The Vampire Senshi

[Halbarad]

This is an omake that's kind of taken on a life of its own. We're posting the logs separately here so we don't completely take over the other omake thread.

GM's notes - Yep. I blame Hatbot for dice rolling and vampire loving, Rei for bad luck, and poor Rat. Eating a 4x critical.

[12:33] <Anastasia> Night is just falling at the Shrine, the sun now gone under the horizon as the streetlights and lamps shed golden glows across the walks of Tokyo. Rei is out a bit late at the Shrine, working away at cleaning a nasty mess. Someone was very ill just before leaving, and the cleanup is just being finished.
[12:35] <Anastasia> As you work and just complete the needed washing of the stones, "Hi there," A light, female voice says, right above you. Whomever it is came up without you hearing anything.
[12:36] <Rei-chan> "Huh?" Rei looks up in slight surprise, mentally chastising herself for being so lax as to be caught off guard like that.
[12:38] <Anastasia> Ahead of you is a pale girl with striking red eyes, tied back longish brown hair and wearing a simple short brownish dress and tan top. Her aura is blood red but strangely thin. "Are you a keeper of this Shrine," she asks, smiling a bit at you.
[12:40] <Rei-chan> "No, I'm just a miko," Rei replies bowing politely as she puzzles over the newcomer's interesting aura. "Would you like me to fetch my grandfather?" she asks, deciding that if the girl doesn't seem blatantly evil then her spiritual makeup is her own business.
[12:41] <Anastasia> She smiles at you still. "No, that's alright. I'm Riho," she nods, introducing herself.
[12:42] <Rei-chan> "Nice to meet you, Riho," Rei smiles back. "I'm Rei." She leans forward on her broom a bit, "Is there anything I can help you with, then?"
[12:43] <Anastasia> "Yes...Rei, have you seen a a tall, European man here? Long brown hair, yellowish eyes? He wears a sort of suit?"
[12:44] <Anastasia> Riho leans forward a bit herself, her cool breath just reaching your face. It's notably cooler than the warm summer night air...
[12:45] <Rei-chan> "Hmm..." Rei puts a hand under her chin as she thinks over the day's visitors to see if the description rings a bell. The coolness of Riho's breath also tickles something else at the back of her mind...
[12:46] <Rei-chan> "No," she shakes her head, "I don't believe anyone like that has visited the Shrine today." Her curiousity piqued as she begins to sense something rather otherworldly about her guest, she examine's Riho's aura in more detail to try and discern as much as she can, still acting nonchalant until she gets any firm evidence of hostile intent.
[12:47] <Anastasia> OOC - Soul check, +1.
[12:47] <Rei-chan> roll 2d6+1
[12:47] * Hatbot --> "Rei-chan rolls 2d6+1 and gets 10."
[12:48] <Anastasia> Riho frowns just a bit. "Damn," she murmurs, but then goes right back to her faint smile. "Thank you, Rei. You have a wonderful looking temple." You don't sense any evil from her. Just...something different, something dead. Beneath of it, a hunger.
[12:50] <Rei-chan> "Thank you," Rei smiles faintly, even as a touch of revulsion begins to build in the pit of her stomach. The dead should stay dead, after all. "Tell me, why are you looking for this man, Riho?"
[12:51] <Anastasia> She shakes her head. "Er.." she panics just a bit, but recovers. "Nevermind that, Rei. HE's just...um...an old friend." With that, she starts to walk off. "See you, Rei."
[12:53] <Rei-chan> "Wait a moment, Riho," Rei calls, quickly hurrying after the 'girl'.
[12:53] <Anastasia> She stops, turning to you. "What is it," she asks, curious. "I should really get going now...Someone is waiting for me."
[12:55] * Rei-chan smiles, just a touch predatorily. "Since you visited the Shrine, I'd like to give you a blessing." She produces one of her usual youma fighting ofuda and holds it out to the other girl, "This will bring you good luck," she lies.
[12:57] <Anastasia> Smiling a bit, "Thanks, Rei." she takes it, her hand jerking back a moment later. "OW!" she yelps, wincing a bit cutely and shaking her hand.
[12:59] <Rei-chan> "I thought so," Rei nods warily. "What are you, Riho? That ward only affects spiritual creatures that go against the natural order."
[13:00] <Anastasia> Blowing on her hand, she takes a moment to reply. "Mr. Shido told me that I shouldn't tell random people about it," she surmises. "And Gunie would kill me, too." Turning again, she starts to leave.
[13:01] <Rei-chan> "I'm not a random person, Riho," Rei says warningly. "And if I'm right you're already dead. I don't have any qualms about returning you to your proper rest in that case."
[13:03] <Anastasia> She turns to you, looking a bit miffed. "You don't have to be mean...I'll just go," With that she leaps skyward, her image against the rising nearly full moon a moment as she soars in the air, down to the streets below in a leap that would do a elder Sailor Senshi proud.
[13:05] * Rei-chan frowns, pocketing her ofuda. While an abomination, Riho did seem fairly inoffensive. "I'll let you go, Riho," she murmurs, "I just hope I don't regret it..." So saying, she whirls about and heads inside to clean herself up.
[13:05] <Anastasia> ---
[13:05] <Anastasia> A few days later...
[13:07] <Anastasia> Going home from school rabbitless is rather sad, but at least you got a ride from Eudial. The red haired girl is in a rather happy mood as she zips through the streets of Tokyo in a more controlled version of her normal tunnel driving antics.
[13:07] <Rei-chan> "Had some good news lately?" Rei enquires, noting the older girl's demeanour.
[13:08] <Anastasia> "Fairly good," she smiles back, glancing away from the road a moment. "I met someone really charming yesterday - we're going out tomorrow," she nods.
[13:09] <Rei-chan> "Oh?" Rei looks interested, leaning a bit closer, "Details, details," the gossip-hungry miko prods.
[13:12] <Anastasia> "He's a really handsome visitor from old Europe - he sounds like he might be a nobleman," she grins. "He came up to me and was interested right away."
[13:13] <Rei-chan> "Europe?" Rei repeats, her mind drifting back to her odd encounter a few days previous. "Tall with long brown hair and yellowish eyes?" she asks, half dreading the answer.
[13:13] <Anastasia> "He dresses really nice, in this snappy su...yeah," she replies, blinking. "You know him?"
[13:14] <Rei-chan> "No," Rei shakes her head, "But I had a... strange, visitor at the Shrine looking for him, if it is... the description matches, anyway."
[13:15] <Anastasia> Slowing down to only being a minor traffic violation, Eudial stares at you. "What SORT of visitor, Rei," she asks, herseld dreading a bad answer. "He'd better not be..."
[13:16] * Rei-chan frowns. "I think she was some sort of spirit - her aura was strange and she reacted as if burned when she touched one of my ofuda. I let her go without exorcising her since she didn't really seem dangerous..." Rei bites her lip, wondering if that was a mistake.
[13:18] <Anastasia> Eudial frowns even more, pulling over and making a stop that probably left permanent skid marks on the road. "She?" Eudial slumps. "Dammit."
[13:19] <Rei-chan> "Ah... I'm pretty sure it's not what you think, Eudial," Rei hastens to reassure her, "But... he might be in danger from her... or her associates."
[13:21] <Anastasia> Refreshing a bit at that, "Then I'll protect him," she decides quickly. "It'll be so romantic...just the two of us, against whatever Fate has sent his way," the normally more composed girl's eye start to sparkle at this, reality taking a raincheck.
[13:22] <Rei-chan> "Um... she looked like she could be pretty dangerous in a fight, and implied her associates were worse," Rei says worriedly. "You'd better be really careful, sempai."
[13:23] <Anastasia> "Of course," she murmurs, already having filed away your words as images of romance filter through her head. "We'll be really careful..."
[13:24] <Rei-chan> "Promise me, Eudial," Rei asks, deadly serious.
[13:24] <Anastasia> At your tone, the girl comes down from the heights of her fantasy back to the real world. "I promise, Rei. If I survived both those Elves and the Deathbusters, that girl won't be a thing."
[13:26] <Rei-chan> "Just make sure you keep your Fire Buster handy at all times," Rei nods. "There's no telling what you could get mixed up in here..."
[13:27] <Anastasia> She nods. "I'll make sure it's fully charged and ready," she agrees. "Though...ARe you going to be at home today? I can give you a call if something bad does happen," she offers.
[13:28] <Rei-chan> "I should be," Rei replies, "I've got a lab report due in tomorrow for physics, so I won't be going anywhere else tonight."
