd be happy to help out for free again."      She grips her gohei in her right hand as she takes a deep breath.      "I can also make barriers and fly if needed as well." 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace stays out of the way and listens. Her eye stays green, but there are little smouldering red flecks flickering through the optic's status display. Her arm has returned to red glow, indicating all the assists are shut down, but her fist remains clenched, and rotating at a slow 1-2 RPM at the wrist joint. "Fuck off are we letting you do this alone, dude." She mutters, sourly. "Not a fucking chance mate." 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     If this were a cartoon, Maaka would be making that comical tire squeal noise as Alucard bids her to stop. She looks to him, and just narrows her eyes. That said, she's willing to hear the dhampir out after some clarification. "We're going to kill him." She says, in no uncertain tones. There's gonna be MURDER on the horizon, for Magnus. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' John's coat is big even on his lanky frame. There's room for hiding, and he doesn't make any overt moves to stop her from doing so. No, he's far too busy trying to wrap his head around the ethics of this situation. On the one hand, Magnus is literally a demon--an agent of Satan. But, even Jesus himself allowed Legion to flee when the demons asked mercy. It's a conundrum.      Perhaps... the fact that he's a demon means that judgment has already been passed. Even if that's the case, is there any other way this could go? Any way this could end without violence? If he withholds mercy even from one being, what's to stop him from doing it to the next? This is going to be something that defines the rest of his unlife. So what's a vampire to do?      Well... if he's going to make a stupid mistake, it's better that he makes that mistake erring on the side of forgiveness. After a long silence, he speaks up. "I'll help you," he says, mirroring his sentiment from the last time he was in this position.      "But if he waves the white flag you better believe I'll lay off." Besides--if there's the option to do so, and Magnus is indeed shown mercy... or rather, if John can /convince/ everyone, the humans of the group included, to show mercy? Maybe, just maybe, he'll reevaluate his stance on humans. It's one hell of a long shot, but that's John's raison d'être.      "I'll stick around till sundown, then I gotta blast." With that... he takes a moment to kneel before the ashes of the thralls, uttering quiet prayers of expedient rest and beseechments of forgiveness for his complicity in their deaths. 
}}

Soliloquy of Reproach

2017-10-21T08:14:32Z

DariRyu: Events update

Soliloquy of Reproach: Hearts' Desire (Alucard Tepes)

2017-10-21T07:34:24Z

DariRyu: Goofed on formatting

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2017/10/20
|Location=Windknight's Lot
|Synopsis=Magnus has captured Erina Pendleton. But if he expects her to be a shrinking violet, he's got another thing coming! His offer to be Alucard's new queen when he raises Castlevania is rebuffed, quite strongly.
|Thanks=Jonathan Joestar
|Cast of Characters=Magnus (no ID), Erina Pendleton (No ID)
|Tinyplot=Soliloquy of Reproach
}}
        The ruined castle looming over Windknight's Lot like a beast ready to pounce in the night played host to a pair of guests that eve. One was a slim, lithe man with pale, purple-tinged skin, violet hair kept short in the back but allowed to grow long at the temples. The first instantly inhuman thing about him? A pair of large black wings set at his back. His feet were bare, and the nails of both were long and clawlike.         Magnus, an incubus and loyal servant of Vlad Dracula, Dark Lord of Castlevania. And he wanted to go home. Dracula had fallen, and the castle could not exist without its Dark Lord. There was only one thing to do -- convince Adrian, Dracula's son, to take up the mantle. The castle would live again, and he could stand at Adrian's side.         The other of the castle's two 'guests' was a beautiful blonde-haired woman with blue-green eyes. She was dressed in a typical woman's dress for the Victorian era, but it was rumpled and messy. It's no wonder that, she had been kidnapped. One of the chains strewn about the ruined castle had been repurposed to fasten her arms behind her, and around a broken pillar.         Erina Pendleton, fiancé of Jonathan Joestar. The poor girl had been caught up in all this mess when the group went to Alucard's world to confront him. But while away from Windknight's Lot, Magnus found her. "Well, well... I had no idea you were so very much like her. Lyudmil will love you~," he'd said. He'd put her to sleep somehow, with a claw before her face. And she'd woken up here.         Magnus, the incubus, approached the captive girl. "This is all unnecessary, all this silly, puerile behavior," he said, with a tone like a father disciplining a child. Not angry, just disappointed. The blonde woman said nothing, merely kept her head turned and refused to acknowledge him. Magnus got uncomfortably close, nearly pressed against her. "He could give you everything, you know," he breathed, leaning close to her face. "Riches. Power. Beautiful clothes. Anything... your little heart desires."         Here Erina paused, turning her gaze to Magnus finally, and then fully turning her head to look at him. Her gaze is firm, without a trace of visible fear. Yet she trembles. She is afraid. But she won't give him the satisfaction of seeing her frightened. "No," she denied, voice firm as her gaze. "Your master cannot give me what my heart desires. You cannot. My heart desires another. And it will ever be so."         At this Magnus paused, seeming taken aback. "Wh... what?" Then he scowled. Unlike Alucard, all of Magnus's canine teeth were sharp, and those sharp teeth were bared inches from her face. Yet she still refused to back down. "The one you called 'Jojo', yes? He is a human. Like you. Weak. Pitiful. Pathetic! You could be a queen! Nay, a goddess!"         "Of darkness and hate," Erina supplied calmly. "I refuse. I will not give myself to darkness. I will not become what you are, wholly consumed by hatred." She scowled at the incubus. "You call me 'pathetic', but you are even more so. Your heart is as black as coal, there is no room for love there. It is little wonder you would not listen to reason. I do not fear you. I pity you."         Magnus emitted a choked sound at these words. "You dare...!" Erina gave a yelp as Magnus's hand found purchase on her cheek, in hard slap. It was a strong hit, but Magnus metered his force well. He was angry, but he didn't want to kill her. Yet. "Then you have chosen your death," Magnus hissed. "I gave you the choice to be his queen. Now you will be his sacrifice."         And in the next instant he was reeling back. Why? She had literally spat directly in his face. "Insolent bitch!" Magnus screeched. He needed to punish her, it was the only thought in his mind. But not now. He wiped the spittle from his eye. "I will enjoy your pain, little one. I will take special care to kill your precious Jojo, slowly. And I will make you watch every moment of his pain!"         But he needed to get away. Or he would hurt her more than he wanted to. Whirling around, he stalked towards the nearest open portal. Ruined door, broken window, open balcony -- he didn't care. His rage needed a victim, but it could not be Erina Pendleton. Not yet.         No sooner had he left, Erina sagged against the pillar behind her, suppressing a sob. She was frightened, much more so than she would ever admit to Magnus. Not only for her own life, but for Jonathan's. She knew he would come to save her... but would Magnus be able to use her to hurt Jonathan? The thought of Jojo being hurt over her... that was deeply frightening. "...Jojo," she breathed. "Please be careful..."

Soliloquy of Reproach: Hearts' Desire (Alucard Tepes)

2017-10-21T07:32:34Z

DariRyu: Magnus has captured Erina Pendleton. But if he expects her to be a shrinking violet, he's got another thing coming!

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2017/10/20
|Location=Windknight's Lot
|Synopsis=Magnus has captured Erina Pendleton. But if he expects her to be a shrinking violet, he's got another thing coming! His offer to be Alucard's new queen when he raises Castlevania is rebuffed, quite strongly.
|Thanks=Jonathan Joestar
|Cast of Characters=Magnus (no ID), Erina Pendleton (No ID)
|Tinyplot=Soliloquy of Reproach
}}
        The ruined castle looming over Windknight's Lot like a beast ready to pounce in the night played host to a pair of guests that eve. One was a slim, lithe man with pale, purple-tinged skin, violet hair kept short in the back but allowed to grow long at the temples. The first instantly inhuman thing about him? A pair of large black wings set at his back. His feet were bare, and the nails of both were long and clawlike.         Magnus, an incubus and loyal servant of Vlad Dracula, Dark Lord of Castlevania. And he wanted to go home. Dracula had fallen, and the castle could not exist without its Dark Lord. There was only one thing to do -- convince Adrian, Dracula's son, to take up the mantle. The castle would live again, and he could stand at Adrian's side.         The other of the castle's two 'guests' was a beautiful blonde-haired woman with blue-green eyes. She was dressed in a typical woman's dress for the Victorian era, but it was rumpled and messy. It's no wonder that, she had been kidnapped. One of the chains strewn about the ruined castle had been repurposed to fasten her arms behind her, and around a broken pillar.         Erina Pendleton, fiancé of Jonathan Joestar. The poor girl had been caught up in all this mess when the group went to Alucard's world to confront him. But while away from Windknight's Lot, Magnus found her. "Well, well... I had no idea you were so very much like her. Lyudmil will love you~," he'd said. He'd put her to sleep somehow, with a claw before her face. And she'd woken up here.         Magnus, the incubus, approached the captive girl. "This is all unnecessary, all this silly, puerile behavior," he said, with a tone like a father disciplining a child. Not angry, just disappointed. The blonde woman said nothing, merely kept her head turned and refused to acknowledge him. Magnus got uncomfortably close, nearly pressed against her. "He could give you everything, you know," he breathed, leaning close to her face. "Riches. Power. Beautiful clothes. Anything... your little heart desires."         Here Erina paused, turning her gaze to Magnus finally, and then fully turning her head to look at him. Her gaze is firm, without a trace of visible fear. Yet she trembles. She is afraid. But she won't give him the satisfaction of seeing her frightened. "No," she denied, voice firm as her gaze. "Your master cannot give me what my heart desires. You cannot. My heart desires another. And it will ever be so."         At this Magnus paused, seeming taken aback. "Wh... what?" Then he scowled. Unlike Alucard, all of Magnus's canine teeth were sharp, and those sharp teeth were bared inches from her face. Yet she still refused to back down. "The one you called 'Jojo', yes? He is a human. Like you. Weak. Pitiful. Pathetic! You could be a queen! Nay, a goddess!"         "Of darkness and hate," Erina supplied calmly. "I refuse. I will not give myself to darkness. I will not become what you are, wholly consumed by hatred." She scowled at the incubus. "You call me 'pathetic', but you are even more so. Your heart is as black as coal, there is no room for love there. It is little wonder you would not listen to reason. I do not fear you. I pity you."         Magnus emitted a choked sound at these words. "You dare...!" Erina gave a yelp as Magnus's hand found purchase on her cheek, in hard slap. It was a strong hit, but Magnus metered his force well. He was angry, but he didn't want to kill her. Yet. "Then you have chosen your death," Magnus hissed. "I gave you the choice to be his queen. Now you will be his sacrifice."         And in the next instant he was reeling back. Why? She had literally spat directly in his face. "Insolent bitch!" Magnus screeched. He needed to punish her, it was the only thought in his mind. But not now. He wiped the spittle from his eye. "I will enjoy your pain, little one. I will take special care to kill your precious Jojo, slowly. And I will make you watch every moment of his pain!"         But he needed to get away. Or he would hurt her more than he wanted to. Whirling around, he stalked towards the nearest open portal. Ruined door, broken window, open balcony -- he didn't care. His rage needed a victim, but it could not be Erina Pendleton. Not yet.         No sooner had he left, Erina sagged against the pillar behind her, suppressing a sob. She was frightened, much more so than she would ever admit to Magnus. Not only for her own life, but for Jonathan's. She knew he would come to save her... but would Magnus be able to use her to hurt Jonathan? The thought of Jojo being hurt over her... that was deeply frightening. "...Jojo," she breathed. "Please be careful..."

5523/Soliloquy of Reproach: Beset

2017-10-21T05:56:07Z

DariRyu:

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/10/20
|Location=Castlevania World
|Synopsis=A group of people go to Alucard's tomb to confront him for his role in the attacks at Windknight's Lot. A fight ensues and Alucard summons several beautiful thralls to battle the group. However, "Alucard" is revealed to be someone else -- a vampire named Lyudmil, a servant of Alucard's from long ago, mind-controlled by an incubus named Magnus. While the group is in Wallachia, Erina Pendleton is kidnapped by Magnus. He demands that Alucard raise Castlevania... or he will kill Erina.
|Cast of Characters=1128, 1100, 1016, 1084, 707, 571, 972, 290, 1107, 1011
|Tinyplot=Soliloquy of Reproach
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:''' -= AFTERNOON, WALLACHIA'S FORESTS =-     Maria's map led into a dark world full of gothic horrors and vast forests. In specific, her map also led to a small clearing in the woods. Most of the world had something of an unsettling aura, even to those who were native to there. But this clearing seems oddly tranquil, as if even the natural animals don't want to break the silence. It's not an air of fear, though. It's the solemn air of a church during mass.     But there is also a feeling of darkness. Not necessarily evil. But dark. Something that flees the light, even in daylight. And here, even in broad daylight it's dim, something about the environment leaving sunlight dampened and thin in this area. It should be easier for any vampires investigating this to not get burned to a crisp. Which should make this easier.     The clearing is not empty, though. There is a small building there, like a small temple. It's a small temple, only a single room, but the room is a large one. In the center of the room there is a statue of a woman in somber reflection. She isn't praying, but her head is down, her hands folded in her lap. The statue-woman wears a hooded garment like many saints in Christianity are depicted.     It's worth mentioning that there's no other visible exit to the room except the door to enter, and there's no tomb in that temple. But Maria has furnished the group with information here, too. The statue sits atop the entrance to Adrian's tomb. And there are marks where it has been moved very recently. Perhaps the vampire is in his tomb even now? 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne's entrance is heralded by the growling thrumm of a Harley Davidson. It's quite the feat to navigate a big, snorting hog through the forests, but somehow Tiny's managed it, pulling the oversized mile-eater up next to the tomb. She's heard on the grapevine that at least one fellow Watchman needs help... even if she was also warned that said watchman was 'a bit of a fruit loop'. She's not one to judge; there are many who would consider her a bit of one too. Especially after her BASE jump off the big Ravinica tower. The giant, red-armoured mouse steps off her bike and pulls off her helmet, shaking out her long, blue hair and tying it back into a ponytail. Her beret is placed on her head, and its position adjusted in the wingmirror. Then she opens up her panniers and starts preparing her weapons. Today, Leyanne is packing relatively lightly. A P-90 is clipped to the right side of her backpack, followed by several large, round drum magazines, which she feeds into a slot in the side of her backpack. From the other pannier, she pulls out a Atchisson Assault shotgun, the long-barreled model, and slips in another drum. She racks the slide, and then holds the gun in her left hand, finger above the trigger guard out of habit. Then, several wooden fencing spikes, about a foot and a half long, are tucked into the side of the pack, where they can be easily grabbed by either hand. Finally, a small wooden humidor goes into the pack, before she hefts the whole thing up and settles it on her back. THen nonchalantly, she leans against the tomb, next to the entrance, and lights up a cigarette. 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     Death rides a dark horse today. Also, it's actually just Death's kid, and the horse is dark because Eithne had finally talked her new mount into being something spookier than 'a soggy white horse'.     So she's riding astride the back of a black mare, a simple leather bridle and harness the only tack. The harness is in turn attached to a small farm cart, with a wooden coffin inside. A sassy juvenile crow rides on the edge of the cart, occasionally knocking on the lid with his beak.     Eithne has basically given up on getting Sheela to behave, and just hopes John Rizzo won't emerge with a splitting headache or anything.     Upon arrival, she hops off the horse's back and raps twice on the coffin lid. "We're here! It's even all dim and everything," she comments, turning back to the horse to remove the harness and set it inside the cart. "Behave, all right?" she tells the crow and horse sternly. Sheela flaps his wings and caws at her; the horse snorts and bares sharp fangs. Eithne rolls her eyes and heads for the temple-church-mausoleum thingy. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' "Of all the places to stick your lair," Seras warbles out in a hazy, almost out-of-it manner, "A gloomy forest?" The sunlight here is subdued and suppressed, the gloomy aura of this place a bit more suitable for a dark creature like her. And yet Seras still seems unhappy about the locale.     She's brought the same weapon as before - a sizable semi-automatic rifle that's about as long as she is tall. A pistol's holstered at her side, and several pouches on her belt are clearly holding extra ammo.     Seras Victoria pauses upon reaching the clearing, her eyes fixed and widening on that statue. A woman of great faith...? She slowly blinks a few times and relaxes.     Because the incongruity of the situation is just too gobsmacking. A kill squad waltzes in and finds a serene statue of a praying woman?     Seras makes a doubt-filled grunt.     Seras is clearly losing motivation for this operation. The mood is ALL wrong. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Whatever the era may be in Wallachia, Xiaomu didn't feel like wasting a lot of time walking; she committed the map to memory as best she could, and handled navigating most of the way to the indicated coordinates on her light cycle. The final approach is done on foot, though - light cycles may not be as noisy as your typical internal-combustion engine, but they DO make a certain amount of noise. She's geared up more or less as usual, save that her carry-pack has some specialty anti-vampire ammunition - plus two clips carried more readily, with the other magazines she toes around for occasional reloading. Also some holy water (Shinto-style rather than Christian, but water is water and blessings are blessings, right?). She does not appear to be carrying wooden stakes, garlic, or a crucifix. She has her Buddhist monk's staff (and the sword therein concealed), she presumably has her handguns. That's really all she feels a need for. And while she's waiting for everyone else to arrive, the sage fox busies herself checking the area around the statue - looking for scuff marks or the like - and giving Leyanne the occasional withering look when smoke from that cigarette wafts in Xiaomu's direction. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka hates wearing this coat. Her trenchcoat is a knee-length, glorified smock lined with bullet proof kevlar material that gives it a weight of twenty pounds soaking wet. A regular human would be insane to wear this thing day to day, but Maaka's enhanced strength and the fact the coat distributes the weight around evenly makes that work out. Add on a plate carrier with magazines, holster and sidearm, an HF combat knife meant to vibrate hard enough to burn through solid steel, among other equipment Maaka doesn't keep in her Matter Manipulator, and there's a LOT of weight on her shoulders. Sure, she can carry that weight fine thanks to both inhuman strength and sheer manly grit, but it's not exactly pleasant.     That's fine by her, she can take out her anger on the enemy. That's usually why she carries so much gear, beyond "I need it and you never know when you need a specific gun or tool."     As she hops off of her own motorcycle, she retrieves and hefts a SCAR-H CQC battle rifle from the bike's gun holster after mentally going over her gear. Beforehand, Maaka requested some ammunition in .45 ACP, 7.62 NATO, and 12 Gauge magnum from Xiaomu and her organization's quartermaster. THankfully, she got just that from the Huli Jing before getting here, and she is grateful to her friend and colleague in asskicking.     Speaking of those two things, Maaka spies not only Xiaomu but some other familiar sights, stopping beside the fox first. "Thanks again for the ammo, Xiao, wasn't expecting you to actually help out, but I appreciate it." She says with a nod, before approaching towards the towering mouse. "Hey," Maaka claps Mace's arm in a friendly if overly macho manner, as is her want, before she slings the SCAR and adjusts her coat. In the coat's sewn-in scabbard, she keeps a sawed-off Remington Spartan double-barrel holstered, just in case she needs it, as well as packing some wooden stakes she personally sharpened beforehand. Holstered on her plate carrier is an STI Tactical 2011, a double-stack magazine fed version of the classic 1911. "Didn't expect you to show up, but good to see you regardless." She says with a little grin to the Martian mouse, before she looks to see Enya arrive on horseback, with a card and coffin pulled behind the mare. "Seras, Enya, good to see you girls too. John in there?" She asks the perky child of Morrigan, before she begins to head her way towards the tomb, alertly keeping the battle rifle trained downrange as she checks corners and pathways. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      The sound of the odd motorcycle was enough to attract Reimu's attention completely. She began to descend from the daytime sky with a pair of red and white Yin Yang Orbs next to her. Both of them were rotating as they followed her around. As she lands on the ground with her shoes clacking on the ground, she walks inside as well. Her gohei is held out in her right hand as she glanced toward the unusual group.      "I assume that you're here for the job as well, right? If more people are arriving, then this is going to be much easier than I expected."      Afterwards, she glances over to Xiaomu and smiles slightly,      "It's nice to see that a familiar face is here as well." 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' The sound of running footsteps can be heard nearby, along with the sound of someone breathing rapidly. It's getting closer and closer... A few moments later, Rebecca arrives with her hands on her knees, catching her breath before looking up at the others who have gathered, and then surveying the general area. "So this is Wallachia," She comments. Then she spots Xiaomu and a few others she knows, giving them a nod, before taking out her Beretta and loading a fresh clip into it and then turning on the attached flashlight. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan's footfalls were resolute and steady as he, strangely, was able to keep up with most of the more conventional methods of travel for the time period that some of the group took, despite only using his own two legs. He'd considered going inside of the Armor of 77 Rings, but ultimately, he figured that Alucard's sword would easily slip through the gaps and impale him when it would be least fortunate for him, nullifying the defensive boons it would provide.     Seemingly unworn from the trip, Jonathan's eyes slowly wash over the rest of his cohorts. Some sort of eastern maiden, though dressed far more conservatively than Xiaomu, another animal person, Alexis, the vampires, that medic from before, the little girl.. It was a strange group indeed. The fact it was comprised primarily of women did not do his nerves any service, if he were being honest. "If this is everyone, then -- I'll go first." From the gloomy foilage into the aged stone. It was like an ancient cathedral, it didn't bear the imperial omens of Windknight's Castle, but none the less, he could equate this place to something similar. A modern torch, a stick lined with LED lights, was held up to illuminate the room better. " .... a woman." A statue of someone who bore a very close resemblance to the women who'd been attacked, and of course, Maria. More than that, however, was the disturbing resemblance to his own fiance. Jonathan sets the torch down, and presses his hands flat against the statue with a grunt. Buldging muscles expand as he brings his might to bear in pushing the large stone structure aside. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' John emerges from the coffin with a sluggish kind of awareness, the lid haphazardly pushed aside. His first reaction upon looking up into the sky is animal fright. The rays of the sun see him scrambling, first to grab the lid (which has fallen clear of the cart), then to get underneath the cart. But... something is different about this light. It doesn't burn him, for some reason.      That's one hell of a wake up call for a vampire, but once he's clear of the coffin, he takes a look around. Everyone seems to be loaded for bear, here, which is... disappointing, to say the least. On the off chance Alucard is innocent, it's going to look mighty suspicious, seeing allies showing up at his front door with all this firepower.      He's been on this Multiverse kick for a while now, and he knows the best way to keep this from turning into an incident is being there to stop it from happening. He therefore vaults over the side of the cart and enters in. Should no one attempt to stop him, he'll even try to step around people in the hallways to get closer to the middle-front of the group.      "Hardly an evil lair," he remarks as he passes the statue. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     It is a really heavy statue. But otherwise a normal statue, in an otherwise normal temple. Even if the land seems dark. Which really isn't weird, since pretty much the whole WORLD has that whole 'steeped in darkness' feel. However, there IS a 'hollow' feel under the statue. And thusly, as Jonathan pushes at the statue, it slowly begins to slide back -- indeed, re-marking those marks on the floor where the statue has been moved before.     Beneath the statue there is a staircase that leads down into the earth for quite a ways. At the bottom of the stairs there is a short hallway, with three doors -- one to the left, one directly forward, and one to the right. The doors to the left and right both lead to empty rooms with little more than the debris of destroyed rooms. One may have been a library or a study at one time.     The door directly forward of the staircase is the one where most of the attention will probably be focused. It's an open archway, and leads into a room about the same size as the temple room above. There's nothing here but a stone sarcophagus, in the center of the room. Unlike the rest of the place, the sarcophagus itself is very ornate. Intricate rose designs are carved into the sides.     The top of the coffin has an odd symbol carved into it -- a simple cross, with a pair of bat wings sprouting from the top edge, a snarling wolf atop where the two 'bars' of the cross intersect, and wisps of clouds or smoke around the bottom long bar of the cross.     Here, though, the feeling of wrongness starts to set in. Something is here that doesn't belong -- something truly evil in the solemn darkness. As the group enters, the multitude of candelabras on the wall light themselves, with malevolent red flames. But nothing moves yet. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      Reimu begins to follow after Jonathan Joestar closely. The orbs were illuminating the darkness on the way down the staircase with a faint red light. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs and immediately takes a moment to step back.      "Alright, this has the makings of an obvious trap. Come on out and speak with us immediately!"      The red and white orbs begin to spin faster as well as she swings her gohei. As the paper trails through the air, the black haired girl speaks further her joyous tone being in complete contrast with the malevolent flames.      "Because I'd be happy to play around with you otherwise!" 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     More and more people pile on in, some of them people she knows. Maaka and Seras get waves and a smile, Maaka because Eithne sort-of knows her and Seras because she always seems so discouraged. "Yup! I think he's about--" The coffin lid slides off, and there are a few very tense moments for the detective.     After making sure John is all right she walks up next to Jonathan and lays hands on the statue as well, helping him push it faster. She's stronger than she looks.     Though she peeks into the side rooms, the middle chamber is clearly where the important bits are. "Ooooo-er," she murmurs, sidling toward the sarcophagus (and by necessity, past Reimu). "What's this, then?"     ...She's admiring the roses carved into the sides instead of paying attention. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace appears to be counting each of her arriving comrades. "Awesome, I brought :enough Victory Dances." She mutters cheerfully, holding up her other hand for a fistbump with Maaka. She grins cheerfully, leaning across to whisper cheesily "I see dead people!" She giggles, wiggling her antennae. She's half-expecting a punch for that one. As soon as everyone starts getting down to business, she pinches out her smoke and puts the end in a little ashtray. "Yeah yeah I know the deal, don't fire 'till the dude shows himself to be a threat." Shehe follows Joestar and Rizzo along, covering the corners with her shotgun. Her finger remains above the trigger, the mouse having to crouch slightly within the tunnels to fit. WHen Reimu calls out for the person to come out and speak, she lowers the gun, aiming it at the floor. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Once Jonathan starts trying to move the statue, Xiaomu abandons her inspection of the scuff marks and, and if an extra set of soldiers would be handy, she helps him with the pushing. Somebody physically stronger than Xiaomu might be better-suited if it comes to that - she's no weakling, but there are upper limits to how much she can lift or push, and some people have better capacity in that field than she does. If she has a moment to make up for lost greetings, she does so - it's always good to see familiar faces; for Xiaomu, though, pretty much *everyone* here is familiar to a greater or lesser extent. That doesn't stop her from giving Reimu in particular a grin and a thumbs-up before they move on. She heads down the stairs and into the crypt with the others; she's quite happy to let Reimu take the lead, given what the miko had to say about her attacks. But that feeling of wrongness sets her ears to canting back, the fur of her hair-tails fluffing out more visibly than usual; her usual good-natured snark actually peters out as those candelabras flare up in an ominous red hue. Even the way she's carrying herself changes - from a relaxed demeanor to a conscious balancing of her weight, maintaining a poise and position which will let her react quickly to a threat as soon as it presents itself. Most people might not pick up on the nature of that shift ... but she's in the company of Elites, who don't generally fall under the heading of 'most people'. She most noticeably is NOT focusing her full attention on the sarcophagus. She's not ignoring it, but whatever that sense of encroaching evil may be heralding, she's not about to assume the big, ornate coffin is the source of it. Her gaze and her ears angle this way and that, trying to take in as much of 'all of her surroundings' as she can pull off. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka definitely returns the fistbump to Mace, and she snorts in amusement as she gives the mouse a smack on the arm. Not enough to hurt, but definitely a firm rap of her knuckles. She lifts her battle rifle so she isn't flagging Jonathan and Rizzo with the muzzle of a 7.62 select-fire rifle that can punch holes in body armor and concrete with ease, before she trains her weapon on the sarcophagus when they reach it, expecting the worst and preparing herself to react accordingly. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' As soon as Jonathan moves the statue, Rebecca moves into position near him to cover him in case someone or something springs out to attack. Fortunately, there's no such thing, and Rebecca is relieved for the time being. She then notices the stairs and after a moment, shrugs a little. "I guess we're going down." She waits for a few others to go ahead before following behind them. As they go down into the crypt itself, Rebecca's breathing begins to grow a bit heavier and faster as she keeps moving, trying not to get uneasy. One look might spot a few beads of sweat on her forehead, and her lip is quivering a bit. Despite this, she's doing her best to keep a calm face in spite of all of this. She then takes a deep breath and seems to firm up a little. "Stay with it, Becky, you've got this!" Once they're inside, Rebecca sweeps around with her flashlight, looking around for anything that's possibly suspicious or out of the ordinary. She doesn't have danger senses like Xiaomu does, but she does have that gut instinct that's saved her before. "Something's definitely not right here," Rebecca says, scowling a little. "Everyone, stay alert!" 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' John does peer curiously into both of the ruined rooms--but it seems like it's just junk. The main attraction here is the coffin, which Enya seems interested with, as well. "Alucard's an old-fashioned guy," he says to Enya. "Traditional, too," he says, noting the cross on the top with a curious frown. It would of course stand to reason that Alucard, a vampire a few centuries his senior, would be more old-fashioned in his choice of haven.      Occasionally, John has no problem playing along with the narrative. At this point in the novel, something lurks in the room with them, waiting to emerge, announcing its presence with the slightly theatric display of candles suddenly alight. To find this entity, he would of course be expected to call upon Malkav's gifts. And so, to further the narrative, he does.      Upon seeing the candelabras light up, Rizzo searches the room for auras other than those of his allies. "Alucard," he announces. "There's some real itchy trigger fingers in this room," he says, paying a momentary glance to Reimu.      As he talks, he glances around the room in search of auras. "I ain't one of 'em--but I'm one guy. Now, you don't know me, but I came here at my weakest to talk to you, vampire to vampire. Whaddaya say we cut the Orlok routine before these folks fill us with daylight, huh?" One hand cautiously drifts to his neck, fingers dipping under his loose-fitting collar. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' The gloomy gothic decor is depressing Seras in a situation one would think a vampire would be in their element for. But the police girl gazes upon all the rows and rows of candles and the OVERTLY morbid resting place with a look that is... 'really?' written all over it.     Her disinterest in the CLEARLY CLASSIC vampire aesthetic aside though... the place soon gives her a nasty case of the creeps. Her undead body tenses and in a few moments, SERAS, TOO, is radiating some Creepy Vibes of her own as her eyes shift from an innocent blue to focused, determined, and aglow-from-within bloody crimson.     "Come out!" She shouts angrily at the darkness. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan looks appreciable of the help. He was more than strong enough to push it by himself, but the strain on his body would be largely unneccesary considering available help. "You have my gratitude." he says as they begin descending the stairwell. It didn't take long for them to reach another point of interest, accentuated by Reimu's boisterous response. For such a tiny, petit little oriental woman, she sure had a set of lungs on her. Yet, he wasn't so sure that it was so easy that they'd find their mark. He was fairly certain, this omen in the air -- it was different. Unlike what he'd felt before, when he fought the monster. Another being, perhaps? A servant creature of some kind? The vampire's lieutenants? Jonathan's hand rests on the hilt of Luck & Pluck. "Keep your wits about you, everyone." He did not make any flagrant demands of his own. No, he had no need of it -- even if he were wrong, and Alucard were indeed the one exuding this aura, they'd battled before. The vampire could not mistake his reasons for being here as anything else but his destruction if he did not have a very good explanation for his actions. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     A chuckle echoes through the chamber at Reimu's demand. It's a chuckle full of malice and evil, full of intent to harm. Eithne may want to watch herself, because at that moment the sarcophagus starts to open. The lid twists in a circle rather than being pushed aside, leaving the top half of the stone coffin open.     "You want to play?" A gloved hand reaches up and grabs hold of the now sideways lid. It's the same voice Jonathan Joestar heard in his battle with the vampire in Windknight's Lot. But it's not the same feel. There's something different about the voice. It bears the same quality that Dio's did, after his transition to vampire -- pure evil.     The coffin does seem to be where the feeling of wrongness emanates from. But Rebecca's words ring true in more than one way -- those with more sophisticated senses may note that it's not just a vibe of evil. It's a vibe of 'wrong', as if the thing there doesn't belong here. As if it is somehow out of place.     There's movement again, and someone sits up from inside the coffin. To all appearances, it looks like Alucard -- yes, the man that Jonathan fought, in his black cloak and black nobleman's gear. But his eyes glow red, and there is a smile on his face. No, it's more apt to say a smirk. It twists his face into a malicious charade of a smile, displaying one pointed canine tooth. Then he moves again, seeming to skitter out of the coffin much akin to a snake or lizard slithering over stone, flowing to the ground on the other side.     "Oh, but you've brought so many playmates..." he continues on, seeing the amount of people here. "That would hardly be fair, would it? I suppose I should call some of my own..." He reaches out to the the coffin he stands behind. The sense of a magical spell being used, and light shines from inside the open stone coffin. "Arise, my darlings..."     Suddenly more hands begin to reach up from the coffin -- delicate, beautiful hands. They're clearly not literally coming from inside; he's merely using the coffin as a portal. And what crawls out? A gaggle of beautiful women. Yes, all of them blonde and delicate-looking. Their eyes glow menacingly. Alucard notes, that smirk still on his face, "We have guests. Do please entertain them. But don't play too hard. They'll be lovely additions to our family..." 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      The young miko began to float in the air as she got directly out of the way of anyone else the orbs began to fire off sets of blue amulets one after the other. All of them appeared to be coming out of the two orbs at the rate of machine gun fire. Meanwhile, Reimu waved her gohei through the air and an enormous stream of red talismans began to fire forth directly in front of her. The holy elemental talismans hurtled themselves directly toward the doppelganger while the blue, holy elemental amulets threw themselves at both the hands and the zombie ladies.      The look on Reimu's face was surprisingly calm as well. It was perhaps, unnervingly calm. 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     "Traditional, huh?" she murmurs, looking up at John as he starts speaking aloud to the presumably-napping vampire inside the coffin. She can't feel the 'wrongness' in this place so overwhelmed with the psychic scent of death; Wallachia as a whole is playing merry hell with her Death Sense. It's like there's a corpse underneath every tree or something!!     She can feel the rumble of stone on stone as the coffin lid begins to spin - the edge of the lid touches her hip and almost manages to push her out of the way.     Eithne steps out of its way and waits for it to stop. Then she calmly grabs it in both hands and rips it free of its mooring, holding the hundreds-of-pounds slab of stone like an unwieldy parcel.     She lifts it up over her head...     And SLAMS it down onto the coffin itself. "Right then, that's enough sexy vampire ladies fer now," she admonishes, and reaches for one of the succubi to drag her right out of the ruins. GIRL FIGHT 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' His instinct was more or less, on point. Yes, something inherently evil. Something familiar. Staring at the red eyed, sharp toothed, pale haired man with a face beautiful enough to make some women envious brought back rather unpleasant memories of one year previous. But, this feeling was not .. true. Rather, he felt that what he was staring at was a falsity. Almost like a dream so real you could believe it were reality, yet it still held an uncanny quality ... ah. Of course, that had to be it. Before, when he'd fought the creature, there'd been differences. In the teeth, the eyes, and most importantly, the demeanor. It had been a cool, collected menace. Like Bruford's cold gaze. This sheer arrogance was uncharacteristic. Soon, enemies fill the room. Tantalizing, scantily clad women. Jonathan paid them no mind, however, as air seemed to rush into his flaring nostrils. It became apparent why -- his eyes were closed. Their faces and eyes reminded him too much of his dearest to knowingly strike at them. And so, he would not look upon their suffering. His whole body radiated ripples of the sun, as he calmly stepped forward. His body seemed to multiply almost, fading in a half-circle of afterimages in his approach, a serene movement with such mysticism that spoke of danger to any of the enemies that approached. And what seemed like far too quickly, Jonathan arrives at the Vampire, well within attacking distance. "I know not your purpose --- but whether you speak now or hold your silence, I am going to destroy you." 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace sighs a little. "And here was me hoping you'd talk. Pity." She brings up the gun. "Nobody ever wants to talk." And then she takes aim at one of the scantily-clad, glowing-eyed ladies, centring the simple sights on her centre mass and letting fly with a two-round burst of buckshot. At close range like this, if she hits, and they're not immune to lead, it should knock some pretty big holes in them... 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka wasn't sure what to expect, sure as hell wasn't a gaggle of suspiciously sexy women flanking this pretty boy vampire with a grin that makes sharks scared. She takes a breath, hissing as she takes aim at one of the succubi while Jonathan takes care of "Alucard". Impersonator or not, that guy is definitely suspiciously creepy looking enough to be the culprit they've been hunting for.     Her SCAR rifle barks out as the cyborg mercenary takes a few shots at one of the succubi, aiming to splatter that pretty face all across the walls of this tomb. Normally she'd be a little reticent to see anything happen to someone so pretty, but this sort of situation means that fair play comes second to survival, and she can't afford to fuck around with the undead. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Well, looks like Rebecca was on the right track after all. "I knew it was a trap!" Rebecca exclaims, ducking back a little to steady her aim on her handgun. "Sorry, but we're not here for a party I'm afraid!" Rebecca responds to Alucard, before firing upon the nearest succubus with her Beretta. She fires not once, but twice, hoping her bullets cause some damage. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' When your enemy sics succubi on you...     Well, that's when it pays to not be AT ALL interested in girls. Seras face sure does screw up at the unexpected development. A thousand thoughts of WHAT she is dealing with bring all kinds of dread and doubt crossing her face...     But the hesitation is gone. Seras flicks her weapon's safety OFF... and opens fire with blessed silver bullets in burst fire!     One of the supposed-succubi now has a bunch of holy rounds going for her heart and head and much of the flesh in-between. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' This complicates things. John's lived as a vampire long enough to know what evil is, and the reaction Alucard gives to Reimu's challenge surely won't be taken well. What certainly won't be taken well is the knowledge that Alucard not only intends to fight them, but with the aid of recently turned victims, as well.      As the thralls begin to rise from the coffin, Rizzo's hand rises from beneath his collar, revealing a silver medallion. When the stone lid slams shut, the medallion gleams in the light as if in response. It's a medallion of St. Jude, the patron saint of lost causes. Does something human remain within Alucard, or within his thralls? Probably not, but there will always be a ray of hope within him, no matter how dire the circumstances.      A white light emanates from Rizzo amidst all the chaos around him. Kneeling before the sarcophagus, he bows his head and recites scripture in an effort to undo what he hopes is simply ensorcelment, both on Alucard's mind and those of his thralls. It might work, it might not--but anything is better than standing by and watching.      "Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once. Peradventure only ten righetous souls be found within Sodom. And the Lord said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake."      Bullets zip past him, the vampire completely ignoring the thralls and Alucard, all in the name of saving any who might still have a shred of goodness within them. Bullets, magic, and all maner of projectiles zip past him, but his voice barely raises above speaking level even as chaos surrounds him. Even as Jonathan prepares to strike Alucard down, John attempts to use his faith to help, on the off-chance that this sudden shift of heart is the cause of evil magic cast upon him by another. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Out of all the things that Xiaomu had been expecting, that was about three which she WASN'T. Alucard comes out of his coffin all Evil Vampire Lordy, radiating that miasma of ominousness and Bad Things which Xiaomu had been *certain* had to be coming from somebody (or something) else. And he has company - a lot of it. Xiaomu isn't sure at first glance whether they're full-fledged vampires; Jonathan chimes in on the radio that they seem more like succubi. The difference is a little academic at the moment - vampires and succubi both kill by draining something vital, it's just how they go about it that varies, and in any case, letting a succubus get too close and too personal will ruin anyone's day just as fast - even Xiaomu's. Oh, and there's a *portal* in the coffin. Which explains why the sexy undead fangirl mob are coming out of the coffin. Dealing with the coffin portal seems like it should be easy enough: wreck it. Xiaomu calls for it, Eithne makes her way forward and does that with its own lid. That puts a limit on the number of problems; now they just have to bring the tally down. Once the battle has revved up around her and people have their priorities arranged, Xiaomu engages one of the succubi/vampires/whatever, they're blonde and too sexy for anyone's good and they're deadly. Call 'em succubi for now. The sage fox greets one with a hail of gunfire - anti-spirit gunfire, rather than specifically anti-vamp; that was what she had loaded and there's no time for juggling clips. And if the succubus (or not) gets close enough despite bullets in the everywhere, the sage fox channels ice magic out of Suiren to try and freeze the blonde into a solid block of ice .. Followed by just *kicking* the succubucicle as hard as she can, and hopefully sending it (her) sliding into some of the other succubi. Or just into the wall. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     The hail of blue magical pellets from Reimu gets the whole group of vampires on the defensive, and they start dodging. They're not going to dodge all of that, though, not even with supernatural speed, and several of the shots hit (or graze), raising smoke from where they strike.     Eithne, for her part, smashes the coffin pretty easily, and the magic within it sputters to a stop with a small flash and a tiny little magical pop. So there will be no more of the vampire's playthings to fight here. Then again, there are by far enough of them anyway. These women all sport fangs and hiss angrily at the attackers. Doubtless because of a vampire's turning. The women are dressed in filmy dresses that cover them well, though the skirts fade to transparency beginning at their knees. The dresses are various pastel colors, like those a young girl might wear, mockeries of innocence.     Alucard had been standing back, from the looks of things, but then suddenly found himself faced with Jonathan Joestar, way too close for comfort. "What?! How did--?!" That's about all he's got the patience for, it seems, bcause he goes on the offensive. Not with a sword. His gloves are off, literally, and he attack's Jonathan like a beast, clawed hands slashing for the Hamon-practitioner's face.     Leyanne's blast does hit one, and she screeches in an inhuman way as she falls, the blast flinging her back. But having a hole in her stomach doesn't seem to be more than a minor annoyance, and she soon stands up. "Master has no need to explain himself to a RAT!" she shrieks as she leaps at Leyanne. Looks like she's trying to bite her.     Maaka's shots tag one in the side, removing one arm in a smoking mess, but when she fires the second shot, the woman has figured out where the shots are coming from, and is putting on the speed. And she's also charging at Maaka, with the claw-like nails of her remaining arm outstretched.     Rebecca's target is struck by both bullets and staggers back. But she's not down. And now she knows where to aim. Much like the others, she lunges at Rebecca with a hiss, seeking to sink claw-like nails into her.     Seras's target is soon more hole-y than righteous, thanks to the large rounds. But there seems to be a difference here, between these girls and the thralls Seras might have fought in the past. These are tougher, and faster. As such, the thrall drops down under the shots to her head, one grazing the side of her face. ...Uhoh. She seems to pause, bringing her hand to her face as if shocked. "You... damaged my face..." And then a SCREECH! "HOW DARE YOU?!" Think fast, Seras... there's a very angry thrall coming after you, even if she's got smoking holes in her chest!     And then something very strange happens. Rizzo begins to pray... and then Alucard seems to pause. It's probably just long enough to save Jonathan from the attack. And it opens Alucard up to counterattack by Jonathan, too. The thralls, however, seem unmoved.     Xiaomu's got everything worked out, it seems, and her anti-spirit rounds tear into the side of one of the thralls. She gets the same treatment as the rest, it lunges at her. But of course the freezing startles the succu-pire (is that even a word?), and just as Xiaomu had planned, the vampcicle ends up smashing against the wall. That one's not out, but she's down; she needs to get her bearings. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace smirks as the succubus she's going for goes down. But when the thing gets back up, she prepares to open fire. But then she says the word. The R-word. Leyanne sees red. Literally red; her cybernetic optic flicks from green to red and she lets go of her gun, her left hand bending oddly as it pulls one of the stakes from her backpack and grabs it in her fist. All the red lights along the limb suddenly turn green. The mouse leaves herself WIDE open to attack from all angles as she sprints to meet hte charging, face-biting succubus. She makes no attempt to avoid her attack. What she does attempt do do, as she comes in range, is thrust the stake so far through her chest that most of her forearm is likely to emerge from the other side. Gas jets from her elbow and shoulder.         "MOMMA DIDN'T RAISE NO STINKIN RAT!" Leyanne bellows, abject rage in her voice. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      Now was a perfect opportunity to go ahead and finish them off one by one. She merely floats to the side as another pair of Yin Yang Orbs appear as well. The four of them begin to spread out and hurtle themselves off directly to the walls of the enormous room. All of them appear to glowing a warm red and seem to sporting no signs of damage. The light that they emit glows a vivid and rather unpleasant shade of red.      "Alright, let's see you dodge this one then!"      She raises her gohei into the air and begins to swing it left and right as well. As she continues to swing it through the air, four lines of yellow talisman streams begin to make themselves evident as the sound of repeated shots being fired fills the air. As she finishes the swing, the four streams begin to curve themselves directly into the positions of the succubi. Meanwhile, the orbs just ricocheted off the walls and each one seems to be bouncing toward the succubi while glowing a rather bright shade of red. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Unfortunately, it seems Rebecca underestimated her enemy. The succubus comes at her and drives her nails into Rebecca's sides. Both of them spots where her kevlar vest doesn't protect her, unfortunately. "Yaahh!" Rebecca cries out in pain, trying to force the succubus off of her. "Dammit, that hurt worse than a Hunter!" She feels her sides where the succubus attacked her and is unsurprised to find blood coming out. The wounds don't seem too deep, but Rebecca knows the succubus means business. After getting the succubus off of her and checking her wound, Rebecca grabs her stun baton and attempts to strike the succubus with that before her enemy can recover fully. 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     There's something nice and simple about a fight, Eithne reflects. You hit the other person until someone stops moving, or the police arrive. A set of sharpened, thick nails rake down the side of her face; in return, she grabs a fistful of the succupire's hair and slams her head down into the stone over and over.     A floating bullet grazes her shoulder and Eithne yelps - that hurt more than it ought to! What the hell are those things even made of? Sadly, that might be just the opportunity the succupire (Eithne has privately named her Pinky for the color of her nightgown) was waiting for... 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka sees as the succubus's arm is taken clean off. She sees Reimu's torrent of...energy balls? Some kinda magic. Anyway, she sees those and promptly books it out of the way, just for the one-armed succubus to slash at her arm. The claws cut through armor and Maaka's jumper, drawing blood as she snarls in pain. "/FUCK OFF!/" she growls loudly, driving the buttstock of her SCAR into the succubus's face, with speed and strength that would pulp a normal human's skull as she tries to swiftly transition to her shotgun, the double-barrel barking loudly as she pulls both triggers to fire point-blank into the she-devil's stomach. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' The claw comes quick, like lightning. Yet. it did nothing but force a deeper frown to his features as he recalled their previous battle. Why attack him with his bare hands like this? Why step into Jonathan's own effective range? Surely the Vampire remembered the last time that happened -- he'd nearly been broiled alive by Hamon. But evidently, the creatures memory eluded him, or ... his suspicions that this was not the same Vampire would prove correct. Moreover, the previous engagement with this Alucard had shown an intelligent, cautious fighter. Not this haughty and rash savage. Red lines scratch across Jonathan's cheek as he waves around the lapsing strike, intent on grasping onto the would-be Dark Lord's wrist, his grip like an iron clamp. The stinging along his cheek bones did nothing to deter him. "Koooooooooooooh............!"         "OVERDRIIIVE!" Jonathan's fist meets Alucard's face, nose first, in a surging blast of ripple transmitting from knuckle to delicate white skin. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' "HYEEEEEK!!!" Seras FLINCHES, and that's a big no-no in combat. She wasn't expecting such terrific SPEED from her opponent and is caught a bit flat-footed...     Or is that the reason? It may have to do with the sudden BIBLE VERSE CHANTING happening nearby that got her squeaking like a hanged banshee.     Either way... the woman claws into Seras' undead flesh - specifically, an exposed arm raised to shield her own face.     The Draculina wails, because GOD that hurts!!     But with a surprisingly adept display of honed footsie, she hooks out with a leg to trip up her opponent the moment her feet are on the ground again... and tries to use this to PIN the succubis into a brutal hold!     "You have one chance--ngghhh!- to go back where you came from, or else!" 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' With the crowd getting sorted out a bit more, Xiaomu has the opportunity to appraise how her assorted allies are doing. Reimu's danmaku makes for excellent crowd control, as well as maintaining aerial superiority on the side of the good guys; the other shooty types are making a good accounting of themselves, as a rule, although the thralls aren't as easily subdued as you'd expect out of regular mooks. So clearly these are not 'regular mooks'. One more useful detail. The sage fox would be happy to help subdue Alucard, but there are still enough thralls at liberty that she can't make much progress in that direction. So, Xiaomu draws a bead on not one but *two* thralls who'd picked her out as a juicy target, sing-songing, "Juu no Kata!" as she practically dances between the two of them - and then she vaults up onto one of the walls, springing off to do a spinning cartwheel over the two of them and pump MORE anti-spirit bullets into the two of them. She should have a relatively clear spot to land in ... or such was her snap judgment at the moment she began that crazy maneuver. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' John finishes his prayer, looking up to see that, of the group within the haven, not one has turned; not Alucard or any of his thralls still standing. True Faith can do a lot, but it can't magically change someone's mind. Even for Malkavians, that takes time and effort, the former of which is in tragically short supply. All around him, succubi are being struck down, and with only one entity even showing a reaction--Alucard.      He hopes beyond hope it isn't a fluke, that there's something left of the man himself behind the monstrous mask serving as his expression. If he can't get to that shred with True Faith, he'll try good old fashioned talking.      Without rising from his spot, the younger vampire casts a somber glance Alucard's way, still surrounded by an aura of bright, white light. Were it not for the stubble and the ill-fitting contemporary clothes, he'd look like a Renaissance portrait of someone being knighted.      This is important. Important enough to drop the charade, if only for a moment, and speak plainly. "Is there no goodness left within you?" In contrast to Alucard's red eyes, John's are human, grey like the statue outside. As Jonathan's fist collides with the elder vampire's face (or at least, the fellow John presumes to be Alucard), those eyes are heavy with sadness... and pity.      He really, really doesn't want to hurt anyone. Hopefully that question will shake something loose just in time for Jonathan to knock the guy off his plates. But there's a lot of hoping going on, and things don't seem to be going the way he'd hoped--especially as Leyanne goes berserk over the insult from one of the succubi.      John rises slowly, and holds the medallion out towards Alucard. The light focuses into a beam, washing over Jonathan. To the vampire (?) it becomes unbearably bright--but it washes harmlessly over the hamon master. If Alucard won't stand down, he'll just have to make it increasingly difficult for him to continue fighting. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     The thrall going for Leyanne thinks she's won. She's broken Leyanne's composure, and made her be reckless. But if she gets her fangs into Leyanne's muzzle, it won't even matter. Why? Because there's a stake going for her heart. And in the next instant it penetrates the flesh. There's nowhere for the thrall to go. She screeches again, this time in agony, as the stake punctures her body... and yes, goes through the other side, along with Leyanne's forearm. Quite a mess, but not for long; the thrall goes limp, and then an instant later crumbles into dust. That's one down.     Reimu's orbs and shots seem to be a constant source of trouble for the thralls. They're unable to coordinate their attacks together, for needing to get out of the way of them. And those bouncing balls, too. The shots start making holes in the girls, and finally one of them goes after Reimu personally. She leaps high enough, but just as she gets in range, one of those bouncing balls hits her and knocks her unceremoniously back to the ground. She's smoking and doesn't get up. But she isn't dust/ash.     The thrall's hands glow red where they've pierced Rebecca. Hopefully Rebecca is smart enough to back off from that, because if she's not she might find her blood being drained. Through the thrall's nails, yes. Rebecca's got a moment either way, though, because as the nails are pulled free, the thrall begins to lick the blood from her fingers. "Mmm... such a delightful taste..." she breathes. Only to be nailed in the side of the head with a taser baton! She's stunned, and staggers back from the strike.     That's absolutely right, too. With her incessant bashing into the ruined stone, Eithne has reduced the face of the thrall she fights to a bloody mess. Yet in that instant she pauses, the thrall turns and tries to lunge right for Eithne's throat with her fangs!     The thrall after Maaka does a similar thing to the one after Rebecca; pausing long enough to lick the blood from her fingers gets her a gun stock in the face, and she screeches as she clutches her abused face and falls. A second screech follows as she finds her belly in a world of pain thanks to the anti-vampire rounds in Maaka's gun. Her stomach is obliterated in a smoking mess. And still she screeches angrily, clawing at Maaka from the ground with her one functional arm.     Jonathan's punch gets the kind of reaction he's used to this time -- the skin smokes and seems to melt at the strike, leaving the vampire's face quite disfigured. The vampire shrieks and falls back, staggering at the attack, but seems less pained and more angry. "You DARE?!" The words are muffled past the way he's clutching his face, though.     Seras may find that trying to pin a thrall is a bad idea. The woman struggles and screeches, seeking to bite any of her opponent's flesh that presents itself as a good target. Seras has a... well, not a 'live' one, but definitely a lively one! There's no sense of anything but a wild animal here, though. This woman's clearly beyond help.     Anti-spirit seems to be pretty effective against them too -- it's draining off whatever enchantment is making them more-than-mooks. In draining it off, it reduces the thrall in question to her proper mook status. So the bullets are then effective as they should be. Soon there's only dust remaining of the pair of thralls Xiaomu unloaded on. Dust which she might land in. Thankfully it's only gross, not diseased.     Rizzo's appearance near Jonathan definitely gives Alucard pause. Even as he clutches his face in pain from Jonathan's last attack, he backs away from the approaching Rizzo. And then he yelps at the bright light, ducking his head. "...Stay BACK!" But there's fear in his voice, as he continues to back away. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     After losing an arm, getting her head bashed in, and two shotgun blasts to the stomach, Maaka sighs with exasperation as the thrall refuses to take the fucking hint. "PLease just be reflexes." She mutters, then Maaka pops the break-action in her shotgun. Reloading shells, Maaka pins the thrall to the ground with her boot, bracing the weapon against her head. She pulls the trigger, firing twice to make certain. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      As the orbs vanish from their bouncing positions, they reappear next to Reimu on the spot. She merely smiles as the four orbs arrange themselves in front of her body. All four of them begin to unleash a much deadlier onslaught of red needles, each of them meant to tear through spirits, evil, and as expected, the undead. The entire stream of needles clump up together as they begin to resemble a small wave. She begins to perform an aerial run as she tries to shoot down the succubi with a much more lethal assault. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace snarls as the succubus' fangs sink into her muzzle. The thrall will get a brief taste of her alien blood before the stake goes through her. She snarls, glaring into her eyes angrily even as she crumbles to dust. With a satisfied snarl, she spits "Bitch. I am not a cunting rat." The mouse looks around, looking for another target, slowly calming down. The red in her eyes slowly fades back to green. Her face is gonna hurt some in the morning... 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' "HYAAAAAAAHHH!!!"     Getting suddenly BITTEN is not what Seras was expecting out of a supposed seductress-demon, if the succubi claim is accurate. The fangs sinking into her arm have her crying out and reverting to esomething less 'trained skill' and more...     Instinctive, angry flailing that will maybe-hopefully shake the thing off. Because she flips sideways and uses all the strength she can muster to DRAG the woman who's latched onto her arm up and around in what's almost a wrestling move. Or something out of a cartoon...     A big up-over-and *WHAM* slam to the ground with enough force to shatter stone! 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Normally, Rebecca would feel bad for Thrall, but the monster deserved it, after what she did. The electric shock should leave Thrall stunned long enough for Rebecca to land another attack against the succubus. "I hope Umbrella doesn't try anything like this. I'd be shredded alive!" Once Rebecca's finished musing to herself, she decides to finish what she started. "How did you like that?" Rebecca asks sarcastically. "I'm just getting started, you know!" Rebecca attempts to drive her baton directly into Thrall this time around, as opposed to just striking her with it. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Two more thralls down - and Xiaomu spares a moment to finish off the one she previously put on ice, before the thrall can regain her bearings and start wreaking havoc again. That matter handled, the sage fox looks around briefly, reloading her handguns - and then holstering them. Why put her handguns away when she just swapped fresh clips into both of them? Mostly because there are a couple more of the succubi-vamp women closing in around her, and they're not even close enough together for gun kata to be as much good. Plus, Xiaomu actively wants to mix things up some more - and once her guns are tucked away, she draws Suiren, ice magic making the air chill into mist as the blade cuts through the air, the staff's shaft/sword's sheath held in her off-hand so she can whack enemies with it. And then she goes to town on her latest crop of adversaries, each slash of her blade marking its passage through an enemy by leaving hoarfrost at the very least, big chunks of ice at the most, wherever Xiaomu wounds her foes. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan pauses as he watches Alucard go down, the Hamon surging into his face. The highly destructive force coursing in his body was certainly doing its work. If it had been any other vampire, Jonathan would not have given it a second thought, but because of their previous encounter, he couldn't help but pay close attention. His Hamon had done more damage here than it did previously. In other words, certainly, this could not be the same vampire. Not just a mind-controlled or otherwise possessed Alucard, no. The creature he fought then and the relative weakling he was fighting now, they were entirely different. Rizzo's light, and his change of demeanor washes over the both of them. Strange, yes, it caught a surprised look from the nobleman. But the last of the Joestars knew well how deadly it could be to not pay proper attention to your quarry, and as a result, his sword is drawn in a flash and pressed against Alucard's skull, ready to deliver a seismic Hamon shock at a moment's notice. "You're not the one called 'Alucard', creature. Call off your fiends." A fact stated with a hard voice. "Reveal yourself." 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     As if getting grazed by weird extra-holy energy bullets wasn't bad enough, the succupire she'd been beating on goes right for her face as soon as she's distracted. Eithne rocks back on her heels, arms up to protect her face, and gets a wristful of teeth for her trouble. Her blood's not like most.     But alas, Pinky only gets a fleeting taste of it. Eithne's free hand clamps down like a vise on her neck and tears the succubus off. She picks her up like a sack of potatoes and slams her down into the stone. Again, and again, and again.     And then she picks the poor woman up, still by the neck, and bashes her head in with a large chunk of coffin lid. "--feckin' arsehole goin' around in yer nightie, bitin' perfectly decent people and bein' a tatty nuisance!" she finishes, and tears the woman's head clean off with her bare hands. There is an impressive splatter, then dust. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' A light of a different, more figurative kind flashes across Rizzo's stony eyes. Hope. He wants very much to believe what Jonathan says, that this creature isn't Alucard. Indeed--he had't even intended to repel, but this creature recoiled as if by instinct.      At least, in his experience, most vampires don't know True Faith for what it is. Not until it burns them, or is explicitly used against them. Which... kind of starts a suspicious spark in his mind. "...the power of Christ compels you! Begone, unclean spirit! Out, you agent of Satan! In Jesus' name, I command you!"      A column of force rushes past Rizzo with such ferocity that dust sitting upon the ground is kicked up like the spray of a powerful boat crossing the ocean at high speed. His trench coat billows behind him as this invisible force rushes harmlessly through Jonathan on its way to Alucard. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Maaka's thrall is finally dust -- the first shot turns the brain to dust, and the rest of the thrall along with it. The second shot hits the ground unimpeded and cracks the stone.     Reimu's assault this time is indeed far more deadly -- the anti-evil shots seem particularly affective, raising smoke from where they hit. And another one bites the dust. Or becomes dust, in this case.     In the brief instant after the fangs strike home, Seras may feel blood being drained. And the injuries that this particular thrall had begin to close. Seras's blood is particularly potent, as she is a vampire herself, sired by an even more powerful one -- perhaps the most powerful vampire in her world. But it's not enough to make the thrall stronger. Strength has to be RESTORED before it can be increased, and Seras's flailing assures that the thrall can't stay attached long enough. And the bashing into the ground assures she's not going to stay in battle condition much longer. Seras might just continue until the thrall finally turns to dust.     Rebecca might not want to taunt too long; the thrall recovers quickly from her shock, and this time, as the baton is driven at her, grabs the haft of the weapon. She's supernaturally strong, so she just might be able to hold it back. Grapple time?     Xiaomu's ice sword cuts into the thralls, leaving ice in its wake. Even if it doesn't dismember them, it will leave behind enough ice to make moving difficult. Which will make it easier for Xiaomu to destroy them, since they can't move as easily.     Eithne's certainly dealt with her problem messily. But then, dust isn't quite so bad as bloodspatter. Then again there's a lot of both in that case. But that means the number of thralls are thinning out. By now there are only a few left, and those are injured. They should be easily dealt with.     'Alucard' doesn't really have much of a choice but to stay put, Jonathan has a sword on him. Thing is, Alucard could still turn to mist and escape. But this one doesn't. However, he blinks, looking up at Jonathan. "...Alucard...?" Blink. "Y-young master...?" The red glow is starting to fade from his eyes.     It's Rizzo's words, and his subsequent power, that drives the red fully from his eyes. A scream of pain and surprise, and the man falls to the ground. And his shape changes. No, as Jonathan thought, it ISN'T Alucard. Though this one could pass for his brother. He's dressed like Alucard, but his hair's shorter now, and darker -- more greyish than platinum blonde. His chin is wider than Alucard's, his lips thinner. And as he opens his eyes, they're still red, but that appears to be their color. They're not glowing. And he looks confused. "What... where...?" 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      This was starting to get a bit too easy at the moment. None of them were unleashing any bullets and normally that's what happens by now. As her attention shifts over to Rebecca, she sighs,      "Give me a moment!"      Afterwards, she promptly turns around and a large spray of anti spirit red talismans are sent forth toward the thrall grappling with Rebecca. Meanwhile, the blue homing, holy amulets have returned except now, they're curving backwards and moving directly toward the other thralls anyway. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' WHAM! WHAM! *WHAM!*     Again and again Seras screams bloody murder and REALLY IS TRYING TO DO JUST THAT to the thrall who bit her and drained her. with both hands clutching the woman's legs she - again and again - raises her up over her and slams her back down. Three, five, seven times!     But about then the police girl's panic recedes enough that she remembers the pistol at her side... and rapidly draws this and unloads half a clip of holy rounds straight into the back of her opponent's head. And heart. Several shots for each.     "Haaaah... whew... she BIT ME!"     This should HOPEFULLY be enough to put the thrall down and reduce her to dust... but whatever the case...     WHATEVER the case, when Rizzo starts chanting from the good book, Seras makes another panicked flaily yelp and hurls herself away from the confrontation with fear in her eyes. Whether it's his power affecting her or something else... who can say.     But when 'Alucard' drops in a daze, looking rather different...     "A trick? It was all a trick...? Then...who wants this young man dead...? No, that doesn't make any sense. Whoever did this to him COULD have killed him... if we'd killed him, what would..."     Welp. This case just got MORE confusing. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka breathes heavily as she holsters the shotgun, and she holds the SCAR on NOT!Alucard as the vampire shapeshifts. "...wait, what the hell?" It's like someone just got unbrainwashed, the cyborg supposes, as she approaches him warily. "Anybody awake in there?" She asks, lowering the rifle and letting it hang on her sling as she kneels and snaps fingers repeatedly at the grey haired man. "So we have a /lot/ of questions to ask, looks like." She muses. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace surges forward, the lights on her arm still glowing green. She sprints towards Rebecca, taking a few kits from the spray of red talismans but she ignores them; her red armour protects her, mostly. A few cuts are visible, but she doesn't pay much attention. Instead, she works on punching the thrall latched onto Rebecca in the side of the head. Probably hard enough to punch the thrall's head clean off. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' The thralls may be thinning out, but they aren't all disposed of yet - and even if the control over them is starting to fray some, the threats haven't all evaporated quite yet. But before Xiaomu can pick one of the remaining targets, two things happen. The first is Leyanne decking the living (and/or undead) hell out of the thrall who was about to give Chambers a bad time. The second ... is on the radio, and it's enough for Xiaomu to focus on confirming how much room they have between the good guys and the entrance, respectively, and whether any thralls are potentially in the path of a hasty retreat. At least she can focus on making sure the path is clear. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' So, it was an illusion after all. Perhaps even the thralls' apparent sapience was illusion--now that this imposter has been knocked down, they all seem to... power down? It's like watching the light fade on an old cathode-ray tube TV, gradually shrinking into a pinpoint and winking out. Perhaps there wasn't even a shred of thought in them, without this creature to pull the strings. If that's so... maybe there's some way to turn the lights back on--for those who are still alive, anyway.      Rizzo sighs, looking at those who turned to dust. Stupid. Slow. If only he'd been faster. If only he'd caught on sooner, there would be more left. It's his fault... but he can't mourn them now, nor can he atone. He has to get back In Character, or the blood of millions will be on his hands.      Shoving his hands into his pockets, he approaches the prone vampire and looks down on him. "John Rizzo, private dick. The torpedo with the sword here's Jonathan Joestar." He then points out each respective Elite that he's met, giving a name for each--Xiaomu, who he's at least familiar with from their time in the Union, Seras and Maaka, who he's become acquainted with over the course of their mutual investigations, and Enya, who may as well be family by this point. "Not too familiar with the rest of the trigger men here, but they're good people. Sure they'd tell you if you asked."      He kneels before the other vampire. "The 'what' is, some demon got the bulge on you and me and Jonathan had to send him back to the big house. He made tracks before we could finger him. The 'where' is Alucard's pad--or we thought it was, anyhow. Guess it was a trip for biscuits." 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     The good feelings from getting her kill on don't last very long in the face of the revelation that comes to them over the radio. If Eithne could go any paler, she might.     Her horse isn't fast enough - it's not a pegasus, or the Black or the Grey. That floaty girl, though, ought to be plenty fast. She chews her bottom lip in angry thought, but short of rushing off into a probable ambush there isn't anything she can do. By the time they all get back to Windknight's Lot, whoever it is will either be long gone, or there will be reinforcements waiting for them.     With a sudden explosive burst of power, the Scion kicks the wall hard enough to dislodge dust from between the stones.     Then, rage momentarily vented, she goes to check on the not!Alucard guy in a cape. "Y'all right, then?" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     The thralls have stopped now that the not-Alucard has been revealed as who he is. They are no longer attacking. There's only a couple left anyway. With this, it won't be too difficult for Reimu's shots to destroy them, since they're making no effort to dodge or attack her.     Leyanne fixes the thrall's little red wagon, too, knocking her block off expertly. The thrall turns to dust and is no longer a threat to anyone. Also Rebecca gets her baton back.     The thrall attacking Seras is quickly dealt with, too. Whether it's the slamming into the floor or the bullets to vital areas, the thrall is soon dust.     Rizzo's words get a blink from the injured young man. "What? How... no, wait. I remember..." He suddenly looks frightened. "Magnus! You have to stop him! He has something horrible planned for young master Alucard!" He blinks at Eithne's kicking of the wall. Her question gets a nod. "I will be fine. You must stop Magnus, before..."     Suddenly a crack of thunder and a screech of agony echoes from the doorway. Those turning to look? It's Alucard! And there's a couple piles of dust at his feet. And he does not look happy. If one can tell, that is; his expression is usually deadpan. "...What is the meaning of this?" That's the tone Jonathan should remember from their fight. It's calm and almost cold.     But then there is emotion there, as he looks past to Jonathan and sees the young man on the ground. His gray eyes widen, and he gasps, "Lyudmil!" In a flash he's crossing the room, trying to dodge past others to get to the young man. Apparently he knows him.     And so does the young man. "Young master!" He tries to rise, but fails. He's too injured. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka listens to the radio. Her gut is twisted and her calm is...compromised. The only thing that makes sense right now for her is to hunt down this "Magnus" and terminate him with IMMENSE abhorrence like the piece of filth that he is. Of course...thing is he has a hostage, and she has no idea where to find him right now. So right now, she needs to maybe dial it back.     Her rage briefly flashes up again upon spying Alucard, THE REAL Alucard, before he moves past everyone with downright unearthly speed that leaves her aiming a gun at thin air by the time she spins around.     "...he has the girl." She says frostily towards the Dhampir. "We need to act now, unless we want to have pieces of a man's wife mailed to us one by one every week." explains the cyborg, before she makes a move for the exit, to get to her bike.     They REALLY can't afford to sit around. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      The young miko merely flies down to the ground and lands on her own two feet. The four orbs promptly dematerialize as she carefully walks to the rest of the group.      "Alright, tell me where he is and I'll get on it right away. Judging by the conversation on that weird metal device, I assume that he'll expect you guys, but is there a chance that he'll know anything about me?" 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' What sucks most about the pieces falling into place the way they just did is how far SOME of the pieces landed from where they'd been expected to show up. It doesn't come as much of a surprise to Xiaomu that the real villain is, in fact, somebody entirely other than Alucard. She had a feeling there was missing information - you don't join the law-abiding faction if you're set on resurrecting a castle pretty much built out of evil. Sure, there were possible explanations, but she wasn't going to buy them until Alucard himself said that was his intention. Somebody ELSE apparently wants Castlevania back, and it isn't Dracula's heir apparent. And Magnus is, from all current appearances, utterly committed to being as evil as he thinks he needs to be in order to get what he says he wants. Maybe worse. A point comes in the conversation where Xiaomu *has* to speak up - she's seen this dynamic, the pattern of monsters being feared and hated and driven out by humans, only for the monsters to become even more monstrous to 'get back' at humans, whatever language they dress it up in. Magnus can't see the look on the fox girl's face; her allies in the crypt generally *can*, and it's a look of pained desparation - she wants to sympathize with Magnus, but that sympathy runs out against a solid stone wall when he's threatening (or actually doing harm to) innocents. ... also, there's the fact that, again, the 'home' he wants to go back to is Castlevania. And he's trying to forcibly drag Alucard into the side of the 'monsters' to make him *want* to. At this point, Xiaomu's just leaning on her staff, holding it with her left hand, while her right hand has drawn out the 'baton' her lightcycle formed when de-rezzed. She's just toying with it for now, twirling it idly in her fingers, but she's plainly ready to break out the wheels and just pour on the speed when the conversation runs into its all-but-inevitable dead-end ... 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace growls quietly as she listens to what's going on. Normally, this would be the time she'd hand out cigars, but... this doesn't feel like a victory to dance at. She stays silent, checking on Rebecca. She adds her opinion to the radio discussion, rolling herself a cigarette and waiting for the order to roll out. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan pays no heed to Alucard. His sword had been sheathed after the doppleganger had been unveiled and the truth revealed. The look on his face was unlike any expression Jonathan had worn before. Xiaomu looked sympathetic, but Jonathan -- he looked livid. Not the rabid, red-seeing rage sometimes described in books or what have you, but the kind of red hot rage that drove a man far past his conceivable limits. Everyone here continues to try and talk him down. Alucard might recognize the look on his face, if he cared enough to examine it. It was a hairs trigger away from the kind of fury that drove Dracula to his darkness during Trevor Belmont's age. The kind of vitriolic fuel that could warp someone if it weren't addressed. Crackles of hamon-turned-lightning danced between his grit teeth as he marched up the stairwell. The others could make peace all they wanted, but they wouldn't have long to convince Magnus to give up and repent. Because Jonathan had a very good idea where the talkative vampire was, just from the hints he dropped. Not far away, in a ruined castle.     Only one such place fit the locale.     It was time to return to Windknight's Castle. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard looks to Maaka. "Wait. We should present a united front." A look to Jonathan. "And he knows the area better than I do. He will know best how to enter the area. As it seems Magnus has set up in the old castle there in Windknight's Lot."     Reimu gets a look from Alucard. "You are a priestess? You would be invaluable; Magnus is a demon, and has unholy magics. You could be the key to breaking them."     A look to Jonathan then. "...I should apologize to you." Pause. He knows that look. "...But right now, it is not important. I will help you. This is partly my fault. Allow me to tend Lyudmil, and then I will go with you. 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     Eithne Sullivan looks at Alucard. Then looks at the coffin she absolutely obliterated.     The dark-haired girl slooooowly sidesteps away from the ruins and may in fact be trying to disappear behind John's coat. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      "That's normally what I do in life for the most part. Also, thank you for taking note of that. Not many people seem to notice and I'd be happy to help out for free again."      She grips her gohei in her right hand as she takes a deep breath.      "I can also make barriers and fly if needed as well." 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace stays out of the way and listens. Her eye stays green, but there are little smouldering red flecks flickering through the optic's status display. Her arm has returend to red glow, indicating all the assists are shut down, but her fist remains clenched, and rotating at a slow 1-2 RPM at the wrist joint. "Fuck off are we letting you do this alone, dude." She mutters, sourly. "Not a fucking chance mate." 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     If this were a cartoon, Maaka would be making that comical tire squeal noise as Alucard bids her to stop. She looks to him, and just narrows her eyes. That said, she's willing to hear the dhampir out after some clarification. "We're going to kill him." She says, in no uncertain tones. There's gonna be MURDER on the horizon, for Magnus. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' John's coat is big even on his lanky frame. There's room for hiding, and he doesn't make any overt moves to stop her from doing so. No, he's far too busy trying to wrap his head around the ethics of this situation. On the one hand, Magnus is literally a demon--an agent of Satan. But, even Jesus himself allowed Legion to flee when the demons asked mercy. It's a conundrum.      Perhaps... the fact that he's a demon means that judgment has already been passed. Even if that's the case, is there any other way this could go? Any way this could end without violence? If he withholds mercy even from one being, what's to stop him from doing it to the next? This is going to be something that defines the rest of his unlife. So what's a vampire to do?      Well... if he's going to make a stupid mistake, it's better that he makes that mistake erring on the side of forgiveness. After a long silence, he speaks up. "I'll help you," he says, mirroring his sentiment from the last time he was in this position.      "But if he waves the white flag you better believe I'll lay off." Besides--if there's the option to do so, and Magnus is indeed shown mercy... or rather, if John can /convince/ everyone, the humans of the group included, to show mercy? Maybe, just maybe, he'll reevaluate his stance on humans. It's one hell of a long shot, but that's John's raison d'être.      "I'll stick around till sundown, then I gotta blast." With that... he takes a moment to kneel before the ashes of the thralls, uttering quiet prayers of expedient rest and beseechments of forgiveness for his complicity in their deaths. 
}}

