[center][h2][color=00aeef]Marrie[/color] & [color=75c159]Tetrad[/color][/h2][h3]Pizza & Vampires[/h3][/center]
[hr]

After Bastion was reclaimed by Maverick Alternative, it was swiftly transformed from a honey cult hangout to a place where the Mavericks could conduct their business. All of the cultist related paraphernalia was ditched for neon signs, swag lights, and old furniture. The entire place felt like a giant man cave, only Billy was the only thing close to a man that walked the corridors of Bastion. The sound of cars and motorcycles racing could be heard overhead, but it was of little concern to the two hiding out in a former store room.

Two couches were positioned around a small table, with a box of pizza and drinks set out for them to enjoy. The only light in the room came from a neon “open” sign and a swag light that hung overhead.  Tetrad was in her esper form, and sat on one side. Marrie was in her true form, 

[color=75c159]”Mmmmph! I wouldn’t expect to get food this good in a dump like Pax Septimus! This is going to be a way better hide out than I thought! We can surface almost anywhere!”[/color] Tetrad chuckled. [color=75c159]”I probably shouldn’t be telling an outsider that, but you helped us claim it, so I don’t think anyone can get mad if I do.”[/color] She dipped what was left of her crust in a cup of ranch. [color=75c159]”So good! There’s still some of that diluted honey left if you want to try dipping your crust in it.”[/color] She managed between bites of her pizza.

[color=00aeef]”Oh, uh… No thanks. I’m ready to swear off honey for life after all that.”[/color] Marrie replied before finally picking up a slice of pizza with her good hand, since her left was still numb from breaking the elbow, and taking a bite. ‘Wait until the other person has had some before starting, that avoids scenarios where you eat too much and the other person wants more food than is left.’ At least, that was her logic. It was good pizza, too. 

[color=75c159]”I hear that! But I could never swear off honey. It tastes too good, and it’s good for your complexion I hear!”[/color] With a sigh, she looked at Marrie’s lame arm. [color=75c159]”Wish I had more mana left over after the operation. Esper forms heal really fast, but even with healing magic, the best we can do is shrink months of healing down to a few weeks. At least the scarring should be pretty minimal, and you should make a full recovery.”[/color] Tetrad was about to take another bite out of her pizza when she stopped herself. [color=75c159]”Hey um, you did great during the operation, but I get the impression you’re kind of new to this?”[/color] She set her slice down on a paper plate.

[color=00aeef]”Yeah. New to being an esper, new to the city…”[/color] she sighed and took another bite of pizza. [color=00aeef]”I didn’t expect things to be quite so… violent, when I found out I could fly and shoot magic at things.”[/color] she said after she finished chewing.

[color=75c159]”Not quite like sailor moon, is it?”[/color] Tetrad sighed. [color=75c159]”I’m new to the city too, wish I could say that last encounter was a special case, but I have no idea.”[/color] She folded one leg over the other. [color=75c159]”The upshot is that I can give you some advice on being an esper at least. Rule number uno, protect your identity.”[/color] She waved a hand over her outfit. [color=75c159]”I wish I could say I fully trust you, or anyone really, but your true identity is extremely valuable to your enemies. If you’re going to meet up with other espers, you’ll want to make sure you have your true identity hidden. Gemini doesn’t like us, and we don’t like them. If someone decides to hold a grudge against you, you’ll sleep a lot better at night if they don’t know who you are out of esper state.” [/color] Tetrad picked up a soda. [color=75c159]”It’s my least favorite part of the job. I’d love to go clubbing with you somewhere. But this is the world we live in. Gotta watch your back.”[/color] She was about to sip when she eyed up Marrie again. [color=75c159]”But you did good on that last operation. I hope you’re not thinking about quitting.”[/color]

Marrie paused. [color=00aeef]”I guess… I guess I’m not. I just hope that things’ll go better than that in the future. The biggest thing I’d ever killed as a spider, and now… Now I’m a murderer. I doubt I’ll be able to sleep for quite a while, no matter how I try to justify it.”[/color] She closed her eyes. [color=00aeef]”But I see your point about the identity thing. But I don’t think it’s worth risking your life to avoid transforming; I think doing that is why I was able to survive earlier. I had assumed that there might be some kind of ceasefire for when people aren’t transformed, but I guess that manga-like things like that don’t happen.”[/color] Marrie opened her eyes again and took a drink.