[13:29] <Anastasia> She nods again, starting to head towards the temple again. "I'll give you a call if it that bad...though I hope it isn't," she muses, her mood now more based in reality.
[13:29] <Anastasia> ---
[13:29] <Anastasia> That evening...
[13:30] <Anastasia> Your work on the report is cut off around 10 PM, just as you planned to wrap up. The phone rings, breaking into your concentration.
[13:31] <Rei-chan> "Oh, no..." Rei breathes, hurrying over to answer and dearly hoping Eudial is just calling to let her know everything went great, for she doesn't expect anyone else to call her at this hour.
[13:32] <Anastasia> "Rei," Eudial says into the phone, sounding winded. "Tokyo Harbor Bridge, hurry," she says, loud grunting and screaming sound sher in the background.
[13:34] <Rei-chan> "Can you last 10 minutes?" Rei asks quickly, resolving to just project herself over if things are that critical.
[13:34] <Anastasia> There is no answer, only a dead line now.
[13:35] <Rei-chan> "Shit!" Rei curses, sitting down right where she is and closing her eyes as she swiftly enters a meditative trance to project her astral form th the bridge.
[13:39] <Anastasia> With haste born of crisis, Rei's astral body takes form, appearing on the great bridge suspended above the bay. Cars are strewn about, a few flaming brightly and casting a unreal glow over the area. It forms a rough bordered off area in the middle of the bridge, where Eudial and others are. Eudial and a man with long, off purple hair and a sword made of pure blood stand together, while the man described by Riho and Eudial stands atop
[13:40] <Anastasia> His voice is strangely appealing, with a melodic quality that belies his dark appearance. HIs aura is the same pure blood red as Riho's, but far stronger and darker.
[13:40] <Anastasia> "Cain!" Shido cries. "I won't let you hurt another innocent!"
[13:41] <Anastasia> His voice is full of rage, Shido's bloody red aura angry and unbalanced. It lacks the same evil that stains this Cain's, at least.
[13:41] <Anastasia> "And I'll cream you for getting my hopes up," Eudial grins out, her black party dress sulled by a nasty, bleeding stomach cut, her Fire Buster out and ready.
[13:42] <Anastasia> *Grinds
[13:42] * Rei-chan is a bit surprised, having expected Eudial's date to be on the Witch's side. Still, it's fairly clear who the bad guy is here, and without announcing her presence, the astral miko launches a fireball at Cain!
[13:42] <Rei-chan> roll 2d6
[13:42] * Hatbot --> "Rei-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 3."
[13:43] <Anastasia> The vampire's eyes widen as you focus your power, turning to you as the fireball launches!
[13:43] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[13:43] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 4."
[13:44] <Anastasia> With nimble speed, he leaps high and out of the way, landing atop another car. "STay out of this, bitch," he curses, glaring at your astral form.
[13:45] <Rei-chan> Wishing she wear Sailor Mars right now, instead of the far less imposing figure of Rei Hino dressed in jeans and a pink t-shirt, Rei nonetheless puts up a brave front, floating down closer to Eudial while facing Cain. "I'm not going to let an abomination hurt my friend!" she declares.
[13:45] <Anastasia> As he says that, the purple haired Shido leaps at him, taking it as a chance to defeat the other vampire1
[13:46] <Anastasia> "Good to see you, Rei," Eudial smiles briefly in spite of her wound. AS this happen, Cain leaps to meet Shido in the air, a momentary clash as the two meet, a rising and falling star crossing paths.
[13:47] <Rei-chan> "Looks like I was worried for the wrong reason," Rei observes, annoyed, as she watches Eudial's former date and the other do battle.
[13:47] <Anastasia> Shido cries as they do, falling straight down after it while Cain glides to a safe landing on the street below. "You've gotten soft, Shido," he smiles a bit, as Shido's chest has a large bloody sword stuck through it now.
[13:47] <Anastasia> "Damn...you..." Shido curses, slowly starting to get up despite his absurdly fatal looking wound. With a flex, the sword of blood vanishes, leaving a gaping wound in his center chest.
[13:48] <Anastasia> A moment later, though, his exertion causes him to topple over without another word, the injury too much for him.
[13:49] <Anastasia> With a chuckle, Cain turns his attention to you and Eudial. "Eudial," he purrs. "Come. I feel your power...you will make an excellent replacement for Shido." He then gazes at Rei, expression bemused. "And you...powerful enough to project your spirit, and with a soul of pure fire? Perhaps you could even bear part in the Golden Dawn..."
[13:50] <Rei-chan> "No thanks," Rei sneers, "Moldy corpses should stay in their graves."
[13:51] <Anastasia> Another creepy smile takes his face them. "Such an close minded little girl. No matter...I'll have my way with the both of you." With that, he puts his finger to his mouth, biting down with fangs...Blood flows out of the injury, forming a sword of blood.
[13:51] <Anastasia> OOC - Initiative
[13:51] <Anastasia> roll 1d6
[13:51] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 3."
[13:51] <Anastasia> roll 1d6
[13:51] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 1."
[13:51] <Rei-chan> roll 1d6+10
[13:51] * Hatbot --> "Rei-chan rolls 1d6+10 and gets 11."
[13:53] <Anastasia> Smirking at Eudial, he lunges forward at her with speed outmatching even that of your fiercest foes!
[13:53] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[13:53] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 8."
[13:53] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[13:53] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 3."
[13:54] <Anastasia> Almost flying right at her with an arm extended out at her, Eudial frantially dives out of the way, avoiding being taken and done God only knows what to!
[13:56] <Anastasia> Grinning at her evade, he turns his gaze to Rei. "Dare to interfere, woman," he mocks you, putting his sword up in a ready position.
[13:57] <Rei-chan> "Eudial, use your Fire Buster!" Rei yells, floating beside the redhead, "I'll boost its power!" So saying, she begins to concentrate on the fire dormant within the technomagical weapon, seeking to increase its power and intensity to greater heights for a single devestating attack!
[13:57] <Rei-chan> roll 2d6
[13:57] * Hatbot --> "Rei-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 7."
[13:59] <Anastasia> Grinning, Eudial nods as Rei's power floods her Fire Buster. Aiming the enhanced weapon at Cain, she fires! "Fire Buster, Mark 2, FIRE!"
[13:59] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[13:59] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 4."
[13:59] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[13:59] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 7."
[14:01] <Anastasia> This time, Cain doesn't even bother to avoid the massive plume of white/red fire that gushes from Eudial's weapon. He just vanishes, reappearing on his original perch. "Is that all you can do, girl? I'm dissapointed. Your real power must be dormant still...but not for long," he smiles grotequsly.
[14:03] <Rei-chan> "I'm just getting warmed up," Rei tries to maintain her confident facade, really wishing she were here in person, but knowing she'd only arrive to late if she tried.
[14:04] <Anastasia> "That's right, and your ass is dust once we get started," Eudial fires off as well.
[14:04] <Anastasia> OOC - Initiative.
[14:04] <Anastasia> roll 1d6
[14:04] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 3."
[14:04] <Anastasia> roll 1d6
[14:04] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 4."
[14:05] <Rei-chan> roll 1d6+10
[14:05] * Hatbot --> "Rei-chan rolls 1d6+10 and gets 14."
[14:07] <Anastasia> Again lunging at Eudial, he now comes at her with a speed that only leaves afterimages of the vampire behind him!
[14:07] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[14:07] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 9."
[14:07] <Anastasia> roll 2d6+2
[14:07] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6+2 and gets 8."
[14:08] * Halbarad is now known as Usagi-chan
[14:09] <Anastasia> Plunked from position, Eudial is taken by the vampire as he grabs her and leaps, landing atop a shattered van and holding the former Deathbuster by her collar, her thrasing doing nothing to lessen his hold on her. She is held so that her neck is merely inches away from his face. "Checkmate, Eudial."
[14:10] <Rei-chan> "Eudial!" Rei panics and reaches to telekinetically knock Eudial away from the vampire, more worried about getting her to safety than ensuring a soft landing.
[14:11] <Rei-chan> roll 2d6-4
[14:11] * Hatbot --> "Rei-chan rolls 2d6-4 and gets 3."
[14:11] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[14:11] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 9."
[14:13] <Anastasia> With a momentary struggle, you manage to pry Eudial from his iron grip, sending her flying down to the pavment. An audible 'OOOFF!' is heard as she is winded by the fall, gasping for air afterwards. He turns his baleful gaze at you, now a bit annoyed. "I told you to stay out of it, bitch. But..." A chuckle, "I will be happy to help you cross the Styx."
