[center][img]http://i362.photobucket.com/albums/oo63/NMShape/cooltext141339446595706_zps6fzmac2f.png[/img][/center] [center]And[/center] [center][img]http://i.imgur.com/6it2Rjl.png[/img][/center] [center]In[/center] [center][u][b]Bloody Hugs for Everyone!![/b][/u][/center] As Eva looked at her phone the time flew by night fell over the city, she needed to be awake for Pacific Point’s clean up in the morning. And this jaunt with Van Helsing was exhausting, still she made a new contact even if he was a dick. Who abandons the girl to fend off wave after wave of attackers. But people had begun to gather to deal with this new threat and it helped put her mind at ease. Before leaving she peered into her old room, left as it was covered in sheets to preserve what was inside she felt her bed and turned to flick off the lights before disappearing through a portal. -- Afternoon of the Next Day -- Eva’s hands felt grimey, as it was a city wide cleanup she dictched her costume or hoodie and let herself blend into the crowd as she helped out, she was overwhelmingly tired and had received some sort of energy drink from Merlin, which made her peppy. She mentioned some side effects but neglected to share what they were only that they wouldn’t affect her. Rinsing her hands off Merlin sat on her shoulders diminutive and as condescending as ever. [color=92278f]”There’s something I’d like you to check out, an odd anomaly over at the museum of history.”[/color] Eva rolled her shoulder to indicate that Merlin was still quite heavy despite her size.[color=00aeef]”Again. I heard there was kerffulf-- a thing the other day.”[/color] Merlin chuckled at Eva’s attempt to use a large word. [color=92278f]”Well yes, they might be related. Excalibur always had sway over magic and supernatural beings, it might be attracting more attention from the mystical side of things.”[/color] [color=00aeef]”Great.”[/color] Eva said as she ran her wet fingers through her hair, [color=00aeef]”Can I rinse my hair first?”[/color] Merlin leaped off her shoulder and vanished leaving Eva standing over a hose. After twenty minutes Eva had left onto search for a door that she could quietly warp to the museum with and finding one without scores of people mulling about was difficult, the people took pride in their city and it’s clean up but she did find one and slipped away into the women's restroom of New York's famous Museum of Natural History. As the door opened she could hear faint screaming in the background and as she ran towards the source she noticed a girl exposed buck naked and all standing over broken glass as she examined the exhibits trailing a bit of blood from a nearby guard. Eva stopped, modesty was either lost on the girl or that she somehow caused all this.[color=00aeef]”I. Um.”[/color] With her hood pulled over her head and finger raised Eva struggled to bring words to this situation. [color=00aeef]”Is um, being nude your thing. Not that I’m judging, but here we call that jailbait.”[/color] Katarina whirled around, her sword pointed in the direction of the newcomer. The stench of the Grail was about her, permeating her every movement, oozing from every pore. And at the girl’s side was the most disgusting thing of all: the sword of King Arthur, Excalibur. Katarina seethed as she regarded the newcomer with hate-filled eyes, only softening when she saw the relative youth of the woman in question. [color=921111]”Well now, it seems I have attracted the attention of the Grail Knights already… Don’t mock me with your feigned lack of knowledge, girl! Your order is to blame for my current state! Your scion, Henry of the House Plantagenet, sought my destruction on the fields of Neuhausen, and he almost succeeded, his hateful fires burning away at my very soul! So don’t come to me asking why I stand here as I am, for you should already know the answer!”[/color] Katarina turned and walked a couple of paces towards the girl, the broken glass crunching underfoot and Thirst ready to strike at a moment’s notice. [color=921111]”And what brings your kind crawling from out of the shadows? Did you have advance notice of my awakening? Did your order seek to have me awakened prematurely so you could finish me off once and for all? I will not relent! I will never yield to you or your masters, do you hear me?! [b][i]NEVER![/b][/i]” The final scream shook the foundation of the building itself, almost seeming to tear at the boundaries between the mortal and the immortal. It sent shockwaves blasting out in all directions… just as her final anguished scream had knocked Henry away from her in the Fall of Neuhausen, as he had King’s Guard held over her heart, ready to strike and finish what remained of her miserable existence. Part of her wished