[hr][center][h1][color=556B2F]Vladimir von Wolfgang[/color] & [color=FF69B4]Carmen Comfort[/color][/h1][/center][hr]
[center]Collab between [@beyond visions] and [@Scarescrow]

[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZY5DBmgC_A]Frédéric Chopin- Funeral March[/url][/center][hr][center][sub]Later that Evening[/sub][/center][hr] [indent]Carmen leaned against the edge of her balcony, sipping away at a glass of champagne as usual, even if there was nothing in particular to celebrate. "The Raven Follower" they call him, he was of the mysterious sort. Everett, now her second in command, highly recommended the nomad doctor. He has apparently made a few appearances within the colony, in study of Churchill's society. But now, Carmen was going to meet the creature, face to... mask. How muse-like of him was it to wear a mask, [color=FF69B4][i]Why is it always the crazy ones to wear a mask? I hope he's not [i]too[/i] crazy... Don't need another Isabel in Churchill...[/i][/color] After refilling her glass, Carmen turned to be startled by [i]him[/i]. He truly captured both his bird mask and his Raven title by the sudden perched position against the balcony's fence. [color=FF69B4]"Well, Vladimir von Wolfgang... aren't you one for surprises?"[/color] Carmen's lips curled to form a smile as she skipped over to him, with the champagne glass swaying between her two fingers. [color=FF69B4]"My second-in-command has spoken highly of the rumors that circulate around your name. But bird-man, impress [i]me[/i]-- amuse [i]me[/i]-- what makes you so special to be the colony's Master Physician?"[/color] She lifted up her glass to take a sip.  

Without looking back, Vladimir von Wolfgang murmured. His voice filled with sadness, [color=556B2F] "I can see them all from up here. The children, the fathers, the mothers, the guards. I thought I was home, in a room filled with my love ones. But the Aggressive Decay came and left, leaving behind its path only death and those lucky enough to survive. And sooner or later, these people here are going to suffer the same tragedy." [/color].  

Turning back to let his eyes to meet hers, with the bird mask between the two, Vladimir speaks, [color=556B2F] "My lady, I can not offer you with any thing better than what remains in your expertise. But I'm the best at what I do, and all we need is for the Mastermind's influence to be increased. Maybe then, at that time, when you have everything in your control, then you could finally be free from your own position. To be finally liberated from all your chains. [/color] 
 
Pulling a small vial containing a scarlet liquid out from his bag, for the first time in the conversation, Vladimir von Wolfgang's voice seemed to tremble, [color=556B2F] "And here is what going to turned the balance and win the favor of all of Churchill. " [/color] Through his journey following the ravens, Vlad discovered this as a implementation of the disease. The disease in that vial is not contagious, and it is not the cure for the disease.  One time, he released one drop of this on one of his patient, and the patient spilled all what he knows.  But with that information, there came the price. Those patients suffer a tremendous amount of pain, which resulted from mental deficiency to death.
 
Handling the small object with care, Vladimir's voice became normal, a small sigh could be heard when the weight of the object disappeared from his hand. [color=556B2F]"Now," [/color] Vlad said while relocating his mask, [color=556B2F] "I can join you in your mission to sabotage the other two factions. The only thing I asked in returned is for you to fund my project,  curing the Aggressive Decay once and for all. Oh, and before I leave, Mrs. Carmen, do you have any question for me?"  [/color]

Carmen lifted up her delicate little fingers to simply touch this vile vial. Her smile grew bigger, with teeth like a predator now exposed.  [color=FF69B4]"So... you're my little alchemist,"[/color] Carmen let her fingers trail off of the glass and up his arm, till her hand met with the mask itself.  [color=FF69B4]"Though before I promise said funds... What does this little potion do?"[/color] After a tiny tap of the beak, Carmen let her hand rest back at her side.  [color=FF69B4]"As of now I need essence of insanity itself..."[/color] The Victorian leaned in to whisper,  [color=FF69B4]"There is a particular queen of another faction, who like yourself, enjoys masquerading in masks-- I need her to undo herself, for her to taste the same amount of lunacy that let her to murder her own family."[/color] 

Vladimir von Wolfgang took out a heavy book, filled with speculations, notes, records and picture of those had die on his journey. Although unable to see through the mask, Carmen could have swore that the formation of his face muscles seem to resemble a grin when seeing his work. [color=556B2F]  "The vial that you are holding contain 1% of the Aggressive Decay. I named it the Lesser Decay. Easier to manipulate compare to the Aggressive Decay. Apply one drop of this to anyone will make them to spill out every secrets that they hold. But the victim will suffer a tremendous amount of pain, resulting anywhere from mental deficiency to death. In some rare cases the victims would became insane. But for the most cases, the victims will always die."[/color] Closing the book, Vladimir continued his speech, but with a little excitement in his tone. [color=556B2F] "But for your request, Ms. Carmen, your case is a little bit tougher to crack. You required this victim to be lost of direction, paranoia, damage to the cerebellum and cerebrum region of the brain, while not contagious for other." [/color] While speaking, Vlad started to walk around in the circle. Suddenly, Vlad stopped to walk, his eyes look directly into Carmen's eyes. [color=556B2F] "Ms. Carmen, I will take your case. But you will need to give me a small DNA of the person you wanted to kill. A hair or something like that. And I will prepare other things for this. Although I can not guarantee that she will kill others in her faction, but I can surely bring her into insanity. Though, please remember, everything has its price. You are required to fund my project for the cure of the Aggressive Decay. And the vial containing the Lesser Decay you are holding, believe it or not, I do have a cure for it." [/color]