[14:14] * Rei-chan glares at the vampire. "Go back to hell on your own, monster!" she spits.
[14:14] <Anastasia> roll 1d6
[14:14] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 1."
[14:14] <Rei-chan> roll 1d6+10
[14:14] * Hatbot --> "Rei-chan rolls 1d6+10 and gets 15."
[14:17] <Rei-chan> Floating closer to the prone Eudial, Rei dispenses with launching an attack directly from her astral form, simply willing the a fire into existence right on top of Cain this time.
[14:17] <Rei-chan> roll 2d6
[14:17] * Hatbot --> "Rei-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 7."
[14:18] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[14:18] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 8."
[14:20] <Anastasia> The beautiful, pure fire springs into existance on top of him like so willed, yet the vampire's reflexes are simply inhuman. He glides forward, avoiding the burn as he rushes right at you with his sword ready!
[14:21] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[14:21] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 9."
[14:22] * Rei-chan makes no effort to dodge, confident that her spiritual form won't be harmed by any mere physical attack, even if directed by a creature such as this.
[14:24] <Anastasia> The sword goes through your left arm, spiritual shock and real pain bursting through your body as the sword vibrates through your astral form and back to your body! (24 damage, and make a Soul check +2)
[14:24] <Rei-chan> roll 2d6+2
[14:24] * Hatbot --> "Rei-chan rolls 2d6+2 and gets 9."
[14:25] <Anastasia> Your senses flare up with the agony of the injury, yet your intense will allows you to keep your astral body controlled and not return to your material vessel.
[14:26] <Anastasia> Scoring a hit, the fiend glides back a bit, his blood sword still in hand. "Foolish girl, you think your projection can shield you from my power?"
[14:26] * Rei-chan floats backwards, making no physical gesture to acknowledge the wound since she knows she can't very well do anything about it until she returns to her real body. "Ngh... guess I underestimated you..." she says through clenched teeth.
[14:27] <Anastasia> OOC - Initiative while I write another line.
[14:28] <Anastasia> As this happens, Eudial begins to rise again, having caught her breath. She sees the injury to Rei, grimly picking up her Fire Buster and beginning to aim as the vampire is distracted with you...
[14:28] <Anastasia> roll 1d6
[14:28] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 6."
[14:29] <Anastasia> roll 1d6
[14:29] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 5."
[14:29] <Rei-chan> roll 1d6+10
[14:29] * Hatbot --> "Rei-chan rolls 1d6+10 and gets 11."
[14:30] <Anastasia> Again rushing forward, the fiend grins, discarding his sword(Which falls apart into a steaming puddle of black blood) and coming right at you, hands reaching to grab onto you!
[14:30] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[14:30] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 5."
[14:30] <Rei-chan> roll 2d6
[14:30] * Hatbot --> "Rei-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 7."
[14:30] <Anastasia> Despite his massive speed, Rei somersaults away, safe from the grab!
[14:31] <Anastasia> As this happens, Eudial grins. "This is for getting my hopes up, you bastard," she whispers, her Flame Buster spewing out a pink glob of goop at Cain!
[14:31] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[14:31] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 8."
[14:31] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[14:31] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 5."
[14:33] <Anastasia> Whipping his head around, he merely steps aside of the goo, instead seeing a section of the road covered in her special sticky gunk!
[14:34] * Rei-chan follows up right behind Eudial, pelting several small fireballs right at their evil foe!
[14:34] <Rei-chan> roll 2d6
[14:34] * Hatbot --> "Rei-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 9."
[14:34] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[14:34] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 9."
[14:37] <Anastasia> The fireballs pelt Cain, each one burning a small hole in his cloak and clothing, slightly damaging the creature. He doesn't even jerk despite the visible damage done to his form, instead speaking to you. "Fine, bitch. Enough games." His darkly playful demeanor vanishes now, another sword of blood just appearing in his hands.
[14:37] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[14:37] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 9."
[14:37] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[14:37] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 3."
[14:38] <Anastasia> As he does this, he abruptly whips around, parrying a spear of blood sent right at him. In a wobbly stance Shido stands, his chest still torn open. "Cain...it isn't over..." he pants, his voice weak.
[14:40] <Anastasia> Cain just grins darkly, his sword ready. "Then let us settle this all, Shido!"
[14:41] <Anastasia> roll 1d6
[14:41] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 2."
[14:41] <Anastasia> roll 1d6
[14:41] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 6."
[14:41] <Anastasia> roll 1d6
[14:41] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 2."
[14:41] <Rei-chan> roll 1d6+10
[14:41] * Hatbot --> "Rei-chan rolls 1d6+10 and gets 15."
[14:42] <Rei-chan> "Eudial, try the Fire Buster again while his attention's on that other one," Rei drifts closer to the redheaded Witch, speaking softly as she once more tries to powerup the magical flamethrower.
[14:42] <Rei-chan> roll 2d6
[14:42] * Hatbot --> "Rei-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 9."
[14:44] <Anastasia> Nodding, Eudial aims and points, despite her growing fatigue...
[14:44] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[14:44] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 5."
[14:44] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[14:44] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 6."
[14:46] <Anastasia> The blast zooms out of the cannon, yet Eudial is simply too fast, too quick to be caught as he soars above Rei, his sword coming down at the meddling miko!
[14:46] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[14:46] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 8."
[14:46] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[14:46] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 8."
[14:47] <Rei-chan> roll 2d6
[14:47] * Hatbot --> "Rei-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 9."
[14:47] <Rei-chan> do-over!
[14:47] <Rei-chan> roll 2d6
[14:47] * Hatbot --> "Rei-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 9."
[14:47] <Rei-chan> roll 2d6+2
[14:47] * Hatbot --> "Rei-chan rolls 2d6+2 and gets 9."
[14:48] <Anastasia> A slicing slash across your chest is followed by a stab in your stomach as he lands, rainbows of pain spreading across your vision! (48 damage, and two Soul checks at +2)
[14:48] <Rei-chan> roll 2d6+2
[14:48] * Musk-bot --> "Rei-chan rolls 2d6+2 and gets 13."
[14:48] <Rei-chan> do-over!
[14:49] <Rei-chan> roll 2d6+2
[14:49] * Musk-bot --> "Rei-chan rolls 2d6+2 and gets 10."
[14:49] <Rei-chan> roll 2d6+2
[14:49] * Musk-bot --> "Rei-chan rolls 2d6+2 and gets 13."
[14:50] <Anastasia> As the second blow hits home, you feel your spirit disperse a moment, the hard reality of your wounded, bloody body returning, sitting on the crimson dotted floor.
[14:52] * Rei-chan falls over, breathing deep ragged breaths as her utter defeat sinks in. A defeat that likely just cost Eudial her immortal soul.
[14:54] <Anastasia> As you do so, your body aches. Your form has identical wounds to the ones Cain gave you, and they need treatment lest they doom you as firmly as Eudial may be now.
[14:56] <Rei-chan> Before tending to her wounds, Rei weakly reaches up for the phone once more and shakily dialing the number for Cyprine and Ptliol's house while her other hand tries to staunch the flow from her stomach, idly recalling the damage Oxyite wrought there half a year ago.
[14:57] <Anastasia> The two answer. "Rei," Cyprine says. "Is something the matter?"
[14:59] <Rei-chan> "Cyprine," Rei gasps weakly, "Eudial's at Tokyo harbour bridge..." she gulps several deep breaths before continuing, "A vampire's trying to kill her. He was too strong... you have to get her out of there!"
[15:00] <Anastasia> "Alright," she says sharply. "We'll go there. Take care of yourself, Rei." With that, the phone hangs up.
[15:02] <Rei-chan> Letting the phone drop back into the cradle, Rei drags herself to her feet, using the wall for support, and staggers to her room, hoping all her experience at tending previous injuries can serve her in good stead here as she retrieves her first aid kid.
[15:03] <Rei-chan> first aid kit*
[15:03] <Anastasia> Getting the kit out, you can't help but remember the previous times you've used it as you apply the bandages and disinfectant to your body, memories of past battles going through your blood loss weared mind.
[15:05] <Anastasia> *wearied
[15:06] <Rei-chan> Thinking along those lines, Rei consigns yet another outfit to that blood soaked wastebasket that has claimed so many before...
[15:08] <Anastasia> A half hour passes before you've fully taken care of your wounds, bathed your stained body and thrown on pajamas. The phone rings again as you settle into your bed, insistant.
[15:08] * Rei-chan hurries over to answer it. "Yes?" she asks breathlessly.