she had simply allowed Henry to strike home… perhaps it would have been a fitting end to the Red Countess, instead of lingering on… Eva’s face squinted and stretched as the young girl ranted. [color=00aeef]”Order, Newhousen. I. Wait what. Could you use, umm. Smaller words. I caught Grail, Knight and Henry.” [/color] As the girl angrily went on ignoring her comment whilst in the middle of her hate filled rantings went on to throw Eva off her feet and careening into a nearby wall. As she picked herself up she began to pull Excalibur, [color=00aeef]”Okay, clearly not being friendly. Well at least you're a naked girl and not a old dude, I don’t think I’d be able to close my eyes without night terrors waking me up. Now I’ve got two requests, one please clothe yourself, and two give up quietly, I’m sure we can find a nice juvenile rehabilitation center.”[/color] Katarina was incredulous, and yet interested at the same time. She claimed she knew nothing of the Grail Knights, and yet at the same time she held the blade of King Arthur in her hand - which she noticed was now drawn, by the way - and she had an aura of the Grail about her very being? What was this, some sort of freakish test? Was this some sort of trick? [color=921111]”So. You claim you know nothing of the Grail Knights? And what makes you think I’ll believe [i]that[/i] when you have, there in your hand the most powerful blade of their order, sitting right there drawn and ready to strike? How naive do you think I am, Knight? Just because I have the body of a teenage girl does not mean I have none of the aptitude that befits a woman of my age - you Grail Knights of all should know that. But then… how could you not know who I am if you aren’t a Grail Knight…”[/color] Katarina shook her head, her head aching slightly from the backlash of her scream. She looked back at the girl with a snarl, one hand on her hip without a single thought as to her modesty. [color=921111]”Your presence here confuses me. Who are you, and what do you want?! Speak quickly, before I lose my patience with you.”[/color] Katarina decided that she would at least try and work out who this intruder was… maybe see if there was truth to the girl’s claims. And if not… well, Thirst would drink deeply tonight. With her footing squarely centered Eva tilted her head in confusion.[color=00aeef]”Are you alright? Got all yer marbles yeah. Last I checked the Grail was only in one person's hands Indiana Jones and I’m not taking that one seriously as he’s an actor. Though that begs the question how you know of this sword. You’re like what, fourteen. Why come and destroy things in a museum just cause you’re some history buff. Look, I’m Pendragon, I’d say it’s nice to meet you but, I’m awfully confused here, maybe we can put our swords away and meet those really nice people in blue, I’m sure they have snacks.”[/color] As Eva attempted to calm the Old World Vampire thinking she was merely a confused troubled girl no older than her younger sister she had no way of knowing just who it was she was speaking too nor how condescending she sounded considering the difference in age that was until Merlin appeared behind her in a puff of rather colorful smoke. [color=92278f]”I was going to watch and be amused by your antics, but this was getting painful to watch. If I’m not mistaken, you are Katarina Ilse Maria Gräfin von Rysech correct? I hoped so. I met you once, or a different you. I am Merlin the Boar's Sin of Greed, from a world where technology ceased to advance. And Dear,”[/color] Merlin turned to Eva. [color=92278f]”She isn’t a child. As for this one Katarina. She’s an imbecile regarding legends and beings of power. And while she is most certainly King Arthur's Heir, the apple fell a few hundred yards away from said tree.”[/color] [color=00aeef]”Standing right here! Could you not in front of the girl who may or may not be a bad guy.”[/color] [color=921111]”Ahahaha yes… so the mystery begins to unfold. It all makes so much sense now, thank you!”[/color] Katarina nodded to herself and then lowered her blade. The girl was telling the truth after all, though Katarina was still slightly irked by her manner of address earlier. Yes, she was still but a teenager, but did everyone have to treat her as though she were a child? She once ruled a vampiric empire that rivalled that of Vlad Tepes at his height, and people still insisted on talking down to her… However, the appearance of the spirit and her use of her full name brought a smile to her face. She nodded again, and then looked back at the young woman. [color=921111]”You’re the scion of Arthur Pendragon, are you? Explains the sword, for one thing, and your little spirit helper there seems to be the brains behind this operation. Tell me, Merlin, did you arrange for this little visit to happen? Your sorcerous energies working their little cogs to twist the skein of fate? Or did you simply just teleport her here once you learned of my awakening? Whichever way, it matters not, you’re here now. It’s fine.”