[center][h3]Filia - Moon Over Bourbon Street[/h3]
[@trevor1001][@vitavitaar][@flamelord][@invisible man][/center]

A surly voice answered Souji's initial comment, with Samson twisting Filia's head around so that his pupil-devoid yellow eyes could bore into Souji's own, [b]"I'm not just hair, ya pop tart!  I'm a parasite.  Ain'tcha ever seen one before?  Hosts with parasites are summa the strongest things there are!"[/b]  With some effort, Filia righted her head's orientation, rubbing her neck and smiling softly.  "Oh, Samson likes to boast.  I'm not that good.  But I'm getting better!"  Patiently she waited while he introduced herself, and afterward she gave a polite nod of her head before winking.  "Nice to meet you, Souji.  You're not really the fighting type, huh?"  She cast a glance Edward's way, and felt a little bit of her good mood evaporate.  Why did the alchemist stare at her with such concern?  Was it because of Samson?  Even if so, she didn't feel like asking.  

The continued problem Kyouko was having with Krieg became even less relevant to Filia when she quite suddenly became aware of a persistent and rather intimidating hum off in the distance.  Turning, she watched with no small amount of horror as an enormous horde of bugs circling a far-off structure divided itself into groups to fan out over the City.  After the Tacodile, Filia didn't feel too much like fighting, and hoped that those worrisome clouds of insects didn't plan on heading her way.  As the seconds trickled by, however, she grew closer and closer to realizing the naivety of those hopes.  Clusters of ravenous, despicable arthropods were headed not only in the schoolgirl's general direction, but precisely toward her.  "Uh oh."

[center][color=yellow][b][h3]DIO - Positively 4th Street[/h3][/b][/color]
[@GameguruGG][/center]

An unidentifiable noise in the distance prompted DIO to look away from Juri, though he heard her loud and clear.  Her flirtings did not go unnoticed, though by now enough of her personality was apparent to conclude that they were the expression of a sensual mind, and not evidence of some great love.  From her repeated admission of his superiority in terms of combat, DIO knew that she feared him, and like many humans when confronted with him she felt joy rather than panic or a violent urge.  This, along with lust, did not represent what humans typically thought of love.  But so what?  Barring some improbably incident. Juri would fight and live by his side now as long as he wished.  DIO, though unbound by traditional feelings following his rejection of his humanity, felt a degree of responsibility, respect, and attraction toward Juri as well.  This arrangement suited him just fine.  [color=yellow]"How flattering, that you should find me 'worthy'."[/color]  He pointed with his thumb to the right side of an upcoming intersection.  [color=yellow]"It's good that you'll be able to join me.  Come then, I've heard something that may afford us more fun."[/color

The two progressed down the street and made a right, navigating the various edible formations interspersing the sidewalk.  Before long, Juri's own senses could pick up the drone of wings and the sounds of destruction that had enticed DIO.  Wondering idly what kind of obstacle might lie ahead, DIO made the turn from Positively 4th Street to Joppa Road with his new ally close behind and beheld down the avenue a couple of insects, easily as large as a fully-grown person and all a special kind of ugly.  [color=yellow]"None of these abominations could have come from natural design,"[/color] reasoned DIO, [color=yellow]"The Viewer must have sent them down to plague us."[/color]  He watched as one particularly brutal specimen, a vile blend of beetle and wasp with what appeared to be crushing pincers on both ends, tore into a helpless civilian and began to devour its flesh.  [color=yellow]"That clinches it...sending down creatures to eat people when the people thought they'd be the ones eating.  Just the kind of sadistic irony a reality-altering being might dish out."[/color]  As he watched, stuck in a pose of impersonal contemplation, the monstrous bug spotted him and buzzed his way, its wings beating out a threatening, low-pitched hum as a small jackhammer might.  Two of its closest friends followed suit, bearing down on the vampire with alarming speed and far more alarming appearances.  

DIO snorted in derision and waited until the three happened to be in alignment.  At that moment his pupils ripped apart and high-pressure jets of vampiric essence shot out in pink eye-beams, piercing the insects handily and obliterating their control centers.  Three corpses, even more detestable in death, tumbled to the ground while DIO shielded his eyes from the beclouded sunlight in order to hasten their regeneration.  [color=yellow]Mere trifles,"[/color] he yawned.  [color=yellow]"Still, if this is an official Challenge, I suppose I must win it.  Kill the most bugs, I expect."[/color]  Just down Joppa Road, another squad of bugs landed, all sporting glowing green sacs scattered across their bodies.