[15:09] <Anastasia> "Rei," Cyprine speaks into the phone. "We have Eudial, barely. But..." She stops, quiet.
[15:09] <Rei-chan> "But..?" Rei asks worriedly, that one word not doing any favours to her initial relief.
[15:10] <Anastasia> "We freed her while that thing was feeding on her. She's alive, but she's been infected with something. Ptilol has it containted for the moment, but it's trying to change her."
[15:12] <Rei-chan> "Oh God..." Rei frets, thinking quickly. "Bring her to the Temple! Maybe I can purify it?"
[15:13] <Anastasia> "Alright - You have a Sacred Flame there? Fire is a reputed method of slaying and stopping certain vampires." Cyprine says, quickly recalling her studies on the subject
[15:15] <Rei-chan> "With the help of the Sacred Flame we might be able to exorcise it out of her if she hasn't been turned completely," Rei nods, her mind starting along another tack as she thinks of certain manga she's read. "Or if it's more biological than spiritual maybe the Professor will know something?"
[15:20] <Anastasia> "Alright...we'll try the flame first, then the Professor." With that, the line goes dead. Moments later, the three appear, the twins bearing Eudial. Her cut on her stomach is untended - but her neck has a pressure bandage on it, a reddish aura around her entire body thanks to Ptilol.
[15:21] * Rei-chan feels guilty at seeing Eudial's state, the pain of her own myriad injuries paling in comparison. "Quickly, follow me to the meditation room," she beckons them, swiftly walking to the chamber of the Sacred Flame.
[15:22] <Anastasia> "Yes," Cyprine says, already going in the direction the room. Eudial is purely white and pale as they carry her, her entire skin deathly white.
[15:23] <Anastasia> Coming in, they set the girl in from of the flame and wait for Rei.
[15:26] <Rei-chan> Entering and bowing to the Flame, Rei steps to the side around Eudial and kneels herself. Starting off by herself, she begins to chant softly, trying to exorcise the undead vampiric infection from her friend, her consciousness reaching out to the Sacred Flame as she falls deeper into the meditation, beseeching it for help.
[15:27] <Anastasia> OOC - Soul check.
[15:27] <Rei-chan> roll 2d6
[15:27] * Musk-bot --> "Rei-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 4."
[15:27] <Anastasia> The flame reaches out, the Kami therein caressing your mind a moment, learning what you seek...
[15:28] <Anastasia> To the Twins, the Fire jumps high, the heat washing over Eudial's body, her skin becoming rosy red and boiling hot as it burns away the spiritual malaise!
[15:29] <Rei-chan> Rei's mantra reaches a crescendo, her voice peaking as her spirit works in harmony with the Kami of Hikawa to purify Eudial of the evil that was so nearly done to her.
[15:30] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[15:30] * Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 5."
[15:31] <Anastasia> With a flash, Eudial's skin becomes it's normal healthy shade, the Fire dying down. The infection in her aura fades, her normal glow returning.
[15:31] * Rei-chan sags, feeling drained but also fulfilled from the ritual. "It's done..." she breathes, wiping her slick brow.
[15:32] <Anastasia> "It worked," Ptilol smiles as she looks at the wounded Witch. "Her aura is recovering, as is her spirit."
[15:32] * Rei-chan gives the twins a grateful look. "Thanks for getting her out of there. You two weren't hurt, were you?"
[15:33] <Anastasia> Cyprine shakes her head. "We're fine, Rei. He went for Eudial last...there were two victims he looked like he had finished with and he nearly finished with Eudial."
[15:33] <Anastasia> Ptilol nods agreement. "We fought him enough to make him fall back, and teleported away with Eudial."
[15:35] <Rei-chan> "Those other two... if they're the ones I saw, they're vampires as well." The tired miko forces herself to her feet. "Looks like Tokyo's going to become a battlefield again if this keeps up."
[15:36] <Anastasia> "Those other two won't be a part of it," Cyprine notes. "He'd been rather brutal with the both of them - there wasn't even much left of the little girl."
[15:37] <Anastasia> "Yes. We weren't in time to help the other two." Ptilol comments. "He was a brutal monster, nothing more."
[15:38] * Rei-chan sighs. "They didn't really seem like bad sorts, being vampires aside. Still, if they're truly dead then at least they're at peace." Her expression hardens, "Next time I face Cain it won't be as a projection, and I'll make sure he won't ever hurt anyone ever again."
[15:39] <Anastasia> With a glance at Eudial, Cyprine smiles a bit. "We'll join you, Rei. That thing shouldn't be allowed to exist in Tokyo."
[15:41] <Rei-chan> "Thanks guys," Rei smirks a bit, "We'll make him regret messing with the Witches." She glances at Eudial herself, "We'd best get her in bed - she can stay here tonight. We have plenty of room."
[15:43] <Anastasia> ---
[15:44] <Anastasia> The Twins stay over as well, wanting to keep their eyes on Eudial. The night passes, Rei soon falling into a deep sleep as her body mends and knits away it's wounds. Waking a little bit before noon, she finds her injuries healed and her spirit refreshed.
[15:44] <Rei-chan> Waking up, Rei's first thought is breakfast - healing is hungry work, after all. After that, she goes to check on Eudial.
[15:46] <Anastasia> You find the Twins keeping an eye on her. Eudial has been asleep the entire time, they inform you, her two injuries well bandaged and cleaned. "She's fine now, just resting," Cyprine asserts. "Ptilol spend most of the morning sensing for that vampire."
[15:46] <Rei-chan> "Any luck?" Rei asks hopefully.
[15:47] <Anastasia> Ptilol smiles. "Yes. We think he's powerful, but he's not particulary good at hiding his aura. He's hidden underground, in a converted old subway tunnel."
[15:48] <Rei-chan> "Old as in abandoned?" Rei gains a rather feral look.
[15:49] <Anastasia> "More or less," Cyprine nods, a few ideas coming to her own mind. "We doubt anyone will notice a few powerful incidents down there.:"
[15:50] <Rei-chan> "Well then," Rei cracks her knuckles. "Shall we go show our appreciation for all the trouble he's put us to?"
[15:52] <Anastasia> "Oh yes, Rei," Ptilol nods.
[15:54] <Rei-chan> "Right then, let's go!" Rei says enthusiastically.
[15:59] <Anastasia> Leaving Eudial in the care of your grandfather, you head out and about, down into the subway system. About fourty minutes later, you've come to a small little way station that's partly abandoned, the subway not going through this route any more. Down the dark tracks is the smell of mold and rusty metal, the current little boarding station smelling only faintly of forgotten sweat.
[16:00] * Rei-chan looks around for any staff they'll have to sneak past to get into tunnels leading to their vampiric nemesis.
[16:03] <Anastasia> There isn't anyone about but for a few drifters, the few that Tokyo prefers to pretend don't exist. The twins walk along together, paying these no heed. "He's down here somewhere," Ptilol whispers.
[16:04] * Rei-chan nods, matching her pace with the twins. "How far?" she asks, trying to sense out herself.
[16:04] <Anastasia> Rei - You can sense him, perhaps a few miles down. "A bit down, he's not too close," Cyprine replies.
[16:07] <Rei-chan> "Right, I'll transform when we get a bit closer," Rei replies. "Either of you have any particular plan? I'd kind of like to just set the entire tunnel system ablaze ahead of us when we get close, but we'd wind up suffocating if I did..."
[16:13] <Anastasia> "We have a few ideas," Cyprine comments. "But let's get down there first."
[16:14] * Rei-chan nods, heading down into the darkened tunnels with the twins and lighting a small flame above her hand to provide illumination as they gain distance from the small abandoned station.
[16:16] <Anastasia> A few rats scurry away from you as you head down, the smell of water stronger as is mold. A bit of the substance drops down from the ceiling at points, the humidity high down here.
[16:17] * Rei-chan walks along in silence, keeping her senses alert for any unpleasant surprises, and pausing to transform after walking about half a mile.
[16:17] * Rei-chan is now known as Sailor_Mars
[16:20] <Anastasia> As you go down, yo can feel Cain's aura, stronger and stronger. Finally, you come to a large hole torn into the wall, a path carved into the concrete.
[16:21] <Anastasia> It looks as if claws or some sort of monsterous hands dug it out, making a nest deep inside the city.
[16:21] <Sailor_Mars> "We're getting close," Rei observes, "You two got any ideas before we head into whatever defences he might have set up?"
[16:24] <Anastasia> "Nothing that wouldn't give us away," Cyprine shakes her head.