[/color] Merlin smiled.[color=92278f]”You may actually owe you’re awakening to Excalibur. I know only scant details of what happened in this world but it is quite ironic that Excalibur’s magic to awaken sleeping magical energies is what could have revived you yourself.”[/color] Eve bent up her wrist looking at Excalibur.[color=00aeef]”Stop waking things up. I don’t need anymore magic bullshit. Why are you even here, you helping or making things worse so we fight?’[/color] [color=92278f]”Who knows, maybe I was curious, perhaps I wanted to speak to the Red Countess at least once.”[/color] Merlin smirked. [color=00aeef]”Red Countess, sure. Something tells me it isn’t cause you like red flowers. Look, however grand you were before, you can’t go around killing people unless you want to be a bad guy. Or a certain newscopter destroying mech pilot. Short version, don’t kill please.”[/color] Katarina bristled as she watched the girl once again try and lecture her on how to behave… Yes. She killed a guard. Perhaps not the *best* way to open her new Reign, but in her defence, they did aim guns at her. They could have opened fire on her, for all she knew. Her muscles in her arm tensed as she was about to raise Thirst against the girl once again, but she held off on that for the moment. She shook her head and spoke up. [color=921111]”In my defence, this… mortal… was about to fire upon me. He had a comrade, similarly armed and similarly garbed, and I attacked before either of them could attempt to harm me. I say attempt… largely because I have been shot before, and it didn’t have much impact aside from leaving a large… what do you call it in English, a bruise? Yes, a bruise.”[/color] Katarina snickered and walked a couple of paces closer to the girl and her spirit companion, barely six or seven feet away by now, her sword now hanging loosely from her arm at her side. Blood stained the underside of her feet as she walked through the broken glass and pools of red that littered the beautiful marble flooring of the museum. Almost a shame really, to stain such beauty with the animalistic fury of the Blood Kiss. [color=921111]”You intrigue me, Pendragon. You intrigue me greatly. As to the benefit for us both, I’m yet to work that out, but… you most definitely have piqued my interest in you. And as for you, Merlin...”[/color] Katarina looked over at the spirit, [color=921111]”You disappoint me in your material form. I expected you to be taller.”[/color] She giggled. Merlin held out her hand as a force went up around Eva, a repulsion field of sorts. [color=92278f]”Terribly sorry but I cannot allow you to step closer. I have need of this one. However perhaps we can, come to an agreement. You seem to be without resources, clothes to garb yourself in and unaware of the laws this modern world requires it’s honest citizens to uphold. A favor for a favor and we might be able to help each other out.”[/color] [color=00aeef]”Wait? Help her, she still killed someone, am I not supposed to bring her in for that? We just let her go and give her stuffs.”[/color] [color=92278f]”Your first duty is to the magical denizens of this world, helping them cope with modern life and protecting them and humans from endangering each other. Tell me. What human Jail can hold a powerful necromantic Vampire without bloodshed?”[/color] [color=00aeef]”I. Well. We have Villain jails.”[/color] [color=92278f]”We can end this without further conflict, and hopefully set a misplaced Old World Vampire on a new path.”[/color] [color=00aeef]”I. Don’t know about this.”[/color] [color=921111]”You’re not the only one, Pendragon. Don’t try and take me for a fool, Merlin. I know you need this girl for something, and I know I won’t much like it. If Excalibur did arouse me from my slumber, then it makes me suspicious of you already… perhaps there’s a plot of yours that you’re engineering. And perhaps… well, I have little chance of receiving assistance in any other manner.”[/color] Katarina looked back at Pendragon, a pensive demeanour about her. [color=921111]”We’ll have to swallow our prides, daughter of Arthur. My apologies if I give you nightmares for the next few days from the… unique manner of my appearance. Lead on, Merlin… and I will warn you now. I remember much from the Liber Necronomica. And I know how to use it.”[/color] [color=92278f]”How quaint. I remember that book it’s spells were; childish.”[/color] [color=921111]”Fitting for a child to use, I suppose?”[/color]