5523/Soliloquy of Reproach: Beset

2017-10-21T05:54:56Z

DariRyu: Alucard is confronted, revealed not to be Alucard. And then things go pear-shaped...

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/10/20
|Location=Castlevania World
|Synopsis=A group of people go to Alucard's tomb to confront him for his role in the attacks at Windknight's Lot. A fight ensues and Alucard summons several beautiful thralls to battle the group. However,
|Cast of Characters=1128, 1100, 1016, 1084, 707, 571, 972, 290, 1107, 1011
|Tinyplot=Soliloquy of Reproach
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:''' -= AFTERNOON, WALLACHIA'S FORESTS =-     Maria's map led into a dark world full of gothic horrors and vast forests. In specific, her map also led to a small clearing in the woods. Most of the world had something of an unsettling aura, even to those who were native to there. But this clearing seems oddly tranquil, as if even the natural animals don't want to break the silence. It's not an air of fear, though. It's the solemn air of a church during mass.     But there is also a feeling of darkness. Not necessarily evil. But dark. Something that flees the light, even in daylight. And here, even in broad daylight it's dim, something about the environment leaving sunlight dampened and thin in this area. It should be easier for any vampires investigating this to not get burned to a crisp. Which should make this easier.     The clearing is not empty, though. There is a small building there, like a small temple. It's a small temple, only a single room, but the room is a large one. In the center of the room there is a statue of a woman in somber reflection. She isn't praying, but her head is down, her hands folded in her lap. The statue-woman wears a hooded garment like many saints in Christianity are depicted.     It's worth mentioning that there's no other visible exit to the room except the door to enter, and there's no tomb in that temple. But Maria has furnished the group with information here, too. The statue sits atop the entrance to Adrian's tomb. And there are marks where it has been moved very recently. Perhaps the vampire is in his tomb even now? 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne's entrance is heralded by the growling thrumm of a Harley Davidson. It's quite the feat to navigate a big, snorting hog through the forests, but somehow Tiny's managed it, pulling the oversized mile-eater up next to the tomb. She's heard on the grapevine that at least one fellow Watchman needs help... even if she was also warned that said watchman was 'a bit of a fruit loop'. She's not one to judge; there are many who would consider her a bit of one too. Especially after her BASE jump off the big Ravinica tower. The giant, red-armoured mouse steps off her bike and pulls off her helmet, shaking out her long, blue hair and tying it back into a ponytail. Her beret is placed on her head, and its position adjusted in the wingmirror. Then she opens up her panniers and starts preparing her weapons. Today, Leyanne is packing relatively lightly. A P-90 is clipped to the right side of her backpack, followed by several large, round drum magazines, which she feeds into a slot in the side of her backpack. From the other pannier, she pulls out a Atchisson Assault shotgun, the long-barreled model, and slips in another drum. She racks the slide, and then holds the gun in her left hand, finger above the trigger guard out of habit. Then, several wooden fencing spikes, about a foot and a half long, are tucked into the side of the pack, where they can be easily grabbed by either hand. Finally, a small wooden humidor goes into the pack, before she hefts the whole thing up and settles it on her back. THen nonchalantly, she leans against the tomb, next to the entrance, and lights up a cigarette. 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     Death rides a dark horse today. Also, it's actually just Death's kid, and the horse is dark because Eithne had finally talked her new mount into being something spookier than 'a soggy white horse'.     So she's riding astride the back of a black mare, a simple leather bridle and harness the only tack. The harness is in turn attached to a small farm cart, with a wooden coffin inside. A sassy juvenile crow rides on the edge of the cart, occasionally knocking on the lid with his beak.     Eithne has basically given up on getting Sheela to behave, and just hopes John Rizzo won't emerge with a splitting headache or anything.     Upon arrival, she hops off the horse's back and raps twice on the coffin lid. "We're here! It's even all dim and everything," she comments, turning back to the horse to remove the harness and set it inside the cart. "Behave, all right?" she tells the crow and horse sternly. Sheela flaps his wings and caws at her; the horse snorts and bares sharp fangs. Eithne rolls her eyes and heads for the temple-church-mausoleum thingy. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' "Of all the places to stick your lair," Seras warbles out in a hazy, almost out-of-it manner, "A gloomy forest?" The sunlight here is subdued and suppressed, the gloomy aura of this place a bit more suitable for a dark creature like her. And yet Seras still seems unhappy about the locale.     She's brought the same weapon as before - a sizable semi-automatic rifle that's about as long as she is tall. A pistol's holstered at her side, and several pouches on her belt are clearly holding extra ammo.     Seras Victoria pauses upon reaching the clearing, her eyes fixed and widening on that statue. A woman of great faith...? She slowly blinks a few times and relaxes.     Because the incongruity of the situation is just too gobsmacking. A kill squad waltzes in and finds a serene statue of a praying woman?     Seras makes a doubt-filled grunt.     Seras is clearly losing motivation for this operation. The mood is ALL wrong. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Whatever the era may be in Wallachia, Xiaomu didn't feel like wasting a lot of time walking; she committed the map to memory as best she could, and handled navigating most of the way to the indicated coordinates on her light cycle. The final approach is done on foot, though - light cycles may not be as noisy as your typical internal-combustion engine, but they DO make a certain amount of noise. She's geared up more or less as usual, save that her carry-pack has some specialty anti-vampire ammunition - plus two clips carried more readily, with the other magazines she toes around for occasional reloading. Also some holy water (Shinto-style rather than Christian, but water is water and blessings are blessings, right?). She does not appear to be carrying wooden stakes, garlic, or a crucifix. She has her Buddhist monk's staff (and the sword therein concealed), she presumably has her handguns. That's really all she feels a need for. And while she's waiting for everyone else to arrive, the sage fox busies herself checking the area around the statue - looking for scuff marks or the like - and giving Leyanne the occasional withering look when smoke from that cigarette wafts in Xiaomu's direction. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka hates wearing this coat. Her trenchcoat is a knee-length, glorified smock lined with bullet proof kevlar material that gives it a weight of twenty pounds soaking wet. A regular human would be insane to wear this thing day to day, but Maaka's enhanced strength and the fact the coat distributes the weight around evenly makes that work out. Add on a plate carrier with magazines, holster and sidearm, an HF combat knife meant to vibrate hard enough to burn through solid steel, among other equipment Maaka doesn't keep in her Matter Manipulator, and there's a LOT of weight on her shoulders. Sure, she can carry that weight fine thanks to both inhuman strength and sheer manly grit, but it's not exactly pleasant.     That's fine by her, she can take out her anger on the enemy. That's usually why she carries so much gear, beyond "I need it and you never know when you need a specific gun or tool."     As she hops off of her own motorcycle, she retrieves and hefts a SCAR-H CQC battle rifle from the bike's gun holster after mentally going over her gear. Beforehand, Maaka requested some ammunition in .45 ACP, 7.62 NATO, and 12 Gauge magnum from Xiaomu and her organization's quartermaster. THankfully, she got just that from the Huli Jing before getting here, and she is grateful to her friend and colleague in asskicking.     Speaking of those two things, Maaka spies not only Xiaomu but some other familiar sights, stopping beside the fox first. "Thanks again for the ammo, Xiao, wasn't expecting you to actually help out, but I appreciate it." She says with a nod, before approaching towards the towering mouse. "Hey," Maaka claps Mace's arm in a friendly if overly macho manner, as is her want, before she slings the SCAR and adjusts her coat. In the coat's sewn-in scabbard, she keeps a sawed-off Remington Spartan double-barrel holstered, just in case she needs it, as well as packing some wooden stakes she personally sharpened beforehand. Holstered on her plate carrier is an STI Tactical 2011, a double-stack magazine fed version of the classic 1911. "Didn't expect you to show up, but good to see you regardless." She says with a little grin to the Martian mouse, before she looks to see Enya arrive on horseback, with a card and coffin pulled behind the mare. "Seras, Enya, good to see you girls too. John in there?" She asks the perky child of Morrigan, before she begins to head her way towards the tomb, alertly keeping the battle rifle trained downrange as she checks corners and pathways. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      The sound of the odd motorcycle was enough to attract Reimu's attention completely. She began to descend from the daytime sky with a pair of red and white Yin Yang Orbs next to her. Both of them were rotating as they followed her around. As she lands on the ground with her shoes clacking on the ground, she walks inside as well. Her gohei is held out in her right hand as she glanced toward the unusual group.      "I assume that you're here for the job as well, right? If more people are arriving, then this is going to be much easier than I expected."      Afterwards, she glances over to Xiaomu and smiles slightly,      "It's nice to see that a familiar face is here as well." 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' The sound of running footsteps can be heard nearby, along with the sound of someone breathing rapidly. It's getting closer and closer... A few moments later, Rebecca arrives with her hands on her knees, catching her breath before looking up at the others who have gathered, and then surveying the general area. "So this is Wallachia," She comments. Then she spots Xiaomu and a few others she knows, giving them a nod, before taking out her Beretta and loading a fresh clip into it and then turning on the attached flashlight. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan's footfalls were resolute and steady as he, strangely, was able to keep up with most of the more conventional methods of travel for the time period that some of the group took, despite only using his own two legs. He'd considered going inside of the Armor of 77 Rings, but ultimately, he figured that Alucard's sword would easily slip through the gaps and impale him when it would be least fortunate for him, nullifying the defensive boons it would provide.     Seemingly unworn from the trip, Jonathan's eyes slowly wash over the rest of his cohorts. Some sort of eastern maiden, though dressed far more conservatively than Xiaomu, another animal person, Alexis, the vampires, that medic from before, the little girl.. It was a strange group indeed. The fact it was comprised primarily of women did not do his nerves any service, if he were being honest. "If this is everyone, then -- I'll go first." From the gloomy foilage into the aged stone. It was like an ancient cathedral, it didn't bear the imperial omens of Windknight's Castle, but none the less, he could equate this place to something similar. A modern torch, a stick lined with LED lights, was held up to illuminate the room better. " .... a woman." A statue of someone who bore a very close resemblance to the women who'd been attacked, and of course, Maria. More than that, however, was the disturbing resemblance to his own fiance. Jonathan sets the torch down, and presses his hands flat against the statue with a grunt. Buldging muscles expand as he brings his might to bear in pushing the large stone structure aside. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' John emerges from the coffin with a sluggish kind of awareness, the lid haphazardly pushed aside. His first reaction upon looking up into the sky is animal fright. The rays of the sun see him scrambling, first to grab the lid (which has fallen clear of the cart), then to get underneath the cart. But... something is different about this light. It doesn't burn him, for some reason.      That's one hell of a wake up call for a vampire, but once he's clear of the coffin, he takes a look around. Everyone seems to be loaded for bear, here, which is... disappointing, to say the least. On the off chance Alucard is innocent, it's going to look mighty suspicious, seeing allies showing up at his front door with all this firepower.      He's been on this Multiverse kick for a while now, and he knows the best way to keep this from turning into an incident is being there to stop it from happening. He therefore vaults over the side of the cart and enters in. Should no one attempt to stop him, he'll even try to step around people in the hallways to get closer to the middle-front of the group.      "Hardly an evil lair," he remarks as he passes the statue. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     It is a really heavy statue. But otherwise a normal statue, in an otherwise normal temple. Even if the land seems dark. Which really isn't weird, since pretty much the whole WORLD has that whole 'steeped in darkness' feel. However, there IS a 'hollow' feel under the statue. And thusly, as Jonathan pushes at the statue, it slowly begins to slide back -- indeed, re-marking those marks on the floor where the statue has been moved before.     Beneath the statue there is a staircase that leads down into the earth for quite a ways. At the bottom of the stairs there is a short hallway, with three doors -- one to the left, one directly forward, and one to the right. The doors to the left and right both lead to empty rooms with little more than the debris of destroyed rooms. One may have been a library or a study at one time.     The door directly forward of the staircase is the one where most of the attention will probably be focused. It's an open archway, and leads into a room about the same size as the temple room above. There's nothing here but a stone sarcophagus, in the center of the room. Unlike the rest of the place, the sarcophagus itself is very ornate. Intricate rose designs are carved into the sides.     The top of the coffin has an odd symbol carved into it -- a simple cross, with a pair of bat wings sprouting from the top edge, a snarling wolf atop where the two 'bars' of the cross intersect, and wisps of clouds or smoke around the bottom long bar of the cross.     Here, though, the feeling of wrongness starts to set in. Something is here that doesn't belong -- something truly evil in the solemn darkness. As the group enters, the multitude of candelabras on the wall light themselves, with malevolent red flames. But nothing moves yet. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      Reimu begins to follow after Jonathan Joestar closely. The orbs were illuminating the darkness on the way down the staircase with a faint red light. Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs and immediately takes a moment to step back.      "Alright, this has the makings of an obvious trap. Come on out and speak with us immediately!"      The red and white orbs begin to spin faster as well as she swings her gohei. As the paper trails through the air, the black haired girl speaks further her joyous tone being in complete contrast with the malevolent flames.      "Because I'd be happy to play around with you otherwise!" 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     More and more people pile on in, some of them people she knows. Maaka and Seras get waves and a smile, Maaka because Eithne sort-of knows her and Seras because she always seems so discouraged. "Yup! I think he's about--" The coffin lid slides off, and there are a few very tense moments for the detective.     After making sure John is all right she walks up next to Jonathan and lays hands on the statue as well, helping him push it faster. She's stronger than she looks.     Though she peeks into the side rooms, the middle chamber is clearly where the important bits are. "Ooooo-er," she murmurs, sidling toward the sarcophagus (and by necessity, past Reimu). "What's this, then?"     ...She's admiring the roses carved into the sides instead of paying attention. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace appears to be counting each of her arriving comrades. "Awesome, I brought :enough Victory Dances." She mutters cheerfully, holding up her other hand for a fistbump with Maaka. She grins cheerfully, leaning across to whisper cheesily "I see dead people!" She giggles, wiggling her antennae. She's half-expecting a punch for that one. As soon as everyone starts getting down to business, she pinches out her smoke and puts the end in a little ashtray. "Yeah yeah I know the deal, don't fire 'till the dude shows himself to be a threat." Shehe follows Joestar and Rizzo along, covering the corners with her shotgun. Her finger remains above the trigger, the mouse having to crouch slightly within the tunnels to fit. WHen Reimu calls out for the person to come out and speak, she lowers the gun, aiming it at the floor. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Once Jonathan starts trying to move the statue, Xiaomu abandons her inspection of the scuff marks and, and if an extra set of soldiers would be handy, she helps him with the pushing. Somebody physically stronger than Xiaomu might be better-suited if it comes to that - she's no weakling, but there are upper limits to how much she can lift or push, and some people have better capacity in that field than she does. If she has a moment to make up for lost greetings, she does so - it's always good to see familiar faces; for Xiaomu, though, pretty much *everyone* here is familiar to a greater or lesser extent. That doesn't stop her from giving Reimu in particular a grin and a thumbs-up before they move on. She heads down the stairs and into the crypt with the others; she's quite happy to let Reimu take the lead, given what the miko had to say about her attacks. But that feeling of wrongness sets her ears to canting back, the fur of her hair-tails fluffing out more visibly than usual; her usual good-natured snark actually peters out as those candelabras flare up in an ominous red hue. Even the way she's carrying herself changes - from a relaxed demeanor to a conscious balancing of her weight, maintaining a poise and position which will let her react quickly to a threat as soon as it presents itself. Most people might not pick up on the nature of that shift ... but she's in the company of Elites, who don't generally fall under the heading of 'most people'. She most noticeably is NOT focusing her full attention on the sarcophagus. She's not ignoring it, but whatever that sense of encroaching evil may be heralding, she's not about to assume the big, ornate coffin is the source of it. Her gaze and her ears angle this way and that, trying to take in as much of 'all of her surroundings' as she can pull off. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka definitely returns the fistbump to Mace, and she snorts in amusement as she gives the mouse a smack on the arm. Not enough to hurt, but definitely a firm rap of her knuckles. She lifts her battle rifle so she isn't flagging Jonathan and Rizzo with the muzzle of a 7.62 select-fire rifle that can punch holes in body armor and concrete with ease, before she trains her weapon on the sarcophagus when they reach it, expecting the worst and preparing herself to react accordingly. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' As soon as Jonathan moves the statue, Rebecca moves into position near him to cover him in case someone or something springs out to attack. Fortunately, there's no such thing, and Rebecca is relieved for the time being. She then notices the stairs and after a moment, shrugs a little. "I guess we're going down." She waits for a few others to go ahead before following behind them. As they go down into the crypt itself, Rebecca's breathing begins to grow a bit heavier and faster as she keeps moving, trying not to get uneasy. One look might spot a few beads of sweat on her forehead, and her lip is quivering a bit. Despite this, she's doing her best to keep a calm face in spite of all of this. She then takes a deep breath and seems to firm up a little. "Stay with it, Becky, you've got this!" Once they're inside, Rebecca sweeps around with her flashlight, looking around for anything that's possibly suspicious or out of the ordinary. She doesn't have danger senses like Xiaomu does, but she does have that gut instinct that's saved her before. "Something's definitely not right here," Rebecca says, scowling a little. "Everyone, stay alert!" 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' John does peer curiously into both of the ruined rooms--but it seems like it's just junk. The main attraction here is the coffin, which Enya seems interested with, as well. "Alucard's an old-fashioned guy," he says to Enya. "Traditional, too," he says, noting the cross on the top with a curious frown. It would of course stand to reason that Alucard, a vampire a few centuries his senior, would be more old-fashioned in his choice of haven.      Occasionally, John has no problem playing along with the narrative. At this point in the novel, something lurks in the room with them, waiting to emerge, announcing its presence with the slightly theatric display of candles suddenly alight. To find this entity, he would of course be expected to call upon Malkav's gifts. And so, to further the narrative, he does.      Upon seeing the candelabras light up, Rizzo searches the room for auras other than those of his allies. "Alucard," he announces. "There's some real itchy trigger fingers in this room," he says, paying a momentary glance to Reimu.      As he talks, he glances around the room in search of auras. "I ain't one of 'em--but I'm one guy. Now, you don't know me, but I came here at my weakest to talk to you, vampire to vampire. Whaddaya say we cut the Orlok routine before these folks fill us with daylight, huh?" One hand cautiously drifts to his neck, fingers dipping under his loose-fitting collar. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' The gloomy gothic decor is depressing Seras in a situation one would think a vampire would be in their element for. But the police girl gazes upon all the rows and rows of candles and the OVERTLY morbid resting place with a look that is... 'really?' written all over it.     Her disinterest in the CLEARLY CLASSIC vampire aesthetic aside though... the place soon gives her a nasty case of the creeps. Her undead body tenses and in a few moments, SERAS, TOO, is radiating some Creepy Vibes of her own as her eyes shift from an innocent blue to focused, determined, and aglow-from-within bloody crimson.     "Come out!" She shouts angrily at the darkness. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan looks appreciable of the help. He was more than strong enough to push it by himself, but the strain on his body would be largely unneccesary considering available help. "You have my gratitude." he says as they begin descending the stairwell. It didn't take long for them to reach another point of interest, accentuated by Reimu's boisterous response. For such a tiny, petit little oriental woman, she sure had a set of lungs on her. Yet, he wasn't so sure that it was so easy that they'd find their mark. He was fairly certain, this omen in the air -- it was different. Unlike what he'd felt before, when he fought the monster. Another being, perhaps? A servant creature of some kind? The vampire's lieutenants? Jonathan's hand rests on the hilt of Luck & Pluck. "Keep your wits about you, everyone." He did not make any flagrant demands of his own. No, he had no need of it -- even if he were wrong, and Alucard were indeed the one exuding this aura, they'd battled before. The vampire could not mistake his reasons for being here as anything else but his destruction if he did not have a very good explanation for his actions. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     A chuckle echoes through the chamber at Reimu's demand. It's a chuckle full of malice and evil, full of intent to harm. Eithne may want to watch herself, because at that moment the sarcophagus starts to open. The lid twists in a circle rather than being pushed aside, leaving the top half of the stone coffin open.     "You want to play?" A gloved hand reaches up and grabs hold of the now sideways lid. It's the same voice Jonathan Joestar heard in his battle with the vampire in Windknight's Lot. But it's not the same feel. There's something different about the voice. It bears the same quality that Dio's did, after his transition to vampire -- pure evil.     The coffin does seem to be where the feeling of wrongness emanates from. But Rebecca's words ring true in more than one way -- those with more sophisticated senses may note that it's not just a vibe of evil. It's a vibe of 'wrong', as if the thing there doesn't belong here. As if it is somehow out of place.     There's movement again, and someone sits up from inside the coffin. To all appearances, it looks like Alucard -- yes, the man that Jonathan fought, in his black cloak and black nobleman's gear. But his eyes glow red, and there is a smile on his face. No, it's more apt to say a smirk. It twists his face into a malicious charade of a smile, displaying one pointed canine tooth. Then he moves again, seeming to skitter out of the coffin much akin to a snake or lizard slithering over stone, flowing to the ground on the other side.     "Oh, but you've brought so many playmates..." he continues on, seeing the amount of people here. "That would hardly be fair, would it? I suppose I should call some of my own..." He reaches out to the the coffin he stands behind. The sense of a magical spell being used, and light shines from inside the open stone coffin. "Arise, my darlings..."     Suddenly more hands begin to reach up from the coffin -- delicate, beautiful hands. They're clearly not literally coming from inside; he's merely using the coffin as a portal. And what crawls out? A gaggle of beautiful women. Yes, all of them blonde and delicate-looking. Their eyes glow menacingly. Alucard notes, that smirk still on his face, "We have guests. Do please entertain them. But don't play too hard. They'll be lovely additions to our family..." 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      The young miko began to float in the air as she got directly out of the way of anyone else the orbs began to fire off sets of blue amulets one after the other. All of them appeared to be coming out of the two orbs at the rate of machine gun fire. Meanwhile, Reimu waved her gohei through the air and an enormous stream of red talismans began to fire forth directly in front of her. The holy elemental talismans hurtled themselves directly toward the doppelganger while the blue, holy elemental amulets threw themselves at both the hands and the zombie ladies.      The look on Reimu's face was surprisingly calm as well. It was perhaps, unnervingly calm. 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     "Traditional, huh?" she murmurs, looking up at John as he starts speaking aloud to the presumably-napping vampire inside the coffin. She can't feel the 'wrongness' in this place so overwhelmed with the psychic scent of death; Wallachia as a whole is playing merry hell with her Death Sense. It's like there's a corpse underneath every tree or something!!     She can feel the rumble of stone on stone as the coffin lid begins to spin - the edge of the lid touches her hip and almost manages to push her out of the way.     Eithne steps out of its way and waits for it to stop. Then she calmly grabs it in both hands and rips it free of its mooring, holding the hundreds-of-pounds slab of stone like an unwieldy parcel.     She lifts it up over her head...     And SLAMS it down onto the coffin itself. "Right then, that's enough sexy vampire ladies fer now," she admonishes, and reaches for one of the succubi to drag her right out of the ruins. GIRL FIGHT 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' His instinct was more or less, on point. Yes, something inherently evil. Something familiar. Staring at the red eyed, sharp toothed, pale haired man with a face beautiful enough to make some women envious brought back rather unpleasant memories of one year previous. But, this feeling was not .. true. Rather, he felt that what he was staring at was a falsity. Almost like a dream so real you could believe it were reality, yet it still held an uncanny quality ... ah. Of course, that had to be it. Before, when he'd fought the creature, there'd been differences. In the teeth, the eyes, and most importantly, the demeanor. It had been a cool, collected menace. Like Bruford's cold gaze. This sheer arrogance was uncharacteristic. Soon, enemies fill the room. Tantalizing, scantily clad women. Jonathan paid them no mind, however, as air seemed to rush into his flaring nostrils. It became apparent why -- his eyes were closed. Their faces and eyes reminded him too much of his dearest to knowingly strike at them. And so, he would not look upon their suffering. His whole body radiated ripples of the sun, as he calmly stepped forward. His body seemed to multiply almost, fading in a half-circle of afterimages in his approach, a serene movement with such mysticism that spoke of danger to any of the enemies that approached. And what seemed like far too quickly, Jonathan arrives at the Vampire, well within attacking distance. "I know not your purpose --- but whether you speak now or hold your silence, I am going to destroy you." 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace sighs a little. "And here was me hoping you'd talk. Pity." She brings up the gun. "Nobody ever wants to talk." And then she takes aim at one of the scantily-clad, glowing-eyed ladies, centring the simple sights on her centre mass and letting fly with a two-round burst of buckshot. At close range like this, if she hits, and they're not immune to lead, it should knock some pretty big holes in them... 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka wasn't sure what to expect, sure as hell wasn't a gaggle of suspiciously sexy women flanking this pretty boy vampire with a grin that makes sharks scared. She takes a breath, hissing as she takes aim at one of the succubi while Jonathan takes care of "Alucard". Impersonator or not, that guy is definitely suspiciously creepy looking enough to be the culprit they've been hunting for.     Her SCAR rifle barks out as the cyborg mercenary takes a few shots at one of the succubi, aiming to splatter that pretty face all across the walls of this tomb. Normally she'd be a little reticent to see anything happen to someone so pretty, but this sort of situation means that fair play comes second to survival, and she can't afford to fuck around with the undead. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Well, looks like Rebecca was on the right track after all. "I knew it was a trap!" Rebecca exclaims, ducking back a little to steady her aim on her handgun. "Sorry, but we're not here for a party I'm afraid!" Rebecca responds to Alucard, before firing upon the nearest succubus with her Beretta. She fires not once, but twice, hoping her bullets cause some damage. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' When your enemy sics succubi on you...     Well, that's when it pays to not be AT ALL interested in girls. Seras face sure does screw up at the unexpected development. A thousand thoughts of WHAT she is dealing with bring all kinds of dread and doubt crossing her face...     But the hesitation is gone. Seras flicks her weapon's safety OFF... and opens fire with blessed silver bullets in burst fire!     One of the supposed-succubi now has a bunch of holy rounds going for her heart and head and much of the flesh in-between. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' This complicates things. John's lived as a vampire long enough to know what evil is, and the reaction Alucard gives to Reimu's challenge surely won't be taken well. What certainly won't be taken well is the knowledge that Alucard not only intends to fight them, but with the aid of recently turned victims, as well.      As the thralls begin to rise from the coffin, Rizzo's hand rises from beneath his collar, revealing a silver medallion. When the stone lid slams shut, the medallion gleams in the light as if in response. It's a medallion of St. Jude, the patron saint of lost causes. Does something human remain within Alucard, or within his thralls? Probably not, but there will always be a ray of hope within him, no matter how dire the circumstances.      A white light emanates from Rizzo amidst all the chaos around him. Kneeling before the sarcophagus, he bows his head and recites scripture in an effort to undo what he hopes is simply ensorcelment, both on Alucard's mind and those of his thralls. It might work, it might not--but anything is better than standing by and watching.      "Oh, let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once. Peradventure only ten righetous souls be found within Sodom. And the Lord said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake."      Bullets zip past him, the vampire completely ignoring the thralls and Alucard, all in the name of saving any who might still have a shred of goodness within them. Bullets, magic, and all maner of projectiles zip past him, but his voice barely raises above speaking level even as chaos surrounds him. Even as Jonathan prepares to strike Alucard down, John attempts to use his faith to help, on the off-chance that this sudden shift of heart is the cause of evil magic cast upon him by another. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Out of all the things that Xiaomu had been expecting, that was about three which she WASN'T. Alucard comes out of his coffin all Evil Vampire Lordy, radiating that miasma of ominousness and Bad Things which Xiaomu had been *certain* had to be coming from somebody (or something) else. And he has company - a lot of it. Xiaomu isn't sure at first glance whether they're full-fledged vampires; Jonathan chimes in on the radio that they seem more like succubi. The difference is a little academic at the moment - vampires and succubi both kill by draining something vital, it's just how they go about it that varies, and in any case, letting a succubus get too close and too personal will ruin anyone's day just as fast - even Xiaomu's. Oh, and there's a *portal* in the coffin. Which explains why the sexy undead fangirl mob are coming out of the coffin. Dealing with the coffin portal seems like it should be easy enough: wreck it. Xiaomu calls for it, Eithne makes her way forward and does that with its own lid. That puts a limit on the number of problems; now they just have to bring the tally down. Once the battle has revved up around her and people have their priorities arranged, Xiaomu engages one of the succubi/vampires/whatever, they're blonde and too sexy for anyone's good and they're deadly. Call 'em succubi for now. The sage fox greets one with a hail of gunfire - anti-spirit gunfire, rather than specifically anti-vamp; that was what she had loaded and there's no time for juggling clips. And if the succubus (or not) gets close enough despite bullets in the everywhere, the sage fox channels ice magic out of Suiren to try and freeze the blonde into a solid block of ice .. Followed by just *kicking* the succubucicle as hard as she can, and hopefully sending it (her) sliding into some of the other succubi. Or just into the wall. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     The hail of blue magical pellets from Reimu gets the whole group of vampires on the defensive, and they start dodging. They're not going to dodge all of that, though, not even with supernatural speed, and several of the shots hit (or graze), raising smoke from where they strike.     Eithne, for her part, smashes the coffin pretty easily, and the magic within it sputters to a stop with a small flash and a tiny little magical pop. So there will be no more of the vampire's playthings to fight here. Then again, there are by far enough of them anyway. These women all sport fangs and hiss angrily at the attackers. Doubtless because of a vampire's turning. The women are dressed in filmy dresses that cover them well, though the skirts fade to transparency beginning at their knees. The dresses are various pastel colors, like those a young girl might wear, mockeries of innocence.     Alucard had been standing back, from the looks of things, but then suddenly found himself faced with Jonathan Joestar, way too close for comfort. "What?! How did--?!" That's about all he's got the patience for, it seems, bcause he goes on the offensive. Not with a sword. His gloves are off, literally, and he attack's Jonathan like a beast, clawed hands slashing for the Hamon-practitioner's face.     Leyanne's blast does hit one, and she screeches in an inhuman way as she falls, the blast flinging her back. But having a hole in her stomach doesn't seem to be more than a minor annoyance, and she soon stands up. "Master has no need to explain himself to a RAT!" she shrieks as she leaps at Leyanne. Looks like she's trying to bite her.     Maaka's shots tag one in the side, removing one arm in a smoking mess, but when she fires the second shot, the woman has figured out where the shots are coming from, and is putting on the speed. And she's also charging at Maaka, with the claw-like nails of her remaining arm outstretched.     Rebecca's target is struck by both bullets and staggers back. But she's not down. And now she knows where to aim. Much like the others, she lunges at Rebecca with a hiss, seeking to sink claw-like nails into her.     Seras's target is soon more hole-y than righteous, thanks to the large rounds. But there seems to be a difference here, between these girls and the thralls Seras might have fought in the past. These are tougher, and faster. As such, the thrall drops down under the shots to her head, one grazing the side of her face. ...Uhoh. She seems to pause, bringing her hand to her face as if shocked. "You... damaged my face..." And then a SCREECH! "HOW DARE YOU?!" Think fast, Seras... there's a very angry thrall coming after you, even if she's got smoking holes in her chest!     And then something very strange happens. Rizzo begins to pray... and then Alucard seems to pause. It's probably just long enough to save Jonathan from the attack. And it opens Alucard up to counterattack by Jonathan, too. The thralls, however, seem unmoved.     Xiaomu's got everything worked out, it seems, and her anti-spirit rounds tear into the side of one of the thralls. She gets the same treatment as the rest, it lunges at her. But of course the freezing startles the succu-pire (is that even a word?), and just as Xiaomu had planned, the vampcicle ends up smashing against the wall. That one's not out, but she's down; she needs to get her bearings. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace smirks as the succubus she's going for goes down. But when the thing gets back up, she prepares to open fire. But then she says the word. The R-word. Leyanne sees red. Literally red; her cybernetic optic flicks from green to red and she lets go of her gun, her left hand bending oddly as it pulls one of the stakes from her backpack and grabs it in her fist. All the red lights along the limb suddenly turn green. The mouse leaves herself WIDE open to attack from all angles as she sprints to meet hte charging, face-biting succubus. She makes no attempt to avoid her attack. What she does attempt do do, as she comes in range, is thrust the stake so far through her chest that most of her forearm is likely to emerge from the other side. Gas jets from her elbow and shoulder.         "MOMMA DIDN'T RAISE NO STINKIN RAT!" Leyanne bellows, abject rage in her voice. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      Now was a perfect opportunity to go ahead and finish them off one by one. She merely floats to the side as another pair of Yin Yang Orbs appear as well. The four of them begin to spread out and hurtle themselves off directly to the walls of the enormous room. All of them appear to glowing a warm red and seem to sporting no signs of damage. The light that they emit glows a vivid and rather unpleasant shade of red.      "Alright, let's see you dodge this one then!"      She raises her gohei into the air and begins to swing it left and right as well. As she continues to swing it through the air, four lines of yellow talisman streams begin to make themselves evident as the sound of repeated shots being fired fills the air. As she finishes the swing, the four streams begin to curve themselves directly into the positions of the succubi. Meanwhile, the orbs just ricocheted off the walls and each one seems to be bouncing toward the succubi while glowing a rather bright shade of red. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Unfortunately, it seems Rebecca underestimated her enemy. The succubus comes at her and drives her nails into Rebecca's sides. Both of them spots where her kevlar vest doesn't protect her, unfortunately. "Yaahh!" Rebecca cries out in pain, trying to force the succubus off of her. "Dammit, that hurt worse than a Hunter!" She feels her sides where the succubus attacked her and is unsurprised to find blood coming out. The wounds don't seem too deep, but Rebecca knows the succubus means business. After getting the succubus off of her and checking her wound, Rebecca grabs her stun baton and attempts to strike the succubus with that before her enemy can recover fully. 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     There's something nice and simple about a fight, Eithne reflects. You hit the other person until someone stops moving, or the police arrive. A set of sharpened, thick nails rake down the side of her face; in return, she grabs a fistful of the succupire's hair and slams her head down into the stone over and over.     A floating bullet grazes her shoulder and Eithne yelps - that hurt more than it ought to! What the hell are those things even made of? Sadly, that might be just the opportunity the succupire (Eithne has privately named her Pinky for the color of her nightgown) was waiting for... 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka sees as the succubus's arm is taken clean off. She sees Reimu's torrent of...energy balls? Some kinda magic. Anyway, she sees those and promptly books it out of the way, just for the one-armed succubus to slash at her arm. The claws cut through armor and Maaka's jumper, drawing blood as she snarls in pain. "/FUCK OFF!/" she growls loudly, driving the buttstock of her SCAR into the succubus's face, with speed and strength that would pulp a normal human's skull as she tries to swiftly transition to her shotgun, the double-barrel barking loudly as she pulls both triggers to fire point-blank into the she-devil's stomach. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' The claw comes quick, like lightning. Yet. it did nothing but force a deeper frown to his features as he recalled their previous battle. Why attack him with his bare hands like this? Why step into Jonathan's own effective range? Surely the Vampire remembered the last time that happened -- he'd nearly been broiled alive by Hamon. But evidently, the creatures memory eluded him, or ... his suspicions that this was not the same Vampire would prove correct. Moreover, the previous engagement with this Alucard had shown an intelligent, cautious fighter. Not this haughty and rash savage. Red lines scratch across Jonathan's cheek as he waves around the lapsing strike, intent on grasping onto the would-be Dark Lord's wrist, his grip like an iron clamp. The stinging along his cheek bones did nothing to deter him. "Koooooooooooooh............!"         "OVERDRIIIVE!" Jonathan's fist meets Alucard's face, nose first, in a surging blast of ripple transmitting from knuckle to delicate white skin. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' "HYEEEEEK!!!" Seras FLINCHES, and that's a big no-no in combat. She wasn't expecting such terrific SPEED from her opponent and is caught a bit flat-footed...     Or is that the reason? It may have to do with the sudden BIBLE VERSE CHANTING happening nearby that got her squeaking like a hanged banshee.     Either way... the woman claws into Seras' undead flesh - specifically, an exposed arm raised to shield her own face.     The Draculina wails, because GOD that hurts!!     But with a surprisingly adept display of honed footsie, she hooks out with a leg to trip up her opponent the moment her feet are on the ground again... and tries to use this to PIN the succubis into a brutal hold!     "You have one chance--ngghhh!- to go back where you came from, or else!" 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' With the crowd getting sorted out a bit more, Xiaomu has the opportunity to appraise how her assorted allies are doing. Reimu's danmaku makes for excellent crowd control, as well as maintaining aerial superiority on the side of the good guys; the other shooty types are making a good accounting of themselves, as a rule, although the thralls aren't as easily subdued as you'd expect out of regular mooks. So clearly these are not 'regular mooks'. One more useful detail. The sage fox would be happy to help subdue Alucard, but there are still enough thralls at liberty that she can't make much progress in that direction. So, Xiaomu draws a bead on not one but *two* thralls who'd picked her out as a juicy target, sing-songing, "Juu no Kata!" as she practically dances between the two of them - and then she vaults up onto one of the walls, springing off to do a spinning cartwheel over the two of them and pump MORE anti-spirit bullets into the two of them. She should have a relatively clear spot to land in ... or such was her snap judgment at the moment she began that crazy maneuver. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' John finishes his prayer, looking up to see that, of the group within the haven, not one has turned; not Alucard or any of his thralls still standing. True Faith can do a lot, but it can't magically change someone's mind. Even for Malkavians, that takes time and effort, the former of which is in tragically short supply. All around him, succubi are being struck down, and with only one entity even showing a reaction--Alucard.      He hopes beyond hope it isn't a fluke, that there's something left of the man himself behind the monstrous mask serving as his expression. If he can't get to that shred with True Faith, he'll try good old fashioned talking.      Without rising from his spot, the younger vampire casts a somber glance Alucard's way, still surrounded by an aura of bright, white light. Were it not for the stubble and the ill-fitting contemporary clothes, he'd look like a Renaissance portrait of someone being knighted.      This is important. Important enough to drop the charade, if only for a moment, and speak plainly. "Is there no goodness left within you?" In contrast to Alucard's red eyes, John's are human, grey like the statue outside. As Jonathan's fist collides with the elder vampire's face (or at least, the fellow John presumes to be Alucard), those eyes are heavy with sadness... and pity.      He really, really doesn't want to hurt anyone. Hopefully that question will shake something loose just in time for Jonathan to knock the guy off his plates. But there's a lot of hoping going on, and things don't seem to be going the way he'd hoped--especially as Leyanne goes berserk over the insult from one of the succubi.      John rises slowly, and holds the medallion out towards Alucard. The light focuses into a beam, washing over Jonathan. To the vampire (?) it becomes unbearably bright--but it washes harmlessly over the hamon master. If Alucard won't stand down, he'll just have to make it increasingly difficult for him to continue fighting. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     The thrall going for Leyanne thinks she's won. She's broken Leyanne's composure, and made her be reckless. But if she gets her fangs into Leyanne's muzzle, it won't even matter. Why? Because there's a stake going for her heart. And in the next instant it penetrates the flesh. There's nowhere for the thrall to go. She screeches again, this time in agony, as the stake punctures her body... and yes, goes through the other side, along with Leyanne's forearm. Quite a mess, but not for long; the thrall goes limp, and then an instant later crumbles into dust. That's one down.     Reimu's orbs and shots seem to be a constant source of trouble for the thralls. They're unable to coordinate their attacks together, for needing to get out of the way of them. And those bouncing balls, too. The shots start making holes in the girls, and finally one of them goes after Reimu personally. She leaps high enough, but just as she gets in range, one of those bouncing balls hits her and knocks her unceremoniously back to the ground. She's smoking and doesn't get up. But she isn't dust/ash.     The thrall's hands glow red where they've pierced Rebecca. Hopefully Rebecca is smart enough to back off from that, because if she's not she might find her blood being drained. Through the thrall's nails, yes. Rebecca's got a moment either way, though, because as the nails are pulled free, the thrall begins to lick the blood from her fingers. "Mmm... such a delightful taste..." she breathes. Only to be nailed in the side of the head with a taser baton! She's stunned, and staggers back from the strike.     