[color=FF69B4]"The Aggressive Decay is light-years away from us in Collective Space. From what I have heard of you doctor, you're a child of this dusty rock we called Earth... I was never born here."[/color] Indeed, Vlad was a native of the home-planet. A wanderer and nomad is what she has heard whispered of him. Yet, strangely enough the doctor was intrigued by a disease plaguing a galaxy far from them. Carmen sought out to know why.  [color=FF69B4]"How can you even properly research a disease that does even exist within our own galaxy?"[/color] With their eyes still locked, Carmen began to pace him in circle just as he did with her.  [color=FF69B4]"What is your motivation? Do you ever hope to venture off into the TRAPPIST-1 system?"[/color]

 For a moment, the room was filled with silent. The sound of the clock ticking, the breath of two sentient beings, the sound of the floor creaking under each step of Carmen. For a moment, the true sound of silence can be heard for Vladimir von Wolfgang.  Vladimir didn't know how long has he been in that state. A second?  A minute? Or an hour? Snapped out from the state he used to be, slowly but surely, Vlad answered each question that Carmen previously gave to him. [color=556B2F] "Ms. Carmen, I have dreamt of traveling to the TRAPPIST-1 system as a child. But not now, and what lies in the future remains in future. And for the disease that I am researching, I can not assure that they are identical until I see the record. But hearing from your previous question, these two "Aggressive Decay" on the TRAPPIST-1 system and "Aggressive Decay" on Earth are identical in many symptoms. Even though perhaps, there are still some differences to them, but that can be easily explained due to the differences in the atmosphere, different in the way of transmission,... etc. And for my motive."  [/color] 
 There is an odd moment of pause before Vlad continued his answer.  Vlad pulled his mask up, but still using his hand to cover his own face. The voice now sound more happier, with some chuckle can be heard from Vlad while he was talking. [color=556B2F] " Now, my motivation may sound irrelevant as first. But please hear my out. I am in love with the idea of death. My interest span from physiological, biological, and the idea of death itself. And an idea is immortal, for Frank Ocean once said, 'We all know we have a finite period of time. I just feel if I'm going to be alive, I want to be challenged- to be as immortal as possible. The path to that isn't an easy way. But it's a rewarding way.' For me, beating something as physiological as death is not going to be easy, especially when facing the Aggressive Decay. But by winning, I shall be remembered forever. And there is nothing better than playing a chess game with death itself on behalf of all humanity."[/color]  Answering every question that Carmen put out for him, Vladimir felt something that he had never felt in a long time. The sense of a having a friend, of someone with the same thought, and the ability to share his secret took Vladimir a few minutes to calm down.
 Having his emotions to settle, Vladimir pulled his mask down, the tone of a soulless person filled in every words he spoke. [color=556B2F] "Are you now satisfied with the answer I gave to you? I hoped that I had explain my reason clear. Now without my interruption, I wish you a good night." [/color]  Vlad looked at his pocket watch, then raised his head, looking at Carmen. [color=556B2F]"Or may I say, I wish you to have a good day."[/color]

[color=FF69B4]"W-wait!"[/color] her trembled in an urgent shout before he could walk out the door. [color=FF69B4]"Wait..."[/color] She uttered now more softly, trying to hide her sudden attraction to this man. Even as he just spoke, she was lost in his words, she craved for him and not just for his knowledge that unraveled a sudden mystery about the Aggressive Decay on earth, but she has never had any true fascination with another man since the father of her child. Yet, to Carmen she has always been the one to dabble in the shadows with her net of spies, and because of the Karma Rogues, Carmen has been able to piece together some type of past for every colonist in Churchill. However, Vlad was not from here, she knew nothing about him, and to just be able to see just his lips for a second, peaked more than her interest, it induced a sudden obsession to know more. [color=FF69B4]"I want you... Funds, resources-- you can have it, as long as I can have you..."[/color] Carmen then took steps towards Vlad. [color=FF69B4]"And... and is it too much of a burden if I asked to you without your mask, even if it is just a portion of your face?"[/color]

The silent that once left the room, now returned to fill the place. The cool atmosphere of the night before was now starting to warm up. [color=556B2F] "The reason I wore this mask was to protect myself. But after a long time, I just don't like to see my face anymore. So I almost always wore this mask. Now, I no longer remember of the face of who I am, but only the face of who I was.  But if it is your request, Victorian of the Mastermind, then I will show my face for you." [/color] Slowly, Pulled down his mask to his nose, the only thing that Carmen can see from "The Raven Follower" was that he has a brown hair, a small scar on his forehead, and a pair of blue eyes. But his image can only maintain for a few second before the bird mask replaced his face. [color=556B2F] "Please, consider this as a small payment for the favor that I own you for the wonderful conversation we had yesterday. And now, please allow me to leave the place."[/color] After bowing to the Victorian, Vlad walked out of the room, heading toward his caravan. Before losing his conscious because of sleep, Vlad murmured, [color=556B2F]"The raven is coming."[/color][/indent]