Tetrad looked up in the air and placed a hand on her chin. [color=75c159]”I mean, yea, that makes sense.”[/color] She looked at Marrie. [color=75c159]”Though like right now? You’re playing with your life. I mean, I’m glad you trust me this much, but it really isn’t like some comic book. Though if you’re new enough nobody will likely care what you do, for now anyway.”[/color] Tetrad took a swig of her drink. [color=75c159]”Ahh! Oh! But um, I don’t want to put you under too much pressure, but if you really need help, I’ve got a proposition.”[/color] She set down her can and folded her hands under her chin. [color=75c159]”If you’re really new, you might want to consider signing on with us. I get it, freelance work gives you a lot of freedom, but joining up with Maverick gives you security. At the end of the day, freelancers are just espers that want to get paid. We have camaraderie and friendship!  If you don’t like killing things, we’re more about preserving lives than ending them. That’s not to say some wild furries or bee people won’t come out of the woodwork, but we’re more about keeping the peace between monsters and humans. And if you’re with us, I can [i]really[/i] show you the ropes.”[/color] She flicked one of her hands off to the side. [color=75c159]”Open invitation of course, no need to join or decline right now. But the offer is there.”[/color]

Marrie took another piece of pizza and began eating it in silence. After a few moments she felt ready to answer. [color=00aeef]”I really appreciate the offer, but I don’t know if I can do that. I would rather join you guys than G.E.M.I.N.I., honestly, but I want to prevent as much suffering as I can, and from what I’ve heard Maverick is willing to let some people suffer if it means helping even more people. Which is admirable, but I don’t think I can sign on with that. There’s gotta be a way to help everyone.”[/color] She sighed again. [color=00aeef]”But I suppose that’s probably too idealistic as well. I don’t want to give a yes or no without giving it a lot of thought, so I’ll think it over and get back to you, if that’s okay.”[/color]

[color=75c159]”That’s okay, sorry if I made things awkward.”[/color] She held out her can, hoping Marrie would do the same. [color=75c159]”Just pizza buddies for now then.”[/color] Once their cans clicked, she knocked back her drink and downed the entire thing in one go. After that, she crushed the can against her forehead and placed it on the table. 

Marrie held out her drink as Tetrad implied, then took a much smaller drink than she did after the toast. 

[color=75c159]”So as a freelancer, you’ve probably heard of the rumors, right?”[/color] Tetrad uncrossed her legs, only to cross them the other way. [color=75c159]”Apparently there’s a vampire around. Lots of requests turning up for their extermination. Only nobody can find where they are.”[/color] she shrugged her shoulders. [color=75c159]”Well, people are finding them, but none of them started as vampires. They call those thralls, when it was a vampire created by another vampire.”[/color]

[color=00aeef]”I wasn’t sure whether to believe that vampires are even real. Is there no other way to deal with them than killing it? And what happens to these ‘thralls’ when it goes away? Isn’t there some version of vampire myth that says they’ll die too?”[/color] 

[color=75c159]”It’s important to remember that most monsters are named after things they kind of represent. So a vampire isn’t going to be [i]just[/i] like the ones you read about. They can turn people by biting them, but they do not become true vampires. They avoid sunlight, but that’s just because they prefer to hunt at night. Beyond that, I don’t know that much about it.”[/color] She chuckled. [color=75c159]”I could probably ask Billy later. I mean, he [i]is[/i] a monster himself.”[/color]

That was when Billy leaned his head into the room. [color=lightgray]”Speak and he shall appear!”[/color]

Luna shifted in her seat. [color=75c159]”H-how long have you been there?”[/color]