That's absolutely right, too. With her incessant bashing into the ruined stone, Eithne has reduced the face of the thrall she fights to a bloody mess. Yet in that instant she pauses, the thrall turns and tries to lunge right for Eithne's throat with her fangs!     The thrall after Maaka does a similar thing to the one after Rebecca; pausing long enough to lick the blood from her fingers gets her a gun stock in the face, and she screeches as she clutches her abused face and falls. A second screech follows as she finds her belly in a world of pain thanks to the anti-vampire rounds in Maaka's gun. Her stomach is obliterated in a smoking mess. And still she screeches angrily, clawing at Maaka from the ground with her one functional arm.     Jonathan's punch gets the kind of reaction he's used to this time -- the skin smokes and seems to melt at the strike, leaving the vampire's face quite disfigured. The vampire shrieks and falls back, staggering at the attack, but seems less pained and more angry. "You DARE?!" The words are muffled past the way he's clutching his face, though.     Seras may find that trying to pin a thrall is a bad idea. The woman struggles and screeches, seeking to bite any of her opponent's flesh that presents itself as a good target. Seras has a... well, not a 'live' one, but definitely a lively one! There's no sense of anything but a wild animal here, though. This woman's clearly beyond help.     Anti-spirit seems to be pretty effective against them too -- it's draining off whatever enchantment is making them more-than-mooks. In draining it off, it reduces the thrall in question to her proper mook status. So the bullets are then effective as they should be. Soon there's only dust remaining of the pair of thralls Xiaomu unloaded on. Dust which she might land in. Thankfully it's only gross, not diseased.     Rizzo's appearance near Jonathan definitely gives Alucard pause. Even as he clutches his face in pain from Jonathan's last attack, he backs away from the approaching Rizzo. And then he yelps at the bright light, ducking his head. "...Stay BACK!" But there's fear in his voice, as he continues to back away. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     After losing an arm, getting her head bashed in, and two shotgun blasts to the stomach, Maaka sighs with exasperation as the thrall refuses to take the fucking hint. "PLease just be reflexes." She mutters, then Maaka pops the break-action in her shotgun. Reloading shells, Maaka pins the thrall to the ground with her boot, bracing the weapon against her head. She pulls the trigger, firing twice to make certain. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      As the orbs vanish from their bouncing positions, they reappear next to Reimu on the spot. She merely smiles as the four orbs arrange themselves in front of her body. All four of them begin to unleash a much deadlier onslaught of red needles, each of them meant to tear through spirits, evil, and as expected, the undead. The entire stream of needles clump up together as they begin to resemble a small wave. She begins to perform an aerial run as she tries to shoot down the succubi with a much more lethal assault. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace snarls as the succubus' fangs sink into her muzzle. The thrall will get a brief taste of her alien blood before the stake goes through her. She snarls, glaring into her eyes angrily even as she crumbles to dust. With a satisfied snarl, she spits "Bitch. I am not a cunting rat." The mouse looks around, looking for another target, slowly calming down. The red in her eyes slowly fades back to green. Her face is gonna hurt some in the morning... 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' "HYAAAAAAAHHH!!!"     Getting suddenly BITTEN is not what Seras was expecting out of a supposed seductress-demon, if the succubi claim is accurate. The fangs sinking into her arm have her crying out and reverting to esomething less 'trained skill' and more...     Instinctive, angry flailing that will maybe-hopefully shake the thing off. Because she flips sideways and uses all the strength she can muster to DRAG the woman who's latched onto her arm up and around in what's almost a wrestling move. Or something out of a cartoon...     A big up-over-and *WHAM* slam to the ground with enough force to shatter stone! 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Normally, Rebecca would feel bad for Thrall, but the monster deserved it, after what she did. The electric shock should leave Thrall stunned long enough for Rebecca to land another attack against the succubus. "I hope Umbrella doesn't try anything like this. I'd be shredded alive!" Once Rebecca's finished musing to herself, she decides to finish what she started. "How did you like that?" Rebecca asks sarcastically. "I'm just getting started, you know!" Rebecca attempts to drive her baton directly into Thrall this time around, as opposed to just striking her with it. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Two more thralls down - and Xiaomu spares a moment to finish off the one she previously put on ice, before the thrall can regain her bearings and start wreaking havoc again. That matter handled, the sage fox looks around briefly, reloading her handguns - and then holstering them. Why put her handguns away when she just swapped fresh clips into both of them? Mostly because there are a couple more of the succubi-vamp women closing in around her, and they're not even close enough together for gun kata to be as much good. Plus, Xiaomu actively wants to mix things up some more - and once her guns are tucked away, she draws Suiren, ice magic making the air chill into mist as the blade cuts through the air, the staff's shaft/sword's sheath held in her off-hand so she can whack enemies with it. And then she goes to town on her latest crop of adversaries, each slash of her blade marking its passage through an enemy by leaving hoarfrost at the very least, big chunks of ice at the most, wherever Xiaomu wounds her foes. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan pauses as he watches Alucard go down, the Hamon surging into his face. The highly destructive force coursing in his body was certainly doing its work. If it had been any other vampire, Jonathan would not have given it a second thought, but because of their previous encounter, he couldn't help but pay close attention. His Hamon had done more damage here than it did previously. In other words, certainly, this could not be the same vampire. Not just a mind-controlled or otherwise possessed Alucard, no. The creature he fought then and the relative weakling he was fighting now, they were entirely different. Rizzo's light, and his change of demeanor washes over the both of them. Strange, yes, it caught a surprised look from the nobleman. But the last of the Joestars knew well how deadly it could be to not pay proper attention to your quarry, and as a result, his sword is drawn in a flash and pressed against Alucard's skull, ready to deliver a seismic Hamon shock at a moment's notice. "You're not the one called 'Alucard', creature. Call off your fiends." A fact stated with a hard voice. "Reveal yourself." 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     As if getting grazed by weird extra-holy energy bullets wasn't bad enough, the succupire she'd been beating on goes right for her face as soon as she's distracted. Eithne rocks back on her heels, arms up to protect her face, and gets a wristful of teeth for her trouble. Her blood's not like most.     But alas, Pinky only gets a fleeting taste of it. Eithne's free hand clamps down like a vise on her neck and tears the succubus off. She picks her up like a sack of potatoes and slams her down into the stone. Again, and again, and again.     And then she picks the poor woman up, still by the neck, and bashes her head in with a large chunk of coffin lid. "--feckin' arsehole goin' around in yer nightie, bitin' perfectly decent people and bein' a tatty nuisance!" she finishes, and tears the woman's head clean off with her bare hands. There is an impressive splatter, then dust. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' A light of a different, more figurative kind flashes across Rizzo's stony eyes. Hope. He wants very much to believe what Jonathan says, that this creature isn't Alucard. Indeed--he had't even intended to repel, but this creature recoiled as if by instinct.      At least, in his experience, most vampires don't know True Faith for what it is. Not until it burns them, or is explicitly used against them. Which... kind of starts a suspicious spark in his mind. "...the power of Christ compels you! Begone, unclean spirit! Out, you agent of Satan! In Jesus' name, I command you!"      A column of force rushes past Rizzo with such ferocity that dust sitting upon the ground is kicked up like the spray of a powerful boat crossing the ocean at high speed. His trench coat billows behind him as this invisible force rushes harmlessly through Jonathan on its way to Alucard. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Maaka's thrall is finally dust -- the first shot turns the brain to dust, and the rest of the thrall along with it. The second shot hits the ground unimpeded and cracks the stone.     Reimu's assault this time is indeed far more deadly -- the anti-evil shots seem particularly affective, raising smoke from where they hit. And another one bites the dust. Or becomes dust, in this case.     In the brief instant after the fangs strike home, Seras may feel blood being drained. And the injuries that this particular thrall had begin to close. Seras's blood is particularly potent, as she is a vampire herself, sired by an even more powerful one -- perhaps the most powerful vampire in her world. But it's not enough to make the thrall stronger. Strength has to be RESTORED before it can be increased, and Seras's flailing assures that the thrall can't stay attached long enough. And the bashing into the ground assures she's not going to stay in battle condition much longer. Seras might just continue until the thrall finally turns to dust.     Rebecca might not want to taunt too long; the thrall recovers quickly from her shock, and this time, as the baton is driven at her, grabs the haft of the weapon. She's supernaturally strong, so she just might be able to hold it back. Grapple time?     Xiaomu's ice sword cuts into the thralls, leaving ice in its wake. Even if it doesn't dismember them, it will leave behind enough ice to make moving difficult. Which will make it easier for Xiaomu to destroy them, since they can't move as easily.     Eithne's certainly dealt with her problem messily. But then, dust isn't quite so bad as bloodspatter. Then again there's a lot of both in that case. But that means the number of thralls are thinning out. By now there are only a few left, and those are injured. They should be easily dealt with.     'Alucard' doesn't really have much of a choice but to stay put, Jonathan has a sword on him. Thing is, Alucard could still turn to mist and escape. But this one doesn't. However, he blinks, looking up at Jonathan. "...Alucard...?" Blink. "Y-young master...?" The red glow is starting to fade from his eyes.     It's Rizzo's words, and his subsequent power, that drives the red fully from his eyes. A scream of pain and surprise, and the man falls to the ground. And his shape changes. No, as Jonathan thought, it ISN'T Alucard. Though this one could pass for his brother. He's dressed like Alucard, but his hair's shorter now, and darker -- more greyish than platinum blonde. His chin is wider than Alucard's, his lips thinner. And as he opens his eyes, they're still red, but that appears to be their color. They're not glowing. And he looks confused. "What... where...?" 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      This was starting to get a bit too easy at the moment. None of them were unleashing any bullets and normally that's what happens by now. As her attention shifts over to Rebecca, she sighs,      "Give me a moment!"      Afterwards, she promptly turns around and a large spray of anti spirit red talismans are sent forth toward the thrall grappling with Rebecca. Meanwhile, the blue homing, holy amulets have returned except now, they're curving backwards and moving directly toward the other thralls anyway. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' WHAM! WHAM! *WHAM!*     Again and again Seras screams bloody murder and REALLY IS TRYING TO DO JUST THAT to the thrall who bit her and drained her. with both hands clutching the woman's legs she - again and again - raises her up over her and slams her back down. Three, five, seven times!     But about then the police girl's panic recedes enough that she remembers the pistol at her side... and rapidly draws this and unloads half a clip of holy rounds straight into the back of her opponent's head. And heart. Several shots for each.     "Haaaah... whew... she BIT ME!"     This should HOPEFULLY be enough to put the thrall down and reduce her to dust... but whatever the case...     WHATEVER the case, when Rizzo starts chanting from the good book, Seras makes another panicked flaily yelp and hurls herself away from the confrontation with fear in her eyes. Whether it's his power affecting her or something else... who can say.     But when 'Alucard' drops in a daze, looking rather different...     "A trick? It was all a trick...? Then...who wants this young man dead...? No, that doesn't make any sense. Whoever did this to him COULD have killed him... if we'd killed him, what would..."     Welp. This case just got MORE confusing. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka breathes heavily as she holsters the shotgun, and she holds the SCAR on NOT!Alucard as the vampire shapeshifts. "...wait, what the hell?" It's like someone just got unbrainwashed, the cyborg supposes, as she approaches him warily. "Anybody awake in there?" She asks, lowering the rifle and letting it hang on her sling as she kneels and snaps fingers repeatedly at the grey haired man. "So we have a /lot/ of questions to ask, looks like." She muses. 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace surges forward, the lights on her arm still glowing green. She sprints towards Rebecca, taking a few kits from the spray of red talismans but she ignores them; her red armour protects her, mostly. A few cuts are visible, but she doesn't pay much attention. Instead, she works on punching the thrall latched onto Rebecca in the side of the head. Probably hard enough to punch the thrall's head clean off. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' The thralls may be thinning out, but they aren't all disposed of yet - and even if the control over them is starting to fray some, the threats haven't all evaporated quite yet. But before Xiaomu can pick one of the remaining targets, two things happen. The first is Leyanne decking the living (and/or undead) hell out of the thrall who was about to give Chambers a bad time. The second ... is on the radio, and it's enough for Xiaomu to focus on confirming how much room they have between the good guys and the entrance, respectively, and whether any thralls are potentially in the path of a hasty retreat. At least she can focus on making sure the path is clear. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' So, it was an illusion after all. Perhaps even the thralls' apparent sapience was illusion--now that this imposter has been knocked down, they all seem to... power down? It's like watching the light fade on an old cathode-ray tube TV, gradually shrinking into a pinpoint and winking out. Perhaps there wasn't even a shred of thought in them, without this creature to pull the strings. If that's so... maybe there's some way to turn the lights back on--for those who are still alive, anyway.      Rizzo sighs, looking at those who turned to dust. Stupid. Slow. If only he'd been faster. If only he'd caught on sooner, there would be more left. It's his fault... but he can't mourn them now, nor can he atone. He has to get back In Character, or the blood of millions will be on his hands.      Shoving his hands into his pockets, he approaches the prone vampire and looks down on him. "John Rizzo, private dick. The torpedo with the sword here's Jonathan Joestar." He then points out each respective Elite that he's met, giving a name for each--Xiaomu, who he's at least familiar with from their time in the Union, Seras and Maaka, who he's become acquainted with over the course of their mutual investigations, and Enya, who may as well be family by this point. "Not too familiar with the rest of the trigger men here, but they're good people. Sure they'd tell you if you asked."      He kneels before the other vampire. "The 'what' is, some demon got the bulge on you and me and Jonathan had to send him back to the big house. He made tracks before we could finger him. The 'where' is Alucard's pad--or we thought it was, anyhow. Guess it was a trip for biscuits." 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     The good feelings from getting her kill on don't last very long in the face of the revelation that comes to them over the radio. If Eithne could go any paler, she might.     Her horse isn't fast enough - it's not a pegasus, or the Black or the Grey. That floaty girl, though, ought to be plenty fast. She chews her bottom lip in angry thought, but short of rushing off into a probable ambush there isn't anything she can do. By the time they all get back to Windknight's Lot, whoever it is will either be long gone, or there will be reinforcements waiting for them.     With a sudden explosive burst of power, the Scion kicks the wall hard enough to dislodge dust from between the stones.     Then, rage momentarily vented, she goes to check on the not!Alucard guy in a cape. "Y'all right, then?" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     The thralls have stopped now that the not-Alucard has been revealed as who he is. They are no longer attacking. There's only a couple left anyway. With this, it won't be too difficult for Reimu's shots to destroy them, since they're making no effort to dodge or attack her.     Leyanne fixes the thrall's little red wagon, too, knocking her block off expertly. The thrall turns to dust and is no longer a threat to anyone. Also Rebecca gets her baton back.     The thrall attacking Seras is quickly dealt with, too. Whether it's the slamming into the floor or the bullets to vital areas, the thrall is soon dust.     Rizzo's words get a blink from the injured young man. "What? How... no, wait. I remember..." He suddenly looks frightened. "Magnus! You have to stop him! He has something horrible planned for young master Alucard!" He blinks at Eithne's kicking of the wall. Her question gets a nod. "I will be fine. You must stop Magnus, before..."     Suddenly a crack of thunder and a screech of agony echoes from the doorway. Those turning to look? It's Alucard! And there's a couple piles of dust at his feet. And he does not look happy. If one can tell, that is; his expression is usually deadpan. "...What is the meaning of this?" That's the tone Jonathan should remember from their fight. It's calm and almost cold.     But then there is emotion there, as he looks past to Jonathan and sees the young man on the ground. His gray eyes widen, and he gasps, "Lyudmil!" In a flash he's crossing the room, trying to dodge past others to get to the young man. Apparently he knows him.     And so does the young man. "Young master!" He tries to rise, but fails. He's too injured. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka listens to the radio. Her gut is twisted and her calm is...compromised. The only thing that makes sense right now for her is to hunt down this "Magnus" and terminate him with IMMENSE abhorrence like the piece of filth that he is. Of course...thing is he has a hostage, and she has no idea where to find him right now. So right now, she needs to maybe dial it back.     Her rage briefly flashes up again upon spying Alucard, THE REAL Alucard, before he moves past everyone with downright unearthly speed that leaves her aiming a gun at thin air by the time she spins around.     "...he has the girl." She says frostily towards the Dhampir. "We need to act now, unless we want to have pieces of a man's wife mailed to us one by one every week." explains the cyborg, before she makes a move for the exit, to get to her bike.     They REALLY can't afford to sit around. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      The young miko merely flies down to the ground and lands on her own two feet. The four orbs promptly dematerialize as she carefully walks to the rest of the group.      "Alright, tell me where he is and I'll get on it right away. Judging by the conversation on that weird metal device, I assume that he'll expect you guys, but is there a chance that he'll know anything about me?" 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' What sucks most about the pieces falling into place the way they just did is how far SOME of the pieces landed from where they'd been expected to show up. It doesn't come as much of a surprise to Xiaomu that the real villain is, in fact, somebody entirely other than Alucard. She had a feeling there was missing information - you don't join the law-abiding faction if you're set on resurrecting a castle pretty much built out of evil. Sure, there were possible explanations, but she wasn't going to buy them until Alucard himself said that was his intention. Somebody ELSE apparently wants Castlevania back, and it isn't Dracula's heir apparent. And Magnus is, from all current appearances, utterly committed to being as evil as he thinks he needs to be in order to get what he says he wants. Maybe worse. A point comes in the conversation where Xiaomu *has* to speak up - she's seen this dynamic, the pattern of monsters being feared and hated and driven out by humans, only for the monsters to become even more monstrous to 'get back' at humans, whatever language they dress it up in. Magnus can't see the look on the fox girl's face; her allies in the crypt generally *can*, and it's a look of pained desparation - she wants to sympathize with Magnus, but that sympathy runs out against a solid stone wall when he's threatening (or actually doing harm to) innocents. ... also, there's the fact that, again, the 'home' he wants to go back to is Castlevania. And he's trying to forcibly drag Alucard into the side of the 'monsters' to make him *want* to. At this point, Xiaomu's just leaning on her staff, holding it with her left hand, while her right hand has drawn out the 'baton' her lightcycle formed when de-rezzed. She's just toying with it for now, twirling it idly in her fingers, but she's plainly ready to break out the wheels and just pour on the speed when the conversation runs into its all-but-inevitable dead-end ... 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace growls quietly as she listens to what's going on. Normally, this would be the time she'd hand out cigars, but... this doesn't feel like a victory to dance at. She stays silent, checking on Rebecca. She adds her opinion to the radio discussion, rolling herself a cigarette and waiting for the order to roll out. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan pays no heed to Alucard. His sword had been sheathed after the doppleganger had been unveiled and the truth revealed. The look on his face was unlike any expression Jonathan had worn before. Xiaomu looked sympathetic, but Jonathan -- he looked livid. Not the rabid, red-seeing rage sometimes described in books or what have you, but the kind of red hot rage that drove a man far past his conceivable limits. Everyone here continues to try and talk him down. Alucard might recognize the look on his face, if he cared enough to examine it. It was a hairs trigger away from the kind of fury that drove Dracula to his darkness during Trevor Belmont's age. The kind of vitriolic fuel that could warp someone if it weren't addressed. Crackles of hamon-turned-lightning danced between his grit teeth as he marched up the stairwell. The others could make peace all they wanted, but they wouldn't have long to convince Magnus to give up and repent. Because Jonathan had a very good idea where the talkative vampire was, just from the hints he dropped. Not far away, in a ruined castle.     Only one such place fit the locale.     It was time to return to Windknight's Castle. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard looks to Maaka. "Wait. We should present a united front." A look to Jonathan. "And he knows the area better than I do. He will know best how to enter the area. As it seems Magnus has set up in the old castle there in Windknight's Lot."     Reimu gets a look from Alucard. "You are a priestess? You would be invaluable; Magnus is a demon, and has unholy magics. You could be the key to breaking them."     A look to Jonathan then. "...I should apologize to you." Pause. He knows that look. "...But right now, it is not important. I will help you. This is partly my fault. Allow me to tend Lyudmil, and then I will go with you. 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     Eithne Sullivan looks at Alucard. Then looks at the coffin she absolutely obliterated.     The dark-haired girl slooooowly sidesteps away from the ruins and may in fact be trying to disappear behind John's coat. 

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''      "That's normally what I do in life for the most part. Also, thank you for taking note of that. Not many people seem to notice and I'd be happy to help out for free again."      She grips her gohei in her right hand as she takes a deep breath.      "I can also make barriers and fly if needed as well." 

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:''' Leyanne Mace stays out of the way and listens. Her eye stays green, but there are little smouldering red flecks flickering through the optic's status display. Her arm has returend to red glow, indicating all the assists are shut down, but her fist remains clenched, and rotating at a slow 1-2 RPM at the wrist joint. "Fuck off are we letting you do this alone, dude." She mutters, sourly. "Not a fucking chance mate." 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     If this were a cartoon, Maaka would be making that comical tire squeal noise as Alucard bids her to stop. She looks to him, and just narrows her eyes. That said, she's willing to hear the dhampir out after some clarification. "We're going to kill him." She says, in no uncertain tones. There's gonna be MURDER on the horizon, for Magnus. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' John's coat is big even on his lanky frame. There's room for hiding, and he doesn't make any overt moves to stop her from doing so. No, he's far too busy trying to wrap his head around the ethics of this situation. On the one hand, Magnus is literally a demon--an agent of Satan. But, even Jesus himself allowed Legion to flee when the demons asked mercy. It's a conundrum.      Perhaps... the fact that he's a demon means that judgment has already been passed. Even if that's the case, is there any other way this could go? Any way this could end without violence? If he withholds mercy even from one being, what's to stop him from doing it to the next? This is going to be something that defines the rest of his unlife. So what's a vampire to do?      Well... if he's going to make a stupid mistake, it's better that he makes that mistake erring on the side of forgiveness. After a long silence, he speaks up. "I'll help you," he says, mirroring his sentiment from the last time he was in this position.      "But if he waves the white flag you better believe I'll lay off." Besides--if there's the option to do so, and Magnus is indeed shown mercy... or rather, if John can /convince/ everyone, the humans of the group included, to show mercy? Maybe, just maybe, he'll reevaluate his stance on humans. It's one hell of a long shot, but that's John's raison d'être.      "I'll stick around till sundown, then I gotta blast." With that... he takes a moment to kneel before the ashes of the thralls, uttering quiet prayers of expedient rest and beseechments of forgiveness for his complicity in their deaths. 
}}

Soliloquy of Reproach: Forearmed (Alucard Tepes)

2017-10-14T06:31:52Z

DariRyu:

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2017/10/13
|Location=Castlevania World
|Synopsis=As resistance mounts against him, Alucard is visited by a concerned citizen of Castlevania, with a warning.
|Thanks=Everyone in the SoR plot
|Cast of Characters=1128
|Tinyplot=Soliloquy of Reproach
}}
        It had taken Alucard a long time to heal from the beating Jonathan dealt him. But finally he was recovered. He could continue to find out who this devil was who used his face to hunt those women for their blood. The massive statue covering the underground lair was nothing for Alucard to move, and he slid the stone statue back, so that he could exit the stairs underneath.

        But as he did, the scent of something demonic reached him a split second before the chuckle. Quickly Alucard drew his sword and faced the direction that scent and sound came from. "Who goes?" he called out.

        "'Tis only me, young master," the voice announced. A being drifted down from the branches of a nearby tree, on a pair of black wings. A demon -- an incubus. One that Alucard knew well.

        Alucard's eyes narrowed at the appearance of the incubus. "...What do you want?"

        "Only to warn you, young master," the incubus replied gravely. "Those you call 'friends' and 'allies' are coming here, and I believe they mean to kill you. The Paladins, that organization you joined? They have provided a group of these so-called Elites with the location of your place of sanctuary." He indicates the small temple Alucard had just left. "You see? Lord Dracula was right. You cannot trust humans. They lie to your face while hiding knives behind their backs."

        "As do you," Alucard pointed out.

        "Yes, but honestly," the incubus countered. "One knows a demon will scheme. Humans... they are the true monsters. They pretend -- perhaps even intend -- to be your friend. And then the first time you show power? The first time you show yourself more powerful than them? You are a monster and must be destroyed."

        Alucard frowned. This demon, he knew this demon. He had never outright lied before -- was not capable of outright lying. So they were coming here, and there was enough speculation for the incubus to believe they meant Alucard harm. "...I see. Thank you. You may leave now."

        "...Young master." The incubus took a few steps closer to Alucard, and the dhampir tensed. But the incubus made no hostile moves. "...There is only one place you will be free... one place where none will judge you for your father's blood that flows in your veins."

        "No," Alucard said, without hesitation.

        "Take it to protect yourself!" the incubus hissed. "These mortals care nothing for you! When they believed you troublesome, they drew together a group to destroy you! Just as they did your mother--!"

        The incubus was suddenly reeling back, from a hard punch to the face. Alucard's expression was postively murderous. "If I ever hear mention of my mother from your lips again, I will slice your wings from your back. If her name leaves your lips, I will remove your head from your neck. Do you understand me?"

        "Y-yes, young master..." The incubus displayed quite a bit less bravado now. He stood, bowing. "My apologies, young master. I merely do not wish to see any harm come to you. Please... only you have that option. Only you can protect us. And you can stop the vampire! If you do return, the vampire will be subject to your will, and will return to you."

        Alucard was silent for a long moment. He couldn't do what the incubus was suggesting. It would just bring more pain to the land. Anytime the castle rose, it was a blight on the countryside, tainted the very earth, and made the dead rise and walk the land from its presence alone. But... the incubus had a point. Where else would he be free of prejudice? And what of the dark ones like him who helped humans? Those same humans would run from him whether he intended their deaths or not.

        Before he realized it, the incubus had reached out, touching his shoulder. "Do not touch me, Incubus," Alucard hissed quietly, and in the next instant the pommel of his sword struck the incubus in the midsection. In response, the demon crumpled, gasping for breath that he suddenly couldn't draw.

        The incubus growled. His pride would not allow him to merely take that abuse. "Then die with your idiotic love of humans!" he shrieked, wings flapping once to take him into the air again, before Alucard could attack him. "Let them destroy you then, if you believe their peace is more important than your life! But after you, they will move to another!"

        His voice abruptly gentles. "Poor, poor little Maria," he drawls his voice full of false sweetness. "You know she will defend you. And when she tries? They'll destroy her. Or she will destroy them. Either way, you will be shunned again, young master Adrian. This time from the Multiverse completely. You will have no refuge. None but the castle."

        And then he was gone.

        Alucard scowled. And then he moved, so quickly that his feet seemed to begin moving an instant after his body moved, and left afterimages in his wake. This situation was getting out of hand. He needed to find the vampire who was responsible, before undue bloodshed occurred -- either his own or others'.

Soliloquy of Reproach: Forearmed (Alucard Tepes)

2017-10-14T06:30:45Z

DariRyu:

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2017/10/13
|Location=Castlevania World
|Synopsis=As resistance mounts against him, Alucard is visited by a concerned citizen of Castlevania, with a warning.
|Thanks=Everyone in the SoR plot
|Cast of Characters=1128
|Tinyplot=Soliloquy of Reproach
}}
        It had taken Alucard a long time to heal from the beating Jonathan dealt him. But finally he was recovered. He could continue to find out who this devil was who used his face to hunt those women for their blood. The massive statue covering the underground lair was nothing for Alucard to move, and he slid the stone statue back, so that he could exit the stairs underneath.

        But as he did, the scent of something demonic reached him a split second before the chuckle. Quickly Alucard drew his sword and faced the direction that scent and sound came from. "Who goes?" he called out.

        "'Tis only me, young master," the voice announced. A being drifted down from the branches of a nearby tree, on a pair of black wings. A demon -- an incubus. One that Alucard knew well.

        Alucard's eyes narrowed at the appearance of the incubus. "...What do you want?"

        "Only to warn you, young master," the incubus replied gravely. "Those you call 'friends' and 'allies' are coming here, and I believe they mean to kill you. The Paladins, that organization you joined? They have provided a group of these so-called Elites with the location of your place of sanctuary." He indicates the small temple Alucard had just left. "You see? Lord Dracula was right. You cannot trust humans. They lie to your face while hiding knives behind their backs."

        "As do you," Alucard pointed out.

        "Yes, but honestly," the incubus countered. "One knows a demon will scheme. Humans... they are the true monsters. They pretend -- perhaps even intend -- to be your friend. And then the first time you show power? The first time you show yourself more powerful than them? You are a monster and must be destroyed."

        Alucard frowned. This demon, he knew this demon. He had never outright lied before -- was not capable of outright lying. So they were coming here, and there was enough speculation for the incubus to believe they meant Alucard harm. "...I see. Thank you. You may leave now."

        "...Young master." The incubus took a few steps closer to Alucard, and the dhampir tensed. But the incubus made no hostile moves. "...There is only one place you will be free... one place where none will judge you for your father's blood that flows in your veins."

        "No," Alucard said, without hesitation.

        "Take it to protect yourself!" the incubus hissed. "These mortals care nothing for you! When they believed you troublesome, they drew together a group to destroy you! Just as they did your mother--!"

        The incubus was suddenly reeling back, from a hard punch to the face. Alucard's expression was postively murderous. "If you ever mention my mother again, I will slice your wings from your back. If you speak her name I will remove your head from your neck. Do you understand me?"

        "Y-yes, young master..." The incubus displayed quite a bit less bravado now. He stood, bowing. "My apologies, young master. I merely do not wish to see any harm come to you. Please... only you have that option. Only you can protect us. And you can stop the vampire! If you do return, the vampire will be subject to your will, and will return to you."

        Alucard was silent for a long moment. He couldn't do what the incubus was suggesting. It would just bring more pain to the land. Anytime the castle rose, it was a blight on the countryside, tainted the very earth, and made the dead rise and walk the land from its presence alone. But... the incubus had a point. Where else would he be free of prejudice? And what of the dark ones like him who helped humans? Those same humans would run from him whether he intended their deaths or not.

        Before he realized it, the incubus had reached out, touching his shoulder. "Do not touch me, Incubus," Alucard hissed quietly, and in the next instant the pommel of his sword struck the incubus in the midsection. In response, the demon crumpled, gasping for breath that he suddenly couldn't draw.

        The incubus growled. His pride would not allow him to merely take that abuse. "Then die with your idiotic love of humans!" he shrieked, wings flapping once to take him into the air again, before Alucard could attack him. "Let them destroy you then, if you believe their peace is more important than your life! But after you, they will move to another!"

        His voice abruptly gentles. "Poor, poor little Maria," he drawls his voice full of false sweetness. "You know she will defend you. And when she tries? They'll destroy her. Or she will destroy them. Either way, you will be shunned again, young master Adrian. This time from the Multiverse completely. You will have no refuge. None but the castle."

        And then he was gone.

        Alucard scowled. And then he moved, so quickly that his feet seemed to begin moving an instant after his body moved, and left afterimages in his wake. This situation was getting out of hand. He needed to find the vampire who was responsible, before undue bloodshed occurred -- either his own or others'.

Soliloquy of Reproach

2017-10-14T05:57:40Z

DariRyu: ...Dangit.

Soliloquy of Reproach

2017-10-14T05:57:09Z

DariRyu: I wil get this right, I promise. x_x

Soliloquy of Reproach

2017-10-14T05:56:34Z

DariRyu:

Soliloquy of Reproach

2017-10-14T05:56:06Z

DariRyu:

Soliloquy of Reproach

2017-10-14T05:08:56Z

DariRyu: Adding a page for the Soliloquy of Reproach plot

Soliloquy of Reproach: Forearmed (Alucard Tepes)

2017-10-14T04:48:57Z

DariRyu:

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2017/10/13
|Location=Castlevania World
|Synopsis=As resistance mounts against him, Alucard is visited by a concerned citizen of Castlevania, with a warning.
|Thanks=Everyone in the SoR plot
|Cast of Characters=1128
|Tinyplot=Soliloquy of Reproach
}}
        It had taken Alucard a long time to heal from the beating Jonathan dealt him. But finally he was recovered. He could continue to find out who this devil was who used his face to hunt those women for their blood. The massive statue covering the underground lair was nothing for Alucard to move, and he slid the stone statue back, so that he could exit the stairs underneath.

        But as he did, the scent of something demonic reached him a split second before the chuckle. Quickly Alucard drew his sword and faced the direction that scent and sound came from. "Who goes?" he called out.

        "'Tis only me, young master," the voice announced. A being drifted down from the branches of a nearby tree, on a pair of black wings. A demon -- an incubus. One that Alucard knew well.

        Alucard's eyes narrowed at the appearance of the incubus. "...What do you want?"

        "Only to warn you, young master," the incubus replied gravely. "Those you call 'friends' and 'allies' are coming here, and I believe they mean to kill you. The Paladins, that organization you joined? They have provided a group of these so-called Elites with the location of your place of sanctuary." He indicates the small temple Alucard had just left. "You see? Lord Dracula was right. You cannot trust humans. They lie to your face while hiding knives behind their backs."

        "As do you," Alucard pointed out.

        "Yes, but honestly," the incubus countered. "One knows a demon will scheme. Humans... they are the true monsters. They pretend -- perhaps even intend -- to be your friend. And then the first time you show power? The first time you show yourself more powerful than them? You are a monster and must be destroyed."

        Alucard frowned. This demon, he knew this demon. He had never outright lied before -- was not capable of outright lying. So they were coming here, and there was enough speculation for the incubus to believe they meant Alucard harm. "...I see. Thank you. You may leave now."

        "...Young master." The incubus took a few steps closer to Alucard, and the dhampir tensed. But the incubus made no hostile moves. "...There is only one place you will be free... one place where none will judge you for your father's blood that flows in your veins."

        "No," Alucard said, without hesitation.

        "Take it to protect yourself!" the incubus hissed. "These mortals care nothing for you! When they believed you troublesome, they drew together a group to destroy you! Just as they did your mother--!"

        The incubus was suddenly reeling back, from a hard punch to the face. Alucard's expression was postively murderous. "If you ever mention my mother again, I will slice your wings from your back. If you speak her name I will remove your head from your neck. Do you understand me?"

        "Y-yes, young master..." The incubus displayed quite a bit less bravado now. He stood, bowing. "My apologies, young master. I merely do not wish to see any harm come to you. Please... only you have that option. Only you can protect us. And you can stop the vampire! If you do return, the vampire will be subject to your will, and will return to you."

        Alucard was silent for a long moment. He couldn't do what the incubus was suggesting. It would just bring more pain to the land. Anytime the castle rose, it was a blight on the countryside, tainted the very earth, and made the dead rise and walk the land from its presence alone. But... the incubus had a point. Where else would he be free of prejudice? And what of the dark ones like him who helped humans? Those same humans would run from him whether he intended their deaths or not.

        Before he realized it, the incubus had reached out, touching his shoulder. "Do not touch me, Incubus," Alucard hissed quietly, and in the next instant the pommel of his sword struck the incubus in the midsection. In response, the demon crumpled, gasping for breath that he suddenly couldn't draw.

        The incubus growled. His pride would not allow him to merely take that abuse. "Then die with your idiotic love of humans!" he shrieks, wings flapping once to take him into the air again, before Alucard could attack him. "Let them destroy you then, if you believe their peace is more important than your life! But after you, they will move to another!"

        His voice abruptly gentles. "Poor, poor little Maria," he drawls his voice full of false sweetness. "You know she will defend you. And when she tries? They'll destroy her. Or she will destroy them. Either way, you will be shunned again, young master Adrian. This time from the Multiverse completely. You will have no refuge. None but the castle."

        And then he was gone.

        Alucard scowled. And then he moved, so quickly that his feet seemed to begin moving an instant after his body moved, and left afterimages in his wake. This situation was getting out of hand. He needed to find the vampire who was responsible, before undue bloodshed occurred -- either his own or others'.

Soliloquy of Reproach: Forearmed (Alucard Tepes)

2017-10-14T04:46:50Z

DariRyu: Alucard gets a warning.

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2017/10/13
|Location=Castlevania World
|Synopsis=As resistance mounts against him, Alucard is visited by a concerned citizen of Castlevania, with a warning.
|Thanks=Everyone in the SoR plot
|Cast of Characters=1128
|Tinyplot=Soliloquy of Reproach
}}
        It had taken Alucard a long time to heal from the beating Jonathan dealt him. But finally he was recovered. He could continue to find out who this devil was who used his face to hunt those women for their blood. The massive statue covering the underground lair was nothing for Alucard to move, and he slid the stone statue back, so that he could exit the stairs underneath. But as he did, the scent of something demonic reached him a split second before the chuckle. Quickly Alucard drew his sword and faced the direction that scent and sound came from. "Who goes?" he called out.

        "'Tis only me, young master," the voice announced. A being drifted down from the branches of a nearby tree, on a pair of black wings. A demon -- an incubus. One that Alucard knew well.

        Alucard's eyes narrowed at the appearance of the incubus. "...What do you want?"

        "Only to warn you, young master," the incubus replied gravely. "Those you call 'friends' and 'allies' are coming here, and I believe they mean to kill you. The Paladins, that organization you joined? They have provided a group of these so-called Elites with the location of your place of sanctuary." He indicates the small temple Alucard had just left. "You see? Lord Dracula was right. You cannot trust humans. They lie to your face while hiding knives behind their backs."

        "As do you," Alucard pointed out.

        "Yes, but honestly," the incubus countered. "One knows a demon will scheme. Humans... they are the true monsters. They pretend -- perhaps even intend -- to be your friend. And then the first time you show power? The first time you show yourself more powerful than them? You are a monster and must be destroyed."

        Alucard frowned. This demon, he knew this demon. He had never outright lied before -- was not capable of outright lying. So they were coming here, and there was enough speculation for the incubus to believe they meant Alucard harm. "...I see. Thank you. You may leave now."

        "...Young master." The incubus took a few steps closer to Alucard, and the dhampir tensed. But the incubus made no hostile moves. "...There is only one place you will be free... one place where none will judge you for your father's blood that flows in your veins."

        "No," Alucard said, without hesitation.

        "Take it to protect yourself!" the incubus hissed. "These mortals care nothing for you! When they believed you troublesome, they drew together a group to destroy you! Just as they did your mother--!"

        The incubus was suddenly reeling back, from a hard punch to the face. Alucard's expression was postively murderous. "If you ever mention my mother again, I will slice your wings from your back. If you speak her name I will remove your head from your neck. Do you understand me?"

        "Y-yes, young master..." The incubus displayed quite a bit less bravado now. He stood, bowing. "My apologies, young master. I merely do not wish to see any harm come to you. Please... only you have that option. Only you can protect us. And you can stop the vampire! If you do return, the vampire will be subject to your will, and will return to you."

        Alucard was silent for a long moment. He couldn't do what the incubus was suggesting. It would just bring more pain to the land. Anytime the castle rose, it was a blight on the countryside, tainted the very earth, and made the dead rise and walk the land from its presence alone. But... the incubus had a point. Where else would he be free of prejudice? And what of the dark ones like him who helped humans? Those same humans would run from him whether he intended their deaths or not.

        Before he realized it, the incubus had reached out, touching his shoulder. "Do not touch me, Incubus," Alucard hissed quietly, and in the next instant the pommel of his sword struck the incubus in the midsection. In response, the demon crumpled, gasping for breath that he suddenly couldn't draw.

        The incubus growled. His pride would not allow him to merely take that abuse. "Then die with your idiotic love of humans!" he shrieks, wings flapping once to take him into the air again, before Alucard could attack him. "Let them destroy you then, if you believe their peace is more important than your life! But after you, they will move to another!"

        His voice abruptly gentles. "Poor, poor little Maria," he drawls his voice full of false sweetness. "You know she will defend you. And when she tries? They'll destroy her. Or she will destroy them. Either way, you will be shunned again, young master Adrian. This time from the Multiverse completely. You will have no refuge. None but the castle."

        And then he was gone.

        Alucard scowled. And then he moved, so quickly that his feet seemed to begin moving an instant after his body moved, and left afterimages in his wake. This situation was getting out of hand. He needed to find the vampire who was responsible, before undue bloodshed occurred -- either his own or others'.

5517/Soliloquy of Reproach: Forewarning

2017-10-14T04:41:25Z

DariRyu: Maria expositions a group of vampire hunters to be.