[16:25] * Sailor_Mars nods. "Alright then. Let's just keep going and be ready to fight with everything we have." So saying, she steps into the new tunnel and begins cautiously making her way towards where she senses Cain.
[16:27] <Anastasia> Going down the hacked out tunnel, it curves a bit...leading you to a oaken door, finely carved and looking old. How it got here is of anyone's guess, but it's a relic from old Europe transplanted to the streets of Tokyo.
[16:28] * Sailor_Mars shakes her head. "This is like something out of a manga," she notes, deciding to step back and open the door telekinetically in case it's trapped.
[16:28] <Sailor_Mars> roll 2d6-4
[16:28] * Musk-bot --> "Sailor_Mars rolls 2d6-4 and gets 6."
[16:29] <Anastasia> "He has a taste for the absurd," Ptilol notes with a touch of disdain, as the door opens. Inside is a dim, darkly decorated room, the size of perhaps the Shrine. It's like a old mansion crammed into one room, with a section for bookshelves, a bed area, chairs, and so forth.
[16:30] <Anastasia> "Welcome!" Cain's voice comes from somewhere and nowhere. "You have come to provide me with a replacement for Eudial?"
[16:32] <Sailor_Mars> "No, we're here to send you to your proper rest, vampire," Rei replies, looking around and trying to sense his location.
[16:32] <Anastasia> "It's him," Ptilol frowns, joining with Cyprine on instinct, the two beginning to float off the ground. "We'll destroy you, monster," Cyprine says sweetly. "Anyone who messed with the Witches only gets a slow death and a long trip to hell."
[16:32] <Anastasia> Rei - Soul check, +1.
[16:33] <Anastasia> *messes
[16:39] <Sailor_Mars> roll 2d6+1
[16:39] * Musk-bot --> "Sailor_Mars rolls 2d6+1 and gets 4."
[16:40] <Anastasia> You can feel him...in a shadow by a bookshelf on the other side of the huge room. You can't seem him, but you can sense him there.
[16:41] <Anastasia> "Rei...your spirit is like the Soul of Fire in a body. I will make you mine, mine for an eternity of blood!" Cain promises.
[16:42] * Sailor_Mars prepares to launch a Snake Fire at the shadow but falters, surprised. "How do you know my name?!"
[16:44] <Anastasia> As Cain laughs, you feel him move, from that shadow to a shadow closer, against a chair. "Your spirit and soul are the same as your astral body, the same name on Eudial's lips as you faded away. The same Rei who I saw in her mind." He smirks. "I know quite a bit about you now, Sailor Mars. You would be perfect for the Golden Dawn, the darkness has already kissed you once!"
[16:45] <Sailor_Mars> "Wh-what...?!" Rei backs away two steps. "How do you know that?!"
[16:46] <Anastasia> He appears, sitting on the chair he was by, one leg swung over his other as he sits. "It's all over you, Rei." His voice is quiet and intense, as if is speaking only to you. "The beautiful darkness is still in your soul, waiting for me to set it free. Waiting for someone to make you what you are." He smiles at you, a smile that bring a torrent of terror to you, making your knees quake. "Come back to the darkness, Rei. Come and embrace
[16:47] <Sailor_Mars> "No..." Rei says in a small voice, which rapidly gains strength borne of fear and desperation. "NO!" Hopping backwards, she brings up her clasped hands, index fingers extended, "Fire Soul!"
[16:47] <Sailor_Mars> roll 2d6
[16:47] * Musk-bot --> "Sailor_Mars rolls 2d6 and gets 5."
[16:48] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[16:48] * Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 9."
[16:51] <Anastasia> The flame washes over him, burning his clothes. Yet he still smiles even as his chair burns, vanishing to appear leaning against another chair. "Can't you feel it?" he ensues, smiling at you darkly. "It's burning in your veins for a release! It's crying for you to kill humans as your cattle and prey! They are nothing to you but as blood to feed on! You are their master, Rei." Vanishing yet again, he appears next to you, his golden eye
[16:51] <Anastasia> Distantly, "Rei?!" You hear the twins call, but the voice is faint to your ears now.
[16:52] <Sailor_Mars> "Never!" Rei denies, backing away on shaky legs. "You keep away from me!" she insists.
[16:54] <Anastasia> "Why? You were like me before...don't you remember the screams as were yourself? The feeling of finally treating the miserable humans like they were meant to be - cattle to the slaughter house?" He brings a finger up, the cold digit running a course over your cheek. "Don't you crave a wine sweeter that ambrosia and hotter than burning lava?"
[16:57] <Anastasia> "...Rei...?!" The twins call again, the noise even more distant this time. Aren't they supposed to be right besides you?
[16:57] * Princess_Herb is now known as Sorceress_Herb[D2E]
[16:57] * Sailor_Mars shakes her head in denial. "No! I never want to be like that again! I was nothing better than a rabid animal! That's NOT WHO I AM!!" finishing in a near scream, an aura of flame bursts into roaring life around her body, her natural fiery aura made physical and all too deadly manifestation.
[16:59] <Anastasia> Shatter. The world shatters around you, coming back into place at the grand hideaway of Cain's. He sits in the chair that was burned by your Fire Soul, frowning. "So be it," he says in dread tones, as the Twins call to you, their voices far louder now. "You resist the sweetest dream...then I will force a nightmare on you!" With that, he rises, two blood swords in hand.
[17:00] <Anastasia> "Are you all right," Cyprine asks quickly. "Did he mesmerise you," Ptilol asks as the two take to the air in earnest, preparing.
[17:01] * Sailor_Mars shakes her head, surprised. "I'm okay now... I won't be decieved so easily," she glares at the vampire, producing the Ash Rods in her hands as she prepares to end his monstrous unlife.
[17:01] <Anastasia> OOC - Initiative.
[17:01] <Sailor_Mars> roll 1d6+10
[17:01] <Anastasia> roll 1d6
[17:01] * Musk-bot --> "Sailor_Mars rolls 1d6+10 and gets 11."
[17:01] <Anastasia> roll 1d6
[17:01] * Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 2."
[17:01] * Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 6."
[17:04] <Anastasia> Gathering their power, the two fire off a braided beam of red and blue! "Die, monster!" Cyprine calls. "You don't belong here," Ptilol agrees as the beam flies forth!
[17:04] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[17:04] * Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 9."
[17:04] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[17:04] * Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 5."
[17:05] <Anastasia> The beam bores straight through a chair and a bookshelf as Cain blinks out of the way, digging a long, small tunnel in the far wall that shows no signs of stopping anytime soon! But yet, it missed it's target...
[17:05] <Anastasia> Seeing the power that was unleashed, Cain charges at the Twins, both swords working in a melee of death!
[17:05] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[17:05] * Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 12."
[17:06] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[17:06] * Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 7."
[17:06] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[17:06] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[17:06] * Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 4."
[17:06] * Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 6."
[17:07] <Anastasia> The first blow is aimed far too high, but he recovers quickly and sends a flurry of sword swipes at the two, trying to rip them into bloody shreds!
[17:07] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[17:07] * Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 4."
[17:07] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[17:07] * Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 11."
[17:07] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[17:07] * Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 7."
[17:08] <Anastasia> Doding and flying quickly away, nevertheless one of the blows cuts across Cyprine's back, drawing a bit of blood! (24 damage)
[17:09] <Sailor_Mars> Twirling the rods in an intricate pattern around her body, Rei aims to show the vampire just what her fire can really do after the poor showing yesterday, crying out "Mars Star Inferno!" as she releases the resulting cascade at Cain!
[17:09] <Sailor_Mars> roll 2d6
[17:09] * Musk-bot --> "Sailor_Mars rolls 2d6 and gets 5."
[17:09] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[17:09] * Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 11."
[17:10] <Anastasia> The Inferno slams into the vampire as he finishes his attacks on the Twins, catching in from the side. He doesn't even cry out as it scorches him, but stands firm despite some nasty burns. "Ha..hahahahaha!" He mocks, his injuries visible. "Is this it?"
[17:11] * Sailor_Mars narrows her eyes. "There's plenty more if that's what's needed to send you back to hell!"
[17:11] <Anastasia> roll 1d6
[17:11] * Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 4."
[17:11] <Anastasia> roll 1d6
[17:11] * Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 2."
[17:11] <Anastasia> "We'll get you, vampire," Ptilol says with a bit of heat. "No one hurts us!"
[17:11] <Sailor_Mars> roll 1d6+10
[17:11] * Musk-bot --> "Sailor_Mars rolls 1d6+10 and gets 12."
[17:12] <Anastasia> Two balls spring into life, one red and one blue, from the staffs of the Witches. "Let's go," Ptilol calls, firing her ball and Cyprine doing the same.
