[center][h3]Filia – Mahora Grounds[/h3][/center]

Still upbeat, Filia accepted Donkey Kong's banana and began to peel it.  Almost without thinking she took a big bite, then broke off a piece and inexplicably pushed it beneath her hat.  After the ape's introduction the focus passed to the enormous man, whose uncanny stature combined with a spotless and official yet distinctly unnerving appearance filled Filia with an acute sense of dread.  This only heightened when he began to talk, speaking in a downright goofy voice and some how [i]stretching his head[/i] while he was at it.  The only possible explanation in her mind was that this Faust, too, hosted a grotesque and powerful parasite.  If so, he didn't deserve her fear, but her sympathy.  To her knowledge, Filia was one of the luckier ones.  While she didn't trust Faust at all, as was prudent with any parasite-host duo, she did acknowledge his attempt to be cordial, and offered in return her hospitality.  “Well, that's okay.  It's only a matter of time.  Nice to meet you too!”  She took Faust's hand.

Meanwhile, more people were arriving.  Filia was so preoccupied with sizing them up that she didn't notice Krieg's meltdown until he'd already pulled the trigger, and the ensuing clamor scared Filia badly.  She leaped backward, yelping, and her hat ejected from her head.  With all eyes on Krieg, though, Samson almost certainly escaped anyone's notice as he grabbed the flying hat with tendrils of hair and pulled it back on.  Though the chaos, Filia managed to take note of Reimu, but the middle of a potential problem wasn't the right time to say hi and answer her question.

A moment later, another new arrival to the scene straight-up attacked Krieg to subdue the perceived threat.  While nearly anyone was preferably to a masked psycho with a slew of weapons at his zany fingertips, the merciless and obviously supernatural precision and brutality with which Ranma dealt with Krieg made her think twice about immediately thinking of him as an ally.  Though she winced, Filia failed to flinch or otherwise recoil, hinting that while she appeared to be one of the most mundane ones here, she in fact had experience with the strange and dangerous.  Over the last few weeks, Filia had repeatedly found out the truth behind Samson's words: [b]Trust nobody, 'specially not the ones that look trustworthy.[/b]  And yet, it was this warlike peacekeeper that suggested moving elsewhere to find answers.  Though Filia had been thinking about mentioning the possibility of asking the locals, she hadn't found the right moment to slip her suggestion into the general tumult of questions and introductions.  

Therefore, despite her misgivings, Filia found herself agreeing with Ranma.  “Food sounds good.  Some kind of clue would be even better.  It looks like none of us really know what's going on, so asking the city folk might be a good way to start.”  Confidently, she began to walk in the direction of the cable cars.

[b]”Careful, kid.  These people are way dangerous.  I can smell 'em.  You feel threatened at all, I'll come out swingin'.”[/b]  A gruff whisper came from beneath her cap.  Filia could tell, however, that he'd liked the banana, and only now realized that she might have given him away.  “Alright, I will.”

[center][h3][b][color=yellow]DIO – Hotel California[/color][/b][/h3][/center]

[color=yellow]”Absolutely...adequate.”[/color]

In a short span of time, every window of the penthouse suite had been boarded up, shuttered, draped, or otherwise sealed against the eventual glowering sun.  This had been performed by a miniature legion of followers eager to gain their master's favor.  A lair not impervious to those beauteous but searing rays did not meet the standards of a vampire, particularly one whose only unconditional weakness was ultraviolet radiation.  The status of the windows, however good, was not what DIO now referred to.

Giggling faintly, as if breathing her last, the drained body of the hotel's secretary fell to the plush carpet.  No matter how hard one searched, they would not find a mark upon her, but all the same her blood and her body were now separated.  DIO ran a finger gently across the scar that marked the point where his head met the body of Jonathan Joestar.  Once DIO's greatest foe, Jonathan had seemingly beaten DIO all those years ago, only to be killed and his body stolen by the vampire he'd sworn to destroy.  Much blood was needed to make the body totally DIO's, but the essence of everyday humans proved so dull and tasteless.  It would help, but it would not satisfy.

Sighing, DIO watched as the body of the secretary began to fill back up.  In no time at all, she'd returned to normal, with only a few minor exceptions.  Her skin was pale, her irises red, her canines lengthened, and her mind DIO's, now and forever.  What before was an ordinary human, having willingly given herself to the vampire, was now his spawn.  Of course, vampire spawn lacked the power of real vampires, having been born of vampiric essence rather than the sting of a Stone Mask, but otherwise they were similar.  And now, DIO had twenty-nine of them.  [color=yellow]”There we go.  My gifts have been given.  Power, life, security...peace of mind.  Humans desire nothing more.  It is time for you, ladies and gentlemen, to return the favor.  Tell me about this place.”[/color]  He reclined leisurely upon a sublime sofa and listened.

A short time later, thanks to the combined efforts of all the spawn, DIO had a fairly accurate picture of the City, if not the reasons why he'd been brought here in the first place.  [color=yellow]”I see.  Miss, might I ask another favor of you?  Please gather the staff of this place and bring them to me, then close the hotel.  As of today, this lovely establishment is under new management.  There's going to be some remodeling, reorganization, and so forth.  I [i]know[/i] I can count on you.”[/color]