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/10/13
|Location=Windknight's Lot <WKL>
|Synopsis=Maria Renard draws together the Elite defenders Windknight's Lot and gives them the information about Alucard she has. She points the group to Alucard's resting place, and begs them to end his reign of terror. Not all of the gathered Elites are convinced that killing him is the best idea, but all seem to agree that to get to the bottom of this, Alucard must be confronted.
|Cast of Characters=1128, 707, 1084, 571, 1011, 1016, 1107
|Tinyplot=Soliloquy of Reproach
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Maria had called out to the Elites that wished to assist with Windknight's Lot. She had information, she said, and could tell them more about the vampire that had attacked. She'd assured the people there that she was there to assist, and despite her incredibly SCANDALOUS outfit, they seemed to take to this well.     Oddly enough she's chosen NOT to use the building that Eithne raised a barrier of roses around, preferring instead to go to a different building. She's picked another abandoned building entirely, one that's definitely seen better days. It's in a rough part of town, but she's filled the room with candles, so there's a warm glow all around.     When the Elites arrive at the town, someone should be able to point them to where the young lady is. She's managed to gain the trust of the remaining townspeople, so they seem quite pleased to show the Elites where she's at. She's alone in the abandoned house's front room, but the room, as mentioned, is filled with candles, so things look bright.     She stands against a wall, a pale, blonde-haired woman with bright green eyes. It's worthy to note that she bears more than a passing resemblance to the three girls who were attacked. She wears dark green, a reasonably decent blouse and bodice, but the snug skirt stops a few inches above her knees. White knee stockings and light gld shoes with buckles complete the look. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Don't ask Xiaomu what counts as 'scandalous'; she may technically wear more clothing than that, but it hides substantially less of her figure. But at least she didn't come in by lightcycle this trip ... at least, not through London and through the underpass-tunnel leading to Windknight's Lot proper. En route to the rendezvous point, the sage fox takes a moment to look around Eithne's rosebush barrier, making sure that it's still intact and unintruded-upon. She had proof of how well the barrier worked last time, but she wants to make SURE it's held up since then. Once she's satisfied, she heads to the slightly un-abandoned building, rapping lightly at the door and waiting a few seconds - long enough for a reply, or a distinct and decisive absence of same - before heading in. She's outfitted as usual: black and silver qipao, red vest, sandals, monk staff, and her equally typical devil-may-care attitude as to whose sensibilities her fashion sense may trespass against. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' Seras Victoria has come wearing a non-distinct traveler's robe over her uniform, given the locale. It does little to cover the sizable semi-automatic rifle she's brought with her though, making the getup look a little ridiculous.     The young woman's hoisting the oversized thing as if it weighed basically nothing, and anyone with basic senses for the unnatural can tell that there's something WEIRD and disconcerting about this girl who's allegedly come to help exterminate vampires.     Namely, the fact that she's obviously undead herself to anyone with a nose for such things...     But when she does finally arrive, Seras is slow to approach Maria. For some reason or another she's giving the intriguingly-dressed woman a quizzical, uncertain look. The police girl's eyes are filled with puzzlement upon puzzlement and briefly go glassy before she shakes her head and hurries over the rest of the way to the gathering agents...     "S-Seras Victoria of Her Majesty's Royal Order of Protestant Knights, reporting! I heard about trouble with...."     Seras blinks once again, double-taking at the extreme supply of candles on display here.     She is so not used to being in older-styled places.     ".. Vampires?" 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     The arrival of a monstrous sounding muscle car roars across the night sky as Maaka arrives, stepping out of her vehicle with purpose in her steps. She gives the townsfolk a glare as she wirelessly locks the doors, and anybody who gets too close may get a nasty shock. Not lethal, but still enough to dissuade touching. The cyborg's yellow eyes regard Maria curiously as she nods her head to the girl, then does the same to Xiaomu and Seras. "Heard you had a vampire problem. Here to fix that." She says, trying desperately not to make that sound like an indirect threat to Seras.     "Present company excluded." Cough. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' The last time John Rizzo visited the small town of Windknight's Lot, he caused a bit of a commotion with his method of conveyance. This time, he's opted for a subtler approach, simply exiting his car before crossing the Warpgate and arriving by way of carriage. The horses didn't react so well to him, but the teamster took his money all the same.      Stepping out of the carriage, he offers up a tip to the driver, and makes a few brief inquiries as to the location of this new ally. Upon arriving at the abandoned house the locals mention, he frowns, looming outside for a moment. The firelight from the front room's candles dances just outside, playing shadows across the vampire's face. The beast within him raises the hairs at the back of his neck, urging him to turn tail and run.      Steeling himself, Rizzo enters the house and beats down those urges. "John Rizzo, private dick," he offers as an introduction. This must be the dame who dropped dime about a leech. Reaching into his trench coat, he produces a manila folder and sets it down on a nearby table. Rizzo thumps it with one hand. "Here's what I got on the leech..."      And in the middle of that sentence, he stops, recognizing Seras from the Sturluson case. This time, he's not all bandaged up like a mummy, his senses aren't muddled by the daylight hours or the constant aching fear of sudden combustion. His eyes flicker with that recognition, and with something else. Her aura is pale, confirming what Maaka alludes to.      She's with the Paladins--so maybe she deserves the benefit of the doubt. "Hey there. Seras, right?" He extends a hand. 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:''' It makes sense that Maria wouldn't want to hold a meeting in that building, since Eithne had warded it against /good/ vampires as well as the less savory sort. She can't pick and choose. That's not how it works!     She doesn't really have the good sense to wear a long skirt (nor does she own one), but in deference to the weather she's got on a rose-themed leather jacket over a light sweater and short red tartan skirt. If a fantasy nerd decided she was going to go punk, she would probably dress like Eithne. The weirdly heavy-looking green bicycle doesn't help.     The Scion checks on her roses too before going into the meeting place, smiling pleasedly to herself to note that they're healthy as ever and not trying to eat the locals or anything. Success!     "Hello everybody," the dark-haired girl greets everyone before wandering over to John Rizzo's side. Seras gets an interested glance - another vampire, cool! - and an extra little wave-and-smile.     Alexis gets the side-eye before Eithne realizes she's only talking about the bad, no-good, eating people type. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Some of the roses appear to have gone missing, delicately picked, Xiaomu will find. Not many, just two or three. Jonathan Joestar is waiting for everyone as well, in the same building they had been directed to so that they could converse with Maria. He sat well postured at a small table in the corner, with oil cloth and a wheat stone to assist him in the process of maintaining his sword. The blade apparently had gained some new nicks and dings rather recently...     "Ah, everyone should be here soon, good." Seras and John, despite their vampiric nature, receive a single nod of appreciative acknowledgement from Jonathan -- they had not yet proven to be abhorrent entities thus far, so he was willing to give them both the benefit of the doubt. "The Vampire isn't quite like the ones I've encountered before, so certainly more allies would be better." he says, generally, but more or less directed towards Alexis. Wiping down Luck & Pluck, Jonathan takes the wheat stone to its edge to sharpen it, in the meantime. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' Most of the people here, Seras has never seen before, or knows only vaguely. She never really got a chance to meet and greet with John, Maaka, or Eithne...     And yet it's the look that Rizzo gives her that strikes out to Seras. She turns about as if sensing his eyes on her... and treating him with the same sort of uncertainty that Maria just received. "Um... w-..." Blink blink.     Before she can compose any thoughts though, the shift to introductions drag her out of whatever thoughts were running through her head.     "OH! Yes. Seras Victoria. Weren't you all wrapped up last time? Whatever it was, I'm glad it's cleared up!" So quickly has she shifted to genuine warm sympathy, and reaches out to shake his hand!     jonathan's arrival does prompt her to ask him a question though. "What ARE your world's like? The Multiverse makes you rethink EVERYTHING." 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Maria will open the door for Elites as they arrive. Xiaomu gets an odd look, between her hairtails and her outfit, but a smile nonetheless. "Thank you for coming back... your assistance is appreciated." Seras's question gets a nod, and the blonde woman explains, "Not too long ago, three girls from this town were attacked for their blood and left for dead in alleys. That they were found was all that saved them from death, and possibly unlife."     Maaka's appearance as well gets a strange look. But she nods. "Windknight's Lot does indeed have a vampire problem." A look at Seras, and then at Rizzo. "As you say, present company excluded." The folder produced by Rizzo draws her attention, and she picks up the folder to open it and look through. The sketch of the perpetrator draws a definite reaction -- she gasps quietly, dropping the folder as if she'd just seen a ghost.     "...It IS him..." she murmurs quietly. Her face takes on a look of extreme sadness. "Even now, I hoped that... perhaps somehow it was a mistake... that he had not..." She sighs, seeming to deflate a little. "...It was a foolish hope. My dear Adrian... Why now...?"     She straightens her posture then as Jonathan speaks, seeming to collect herself. "Apologies to you all. This news is... distressing to me." To Jonathan, "Particularly to you, whose world he has befouled in this way." To the group at large, "But I have forgotten to introduce myself. I am Maria Renard, a vampire hunter. The vampire you seek... his name is Adrian Fahrenheit Tepes. His father is Dracula Vlad Tepes. In his -- our -- world, Dracula is the Lord of a dark castle known as 'Castlevania'. The castle itself is tied to Dracula's dark reign, and reappears whenever Dracula resurrects, which he does in my world every century under normal circumstances."     Here she hesitates, as if not sure if she should say the next. "...I knew this vampire, when he could still call himself a man. I... loved him then. Perhaps I was a fool, and this was inevitable. He has finally fallen, given in to his darker urges. This worries me, not only for his sake, but for the sake of others. Adrian is centuries old, and has grown powerful in his centuries of life." 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' There's something about Maria which catches Xiaomu's attention - nothing blatant, but the sage fox watches her quietly for a bit, in between acknowledging the other arrivals. They're pretty much all familiar faces, some more familiar than others. The look on Xiaomu's face is akin to trying to figure out a puzzle while she's ostensibly otherwise engaged ... And when Maria introduces herself in full, the pieces start falling into place - but no sooner have they done THAT than a conversational grenade goes off, Xiaomu's stance shifting abruptly enough to make the rings on her staff jingle noticeably. "Wait a sec, hold on, hold up. Adrian Tepes? Any relation to an 'Alucard' Tepes? Or ... maybe the same person, alternative name for one reason or another?" 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Alexis frowns. "So he went off the deep end. I'm sorry to hear that." It's a tale she's heard a dozen times, and now they have to terminate this Adrian Tepes...with EXTREME prejudice. "I'm Alexis Maaka, freelancer." She introduces, bowing her head a bit and giving a light salute-wave of her hand. "Hate to say it, but maybe you didn't know him as well as you thought." She suggests, but the emphasis is on that 'maybe'. "We'd better hunt him down, then, if he's attacking women like this." 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan pauses in his sharpening, for a moment. That question opened up a can of mental worms he did not want to think about at that specific moment, but none the less, the thoughts that came refused to leave. After a short silence, he begins to answer. "They're monsters capable of terrifying feats. Many of them have unique abilities they develop from their own biology, Jack the Ripper restructured his new body to create organic sheathes for dozens of bladed weapons, when the Black Knight Bruford was resurrected, he turned his hair into a leech-like apparatus for draining blood, and Dio developed an ability to flash-freeze himself or others by rapidly altering his body temperature. These powers compound their existing strength and agility, as well as a nigh-infinite amount of self-recovery. The only methods I know of to defeat a Vampire are Hamon and direct exposure to Sunlight." Soon enough, everyone had filed in. Maria began her explanation -- more or less, she started with everything she'd told him after his battle with the creature. Jonathan's head dipped in sympathy, for he knew it could not be easy for her. "Let's not be hasty, we should hear out what else she has to say --- perhaps, do you know this Tepes, Miss Xiaomu?" 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' It becomes increasingly clear to Seras that she is surrounded by vampire hunters. The bubbly, simple-minded enthusiasm is slowly eroding away, replaced with nervousness. MARIA introducing herself thusly gets her sucking in her breath...     And promptly forgetting to breathe at all for the next fifteen seconds of glancing around the group.     But then, mid-listening to the tale, a certain name is dropped and the youthful Draculina's face screws up six ways from sunday into a mixture of flabbergastion and disbelief. "What... WHAT?! His name is... Alucard...?" Her tone's gotten squeaky and shoulders have bunched up.     Yep. THIS turn of events has her REALLY spooked. Seras jumpily fidgets in place, looking rather like she wants to run like hell now... 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' "Severe sunlight allergy. Picked it up in '67." It was, of course, the excuse Rizzo went with the first time they met. Though his grip is firm and his shake just so, his hand is cold and clammy. That may clue her in to the true nature of his 'allergy.' "Even a little bit just..." He makes a little flourish with his free hand, like smoke rising from a fire. Hopefully, those little breadcrumbs will allow her to arrive at the right conclusion--but Rizzo has never been forthcoming with information about his condition when he can help it.      When Maria begins explaining the nature of her relationship, the gaunt vampire's face is at first a concerned frown. The perpetrator is Dracula's kid? "Beat me to the bar," he utters in muted surprise. Dracula's a bogeyman in his neighborhood, too--a major part of history and a heavy hitter among heavy hitters. Even with most people thinking he's dead, it doesn't stop the weight of the name.      Any vampire strong enough not to stay dead after centennial slayings is bad business, and any kid of his has to have inherited some of the family mojo. So, if the kid's gone rogue with centuries of experience under his belt, everyone here's going to have one doozy of a fight on their hands if he won't come quietly.      But all of that is secondary to the here and now. Maria is blaming herself for someone else's actions... and losing hope. And he can't abide that. "No more of that talk, missy," he says sternly to Maria. "No one's a fool for loving somebody, you dig? Somewhere inside this cat there's still some good, and if it kills me, I'm gonna bring it back out." 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:''' A Paladin and a Protestant... all this tells Eithne is that Seras is likely a Christian, which matches up with what she knows about Rizzo, which makes her wonder a little bit about the Judeo-Christian mythos as it pertains to the undead. She'll have to look in her library when she gets home...     But Maria speaks, and Eithne shelves that train of though for later. "...After centuries, though?" she murmurs, tucking a finger against her chin. The rest of it seems, well... "I don't wanna kill anybody that spent centuries bein' a good person," she frowns. "Especially if he was good enough fer a vampire /hunter/ to fall fer him." She's glad to hear John saying something similar - it makes her feel a bit less like she's probably being naive.     But, for now... crossing the space left behind by the detective, she raises her hand at Seras...     And very carefully pats the vampire on her shoulder. "Don't worry. Nobody's gonna stake yeh just fer bein'--" She suddenly recalls that maaaaaaaaaaaybe Seras won't want to be outed any more than John does. "Er, fer bein' here," Eithne finishes lamely.     SEE, SHE'S LEARNING 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     The barest hint of displeasure crosses Maria's face at that name, before her expression returns to normal. "He has... called himself that, yes," she admits. "In the past, when he thought to deny his nature." Maaka's assessment gets a nod. "It... seems so, yes," she agrees. Jonathan's sympathy draws a sad smile. "Thank you for considering how this must feel for me... but I believe Miss Maaka may be correct. This... is not his first transgression, but I thought him past feeding upon humans. You see, when he still lived in the castle as a young man, his servant was a human. But he turned the poor man... cornered him in a deserted forest and drained his life..."     Seras's reaction gets a blink. "You... seem as if you know him," she observes. "He has been in this Multiverse a goodly while. Perhaps he has made friends." Pause. "Or... I suppose they are friends no more, if he has gone this far..." Rizzo's confidence brings that sad smile again. "Thank you... but I do not think there is anything human left of him anymore. Perhaps there never was..."     Eithne gets a similar sentiment. "After it all, now, I do not know if he ever was truly good. Perhaps he was merely biding his time. I believe that he may be aiming to take control of Dracula's castle."     More to the group in general, she notes, "You see, now that Dracula is vanquished, there is something of a power vacuum. If Adrian wishes to install himself as the Dark Lord of Castlevania, it may prevent his father from being resurrected the next time, and instead transfer Dracula's power to him. He would then be Castlevania's Dark Lord. The attacks here may be to bolster his strength, to make certain that he can absorb all of the castle's power." 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Alexis nods, and she thinks for a second before she pipes up. "Actually, maybe you think he wants to take over to circumvent the attacks of his dad?" She wonders, looking to Maria and Jonathan. "It'd explain why he didn't finish the job on each of the women he might've attacked, he just wants to inherit his father's castle and use that influence to hold sway over whatever legions Dracula usually commands, and prevent them from future attacks on villages." 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' If it made Seras feel any more comfortable, the Chinese foxgirl is definitely not specifically a 'vampire' hunter - she deals with youkai in general, whether they're the sort who prowl in the night and suck blood from their victims, or the kind who loom out of the shadows and splatter their victims across both walls of an alley, or ... you get the idea. (Actually, that second one doesn't quite narrow it down enough, does it?) But more to the point, Xiaomu considers 'extermination' a last recourse, not a first option. Her job back home is, more often, to keep things from reaching the point where anyone dies or is maimed, human *or* youkai, and there's a hint of discomfort on her face as people (Maria included) talk about having to kill Adrian, AKA Alucard. And you'd have to be looking pretty closely to see that discomfort under the puzzlement. "Okay, something is not adding up," she states, leaning lightly on her staff - just enough to press its butt down on the floor next to her. "Because last time I saw Alucard's name with the Tepes family name, it was in the Paladins' personnel updates. That means he's agreed to help operate on the side of lawful order, helping to enforce laws where applicable. And you're telling us that he's the one who attacked those three girls? If he's building up his personal reserves to take control of Castlevania - which sounds awesome if it weren't potentially an evil lair, by the way - then ... there's pieces missing, but I *can* see him doing that for reasons of keeping something worse, such as Dracula, from coming back, taking control of his old power base, and raising all manner of Hell." Xiaomu takes a deep breath, then lets it out slowly. "So where is he *now*? Keeping Castlevania out of the classic Dracula's hands sounds like a great idea, unless it would corrupt Alucard into being as bad as his old man. At least I'm presuming Dracula wasn't exactly an upstanding citizen, 'Dark Lord' is not usually a good-guys sort of title ..." 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' John gives Enya an approving nod, both for her discretion and for her idealism.      The matter of the castle sends him down a train of thought. There are stories among the Family of a living cathedral, a building of which Tepes himself once ran afoul. They say this building had a mind of its own. Is it possible Castlevania is the same way?      "Yeah," he says, nodding in agreement with Alexis. He doesn't know this Adrian guy as well as Maria does, for certain, but that doesn't preclude the possibility of redemption in John's eyes. Even if she believes he's beyond saving, he's still determined to steer things away from 'terminate with extreme prejudice.'      Xiaomu is apparently on the same track he is. "No, is ins't," he says in agreement. "What's the dope on the Dragon's cave? Thing have a mind of its own?" If it does, then either Alucard is unaware of it, or he thinks he can control it, neither of which is a comforting thought. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' "A... Alucard is the name of my..." Seras hesitates rather than complete that sentence, a mixture of fear, awe, affection and dread storming around on her face all at once. Do these two Alucards have any kind of cross-world connection?     The name Dracula did come up, after all...     Seras comes back to her senses, and gives Jonathan a straight-on thoughtful look. The description of some weird, WEIRD vampires has her thinking hard... or so it seems.     Rizzo's description of a sunlight allergy also would provoke a sweatdrop, if such things were real. As it is, she purses her lips. The grip's clamminess is telling enough.     She finally inhales, steadied by Eithne getting WAY up close and personal and startling her to glance her way.     "A-aheheheh... I don't think there's any point hiding what I am in this company! No point at ALL." The young lady squeaks out, shoulders scrunched.     She turns back to Maria though, eyes wide and thoughtful as she churns the things that've been said over in her mind.     "So... what evidence do we have that solidly links THIS Alucard to the attacks? Just a picture? ... Anything else? Are there any other vampires in the area? This isn't the usual sort of situation I've run into."     Seras' gaze turns a bit glum and depressed. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan waits for theories to begin flying before before he speaks again, which while what he says is applicable to Alexis, he is primarily directing it to Xiaomu. "I encountered him some nights ago while patroling the town. He'd returned to one of the alleys he'd assailed previously -- as I confronted him, he was rather cavalier about what he was doing. While his behavior was certainly strange, almost emotionless, he immediately prompted for battle." The wheat stone was placed down on the table with his sword, as Jonathan turned to fully face the exorcist and their compatriots in the candle-light. "I don't believe he was holding back much in his attempts to kill me with hemomancy, his sword, or his beastier assaults on my person." But, he didn't have much of a referential frame for how this 'Alucard' fought. Maria's new information had been as puzzling as it had been troubling, everyone knew about Dracula's castle from the famous novel, but it seemed to carry a whole different connotation in her world. Perhaps, Jonathan surmised, there had been a real Dracula in his own, as well. "I can't claim to know much about his intentions, but I do know it has to have been him. His visage all but perfectly matches the nightmarish memories haunting his victims. And the rumors around the Lot of people being watched by clusters of bats, fog, and even a giant wolf -- they're all true. Incarnations of this Vampire, capable of transmogrifying his body as he wishes." 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:''' "Centuries is a damned long time to bide, is all," Eithne shrugs. Privately, she wonders if people would be so dead-set on killing this Alucard guy if he weren't a vampire. It's like pit bulls - they're usually sweet dogs that people think are dangerous, and yet nobody bothers putting down a bite-y chihuahua. Size matters, and so do fangs, she supposes...     "Hemomancy?" She blinks, before the word pieces itself together. "Blood magic? Don't suppose he left any of /his/ lying around...?" She's not sure just what she could do with some of Alucard's blood, but it couldn't hurt. If nothing else, it's not like she doesn't know a blood mage or two.     Rocking back onto her heels, she just nods at Seras. "Just... thought yeh might not wanna, is all," she offers, before stepping away again to her original spot. Turning her bracelet around and around on her wrist, Eithne thinks about it all. Strange, almost emotionless...     "Uh," she speaks up suddenly, raising her hand. "...How immune are vampires to mind control, as a rule?" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Maria's gaze turns to Maaka, as if such a thing had never occurred to her. "But... even so. He attacked those young women, and he may be doing such to others across the Multiverse... even if his intentions are good, it cannot be allowed to continue. If he would do this and believe it justified, the thought of him with all of Dracula's power behind him frightens me. What sort of depravities will he justify committing then?"     Maria shakes her head to Xiaomu's words. "Adrian has not spoken to me of his dealing with the rest of the Multiverse. He does not speak of himself often, and keeps his own council. He has always been this way. But he can'''not''' be allowed to take control of Castlevania," she notes. "If he does, yes -- the power will corrupt him even further. As Dark Lord, Dracula himself reigned over Wallachia with an iron fist, taking lives whenever he chose to feed his hunger, with no thought to the lives he shattered."     Rizzo's question of the castle also gets an affirmative. "It does. 'A creature of Chaos', Adrian himself once called it. The castle is a black-hearted beast, and no one could control it without falling into bloodlust and evil. I say again -- even if his intentions are pure, Adrian '''cannot''' be allowed to take control of it."     Seras is offered the picture from the manilla folder, of a black-cloaked man wearing a hood, tendrils of long, wavy, pale blond hair. "This image was drawn directly from the minds of the young women who were attacked. And Sir Joestar got a clear look at his face. It '''must''' be him."     Jonathan's words draw a nod. "Bats, fog, and a wolf... these are things he can change himself to appear as. Sir Joestar. Whatever his goal, you are an obstacle to it. He sought to remove you from his path. Thankfully you bested him. But when he comes back, he will come back stronger." She seems fairly certain he will.     Maria sighs at Eithne's words. "This gives me no pleasure to do," she notes. "Perhaps he has not always been so... perhaps he '''has''' only recently fallen, and those centuries he truly was a good man. But with these attacks, those poor women... I cannot let this continue." A blink then, at the question of mind control. "It depends on the vampire. Adrian himself is... remarkably strong-willed. He will be difficult to control via his mind." Though as for leaving his blood behind? She looks to Jonathan. "Has any of his blood remained from the fight?" 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan thinks back to his battle with the vampire, strangely resistant as he'd been to Hamon. "Yes, there should still be some blood left -- albeit, in the area we battled one another." Maria's supposition made just as much sense as it didn't. He could see why she'd draw that conclusion, but he wasn't positive that was the case. He wouldn't say that the vampire had been surprised by Jonathan's appearance, per se, but it was almost certainly unintended. That was the impression he got. None the less, he had no proof of such, so he said nothing. He merely put his hand to his chin in thought, clasping onto it. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' "Eithne's right," comments Xiaomu. "You don't hide your true nature for centuries without one of two things happening: either you slip up and give away what you're like behind the mask ... or you grow *into* the role you've been playing, and the act becomes reality. Buddhist lore is full of the latter - everyone can become better than they were, whether they were a human, a wolf, or even an ashura. And besides, Mr. 'Allergic to Sunlight' over there has been a huge help not just in *this* investigation but another one we've worked together on ... and of course, Seras's heart is so much in the right place, a stake would bounce off it at least twice *if* somebody tried to put it through her." She also asides to Eithne, "'Hemomancy' is blood manipulation, yeah. Maybe magical, maybe not as much, but. And Johnny -" Yes, she just called Jonathan Joestar 'Johnny' to his face. Something may happen as a result of that. "- how sure are you Alucard would have killed you if he'd had enough of a chance? Did you actually fight back so hard that he couldn't leave as many marks as he wanted to, or was it just not worth the effort this week?" As for Maria's additional information on the Castle of Vania itself ... Xiaomu purses her lips. "Well, seems to me that before we resort to killing Tepes Jr., we should look into a combined exorcism/demolition operation on the castle itself. Shinra's weapons division is pretty good at applying magical amplification to explosives, my grenades are imbued with fire magic so that what the mundane heat, blast, and frag don't necessarily dig into, raw elemental flames *tend* to make up the difference, even on tough youkai. So instead of taking out the heir apparent, we could eliminate the root of the problem ... and let's face it, if Castlevania is as big, bad, and full of nasty as you're saying? Killing Alucard just means it has to look for ANOTHER heir, and then we're back at square one." 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' Seras once again is struck breathless-in-a-sense as she's handed the photo. That face...     It's not the same, but there's plenty of similarities. She's simply mesmerized looking at it, if only briefly.     "... I don't know what to make of this. Something's missing. There's two possibilities, looking at this evidence. Either it's as you say and this Alucard has gone full monster... or some other /vampire/ is impersonating him to lure you into taking action. Be... because, if it WAS him, and things happened like you said.. why would he be doing these things here? So brazenly? ... Though... in either case... we need to find this Alucard and get to the bottom of it before someone else is attacked!"     THAT is a point Seras is very firm about. She's doubtful of the situation, but definitely not about protecting ordinary folk. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     "Not saying we shouldn't stop him." Maaka nods. "Just spitballing thoughts, I guess. Gotta be some reason he's doing this, if it's him after all." SHe stares at the photo, taking note of the vampire's features. "...yeah, that's a possibility. Do you think he was like this before he went crazy?" She asks Maria directly, eyebrow cocked. "I mean, from what you say, this is way out of character for the bloke." 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' "Depends on the vampire, yeah." John's response to Enya is given frankly, because Seras was honest enough to reveal her nature. Given that his was already known by everyone save for perhaps Maria, he'd be remiss if he didn't offer up some of his own experience. "And as vampires go, it's a question of lineage, willpower, or both. No real rule of thumb to go by."      Maria confirms his concerns, and once again, Xiaomu is on the same track he is. When Seras states something is missing, he chimes in. "The attacks weren't just a trip for biscuits," he solemnly states. "He didn't want those girls dead, and he didn't want their blood. He wanted 'em scared. When I tried to ease their minds, I felt something in there getting hot under the collar about it. You ask me, I think he's trying to make a pitch to the castle, get it to pop up."      "And if he is, then Xiaomu's got the right idea. We knock the joint over before Alucard gets his mitts on it, and hopefully, everybody's happy. No more castle, no more evil, no more Knight Templar vampires. Ring-a-ding-ding." 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:''' Something just doesn't seem right about this. Eithne can see why Jonathan would be all about killing this Alucard guy. But... How can Maria be okay with killing him? As difficult as it could be for her... is this just the woman being responsible?     If this is how 'love' is, Eithne supposed she'll never understand it.     "Well, if that's all there is to it," she nods, and goes to the door to call for someone named 'Shiela'. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' "He tried to cut my head off with a sword. He also tried to tear my throat out as a wolf, and drain my life force with magic. I beg pardon, Miss Xiaomu, but I'm very certain you would not do such things if you were not trying with much of your might to kill a man." Destroying the castle sounds .. well, he wouldn't want to call it impossible. Perhaps improbable, given its magical nature and fortification. But, if it could save the humanity of a vampire, perhaps it was worth looking into, even if he didn't put much stock into it. " --- regardless, if a way to destroy this Castlevania exists, it is in everyone's best interest to do so, even if it may or may not solve the crisis at hand. I believe it is worth trying." Ah, if only Straizo, Dire and Tom Petty were around .... he could use their assistance right about now. But, he still had not located them in all the folds of the multiverse. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Maria levels a look at Jonathan. It's a look of suspicion, a searching look. She's looking for what he's thinking. But either she finds nothing there or she doesn't wish to bring it up just yet. Xiaomu's suggestion draws her back, though. But she shakes her head. "The castle disappears each time Dracula is defeated. Even the foundations do not remain -- it disappears from this plane of existence. The Dark Lord must be its connection to this plane."     Maria notes to Seras, "His brazenness is because he simply does not care anymore. If he has become a monster, he cannot care about the lives he disrupts. Or those he ends. His battle with Sir Joestar, everything about that battle, were his hallmarks. Maaka's words get a blink. "Did he resemble this before? Yes. And it '''would''' be out of character for him... but I believe his urges have grown too strong for him to resist. His bloodline is arguably of the most powerful vampires in our world. But for power there must always be a trade. His is a stronger urge for blood than others of weaker lineage."     Rizzo's words get a tilted head. "All he would need to do is go to the site of the castle and claim his lineage," she replies. "The castle only reappears when it has a Dark Lord, thus why it returns when Dracula rises again. He need only claim himself its Lord. This is why it is so important that we... deal with him."     Eithne gets a pained look. "It... must be. Whether he has given into to his nature or whether he seeks to claim the castle, it cannot be allowed..."     Jonathan's words get a nod. "It does sound like that which he relies upon when he wishes to destroy a thing," she confirms. "He has done similarly through the halls of the castle to face his father before..." 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' So, there /is/ something missing. If the castle is that easy to summon, why is Alucard trying to spread fear? And if the castle literally disappears from existence, then destroying it is going to take the kind of mojo he can't even wrap his head around, if it can even be done at all.      But the question of his motivation is painfully obvious. Why didn't he see it before? The older a vampire is, the more potent his blood, the stronger the thirst becomes. Alucard's been around for /centuries./ "Methuselah's hunger," he says knowingly. Sadly. His haunting gaze falls slowly to the floor.      It's something many vampires go through in many a different world. Something he himself often worries and frets over, as the years go by. But can he in good conscience consign Alucard to Final Death just for being old? He runs a hand through his messy red hair. "Murder," he says--not as an accusation, but an exclamation of disbelief.      Maybe it's simply the fate of vampires, God's way of telling them it's time to take their last step into the sunlight. And if Alucard is resisting that message, perhaps some encouragement is needed. But can he be the one to levy that judgement? He realizes that he's pacing back and forth, and stops himself only to offer his thoughts on the matter.      "Okay." Sigh. "If we have to 'stop' him I'll help you, but I'm not going to be party to a killing. My strength is not for hurting--and if there's any way on God's green earth we take him in peaceful-like, you can bet your bottom dollar, or shilling," he says to Joestar--that's what they use in jolly old England, right? "That's what I'm gonna shoot for. Capisce?" 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:''' It seems weird. Outside, Eithne waits impatiently for a black shape to descend from the sky, fussing quietly at Sheela when he finally lands on top of her head. "Listen. Stay quiet an' there's eyeballs in it fer yeh. All right? Just pay attention."     While Sheela can't be trusted to behave himself for Eithne's sake, he'll do tricks for bits of offal... including, it seems, listening quietly.     Soon enough, Eithne comes back inside, carrying a crow in her arms. "Sorry 'bout that. Anyway, let's have that paper..." The Scion picks up the drawing from the manila envelope and shows it to her pet, murmuring to him. "Look, just watch... this guy's a... fog, y'know?"     If the only other options are blasting right through the castle or beheading the poor, pretty son of a bitch... Eithne will see for herself just what kind of person this 'Alucard' is. In the meantime, she looks over at Rizzo as he repeats a familiar litany. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' "So if Alucard needs to lure the castle back into existence," Xiaomu muses, "assuming that *IS* what he's after ... and we're not dealing with an imposter who's trying to kill two birds with one stone ..." She trails off there, nodding to Jonathan, and pulls out her smartphone. A moment later, she's managed to locate the Paladins dossier photo of Alucard, and holds it for Jonathan to look at. (It's just the photo, no other information on the screen.) "Are you sure this is the guy who was trying to kill you?" At least she's not arguing THAT point. That was, indeed, a pretty convincing argument that it was a legit attempt on Joestar's life, not just a played-up act. "Anyway. All this means, about Castlevania not existing unless it has a lord and master, means that we have to let it manifest, THEN invade and make with the demolitions and exorcisms. We *may* be racing the clock before Alucard can get to its throne room and put on whatever crown of evil and corruption befits his title, but ... worst-case scenario, we split our forces and have some of them slow him down while the rest of us are setting bombs and the like." She looks at Maria again. "You said you're a vampire hunter. Did you ever go after Dracula himself?" 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka rubs her chin, considering. If they're gonna be going to hunt a vampire, she's gonna need the right tools for the job. "One more thing, Maria. I'm gonna need some improvements to my hardware. Holy water, garlic, silver, that kinda thing. I imagine you'd know where to look, for starters. Or at least I hope so. I've got the ammo and weapons, I just need to find the materials to bless it and all." Xiaomu meanwhile provides the bigger question. She knows enough about Dracula broadly to know he's no small fry, taking on his son is gonna be a bitch. 

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:''' Once again Seras Victoria's bubbliness seems to have been swallowed up with a strange sort of haunted look fixed on Maria... though it doesn't last for too long. Something has bothered her tonight. Something's bothered her a lot.     She's starting to grit her teeth... to the point that fangs peek between her lips when she purses them again.     "If you're so sure. I guess we'll find out hen we run into him." Yeah, Seras seems to be turning a bit childishly obstinate.... 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Maria nods to Rizzo. "I suspect such a thing will not be possible," she notes, of there being a peaceful solution. "But if you find one..." She trails off here, as if... well, as if she honestly has no idea how to continue the sentiment. She even turns her gaze to the side again, as if she's searching her memory for something. But ultimately she leaves the sentiment unsaid.     Eithne's crow gets a blink from Maria. But she actually smiles at the bird. She seems not put off by it in the slightest. Xiaomu's words get a frown. "I hope we can stop him before that. The castle caters to its Lord, and attacks all others who approach." As for the question? "I have, in search of my brother, who was hypnotized into acting as the castle's Lord for a time."     Maaka's suggestion gets a nod. "There are trees to make stakes from in my world. And there is a priest there. He will gladly provide you with holy water. The people of Wallachia have long been suspicious of Adrian; you need only tell him you are pursuing him and the priest will provide you with whatever you need." Maria looks to Seras, and frowns. It's a worried look. "Please... I will give you what you need to find him. But do not place yourself in undue danger if he cannot be saved. I do not wish any of you to fall to him, and your blood grant him greater power."     Maria reaches into her bag and draws out a scroll. This she unrolls on a table. It's a map of a country with a large lake to the north, and much of the remaining country covered by forest. A town is marked along a road that leads to the lake. But it's to a particular point on the map, in an open forest with little around it, that she points. It looks like there's a building there, but it's a single, small, solitary building.     "This is his sanctuary," she explains. "He sleeps here; doubtless this is where he returned to after his battle with Sir Joestar, to recover. He will be weakest if you can catch him as he rises; he will need blood to recover the strength sapped in healing himself, and will have little in the way of strength to battle. Particularly against Sir Joestar's power, or the other anti-vampire measures you have all mentioned." 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Xiaomu looks over the map, switching her smartphone over to camera mode so she can snap a few photos of it for future reference (in case she DOESN'T have the scroll). "I've got long experience at keeping my blood out of the hands, mouths, or other parts of people who want it for their own nefarious purposes," she comments casually, "and with the advantage of numbers, I'm pretty sure we can fend him off long enough to lock him up again - or, if we really have to kill him, then doing that. But I still think it's a matter of taking Castlevania out of play - and if we need Alucard to help us do that, which it potentially sounds like, then we play to that end as best we can. So ... yeah, I still consider 'killing Alucard' to be the last resort." She puts her phone away again. "Hopefully we'll be able to get straight enough answers out of him that we can get his help with whatever we need to do next." 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:''' Sheela seems content enough (for now) to sit quietly in his mistress's arms. Eithne quite frankly expects him to start pitching a fit any minute now, so she's going to try to make sure he has all he needs to know before she turns him loose. "See, that little building there," she murmurs to him.     "Right, then," she says to the bipedal crew. "Let's go ask this fella what he's on about, yeah?"     And then, because Xiaomu had a really good idea, she fumbles out her phone and takes a picture of the map too. She can't trust Sheela to navigate for both of them! 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Alexis folds her arms, popping her neck as she snaps photos of the map promptly. Can't help to get navigation after all, right? "Let's." She says calmly, taking stock. She'll need stakes, blessed ammo (Which Xiaomu has offered to provide), maybe garlic, all things you need to go on a vampire slaying trip. She hopes she doesn't need to use it, but one can't be too careful with this Alucard fellow. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan takes a good look at the map as well, frowning slightly. Locking him up? If he was that far gone, he'd be better off annihilated -- as cold as he knew that was, it was the truth. It would only be a matter of time until the monster roamed free again, and lives were lost. Even so, he was fairly sure that they'd have no choice but to destroy him if their encounter several nights prior were anything to go by. The sound of Luck & Pluck returning to its sheath; a well maintained black trimmed with purple and embroidered with the symbol of a snake eating its own tail, reverberated through the room. It certainly looked like a weapon meant for royalty. "We should be most careful, even if we make it there by daylight, we're still sieging the lair of a Vampire. If he has any followers.." 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' "If he has followers," Xiaomu points out to Jonathan, "then most likely he's further gone than I thought, and our priorities shift accordingly." 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' Other folks have committed the map to memory, so John doesn't feel the need to. Malkavians were never the muscle of his world, and it's just as true here. His faith, however, could prove useful, as could his outlook. Perhaps Alucard thinks he can control the castle for the greater good, or perhaps he's just lost his way, but Rizzo hopes beyond hope the elder vampire can still be reasoned with, or at least brought in and not put down like a dog.      Xiaomu's comment earns her a frown, but he holds his tongue. They can burn that bridge when they get to it. For now, he's off to the local undertaker to get fitted for a Chicago overcoat. It just won't do to be caught outside in the daylight with the possibility of these folks throwing lead. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Maria looks a bit discomforted by Xiaomu's words. In fact, is that a frisson of anger that skitters over her features, so quickly it's hard to tell if it was ever there to begin with. "If... if you must. But please take care. If he has abandoned reason, there will be no other recourse." As Xiaomu, Eithne, and Maaka begin to take pictures of the map, Maria holds the ends of the scroll to keep it from rolling up.     Jonathan's words draw a nod. "You may be the only one who understands, Sir Joestar," she replies. "You have seen what Adrian is capable of, you know his strength. If you had not fought with all your power, he might have killed you, and you would now be one of his servants yourself. Please, if the others cannot finish him, you must strike the last blow. You are a true knight, Sir Joestar, whether you have the title or not. Do Adrian the honor of having a true knight end him."     Perhaps Maria notices Rizzo's frown, so she addresses him gently, "...I am sorry. This must be uncomfortable. Perhaps it feels as though you look through a mirror at yourself in the future, and would like others to give you a chance as well. But ask yourself -- if you became a monster, if you began to drain the life from all those around you as easily as a man would eat from his plate... would the you as you are now not wish for someone to stop '''that''' you? The Adrian I know -- the one I knew -- would not want himself to be allowed to continue on like this, like nothing more than a beast." 
}}