[17:12] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[17:12] * Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 8."
[17:12] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[17:12] * Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 7."
[17:12] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[17:12] * Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 7."
[17:12] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[17:12] * Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 3."
[17:13] <Anastasia> Running backwards a bit, Cain evades, hurtling one of his blood swords at you! As it does so, it breaks into small balls of blood, quivering projectiles!
[17:13] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[17:13] * Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 8."
[17:14] <Sailor_Mars> roll 2d6+2
[17:14] * Musk-bot --> "Sailor_Mars rolls 2d6+2 and gets 11."
[17:14] <Anastasia> Forming into a liquid on impacting, a solid bloody cocoon covers Rei from head to toe, rendering her immobile!
[17:15] <Anastasia> The world is suddenly silent as it goes over your ears, dim as it goes over your eyes. Your skin swells against it, your inner heat fighting it...
[17:16] * Sailor_Mars increases the intensity of her fire aura to quickly boil the bloody coccoon away from her!
[17:16] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[17:16] * Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 6."
[17:18] <Anastasia> The blood cloak boils under your heat! IN a burst, like a hot zit, it pops, splashing sizzling hot plasma over your body! (5 damage.) As you rejoin the real world, you see Cain give the twins a powerful blow, sending them flying out past the doors, which slam shut behind them. He turns, unsteady and sporting another nasty injury thanks to the twins - a huge, icy patch over his alrady seared chest.
[17:19] <Anastasia> Despite that, he still smiles a evil smile, gazing at you. "Ah, Rei. You even managed to escape those binds," he comments. "You truly are worthy of the Dawn."
[17:20] * Sailor_Mars breathes heavily, sucking in as much air as she can after that nasty experience and preparing herself for what will likely be a hellish battle on her own without the twins as backup. "I'm a Sailor Senshi," she says tiredly, but proudly. "You're not the one I serve, and you never will be."
[17:21] <Anastasia> "I will change that..and if your ruler is as good as you, perhaps she will join us for the Golden Dawn," he smiles, rubbing his ravaged chest.
[17:22] <Anastasia> *That person, not she.
[17:24] * Sailor_Mars snorts, intending to ensure he'll never see another dawn... 'Wait...' a small mental voice points out that he'd probably be quite happy with that, being a vampire and all. Shaking it off as irrelevant, she produces a brilliant sword of flame from her hand to match Cain's bloody weapon. "Your end comes today, vampire," she swears.
[17:24] <Sailor_Mars> roll 1d6+10
[17:24] * Musk-bot --> "Sailor_Mars rolls 1d6+10 and gets 14."
[17:24] <Anastasia> "No...it is but the beginning, for yourself," he says, readying his sword!
[17:24] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[17:24] * Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 11."
[17:24] <Anastasia> OOC - I suck.
[17:24] <Anastasia> roll 1d6
[17:24] * Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 4."
[17:25] <Anastasia> Coming at you, sword ready, "Prepare to receive your rebirth and baptism of blood!"
[17:25] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[17:25] * Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 7."
[17:25] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[17:25] * Musk-bot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 7."
[17:25] <Sailor_Mars> roll 2d6
[17:25] * Musk-bot --> "Sailor_Mars rolls 2d6 and gets 10."
[17:26] <Sailor_Mars> roll 2d6+2
[17:26] * Musk-bot --> "Sailor_Mars rolls 2d6+2 and gets 9."
[17:26] <Anastasia> Once through the shoulder, and then tearing down to your chest and out, Cain's sword does massive damage to poor Sailor Mars! (48 damage)
[17:27] <Sailor_Mars> With a shriek, Rei staggers backwards, her own sword coming forward in a fairly wild horizontal swing at her foe!
[17:27] <Sailor_Mars> roll 2d6
[17:27] * Hatbot --> "Sailor_Mars rolls 2d6 and gets 6."
[17:27] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[17:27] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 5."
[17:29] <Anastasia> Cain parries aside the blade like nothing, pressing on you. "You are nothing but a bleeding lamb as is, Rei," he taunts as your body runs red. "Come with me and renouce this weakness!"
[17:30] <Sailor_Mars> Weakly retreating still, Rei refrains from any taunts as her mind works furiously for a way out of this increasingly dire situation.
[17:30] <Sailor_Mars> roll 1d6+10
[17:30] * Hatbot --> "Sailor_Mars rolls 1d6+10 and gets 15."
[17:30] <Anastasia> roll 1d6
[17:30] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 6."
[17:31] <Anastasia> Pressing his advantage, the vampire goes in for debilitating blow!
[17:31] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[17:31] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 5."
[17:31] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[17:31] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 5."
[17:31] <Sailor_Mars> roll 2d6
[17:31] * Hatbot --> "Sailor_Mars rolls 2d6 and gets 7."
[17:31] <Sailor_Mars> roll 2d6+2
[17:31] * Hatbot --> "Sailor_Mars rolls 2d6+2 and gets 9."
[17:32] <Anastasia> Another blow, this one a jagged cut across your rights houlder to your left him, a huge flap of skin bleeding...(24 damage)
[17:33] <Sailor_Mars> Gasping in pain, Rei retreats still, her fiery aura guttering out while she barely retains her so far useless sword. Producing an ofuda in hopes of slowing him down, she chants softly under her breath, "Rin pyo to sha kai jin retsu sai zen..." finally tossing it at her undead foe with a weak cry of "Akuryo Taisan!"
[17:33] <Sailor_Mars> roll 2d6
[17:33] * Hatbot --> "Sailor_Mars rolls 2d6 and gets 6."
[17:34] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[17:34] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 11."
[17:35] <Anastasia> The ward flies out and lands on his head, causing him to stagger back, his free hand grouping at it! "Argh!" he cries as he tears at his, his gaze distracted.
[17:37] <Sailor_Mars> Acting as quickly as she can, and desperately praying to the Kami that her pain wracked mind doesn't make a mistake, Rei summons fire to scribe a powerful mandala around the stunned vampire.
[17:37] <Sailor_Mars> roll 2d6 burning 20 EP
[17:37] * Hatbot --> "Sailor_Mars rolls 2d6 burning 20 EP and gets 5."
[17:38] <Sailor_Mars> As soon as it takes shape, she activates it, calling upon the Kami to banish the wretched undead thing to its proper place!
[17:38] <Sailor_Mars> roll 2d6
[17:38] * Hatbot --> "Sailor_Mars rolls 2d6 and gets 9."
[17:38] <Anastasia> As you do so, Cain finally rips the ward away, staring at you with baleful eyes full of fire. "It's time to stop struggling," he says, not having seen the ward start.
[17:39] <Anastasia> The ward flares to life around Cain, your prayers battling the decay and darkness of the vampire! Cain shrieks as he battles it, his sword vanishing. Lights flash and darkness sallies forth as the two forces do battle to Rei's eyes as she feels herself falling, fainting...
[17:39] * Sailor_Mars is now known as Rei-chan
[17:40] <Anastasia> You feel as if you're floating up to the surface of awareness from a great pool of sleep, slowly regaining your conciousness. There isn't any pain from your body now, strangely enough, only waking up...
[17:41] <Anastasia> Blinking in the too bright light, Rei's eyes slowly open...
[17:41] <Rei-chan> "Uhn..." the miko groans, her eyelids fluttering against the light as she tries to adjust and take in her surroundings.
[17:43] <Anastasia> "Rei?" the twins call, their voices rather loud to your ears.
[17:44] <Rei-chan> "Huh...?" Rei smacks her lips weakly, looking at the source of the voices. "Cyprine...? Ptliol...? I'm alive, right?"
[17:44] <Anastasia> "Yes,
[17:45] <Anastasia> "Yes," Ptilol says. "You're alive..." her voice trails off, a bit uncertain. "How do you feel, Rei," Cyprine asks. You can see now you're where you fell, no sign on Cain about now.
[17:46] * Rei-chan tries to prop herself up and examines her body curiously. "I thought I'd be hurting a lot more right now..." she observes. "What happened?"
[17:47] <Anastasia> "You killed Cain," Cyprine smiles to you at that a bit. "But..." Ptilol goes on. "Rei...I think some of the vampire's blood mixed into your wounds from what I've gathered." As you look at your body, you note the wounds are indeed closed and healed, not a scar in place.
[17:48] <Rei-chan> "I normally heal fast... how long have I been out?" Rather worried at the implications, Rei examines her own aura fearfully for anything... wrong.