[color=lightgray]”This mask ain’t enough to stop my sniffer from pickin’ up the scent of pizza!”[/color] He reached into the room and picked up a single slice of pizza with a hand big enough to make Shaquille O'Neal shutter.[color=lightgray]”Vampires drink human blood, end of story. As for the thralls? There might be some salvation for ‘em if ya can break the vampire’s spell. It’s pretty strong- I say it’s pretty strong stuff though. Gettin’ rid of the vampire might help though.”[/color] He lifted up his mask just long enough to chuck a pizza slice into his mouth. [color=lightgray]”In a perfect world we could convince the vampire to drink blood packets and stop turnin’ people ta thralls. Ain’t sure if that’s gunna work this time though. I’d have to meet ‘em first.”[/color]

Marrie nodded. [color=00aeef]”That would be ideal, I’d think, but what would happen to the thralls if the vampire started doing that? And what’s even happened to them in the first place by becoming one? Are they just vampires by a different name?”[/color]

[color=lightgray]”That’s right, you’re new ‘aincha?”[/color] Billy laughed. [color=lightgray]”Vampires are one of many monsters that can grant humans dark blessin’s”[/color]

[color=75c159]”Right, I know what that is.”[/color] Tetrad folded her arms in her lap. [color=75c159]”That’s when a monster gives powers to a human, right?”[/color]

[color=lightgray]”Power, and often at a cost.”[/color] Billy’s voice became more stern. [color=lightgray]”Most dark blessin’s are accepted willingly by a human, but vampires can force them onto others by injecting their own corrupted blood into ‘em.Aside from bein’ weaker and totally under the vampire’s control, there ain’t much difference between a thrall and a vampire. But any spell can be broken, so a thrall can be freed by the vampire if they so choose. A vampire is one for life, ain’t no changin’ that!”[/color]

[color=00aeef]”So someone’s just got to find them and convince them to let them go and change to a more humane food source, right? That’s good, at least they don’t have to die because of what might have been a mistake. Though if vampires can only make thralls, where do vampires come from?”[/color]

[color=75c159]”Nobody really knows,”[/color] This time it was Tetrad who spoke up. [color=75c159]”All monsters come from another plane of existence known as the elemental chaos. But if I had to guess, I’d say it’s not impossible that they can have children much like humans do. But that’s just a guess. Well, to me anyway.”[/color] She looked at Billy. 

[color=lightgray]”Elemental chaos ain’t really my home, ya know. I left my world one day, traversed the chaos, and ended up here.”[/color] Billy looked between the two girls. [color=lightgray]”Vampires are a reclusive bunch. Don’t know much more than what I’ve already shared. I know they ain’t dead, but they’re tough enough they might as well be.”[/color] Someone screamed Billy's name, and he looked over his shoulder. [color=lightgray]”Woops! Gotta race to win! Have fun girls!”[/color]

[color=75c159]”Bye!”[/color] Tetrad fell back into her chair.. [color=75c159]”Well I ate too much.”[/color]

Marrie looked downcast until Tetrad mentioned eating too much, at which she laughed slightly. [color=00aeef]”I’ve never had that happen to me, so I don’t know what that feels like. I wonder if monsters can eat too much or if that’s a human thing?”[/color]

[color=75c159]”Suppose that depends on what their diet is.”[/color] She eyed the pizza box. [color=75c159]”You can take that home with you if you’d like. I can find more later if I get hungry.”[/color]

Marrie smiled. [color=00aeef]”Alright. But I do have one last question.”[/color] She blanched at the thought. [color=00aeef]”What was that thing driving the wrecking ball? I think I’m going to have nightmares of it as much as everything else.”[/color]

Tetrad threw her head back. [color=75c159]”Well now I’m really done eating pizza.”[/color] With a sigh, she threw her hand over her head. [color=75c159]”Some manner of corpse puppet? I didn’t look at it too closely. I just know that whatever it was, it can’t hurt us now.”[/color] She looked at Marrie and forced a smile. [color=75c159]”This is all going to start feeling normal to you before you know it. But having said that, it is kind of refreshing to have someone like you around..”[/color] She closed her eyes, but her smile persisted. [color=75c159]”Having compassion, and humanity. Those aren’t bad things, you know?”[/color]

Though when Tetrad opened her eyes again, Marrie had already departed. With a shrug, a smile crept across her face. [color=75c159]”You’re not a murderer, okay?”[/color]