5511/Soliloquy of Reproach: Duplicity

2017-10-08T21:32:02Z

DariRyu: Another typo

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/10/07
|Location=Windknight's Lot <WKL>
|Synopsis=After many days of ill omens -- unnatural fog, clusters of bats, and even reports of a wolf in the countryside -- Jonathan finds a man that exactly matches the image in the three girls' mind. The man does nothing to dissuade this notion. Jonathan defeats him, but he escapes. However a woman named Maria appears, claiming to know the vampire. She offers to return, and tell all that she knows about the vampire that plagues Windknight's Lot, if Jonathan will but gather his allies.
|Thanks=Jonathan Joestar
|Cast of Characters=1128, 1107
|Tinyplot=Soliloquy of Reproach
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     The reports on the Paladin's networks were troubling. Three women, all young blonde girls, had been attacked for blood and left for dead in alleys. Naturally, this didn't escape Alucard's notice. Particularly with the addendum -- the image from the girls' minds looked like him.     So it is that, of late, Alucard has been haunting the streets of Windknight's Lot. Not as himself, surely. But he's been noticed. There has been talk of strangely-clustered banks of fog behind buildings. Reports of small clusters of bats hanging underneath eaves at night -- which is unusual, because bats hunt at night. Shouldn't they be searching for food? And finally, the howl of a wolf not far from the city. In fact, if little Poco or his sister had strayed far from the town, they might have even seen it -- white, with a dusty lavender 'saddle' of sorts, a pattern on its back of dusty lavender.     These have, of course, been Alucard's forms. Mist for eavesdropping on conversations -- the citizens are afraid, and they are angry; why THIS, AGAIN? Bat for searching from overhead -- the streets have been more or less undisturbed since the Elites came to visit. Which in itself is odd; what made the attacks stop? And wolf for scouring the surrounding territory -- if the vampire is still close by, the wolf's keen nose should sniff him out.     Tonight, though, as the fog gathers in one of the alleys where the latest of the attacks took place... it takes the form of a man. He's of average height. Most of his features are hidden by a long black hooded cloak that wraps about him and falls to the ground.     The cloak hangs around a slender body, the hood hides all but the bottom third of what would be, if the face was completely seen, the face of a beautiful man -- the chin is narrow and the lips are full, but the jawline is far too squared to confuse it for a woman's jaw. The skin is near-white, with the barest hint of color. In the darkness it could be missed entirely. On either side of his face, near-white blond hair hangs from underneath the hood, laying against his chest in gentle waves.     Everything is as the girls' minds projected...     He stands near where the last young woman was found. Silently he turns his head from one side to the other. And audibly sniffs. "...It's been too long," he breathes quietly. He crouches, lowering himself to the ground where the old bloodstain rests, and reaches out to touch the stain. His voice still quiet, but humming inexplicably with power, he speaks. "...Dark Metamorphosis..."     A malevolent red aura glows around the cloaked figure for a moment, then the stain begins to disappear. It seems to be drawn up into the gloved hand of the cloaked figure... 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Ever since the attacks first began, Jonathan hadn't went far from the Lot. Though a cursory sweep of the outer Castlegrounds had revealed nothing of interest that he could tell, he hadn't had the time for the deep searching he would have liked -- after all, that would have left the town unprotected. "I'm tellin' you, I saw it! I did! This big white wolf with purple marks! Or .. was it purple with white marks? No no, it was -- " Poco was silenced by Jonathan's hand settling itself gently onto his head. "I believe you. I have to go out and patrol now, but I'll definitley keep my eyes peeled for this mysterious wolf you've seen, alright?" The brother-sister pair waved Jonathan off from their humble home as he secured Bruford's sword onto his back and continued out onto the darkening streets. The rumors had only gotten worse, about oddly behaved bats and strange mist. Most didn't believe Poco terribly, believing he was spinning a tall tale, but Jonathan was more than willing to give the benefit of the doubt given the oddities that Dio tended to surround himself with. If this vampire were at all similar, familiar wolves or bats would not be a stretch. Truthfully, the darkness that settled over the Lot is what allowed Jonathan to catch wind of the cloaked figure. An ominous red glow rarely insinuated anything wholesome in his experience, lo and behold, when he arrived on the scene to check it out ... A figure, draped in a deep black cloak, with pale skin and near snow-white hair. He couldn't exactly tell with it hunched over, but the figure did seem shorter here in the real world than it did in the minds of those girls ... but even still. His boot dug deep into the dirt road as leather strained under the clenching of Jonathan's fists. A pose was struck dramatically with such force of prescence that it would be hard not to notice. "Vampire! Your acts of vulgar and grotesque heresies end right here, right now! I won't allow you to get away with it any longer!" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard freezes. He could smell the approach, sense the power. But too late, as the voice breaks into his thoughts before he can create an escape plan. He could dissolve into mist and likely escape, even now. But something stops him. Something about that tone, if not the voice itself, strikes a familiar chord to Alucard.     It's righteous indignation. That is the voice of a hero, even Alucard can hear that. The voice of a man willing to give his life to see that the people of his world could live peacefully. This man was this world's protector.     The problem is, Alucard sensed something in the area was familiar as well. If it was familiar to him, then it was a bad thing for this world. A beast from the castle, one of its minions that had escaped? Had this world ever faced such horrors? Could this man stand against those horrors?     He has to know...     "...Won't you?" the cloaked figure speaks, his deep baritone voice still quiet. He stands slowly -- yeah, this guy's still quite a bit shorter than Jonathan. But still a vampire, and probably still dangerous. "...Can you stop these vulgar and grotesque acts?" He turns slowly, seeming to not move his legs as he turns. "Can you stand against them?"     He makes no move to attack, not yet. The hood lifts, just enough to observe the larger man. Jonathan may get a better look at the face underneath as he does, since Alucard will have to tilt his head up so far. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan's strong jawline tightens as his expression gets harder in his indignation. Deep, shiny black hair and blue eyes stare unflinchingly at the shorter of the two. Jonathan acknowledged the threat that was being posed by his enemy, he was not dismissing it -- but he had the bravery to stand up to it like a mighty wall of steel, none the less. Jonathan changes from his struck pose to an amalgamated stance of boxing and martial arts, breathing in deeply, audibly. "Koooooooooh....................." His chest expanded with the drawn out breath, ripples of light beginning to emenate from his form like waves of heat. The changing motion of his arm from a defensive to offensive form left behind trails of afterimages, muscles buldging tight against dark blue leather. "With this SENDO POWER I'll show it with certainty!"         "ZOOOOOOOM PUNCH!" It was a simple boxing jab, easy to dodge at such a long range. It'd just require the vampire to move backwards. But, Jonathan's fist accelerated, his arm seeming to stretch longer than the bones would allow with a small wet pop, telescoping towards Alucard's face in a reddish-gold-orange rush of lightning. An attack meant to simultaneously make a statement, and put distance between the two of them so that Jonathan could reach for his sword. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard sees the shift of stance, and his gray eyes narrow beneath that hood. Breath, pooling in Jonathan's lungs, igniting a fire that Alucard can sense. A fire that rings bells of alarm in the vampiric side of his nature in a way that few things can. His eyes widen, and he has time to draw in a breath of shock before the fist comes at him.     Yes, he could dodge. But if he doesn't feel the strength behind the blow, he won't know how strong this man is. So instead he crosses his arms before him, to block. The blow still drives him back though, as he uses the momentum from the punch to leap back.     As he does, more of the figure is revealed -- Jonathan might recognize his clothing as a nobleman's garb, done in black. The vest is trimmed in silver, the overcoat trimmed in gold. A rich man's clothes.     Well, as it seems Jonathan is retrieving a sword, Alucard does the same. It's a thin long sword with a simple design. But it looks much larger than a man his size should be able to use one-handed; it's the length of a bastard sword. But he wields it as a longsword.     And still he doesn't attack. He waits for Jonathan. His hood is still up for the moment, still hiding some of his face. He stands still as death, not fidgeting the way humans do. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' The dress of a wealthy man -- Jonathan knew it well. His Father, Dio and himself all dressed similarly through most of their lives. Dio especially had a love for reds, golds, and blacks where as Jonathan and his Father preferred shades of blue, red being something worn rather rarely. Jonathan's keen eye settled firmly on Alucard's blade of choice, unsurprised that Alucard could wield it so. He was an inhuman monster, after all. Jonathan's own sword of Luck & Pluck was uniquely, a longsword custom made for the Black Knight Bruford. It held the general shape of a longsword, but the length and thickness of its blade was closer to a traditional english greatsword. Alucard's wasn't much shorter, really. Jonathan, as well, held his sword in one hand, the other kept free. Jonathan didn't give Alucard much time to strategize. His experience with vampires and their ilk taught him one thing: not to let them recover from being caught unawares. If this fiend wished to engage in sword to sword combat, he had a nasty surprise in store for the vampire, the same sort that would have very nearly killed Dio, he was sure.         "Have at you!" His charge seemed to be with reckless abandon, but there was something cunning, specific, about it. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard holds the blade in his right hand; it's reasonable to assume that he's right-handed and that approaching from the left might put him off his guard somewhat. His eyes follow Jonathan's movements however, and he raises the blade, as if to block. However, Jonathan might find something odd happening. When he swings...     ...A reddish aura pulses around the cloaked figure, and his image seems to be pulled to one side so fast it leaves afterimages. But Jonathan should watch his back. Because after a second or two, the images reappear, as if being 'put together' again.     Behind him!     He emits a loud hiss of triumph as he reappears behind Jonathan, and raises his blade to swing! It's a slice aimed at his back. But it won't be deep, even if it does connect.     Alucard doesn't want to kill this man. He just wants the man to REACT as if he intends to. Only when a hero believes his life is in danger will his true colors show. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' "!?!?!?!" Jonathan's memory flashes before him, to his second encounter with the vampirized Dio Brando. How he'd seemingly faded into the night in his retreat -- was this a similar feat? The all too familiar noise reached his ears. That /noise/. Just hearing it was associative enough to make his already expanded lungs burn in overstress as Jonathan breathed in deeply through his nostrils. A sword, that meant he was going to be attacked through blade rather than vampiric power. Leery, the monster might be, of physical contact.. Jonathan abruptly collapses one of his knees, dropping his body down by a near quarter of his height as his sword of Luck & Pluck rose above his head. The golden blaze around his body began to compact and focus when the two swords meet, Jonathan just barely managing to perform an uncomfortable overhead block in his rapid crouching maneuver, leaving one boot caked with mud. His armored shoulders tensed under the strength Alucard's swing no doubt carried with it by default, yet, held steady. "This is -- courage! HAMON SENDO!"         "METAL SILVER ... OOOVERDRIIIIVE!" The silver gleaming edge of Jonathan's swords suddenly turned alight with crackling azure lightning racing up and down its form. In turn, it suddenly became a brilliant and fiery gold, transferring its sparks onto Alucard's family heirloom, and as a result ... The Hamon inside of Jonathan's sword was surging into Alucard's, and in just a moment, it should enter the vampire's hand, his arm! "HUOOOOOOOOOOH!" Jonathan tensed his legs and pushed with his whole body, upwards. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     The swords clash with a metallic sound. Good, Alucard thinks. He's strong, and perceptive as well. Appears to trust his instincts, and doesn't question them. But Alucard isn't convinced just yet. Strength and smarts aren't everything. This young man is brash, openly challenging a vampire at night. But does he have the resolve to go through with it if his life is truly in danger?     Alucard seems to meet Jonathan's bare strength relatively evenly. The pressure on the crossed swords should be enough to tell Jonathan that he is indeed crossing swords with a supernaturally strong creature. But not more pressure is applied, there's no attempt to overpower Jonathan in that instant. The visible part of the face is calm and flat, displaying no emotion; none of the smug glee that Jonathan has seen before in these sorts of foes. Only calmness.     And then Alucard realizes that he's got problems of his own. There's a split-second when he senses that power again. And then the blade of his own sword is acting as a conduit for whatever that strange power is. It reaches his hand before he can leap back, and he emits a cry of pain. Jonathan's moving then, and Alucard uses that momentum to push off of the crossed swords, leaping back out of range of that energy.     The leap is supernaturally far, and the cloak billows out as he flies back. For a split-second, the underside of the cloak is visible -- red and glowing, pulsing like a heartbeat. And then the cloak actually flaps once, like nothing so much as a great pair of wings, carrying him back yet farther.     While his landing is light, he seems to slouch, the sword arm hanging before him as if he did not possess the strength to move it. Wisps of smoke rise from his arm, and he is visibly baring teeth in pain. NOW he's shaking -- that hurt! But the baring of teeth shows the fangs. They're not quite like Dio's, though. While the top fangs look positively deadly, his lower set of teeth look pretty normal. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan's eyes narrow in on the fangs -- there was something off about them. Deadly, for sure, but not the mouth full of razors most vampiric ilk tended to possess. None the less, Jonathan now stood back at his full height, breathing in deep and regular intervals. The creature's arm was smoking, but it hadn't been destroyed, a sign that his Hamon perhaps had not gone deep enough. A testament to the sheer speed his opponent preferred to move at, blitzing around the edge of ones vision. No more, Jonathan vowed. Holding his sword with one hand, a very sharp pointing motion was made with his finger. "Those three women -- why them? They all bore a great similarity to one another, tell me why that is!" There was something un-natural about that cloak. Jonathan didn't want to get too close again, without having a chance to figure out its exact abilities. "And the oddities that have occured here, the mist, the bats, and I bet even that wolf Poco saw were all your doing!" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard had not actually seen the three women; he had been unable to enter the place where they were recovering, even in his mist form. It wasn't that there were no places he could get in. But the roses around the house had made it impossible for him to enter, as if an unbreakable barrier. It wasn't unheard of, though, for vampires to prefer a certain kind of prey. But then suddenly something sparks in his mind. A realization. His lips part for a breath of surprise. Young, beautiful, blonde women?     ''('...Mother.')''     That part he leaves unsaid. Now is not the time for that. But he does answer that second concern there. His momentary look of surprise fades, replaced by that calmness again. "...Does it surprise you that a vampire should be able to change his forms?" Even here his voice is quiet and devoid of much emotion. "Then you have much yet to learn about vampires, young man, before you may hope to save others from them." There is a hiss in his voice as he continues, "Allow me to demonstrate..." His off-hand raises, glowing a bright red. A quick sequence of arcane movements, and then his voice booms out, echoing abnormally, "SOUL STEAL!"     It's a pull. A pull deep down, as if being drained of blood. But it's not blood. It's energy. The pull is aiming back at Alucard, seeking to steal some of that precious life energy from Jonathan, to heal himself. It's not much, hopefully just enough to heal Alucard's mangled arm. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' A name like 'soul steal' did not inspire good feelings. Jonathan tried to hold his weapon up defensively, but it was for naught -- his life force was being drained and he could feel it. But, for Alucard, trying to tap into that well and drink from it was like trying to carefully remove a drop of water from an ocean. A human's life force would naturally give them, give or take, a hundred years. Jonathan easily had ten times that, most probably, more. "Gh -- it can't be?! My life is being drained without direct contact?! This is an ability beyond even Dio..!" How could he counter something like that? He was only as effective as his sword's reach right now!         Unless ... Jonathan sprints away, seeming to turn tail and run. It brought him no small amount of shame to look like that, but, Alucard wouldn't be alone for long. As Jonathan, a mere twenty or thirty seconds later, has performed a loop through the part of the village they were fighting in, coming out a fair way behind Alucard's previous position. "VAMPIRE!" Jonathan held in his free hand, a clump of rose petals. They were crackling with golden-orange flames, a fire that did not burn them.LIFE MAGNETISM OVERDRIVE!" Jonathan hurled them like a volley of knives, and the petals surprisingly cut through the air like razers in their course towards Alucard. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard's eyes narrow as Jonathan seems to be... well, doing the smart thing, actually. A demonstration of a power that had little in the way of defense against... anyone would run. Anyone SHOULD run. He was a bit disappointed, but also pleased. Not that he'd made Jonathan flee. That he'd convinced the man to flee... and keep his life. Perhaps now he'll stop with this 'hero' business. Alucard relaxes his stance, heaves a bit of a sigh, and sheathes his sword.     "...That should dissuade any more foolish heroics. Brave, yes. Strong, yes. Almost a pity. But only shame and a pointless death awaits those without resolve..." There is no contempt in these words. In fact they're spoken almost... gently? These words were not for Jonathan's ears. But yet Jonathan may catch some of them as he returns.     Alucard's eyes widen as he hears the voice, and he whirls to look. "What...?!" That power... Richter could do something very much like that. He could set his whip aflame with no apparent means to do so. The Vampire Killer burned with flames that did not harm the whip or his hands, but seared his enemies as surely as if he had set them aflame himself -- the flame of his spirit. Then could this young man possess the same power?     And then suddenly a multitude of what he would swear were razors are flung at him. They tear into the cloak, and sprays of blood meet the air. They tear into the hood as well, pushing it back to reveal his face. The wounds visible on his cheeks smoke, as Jonathan might expect, but they bleed as if they had been inflicted on a human.     And through that volley of razor-like petals, the dhampir lunges, fangs bared. The growl in his throat changes to a throatier sound, and in mid-run he places four feet on the ground as a wolf. It is indeed much like what Poco described. That lavender wolf charges, faster than any normal wolf, so fast it leaves a blur behind it, and leaps at Jonathan, maw snapping viciously. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan felt a smidgen of satisfaction of finally cracking that cool exterior. It had almost reminded him of Bruford at first, but -- it was different. He could tell, the difference between genuine stoicism and what had to have been at least, partially an act. But, there was still something off here. He'd struck several direct hits on the creature with his Hamon, and true enough, the wounds smoked, burned to molten ash. However, as well, they bled. Something that no vampire or zombie should be capable of doing in response to a Hamon-inflicted injury.         And then, the monster changed forms. It had not been lying, it was completely capable of altering its physiology at high-speeds. About as quickly as Dio could regenerate, even! Now that lavender beast was charging at him, Jonathan's mind barked only one recourse. His blade was cast aside?! Even though Alucard was blurring forward at a speed that gave Jonathan a mere moment to react, he responded with nothing less than a fully powered attack from the front! Air was sucked in deep, expanding his chest. At the risk of exposing himself to a lethal attack from those snapping jaws, Jonathan tries to pin the wolf's head between his fists. "HAMON!"     The one in a million ripple! "OVEEEEEEEEEEERDRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!!!" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard had once heard an ally of his say something that stuck with him. Something that had shaped his thoughts, even if he didn't realize it, even before he heard it. For a man to fight a monster, he must be willing to place his life in jeopardy. He must be willing to throw away the concept of defense at the right moment, and face the monster's attack, even if it means his death. For monsters must die, lest they feed upon the innocent... and sometimes all a man can do is drag the monster down to Hell with him.     'Killing you is what's most important. Living through it is a luxury.'     And then here is Jonathan. At the charge of a mad beast, he should dodge. Block. Something! But no... the sword is dropped, and the fists clamp around the sides of the wolf's head. The wolf emits a surprised yelp, and soon changes back again. He tries to pull free, but it's not fast enough. In the next instant, the sensation of the fires of a hundred suns explodes through him.     The skin exposed to the hamon begins to smoke and burn, and he emits a cry of pain. But the flesh does not 'melt', as Jonathan may be accustomed to a vampire's flesh reacting to hamon. The skin sizzles and blisters, as a human's skin might when exposed to flames. The attack also blasts him down the street quite a ways, too. He hits the ground once, with a grunt, and then rolls and bounces along the street a short distance before coming to a stop, facedown on the ground.     He is still as death. But though the body smokes and Jonathan can still hear the skin sizzling, the body does not disappear. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan let out a small breath of a relief -- he hadn't been killed. No matter how close to the wire it was, he'd still gone above and beyond merely destroying his enemy with him. Yet, he still felt perturbed -- this Vampire should have been obliterated by a direct Hamon charge like that. Jack the Ripper and even Tarkus hadn't stood up to it, a direct hit vaporized the gargantuan Vampire's body. Yet, all he'd seen were blisters on porcelin white skin. Jonathan reclaims his sword, and tentatively, approaches the smoking body. A body that should not be there. "You're no Vampire, nor a Zombie. Yet, still, you're a denizen just as heinous." Jonathan stopped a good five feet away, eyeing Alucard warily, almost as if expecting him to leap to his feet and retaliate. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     One of the vampire's hands twitches. It seems that Jonathan's assessment was correct, this one isn't dead. Not yet. But he doesn't leap to his feet. No, he very slowly begins to get his hands under him, to push himself up to a kneeling pose, one foot upon the ground.     As he draws himself up slowly, the extent of the damage is seen. Both sides of his face are burnt horribly where Jonathan's fists had been a few seconds earlier. Smoke sill rises from the burnt skin, but it does appear to already be healing. And as he rises to one knee?     He laughs.     It's not one of those loud, maniacal cackles, either. It's the low, breathy chuckle of someone who is genuinely amused. And also in pain. Because Alucard might not be full vampire, but he is half. And he's wholly in pain!     "...A foolish move," Alucard intones, voice still flat. He makes no move to rise yet, remaining on one knee, his head down. He isn't looking up at Jonathan yet. "Had you been a split second too late, I might have taken your head off. A split second too early and you might have lost an arm." 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' "The one who is too scared to act will never do anything -- I told you that your reign of terror ends /tonight/." Jonathan's face remains stern, but he was unsettled. This Vampire's personality was unusual, to say the least. He couldn't get a good feeling about it, in other words, he was facing an enigma. An unknown quantity. "An arm, or my head ... it doesn't matter if it means destroying you." Still, the adrenaline rush wouldn't last forever. He'd start getting tired soon, and while he could power through it, he'd rather not fight a Vampire while totally exhausted. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     "...I see."     Right there. THAT was what Alucard had been looking for. This isn't a man who plays hero for the sake of the glory. This is a man willing to lay his life down for what he believed in, to sacrifice himself for the safety of those he cares about. So... an ally.     But this man probably won't accept a simple 'I didn't do it'. Particularly since Alucard has no other explanation for the attacks. He has yet to find any other evidence, but he knows it wasn't him. He has several theories... but this is not the time for them.     Despite the situation, despite the burns and injuries, Alucard smiles. As he raises his head a little, the smile is visible. It's a small smile, but one that seems to light his face in a way that no monster should be capable of. Can a vampire experience true joy?     And then he closes his eyes, lowers his head... and his body melts away into fog again. His clothing does not remain, but melts away with him. The fog begins to rise up into the air rather than escape via the streets. But before Jonathan can think of pursuing...     The sounds of rapid footsteps and rapid breathing echo in the street behind him. And they're getting closer. Someone's approaching from behind him! It's a high-pitched sound, like a small person. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' That expression. It didn't seem right on a monster's face. Of course, he knew that Vampires could feel joy, but not in the same way as a human being -- at least, not the ones from his world. It'd be more accurate to say they felt carnivorouos satisfaction. But surely, that look had not been the look of a predator. Perhaps, had his Hamon brought some part of this person to the surface, like it had for Bruford? Or was it there all along? Before Jonathan could hesitate further, Alucard became like mist and made his escape. "!!" Twirling Luck & Pluck expertly to sheathe it, Jonathan makes haste to pursue, yet finds himself halted. Footsteps, from a being that could be nothing but tiny. " --- huh?" Yes, that short, high pitched breathing. A girl? Or perhaps a small boy? Jonathan doesn't have to think long about which to go after before he jogs towards the noise. "Who's there, are you alright?!" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     As Jonathan jogs toward the sound, he comes face to face with a girl. One who looks quite startled to see him! She's a pretty little thing, with her long blonde hair bound into a high ponytail with a black ribbon. She peers at Jonathan with wide green eyes as she skids to a stop. Wait... a pretty young woman with long blonde hair...?     Like the girls who were attacked...     She is not from this village, not at all. Her features are foreign. And her outfit is positively SCANDALOUS by this world's standards! Her dark green overcoat and corseted waist are nothing unusual, not even the rather low neckline. But the skirt. The SKIRT! It rests SEVERAL INCHES above her knees, displaying her legs almost completely!     To her credit, she does wear a pair of knee socks with wide green ribbons at the top, and they do cover the bottom half of her legs over her buckled shoes. But still! So much LEG on display! SCANDALOUS!     She's out of breath, though she doesn't seem hurt. "Is... is he here?" she pants. A desperate look comes over her face. "Please tell me... I'm not too late...!" 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan, thankfully, has spent enough time outside his own world to know to a degree, how ... ill-clothed many tended to be. Even so, he felt immensely uncomfortable in the prescence of a woman in such a short skirt. Really. That aside, however, her features immediately struck a chord of bother in him. She had a passing resemblance to his own fiance, of course, but more importantly she looked nearly one-to-one with the victims of the attack. " 'Him?' If you mean that vampire, he's run off to lick his wounds, you're rather lucky. His choice of prey seem to be girls who look like they could be your sisters." 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     A pained look comes over her features, and the casts her gaze to the ground. "He... was not always so," she states quietly. "He was once a noble, honorable man. But now..." She pauses, as if suppressing a sob. Once she composes herself, she continues, "It was inevitable, I suppose, that he should fall so... his father is the Lord of All Vampires. None can expect to stand against the temptation of human blood for long, not with the impulse to take it that strong..."     Her brows draw down then, and she looks up again, with a determined look in her eyes. "That is why I have come here -- to stop him." The look softens a little. "I... I loved him once, and I believe he loved me. Perhaps I still do." And then the resolve returns to her expression. "But I will not allow him to hurt others any longer!" 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' ... So that was it ... a tragic love story. Jonathan's expression eases up, softening in sympathy. "What a twisted fate. ... The words of a stranger may not mean much, but I am sorry that this has befallen you two. In some ways, I suppose we're all beholden to our lineage." Jonathan's eyes squint as his facial features tense back up. "That said, I don't think you should try and do battle with him, Miss. His abilities are enigmatic and deadly, even compared to the monsters that have plagued this place before. Unless you're an 'Elite' as well, it may be best for you to tend elsewhere." It was a little hard to say that. Because he too knew the burning responsibility that she likely felt, at least, to an extent. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     "...We are," the woman replies. "That is why I cannot go. My name is Maria Renard. My brother is Richter Belmont, and this is his trade. We are all fated to walk this path, for the Belmonts are fated to destroy the Dark Lord Dracula each time he rises. I have been inside the Dark Lord's castle before, and fought through it in search of my brother. We both survived its horrors... thanks to him."     She shakes her head. "Forgive me, but I cannot leave strangers to deal the last blow. It is my responsibility. If I cannot save him, I will be with him in his final moments..." She pauses, sighs. "Before that. Tell me your name sir, and how it is you fought him away single-handedly." 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Vampire hunters, then. Jonathan nods, though he was still mildly perturbed at the proclomation of Count Dracula. It still was not the strangest thing he'd heard of, but to think that the count truly did exist in some world, somehow ... well, it wasn't a very pleasing thought. "My name is Jonathan Joestar. You could say my family has a history with ancient artifacts and vampires ... I fought the vampire off using Hamon, a Tibetan martial art that turned out to be rather effective against creatures of the night. Though, he was rather resillient to it, even after landing several direct hits, his body remained intact. ... I can sympathize with that feeling of responsibility. At the very least, I and my allies will fight with you." 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     "I see..." Maria replies. "You have my sympathies, Sir Joestar. Such things only bring tragedy to good people." The mention of 'Hamon' gets a look of surprise. This isn't something she's heard of, clearly. "I am pleased that it served you well. Adrian... he is very dangerous..."     Oh but then Jonathan speaks of allies! Maria nods. "Allies? Very good. That is what we need. My dear Adrian is very powerful... he is several centuries old. I do not know how vampires in your world function... but in mine, as a vampire ages, his power increases. As he is now, it would be suicide for one to face him alone..."     She thinks a moment. "Your allies... can you bring them here? I will tell you all what I can of him, all of you at once. And I know where he may be found. I know where he sleeps. Bring your allies here, and I will brief you all, and then we will go to where he sleeps and... end him." The last two words seem hard for her to say. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan nods sternly. "Very well, I'll put out the call to bring the others here. If all goes well, they should arrive within several days, at most. " And then they can finally put this nightmare falling over the Lot to rest. The people, hopefully, will be able to move on with their lives and he ... he could set out to find Dio once more, if not Tom Petty, Dire, and Straights. "If you need a place to stay for the night, I can take you to the building the victims have been housed in. It's been warded against vampires and their ilk, it should be a safe place for you to rest." 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Maria nods as well. "Thank you. I am sorry that he has caused you so much pain," she replies, her voice barely above a whisper. "I cannot but feel responsible. Perhaps if I had done something sooner... I should have seen the signs before it came to this. I learned he had taken human blood in the past; I should have known he would not be able to hold himself back forever..."     Strangely, when the house is mentioned, she... winces. It's a quick gesture, barely a flicker of emotion over her face. But the astute eye will catch it. "Thank you, Sir Joestar. But I must return to my sister. She is of delicate constitution. But more than that, she resembles me as well. I would not wish dear Adrian to attack her as well. Your people here are strong from their adversity. My sister would not survive such an attack."     She turns to Jonathan fully now, and makes to take his hand. If allowed to do so, she will give the hand a gentle squeeze. Her hand is cold and clammy, possibly from fright and nerves. And just maybe, the realization of what she must do to someone she loves. Jonathan will doubtless know what that feels like...     As quickly as she had tried to grip his hand, she moves away. "Take care, Sir Joestar! Until we meet again!" And then she dashes away the way she came. She is REALLY fast. Thankfully the skirt is snug, so it doesn't flip up as she runs. 
}}

5511/Soliloquy of Reproach: Duplicity

2017-10-08T09:22:17Z

DariRyu: Found a typo

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/10/07
|Location=Windknight's Lot <WKL>
|Synopsis=After many days of ill omens -- unnatural fog, clusters of bats, and even reports of a wolf in the countryside -- Jonathan finds a man that exactly matches the image in the three girls' mind. The man does nothing to dissuade this notion. Jonathan defeats him, but he escapes. However a woman named Maria appears, claiming to know the vampire. She offers to return, and tell all that she knows about the vampire that plagues Windknight's Lot, if Jonathan will but gather his allies.
|Thanks=Jonathan Joestar
|Cast of Characters=1128, 1107
|Tinyplot=Soliloquy of Reproach
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     The reports on the Paladin's networks were troubling. Three women, all young blonde girls, had been attacked for blood and left for dead in alleys. Naturally, this didn't escape Alucard's notice. Particularly with the addendum -- the image from the girls' minds looked like him.     So it is that, of late, Alucard has been haunting the streets of Windknight's Lot. Not as himself, surely. But he's been noticed. There has been talk of strangely-clustered banks of fog behind buildings. Reports of small clusters of bats hanging underneath eaves at night -- which is unusual, because bats hunt at night. Shouldn't they be searching for food? And finally, the howl of a wolf not far from the city. In fact, if little Poco or his sister had strayed far from the town, they might have even seen it -- white, with a dusty lavender 'saddle' of sorts, a pattern on its back of dusty lavender.     These have, of course, been Alucard's forms. Mist for eavesdropping on conversations -- the citizens are afraid, and they are angry; why THIS, AGAIN? Bat for searching from overhead -- the streets have been more or less undisturbed since the Elites came to visit. Which in itself is odd; what made the attacks stop? And wolf for scouring the surrounding territory -- if the vampire is still close by, the wolf's keen nose should sniff him out.     Tonight, though, as the fog gathers in one of the alleys where the latest of the attacks took place... it takes the form of a man. He's of average height. Most of his features are hidden by a long black hooded cloak that wraps about him and falls to the ground.     The cloak hangs around a slender body, the hood hides all but the bottom third of what would be, if the face was completely seen, the face of a beautiful man -- the chin is narrow and the lips are full, but the jawline is far too squared to confuse it for a woman's jaw. The skin is near-white, with the barest hint of color. In the darkness it could be missed entirely. On either side of his face, near-white blond hair hangs from underneath the hood, laying against his chest in gentle waves.     Everything is as the girls' minds projected...     He stands near where the last young woman was found. Silently he turns his head from one side to the other. And audibly sniffs. "...It's been too long," he breathes quietly. He crouches, lowering himself to the ground where the old bloodstain rests, and reaches out to touch the stain. His voice still quiet, but humming inexplicably with power, he speaks. "...Dark Metamorphosis..."     A malevolent red aura glows around the cloaked figure for a moment, then the stain begins to disappear. It seems to be drawn up into the gloved hand of the cloaked figure... 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Ever since the attacks first began, Jonathan hadn't went far from the Lot. Though a cursory sweep of the outer Castlegrounds had revealed nothing of interest that he could tell, he hadn't had the time for the deep searching he would have liked -- after all, that would have left the town unprotected. "I'm tellin' you, I saw it! I did! This big white wolf with purple marks! Or .. was it purple with white marks? No no, it was -- " Poco was silenced by Jonathan's hand settling itself gently onto his head. "I believe you. I have to go out and patrol now, but I'll definitley keep my eyes peeled for this mysterious wolf you've seen, alright?" The brother-sister pair waved Jonathan off from their humble home as he secured Bruford's sword onto his back and continued out onto the darkening streets. The rumors had only gotten worse, about oddly behaved bats and strange mist. Most didn't believe Poco terribly, believing he was spinning a tall tale, but Jonathan was more than willing to give the benefit of the doubt given the oddities that Dio tended to surround himself with. If this vampire were at all similar, familiar wolves or bats would not be a stretch. Truthfully, the darkness that settled over the Lot is what allowed Jonathan to catch wind of the cloaked figure. An ominous red glow rarely insinuated anything wholesome in his experience, lo and behold, when he arrived on the scene to check it out ... A figure, draped in a deep black cloak, with pale skin and near snow-white hair. He couldn't exactly tell with it hunched over, but the figure did seem shorter here in the real world than it did in the minds of those girls ... but even still. His boot dug deep into the dirt road as leather strained under the clenching of Jonathan's fists. A pose was struck dramatically with such force of prescence that it would be hard not to notice. "Vampire! Your acts of vulgar and grotesque heresies end right here, right now! I won't allow you to get away with it any longer!" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard freezes. He could smell the approach, sense the power. But too late, as the voice breaks into his thoughts before he can create an escape plan. He could dissolve into mist and likely escape, even now. But something stops him. Something about that tone, if not the voice itself, strikes a familiar chord to Alucard.     It's righteous indignation. That is the voice of a hero, even Alucard can hear that. The voice of a man willing to give his life to see that the people of his world could live peacefully. This man was this world's protector.     The problem is, Alucard sensed something in the area was familiar as well. If it was familiar to him, then it was a bad thing for this world. A beast from the castle, one of its minions that had escaped? Had this world ever faced such horrors? Could this man stand against those horrors?     He has to know...     "...Won't you?" the cloaked figure speaks, his deep baritone voice still quiet. He stands slowly -- yeah, this guy's still quite a bit shorter than Jonathan. But still a vampire, and probably still dangerous. "...Can you stop these vulgar and grotesque acts?" He turns slowly, seeming to not move his legs as he turns. "Can you stand against them?"     He makes no move to attack, not yet. The hood lifts, just enough to observe the larger man. Jonathan may get a better look at the face underneath as he does, since Alucard will have to tilt his head up so far. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan's strong jawline tightens as his expression gets harder in his indignation. Deep, shiny black hair and blue eyes stare unflinchingly at the shorter of the two. Jonathan acknowledged the threat that was being posed by his enemy, he was not dismissing it -- but he had the bravery to stand up to it like a mighty wall of steel, none the less. Jonathan changes from his struck pose to an amalgamated stance of boxing and martial arts, breathing in deeply, audibly. "Koooooooooh....................." His chest expanded with the drawn out breath, ripples of light beginning to emenate from his form like waves of heat. The changing motion of his arm from a defensive to offensive form left behind trails of afterimages, muscles buldging tight against dark blue leather. "With this SENDO POWER I'll show it with certainty!"         "ZOOOOOOOM PUNCH!" It was a simple boxing jab, easy to dodge at such a long range. It'd just require the vampire to move backwards. But, Jonathan's fist accelerated, his arm seeming to stretch longer than the bones would allow with a small wet pop, telescoping towards Alucard's face in a reddish-gold-orange rush of lightning. An attack meant to simultaneously make a statement, and put distance between the two of them so that Jonathan could reach for his sword. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard sees the shift of stance, and his gray eyes narrow beneath that hood. Breath, pooling in Jonathan's lungs, igniting a fire that Alucard can sense. A fire that rings bells of alarm in the vampiric side of his nature in a way that few things can. His eyes widen, and he has time to draw in a breath of shock before the fist comes at him.     Yes, he could dodge. But if he doesn't feel the strength behind the blow, he won't know how strong this man is. So instead he crosses his arms before him, to block. The blow still drives him back though, as he uses the momentum from the punch to leap back.     As he does, more of the figure is revealed -- Jonathan might recognize his clothing as a nobleman's garb, done in black. The vest is trimmed in silver, the overcoat trimmed in gold. A rich man's clothes.     Well, as it seems Jonathan is retrieving a sword, Alucard does the same. It's a thin long sword with a simple design. But it looks much larger than a man his size should be able to use one-handed; it's the length of a bastard sword. But he wields it as a longsword.     And still he doesn't attack. He waits for Jonathan. His hood is still up for the moment, still hiding some of his face. He stands still as death, not fidgeting the way humans do. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' The dress of a wealthy man -- Jonathan knew it well. His Father, Dio and himself all dressed similarly through most of their lives. Dio especially had a love for reds, golds, and blacks where as Jonathan and his Father preferred shades of blue, red being something worn rather rarely. Jonathan's keen eye settled firmly on Alucard's blade of choice, unsurprised that Alucard could wield it so. He was an inhuman monster, after all. Jonathan's own sword of Luck & Pluck was uniquely, a longsword custom made for the Black Knight Bruford. It held the general shape of a longsword, but the length and thickness of its blade was closer to a traditional english greatsword. Alucard's wasn't much shorter, really. Jonathan, as well, held his sword in one hand, the other kept free. Jonathan didn't give Alucard much time to strategize. His experience with vampires and their ilk taught him one thing: not to let them recover from being caught unawares. If this fiend wished to engage in sword to sword combat, he had a nasty surprise in store for the vampire, the same sort that would have very nearly killed Dio, he was sure.         "Have at you!" His charge seemed to be with reckless abandon, but there was something cunning, specific, about it. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard holds the blade in his right hand; it's reasonable to assume that he's right-handed and that approaching from the left might put him off his guard somewhat. His eyes follow Jonathan's movements however, and he raises the blade, as if to block. However, Jonathan might find something odd happening. When he swings...     ...A reddish aura pulses around the cloaked figure, and his image seems to be pulled to one side so fast it leaves afterimages. But Jonathan should watch his back. Because after a second or two, the images reappear, as if being 'put together' again.     Behind him!     He emits a loud hiss of triumph as he reappears behind Jonathan, and raises his blade to swing! It's a slice aimed at his back. But it won't be deep, even if it does connect.     Alucard doesn't want to kill this man. He just wants the man to REACT as if he intends to. Only when a hero believes his life is in danger will his true colors show. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' "!?!?!?!" Jonathan's memory flashes before him, to his second encounter with the vampirized Dio Brando. How he'd seemingly faded into the night in his retreat -- was this a similar feat? The all too familiar noise reached his ears. That /noise/. Just hearing it was associative enough to make his already expanded lungs burn in overstress as Jonathan breathed in deeply through his nostrils. A sword, that meant he was going to be attacked through blade rather than vampiric power. Leery, the monster might be, of physical contact.. Jonathan abruptly collapses one of his knees, dropping his body down by a near quarter of his height as his sword of Luck & Pluck rose above his head. The golden blaze around his body began to compact and focus when the two swords meet, Jonathan just barely managing to perform an uncomfortable overhead block in his rapid crouching maneuver, leaving one boot caked with mud. His armored shoulders tensed under the strength Alucard's swing no doubt carried with it by default, yet, held steady. "This is -- courage! HAMON SENDO!"         "METAL SILVER ... OOOVERDRIIIIVE!" The silver gleaming edge of Jonathan's swords suddenly turned alight with crackling azure lightning racing up and down its form. In turn, it suddenly became a brilliant and fiery gold, transferring its sparks onto Alucard's family heirloom, and as a result ... The Hamon inside of Jonathan's sword was surging into Alucard's, and in just a moment, it should enter the vampire's hand, his arm! "HUOOOOOOOOOOH!" Jonathan tensed his legs and pushed with his whole body, upwards. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     The swords clash with a metallic sound. Good, Alucard thinks. He's strong, and perceptive as well. Appears to trust his instincts, and doesn't question them. But Alucard isn't convinced just yet. Strength and smarts aren't everything. This young man is brash, openly challenging a vampire at night. But does he have the resolve to go through with it if his life is truly in danger?     Alucard seems to meet Jonathan's bare strength relatively evenly. The pressure on the crossed swords should be enough to tell Jonathan that he is indeed crossing swords with a supernaturally strong creature. But not more pressure is applied, there's no attempt to overpower Jonathan in that instant. The visible part of the face is calm and flat, displaying no emotion; none of the smug glee that Jonathan has seen before in these sorts of foes. Only calmness.     And then Alucard realizes that he's got problems of his own. There's a split-second when he senses that power again. And then the blade of his own sword is acting as a conduit for whatever that strange power is. It reaches his hand before he can leap back, and he emits a cry of pain. Jonathan's moving then, and Alucard uses that momentum to push off of the crossed swords, leaping back out of range of that energy.     The leap is supernaturally far, and the cloak billows out as he flies back. For a split-second, the underside of the cloak is visible -- red and glowing, pulsing like a heartbeat. And then the cloak actually flaps once, like nothing so much as a great pair of wings, carrying him back yet farther.     While his landing is light, he seems to slouch, the sword arm hanging before him as if he did not possess the strength to move it. Wisps of smoke rise from his arm, and he is visibly baring teeth in pain. NOW he's shaking -- that hurt! But the baring of teeth shows the fangs. They're not quite like Dio's, though. While the top fangs look positively deadly, his lower set of teeth look pretty normal. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan's eyes narrow in on the fangs -- there was something off about them. Deadly, for sure, but not the mouth full of razors most vampiric ilk tended to possess. None the less, Jonathan now stood back at his full height, breathing in deep and regular intervals. The creature's arm was smoking, but it hadn't been destroyed, a sign that his Hamon perhaps had not gone deep enough. A testament to the sheer speed his opponent preferred to move at, blitzing around the edge of ones vision. No more, Jonathan vowed. Holding his sword with one hand, a very sharp pointing motion was made with his finger. "Those three women -- why them? They all bore a great similarity to one another, tell me why that is!" There was something un-natural about that cloak. Jonathan didn't want to get too close again, without having a chance to figure out its exact abilities. "And the oddities that have occured here, the mist, the bats, and I bet even that wolf Poco saw were all your doing!" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard had not actually seen the three women; he had been unable to enter the place where they were recovering, even in his mist form. It wasn't that there were no places he could get in. But the roses around the house had made it impossible for him to enter, as if an unbreakable barrier. It wasn't unheard of, though, for vampires to prefer a certain kind of prey. But then suddenly something sparks in his mind. A realization. His lips part for a breath of surprise. Young, beautiful, blonde women?     ''('...Mother.')''     That part he leaves unsaid. Now is not the time for that. But he does answer that second concern there. His momentary look of surprise fades, replaced by that calmness again. "...Does it surprise you that a vampire should be able to change his forms?" Even here his voice is quiet and devoid of much emotion. "Then you have much yet to learn about vampires, young man, before you may hope to save others from them." There is a hiss in his voice as he continues, "Allow me to demonstrate..." His off-hand raises, glowing a bright red. A quick sequence of arcane movements, and then his voice booms out, echoing abnormally, "SOUL STEAL!"     It's a pull. A pull deep down, as if being drained of blood. But it's not blood. It's energy. The pull is aiming back at Alucard, seeking to steal some of that precious life energy from Jonathan, to heal himself. It's not much, hopefully just enough to heal Alucard's mangled arm. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' A name like 'soul steal' did not inspire good feelings. Jonathan tried to hold his weapon up defensively, but it was for naught -- his life force was being drained and he could feel it. But, for Alucard, trying to tap into that well and drink from it was like trying to carefully remove a drop of water from an ocean. A human's life force would naturally give them, give or take, a hundred years. Jonathan easily had ten times that, most probably, more. "Gh -- it can't be?! My life is being drained without direct contact?! This is an ability beyond even Dio..!" How could he counter something like that? He was only as effective as his sword's reach right now!         Unless ... Jonathan sprints away, seeming to turn tail and run. It brought him no small amount of shame to look like that, but, Alucard wouldn't be alone for long. As Jonathan, a mere twenty or thirty seconds later, has performed a loop through the part of the village they were fighting in, coming out a fair way behind Alucard's previous position. "VAMPIRE!" Jonathan held in his free hand, a clump of rose petals. They were crackling with golden-orange flames, a fire that did not burn them.LIFE MAGNETISM OVERDRIVE!" Jonathan hurled them like a volley of knives, and the petals surprisingly cut through the air like razers in their course towards Alucard. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard's eyes narrow as Jonathan seems to be... well, doing the smart thing, actually. A demonstration of a power that had little in the way of defense against... anyone would run. Anyone SHOULD run. He was a bit disappointed, but also pleased. Not that he'd made Jonathan flee. That he'd convinced the man to flee... and keep his life. Perhaps now he'll stop with this 'hero' business. Alucard relaxes his stance, heaves a bit of a sigh, and sheathes his sword.     "...That should dissuade any more foolish heroics. Brave, yes. Strong, yes. Almost a pity. But only shame and a pointless death awaits those without resolve..." There is no contempt in these words. In fact they're spoken almost... gently? These words were not for Jonathan's ears. But yet Jonathan may catch some of them as he returns.     Alucard's eyes widen as he hears the voice, and he whirls to look. "What...?!" That power... Richter could do something very much like that. He could set his whip aflame with no apparent means to do so. The Vampire Killer burned with flames that did not harm the whip or his hands, but seared his enemies as surely as if he had set them aflame himself -- the flame of his spirit. Then could this young man possess the same power?     And then suddenly a multitude of what he would swear were razors are flung at him. They tear into the cloak, and sprays of blood meet the air. They tear into the hood as well, pushing it back to reveal his face. The wounds visible on his cheeks smoke, as Jonathan might expect, but they bleed as if they had been inflicted on a human.     And through that volley of razor-like petals, the dhampir lunges, fangs bared. The growl in his throw changes to a throatier sound, and in mid-run he places four feet on the ground as a wolf. It is indeed much like what Poco described. That lavender wolf charges, faster than any normal wolf, so fast it leaves a blur behind it, and leaps at Jonathan, maw snapping viciously. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan felt a smidgen of satisfaction of finally cracking that cool exterior. It had almost reminded him of Bruford at first, but -- it was different. He could tell, the difference between genuine stoicism and what had to have been at least, partially an act. But, there was still something off here. He'd struck several direct hits on the creature with his Hamon, and true enough, the wounds smoked, burned to molten ash. However, as well, they bled. Something that no vampire or zombie should be capable of doing in response to a Hamon-inflicted injury.         And then, the monster changed forms. It had not been lying, it was completely capable of altering its physiology at high-speeds. About as quickly as Dio could regenerate, even! Now that lavender beast was charging at him, Jonathan's mind barked only one recourse. His blade was cast aside?! Even though Alucard was blurring forward at a speed that gave Jonathan a mere moment to react, he responded with nothing less than a fully powered attack from the front! Air was sucked in deep, expanding his chest. At the risk of exposing himself to a lethal attack from those snapping jaws, Jonathan tries to pin the wolf's head between his fists. "HAMON!"     The one in a million ripple! "OVEEEEEEEEEEERDRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!!!" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard had once heard an ally of his say something that stuck with him. Something that had shaped his thoughts, even if he didn't realize it, even before he heard it. For a man to fight a monster, he must be willing to place his life in jeopardy. He must be willing to throw away the concept of defense at the right moment, and face the monster's attack, even if it means his death. For monsters must die, lest they feed upon the innocent... and sometimes all a man can do is drag the monster down to Hell with him.     'Killing you is what's most important. Living through it is a luxury.'     And then here is Jonathan. At the charge of a mad beast, he should dodge. Block. Something! But no... the sword is dropped, and the fists clamp around the sides of the wolf's head. The wolf emits a surprised yelp, and soon changes back again. He tries to pull free, but it's not fast enough. In the next instant, the sensation of the fires of a hundred suns explodes through him.     The skin exposed to the hamon begins to smoke and burn, and he emits a cry of pain. But the flesh does not 'melt', as Jonathan may be accustomed to a vampire's flesh reacting to hamon. The skin sizzles and blisters, as a human's skin might when exposed to flames. The attack also blasts him down the street quite a ways, too. He hits the ground once, with a grunt, and then rolls and bounces along the street a short distance before coming to a stop, facedown on the ground.     He is still as death. But though the body smokes and Jonathan can still hear the skin sizzling, the body does not disappear. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan let out a small breath of a relief -- he hadn't been killed. No matter how close to the wire it was, he'd still gone above and beyond merely destroying his enemy with him. Yet, he still felt perturbed -- this Vampire should have been obliterated by a direct Hamon charge like that. Jack the Ripper and even Tarkus hadn't stood up to it, a direct hit vaporized the gargantuan Vampire's body. Yet, all he'd seen were blisters on porcelin white skin. Jonathan reclaims his sword, and tentatively, approaches the smoking body. A body that should not be there. "You're no Vampire, nor a Zombie. Yet, still, you're a denizen just as heinous." Jonathan stopped a good five feet away, eyeing Alucard warily, almost as if expecting him to leap to his feet and retaliate. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     One of the vampire's hands twitches. It seems that Jonathan's assessment was correct, this one isn't dead. Not yet. But he doesn't leap to his feet. No, he very slowly begins to get his hands under him, to push himself up to a kneeling pose, one foot upon the ground.     As he draws himself up slowly, the extent of the damage is seen. Both sides of his face are burnt horribly where Jonathan's fists had been a few seconds earlier. Smoke sill rises from the burnt skin, but it does appear to already be healing. And as he rises to one knee?     He laughs.     It's not one of those loud, maniacal cackles, either. It's the low, breathy chuckle of someone who is genuinely amused. And also in pain. Because Alucard might not be full vampire, but he is half. And he's wholly in pain!     "...A foolish move," Alucard intones, voice still flat. He makes no move to rise yet, remaining on one knee, his head down. He isn't looking up at Jonathan yet. "Had you been a split second too late, I might have taken your head off. A split second too early and you might have lost an arm." 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' "The one who is too scared to act will never do anything -- I told you that your reign of terror ends /tonight/." Jonathan's face remains stern, but he was unsettled. This Vampire's personality was unusual, to say the least. He couldn't get a good feeling about it, in other words, he was facing an enigma. An unknown quantity. "An arm, or my head ... it doesn't matter if it means destroying you." Still, the adrenaline rush wouldn't last forever. He'd start getting tired soon, and while he could power through it, he'd rather not fight a Vampire while totally exhausted. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     "...I see."     Right there. THAT was what Alucard had been looking for. This isn't a man who plays hero for the sake of the glory. This is a man willing to lay his life down for what he believed in, to sacrifice himself for the safety of those he cares about. So... an ally.     But this man probably won't accept a simple 'I didn't do it'. Particularly since Alucard has no other explanation for the attacks. He has yet to find any other evidence, but he knows it wasn't him. He has several theories... but this is not the time for them.     Despite the situation, despite the burns and injuries, Alucard smiles. As he raises his head a little, the smile is visible. It's a small smile, but one that seems to light his face in a way that no monster should be capable of. Can a vampire experience true joy?     And then he closes his eyes, lowers his head... and his body melts away into fog again. His clothing does not remain, but melts away with him. The fog begins to rise up into the air rather than escape via the streets. But before Jonathan can think of pursuing...     The sounds of rapid footsteps and rapid breathing echo in the street behind him. And they're getting closer. Someone's approaching from behind him! It's a high-pitched sound, like a small person. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' That expression. It didn't seem right on a monster's face. Of course, he knew that Vampires could feel joy, but not in the same way as a human being -- at least, not the ones from his world. It'd be more accurate to say they felt carnivorouos satisfaction. But surely, that look had not been the look of a predator. Perhaps, had his Hamon brought some part of this person to the surface, like it had for Bruford? Or was it there all along? Before Jonathan could hesitate further, Alucard became like mist and made his escape. "!!" Twirling Luck & Pluck expertly to sheathe it, Jonathan makes haste to pursue, yet finds himself halted. Footsteps, from a being that could be nothing but tiny. " --- huh?" Yes, that short, high pitched breathing. A girl? Or perhaps a small boy? Jonathan doesn't have to think long about which to go after before he jogs towards the noise. "Who's there, are you alright?!" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     As Jonathan jogs toward the sound, he comes face to face with a girl. One who looks quite startled to see him! She's a pretty little thing, with her long blonde hair bound into a high ponytail with a black ribbon. She peers at Jonathan with wide green eyes as she skids to a stop. Wait... a pretty young woman with long blonde hair...?     Like the girls who were attacked...     She is not from this village, not at all. Her features are foreign. And her outfit is positively SCANDALOUS by this world's standards! Her dark green overcoat and corseted waist are nothing unusual, not even the rather low neckline. But the skirt. The SKIRT! It rests SEVERAL INCHES above her knees, displaying her legs almost completely!     To her credit, she does wear a pair of knee socks with wide green ribbons at the top, and they do cover the bottom half of her legs over her buckled shoes. But still! So much LEG on display! SCANDALOUS!     She's out of breath, though she doesn't seem hurt. "Is... is he here?" she pants. A desperate look comes over her face. "Please tell me... I'm not too late...!" 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan, thankfully, has spent enough time outside his own world to know to a degree, how ... ill-clothed many tended to be. Even so, he felt immensely uncomfortable in the prescence of a woman in such a short skirt. Really. That aside, however, her features immediately struck a chord of bother in him. She had a passing resemblance to his own fiance, of course, but more importantly she looked nearly one-to-one with the victims of the attack. " 'Him?' If you mean that vampire, he's run off to lick his wounds, you're rather lucky. His choice of prey seem to be girls who look like they could be your sisters." 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     A pained look comes over her features, and the casts her gaze to the ground. "He... was not always so," she states quietly. "He was once a noble, honorable man. But now..." She pauses, as if suppressing a sob. Once she composes herself, she continues, "It was inevitable, I suppose, that he should fall so... his father is the Lord of All Vampires. None can expect to stand against the temptation of human blood for long, not with the impulse to take it that strong..."     Her brows draw down then, and she looks up again, with a determined look in her eyes. "That is why I have come here -- to stop him." The look softens a little. "I... I loved him once, and I believe he loved me. Perhaps I still do." And then the resolve returns to her expression. "But I will not allow him to hurt others any longer!" 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' ... So that was it ... a tragic love story. Jonathan's expression eases up, softening in sympathy. "What a twisted fate. ... The words of a stranger may not mean much, but I am sorry that this has befallen you two. In some ways, I suppose we're all beholden to our lineage." Jonathan's eyes squint as his facial features tense back up. "That said, I don't think you should try and do battle with him, Miss. His abilities are enigmatic and deadly, even compared to the monsters that have plagued this place before. Unless you're an 'Elite' as well, it may be best for you to tend elsewhere." It was a little hard to say that. Because he too knew the burning responsibility that she likely felt, at least, to an extent. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     "...We are," the woman replies. "That is why I cannot go. My name is Maria Renard. My brother is Richter Belmont, and this is his trade. We are all fated to walk this path, for the Belmonts are fated to destroy the Dark Lord Dracula each time he rises. I have been inside the Dark Lord's castle before, and fought through it in search of my brother. We both survived its horrors... thanks to him."     She shakes her head. "Forgive me, but I cannot leave strangers to deal the last blow. It is my responsibility. If I cannot save him, I will be with him in his final moments..." She pauses, sighs. "Before that. Tell me your name sir, and how it is you fought him away single-handedly." 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Vampire hunters, then. Jonathan nods, though he was still mildly perturbed at the proclomation of Count Dracula. It still was not the strangest thing he'd heard of, but to think that the count truly did exist in some world, somehow ... well, it wasn't a very pleasing thought. "My name is Jonathan Joestar. You could say my family has a history with ancient artifacts and vampires ... I fought the vampire off using Hamon, a Tibetan martial art that turned out to be rather effective against creatures of the night. Though, he was rather resillient to it, even after landing several direct hits, his body remained intact. ... I can sympathize with that feeling of responsibility. At the very least, I and my allies will fight with you." 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     "I see..." Maria replies. "You have my sympathies, Sir Joestar. Such things only bring tragedy to good people." The mention of 'Hamon' gets a look of surprise. This isn't something she's heard of, clearly. "I am pleased that it served you well. Adrian... he is very dangerous..."     Oh but then Jonathan speaks of allies! Maria nods. "Allies? Very good. That is what we need. My dear Adrian is very powerful... he is several centuries old. I do not know how vampires in your world function... but in mine, as a vampire ages, his power increases. As he is now, it would be suicide for one to face him alone..."     She thinks a moment. "Your allies... can you bring them here? I will tell you all what I can of him, all of you at once. And I know where he may be found. I know where he sleeps. Bring your allies here, and I will brief you all, and then we will go to where he sleeps and... end him." The last two words seem hard for her to say. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan nods sternly. "Very well, I'll put out the call to bring the others here. If all goes well, they should arrive within several days, at most. " And then they can finally put this nightmare falling over the Lot to rest. The people, hopefully, will be able to move on with their lives and he ... he could set out to find Dio once more, if not Tom Petty, Dire, and Straights. "If you need a place to stay for the night, I can take you to the building the victims have been housed in. It's been warded against vampires and their ilk, it should be a safe place for you to rest." 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Maria nods as well. "Thank you. I am sorry that he has caused you so much pain," she replies, her voice barely above a whisper. "I cannot but feel responsible. Perhaps if I had done something sooner... I should have seen the signs before it came to this. I learned he had taken human blood in the past; I should have known he would not be able to hold himself back forever..."     Strangely, when the house is mentioned, she... winces. It's a quick gesture, barely a flicker of emotion over her face. But the astute eye will catch it. "Thank you, Sir Joestar. But I must return to my sister. She is of delicate constitution. But more than that, she resembles me as well. I would not wish dear Adrian to attack her as well. Your people here are strong from their adversity. My sister would not survive such an attack."     She turns to Jonathan fully now, and makes to take his hand. If allowed to do so, she will give the hand a gentle squeeze. Her hand is cold and clammy, possibly from fright and nerves. And just maybe, the realization of what she must do to someone she loves. Jonathan will doubtless know what that feels like...     As quickly as she had tried to grip his hand, she moves away. "Take care, Sir Joestar! Until we meet again!" And then she dashes away the way she came. She is REALLY fast. Thankfully the skirt is snug, so it doesn't flip up as she runs. 
}}

Soliloquy of Reproach: Repose (Alucard Tepes)

2017-10-08T09:01:49Z

DariRyu: Alucard retreats to rest. He is not alone.

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2017/10/07
|Location=Windknight's Lot
|Synopsis=After his defeat at the hands of Jonathan Joestar, Alucard retreats to his tomb to recover from the Hamon-infused beating. Unbeknownst to him, he is not alone...
|Thanks=Jonathan Joestar
|Cast of Characters=1128
|Tinyplot=Soliloquy of Reproach
}}
<center>- WALLACHIA - </center>
<center>- CASTLEVANIA WORLD -</center>
 

        Far from the lake into which the castle of the Dark Lord Dracula had sunk into after Dracula's last defeat, a small stone temple sat. At least, it appeared to be a temple. A small shrine with a statue of a kneeling woman. It looked as though it had seen better days, moss covering it almost completely.

        A clump of fog moving in an unnatural way entered the small temple, and then seemed to seep underneath the statue. Underneath it there was a staircase, which was no barrier to a clump of fog. It passed doors, heading down, into a room in which only a single object sat -- a stone coffin. It was open, the stone lid scooted sideways enough to allow one to see inside. The coffin was empty.

        At least... it was for now.

        The fog abruptly coalesced again, into the form of a pale man with long, pale hair and dark clothing. He drew in a deep breath, stumbling against the side of the stone coffin and sagging to his knees. He panted a moment, trying to regain his breath and his strength. In short order, he had crawled into the coffin, like nothing more or less than a great serpent, and with the last of his strength, pulled the lid shut atop himself.

        That man in Windknight's Lot had been even stronger than Alucard had expected him to be, even looking at him. But he had to know... the man approached him so brashly, proclaiming his intent to end the horror of the 'evil vampire'. Was he just blowing smoke? He was not, much to Alucard's relief. The man was a true hero, willing to let his life go if it meant stopping a threat.

        'An arm, or my head ... it doesn't matter if it means destroying you.'

        He remembered words much like those -- years ago, when Trevor proved his mettle. Stopping a threat was all that mattered to him, whatever the cost to his own safety. Alucard was both pleased and dismayed to hear this -- pleased, as it meant both that whoever that man was, he would stop the threat...

        ...And dismayed, that he would likely die doing so. These patchworked worlds needed MORE heroes, not less.

        However, he could not stay and claim innocence. That man would never have believed him if Alucard had merely said he hadn't attacked those girls. There was no evidence, and he had no clues as to who might be responsible. He had theories, but nothing other than theories. No proof. Alucard was a creature of the darkness; he didn't expect that man to give him the benefit of the doubt. He would have to explore the site of the castle. Perhaps there were still some clues there.

        Now, though... Alucard needed to recover from the beating. His right arm was still burnt, and the sides of his head and face were pitted and pockmarked from that strange power the man he'd fought had wielded. Whatever this 'Hamon' was, it was certainly powerful. Alucard was certain that only his halfblood nature saved him from death at the man's hands.

        It would take him some time to heal; that power seemed as though it were specifically designed to harm his vampiric nature. Perhaps that man would indeed be able to defeat the vampire that plagued his village alone...

        On this thought his eyes finally closed, and he exhaled the breath from his lungs, falling utterly still as he allowed the deep, deathlike sleep of vampiric torpor to take him into its comforting darkness at last.

<center>*                        *                        *</center>

        Not too far away, the gaze of a pair of purple eyes rested upon the shrine. "It will not be long now, Master Adrian," the face behind those eyes murmured. A man's voice... high, but not unpleasant to listen to. "Soon... you will go back where you belong..." An unwholesome grin bared fangs.

        "...And I...

        "...Will be waiting for you there..."

Soliloquy of Reproach (Alucard Tepes)

2017-10-08T08:53:49Z

DariRyu: Another vampire, another victim...