[17:49] <Anastasia> It's....redder? Bloodier in a way...not like the other vampires, but it's not how it was on Shido, Riho or Cain. "About a half hour, if that. Your wounds were healing as we got back in, right after Cain died. Your mandala did the trick."
[17:52] <Rei-chan> "I... I've changed..." Rei draws up her knees, shuddering in revulsion. "It's not completely like those vampires, but I can sense I'm different, now..." ashamed tears begin to trickle down her cheeks. After fighting so desperately to prevent it, she had lost. The vampire had perverted her even as she killed it...
[17:53] <Anastasia> "Rei," Cyprine sighs a bit. "Not entirely - your spirit is a bit changed, but your soul hasn't been affected. It seems to have been mainly a bodily change...you are still Rei Hino underneath it."
[17:54] <Anastasia> Ptilol nods. "The blood itself only seems to be part of the tranformation effect. We suspect something that happens on a full bite causes the rest."
[17:54] <Anastasia> Despite that, Cyprine draws back a bit as you start to cry, startled. "Rei..." she whispers at that, surprised. "Your tears..."
[17:55] <Rei-chan> "What..?" Rei sniffles, reaching up to wipe away said tears.
[17:55] <Anastasia> As you see your hand afterward, a reddish blood is smeared over them instead of salt tears...
[17:56] <Rei-chan> "Oh, God..." Rei buries her face in her hands, crying even more. "I'm a monster!"
[17:57] <Anastasia> "You aren't," Cyprine smiles oddly. "You aren't like Germatou or Cain in spirit. You still have the same pretty soul as before we left today, Rei."
[17:59] <Rei-chan> "But I'm a vampire!" Rei looks up wretchedly, "I'll never be able to see the sun again. I'll have to drink blood to survive. But I don't want to survive, not like this," she shakes her head, "This kind of existence goes against everything I've ever believed in."
[18:00] <Anastasia> The two Twins exchange a look. "Rei...why don't we get out of here first? Maybe a warm bath will help," Ptilol tries, not really sure how to deal with Rei as she's acting right now.
[18:02] <Rei-chan> "Okay," Rei nods and shuffles to her feet, aware that none of the other witches besides Eudial have ever seen her when she's felt... vulnerable, but unable to act anything close to her normal state after what's just happened to her.
[18:02] <Anastasia> "Rei..." Cyprine says quietly. "Why don't you take my hand and close your eyes?"
[18:03] * Rei-chan obediently does so.
[18:04] <Anastasia> As you do so, you feel a warmth from her head, then a strange buzz that fills your body. "Relax," Ptilol murmurs as you feel magic around you. "We're sure you'll feel better in the morning...." is the last thing you remember, as a sudden and inexorable wave of sleep crashes down on you from Cyprine.
[18:04] <Anastasia> *hand
[18:07] <Anastasia> ---
[18:07] <Anastasia> Later...
[18:07] <Anastasia> Waking up again, bright light again sears your eyes, your back at least more comfortable this time.
[18:08] <Rei-chan> Once more blinking, Rei sits up and looks around, desperately hoping she just had a bad dream and nothing more.
[18:09] <Anastasia> This time, you are in your room. The twins and Eudial are sitting about amid the early afternoon sunshine. It's terribly bright, but warm and relaxing at the same time. Eudial is dressed in a set of miko robes looked to have been grabbed on the fly. "Rei," she asks, closest to you by your side, "Are you awake now?"
[18:10] <Rei-chan> "Yes," Rei nods, sagging. "It wasn't a dream, was it?" she asks in a small voice.
[18:10] <Anastasia> "No," Cyprine smiles sadly, coming over behind Eudial. "But look," she tries to recover. "We found out you don't turn into a pile of ashes in the sunshine. That's something."
[18:11] <Anastasia> Eudial manages a smile, still looking a touch pale from her injures. "Yeah. How do you feel, Rei?"
[18:13] <Rei-chan> "You're right," Rei looks momentarily surprised, hopping out of her bed and stepping out into the sunshine. "Of course if you were testing that and I HAD turned into a pile of ash..." she smirks mirthlessly, "Well, I wouldn't really have held it against you, I guess." She turns to Eudial, "I feel pretty good, actually." She frowns, "I wish I didn't. Feeling good, with what I am..."
[18:15] <Anastasia> In fact, your body fills with a strange vitality, fueling you. "I'm sorry," Eudial says with real regret. "If I hadn't gone on this stupid date..."
[18:15] <Anastasia> Glancing at each other again, "Have you seen a mirror yet, Rei," Ptilol asks gently, breaking into the conversation.
[18:16] * Rei-chan shakes her head. "Don't blame yourself, Eudial. With a vampire like that in the city, it'd only be a matter of..." she trails off, glancing at Ptliol. "Mirror?" With that cue, she goes over to her dresser to take a look, silently praying that her hair isn't white again.
[18:18] <Anastasia> At your dresser, you see a revelation - nothing at all. You can see Eudial and the twins still by your bed, and your room, yet you aren't showing up in the mirror at all.
[18:19] * Rei-chan boggles. "I know it seems trivial," she says, her eyebrow twitching in irritation, "But how the hell am I supposed to do my makeup, now?" Throwing up her hands in exasparation, she turns back to the others, "I still look the same, right?"
[18:21] <Anastasia> "Well...mostly," Eudial admits. "But hey, red and black goes together well, right?" she nods quickly, Ptilol picking up the slack. "Your eyes are red now," she says bluntly.
[18:22] <Rei-chan> "Fuck," Rei curses quite vehemently. "Same colour as when Metallia had me." She sits down heavily on the bed. "At least I can't see my reflection to be reminded, but I guess it must be disconcerting for you guys?"
[18:23] <Anastasia> "It's not that bad. Your hair and eyes go well together now," Cyprine shrugs a bit. "It's certainly a change, but it's not as bad as when your hair was white."
[18:26] * Rei-chan nods. "Yeah, white hair just didn't match my colouring at all." She sighs, "Okay, well I have a slightly vampire-like aura, an enhanced constitution, and freaky eyes, but I don't combust in sunlight. Vampires are also supposed to be weak against fire, so I guess I can test that right now." So saying, she conjures a small ball of fire in front of her and sticks her left hand into it without a moment's hesitation.
[18:27] <Anastasia> Your hand passes in and out of it harmlessly, as per usual. That doesn't seem to be changed, either. "Yeah," Ptilol nods. "I thought we should try all these things out, so we gathered some of the things that are supposed to hurt vampires."
[18:28] <Rei-chan> "What else do you have?" Rei asks, dismissing the fireball.
[18:29] <Anastasia> Pulling a small box out from under your bed, "Holy water, garlic, a cross, an ofuda and a silver knife," she lists off. "We'll have to go somewhere else to test running water."
[18:30] * Rei-chan nods. "Hand over the garlic, then," she extends a hand. 'I really hope it isn't poisonous, I like that stuff...' she thinks.
[18:31] <Anastasia>

[Halbarad]

[18:45] <Rei-chan> "Well, that's good," Rei nods. "Most likely we can eliminate the cross and the ofuda, really." So saying she briefly taps both said items in the box.
[18:46] <Anastasia> "Probably, but I'd like to make sure. I'd rather not be surprised at a bad time." Cyprine asserts, getting the cross out and sticking it forward. You don't feel anything at it, no repulsion or anything negative.
[18:46] * Rei-chan shakes her head. "It's just a cross," she shrugs.
[18:47] <Anastasia> "Good," she says, taking a paper ofuda out next and quite plainly sticking it to your head. Nothing there, either.
[18:48] <Rei-chan> "Okay, so... silver knife?"
[18:49] <Anastasia> Another nod from the Witch. "Vampires are supposed to dislike silver," she explains, dropping the knife in your hand. As you hold it, your hand starts to itch unpleasantly.
[18:50] <Rei-chan> "Eeew," Rei grimaces. "It's like an allergic reaction. I can hold it, but I'll probably wind up with a rash..." she sets the knife down. "Being cut would probably not be a good thing."
[18:52] <Anastasia> She nods. "That's interesting," she concludes. "Garlic and silver still caused adverse affects, but holy symbols didn't."
[18:53] <Rei-chan> "I guess the garlic and silver are physiological, while the holy symbols react to the evil spirit most vampires have?" Rei suggests.
[18:55] <Anastasia> "Or biological, but yes," Cyprine agrees. "Whatever it did to your make up, it must have altered your reactions to these particular materials."
[18:57] <Rei-chan> "I'll just treat them like allergies," Rei sighs. "I can deal with them. At least the sun doesn't affect me badly, although I would have put that in with biological reactions..." she frowns, "Thing is, we're not just dealing with the... unusual circumstances in which I was changed, there's the fact that I technically wasn't a normal human to begin with."