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2017/09/25
|Location=Windknight's Lot
|Synopsis=Another vampire stalks the streets of Windknight's Lot! A woman walking home becomes his next victim.
|Thanks=Jonathan Joestar
|Cast of Characters=1128
|Tinyplot=Soliloquy of Reproach
}}
        It was dark, and getting darker, and the streets were utterly empty. She hurried along the cobbled pathway. "Oh, I shouldn't have spent so long talking... but that fabric is perfect for my wedding dress and..." 
        The presence was upon her before she knew what had happened, the shape seeming to melt out of the darkness and coalesce a few paces before her. Tall, thin, his features mostly covered with a dark, hooded cloak that hid most of his face. What could be seen was the pale skin of the lower part of his face, and the trailing waves of his long, pale hair as it hung from the hood. 
        The man spoke, a baritone voice. "Miss... what are you doing out alone at this time of night?" 
        She drew back a few steps, and offered cautiously, "I was... talking with a friend of mine... and I didn't realize the time..." 
        "Is that so?" The hood tilted a bit, as if the man inside the cloak was considering her. "Please allow me the honor of walking with you back to your home. 'Tis not safe on the streets this late, particularly not for a beautiful young woman such as yourself." 
        She continued to step back; despite his helpful demeanor, there was something about him, something about his sheer presence, that she did not like. Something about it seemed to her much the way a predator loomed over its prey-to-be. "A-ah... no thank you sir, I-I will be fine. I can make it back alone..." 
        The corner of the man's mouth turned up in the ghost of a smile as sharp as a blade. "Come now... there's no need to be shy." He seemed to flow to her side, his fingers suddenly curling about her upper arm. 
        No sooner did she feel the fingers on her arm than she gasped, and had the good sense to struggle. "L-let go of me...!" As soon as she began to resist though, the grip turned to iron, biting painfully into her arm, impossible to break free of. Despite her best efforts, she found herself being dragged towards an alley out of direct view. 
        "Then, would you do me the honor..." He leaned closer, far too close for comfort. Close enough for her to see as he opened his mouth... 
        ...Fangs. 
        And he finished the statement, to her horror, "...Of allowing me to quench my thirst with your blood...?" 
        He didn't wait for a response. Quick as a viper's strike, he leaned his head down and sank his fangs into her throat. She shrieked loudly in fright, but the sound soon trailed off, first into a whimper and then into silence as her body went lax. 
        The cloaked man allowed her body to drop to the ground, licking the remnants of her blood from his lips. "...Hmph. Pathetic human..." he breathed. 
        And then the shadows took him again, leaving no trace that he was ever there... 
        ...Except the fallen young woman.

5511/Soliloquy of Reproach: Duplicity

2017-10-08T08:43:59Z

DariRyu: Formatting fixes

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/10/07
|Location=Windknight's Lot <WKL>
|Synopsis=After many days of ill omens -- unnatural fog, clusters of bats, and even reports of a wolf in the countryside -- Jonathan finds a man that exactly matches the image in the three girls' mind. The man does nothing to dissuade this notion. Jonathan defeats him, but he escapes. However a woman named Maria appears, claiming to know the vampire. She offers to return, and tell all that she knows about the vampire that plagues Windknight's Lot, if Jonathan will but gather his allies.
|Thanks=Jonathan Joestar
|Cast of Characters=1128, 1107
|Tinyplot=Soliloquy of Reproach
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     The reports on the Paladin's networks were troubling. Three women, all young blonde girls, had been attacked for blood and left for dead in alleys. Naturally, this didn't escape Alucard's notice. Particularly with the addendum -- the image from the girls' minds looked like him.     So it is that, of late, Alucard has been haunting the streets of Windknight's Lot. Not as himself, surely. But he's been noticed. There has been talk of strangely-clustered banks of fog behind buildings. Reports of small clusters of bats hanging underneath eaves at night -- which is unusual, because bats hunt at night. Shouldn't they be searching for food? And finally, the howl of a wolf not far from the city. In fact, if little Poco or his sister had strayed far from the town, they might have even seen it -- white, with a dusty lavender 'saddle' of sorts, a pattern on its back of dusty lavender.     These have, of course, been Alucard's forms. Mist for eavesdropping on conversations -- the citizens are afraid, and they are angry; why THIS, AGAIN? Bat for searching from overhead -- the streets have been more or less undisturbed since the Elites came to visit. Which in itself is odd; what made the attacks stop? And wolf for scouring the surrounding territory -- if the vampire is still close by, the wolf's keen nose should sniff him out.     Tonight, though, as the fog gathers in one of the alleys where the latest of the attacks took place... it takes the form of a man. He's of average height. Most of his features are hidden by a long black hooded cloak that wraps about him and falls to the ground.     The cloak hangs around a slender body, the hood hides all but the bottom third of what would be, if the face was completely seen, the face of a beautiful man -- the chin is narrow and the lips are full, but the jawline is far too squared to confuse it for a woman's jaw. The skin is near-white, with the barest hint of color. In the darkness it could be missed entirely. On either side of his face, near-white blond hair hangs from underneath the hood, laying against his chest in gentle waves.     Everything is as the girls' minds projected...     He stands near where the last young woman was found. Silently he turns his head from one side to the other. And audibly sniffs. "...It's been too long," he breathes quietly. He crouches, lowering himself to the ground where the old bloodstain rests, and reaches out to touch the stain. His voice still quiet, but humming inexplicably with power, he speaks. "...Dark Metamorphosis..."     A malevolent red aura glows around the cloaked figure for a moment, then the stain begins to disappear. It seems to be drawn up into the gloved hand of the cloaked figure... 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Ever since the attacks first began, Jonathan hadn't went far from the Lot. Though a cursory sweep of the outer Castlegrounds had revealed nothing of interest that he could tell, he hadn't had the time for the deep searching he would have liked -- after all, that would have left the town unprotected. "I'm tellin' you, I saw it! I did! This big white wolf with purple marks! Or .. was it purple with white marks? No no, it was -- " Poco was silenced by Jonathan's hand settling itself gently onto his head. "I believe you. I have to go out and patrol now, but I'll definitley keep my eyes peeled for this mysterious wolf you've seen, alright?" The brother-sister pair waved Jonathan off from their humble home as he secured Bruford's sword onto his back and continued out onto the darkening streets. The rumors had only gotten worse, about oddly behaved bats and strange mist. Most didn't believe Poco terribly, believing he was spinning a tall tale, but Jonathan was more than willing to give the benefit of the doubt given the oddities that Dio tended to surround himself with. If this vampire were at all similar, familiar wolves or bats would not be a stretch. Truthfully, the darkness that settled over the Lot is what allowed Jonathan to catch wind of the cloaked figure. An ominous red glow rarely insinuated anything wholesome in his experience, lo and behold, when he arrived on the scene to check it out ... A figure, draped in a deep black cloak, with pale skin and near snow-white hair. He couldn't exactly tell with it hunched over, but the figure did seem shorter here in the real world than it did in the minds of those girls ... but even still. His boot dug deep into the dirt road as leather strained under the clenching of Jonathan's fists. A pose was struck dramatically with such force of prescence that it would be hard not to notice. "Vampire! Your acts of vulgar and grotesque heresies end right here, right now! I won't allow you to get away with it any longer!" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard freezes. He could smell the approach, sense the power. But too late, as the voice breaks into his thoughts before he can create an escape plan. He could dissolve into mist and likely escape, even now. But something stops him. Something about that tone, if not the voice itself, strikes a familiar chord to Alucard.     It's righteous indignation. That is the voice of a hero, even Alucard can hear that. The voice of a man willing to give his life to see that the people of his world could live peacefully. This man was this world's protector.     The problem is, Alucard sensed something in the area was familiar as well. If it was familiar to him, then it was a bad thing for this world. A beast from the castle, one of its minions that had escaped? Had this world ever faced such horrors? Could this man stand against those horrors?     He has to know...     "...Won't you?" the cloaked figure speaks, his deep baritone voice still quiet. He stands slowly -- yeah, this guy's still quite a bit shorter than Jonathan. But still a vampire, and probably still dangerous. "...Can you stop these vulgar and grotesque acts?" He turns slowly, seeming to not move his legs as he turns. "Can you stand against them?"     He makes no move to attack, not yet. The hood lifts, just enough to observe the larger man. Jonathan may get a better look at the face underneath as he does, since Alucard will have to tilt his head up so far. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan's strong jawline tightens as his expression gets harder in his indignation. Deep, shiny black hair and blue eyes stare unflinchingly at the shorter of the two. Jonathan acknowledged the threat that was being posed by his enemy, he was not dismissing it -- but he had the bravery to stand up to it like a mighty wall of steel, none the less. Jonathan changes from his struck pose to an amalgamated stance of boxing and martial arts, breathing in deeply, audibly. "Koooooooooh....................." His chest expanded with the drawn out breath, ripples of light beginning to emenate from his form like waves of heat. The changing motion of his arm from a defensive to offensive form left behind trails of afterimages, muscles buldging tight against dark blue leather. "With this SENDO POWER I'll show it with certainty!"         "ZOOOOOOOM PUNCH!" It was a simple boxing jab, easy to dodge at such a long range. It'd just require the vampire to move backwards. But, Jonathan's fist accelerated, his arm seeming to stretch longer than the bones would allow with a small wet pop, telescoping towards Alucard's face in a reddish-gold-orange rush of lightning. An attack meant to simultaneously make a statement, and put distance between the two of them so that Jonathan could reach for his sword. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard sees the shift of stance, and his gray eyes narrow beneath that hood. Breath, pooling in Jonathan's lungs, igniting a fire that Alucard can sense. A fire that rings bells of alarm in the vampiric side of his nature in a way that few things can. His eyes widen, and he has time to draw in a breath of shock before the fist comes at him.     Yes, he could dodge. But if he doesn't feel the strength behind the blow, he won't know how strong this man is. So instead he crosses his arms before him, to block. The blow still drives him back though, as he uses the momentum from the punch to leap back.     As he does, more of the figure is revealed -- Jonathan might recognize his clothing as a nobleman's garb, done in black. The vest is trimmed in silver, the overcoat trimmed in gold. A rich man's clothes.     Well, as it seems Jonathan is retrieving a sword, Alucard does the same. It's a thin long sword with a simple design. But it looks much larger than a man his size should be able to use one-handed; it's the length of a bastard sword. But he wields it as a longsword.     And still he doesn't attack. He waits for Jonathan. His hood is still up for the moment, still hiding some of his face. He stands still as death, not fidgeting the way humans do. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' The dress of a wealthy man -- Jonathan knew it well. His Father, Dio and himself all dressed similarly through most of their lives. Dio especially had a love for reds, golds, and blacks where as Jonathan and his Father preferred shades of blue, red being something worn rather rarely. Jonathan's keen eye settled firmly on Alucard's blade of choice, unsurprised that Alucard could wield it so. He was an inhuman monster, after all. Jonathan's own sword of Luck & Pluck was uniquely, a longsword custom made for the Black Knight Bruford. It held the general shape of a longsword, but the length and thickness of its blade was closer to a traditional english greatsword. Alucard's wasn't much shorter, really. Jonathan, as well, held his sword in one hand, the other kept free. Jonathan didn't give Alucard much time to strategize. His experience with vampires and their ilk taught him one thing: not to let them recover from being caught unawares. If this fiend wished to engage in sword to sword combat, he had a nasty surprise in store for the vampire, the same sort that would have very nearly killed Dio, he was sure.         "Have at you!" His charge seemed to be with reckless abandon, but there was something cunning, specific, about it. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard holds the blade in his right hand; it's reasonable to assume that he's right-handed and that approaching from the left might put him off his guard somewhat. His eyes follow Jonathan's movements however, and he raises the blade, as if to block. However, Jonathan might find something odd happening. When he swings...     ...A reddish aura pulses around the cloaked figure, and his image seems to be pulled to one side so fast it leaves afterimages. But Jonathan should watch his back. Because after a second or two, the images reappear, as if being 'put together' again.     Behind him!     He emits a loud hiss of triumph as he reappears behind Jonathan, and raises his blade to swing! It's a slice aimed at his back. But it won't be deep, even if it does connect.     Alucard doesn't want to kill this man. He just wants the man to REACT as if he intends to. Only when a hero believes his life is in danger will his true colors show. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' "!?!?!?!" Jonathan's memory flashes before him, to his second encounter with the vampirized Dio Brando. How he'd seemingly faded into the night in his retreat -- was this a similar feat? The all too familiar noise reached his ears. That /noise/. Just hearing it was associative enough to make his already expanded lungs burn in overstress as Jonathan breathed in deeply through his nostrils. A sword, that meant he was going to be attacked through blade rather than vampiric power. Leery, the monster might be, of physical contact.. Jonathan abruptly collapses one of his knees, dropping his body down by a near quarter of his height as his sword of Luck & Pluck rose above his head. The golden blaze around his body began to compact and focus when the two swords meet, Jonathan just barely managing to perform an uncomfortable overhead block in his rapid crouching maneuver, leaving one boot caked with mud. His armored shoulders tensed under the strength Alucard's swing no doubt carried with it by default, yet, held steady. "This is -- courage! HAMON SENDO!"         "METAL SILVER ... OOOVERDRIIIIVE!" The silver gleaming edge of Jonathan's swords suddenly turned alight with crackling azure lightning racing up and down its form. In turn, it suddenly became a brilliant and fiery gold, transferring its sparks onto Alucard's family heirloom, and as a result ... The Hamon inside of Jonathan's sword was surging into Alucard's, and in just a moment, it should enter the vampire's hand, his arm! "HUOOOOOOOOOOH!" Jonathan tensed his legs and pushed with his whole body, upwards. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     The swords clash with a metallic sound. Good, Alucard thinks. He's strong, and perceptive as well. Appears to trust his instincts, and doesn't question them. But Alucard isn't convinced just yet. Strength and smarts aren't everything. This young man is brash, openly challenging a vampire at night. But does he have the resolve to go through with it if his life is truly in danger?     Alucard seems to meet Jonathan's bare strength relatively evenly. The pressure on the crossed swords should be enough to tell Jonathan that he is indeed crossing swords with a supernaturally strong creature. But not more pressure is applied, there's no attempt to overpower Jonathan in that instant. The visible part of the face is calm and flat, displaying no emotion; none of the smug glee that Jonathan has seen before in these sorts of foes. Only calmness.     And then Alucard realizes that he's got problems of his own. There's a split-second when he senses that power again. And then the blade of his own sword is acting as a conduit for whatever that strange power is. It reaches his hand before he can leap back, and he emits a cry of pain. Jonathan's moving then, and Alucard uses that momentum to push off of the crossed swords, leaping back out of range of that energy.     The leap is supernaturally far, and the cloak billows out as he flies back. For a split-second, the underside of the cloak is visible -- red and glowing, pulsing like a heartbeat. And then the cloak actually flaps once, like nothing so much as a great pair of wings, carrying him back yet farther.     While his landing is light, he seems to slouch, the sword arm hanging before him as if he did not possess the strength to move it. Wisps of smoke rise from his arm, and he is visibly baring teeth in pain. NOW he's shaking -- that hurt! But the baring of teeth shows the fangs. They're not quite like Dio's, though. While the top fangs look positively deadly, his lower set of teeth look pretty normal. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan's eyes narrow in on the fangs -- there was something off about them. Deadly, for sure, but not the mouth full of razors most vampiric ilk tended to possess. None the less, Jonathan now stood back at his full height, breathing in deep and regular intervals. The creature's arm was smoking, but it hadn't been destroyed, a sign that his Hamon perhaps had not gone deep enough. A testament to the sheer speed his opponent preferred to move at, blitzing around the edge of ones vision. No more, Jonathan vowed. Holding his sword with one hand, a very sharp pointing motion was made with his finger. "Those three women -- why them? They all bore a great similarity to one another, tell me why that is!" There was something un-natural about that cloak. Jonathan didn't want to get too close again, without having a chance to figure out its exact abilities. "And the oddities that have occured here, the mist, the bats, and I bet even that wolf Poco saw were all your doing!" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard had not actually seen the three women; he had been unable to enter the place where they were recovering, even in his mist form. It wasn't that there were no places he could get in. But the roses around the house had made it impossible for him to enter, as if an unbreakable barrier. It wasn't unheard of, though, for vampires to prefer a certain kind of prey. But then suddenly something sparks in his mind. A realization. His lips part for a breath of surprise. Young, beautiful, blonde women?     ''('...Mother.')''     That part he leaves unsaid. Now is not the time for that. But he does answer that second concern there. His momentary look of surprise fades, replaced by that calmness again. "...Does it surprise you that a vampire should be able to change his forms?" Even here his voice is quiet and devoid of much emotion. "Then you have much yet to learn about vampires, young man, before you may hope to save others from them." There is a hiss in his voice as he continues, "Allow me to demonstrate..." His off-hand raises, glowing a bright red. A quick sequence of arcane movements, and then his voice booms out, echoing abnormally, "SOUL STEAL!"     It's a pull. A pull deep down, as if being drained of blood. But it's not blood. It's energy. The pull is aiming back at Alucard, seeking to steal some of that precious life energy from Jonathan, to heal himself. It's not much, hopefully just enough to heal Alucard's mangled arm. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' A name like 'soul steal' did not inspire good feelings. Jonathan tried to hold his weapon up defensively, but it was for naught -- his life force was being drained and he could feel it. But, for Alucard, trying to tap into that well and drink from it was like trying to carefully remove a drop of water from an ocean. A human's life force would naturally give them, give or take, a hundred years. Jonathan easily had ten times that, most probably, more. "Gh -- it can't be?! My life is being drained without direct contact?! This is an ability beyond even Dio..!" How could he counter something like that? He was only as effective as his sword's reach right now!         Unless ... Jonathan sprints away, seeming to turn tail and run. It brought him no small amount of shame to look like that, but, Alucard wouldn't be alone for long. As Jonathan, a mere twenty or thirty seconds later, has performed a loop through the part of the village they were fighting in, coming out a fair way behind Alucard's previous position. "VAMPIRE!" Jonathan held in his free hand, a clump of rose petals. They were crackling with golden-orange flames, a fire that did not burn them.LIFE MAGNETISM OVERDRIVE!" Jonathan hurled them like a volley of knives, and the petals surprisingly cut through the air like razers in their course towards Alucard. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard's eyes narrow as Jonathan seems to be... well, doing the smart thing, actually. A demonstration of a power that had little in the way of defense against... anyone would run. Anyone SHOULD run. He was a bit disappointed, but also pleased. Not that he'd made Jonathan flee. That he'd convinced the man to flee... and keep his life. Perhaps now he'll stop with this 'hero' business. Alucard relaxes his stance, heaves a bit of a sigh, and sheathes his sword.     "...That should dissuade any more foolish heroics. Brave, yes. Strong, yes. Almost a pity. But only shame and a pointless death awaits those without resolve..." There is no contempt in these words. In fact they're spoken almost... gently? These words were not for Jonathan's ears. But yet Jonathan may catch some of them as he returns.     Alucard's eyes widen as he hears the voice, and he whirls to look. "What...?!" That power... Richter could do something very much like that. He could set his whip aflame with no apparent means to do so. The Vampire Killer burned with flames that did not harm the whip or his hands, but seared his enemies as surely as if he had set them aflame himself -- the flame of his spirit. Then could this young man possess the same power?     And then suddenly a multitude of what he would swear were razors are flung at him. They tear into the cloak, and sprays of blood meet the air. They tear into the hood as well, pushing it back to reveal his face. The wounds visible on his cheeks smoke, as Jonathan might expect, but they bleed as if they had been inflicted on a human.     And through that volley of razor-like petals, the dhampir lunges, fangs bared. The growl in his throw changes to a throatier sound, and in mid-run he places four feet on the ground as a wolf. It is indeed much like what Poco described. That lavender wolf charges, faster than any normal wolf, so fast it leaves a blur behind it, and leaps at Jonathan, maw snapping viciously. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan felt a smidgen of satisfaction of finally cracking that cool exterior. It had almost reminded him of Bruford at first, but -- it was different. He could tell, the difference between genuine stoicism and what had to have been at least, partially an act. But, there was still something off here. He'd struck several direct hits on the creature with his Hamon, and true enough, the wounds smoked, burned to molten ash. However, as well, they bled. Something that no vampire or zombie should be capable of doing in response to a Hamon-inflicted injury.         And then, the monster changed forms. It had not been lying, it was completely capable of altering its physiology at high-speeds. About as quickly as Dio could regenerate, even! Now that lavender beast was charging at him, Jonathan's mind barked only one recourse. His blade was cast aside?! Even though Alucard was blurring forward at a speed that gave Jonathan a mere moment to react, he responded with nothing less than a fully powered attack from the front! Air was sucked in deep, expanding his chest. At the risk of exposing himself to a lethal attack from those snapping jaws, Jonathan tries to pin the wolf's head between his fists. "HAMON!"     The one in a million ripple! "OVEEEEEEEEEEERDRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!!!" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard had once heard an ally of his say something that stuck with him. Something that had shaped his thoughts, even if he didn't realize it, even before he heard it. For a man to fight a monster, he must be willing to place his life in jeopardy. He must be willing to throw away the concept of defense at the right moment, and face the monster's attack, even if it means his death. For monsters must die, lest they feed upon the innocent... and sometimes all a man can do is drag the monster down to Hell with him.     'Killing you is what's most important. Living through it is a luxury.'     And then here is Jonathan. At the charge of a mad beast, he should dodge. Block. Something! But no... the sword is dropped, and the fists clamp around the sides of the wolf's head. The wolf emits a surprised yelp, and soon changes back again. He tries to pull free, but it's not fast enough. In the next instant, the sensation of the fires of a hundred suns explodes through him.     The skin exposed to the hamon begins to smoke and burn, and he emits a cry of pain. But the flesh does not 'melt', as Jonathan may be accustomed to a vampire's flesh reacting to hamon. The skin sizzles and blisters, as a human's skin might when exposed to flames. The attack also blasts him down the street quite a ways, too. He hits the ground once, with a grunt, and then rolls and bounces along the street a short distance before coming to a stop, facedown on the ground.     He is still as death. But though the body smokes and Jonathan can still hear the skin sizzling, the body does not disappear. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan let out a small breath of a relief -- he hadn't been killed. No matter how close to the wire it was, he'd still gone above and beyond merely destroying his enemy with him. Yet, he still felt perturbed -- this Vampire should have been obliterated by a direct Hamon charge like that. Jack the Ripper and even Tarkus hadn't stood up to it, a direct hit vaporized the gargantuan Vampire's body. Yet, all he'd seen were blisters on porcelin white skin. Jonathan reclaims his sword, and tentatively, approaches the smoking body. A body that should not be there. "You're no Vampire, nor a Zombie. Yet, still, you're a denizen just as heinous." Jonathan stopped a good five feet away, eyeing Alucard warily, almost as if expecting him to leap to his feet and retaliate. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     One of the vampire's hands twitches. It seems that Jonathan's assessment was correct, this one isn't dead. Not yet. But he doesn't leap to his feet. No, he very slowly begins to get his hands under him, to push himself up to a kneeling pose, one foot upon the ground.     As he draws himself up slowly, the extent of the damage is seen. Both sides of his face are burnt horribly where Jonathan's fists had been a few seconds earlier. Smoke sill rises from the burnt skin, but it does appear to already be healing. And as he rises to one knee?     He laughs.     It's not one of those loud, maniacal cackles, either. It's the low, breathy chuckle of someone who is genuinely amused. And also in pain. Because Alucard might not be full vampire, but he is half. And he's wholly in pain!     "...A foolish move," Alucard intones, voice still flat. He makes no move to rise yet, remaining on one knee, his head down. He isn't looking up at Jonathan yet. "Had you been a split second too late, I might have taken your head off. A split second too early and you might have lost an arm." 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' "The one who is too scared to act will never do anything -- I told you that your reign of terror ends /tonight/." Jonathan's face remains stern, but he was unsettled. This Vampire's personality was unusual, to say the least. He couldn't get a good feeling about it, in other words, he was facing an enigma. An unknown quantity. "An arm, or my head ... it doesn't matter if it means destroying you." Still, the adrenaline rush wouldn't last forever. He'd start getting tired soon, and while he could power through it, he'd rather not fight a Vampire while totally exhausted. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     "...I see."     Right there. THAT was what Alucard had been looking for. This isn't a man who plays hero for the sake of the glory. This is a man willing to lay his life down for what he believed in, to sacrifice himself for the safety of those he cares about. So... an ally.     But this man probably won't accept a simple 'I didn't do it'. Particularly since Alucard has no other explanation for the attacks. He has yet to find any other evidence, but he knows it wasn't him. He has several theories... but this is not the time for them.     Despite the situation, despite the burns and injuries, Alucard smiles. As he raises his head a little, the smile is visible. It's a small smile, but one that seems to light his face in a way that no monster should be capable of. Can a vampire experience true joy?     And then he closes his eyes, lowers his head... and his body melts away into fog again. His clothing does not remain, but melts away with him. The fog begins to rise up into the air rather than escape via the streets. But before Jonathan can think of pursuing...     The sounds of rapid footsteps and rapid breathing echo in the street behind him. And they're getting closer. Someone's approaching from behind him! It's a high-pitched sound, like a small person. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' That expression. It didn't seem right on a monster's face. Of course, he knew that Vampires could feel joy, but not in the same way as a human being -- at least, not the ones from his world. It'd be more accurate to say they felt carnivorouos satisfaction. But surely, that look had not been the look of a predator. Perhaps, had his Hamon brought some part of this person to the surface, like it had for Bruford? Or was it there all along? Before Jonathan could hesitate further, Alucard became like mist and made his escape. "!!" Twirling Luck & Pluck expertly to sheathe it, Jonathan makes hast to pursue, yet finds himself halted. Footsteps, from a being that could be nothing but tiny. " --- huh?" Yes, that short, high pitched breathing. A girl? Or perhaps a small boy? Jonathan doesn't have to think long about which to go after before he jogs towards the noise. "Who's there, are you alright?!" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     As Jonathan jogs toward the sound, he comes face to face with a girl. One who looks quite startled to see him! She's a pretty little thing, with her long blonde hair bound into a high ponytail with a black ribbon. She peers at Jonathan with wide green eyes as she skids to a stop. Wait... a pretty young woman with long blonde hair...?     Like the girls who were attacked...     She is not from this village, not at all. Her features are foreign. And her outfit is positively SCANDALOUS by this world's standards! Her dark green overcoat and corseted waist are nothing unusual, not even the rather low neckline. But the skirt. The SKIRT! It rests SEVERAL INCHES above her knees, displaying her legs almost completely!     To her credit, she does wear a pair of knee socks with wide green ribbons at the top, and they do cover the bottom half of her legs over her buckled shoes. But still! So much LEG on display! SCANDALOUS!     She's out of breath, though she doesn't seem hurt. "Is... is he here?" she pants. A desperate look comes over her face. "Please tell me... I'm not too late...!" 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan, thankfully, has spent enough time outside his own world to know to a degree, how ... ill-clothed many tended to be. Even so, he felt immensely uncomfortable in the prescence of a woman in such a short skirt. Really. That aside, however, her features immediately struck a chord of bother in him. She had a passing resemblance to his own fiance, of course, but more importantly she looked nearly one-to-one with the victims of the attack. " 'Him?' If you mean that vampire, he's run off to lick his wounds, you're rather lucky. His choice of prey seem to be girls who look like they could be your sisters." 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     A pained look comes over her features, and the casts her gaze to the ground. "He... was not always so," she states quietly. "He was once a noble, honorable man. But now..." She pauses, as if suppressing a sob. Once she composes herself, she continues, "It was inevitable, I suppose, that he should fall so... his father is the Lord of All Vampires. None can expect to stand against the temptation of human blood for long, not with the impulse to take it that strong..."     Her brows draw down then, and she looks up again, with a determined look in her eyes. "That is why I have come here -- to stop him." The look softens a little. "I... I loved him once, and I believe he loved me. Perhaps I still do." And then the resolve returns to her expression. "But I will not allow him to hurt others any longer!" 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' ... So that was it ... a tragic love story. Jonathan's expression eases up, softening in sympathy. "What a twisted fate. ... The words of a stranger may not mean much, but I am sorry that this has befallen you two. In some ways, I suppose we're all beholden to our lineage." Jonathan's eyes squint as his facial features tense back up. "That said, I don't think you should try and do battle with him, Miss. His abilities are enigmatic and deadly, even compared to the monsters that have plagued this place before. Unless you're an 'Elite' as well, it may be best for you to tend elsewhere." It was a little hard to say that. Because he too knew the burning responsibility that she likely felt, at least, to an extent. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     "...We are," the woman replies. "That is why I cannot go. My name is Maria Renard. My brother is Richter Belmont, and this is his trade. We are all fated to walk this path, for the Belmonts are fated to destroy the Dark Lord Dracula each time he rises. I have been inside the Dark Lord's castle before, and fought through it in search of my brother. We both survived its horrors... thanks to him."     She shakes her head. "Forgive me, but I cannot leave strangers to deal the last blow. It is my responsibility. If I cannot save him, I will be with him in his final moments..." She pauses, sighs. "Before that. Tell me your name sir, and how it is you fought him away single-handedly." 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Vampire hunters, then. Jonathan nods, though he was still mildly perturbed at the proclomation of Count Dracula. It still was not the strangest thing he'd heard of, but to think that the count truly did exist in some world, somehow ... well, it wasn't a very pleasing thought. "My name is Jonathan Joestar. You could say my family has a history with ancient artifacts and vampires ... I fought the vampire off using Hamon, a Tibetan martial art that turned out to be rather effective against creatures of the night. Though, he was rather resillient to it, even after landing several direct hits, his body remained intact. ... I can sympathize with that feeling of responsibility. At the very least, I and my allies will fight with you." 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     "I see..." Maria replies. "You have my sympathies, Sir Joestar. Such things only bring tragedy to good people." The mention of 'Hamon' gets a look of surprise. This isn't something she's heard of, clearly. "I am pleased that it served you well. Adrian... he is very dangerous..."     Oh but then Jonathan speaks of allies! Maria nods. "Allies? Very good. That is what we need. My dear Adrian is very powerful... he is several centuries old. I do not know how vampires in your world function... but in mine, as a vampire ages, his power increases. As he is now, it would be suicide for one to face him alone..."     She thinks a moment. "Your allies... can you bring them here? I will tell you all what I can of him, all of you at once. And I know where he may be found. I know where he sleeps. Bring your allies here, and I will brief you all, and then we will go to where he sleeps and... end him." The last two words seem hard for her to say. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan nods sternly. "Very well, I'll put out the call to bring the others here. If all goes well, they should arrive within several days, at most. " And then they can finally put this nightmare falling over the Lot to rest. The people, hopefully, will be able to move on with their lives and he ... he could set out to find Dio once more, if not Tom Petty, Dire, and Straights. "If you need a place to stay for the night, I can take you to the building the victims have been housed in. It's been warded against vampires and their ilk, it should be a safe place for you to rest." 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Maria nods as well. "Thank you. I am sorry that he has caused you so much pain," she replies, her voice barely above a whisper. "I cannot but feel responsible. Perhaps if I had done something sooner... I should have seen the signs before it came to this. I learned he had taken human blood in the past; I should have known he would not be able to hold himself back forever..."     Strangely, when the house is mentioned, she... winces. It's a quick gesture, barely a flicker of emotion over her face. But the astute eye will catch it. "Thank you, Sir Joestar. But I must return to my sister. She is of delicate constitution. But more than that, she resembles me as well. I would not wish dear Adrian to attack her as well. Your people here are strong from their adversity. My sister would not survive such an attack."     She turns to Jonathan fully now, and makes to take his hand. If allowed to do so, she will give the hand a gentle squeeze. Her hand is cold and clammy, possibly from fright and nerves. And just maybe, the realization of what she must do to someone she loves. Jonathan will doubtless know what that feels like...     As quickly as she had tried to grip his hand, she moves away. "Take care, Sir Joestar! Until we meet again!" And then she dashes away the way she came. She is REALLY fast. Thankfully the skirt is snug, so it doesn't flip up as she runs. 
}}

5511/Soliloquy of Reproach: Duplicity

2017-10-08T08:34:47Z

DariRyu: The Plot Thickens...

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/10/07
|Location=Windknight's Lot <WKL>
|Synopsis=After many days of ill omens -- unnatural fog, clusters of bats, and even reports of a wolf in the countryside -- Jonathan finds a man that exactly matches the image in the three girls' mind. The man does nothing to dissuade this notion. Jonathan defeats him, but he escapes. However a woman named Maria appears, claiming to know the vampire. She offers to return, and tell all that she knows about the vampire that plagues Windknight's Lot, if Jonathan will but gather his allies.
|Thanks=Jonathan Joestar
|Cast of Characters=1128, 1107
|Tinyplot=Soliloquy of Reproach
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     The reports on the Paladin's networks were troubling. Three women, all young blonde girls, had been attacked for blood and left for dead in alleys. Naturally, this didn't escape Alucard's notice. Particularly with the addendum -- the image from the girls' minds looked like him.     So it is that, of late, Alucard has been haunting the streets of Windknight's Lot. Not as himself, surely. But he's been noticed. There has been talk of strangely-clustered banks of fog behind buildings. Reports of small clusters of bats hanging underneath eaves at night -- which is unusual, because bats hunt at night. Shouldn't they be searching for food? And finally, the howl of a wolf not far from the city. In fact, if little Poco or his sister had strayed far from the town, they might have even seen it -- white, with a dusty lavender 'saddle' of sorts, a pattern on its back of dusty lavender.     These have, of course, been Alucard's forms. Mist for eavesdropping on conversations -- the citizens are afraid, and they are angry; why THIS, AGAIN? Bat for searching from overhead -- the streets have been more or less undisturbed since the Elites came to visit. Which in itself is odd; what made the attacks stop? And wolf for scouring the surrounding territory -- if the vampire is still close by, the wolf's keen nose should sniff him out.     Tonight, though, as the fog gathers in one of the alleys where the latest of the attacks took place... it takes the form of a man. He's of average height. Most of his features are hidden by a long black hooded cloak that wraps about him and falls to the ground.     The cloak hangs around a slender body, the hood hides all but the bottom third of what would be, if the face was completely seen, the face of a beautiful man -- the chin is narrow and the lips are full, but the jawline is far too squared to confuse it for a woman's jaw. The skin is near-white, with the barest hint of color. In the darkness it could be missed entirely. On either side of his face, near-white blond hair hangs from underneath the hood, laying against his chest in gentle waves.     Everything is as the girls' minds projected...     He stands near where the last young woman was found. Silently he turns his head from one side to the other. And audibly sniffs. "...It's been too long," he breathes quietly. He crouches, lowering himself to the ground where the old bloodstain rests, and reaches out to touch the stain. His voice still quiet, but humming inexplicably with power, he speaks. "...Dark Metamorphosis..."     A malevolent red aura glows around the cloaked figure for a moment, then the stain begins to disappear. It seems to be drawn up into the gloved hand of the cloaked figure... 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Ever since the attacks first began, Jonathan hadn't went far from the Lot. Though a cursory sweep of the outer Castlegrounds had revealed nothing of interest that he could tell, he hadn't had the time for the deep searching he would have liked -- after all, that would have left the town unprotected. "I'm tellin' you, I saw it! I did! This big white wolf with purple marks! Or .. was it purple with white marks? No no, it was -- " Poco was silenced by Jonathan's hand settling itself gently onto his head. "I believe you. I have to go out and patrol now, but I'll definitley keep my eyes peeled for this mysterious wolf you've seen, alright?" The brother-sister pair waved Jonathan off from their humble home as he secured Bruford's sword onto his back and continued out onto the darkening streets. The rumors had only gotten worse, about oddly behaved bats and strange mist. Most didn't believe Poco terribly, believing he was spinning a tall tale, but Jonathan was more than willing to give the benefit of the doubt given the oddities that Dio tended to surround himself with. If this vampire were at all similar, familiar wolves or bats would not be a stretch. Truthfully, the darkness that settled over the Lot is what allowed Jonathan to catch wind of the cloaked figure. An ominous red glow rarely insinuated anything wholesome in his experience, lo and behold, when he arrived on the scene to check it out ... A figure, draped in a deep black cloak, with pale skin and near snow-white hair. He couldn't exactly tell with it hunched over, but the figure did seem shorter here in the real world than it did in the minds of those girls ... but even still. His boot dug deep into the dirt road as leather strained under the clenching of Jonathan's fists. A pose was struck dramatically with such force of prescence that it would be hard not to notice. "Vampire! Your acts of vulgar and grotesque heresies end right here, right now! I won't allow you to get away with it any longer!" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard freezes. He could smell the approach, sense the power. But too late, as the voice breaks into his thoughts before he can create an escape plan. He could dissolve into mist and likely escape, even now. But something stops him. Something about that tone, if not the voice itself, strikes a familiar chord to Alucard.     It's righteous indignation. That is the voice of a hero, even Alucard can hear that. The voice of a man willing to give his life to see that the people of his world could live peacefully. This man was this world's protector.     The problem is, Alucard sensed something in the area was familiar as well. If it was familiar to him, then it was a bad thing for this world. A beast from the castle, one of its minions that had escaped? Had this world ever faced such horrors? Could this man stand against those horrors?     He has to know...     "...Won't you?" the cloaked figure speaks, his deep baritone voice still quiet. He stands slowly -- yeah, this guy's still quite a bit shorter than Jonathan. But still a vampire, and probably still dangerous. "...Can you stop these vulgar and grotesque acts?" He turns slowly, seeming to not move his legs as he turns. "Can you stand against them?"     He makes no move to attack, not yet. The hood lifts, just enough to observe the larger man. Jonathan may get a better look at the face underneath as he does, since Alucard will have to tilt his head up so far. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan's strong jawline tightens as his expression gets harder in his indignation. Deep, shiny black hair and blue eyes stare unflinchingly at the shorter of the two. Jonathan acknowledged the threat that was being posed by his enemy, he was not dismissing it -- but he had the bravery to stand up to it like a mighty wall of steel, none the less. Jonathan changes from his struck pose to an amalgamated stance of boxing and martial arts, breathing in deeply, audibly. "Koooooooooh....................." His chest expanded with the drawn out breath, ripples of light beginning to emenate from his form like waves of heat. The changing motion of his arm from a defensive to offensive form left behind trails of afterimages, muscles buldging tight against dark blue leather. "With this SENDO POWER I'll show it with certainty!"         "ZOOOOOOOM PUNCH!" It was a simple boxing jab, easy to dodge at such a long range. It'd just require the vampire to move backwards. But, Jonathan's fist accelerated, his arm seeming to stretch longer than the bones would allow with a small wet pop, telescoping towards Alucard's face in a reddish-gold-orange rush of lightning. An attack meant to simultaneously make a statement, and put distance between the two of them so that Jonathan could reach for his sword. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard sees the shift of stance, and his gray eyes narrow beneath that hood. Breath, pooling in Jonathan's lungs, igniting a fire that Alucard can sense. A fire that rings bells of alarm in the vampiric side of his nature in a way that few things can. His eyes widen, and he has time to draw in a breath of shock before the fist comes at him.     Yes, he could dodge. But if he doesn't feel the strength behind the blow, he won't know how strong this man is. So instead he crosses his arms before him, to block. The blow still drives him back though, as he uses the momentum from the punch to leap back.     As he does, more of the figure is revealed -- Jonathan might recognize his clothing as a nobleman's garb, done in black. The vest is trimmed in silver, the overcoat trimmed in gold. A rich man's clothes.     Well, as it seems Jonathan is retrieving a sword, Alucard does the same. It's a thin long sword with a simple design. But it looks much larger than a man his size should be able to use one-handed; it's the length of a bastard sword. But he wields it as a longsword.     And still he doesn't attack. He waits for Jonathan. His hood is still up for the moment, still hiding some of his face. He stands still as death, not fidgeting the way humans do. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' The dress of a wealthy man -- Jonathan knew it well. His Father, Dio and himself all dressed similarly through most of their lives. Dio especially had a love for reds, golds, and blacks where as Jonathan and his Father preferred shades of blue, red being something worn rather rarely. Jonathan's keen eye settled firmly on Alucard's blade of choice, unsurprised that Alucard could wield it so. He was an inhuman monster, after all. Jonathan's own sword of Luck & Pluck was uniquely, a longsword custom made for the Black Knight Bruford. It held the general shape of a longsword, but the length and thickness of its blade was closer to a traditional english greatsword. Alucard's wasn't much shorter, really. Jonathan, as well, held his sword in one hand, the other kept free. Jonathan didn't give Alucard much time to strategize. His experience with vampires and their ilk taught him one thing: not to let them recover from being caught unawares. If this fiend wished to engage in sword to sword combat, he had a nasty surprise in store for the vampire, the same sort that would have very nearly killed Dio, he was sure.         "Have at you!" His charge seemed to be with reckless abandon, but there was something cunning, specific, about it. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard holds the blade in his right hand; it's reasonable to assume that he's right-handed and that approaching from the left might put him off his guard somewhat. His eyes follow Jonathan's movements however, and he raises the blade, as if to block. However, Jonathan might find something odd happening. When he swings...     ...A reddish aura pulses around the cloaked figure, and his image seems to be pulled to one side so fast it leaves afterimages. But Jonathan should watch his back. Because after a second or two, the images reappear, as if being 'put together' again.     Behind him!     He emits a loud hiss of triumph as he reappears behind Jonathan, and raises his blade to swing! It's a slice aimed at his back. But it won't be deep, even if it does connect.     Alucard doesn't want to kill this man. He just wants the man to REACT as if he intends to. Only when a hero believes his life is in danger will his true colors show. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' "!?!?!?!" Jonathan's memory flashes before him, to his second encounter with the vampirized Dio Brando. How he'd seemingly faded into the night in his retreat -- was this a similar feat? The all too familiar noise reached his ears. That /noise/. Just hearing it was associative enough to make his already expanded lungs burn in overstress as Jonathan breathed in deeply through his nostrils. A sword, that meant he was going to be attacked through blade rather than vampiric power. Leery, the monster might be, of physical contact.. Jonathan abruptly collapses one of his knees, dropping his body down by a near quarter of his height as his sword of Luck & Pluck rose above his head. The golden blaze around his body began to compact and focus when the two swords meet, Jonathan just barely managing to perform an uncomfortable overhead block in his rapid crouching maneuver, leaving one boot caked with mud. His armored shoulders tensed under the strength Alucard's swing no doubt carried with it by default, yet, held steady. "This is -- courage! HAMON SENDO!"         "METAL SILVER .. OOOVERDRIIIIVE!" The silver gleaming edge of Jonathan's swords suddenly turned alight with crackling azure lightning racing up and down its form. In turn, it suddenly became a brilliant and fiery gold, transferring its sparks onto Alucard's family heirloom, and as a result ... The Hamon inside of Jonathan's sword was surging into Alucard's, and in just a moment, it should enter the vampire's hand, his arm! "HUOOOOOOOOOOH!" Jonathan tensed his legs and pushed with his whole body, upwards. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     The swords clash with a metallic sound. Good, Alucard thinks. He's strong, and perceptive as well. Appears to trust his instincts, and doesn't question them. But Alucard isn't convinced just yet. Strength and smarts aren't everything. This young man is brash, openly challenging a vampire at night. But does he have the resolve to go through with it if his life is truly in danger?     Alucard seems to meet Jonathan's bare strength relatively evenly. The pressure on the crossed swords should be enough to tell Jonathan that he is indeed crossing swords with a supernaturally strong creature. But not more pressure is applied, there's no attempt to overpower Jonathan in that instant. The visible part of the face is calm and flat, displaying no emotion; none of the smug glee that Jonathan has seen before in these sorts of foes. Only calmness.     And then Alucard realizes that he's got problems of his own. There's a split-second when he senses that power again. And then the blade of his own sword is acting as a conduit for whatever that strange power is. It reaches his hand before he can leap back, and he emits a cry of pain. Jonathan's moving then, and Alucard uses that momentum to push off of the crossed swords, leaping back out of range of that energy.     The leap is supernaturally far, and the cloak billows out as he flies back. For a split-second, the underside of the cloak is visible -- red and glowing, pulsing like a heartbeat. And then the cloak actually flaps once, like nothing so much as a great pair of wings, carrying him back yet farther.     While his landing is light, he seems to slouch, the sword arm hanging before him as if he did not possess the strength to move it. Wisps of smoke rise from his arm, and he is visibly baring teeth in pain. NOW he's shaking -- that hurt! But the baring of teeth shows the fangs. They're not quite like Dio's, though. While the top fangs look positively deadly, his lower set of teeth look pretty normal. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan's eyes narrow in on the fangs -- there was something off about them. Deadly, for sure, but not the mouth full of razors most vampiric ilk tended to possess. None the less, Jonathan now stood back at his full height, breathing in deep and regular intervals. The creature's arm was smoking, but it hadn't been destroyed, a sign that his Hamon perhaps had not gone deep enough. A testament to the sheer speed his opponent preferred to move at, blitzing around the edge of ones vision. No more, Jonathan vowed. Holding his sword with one hand, a very sharp pointing motion was made with his finger. "Those three women -- why them? They all bore a great similarity to one another, tell me why that is!" There was something un-natural about that cloak. Jonathan didn't want to get too close again, without having a chance to figure out its exact abilities. "And the oddities that have occured here, the mist, the bats, and I bet even that wolf Poco saw were all your doing!" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard had not actually seen the three women; he had been unable to enter the place where they were recovering, even in his mist form. It wasn't that there were no places he could get in. But the roses around the house had made it impossible for him to enter, as if an unbreakable barrier. It wasn't unheard of, though, for vampires to prefer a certain kind of prey. But then suddenly something sparks in his mind. A realization. His lips part for a breath of surprise. Young, beautiful, blonde women?     ''('...Mother.')''     That part he leaves unsaid. Now is not the time for that. But he does answer that second concern there. His momentary look of surprise fades, replaced by that calmness again. "...Does it surprise you that a vampire should be able to change his forms?" Even here his voice is quiet and devoid of much emotion. "Then you have much yet to learn about vampires, young man, before you may hope to save others from them." There is a hiss in his voice as he continues, "Allow me to demonstrate..." His off-hand raises, glowing a bright red. A quick sequence of arcane movements, and then his voice booms out, echoing abnormally, "SOUL STEAL!"     It's a pull. A pull deep down, as if being drained of blood. But it's not blood. It's energy. The pull is aiming back at Alucard, seeking to steal some of that precious life energy from Jonathan, to heal himself. It's not much, hopefully just enough to heal Alucard's mangled arm. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' A name like 'soul steal' did not inspire good feelings. Jonathan tried to hold his weapon up defensively, but it was for naught -- his life force was being drained and he could feel it. But, for Alucard, trying to tap into that well and drink from it was like trying to carefully remove a drop of water from an ocean. A human's life force would naturally give them, give or take, a hundred years. Jonathan easily had ten times that, most probably, more. "Gh -- it can't be?! My life is being drained without direct contact?! This is an ability beyond even Dio..!" How could he counter something like that? He was only as effective as his sword's reach right now!         Unless ... Jonathan sprints away, seeming to turn tail and run. It brought him no small amount of shame to look like that, but, Alucard wouldn't be alone for long. As Jonathan, a mere twenty or thirty seconds later, has performed a loop through the part of the village they were fighting in, coming out a fair way behind Alucard's previous position. "VAMPIRE!" Jonathan held in his free hand, a clump of rose petals. They were crackling with golden-orange flames, a fire that did not burn them.LIFE MAGNETISM OVERDRIVE!" Jonathan hurled them like a volley of knives, and the petals surprisingly cut through the air like razers in their course towards Alucard. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard's eyes narrow as Jonathan seems to be... well, doing the smart thing, actually. A demonstration of a power that had little in the way of defense against... anyone would run. Anyone SHOULD run. He was a bit disappointed, but also pleased. Not that he'd made Jonathan flee. That he'd convinced the man to flee... and keep his life. Perhaps now he'll stop with this 'hero' business. Alucard relaxes his stance, heaves a bit of a sigh, and sheathes his sword.     "...That should dissuade any more foolish heroics. Brave, yes. Strong, yes. Almost a pity. But only shame and a pointless death awaits those without resolve..." There is no contempt in these words. In fact they're spoken almost... gently? These words were not for Jonathan's ears. But yet Jonathan may catch some of them as he returns.     Alucard's eyes widen as he hears the voice, and he whirls to look. "What...?!" That power... Richter could do something very much like that. He could set his whip aflame with no apparent means to do so. The Vampire Killer burned with flames that did not harm the whip or his hands, but seared his enemies as surely as if he had set them aflame himself -- the flame of his spirit. Then could this young man possess the same power?     And then suddenly a multitude of what he would swear were razors are flung at him. They tear into the cloak, and sprays of blood meet the air. They tear into the hood as well, pushing it back to reveal his face. The wounds visible on his cheeks smoke, as Jonathan might expect, but they bleed as if they had been inflicted on a human.     And through that volley of razor-like petals, the dhampir lunges, fangs bared. The growl in his throw changes to a throatier sound, and in mid-run he places four feet on the ground as a wolf. It is indeed much like what Poco described. That lavender wolf charges, faster than any normal wolf, so fast it leaves a blur behind it, and leaps at Jonathan, maw snapping viciously. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan felt a smidgen of satisfaction of finally cracking that cool exterior. It had almost reminded him of Bruford at first, but -- it was different. He could tell, the difference between genuine stoicism and what had to have been at least, partially an act. But, there was still something off here. He'd struck several direct hits on the creature with his Hamon, and true enough, the wounds smoked, burned to molten ash. However, as well, they bled. Something that no vampire or zombie should be capable of doing in response to a Hamon-inflicted injury.         And then, the monster changed forms. It had not been lying, it was completely capable of altering its physiology at high-speeds. About as quickly as Dio could regenerate, even! Now that lavender beast was charging at him, Jonathan's mind barked only one recourse. His blade was cast aside?! Even though Alucard was blurring forward at a speed that gave Jonathan a mere moment to react, he responded with nothing less than a fully powered attack from the front! Air was sucked in deep, expanding his chest. At the risk of exposing himself to a lethal attack from those snapping jaws, Jonathan tries to pin the wolf's head between his fists. "HAMON!"     The one in a million ripple! "OVEEEEEEEEEEERDRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE!!!" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Alucard had once heard an ally of his say something that stuck with him. Something that had shaped his thoughts, even if he didn't realize it, even before he heard it. For a man to fight a monster, he must be willing to place his life in jeopardy. He must be willing to throw away the concept of defense at the right moment, and face the monster's attack, even if it means his death. For monsters must die, lest they feed upon the innocent... and sometimes all a man can do is drag the monster down to Hell with him.     'Killing you is what's most important. Living through it is a luxury.'     And then here is Jonathan. At the charge of a mad beast, he should dodge. Block. Something! But no... the sword is dropped, and the fists clamp around the sides of the wolf's head. The wolf emits a surprised yelp, and soon changes back again. He tries to pull free, but it's not fast enough. In the next instant, the sensation of the fires of a hundred suns explodes through him.     The skin exposed to the hamon begins to smoke and burn, and he emits a cry of pain. But the flesh does not 'melt', as Jonathan may be accustomed to a vampire's flesh reacting to hamon. The skin sizzles and blisters, as a human's skin might when exposed to flames. The attack also blasts him down the street quite a ways, too. He hits the ground once, with a grunt, and then rolls and bounces along the street a short distance before coming to a stop, facedown on the ground.     He is still as death. But though the body smokes and Jonathan can still hear the skin sizzling, the body does not disappear. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan let out a small breath of a relief -- he hadn't been killed. No matter how close to the wire it was, he'd still gone above and beyond merely destroying his enemy with him. Yet, he still felt perturbed -- this Vampire should have been obliterated by a direct Hamon charge like that. Jack the Ripper and even Tarkus hadn't stood up to it, a direct hit vaporized the gargantuan Vampire's body. Yet, all he'd seen were blisters on porcelin white skin. Jonathan reclaims his sword, and tentatively, approaches the smoking body. A body that should not be there. "You're no Vampire, nor a Zombie. Yet, still, you're a denizen just as heinous." Jonathan stopped a good five feet away, eyeing Alucard warily, almost as if expecting him to leap to his feet and retaliate. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     One of the vampire's hands twitches. It seems that Jonathan's assessment was correct, this one isn't dead. Not yet. But he doesn't leap to his feet. No, he very slowly begins to get his hands under him, to push himself up to a kneeling pose, one foot upon the ground.     As he draws himself up slowly, the extent of the damage is seen. Both sides of his face are burnt horribly where Jonathan's fists had been a few seconds earlier. Smoke sill rises from the burnt skin, but it does appear to already be healing. And as he rises to one knee?     He laughs.     It's not one of those loud, maniacal cackles, either. It's the low, breathy chuckle of someone who is genuinely amused. And also in pain. Because Alucard might not be full vampire, but he is half. And he's wholly in pain!     "...A foolish move," Alucard intones, voice still flat. He makes no move to rise yet, remaining on one knee, his head down. He isn't looking up at Jonathan yet. "Had you been a split second too late, I might have taken your head off. A split second too early and you might have lost an arm." 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' "The one who is too scared to act will never do anything -- I told you that your reign of terror ends /tonight/." Jonathan's face remains stern, but he was unsettled. This Vampire's personality was unusual, to say the least. He couldn't get a good feeling about it, in other words, he was facing an enigma. An unknown quantity. "An arm, or my head ... it doesn't matter if it means destroying you." Still, the adrenaline rush wouldn't last forever. He'd start getting tired soon, and while he could power through it, he'd rather not fight a Vampire while totally exhausted. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     "...I see."     Right there. THAT was what Alucard had been looking for. This isn't a man who plays hero for the sake of the glory. This is a man willing to lay his life down for what he believed in, to sacrifice himself for the safety of those he cares about. So... an ally.     But this man probably won't accept a simple 'I didn't do it'. Particularly since Alucard has no other explanation for the attacks. He has yet to find any other evidence, but he knows it wasn't him. He has several theories... but this is not the time for them.     Despite the situation, despite the burns and injuries, Alucard smiles. As he raises his head a little, the smile is visible. It's a small smile, but one that seems to light his face in a way that no monster should be capable of. Can a vampire experience true joy?     And then he closes his eyes, lowers his head... and his body melts away into fog again. His clothing does not remain, but melts away with him. The fog begins to rise up into the air rather than escape via the streets. But before Jonathan can think of pursuing...     The sounds of rapid footsteps and rapid breathing echo in the street behind him. And they're getting closer. Someone's approaching from behind him! It's a high-pitched sound, like a small person. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' That expression. It didn't seem right on a monster's face. Of course, he knew that Vampires could feel joy, but not in the same way as a human being -- at least, not the ones from his world. It'd be more accurate to say they felt carnivorouos satisfaction. But surely, that look had not been the look of a predator. Perhaps, had his Hamon brought some part of this person to the surface, like it had for Bruford? Or was it there all along? Before Jonathan could hesitate further, Alucard became like mist and made his escape. "!!" Twirling Luck & Pluck expertly to sheathe it, Jonathan makes hast to pursue, yet finds himself halted. Footsteps, from a being that could be nothing but tiny. " --- huh?" Yes, that short, high pitched breathing. A girl? Or perhaps a small boy? Jonathan doesn't have to think long about which to go after before he jogs towards the noise. "Who's there, are you alright?!" 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     As Jonathan jogs toward the sound, he comes face to face with a girl. One who looks quite startled to see him! She's a pretty little thing, with her long blonde hair bound into a high ponytail with a black ribbon. She peers at Jonathan with wide green eyes as she skids to a stop. Wait... a pretty young woman with long blonde hair...?     Like the girls who were attacked...     She is not from this village, not at all. Her features are foreign. And her outfit is positively SCANDALOUS by this world's standards! Her dark green overcoat and corseted waist are nothing unusual, not even the rather low neckline. But the skirt. The SKIRT! It rests SEVERAL INCHES above her knees, displaying her legs almost completely!     To her credit, she does wear a pair of knee socks with wide green ribbons at the top, and they do cover the bottom half of her legs over her buckled shoes. But still! So much LEG on display! SCANDALOUS!     She's out of breath, though she doesn't seem hurt. "Is... is he here?" she pants. A desperate look comes over her face. "Please tell me... I'm not too late...!" 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan, thankfully, has spent enough time outside his own world to know to a degree, how ... ill-clothed many tended to be. Even so, he felt immensely uncomfortable in the prescence of a woman in such a short skirt. Really. That aside, however, her features immediately struck a chord of bother in him. She had a passing resemblance to his own fiance, of course, but more importantly she looked nearly one-to-one with the victims of the attack. " 'Him?' If you mean that vampire, he's run off to lick his wounds, you're rather lucky. His choice of prey seem to be girls who look like they could be your sisters." 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     A pained look comes over her features, and the casts her gaze to the ground. "He... was not always so," she states quietly. "He was once a noble, honorable man. But now..." She pauses, as if suppressing a sob. Once she composes herself, she continues, "It was inevitable, I suppose, that he should fall so... his father is the Lord of All Vampires. None can expect to stand against the temptation of human blood for long, not with the impulse to take it that strong..."     Her brows draw down then, and she looks up again, with a determined look in her eyes. "That is why I have come here -- to stop him." The look softens a little. "I... I loved him once, and I believe he loved me. Perhaps I still do." And then the resolve returns to her expression. "But I will not allow him to hurt others any longer!" 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' ... So that was it ... a tragic love story. Jonathan's expression eases up, softening in sympathy. "What a twisted fate. ... The words of a stranger may not mean much, but I am sorry that this has befallen you two. In some ways, I suppose we're all beholden to our lineage." Jonathan's eyes squint as his facial features tense back up. "That said, I don't think you should try and do battle with him, Miss. His abilities are enigmatic and deadly, even compared to the monsters that have plagued this place before. Unless you're an 'Elite' as well, it may be best for you to tend elsewhere." It was a little hard to say that. Because he too knew the burning responsibility that she likely felt, at least, to an extent. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     "...We are," the woman replies. "That is why I cannot go. My name is Maria Renard. My brother is Richter Belmont, and this is his trade. We are all fated to walk this path, for the Belmonts are fated to destroy the Dark Lord Dracula each time he rises. I have been inside the Dark Lord's castle before, and fought through it in search of my brother. We both survived its horrors... thanks to him."     She shakes her head. "Forgive me, but I cannot leave strangers to deal the last blow. It is my responsibility. If I cannot save him, I will be with him in his final moments..." She pauses, sighs. "Before that. Tell me your name sir, and how it is you fought him away single-handedly." 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Vampire hunters, then. Jonathan nods, though he was still mildly perturbed at the proclomation of Count Dracula. It still was not the strangest thing he'd heard of, but to think that the count truly did exist in some world, somehow ... well, it wasn't a very pleasing thought. "My name is Jonathan Joestar. You could say my family has a history with ancient artifacts and vampires ... I fought the vampire off using Hamon, a Tibetan martial art that turned out to be rather effective against creatures of the night. Though, he was rather resillient to it, even after landing several direct hits, his body remained intact. ... I can sympathize with that feeling of responsibility. At the very least, I and my allies will fight with you." 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     "I see..." Maria replies. "You have my sympathies, Sir Joestar. Such things only bring tragedy to good people." The mention of 'Hamon' gets a look of surprise. This isn't something she's heard of, clearly. "I am pleased that it served you well. Adrian... he is very dangerous..."     Oh but then Jonathan speaks of allies! Maria nods. "Allies? Very good. That is what we need. My dear Adrian is very powerful... he is several centuries old. I do not know how vampires in your world function... but in mine, as a vampire ages, his power increases. As he is now, it would be suicide for one to face him alone..."     She thinks a moment. "Your allies... can you bring them here? I will tell you all what I can of him, all of you at once. And I know where he may be found. I know where he sleeps. Bring your allies here, and I will brief you all, and then we will go to where he sleeps and... end him." The last two words seem hard for her to say. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan nods sternly. "Very well, I'll put out the call to bring the others here. If all goes well, they should arrive within several days, at most. " And then they can finally put this nightmare falling over the Lot to rest. The people, hopefully, will be able to move on with their lives and he ... he could set out to find Dio once more, if not Tom Petty, Dire, and Straights. "If you need a place to stay for the night, I can take you to the building the victims have been housed in. It's been warded against vampires and their ilk, it should be a safe place for you to rest." 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Maria nods as well. "Thank you. I am sorry that he has caused you so much pain," she replies, her voice barely above a whisper. "I cannot but feel responsible. Perhaps if I had done something sooner... I should have seen the signs before it came to this. I learned he had taken human blood in the past; I should have known he would not be able to hold himself back forever..."     Strangely, when the house is mentioned, she... winces. It's a quick gesture, barely a flicker of emotion over her face. But the astute eye will catch it. "Thank you, Sir Joestar. But I must return to my sister. She is of delicate constitution. But more than that, she resembles me as well. I would not wish dear Adrian to attack her as well. Your people here are strong from their adversity. My sister would not survive such an attack."     She turns to Jonathan fully now, and makes to take his hand. If allowed to do so, she will give the hand a gentle squeeze. Her hand is cold and clammy, possibly from fright and nerves. And just maybe, the realization of what she must do to someone she loves. Jonathan will doubtless know what that feels like...     As quickly as she had tried to grip his hand, she moves away. "Take care, Sir Joestar! Until we meet again!" And then she dashes away the way she came. She is REALLY fast. Thankfully the skirt is snug, so it doesn't flip up as she runs. 
}}

5501/Soliloquy of Reproach: Prologue

2017-09-30T04:59:35Z

DariRyu: Jonathan Joestar asks for assistance in investigating the attacks of three girls in Windknight's Lot for their blood, and a team of Elites come to gather clues.

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/09/29
|Location=Windknight's Lot <WKL>
|Synopsis=Three pretty blonde girls of marrying age have been attacked for their blood in Windknight's Lot. Drained near to the point of death, they've only survived but for their speedy discovery. Jonathan Joestar asks for assistance in investigating the matter, and a team of Elites come to gather clues.
|Thanks=Jonathan Joestar
|Cast of Characters=1128, 571, 1011, 1016, 707, 151, 290, 1107
|Tinyplot=Soliloquy of Reproach
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses='''<J-IC-Scene>''' Jonathan Joestar says, "For anyone listening, my name is Jonathan Joestar. I am in dire need of assistance regarding matters that have befallen the people of Windknight's Lot. If you've the time and courage to spare, then please, come. You can find your way here through the overpass tunnel located just outside of my world's London." 
'''<J-IC-Scene>''' Alexis Maaka says, "I'm on the way." 
'''<J-IC-Scene>''' Xiaomu says, "Windknight's ... Isn't that where we -- yeah, on my way." 
'''<J-IC-Scene>''' Eithne Sullivan whoops. "I'm on it!" 
'''<J-IC-Scene>''' Rebecca Chambers says, "Moving out now!" 
'''<J-IC-Scene>''' Xiaomu says, "... What should we be loaded for?" 
'''<J-IC-Scene>''' Ainsley says, "I will be there soon. Not my specialty, I'm guessing, but a little wizardry couldn't hurt." 
'''<J-IC-Scene>''' Xiaomu says, "Are we talking about a specific kind of befalling matters, or should we be geared for a particular kind of supernatural badness?" 
'''<J-IC-Scene>''' Eithne Sullivan says, "I'm bringin' cold iron if that helps! ...and necromancy." 
'''<J-IC-Scene>''' Jonathan Joestar says, "The kind that involves the living dead, the damned in the moonlight -- the only kind that ever seems to trouble this place. Vampires." 
'''<J-IC-Scene>''' Jonathan Joestar says, "...maybe." 
'''<J-IC-Scene>''' Eithne Sullivan says, "Oooo-er." 
'''<J-IC-Scene>''' John Rizzo says, "Well, it's your lucky day, pal." 
'''<J-IC-Scene>''' Ainsley says, "I'll have a few questions about your necromancy later." 
'''<J-IC-Scene>''' Eithne Sullivan says, "It's completely an' totally normal!" 
'''<J-IC-Scene>''' Eithne Sullivan says, "And not evil!" 
'''<J-IC-Scene>''' Ainsley says, "Okay. But I want to ask you about it anyways. I'm not an inquisitor, I'm a wizard." 
'''<J-IC-Scene>''' Jonathan Joestar somehow projects his displeased look with neither audio nor visual prompt. 
'''<J-IC-Scene>''' Eithne Sullivan says, "Oh. Okay, sure!" 
'''<J-IC-Scene>''' Xiaomu says, "That does narrow it down. Right, be there in two shakes of a fox's tails~" 
'''<J-IC-Scene>''' Ainsley giggles. 
'''<J-IC-Scene>''' Rebecca Chambers says, "Just hold on, I'm coming!" 

----

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Windknight's Lot looks no different than it normally would on such a sunny almost-fall evening. Though it's quite beautiful, with the mountains around the town and the open view to the sea. But there's a tension in the air here, one that speaks of fear among the small populace.     So, about like usual, right?     However, while the threat of Dio is not long in the past, it IS in the past. This time, the fear is more immediate. Once again, it seems, a vampire has begun to terrorize the already beleaguered population of Windknight's Lot. Has fate chosen to end this town totally? What other explanation could there be for this?     Fortunately Jonathan Joestar has allies in the Multiverse outside, and has called them in to try and free the people from his second vampiric scourge. With the addition of Elite assistance, it should hopefully be over soon and Windknight's Lot will again be able to sleep peacefully. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Joestar definitely does have allies. Dio's atrocities were fresh enough in people's minds to make such a threat easily terrorize the population of the town, and Maaka's certainly friendly enough with Jonathan to find this a tad concerning. She arrives by a coach rented locally, as she hops out and tips the chauffeur. The cyberpunk mercenary isn't used to playing gumshoe, but she has some scanning gear in her head that can calculate data from crime scenes...in theory.     This may require some creative thinking. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' "Thanks for givin' me the megilla on this one, kid." Two bright headlights illuminate the tunnel, and the sound of a 6.8l V8 echoes through it like the growl of a predator. For once, John isn't the only predator in the area--evidently, there's something requiring the use of the word 'dire,' and that got his attention enough not only to assist, but to offer Eithne a ride.      Inside the air-conditioned cabin of Rizzo's black Dodge Polara, the sound of Wynton Marsalis' trumpet is more present than the car's engine, but the rumble is nonetheless heard all the same. Over the car's radio, the public Multiversal frequency can be heard, chatter from the various Elites occasionally overshadowing the soft jazz. In the backseat sits John's "Bag of tricks"--a small medicine bag full of preventative anti-vampire measures.      As the overpass gives way the car's steering attempts to give complaint regarding the dirt road, but the vampire's hands clutch the wheel and maneuver it expertly, keeping just under two tons of American steel steady on the rural path. It isn't long before the headlights illuminate standing forms.      Pulling the car into the grass so as not to block local traffic, Rizzo kills the engine, cuts the lights, and steps out, walking briskly around to open Eithne's door for her. "Alright, kiddo, let's blast." 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     John's car is something else! It's like riding in an eighteen wheeler that thinks it's a sports car. Securely strapped into the passenger seat, Eithne leans forward like it's going to help her see the town faster. "No worries! It's been quite a while since we got to work together, after all." It was a good excuse! After they park, she waits for him to come around and open the door - it's unusual to her, but she doesn't care to fuss about it. It's just how John is. She swings her feet out onto the ground and clambers out. "Thanks~"     The first thing she notices is how green everything is. Despite the pall of gloom hanging over the hamlet like a shroud, Eithne Sullivan doesn't seem to be feeling it - instead, she's consciously restraining herself from straying toward the densest patches of foliage. She's pretty sure she saw a blackberry bush...!     Focus, focus. This is business. Though vampires tend to skew the results a little bit (they're dead, but some of them can fool her supernatural senses) it would be prudent to try to locate any hanging around the town first thing. Marking off the graveyard on her mental map of the place, the Scion closes her eyes and extends her senses. "Where are yeh, now...?" she murmurs. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' While Xiaomu missed most of the trouble with Dio himself, she *has* been to Windknight's Lot before, and the call for aid - along with the additional detail of potential vampires - is enough to bring her running ... "HIGH SPEED XIAOMU!!" .... or rather, riding on her lightcycle. She's careful of traffic, of course - you don't live to be 765 (and not counting) by ignoring large vehicles moving in other directions around you - but she takes advantage of gaps and openings, finally reaching the underpass and driving through. When the lightcycle comes to a halt and derezzes, Xiaomu's riding suit disappears in a poof of gold-hued 'smoke,' replaced by her normal qipao, vest, and sandals. She has her staff in her hand post-transformation, and a carrypack slung across her back which presumably holds whatever additional supplies, ammunition, snacks, and entertainment she expects to need. "Hey everyone," she greets the other respondents with a casual wave. "So, we heading into the castle, or ..." She pauses, looking around for Mr. Joestar himself. (Or would he be 'Lord Joestar' around here?) 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     Considering the time period of the area and the education levels of the town's occupants, after a quick review of any records that may exist of this particular world following Jonathan Joestar's activity in the Multiverse... Ainsley decided to wear a voluminous set of robes to hide her reptillian features, her sword on her hip. She rides into town on the back of a horse... and flinches gently to herself because she is not used to riding a horse and only knows the basics of guiding it along to its destination. Oddly enough, she has her Paladin badge pinned to the front of her tight-fitting but very covering robes, making it clear she's a Paladin, and a member of the Cursebreakers.     She makes her way to the location likely given to her along with the others that chose to come help.     "Greetings and salutations," she says, her voice muffled by a scarf, "I apologize for my attire, it would get less stares than just wandering around in plain clothes. Being a lizard woman can cause a ruckus, and that would distract from the task at hand." She pulls the scarf mask down momentarily to show her smiling and distinctly reptilian visage, before replacing her mask.     A nod is given to Xiaomu, while the others are given more contemplative stares. She doesn't seem to mind the anachronistic outfits and methods of transport. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Rebecca doesn't fully know about what's happened here, but she's more than willing to find out. Unlike Xiaomu who may have entered using a lightcycle, Rebecca simply arrives on a green-colored motorcycle. She's careful of traffic as well, and isn't going as fast as the others might be, but she's still giving it all she's got and not stopping until she arrives. When she finally does arrive, Rebecca parks her motorcycle and looks around for Mr. Joestar. When she finally locates him, based on how the others have gathered near him, Rebecca salutes and says, "Rebecca Chambers here. I got the message and I came to assist." 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' The drawn horse carriage's elderly driver, unfortunately, receives a mild heart attack as real American steels rumbles through the tunnel. Passed out as he was on his chair, he should be fine if left alone, though. As for the others, they'll find that traffic wasn't really a problem. The automobile was, evidently, only just beginning to see its invention in America as even in the pinnacle of England's advancements, London, they were more likely to hit a pedestrian or carriage buggy than they were to encounter another vehicle.         Somehow, no accidents occur. Jonathan Joestar isn't vey far from the tunnel, as he seemed to have planted himself like a tree in the dirt road in the wait for assistance. A muscled giant of a man, Jonathan stood over six feet tall with biceps large enough to really make you wonder how he even moves his arms. The decorated hilt of his sword is seen sticking up over his back as he uncrosses his arms and waves in greeting to each and every ally who heeded the call. "Thank you for coming on such short notice, everyone." 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka pretty quickly approaches the towering English gentleman, clapping him on the arm with a nod. "Not a problem. I've dealt with a case like this before, 'cept it was more of a serial killer than...y'know, an actual vampire. Guy had a tendency to cut open women with surgical gear, we called him the Nosferatu back in Hong Kong." She says, before the others arrive.     When she sees Ainsley, the cyborg ambles over, and discretely slips her a chocolate bar. "Hey, Lizard Wizard." She greets cheeruflly, and nods to John and Eithne, Rebecca and Xiaomu too. She knows the latter two, but the former not so much, and she regards them with a curious look that maaaaay be a bit creepy given her golden colored eyes.     She's glad she tipped that carriage driver generously earlier, poor guy must be horrified at all the anachronism tonight. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Eithne's senses might be interefered with by the graveyard; there's a lot of Very Bad Mojo out that way. But that's not all. The graveyard has been some time ago. But there's a smaller 'blip', so to speak -- there HAS been another vampire here recently. Just one. But it's been VERY recent, like in the past few days.     Everything else seems about normal for this area; scared people, a dude passed out because OH GOD METAL MONSTER!, et cetera... 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' Whoa, nelly. He's gone and given the poor carriage driver /some kind/ of fright. Of course, he can't get close enough to the horses without them smelling the curse on him and making things worse. At least the guy's not dead. He turns to Enya, watching silently as she searches for the vampire. "Me and my bright ideas," he mutters dourly, running a hand through his short red hair. "Remind me to go local the next time we get a call from the boonies."      Sigh. Oh, well. Better introduce himself to the guy he's meant to be helping. "Hey there, champ," says the beanpole vampire. They can meet eye to eye in terms of height, but whereas Jonathan is all muscle, John's clothes seem to hang off of him like a scarecrow. He extends a hand to Jonathan. Should Jojo accept this greeting, he'll find John's hand cold to the touch. "John Rizzo, private dick. Heard there was a lick in the neighborhood. Thought I'd drop by, help you get a quarterback on him."      "You got any leads so far?" 

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''     Ooh, candy.     Ainsley immediately unwraps the candy and stuffs the chocolate bar in her mouth, implicitly trusting Alexis to give her perfect normal candy. She spends a moment enjoying this, guiding her horse to the side of the road so that she's not in the way or anything. She says, "No problem," through a mouthful of chocolate to Jonathan. "I'll go check the graves with some magic. Call if something happens."     And so she guides her horse to a spot to tie to a post, to start scanning the graves one by one, using the Cognito spell word. The magic augments her sight so she can see an impression of 'thought,' so if something has any kind of mental activity she might be able to spot it hiding in the grave dirt. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Rebecca gives a nod to Alexis as well, as well as Xiaomu, before focusing on the graveyard in question. Unfortunately, she's not skilled in this manner of searching a graveyard for strange things, as her variety of undead is based off of biological science. Nevertheless, Rebecca's not going to sit around idly and let everyone else work on their own. She takes out her Beretta and attaches her flashlight to it. Entering the graveyard, Rebecca sweeps the graveyard with her flashlight to see if there's anything she might be able to spot with her lack of supernatural skill, as well as she pretty much has a naked eye. She bites her lower lip a little, feeling somewhat out of place. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' "Ah, there you are," Xiaomu calls out, matching up Jonathan's face (and voice) with his request for assistance, and striding over to regroup with the others. Her casual air notwithstanding, though, she's already paying attention to her surroundings as a whole - ears perked, gaze flicking back and forth; Ainsley already seems to be checking on something, and the sage fox from Shinra knows how good Ainsley's magic is from first-hand experience. (There had to be ONE good thing about that whole Urban Breath business, right?) She's not about to get in Ainsley's way; for now, Xiaomu's watching and listening - mostly listening - and extending her other senses. If there's anything supernatural in the area *now*, and it's not one of her allies, she wants to be ready to get the drop on it, her, or him ... 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     There's just too much interference for her to be sure, but Eithne can taste /something/. There was a ghoul here - no, a vampire, it smells like a vampire - recently. But whether or not it's /still/ here...     Giving up for the moment, the dark-haired teenager opens her eyes and watches the colorful Elites chatting and investigating. ...Is that a lizard lady? Cool!! She'd better be careful to not stare.     Waves and greetings are returned, smiles met with one of her own. Eithne sniffs at the mountain air, turning the bracelet on her left wrist around and around as she thinks. She could ask someone to come out and talk to her, maybe? Side-eyeing the others, she wanders a little closer to the cemetery. Totally not suspicious. Totally not about to do necromancy.     She's totally going to do necromancy.     "Right then," she says to the graves, as if she expects them to be listening. "Anybody care to come tell me what this is all about? Also if anybody wants to go toward the light an' such afterward, I'll help." 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Alexis can't help but look in amusement as Ainsley devours her chocolate bar, and she eyes Eithne and Rizzo some more. "I take it you've got experience with this kind of thing? She asks the detective curiously, as she approaches him. "Alexis Maaka, I've been around here before. Jonathan and I are uh, comrades, so to speak." She explains off-handedly, introducing herself to Rizzo in the same breath.     She'll then head for the graveyard, swapping her eyes to thermoptic-vision for a brief look around, maybe scan for blood splatters of a recent nature. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan narrows his eyes slightly as he shakes the lanky vampire's hand. Ice cold to the touch. But, he had to remember that not every vampire was like Dio. Seras had been a very nice girl, after all, so at the very least he should give this man the benefit of the doubt. "I see ... er, I beg your pardon, but I don't quite understand everything you just said." American slang seemed to be, more or less lost on him. " ... but the clues we do have are in the form of three victims. Young ladies just of marrying age, three of the handful or so left in town have been treated for puncture wounds in their neck." "All of them describe the same thing, a tall figure in black, pale skin. Ghostly hair." Meanwhile, in the graveyard... Once entering the gates, the first distinguishable feature is the utter desecration of the area. As if everything had been dug up or, perhaps, had dug itself out of the ground. It looked noticeably less disgusting than the last time Xiaomu visited it, as the gore and bodies that had been left were now in an advanced stage of dry rot, barely more than brittle bones and dust. Rebecca, if she so chooses to investigate some of these skeletal remains, may find a strange fluid leaking from some of the bones. Cursory examination would reveal that, despite the apparent age of the dead -- ranging from about fourty to a hundred years old or even more -- very lethal wounds to the head had to have been recent. Those without completely decimated craniums, oddly, had patches of bone that were much newer than the rest, only being about a year old. Enya's attempts at contacting the dead seem to be for naught, because there were no spirits here. None. This is unsettling, as such an ancient grave must surely have ancient souls in unrest. If there are spirits that wandered Windknight's Lot, she may have to look elsewhere, as whatever raised the dead here had consumed its victims wholesale, body and soul. Ainsley's use of magic tells her nothing, but that in and of itself is something. A spell that detects thoughts should still be picking up the life that typically blooms in a graveyard setting. But not a single scavenger approached this place, the animals avoided it just as much as the human residents did. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Also, Xiaomu also gets a 'blip' of her own. There's something supernatural faintly on her 'radar', something supernatural... and dark. And wouldn't you know it, it's somewhere vaguely in the direction of the town. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' Rizzo catches the slight change in demeanor on Jonathan's part, and looks down in what appears to be shame. Letting his hand fall to his side and avoiding eye contact with Joestar, he nods. "Three young women treated for bite wounds, got it," he says. The vampire pulls a notepad from his pocket and begins scribbling down a description of the individual.      Once finished, he shoves his hands into the pocket of his trench coat, tromping through the grass to the parked Polara nearby. It's time to head into town in search of clues, but he's not going to be without preparation. Opening the passenger side door and leaning in, one clammy hand unzips the bag of tricks he's brought along. Shortly thereafter, a stake and a bottle of holy water are slipped into the interior of his coat.      Armed with these and a .38 special loaded with rubber bullets, Rizzo makes for the town in the distance, raising his watch to his mouth to confer with the other investigators. 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     Silence.     Eithne waits a few moments more, expectantly, because sometimes the shyer spirits take a bit to work up the courage to manifest. She can't even tell if there are any here, because the whole graveyard is one big confusing scribble on her mental map of the village. There are a /ton/ of bodies, but with no ghosts to provide the thinking and the memories, they're useless for gathering information. All they ever want to 'talk' about is brains this and my-arm-fell-off-again that.     This... is weird. More than weird, it's bad. Frowning, she leaves the graveyard and returns to Jonathan to report, watching John curiously as he retrieves his anti-vampire kit. "It's like a black hole in there. Nothin' but leftover bodies that look like they were zombies once." She's pretty familiar with the signs of ex-zombies, being that the usual symptom of such is 'grossly decayed, with uniform blunt trauma to the skull'.     When he starts toward the town, the Scion reaches out into the thin air of Somewhere Else for her really ridiculously large sword and trots after him. "Wait fer me!" 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' At first, Rebecca doesn't think she's going to find anything, thinking she's on a wild goose chase and feeling completely useless to the investigation. That is, until she gets a look at the skeletons more closely, and almost immediately she widens her eyes. The first thing she notices is the fact that there's a strange liquid within some of them, and Rebecca gasps. She takes out a small syringe and attempts to suck up a sample before putting it into a tight container. "Looks like I wasn't useless after all..." Rebecca trails off as she gets another look at a skeleton, this one without its head. It's supposed to be old or something, yet parts of the bones don't look old at all. In fact, as Rebecca looks closer, she notices that some spots of the bones are almost like new. "OK, something's definitely wrong here!" She stands up and looks around, starting to feel a little uneasy. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Compared to the literally unholy stink that emanated from the graveyard the LAST time she was downwind of it, Xiaomu finds the smell of dry rot relatively wholesome by comparison. She's still in no hurry to go much closer to the graves than necessary: one more reason to let the other girls do their thing and stay out of their way. Besides, what Jonathan has to say about the three victims - and the figure they all described - is a pretty solid lead in its own right ... particularly when Xiaomu's ears twitch a bit, and she tilts her head back, as though sniffing at the air. "Huh," she muses, almost under her breath. "Picking something up *that* far away ..." She kind of wants to meet with the victims herself - but whatever her affinity for the supernatural just picked up on, she *definitely* wants to check that out as well. And since all of her supplies and weapons are already on her person, she just turns to head towards the town. "I think our vampire may be around the area," she explains, "but if all three victims are still alive and *don't* show signs of turning ... need to investigate further. I felt *some*thing not of this world, not sure if I can zero in on it with my senses alone." And she's hoping she can find the vampire before anyone with a more-itchy trigger finger picks him out. Assuming the tall figure is male. No guarantees of that. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Alexis looks and begins to dig around. A lot of things dug their way out of the ground, but that isn't a surprise from Jonathan's story earlier. She looks to Enya, as silence is all that answers the child of Morrigan, and she frowns. "Nobody's home. Duno how that works." She muses, before she takes off after the Scion curiously. As for weapons, she has her 10mm pistol, that won't be an issue if she runs into any kind of threats in town. "Lines up with what Jonathan said before, the last vampire in this town was uh...creative with his experiements." She comments. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     The town feels as nervous and electric as a town being attacked by a vampire would be. Perhaps not quite as nervous as when Dio was running around because... there's been no deaths. But definitely suspicious and nervous. Also night is falling, so people are doubtless trying to get off of the streets as quickly as possible -- no one wants to be next on the menu.     That said, if people are looking for immediately suspicious places, there's always the places the girls were attacked. The attacks have been fairly recent and no one's been brave enough to go down there and mess with things.     There's also a very tired-looking young man with brown hair and green eyes, standing in front of a building. This building, Jonathan may remember, was where they moved the three victims so they could keep an eye on them all. He's dressed in typical clothes of the era, but he's missing his coat and his sleeves are rolled up. He also looks very tired, as mentioned. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan begins to walk towards town. The vast majority of the hundreds-strong village had been massacred in Dio's reign of terror, and as a result, only perhaps two dozen or so inhabitants remained. It gave the ancient little hamlet a rather haunted look once you began to walk through it, long winding dirt roads and rolling green hills leading them from the riverfront and into the lower section that still saw habitation. With the onset of nightfall, it was only natural that those few who still remained outside their homes fled back into perceived safety. The only ones out now were Jonathan, the party that had come to assist, the brown haired man in front of them, and ... Two children or, perhaps teenagers. A very pretty young girl in plain clothing and a shoe-less boy in a shoddy white shirt and overalls. Anca and her little brother, Poco. "Jonathan!" Poco looked relieved, and brimming with excitement at the sight of the Joestar's allies. "Please tell me you brought a real doctor! I'm not sure Crackpot Yates is really being any help -- " A very loud thwacking sound resounded the starlit town. Poco reeled towards the ground as his sister slowly lowered her hand, rather than going for another vicious smack upside the back of his head. Jonathan, for his part, couldn't help but look sheepish for the boy. "This is the doctor who has been treating the three victims." In the graveyard... Rebecca is able to obtain MYST. LIQUID SAMPLE. The substance was thick, like congealed blood. Whether this is its natural state, or because of a prolonged state of inactivity, will be difficult to tell without an actual lab to examine it in. Any further looks into some of the skeletons littering the place yields even more disturbing results, as not all of the bones appeared to be quite human. Some were from animals. Some were from men, and some were from women -- all mixed up in the same body. In a way, it might be familiar for the medical genius of S.T.A.R.S. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Maybe a hat would have been a good idea, Xiaomu thinks as she enters the town proper. She did manage to make friendly contact with a couple of locals when she was here before ... but given the rate at which the sun's setting, those two children are probably safely indoors by now -- Then she hears Poco's voice, and can't help but grin as she turns to look for him. "Poco, Anca, how's it going?" she calls out, waving to them cheerily. She doubts they have much information to offer, but she makes a mental note of where they are, *just* in case ... and keeps an ear perked in their direction as she continues her reconaissance. Checking out the attack sites seems like another good idea, but Xiaomu's initial interest is drawn to the man standing in front of that building without a coat. "Fair evening to you, good sir," Xiaomu greets him as she approaches, bowing her head politely. (She's not going to pass for a local without a LOT of work, so she isn't about to bother.) "We heard about the victims of the so-claimed vampire, and came to offer what aid we can. Might you know anything about this situation?" She may not be terribly formal most of the time, but the sage fox DOES know how to be polite when it's called for. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     'Crackpot Yates' is apparently that brown-haired young man, since Poco's statement, and the 'nickname', causes his face to go red and he sputters indignantly. "Why I should...!" But he pauses there. Jonathan's here, and so are friends of his, and it wouldn't do for the young man to lose his temper in front of them. He exhales, a visible effort to keep it calm. He's on-edge too, and his temper's a little tricky. He nods to Jonathan's introduction. "Lord Joestar," he offers, by way of greeting. And to the others? A bow. "Theodore Yates, at your service." Friends of Jonathan's are friends of his, after all.     The young man with the brown hair blinks at seeing Xiaomu. No, she is definitely not a local, and he can very much tell that. But it's true, she did conduct herself well the last time she was here. But they ARE traveling with Jonathan, so... Yates tilts his head at the question from Xiaomu. "Ah, let's see... the victims were all found in or near areas where they would be out of immediate view," he begins. "Three young ladies -- poor girls, such delicate flowers, left for dead on the streets. They all said it was a man wearing a black cloak with a hood, white skin and a beautiful face, what of it they could see. Nearly white hair, long and wavy, chest-length from the hood. Their wounds are healing well, but... their continued weakness concerns me..." 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Between finding this mysterious liquid and noticing there's something VERY wrong with the corpses and their bones, Rebecca notes what she's found before preparing to search some more. "I've got some interesting finds so far," She comments to herself, "But who knows what else I might find?" Although if one were to look closely, there's a hint of uneasiness on Rebecca's face. Almost like she's got a bad feeling about this whole thing. Occasionally, Rebecca's head snaps up almost like she's heard something she didn't want to, but it appears to be just her imagination... 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Xiaomu nods, listening to Yates's summation. A few more details than she already knew - and some details about their current status. "Try a tincture of ... what was it, holy water and garlic blossoms? Their ailment isn't strictly medical, but I'll talk to some experts back home and see what good remedies you can make use of. Talking to them ourselves may elicit some more useful details." She pauses briefly, as if remembering something. "Oh yeah ... make sure they eat foods rich in iron. Red meat, spinach ..." She trails off, looking rueful, and adds, "Do you actually know what I mean by 'foods rich in iron'? - But yeah, red meat if you can get it, spinach ought to be good too. I'm guessing the mundane problem is anemia, so as long as you *don't* use leeches and *do* focus on helping them regain their strength ..." She meanders towards the door of the building now, but she's keeping her ears perked for any additional useful details that other people might manage to draw out. 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     Oh, look! There /are/ people left, after all. Eithne drops her sword as she runs after John, and it vanishes as it hits the ground.     Anca and Poco get a friendly wave as she draws near, and Eithne actually laughs a little when the sister (she assumes) gives her little brother a good whack. Atta girl!     Crackpot Yates seems to be less... well, she'd really been expecting some kind of Doc Brown type with a name like that. Not a young man! "Enya Sullivan," she introduces herself, returning the bow with a nod of her curly head.     It takes an effort of will to not make a face when he mentions 'delicate flowers'. Land like this doesn't turn out wilting violets, in Eithne's experience... but Xiaomu is right. "I can bring some back if there's a shortage," she volunteers. "But with the plants around here growin' so strongly, I doubt there's a lack of vegetables, right?" 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Alexis recognizes Poco and Anca when she hears their voices. "Hey," She greets casually, before she approaches the two kids. "I remember you two from last time, vaguely though." She does produce a pair of snack bars, pitching them like softballs at the kids as a treat. "Help yourselves." She grins, before she returns to listen to the doctor explain shit, folding her arms. "What time did these attacks occur, Doctor?" She asks, keeping to business as she mulls over the details; Tall guy with white hair and pale skin, pretty boy, cloak with hood, sounds about suspicious enough to her. Then again, she's a commando with combat BDUs, an armored coat and bulletproof vest, and butch as all can be, so she can't judge even if she wanted to. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' John, Alexis and Eithne look like a walking timeline, each one successively further away from what passes as normal around here. The vampire's attire might be the closest to the native Victorian flair, but even his clothing bears subtle divergences; his tie is a slim cousin of the cravat, his trenchcoat a billowy associate of the frock coat.      "No such luck, young man," Rizzo quietly offers to Poco once they're brought before him, his sister, and the alleged crackpot. "But he did bring a private investigator from America--yours truly. Me and my pals'll find out who did this." Smiling wanly, he takes his attention off of the boy to turn and face the building serving as an infirmary.      So--this fits the usual vampire MO, but... "...the execution is sloppy," mutters Rizzo under his breath, jotting down notes on his notepad. No attempt to mindwhack the vics, despite not draining them completely. That implies a bit of arrogance; maybe he thinks he can get away with it because there's so few people left here, and it's so remote.      The bit about the weakness concerns him, too--enough that he decides to see for himself. Naturally, the exorcist and the vampire hunter don't trust the vampire--but if he has any misgivings with that, they are nowhere to be seen on his gaunt, haggard face. Motioning for Jonathan and Xiaomu to come along with him, the vampire slips inside, leaving Enya and Alexis to socialize with Yates. Once indoors, he removes his trench coat, hanging it on a coatrack beside the door and rolling the sleeves of his shirt up.      His nostrils flare as he follows the scent of 19th century medicine and dried blood, all the way to the location of the vampire's living victims. What can be seen here, before he does his Thing? 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Meanwhile, in the graveyard... Most of the disturbing things have been uncovered, but there were still a few bits of interest. Checking the remaining gravestones, depending on how well she knew her history from her own world, she'd be able to surmise that quite a few of the graves made here were made for soldiers over three hundred years ago, during the reign of the Tyrant Queen, Elizabeth the First. There was definitley relevant history to uncover there, as two of the graves very specifically, were left unmarked. The only two to be such. Maybe, she'd need to venture outside of this area to gain insight on the matter. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Yates seems flummoxed. "DON'T use leeches? But what of the tainted humours in their bodies?" Yeah, THAT theory. "Would it not be best for the leeches to remove those?" As for the tincture? "Holy water and garlic?" He begins thinking about that.     Maaka has a question too, and Yates has an answer. "The last attack was yesterday. The others occurred during the first and middle of last week. The last attack, the one yesterday, someone heard a scream. When they came to see what the matter was, the last victim was found."     Eithne gets a bow as well. "Pleasure to make your acquaintence," he greets in return. "Food is not terribly scarce, no. But your assistance is appreciated. If food may strengthen these poor girls, I am willing to try." A bit of fear enters his expression, and his voice, despite he efforts to quell it. "I hope you all can find the cause and end this...."     Yates looks at Xiaomu and Rizzo as they make to enter. He looks like he's about to stop them. But then he looks at Jonathan. If Jonathan goes in with them, Yates probably won't be too upset...     The inside of the building is a typical example of the architecture of the era. Though dusty and clearly un-lived-in for quite some time. The large dining room has been cleared of furniture and in its place are three beds, each holding one young lady. They are indeed on the cusp of marrying age, all pale with blood loss. And all of them with long blonde hair.     If anyone looks at the wounds, they're healing about as well as can be expected. But if Rizzo's looking at their auras, he might notice something immediately... these girls' auras are very weak. Not just from the creature that fed on their blood. But something else, something not readily apparent. They're distressed, severely -- frightened. Which might also show in their sleeping frowns. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Despite her gut instinct telling her not to, Rebecca moves towards the two unmarked graves. Of course she does double-check to make sure the safety is turned off on her gun before she approaches those graves. Her steps are slow and deliberate, and if one were to look closely, they'd see she's shaking a little. Her teeth are gritted as she gets close to them. "All right, let's see if there's anything notable about them," Rebecca comments, sweeping her flashlight as she examines the area around the graves. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Poco stares at John Rizzo with the curious admiration that only young boys tend to carry with them. The man was just close enough in dress and posture to what he was familiar with that he was comfortably relatable, but just different enough to be exotic. Mentions of America only increased these feelings. "Wow! Jonathan, you even know people from America? That's amazing." Anca catches both of the thrown snacks with a smile, nodding to Xiaomu, Alexis, and Enya. Poco's attention was gathered as the candy was whapped lightly against the top of his head and offered to him. "Oh gee, thanks!" Jonathan, meanwhile, enters the room with the vampiric detective and vulpine exorcist.         Meanwhile, in the graveyard... Rebecca moves to examine the graves, but --- her foot slips! The dirt is loose, and the grave reveals itself to be an open one. And, it's big. Bigger than any man, for sure. Maybe ten men could fit in this, but it looks closer to twelve .... Should she climb her way out of the empty burial, she'll find that the other one is empty as well, though it is sized much closer to what an average human's grave would be. Some minor belongings were found within the second, primarily a locket. It was starting to paint the picture that perhaps the graves were unmarked, and the corpses left coffinless, as a sign of disrespect. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Rebecca finds that the dirt is a little more loose than she'd like it to be, and she cries out in terror as she finds herself taking a fall. It's short, but it's enough to scare her. Once she's recovered, Rebecca looks around and is relieved to find there's no traps or anything there. She pulls herself out quickly, then looks inside the other grave to see if it's open as well. Not only is it open, but it's also got a locket in there as well. "Hey, there's something here." She leaps down into the grave to look closer. "A locket?" 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     "Actually, about the leeches... What's wrong with the girls is that they've had the blood drained from 'em, right? Well, the leeches will just drink /more/ of their blood," she explains to poor Yates, deciding to swerve around the whole business of 'tainted humours'. "It'll just make 'em sicker. Holy water an' garlic are things that vampires don't like. Also, grow more wild roses around here if yeh can. Oftentimes, they'll stop a vampire in his tracks. Here, hold on."     Eithne takes a break from being a know-it-all to dig around in her backpack. "Book, book, ball of twine... aha!!" She holds up a makeup bag with a kitty on it. "Here, I've got just the thing!"     Unzipping the bag reveals not makeup, but... seeds. Plastic bags full of them. She draws out one that looks exactly like all the others, stows her things back in the backpack, and wanders off to start poking holes in the dirt around the house, particularly under the windows and around the doors. "We'll plant these here, yeah?" She'd better wait until John's back out to give the seeds a jolt, but it's the best idea she's got so far! 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' Rizzo knows better than to be angry as he observes the auras of the vampire's victims. This kind of thing happens, and expecting other vampires to follow rules as stringent as his is idealistic at best. But that's not to say the sight doesn't affect him. As soon as he enters, the vampire's normally neutral frown deepends into something wrought with worry. He takes the hand of one of them, kneeling before the impromptu cot.      Closing his eyes, he utters a prayer in Latin, resting his forehead against the weak victim's hand: "(Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the malice and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.)"      He quietly makes the rounds, repeating this prayer for the other two young women, as well. When he's finished with this quiet rite, he rises, then begins doing his aforementioned Thing.      Every living being--and more than a few unliving beings--has a mind. Even when the body is weak and frail, the mind persists. Malkav's blessing allows those of his blood to touch the minds of others, and this John does, reaching out for the presence of one of the victims.      Telepathy is more art than science, more interpretation than exact measures, but the mind thinks of things in certain ways. Images, feelings, smells, sounds. Discreetly, John begins searching the mind of the victims for a better idea of how, when, and where they were attacked. Did the perpetrator use any sort of special ability they might not have recognized? What did he sound like? What did he /look/ like? Did he have any distinguishing features past the long white hair? He's hoping these memories will be at the forefront of their minds and not require much digging. He already has a description of him, but if he can get an image of the guy, he can send it to others. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Rebecca obtains an OLD LOCKET. The locket is ancient. The silver and gold that made up its form were dull and dirtied. The locking mechanism is most likely brittle with age, breaking it open shouldn't be very difficult. What will she do with it? 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Ah, somebody patient enough to explain to the poor uneducated back-historical crackpot *WHY* certain aspects of his era's medical science were quite rightly superseded by other, more advanced approaches as science went marching on. Xiaomu smiles to herself as she hears Eithne explaining the whys and wherefores of not using leeches; she wasn't planning to burden 'Doctor' Yates with knowledge ahead of his time, but Eithne was patient enough to put it in terms he'd understand. Then again, Xiaomu didn't know the bit about the wild roses. She'll have to try and keep THAT trick in mind. At this point, though, she's more curious about what John Rizzo is doing - and she watches, and listens, while staying out of the way. It may bear mentioning that Xiaomu and Christianity are not exactly on close or friendly terms. Not that the Chinese sage fox has anything in particular against that religion - but Christians across the centuries have had issues with *her*, for one reason or another. Then again, so have less-aware Buddhists and quite a lot of alleged adherents of Shinto ... Anyway, yeah, Xiaomu's staying out of Rizzo's way while he prays and sets to work. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Finding the locket, Rebecca realizes she might be on to something. She scales out of the grave and is about to crack it open when something tells her not to. "I'd better get to the village and join the others. I don't want anything to happen to me while I'm alone!" She tucks the locket into her pocket securely but carefully, then takes off running back towards the village, silently praying she's not attacked by zombies. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan watches John Rizzo as he prays. It's a strange sight, but, it brings a small modicum of comfort that the detective believed in God. The commonality between the three girls in question bothered him greatly, just as did the description of their attacker. Close to Dio, but different. Longer hair. Dio's fell to his shoulders and was a mane of gold, not pale blonde waves. None the less, the vague similarity was striking, just as much as the three girl's resemblance to his fiance, Erina.         Meanwhile... Rebecca quickly finds her way to town. It looked empty, haunted -- but whatever frightful atmosphere it had was eased by Anca and Poco, who showed up to help escort her. "Wow, you're a really pretty lady, even though your hair is short --" As is tradition, Poco finds himself with a new sore bump on his head. "I'm sorry about my brother," Anca apologized, bowing her head slightly. She was a pretty girl herself, with tanned skin, shiny black hair and big, sapphire blue eyes. "Your friends and Lord Joestar are seeing to the victims to find clues, just this way." 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Enya basically nails what Maaka was about to say. Except the garlic and holy water thing, she didn't know that actually WORKED. "You speaking from experience?" She asks the Scion, regarding her curiously. "But yeah, uh, leeches aren't gonna do much good when they're already anemic as all Hell. I mean, excess blood is definitely a good idea, or even when you're reattaching body parts and-" Pause. She's not helping. The town's already got vampires to deal with, talk of mutilation isn't gonna do much.     "...nevermind." Cough. 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Xiaomu quirks an ear further up, and just kinda casually looks sideways in Maaka's direction. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Rebecca smirks a little at Poko getting bumped on the head, before replying to Anca, "If you could take me there, that'd be great. I really need some assistance here." She sounds calm enough, but there's beads of sweat on her forehead indicating something's bugging her. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     "What? I've been researching this shit ever since he brought up leeches." Maaka says defensively, shrugging. THIS WHOLE TIME she says? Might explain why she was looking into space.     She also quietly turns off the browser in her head, briefly. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Yates tilts his head to Eithne's explanation. "Oh... well, when you put it like that, it's... not a terrible point," he concedes. Though then she's digging around in her bag and... seeds? Wild roses? "Will they really? Thank you," he says hesitantly. He's not quite sure about the roses, but... "...Well, I can't see the harm in roses. Perhaps they'll pretty the place up a bit, too."     Maaka makes Yates go a little pale, with her talk of reattaching limbs. He can't find the words to speak at the moment, but he tries, sputtering a little. "A-ah... w-well..." Finally he gets his composure back, and notes, "I will, er... k-keep that in mind..."     As for Rizzo?     Darkness. The town looks scary at night, the mostly-empty buildings almost seeming to loom over him. They move by fast, as if he's running. Something's behind, chasing, something horrible. He's gaining, run faster, FASTER!, can't run faster, he's catching up have to get away can'tlethimcatchme! Look back, there he is. A dark shape, human. But something horrible lurks under that hood. Cloak spread like a great pair of wings, whole shape like a great winged shadow. Disappears. Appears before. Oh no IT'S HIM! The winged shadow bears down, a glimpse of the face is seen...     Pale. Near-white skin. Delicate of features, beautiful for a man, but not enough to mistake him for a woman -- the jawline is too strong, even if the chin is narrow. Long hair, pale yellow like straw, just wavy enough to not make it seem stringy. In fact it looks quite well taken care of. The shape bears down, the mouth opens, and the fangs are visible. He's a monster, a beautiful monster but he's a monster...     And if Rizzo sends that image he gets as the shape bears down on the view in the girl's mind, everyone here will have a better idea of what the perpetrator looks like.     ...Some might find him familiar, actually... 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Anca and Poco escort Rebecca to the specific house that Yates was using to treat the victims. On the way there, they obviously pass by Theodore, Alexis, and Enya -- Rebecca could either head inside from here, or remain outside to talk with those who'd chosen to stay behind. Jonathan, in the meantime, receives the mental image broadcast by Detective Rizzo. "Gh.." It wasn't the first time he'd been involved in such things, he'd once dived inside of Ainsley's brain to help deal with a certain problem, afterall. It none the less, was not a pleasant experience. The figure was not Dio, at the very least, this confirmed it. But the similarities, they were all there. The stature, the fangs, the uncanny or otherwise inhuman beauty. It made his stomach churn and his blood boil. And these women would be haunted by that encounter for the rest of their lives. Perhaps that's what the fiend had intended, the reason it hadn't killed them.     "I don't recognize the face, but ... I'll remember it." 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     Hey, Eithne loves telling people about things she knows! Especially things that are useful!     "Not personally, no," she tells Maaka. "But it's common knowledge on worlds where it works, and on some worlds where it doesn't. The wild roses are less well-known, but they were mentioned in Dracula. Somethin' about being able to rob a vampire of its strength, make it weak as a kitten." It's been nearly a decade since she last read that, she can't possibly remember the actual passage anymore. But the important bits usually manage to stick around.     Crouching down next to the row of planted seeds, Eithne tucks her skirt between her thighs (for reasons of Morals) and rests a hand on the ground. Calling on her Legend, the power of a Scion to channel the powers gifted to them by the divine parent, she focuses on the tiny world of infinite possibilities contained in something as small as a rose seed. She can get them started, but it won't be enough to stop anybody for a while... not without help.     Tugging the knife from her boot, she calmly slices open her palm and dribbles her own blood over the seeds. It's not pretty, but it's worked before. 

:'''{{#var:290|Rebecca Chambers (290)}} has posed:''' Rebecca stands by to talk to those who remained behind. Although she will turn her eye at the sight of Enya cutting her own palm open. She may be a bio-chemistry major with major experience handling grotesque bio-warfare weapons, but even this is a bit too much for her... 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' The victims have provided him and a few others with valuable information--which he'll gladly share with others if it means a chance to apprehend the perpetrator. Before he can do anything else, however, good must be nurtured. Having already said a prayer of protection, Rizzo takes a moment to conjure mental images of calm and safety, projecting them into the minds of the victims.      The English countryside in the daytime, the rays of the sun banishing all darkness from even the most secluded of the small town's alleyways. The smell of freshly baked bread rolls freely throughout the place, as does the sound of children laughing and the distant sound of a lute.      It's nice to leave people with something good and uncorrupted. Eithne's voice pipes up over his radio asking him to watch the door, and so he leaves the side of the victims to do as he's asked. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka meanwhile isn't even phased by Eithne slitting her hand open like that. "Huh." She vaguely recalls seeing similar spells before, as she watches with some interest. "We'll see how well it works here, I guess." 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' Flavored by its presence in a nightmare as it is, Xiaomu still commits the literal mental image to her memory; she may not get a fangs-first look at the attacker - and she's honestly hoping she *doesn't* - but the rest of his visage, at least the part captured from nightmares and memories, that she's pretty sure she'll recognize the vampire if she meets him. At the sudden commotion outside about Eithne 'watering' roses with blood, though, the sage fox just wrinkles her nose and flicks her ears back. She may not be looking, she may not even know what exact school of magic the Celtic chick is working from, but blood carries power - especially life-force, which is *WHY* vampires and a few other supernatural creatures are known to drain blood from their prey. It's like taking just the nutrition out of a piece of food, leaving the rest of the bulk instead of having to process it out through the stomach and intestines. On the flip side, if Yates is actually *right* and the rosebushes grow carnivorous, she'll make a point of coming back with incendiary grenades a-plenty. 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan says nothing as John is outed as a blood sucking fiend of the night; he'd already had him pegged, after all. Still, he couldn't help but feeling bad that something so obviously personal was shared thoughtlessly. At the least, the man seemed to have a good heart, despite his ... condition. Not like that /thing/ terrorizing the Lot. Not like Dio. "I'll stick around here for a while yet, make sure no other incidents occur. The creature can't have gone very far, at the worst, it's camping out in the mountain range. Or ... in the castle." He'd have to conduct a sweep of it later, he supposed. Just to be sure. 

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''     Yates goes a bit pale when Eithne slices her palm. "Good HEAVENS, miss!" he all but squeaks. "What exactly are you doing?! Watering plants with human blood?!" He doesn't like the idea of that! "The roses may grow to crave it!" Superstitious folk!     Meanwhile, inside, Rizzo's having a better time of it. Between the prayer and the pleasant thoughts he's sending to the sleepers' minds, the darkness will begin to retreat. Oddly though... it seems almost as though something is Not Happy as Rizzo pushes it back. but between the prayer and the happiness, it has nothing to grab onto, and so it retreats...     Rizzo may get the feeling that 'for now' is tacked on...     Xiaomu, if she starts out of the building, will get a look from Yates. It's an exasperated look, a 'please can you clean up after your friend' look. Not that Eithne is a Xiaomu's puppy dog or anything, but... well! It just ain't proper to water plants with blood in mixed company!     And once Yates can see Jonathan again, he asks, "Is everything all right? Are they still... er, rather -- has there been any change?" He realizes these are Jonathan's friends, yes. But he doesn't know know, and he's a little concerned. Doubtless he'll be checking on the girls later. 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     Her blood isn't like most. Something old and dark and powerful birthed Eithne, and she carries that something's legacy in her veins along with her human father's blood. "Don't worry about it," she pipes up cheerfully. "That almost never happens!"     How cool would a carnivorous rose be, though?!     Watered with blood and Legend, the seeds have enough energy to crack through their shells and grow. Grow, and grow, and grow...     The vines creak and whisper as they climb the walls, leaves unfurling and buds bursting into bloom. Thorns and fine hairs dig into the wood and brick of the house, blossoms of blood red and baby pink defying the gloom of the cursed village as they open beneath the stars.     Standing up, Eithne brushes her hand off on her skirt and beams at her handiwork. "There, that's MUCH better." 

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:''' Jonathan nods to Yates, his stern expression softening slightly. "Yes, they should be fine -- ah? What pretty fauna has suddenly decorated the outside."         He seems impressed. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' The vampire's brow furrows with concern as his mind turns. Something else was in there, when he was playing clean up. It's worth mentioning to the others, but first, he'd better step outside...      The door absolutely refuses to budge. John sighs. He supposes True Faith comes inherent when one is the daughter of a god. Raising his watch to his mouth, he speaks up. "Eithne, you might busting me out of this joint? Your mojo's got me sealed up like armored heifer in here." 

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:''' "Well," Xiaomu remarks idly as the rosebushes suddenly engulf the house which she, Rizzo, Jonathan, and a few others are standing in, "if *that* doesn't keep vampires out, I'm not sure what *will* short of an Uzi full of anti-spirit rounds. They better not have entirely blocked the door ..." She trails off as Rizzo makes an effort to open it. Then lets out a *deep* sigh, her chest gently jostled by the force of the exhalation. "Lemme try mine," she offers, walking over and trying to open the door. *She's* not a vampire, at any rate, so if it's simply the anti-vampire properties, the sage fox should have no particular trouble. If on the other hand the roses' barrier is a matter of physical obstruction of the door - which is what Xiaomu was REALLY worried about - then she can apply a more direct approach, evne a violent one if need be. 

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''     Maaka sighs in consternation. "Bugger." She grumbles quietly, bringing her hand to her face. This may take a while. 

:'''{{#var:1016|Eithne Sullivan (1016)}} has posed:'''     Like armored... what? Eithne flushes pink. "Sorry, sorry!" Xiaomu opens the door without trouble, and Eithne hangs her head sheepishly. 

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:''' Strides out, a few of the vines grasping at him and tearing at his skin. Gritting his teeth, he places a hand on Eithne's shoulder. "It's okay, kid. You meant well. I'll be in the car when you're ready to go." He smiles, a genuine gesture made slightly worse for wear by the gash on his cheek. The vampire turns and skips down, making the walk back to the car parked in the distance. 
}}

Super Karnage Bros. (King Jin, Takeda Takahashi)

2017-09-08T15:16:14Z

DariRyu: !! WARNING: BLOOD, GORE, AND EXTREME VIOLENCE !!

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2017/09/09
|Location=Unknown
|Synopsis=With the addition of Earthrealm into the Multiverse, the karnage begins! '''(''WARNING: BLOOD, GORE, AND EXTREME VIOLENCE!'')'''
|Cast of Characters=1136, 1135
}}
'''(''WARNING: BLOOD, GORE, AND EXTREME VIOLENCE!'')''''

'''EARLY NIGHT - A DARK ALLEY'''

The scene is a despicable one. A helpless old lady being mugged by a trio of hoodlums. The rough necks have encircled their victim, having intercepted her on her way back from the store and they intend to steal all her bags along with her savings. Grandma is putting a struggle and they don’t like that. They don’t like that one bit. Grabbing her roughly by the shoulders, the men who are nearly twice her size and weight slam her against a brick wall. One of them brandishes a large knife with decidedly unfriendly intentions in his eyes.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!" A righteous voice comes from a nearby rooftop. The trio and their victim look up to see two young men, still visible despite the cover of the night by a nearby street light. A boy in ninja garb with a yellow gi on top and a slightly older young man wearing green Shaolin monk battle robes. The two jump down from the building to face the muggers not bothering to take a fighting stance just yet. Their faces tell all they need to know. ‘Let her go or else!’.

Unimpressed, the mugger with the large knife saunters over to two, stepping closer whilst keeping his blade up and ready. "Listen here, kiddos. This ain't no Power Ranger show. Why don't you take your plastic weapons and your magical friendship beams and run back to your mommies? Because me and my buddies?" His knife is held up again. "We fight for real—GHKK!"

The threat is interrupted when a metallic rope is wrapped around the gangbanger's neck, courtesy of the boy in ninja grab. Chocking momentarily, the mugger is then pulled towards the two with surprising strength from the boy.

"GET OVER HERE!!" Calls the kid in yellow ninja garb grabbing the much bigger man's neck with his right hand now. Fingers dig hard into the man's throat like a vice, veins and eyes begin to pop out, and before anyone seems to know what's happening a fountain of red explodes as the ninja kid rips the man's head clean off his neck. His spinal cord dangles down and his lifeless body collapses on the ground, blood pooling out of the socket that was once his throat.

The two remaining muggers stand motionless, though the silence doesn't remain there for long. Screams of agonizing pain break the momentary tension as the Shaolin monk shoots one of the gang members with an arrow, piercing the man's foot and pinning it to the ground. As the man tries to kneel down to pull the arrow down he finds his hands equally impaled to the ground as the monk puts another arrow through his hands.

The man screams again, and the monk's face twists in an expression of distaste. "You sound like a monkey, with all that screeching." With this, the monk fires another arrow, this one aimed directly through the man's mouth and throat, putting him out of EVERYONE'S misery.

At this point the last mugger is trying to make a run for it. Dashing suddenly to the other side of the alley, his path is blocked by the ninja who appears before him in a fiery display. His appearance is then followed by a swift uppercut to the jaw; this shatters the mugger's teeth and sends him flying backwards towards the monk.

In mid-air the mugger is shot by one of the monk's arrows, striking him right through the back of the neck which decapitates him. The body falls gracelessly on the ground and the monk catches the head in one hand. Looking at the head dispassionately, the monk states flatly, "Alas poor Yorick, I don't give a shit." The head is then easily disposed of as the monk casually tosses it over his shoulder, to land in a dumpster. 3 points.

"NICE!" chirps the ninja boy and proceeds to high five the monk. This at least gets something of a smirk from the monk. "We sure showed them!" He turns to the terrified looking old lady and hands her back all her belongings, which just so happen to be soaked with mugger blood. "Here you go, ma'am. Those punks won't be bothering you again."

''(Posted with Konsent of both Takeda's and Jin's players.)''

Yo-Ho Blah (Josuke Higashikata)

2017-08-16T20:10:04Z

DariRyu: Josuke gets more homework!

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2017/08/15
|Location=Morioh
|Synopsis=Josuke is exhausted after assisting with the defense and salvage of the cargo of the Urca de Lima. He is handed off to Jotaro at some point after he passes out, and wakes up on the way back home. Conversation ensues, and Josuke is given more homework!
|Thanks=Captain Flint, Starbound Flotilla, Septette, Lyria Mason, Sombra, Priscilla
|Cast of Characters=1119
}}
        Josuke woke to the sounds of traffic and the sensation of movement. He was in a car. He also felt like absolute crap. Like his soul had been forcibly yanked out of his body and then beaten with sticks. He could smell the traces of blood in his nostrils from a nosebleed, even. At least it was dry. Still annoying though.

        About the last thing he remembered was trying to help the crew of the Spanish ship Captain Flint’s ship, the Walrus, had been facing for control of the crashed Urca de Lima’s treasure. He’d restored the ship to one piece, draining a massive chunk of his strength in the process. That’s not when the nosebleed happened, though. Several of the Spanish crew had surrendered rather than be rent asunder by the various Elites that had appeared. Probably smart, under the circumstances.

        To tell the truth, Josuke felt bad for them. And admired them a little, too. The crew of the Spanish ship, that was. The Elites must have surely looked like devils to them -- massively tall flying women with fuzzy tails and scythes, metal skeletons that could use a man’s own skin as a garrote '''without''' harming him seriously, beautiful women in purple appearing out of thin air, blue-haired women who treated the sea like a mother’s embrace, a crew of various clearly non-human creatures (including one '''very angry bird''')... In all that, Josuke must have seemed to most normal of the bunch. He certainly feels like it sometimes. But he’s not that, either.

        And yet despite the fear that the Elites must have been evoking in them, the crew of the Spanish ship fought on anyway. He was glad their captain was smart enough to call them to surrender. He really didn’t want to hurt any more of the crew. He’d have preferred it if there had been a death toll of zero, but he’d take any victory he could get. It was less of a death toll than if they’d fought to the man.

        But that’s what caused the nosebleed. Several of the Spanish crew were hurt, some seriously. After fixing the ship, Josuke’s strength was low... but he tried to heal as many of the crew as he could. Which wasn’t only made difficult by his nearly sapped strength. But many of the crew plain didn’t want him touching them. Which he understood; he must have been a demon to them, no different than the rest of the Elites. But he knew how injuries got infected so easily in the era these people lived in. He '''needed''' to make sure they weren’t hurt.

        He hadn’t been able to get to all of them, though. He’d just run out of strength trying. Josuke should have stopped when the nosebleed began. But there were still more injured, still more people who needed care, even if they didn’t want to accept it. He didn’t want any of these people dying because he couldn’t...

        And then his strength deserted him when he stood up to move to another wounded sailor.

        Josuke kind of half passed out, dazed and vaguely aware that things were going on around him, but not being able to respond to much. It was a member of the Flotilla who’d seen that he got out of Nassau in one piece. Though he wasn’t sure exactly who. He’d have to thank them once he recovered.

        And now that his brain had caught up with him, Josuke tried to open his eyes. It took some effort, but he dragged his eyes open with a groan. Well, one of them. He heard a voice to his right, a stoic baritone voice that was instantly familiar.

        "...You’re awake."

        "...Barely," Josuke replied, not bothering to turn in Jotaro’s direction. He closed his eyes again, but he didn’t go to sleep. He did, however, speak again. "Ouch."

        Jotaro kept driving. "...So what happened?"

        "People were hurt," Josuke replied.

        "You overdid it."

        "Mhm." Josuke wasn’t feeling particularly talkative for once, since he was hurting so much.

        Jotaro sighed. "Good grief..." But he didn’t chastize Josuke for it. Because he had done the same in the past. And would probably do the same in the future, in a heartbeat, if he felt it was necessary. As much as Josuke '''wasn’t''' Jotaro, or Joseph, the three of them shared traits in common. Stubbornness was one of them.

        A while passed before Jotaro spoke up again. "You’ve been gone for while. Your mother’s worried."

        Josuke’s eyes opened again, and he drew a breath in, wincing. Though that could have been because breathing hurt, or because he realized his mother was going to give him an earful. "Crap. I forgot about that. She’s gonna ground me so hard my '''grandkids'''’ll have trouble leaving the house..."

        The corner of Jotaro’s mouth twitched in something that might have been an attempt at a smirk. "You were on Speedwagon Business," he stated simply. "We needed someone with your particular skills for a job out of the country. It was an emergency." He paused, looked at Josuke’s disheveled state. "...With the way you look now? That’s definitely believable. Good grief..."

        "Storms on a pirate ship suck," Josuke stated flatly.

        This got Jotaro’s attention, and he turned a look at Josuke, before turning back to watch the road. "Pirate ship? What were you up to?"

        "Well... there’s this pirate in Nassau," Josuke began, slowly shifting in his seat and looking at Jotaro. "Flint is his name. As far as I know, both England and Spain are both pretty much the worst during the time that world’s in. So he wants to start a life with his girl. But England and Spain being what they are at that time, they lost everything. So now he wants no part of either one of them. What he wants is to make it so neither can possibly have any hope of attacking Nassau, so they’ll leave him and his girl alone."

        "...So he said?" Jotaro asked, one brow twitching upward in approximation of a skeptical brow-raise.

        Josuke shrugged. "I have no reason to disbelieve him." Here he winces. "Well... yeah, I kind of do... but he’s a pirate, you can easily say he can’t be trusted because of that."

        "Exactly," Jotaro stated.

        With a frown that edged on being a pout, Josuke replied firmly, "Until I have proof that something different’s going on, I’m for helping him." Here he grinned. "Besides, he’s gonna let us keep a little of the gold from the ship we found -- real pirate gold, Jotaro! How '''awesome''' is that? He rest he’s gonna use to improve the town and make it so England and Spain can’t attack."

        "Or that it would be so costly they wouldn’t bother."

        "Yeah."

        Jotaro paused. "You ‘found’ the ship?"

        "Well... it was part of a lot of ships that were carrying Spanish gold," Josuke explained. "It sank, uh... I think we were near Florida?"

        Jotaro froze. After doing a few mental calculations, he quickly pulled the car over to the side of the road, swerving wildly. "'''Whoa'''!" Josuke complained, and then winced. "Careful, that hurts!"

        Paying the complaint no mind, Jotaro turned fully to face Josuke. "That ship. What was it called?"

        Josuke blinked, suddenly confused. "Uh..." He tilted his head up, rubbing his chin in thought. "The... <Urca de Lima>." He mangled the pronounciation a bit, though. His skills in English were bad enough, his Spanish was dreadful.

        Again, Jotaro froze, this time emitting a very quiet "--Gh." He knew about that ship! "...Urca de Lima." It was hard to tell if he was asking, confirming, or correcting Josuke's botched pronounciation. Either could have been the case, Jotaro’s Spanish was better. "...It wasn’t carrying treasure. Just luxury goods. Hides, chocolate, and spices. The only treasure on board was personal silver. The other ships in the fleet were carrying the treasure."

        This seemed to confuse Josuke. "There definitely was gold there, and the crew of the Spanish ship was definitely fighting to keep it away from us," he notes. He tilts his head, shrugging a little. "Maybe it was different in their world. Things don’t always follow one world’s history perfectly. I mean. There’s a world with talking..." Pause. "...Actually I’m not sure what Mortimer is. His head is on fire all the time. Literally."

        Jotaro stared at Josuke flatly, though the teen could just barely see the very slight raise of a brow in confusion. "Oh, right! I have proof." Pausing a moment, to dig in a pocket, he drew out one bright golden coin. "I managed to snag this before it all got hauled off -- see?" He offered he coin to Jotaro, who all but snatched it from his hand. Josuke paid the older fellow’s rough behavior no mind; he was always like that.

        Holding the coin up to the light, Jotaro slowly turned it over, examining it. It looked authentic in all ways... except that, of course, it wasn’t as old as a Spanish gold coin would be. ''(‘And the material composition is probably exactly the same as a Spanish coin made about that time too...’)'' He looked at the coin a moment longer, before returning it to Josuke. "I want to see the rest."

        Josuke nodded, offering a grin. "Shouldn’t be a problem, assuming I get my share of it." Despite the words, his tone didn’t sound like he particularly doubted he would.

        Jotaro didn’t speak, he just put the car back in gear and drove back onto the road. He was silent a few long moments more before he spoke up again. "...What are you going to do with it?" he asked. "It’s not as if you can just buy things with it here."

        "...I actually didn’t think of that," Josuke replied, raising his hand to rub at the back of his neck. "I mean... even if the currency’s not right, the metal itself is worth something, right? Maybe a museum would want to display a bit of it?"

        "They wouldn’t be able to date it back far enough to consider it authentic," Jotaro pointed out. "The time periods are different. It’ll read as too young."

        "...Crap... you’re right, it would," he realized. "It’s not that old in the world it came from. But the metal..."

        Jotaro slid Josuke a look. "Even if the coins '''were''' in the same material composition, they’d still be considered fake because it’s not old enough. You’d never get a decent price for it. And you’re NOT going to a fence." That was a tone that brooked no arguments. Josuke pouted. "...But you should be able to use it if you go back," he continued. "The currency’s legal there."

        "Yeah, there’s that," Josuke said quietly. "Though I’m not sure what’s there I’d want to buy."

        Another moment of silence. Then Jotaro spoke up. "...Take a camera next time. It could be useful."

        Josuke smirked. "Also you wanna see the ships, right?" Jotaro said nothing, but Josuke saw the twitch of his jaw.

        "The Speedwagon Foundation wants to start mapping the Multiverse," Jotaro said. "And you go out in it fairly often. Might as well start with places you’ve already got some knowledge of. Keep a camera with you, and I want to start getting reports."

        Flopping back in the seat, Josuke groaned, draping an arm over his eyes. "Aw man... more homework..." Jotaro said nothing, but smirked ever so slightly.

JoJo's Bizarre Sequence Break! (Josuke Higashikata)

2017-07-12T06:43:33Z

DariRyu: Goofed on the synopsis

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2017/07/12
|Location=Morioh
|Synopsis=After telling the Jonathan Joestar of another world the dangers that could lie ahead for him, Josuke wants to learn more so he can try to build a plan around saving his ancestor.
|Thanks=Jonathan Joestar
|Cast of Characters=1119
|Tinyplot=N/A
}}
        '''''« Bzzzzt! Bzzzzt! »'''''

        The phone buzzed as Josuke listened to the ringing on the other end. "...C'mon, pick up..." he muttered quietly. His house was dark, as his mother had gone to bed. He hadn't wanted to worry his mother, so he'd waited until she'd gone to bed before making the call. He really should be in bed himself, but this was important.

        Finally he heard the 'click' of the phone being picked up, and a familiar, if sleepy, voice. "...Hello?"

        Relieved, Josuke sighed. "Jotaro! Sorry for calling so late."

        The voice on the other end of the phone was instantly more alert. "...Josuke. What's wrong?"

        Josuke drew a breath, hesitating. "I... need a favor." Jotaro remained silent. "I need some more information about Dio, and the Stone Mask," he replied, words rushed. "I need to know everything the Speedwagon Foundation can tell me about the mask, and where it went after Dio used it to become a vampire."

        Jotaro paused. "...Why this, all of a sudden?"

        Again, Josuke hesitated. "...I ran into a parallel world out there. It's a lot like our world, but it's... not as far along, timeline-wise. Its Jonathan Joestar is still alive..." Again, silence on the other end for a long moment, long enough for Josuke to prompt, "...Jotaro?"

        "...I heard," the older man replied. "What do you want to do?"

        Josuke flopped across the couch and propped his socked feet on the opposite arm. "I want to get what information I can. Because... I don't want him to end up like he did in our world. In his world, Dio's gone missing, and so has the mask. I want to get all the information I can, try to save him, and keep Dio from coming back the second time."

        Jotaro didn't speak for a short moment. Then he pointed out, "If you do, you may not develop a Stand. Or me. Or Gramps. You may not even be born. What if it affects this world too? You might disappear in this world."

        Josuke gave a choked-sounding grunt. "I... thought about that..." He frowned, despite that he knew Jotaro couldn't see him. "His world's already been changed, just by it showing up here. So's ours. But... Dio won't ever kill anyone in his world again, either," he pointed out. "Isn't that worth it?" Voice quiet, he continued, "When Dio dies in Mr. Joestar's world, I don't want him to ever come back. Even if... even if that means I won't exist."

        Josuke tended to wear his heart on his sleeve when dealing with his family and close friends. And here, Jotaro could hear the conviction in his voice. And he knew Josuke wasn't going to be swayed from this, even if it might affect his existence in his own world. Jotaro could also hear something else in his voice too. Fear. Not knowing if he'd be changing himself as he knew himself... or whether he'd be erasing himself from existence, either in THIS world or in another world. But he was still willing to chance it, if it would save others.

        "I already told Mr. Joestar about it," Josuke continued. "Well, what I knew anyway, that Dio stole his body. There are people that work with him that are willing to help make sure it doesn't happen in his world. We'll be saving all those people's lives. Dio won't be back, so you won't have to kill him in that world, when the time comes."

        "...Good grief," Jotaro muttered. "You have a plan?"

        "I think so," Josuke confirmed. "I need to know everything I can about that mask, though."

        Jotaro grunted an affirmative sound. Then he noted, "I'm going back to bed. I'm still at the Morioh Grand Hotel. Go there tomorrow, around noon."

        Josuke smiled, the nervousness was starting to lift, and he was feeling more confident about this. "Right. Tomorrow about noon, then." Pause. "...And thanks. This means a lot to me. Good night, Jotaro." Jotaro just grunted, and then the line went dead in Josuke's ear.

        Pressing the button to end the call on his end, Josuke sighed. Mostly in relief. He stood and put the phone back on the cradle. With the news out, and with getting what information he could about the Stone Mask that Dio used to turn himself into a vampire, they should be able to find Dio, and then end him forever. His feelings were mixed about this... but he was sure it was the right thing to do. And that was more important than anything else.

JoJo's Bizarre Sequence Break! (Josuke Higashikata)

2017-07-12T06:40:54Z

DariRyu: After telling the Jonathan Joestar of another world the dangers that could lie ahead for him, Josuke wants to learn more so he can try to build a plan around saving the his ancestor.

{{Cutscene Header
|Date of Scene=2017/07/12
|Location=Morioh
|Synopsis=After telling the Jonathan Joestar of another world the dangers that could lie ahead for him, Josuke wants to learn more so he can try to build a plan around saving the his ancestor.
|Thanks=Jonathan Joestar
|Cast of Characters=1119
|Tinyplot=N/A
}}
        '''''« Bzzzzt! Bzzzzt! »'''''

        The phone buzzed as Josuke listened to the ringing on the other end. "...C'mon, pick up..." he muttered quietly. His house was dark, as his mother had gone to bed. He hadn't wanted to worry his mother, so he'd waited until she'd gone to bed before making the call. He really should be in bed himself, but this was important.

        Finally he heard the 'click' of the phone being picked up, and a familiar, if sleepy, voice. "...Hello?"

        Relieved, Josuke sighed. "Jotaro! Sorry for calling so late."

        The voice on the other end of the phone was instantly more alert. "...Josuke. What's wrong?"

        Josuke drew a breath, hesitating. "I... need a favor." Jotaro remained silent. "I need some more information about Dio, and the Stone Mask," he replied, words rushed. "I need to know everything the Speedwagon Foundation can tell me about the mask, and where it went after Dio used it to become a vampire."

        Jotaro paused. "...Why this, all of a sudden?"

        Again, Josuke hesitated. "...I ran into a parallel world out there. It's a lot like our world, but it's... not as far along, timeline-wise. Its Jonathan Joestar is still alive..." Again, silence on the other end for a long moment, long enough for Josuke to prompt, "...Jotaro?"

        "...I heard," the older man replied. "What do you want to do?"

        Josuke flopped across the couch and propped his socked feet on the opposite arm. "I want to get what information I can. Because... I don't want him to end up like he did in our world. In his world, Dio's gone missing, and so has the mask. I want to get all the information I can, try to save him, and keep Dio from coming back the second time."

        Jotaro didn't speak for a short moment. Then he pointed out, "If you do, you may not develop a Stand. Or me. Or Gramps. You may not even be born. What if it affects this world too? You might disappear in this world."

        Josuke gave a choked-sounding grunt. "I... thought about that..." He frowned, despite that he knew Jotaro couldn't see him. "His world's already been changed, just by it showing up here. So's ours. But... Dio won't ever kill anyone in his world again, either," he pointed out. "Isn't that worth it?" Voice quiet, he continued, "When Dio dies in Mr. Joestar's world, I don't want him to ever come back. Even if... even if that means I won't exist."

        Josuke tended to wear his heart on his sleeve when dealing with his family and close friends. And here, Jotaro could hear the conviction in his voice. And he knew Josuke wasn't going to be swayed from this, even if it might affect his existence in his own world. Jotaro could also hear something else in his voice too. Fear. Not knowing if he'd be changing himself as he knew himself... or whether he'd be erasing himself from existence, either in THIS world or in another world. But he was still willing to chance it, if it would save others.

        "I already told Mr. Joestar about it," Josuke continued. "Well, what I knew anyway, that Dio stole his body. There are people that work with him that are willing to help make sure it doesn't happen in his world. We'll be saving all those people's lives. Dio won't be back, so you won't have to kill him in that world, when the time comes."

        "...Good grief," Jotaro muttered. "You have a plan?"

        "I think so," Josuke confirmed. "I need to know everything I can about that mask, though."

        Jotaro grunted an affirmative sound. Then he noted, "I'm going back to bed. I'm still at the Morioh Grand Hotel. Go there tomorrow, around noon."

        Josuke smiled, the nervousness was starting to lift, and he was feeling more confident about this. "Right. Tomorrow about noon, then." Pause. "...And thanks. This means a lot to me. Good night, Jotaro." Jotaro just grunted, and then the line went dead in Josuke's ear.

        Pressing the button to end the call on his end, Josuke sighed. Mostly in relief. He stood and put the phone back on the cradle. With the news out, and with getting what information he could about the Stone Mask that Dio used to turn himself into a vampire, they should be able to find Dio, and then end him forever. His feelings were mixed about this... but he was sure it was the right thing to do. And that was more important than anything else.

1184/A Less Kind Dragon

2014-12-22T11:59:30Z

DariRyu: Created page with "{{Log Header |Date of Scene=2014/12/20 |Location=Fall |Synopsis=It turns out that Ryu is not the only dragon in his world. Here, that dragon rears its scaly head. And it tur..."

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2014/12/20
|Location=Fall
|Synopsis=It turns out that Ryu is not the only dragon in his world. Here, that dragon rears its scaly head. And it turns out Ryu knows the dragon...
|Thanks=Ryu, Finna, and Kyra Hyral, for showing up!
|Cast of Characters=513, 626, 636, 668
|Tinyplot=
|Tinyplot2=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:668|Teepo (668)}} has posed:'''     Syn City is dark, but light. Dark in that it's built inside an old abandoned mine, light in that chrysm lights glow inside the mine. Flashy and glitzy, Syn City is a gambling town, casinos and clubs lining the inside of the mineshafts the city is built into. Syn City is one of those places that glows from a distance. Or well, it would if most of it could be seen. From a distance one can only see the large neon-like sign on the outside that welcomes visitors.     Today however... Syn City is not welcoming. There are screams. Roaring. That is not a human. There is a monster here, that's clear even without hearing the people's screams of exactly that-- "Monster!" People are running out. And there's a woman in a revealing red dress, a broken dinner length cigarette holder at her feet, collapsed outside the entrance. All she can manage to stammer out is, "Th-tha-that... that definitely wasn't on the menu!"     What wasn't on the menu? Well, continue inside and one will see the source of the problem. A destroyed vendor's stand is where the trouble seems to start. But there's a trail of destruction further into the mountain. Eventually one will come across a dead body. Burnt beyond recognition. This 'monster' must have been the one responsible. And where's the monster?     Very near the dead body, in fact. A six and a half foot purple-scaled thing, breathing fire. But there are also a few people partially or wholly frozen in ice. And the dragon SPEAKS! With a horrible, demonic-sounding voice, it bellows, "What's the matter?! Are you AFRAID?! Or just TOO WEAK to face me?!" 

:'''{{#var:636|Ryu (636)}} has posed:'''     Another dragon arrives to Syn City, though he's in human form. He runs through the fleeing crowds in the other direction, turning the heads of those who pay attention to the weirder things in a crisis. The soldier rushes to ground zero of the disaster, eager to find the source of this. There, he might find answers, and he might find someone to compare himself to... someone who might understand what he is. But the reaction isn't good. People are freaking out, and already he can tell military forces might converge on this place.     Ryu stumbles to a stop when he finds the source. The burnt body gets his face scrunching just from the smell alone, and the site of the dragon is enough to make him feel more than a little fear and uncertainty. Instead of asking it any questions... he draws his sword, the Bonebreaker, and glares at Teepo. The words of the dragon hit Ryu hard, like it was exactly the thing the stories had warned about.     And he didn't want them to be true.     "WHAT DID YOU DO!?" he shouts, the pain and destruction around them having made him VERY ANGRY at this dragon. 

:'''{{#var:626|Kyra Hyral (626)}} has posed:'''     Kyra has been studying Multiversal navigation so today she is able to respond to this distress call pretty quickly. Knowing that Ryan was going to be here gave her a considerable amount of confidence, having fought alongside him before and comfortable that she could adequately support him. She does not show up on foot, appearing astride a yellow-feathered chocobo, handling the animal with ease as it thunders down the streets.     As she nears the scene of the conflict, her nose scrunches up as she catches the smell of burnt flesh. It's a familiar smell to her but still something exteremely unpleasant. The Chocobo is pulled to a stop about fifty feet behind Ryan, Kyra making it clear that she's not going to get much closer. With one hand on the chocobo's harness, her other reaches into her hoodie to pull out one of her guns.     "Is that purple juiced-looking thing it?!" Kyra calls out, hopping off the chocobo.     No sooner than she dismounts, the chocobo disappears into a flash of Caller motes-faint green sparkes that suck into somewhere at her waist. 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     Scampering at Ryu's heels is nothing other than a fox from the north. Because Finna's gotten a bit lazy in the Multiverse and found that people rarely care too much about animals acting weird. It's much more convenient to move about like this, free as the wind, than waste energy bolstering her human form. So she pulls ahead of Ryu once she picks up on the scent of charred...     ...everything...     The snow fox ends up leaping atop one of the People-sicles and gazing right at the dragon.     The FOX speaks too. "Ah.. as usual, city people prove to be morons in a crisis, but what's with all this chest-beating? Does picking on weaklings make you happy? Do you feel PROUD?" Her voice DRIPS with sarcasm and frustration alike.     Because it's a really good coverup for how really horribly awful Burnt Person smells and how it's getting to her very sensitive nose. 

:'''{{#var:668|Teepo (668)}} has posed:'''     Ryu's shout gets the dragon's attention, and it turns to look. A horrible grin lights its face. Turning briefly back to the remaining soldiers he growls, "I'm done with you. Get lost!" He swings his tail and knocks them away. They'll survive though. Then he turns his attention back to Ryu. "Ryan! There you are." Yup, it knows Ryu! Sitting back on its haunches, the dragon regards Ryu carefully. It's a considering look, sizing him up.     And then Kyra arrives! The bird is eyed suspiciously, until it disappears. There is a disappointed headtilt from the dragon-- likely disappointed he's not going to get a chicken dinner. Darn. "And who are you?" the dragon asks. "Friend of Ryan's? Good, someone needs to hear this."     Suddenly A FOX IS TALKING! The dragon blinks, head drawing back somewhat. "Ryan makes interesting friends. Anyway. Proud? Hell yeah!" Pointing a claw at the burnt body. "THAT used to be Drust Burg, the most ruthless gang boss around here. Just ask Ryan how many people this bastard had killed. THAT'S why all this. These people aren't gonna hurt anyone else, ever again."     Looking back to Ryu. "And THAT is what I did--" In a roar, "I ENDED him!" The dragon stands again, to its full height. "That's what this power is for, Ryan! WE'RE not the ones who should cower and run in fear! WE are the ones who MAKE HISTORY!" 

:'''{{#var:636|Ryu (636)}} has posed:'''     Ryu hesitates when the dragon knows his name. Its voice grates on his nerves in an awful way, not sure if he was supposed to be able to talk like this when he became a dragon. The thought crosses his mind that maybe this one is... less stunted? The sword clatters for a second as his gaze drops to regard the dead gang leader, before the other dragon even brings it up.     When the name is dropped, Ryu pales. His gaze raises to focus on the dragon, as he searches his mind for anything that might clue him in on who this person could be... His mind is clouded by the horror of the encounter, at first, but then a rational part reminds him of clues in the way the dragon speaks. So obsessed with strength, and pride, and he knows Ryu directly... someone he never quite agreed with in the first place. Someone who would eagerly gobble up a power like this.     "T... Teepo," he murmurs, confident about who it is, now. This is starting to make more sense. His sword lowers, hesitant about attacking someone he's known for so long. He can't exactly DISAGREE with what Teepo has done. After all, Drust was an awful, awful man... but he practically ran Syn City's underground, and the less harsh dragon understood what chaos killing him would bring. Sure, someone would take the mantle in his place, but...     "You need to stop." Ryu frowns at the other dragon. "You need to stop before you hurt anyone else. Some of these people don't deserve it, they're just scared." It's a pretty weak request, like he's not sure how to deal with what's happening at all. 

:'''{{#var:626|Kyra Hyral (626)}} has posed:'''     Considering that there are dragons around, Kyra's pretty glad for the way summon matrixes work. If she lost an actual chocobo to a dragon she might cry for an /entire day/. Though the interest in the chocobo is well noted by Kyra and filed away for later.     "I am Kyra Hyral of Galianda! I'm one of Ryan's new extraversal allies!" Kyra stomps a foot, the buckles and chains on her boot jingling as she does. "So! Hmmm."     Teepo explains who the extra-crispy charred victim is and Kyra frowns. "Hey Ryan, does your world have rules against casual murder? I want to say most places will still call "street justice" murder."     Ryan drops his sword and Kyra frowns, worried. "Hey...!" she hisses at him, "Hey! Pick that back up!" 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     "Ah... laws and rules. Not my problem, but you're not doing many favors with all the screaming and the terror and the burning everything..." The fox's nose wrinkles, and she soon hops off the frozen... unfortunate... and does a flip in the air!     When she lands... she is now a young woman. Shorer than the dragon, though only SLIGHTLY shorter than Ryu. Still, she puts both hands on the blue-haired man's left shoulder, springs up on her tiptoes, and waggles a finger at the dragon fearlessly! "Uuuuurgh, I can't stand that smell...." 

:'''{{#var:668|Teepo (668)}} has posed:'''     Teepo sits back on his haunches again, pleased, as Ryu seems to recognize him. Though he tilts his head at Ryu's request. If a dragon can pull a '...Really?' expression, that's exactly what this is. "You know how it is, Ryan. The strong get what they want, and the weak can't do anything about it. Just like him." A look to the burnt corpse. "He was strong, so he got what he wanted. No one could beat him. But I DID!"     To Kyra, he snarls, "'Street justice' is the ONLY justice here. Haven't you seen this place? You don't get anything here unless you TAKE it!"     Teepo observes Finna's change and smirks. "Of course. Only somebody with power would tell me I needed to back down," he reasons. "It's easy for you up on your high horse to tell the weak not to get powerful. To just sit back and let you pull all the strings. Because if they do get powerful, they're a threat to you."     "It's people like that who have Ryan so scared of his own power. I heard about it... people shooting at him and he didn't even raise a claw against anyone," Teepo continues. "They were so proud that they hadn't lost anybody to the 'monster'. HA!" Looking to Ryu, "See? They don't care. They just want you to stay meek and dependent on them, so they can keep what power they have over you!" 

:'''{{#var:636|Ryu (636)}} has posed:'''     "That's... that's not right," Ryu murmurs, baffled by how unrestrained the other dragon is about his power. It's not that he's strictly evil, but that he's severely misunderstood. The blue-haired young man found himself more conflicted about this than anything. 'The strong thrive, the weak fade' is a philosophy he's never agreed with, either, the entire reaction that Teepo is having with the others making the white dragon just make an incredulous face.     "I didn't attack them... because they were just scared of me. They left the moment they had an excuse to." He's beginning to put two and two together, now that he's forced to think back on that day. "I knew I was powerful when I overturned their vehicle, but that was because I couldn't talk and I had to escape before they shot me." He begins to glare at Teepo again.     "Leave this place. Leave before we have to force you to leave," he says, growling at the purple dragon. Still human form, now more aggressive. "Please." He doesn't want Teepo to get hurt. He's known this one since they were both kids. "This doesn't have to turn into a fight." 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     "Oh, who died and made you king of philosophy? Oh..." Finna steps out from behind Ryu. "Right. Some selfish money grubber by the sound of it. Look, dragon-boy. Weak and strong aren't aren't what you think they are. But we're in no place to debate it, like blue-head here says!" She says, squeeing Ryu's shoulder briefly before letting go.     She glances at Kyra briefly, as though worried for her, then exclaims, "Iiii've never cared to have the power to cook people in their own skins. Pleeeeenty of things can lead to the downfall of men like that and I'm happier employing most of 'em. Don't go beating your chest at me until you know the first thing of using that power for anything but a brute force bludgeon withotu any finesse!" Still frownig, she again waggles the finger at Teepo. "Sheesh... boys and their toys. Shall we move It'll be a madhouse here in a few minutes!" 

:'''{{#var:626|Kyra Hyral (626)}} has posed:'''     "Technically this is my first time in this world! But it looks like you've got some kind of /civilization/ here and these people don't look like a pack of fucking wolves." Kyra says cheerfully, boldly speaking up in stark contrast to Ryan's subdued response. All the while she speaks, she seems to be searching for something on her person and pulls out an empty flask. From there, she seems to be unleashing the contents of several darts she had held on her bandoliers.     "Maybe they just don't want Ryan to turn into an out of control asshole like /some/ people seem to be." she adds offhandedly, how listening as Ryan speaks of events that must've happened sometime before. Likely when this whole 'dragon' thing became a thing based on context. 

:'''{{#var:668|Teepo (668)}} has posed:'''     "Ha! So you DO have some backbone!" Teepo scoffs. "Good, I was afraid it'd been completely snuffed out. They SHOULD be scared of you! You don't have to let them walk on you anymore. C'mon, join me! With our power, we could be KINGS! Syn City, Wyndia... doesn't matter. Pick a place, it'll be yours. You'd get to make the rules."     As for Finna's statement about having the power to cook people in their skins? Teepo snorts. "Power's the only thing his kind understands. He wouldn't have stopped. You have any idea how many of my friends this guy's killed? He's not gonna do it again, is he? This was a message!"     As for Kyra's not-so-veiled insult? Teepo visibly bristles, growling under his breath. He composes himself a few moments later, though, and waves a claw dismissively. "Out of control? Ha! I know EXACTLY what I'm doing. I got my message across-- there's a NEW boss in town!"     Looking again to Finna, "Though, you got a point. Wyndia's probably heard about this. Not looking forward to fighting 'em. So I'm gonna have to wait 'till later to stake my claim." He takes a breath, stills... and then blue fire seems to erupt from the ground under him, obscuring his form. It freezes and then shatters into nothing. And then there's not a dragon there anymore.     What's there is a mousy-looking young man with dark purple hair. He's wearing an outfit that anyone who's seen it will recognize as being at least derived from a Wyndian military uniform. There's a pistol and a sawed-off shotgun hanging on his belt. "This is probably easier." He crosses his arms. "C'mon, let's get outta here." A look to Ryu. "There'll be time to make you understand." That should probably not make Ryu feel very good.... 

:'''{{#var:636|Ryu (636)}} has posed:'''     Ryu looks profoundly uncomfortable with everything that Teepo's saying. Being a king... more like a Tyrant. The concept makes Ryu seem pretty disgusted, not wanting anything to do with the major problem and wars it would cause to conquer any of the countries. The exchange having concluded with exactly zero bloodshed, Ryu frowns at the other dragon once more.     When it's shown that Teepo can turn into a human form, and it seems to come more naturally, Ryu's eyes widen. He lets out a haggard sigh, sheathing the sword he had drawn earlier. "Once we get out of here, I think you should find something in the Multiverse to do. Stirring up our world is just asking for trouble. We don't know if there's other dragons, and I /don't/ want you getting killed." Because that would mean losing someone he's known since childhood, and someone who might increase his chances of finding answers. He's being pragmatic here. He just doesn't say that much.     "Let's go." He leaves at a more-than-brisk pace. He doesn't actually care that Teepo follows him or goes his own way, just that everyone gets out of the city before someone shows up and starts overturning tables looking for the dragon so they can slay it. He glances at Kyra and Finna, respectfully, looking apologetic toward them, knowing they have good points. 

:'''{{#var:626|Kyra Hyral (626)}} has posed:'''     'Be friendly at him and he'll go with them?' Kyra's not been to Equestria yet, she doesn't believe in the 'power of friendship' to solve this problem, especially when the purple dragon just crispified a dude. Shaking her head, she elects not to say anything else to Teepo, preparing her flask in case it is needed. The flask, in fact, contains a whole lot of tranquilizers that were just emptied from her darts.     Alerted to yet another change in plans, Kyra calmly puts a stopper in the flask and reattaches it to one of her belts. The needlegun is slipped back in the holster under her arm as well.     Kyra turns to Ryan and gives him a big shrug, palms turned upward, but offering not much else. One of her hands drops to a very steampunk-y looking device at her hip that looks like a big brass dial. She cranks it, it clicks loudly, and in a flash of green Caller motes the chocobo reappears. Casually, she swings herself up onto the bird, mounting it astride in spite of wearing a skirt. The bird sprints off shortly afterwards. 

:'''{{#var:513|Finna (513)}} has posed:'''     "Oooooh.... attitude's not my style, but I LOVE that hair!" Finna declares openly, going rather visibly *SQUEE* over it! But only briefly.     Not like there's anything WRONG with enjoying such things, is there?     "Come on, let's go, let's go!"     Better to be civilized than hostile if you want to talk to someone furhther, she figures, so no aggroing on Teepo.     In the next few moments, she's turned into a horse. It's not exactly a subtle change either. Anyone crazy enough to still be watching the group might bve vaguely creped out by the way her flesh melts out into the shape within seconds. And yet still, she can talk. "Up! No complaining about it being bumpy, either."     No arguing about it! She will HAUL both of the dragon boys up onto her back if they don't hoof it. With her teeth. No she's not wearing a saddle.     It's time to LEAVE. 

:'''{{#var:668|Teepo (668)}} has posed:'''     At the note of not getting himself killed, Teepo snorts, "Heh. Didn't know you cared." Smirk. Though with a surprisingly small amount of snark, Teepo returns, "You stay safe too. Can't have you dying before you finally wake up."     And he EYES that chocobo again, muttering something under his breath that might be along the lines of 'gotta get one of those'. To the group at large, he notes. "Oh yeah." Pointing to the corpse of the gang leader, "Try and stab me in the back, and you'll join 'im. Got it?" ATTITUDE!     Finna's squeeing over his hair prompts an arrogant hairflip. Then suddenly Finna's a horse and she's grabbing hold of his jacket and-- "Wha-- HEY! LEGGO!" Flail! But he's nowhere near as strong in this form, so up onto horse-Finna's back he's hauled! Eh, whatever. Faster this way. 

}}

The Hashshashins

2014-03-30T16:56:03Z

DariRyu: Adding an image at Altair's request.

=Group Description=
<img src="http://i61.tinypic.com/2heh7a8.jpg" width="150" style="float:left" />
<dd>"We work in the dark, to serve the light."
<dd>--Niccolò Machiavelli

Known throughout history as the Hashshashins, the Brotherhood of Assassins, or Liberalis Circulum (Circle of Liberals), the Hashashins are a brotherhood of stealthy killers whose primary goal are to use their skills and methods to preserve peace and protect the innocent from those who would abuse power.

Their main enemies are the Knights Templar, who much like the Hashshasins, strive to achieve world order and peace, though their methods differ drastically. The Templars wish to accomplish peace by controlling the minds of all men and women, while the Hashshashins promote the free will of others.

The Hashshashins accept members from all walks of life as long as they can adhere to the three tenets of the Assassin's Creed.

==The Creed==
<dd>"We are nothing if we do not abide by the Assassin's Creed."
<dd>--Mentor Rashid ad-Din Sinan

        The Creed is the code all Assassins are expected to abide by. It was designed to restrict is members from committing unnecessary murder and to create peace, not just in the world, but in the individual Assassin him/herself.
===The Three Tenets===
* Stay your blade from the flesh of an Innocent
:: The goal of the Assassins is to ensure peace in all things. Despite the Templars' accusations, the goals of the Assassins were never to spread chaos. This is why they keep their killing to political assassinations. Also, killing civilians would bring shame to the name of the Brotherhood.
* Hide in Plain Sight
:: Be unseen. Part of the Assassins' mystique is in how they just appear from nowhere, slay a target in a way that made it obvious to all who saw that he was a target, and seem to melt away into the crowd. This is also why the Templars initially began to fear them-- this tactic was all but unheard of in the Middle Ages. By the modern era, this had become the Assassins' trademark.
* Never compromise The Brotherhood
:: The actions of one must never bring harm to all. Above all else, an Assassin must remember to never do anything that would place the Brotherhood in danger. If captured, he must never reveal any of the Brotherhood's secrets. If pursued, he must never lead the pursuers to any safe place for the Assassins.

==Goals of the Brotherhood==
<dd>"Laa shay'a waqi'un mutlaq bale kouloun moumkin." 
<dd>("Nothing is true, everything is permitted" in Arabic.)"
<dd>―The Assassins' Creed.

        Throughout the many long years that the Brotherhood of Assassins has existed, its main aim has never changed-- free the people from those who would oppress them. This is not, as the Templars seem to believe, in an effort to promote anarchy and chaos. It is actually to promote the exchange of free ideas amongst the people. The free exchange of ideas allows a people to grow and thrive, and that benefits everyone. In this way, civilization can support itself and prosper.

        Whether on a large scale or a small scale, freedom has always been the number one priority of the Brotherhood of Assassins. Freedom of one man or many, it's all the same.

==Current Members==
{| class="toccolours" style="width:100%;" cellspacing="2"
|-
! style="width: 25%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align:left; vertical-align:top; background-color:#FFFFFF; font-size:115%;" | Assassins
[[Altair ibn La'Ahad]] 
[[Alexis Maaka]] 
[[Auron]] 
[[Connor Kenway]] 
[[Ezio Auditore]] 
[[J'vassa]] 
[[Jack]] 
[[Jericho Hawke]] 
[[Nasrin]] 

! style="width: 25%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align:left; vertical-align:top; background-color:#FFFFFF; font-size:115%;" | Title
Eagle of Masyaf 
Raven of Neo-Fuji 
Phoenix of Spira 
Wolf of the Iroquois 
Hawk of Florence 
Dragon of the North 
Rat of London 
Cougar of El Dorado 
Fledgling of Alamut 
! style="width: 25%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align:left; vertical-align:top; background-color:#FFFFFF; font-size:115%;" | Allies
[[Abstractum.Net]] 
[[Corvo Attano]] 
[[Faruja]] 
[[Kaede]] 
[[Karian]] 
[[Reisen Inaba]] 
[[Rosamarie Alba]] 
[[Ruin]] 
[[Saber]] 
[[Sakura Kinomoto]] 
[[Steve Rogers]] 
[[Toph Beifong]] 
[[Veiled Lily]] 
! style="width: 25%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; text-align:left; vertical-align:top; background-color:#FFFFFF; font-size:115%;" | Title
Power of the Network 
Crow of Dunwall 
Lion of Ivalice 
Sparrow of Tomoeda 
Wolf of Space 
Rabbit of Luna 
Albacore of the Deep 
Nightmare of Teras 
Lion of Britania 
Flower of Tomoeda 
Eagle of Liberty 
Badgermole of Earth 
Owl of Creation 
|-
|}
=Notable Events=
* March 9, AU22 (2014): George Washington, corrupted by the Apple of Eden given to him my Haytham Kenway, was defeated by the Assassins and their allies. The

resultant pulse of energy erased the events from the memories of all living non-Elites, including Washington himself.