[18:58] <Anastasia> As those words escape your lips, a small flash of white shows a rather concerned looking Usagi. She appears right in your bedroom, no less.
[18:58] <Anastasia> "Hello, Usagi," Cyprine says, pondering Rei's words. "That's true - Cain kept saying you'd be a good choice for this Golden Dawn thing."
[18:59] * Usagi-chan quickly turns, looking frantically for her girlfriend. "Rei!" She runs over towards the miko as soon as she spots the dark-haired girl, grabbing her in a death grip.
[19:00] <Rei-chan> "Usagi?" Rei seems rather startled at this treatment, not expecting her girlfriend to know anything was wrong. Yet.
[19:01] * Usagi-chan separates from her love a moment later, studying her face with evident concern. "Are you all right? How do you feel? Does it hurt at all?" she fires off in a rapid stream, almost flinching as she catches sight of Rei's crimson-red eyes.
[19:02] * Rei-chan winces as she catches the flinch. "No... it doesn't hurt..." she says sadly, averting her gaze shamefully so Usagi doesn't have to look at those bloody eyes.
[19:03] <Usagi-chan> "Oh god, Rei-chan, what happened?" Usagi says, tears running down her cheeks as she wraps her arms tightly around the miko once again.
[19:05] * Rei-chan sighs, patting the blonde's shoulder. "We fought a vampire," she explains. "I... I wasn't good enough."
[19:06] <Usagi-chan> "But... you're still you," Usagi says, sounding a bit relieved at that. "I mean, Eudial didn't say how it happened but I thought if a vampire bit you they changed you completely, right?" She looks up at Rei again, the worry plainly visible on her face.
[19:07] <Rei-chan> "He didn't bite me," Rei shakes her head. "He wounded me really badly. I fainted right after I killed him, and his blood mixed with mine." She sighs, "I'm not fully a vampire, but I'm not the same as I was before."
[19:08] * Usagi-chan sighs, burying her face in the miko's shoulder. "I'm just glad you're safe, Rei-chan..." she mumbles, her tears staining Rei's blouse.
[19:09] <Rei-chan> Managing a wan smile as she comfortingly rubs Usagi's back, the raven-haired girl feels a bit more confident in facing her new life. "I'm okay... I'll get through this, somehow."
[19:10] <Anastasia> "That's right," Cyprine finally speaks up. "We'll go ahead and leave you now...see you Monday at school, Rei."
[19:10] * Rei-chan nods to the twins. "Okay. Thanks, you guys," she bids them goodbye.
[19:10] <Usagi-chan> "I'll do everything I can to help, Rei-chan... no matter what it takes," the blonde says with determination, still clinging to Rei.
[19:12] <Rei-chan> "Thanks, Usagi..." Rei whispers softly, staring at the sunbeams coming into her room. "I don't know what I'd do without you..."
[19:13] <Usagi-chan> "Me either..." She backs up for a moment, then without warning slaps Rei's side. "You should have called me to help!" she says a bit angrily.
[19:14] * Rei-chan winces. "It was just a stupid vampire. I was sure me and the twins could handle it easily..." she sags, thinking of how dearly that confidence nearly cost them.
[19:16] * Usagi-chan frowns, tears running down her face. "And look what happened... I didn't even know you were in any trouble!" she shouts. "Why couldn't you have at least told me?"
[19:18] <Rei-chan> Biting her lip, Rei looks away. "It just... I didn't realise how much trouble I was in until it was too late," she sniffles, abruptly latching onto Usagi herself, "Oh God, I'm so sorry, Usagi!"
[19:20] * Usagi-chan holds onto Rei tightly, still crying. "I wasn't even there when you needed me..." she sniffles.
[19:22] <Rei-chan> Rei's head suddenly jerks up and she pushes Usagi away from her, stumbling backwards off the bed and backing right up to the wall as she stares at the blonde, looking absolutely terrified.
[19:24] * Usagi-chan falls back on the floor in a heap, stunned momentarily. Shaking her head a bit, she gives Rei a puzzled look. "Rei? What's wrong?"
[19:25] * Rei-chan shakes her head in fervent denial of the messages her body is giving her, her mouth opening and closing but no words emerging to reply to Usagi.
[19:26] * Usagi-chan gets up, moving slowly towards her love as she tries to figure out what's wrong. "Rei-chan, what's the matter? Are you hurt? What can I do?"
[19:27] <Rei-chan> "Keep away," Rei warbles in a small voice, moving as if she wants to become one with the wall at her back.
[19:28] * Usagi-chan halts, a crushed expression on her face. "Rei?" she asks in a tiny voice.
[19:29] <Rei-chan> "Usagi..." Rei swallows, barely managing to calm herself enough to speak coherently, "This is very important," she continues, speaking slowly and precisely, "You have to stay away from me no matter what."
[19:31] <Usagi-chan> "Why? What's wrong?" Usagi asks, her face a jumble of confusion and sadness. "Is... is something wrong with me?"
[19:32] * Rei-chan shakes her head quickly. "It's not you, it's me."
[19:34] <Usagi-chan> "What - why does it mean I have to stay away from you? I don't want to!" Usagi says forcibly, taking another step towards her love.
[19:34] * Rei-chan shrinks in on herself. "You smell like food!" she nearly wails.
[19:35] * Usagi-chan blinks, not comprehending. "I what?" she asks, nonplussed.
[19:36] <Rei-chan> "Like something I should eat!" Rei covers her face with her hands, shaking her head in denial. "I'm a bloodsucking monster!"
[19:38] * Usagi-chan shakes her head, moving quickly over to place her hands on Rei's shoulders. "You are NOT a monster, Rei! You're the girl I love, and I want to be with you no matter what!" she says with conviction.
[19:40] * Rei-chan shrinks back, but has nowhere to go, her eyes widening as she quickly puts both hands over her mouth. "Get back!" she yells, her voice a bit muffled.
[19:42] <Usagi-chan> "I won't," Usagi replies, not moving an inch. She steels herself visibly before continuing,. "I don't even care if you... if you suck my blood, if that's what it takes. But I want to stay with you, Rei-chan. We can beat this together, I know we can."
[19:44] <Rei-chan> "No!" Rei looks horrified, removing her hands from her mouth to reveal some significantly elongated canines. "I'll die before I ever do that to you or anyone else!"
[19:45] <Usagi-chan> "No you won't!" Usagi retorts just as forcefully. "You promised me you'd stay with me, Rei, and I'm making sure you keep that promise. I don't care what it takes!" she shoots back.
[19:47] <Rei-chan> "Usagi, please," Rei begs, "I might be myself now, but we don't know how this will change me? A week from now I might be nothing more than a murderous wild beast. It's too dangerous for you to be near me!"
[19:49] * Usagi-chan grabs Rei in a hug, pulling her away from the wall. "And I told you I don't care! I just want to be with you... I love you - and nothing you say or do is going to make me change my mind!"
[19:50] <Rei-chan> "What if I kill you?" Rei asks fearfully, fighting against the feelings her new nature is starting to evoke while so close to a... food source.
[19:51] <Usagi-chan> "You won't kill me, Rei-chan... I know you won't." Usagi buries her face against Rei's shoulder again. "I know you'd never do anything to hurt me."
[19:52] <Rei-chan> "I don't want to, but I'm not the same as I was before," Rei sobs, crying bloody tears. "Right now I'm only changed in body, but what if the rest of me changes?"
[19:53] <Usagi-chan> "You won't..." Usagi says, squeezing the miko tightly. "I know you won't let that happen. And I'll always be here to help you, Rei." she adds quietly.
[19:55] * Rei-chan tearfully shudders in her love's embrace, wracked with shame and self-loathing over what she has become.
[19:56] * Usagi-chan simply holds Rei, finding words unnecessary as she lends her support and her strength to her love.
[19:59] <Rei-chan> Continuing to shudder as her vampiric hunger grows ever stronger, Rei puts all of her willpower to the effort of restraining herself from taking that ripe, warm neck in her mouth and digging in.
[20:00] * Usagi-chan gives Rei a gentle squeeze as she feels the miko shudder. "We can do it, Rei-chan." is all she says.
[20:02] <Rei-chan> "I don't know if I'm strong enough," Rei replies, starting to shake badly with the effort of repressing these new urges. "I can't... It's driving me insane..." she continues unsteadily.
[20:04] <Usagi-chan> "I told you already," Usagi says quietly. "If you have to... to feed, go ahead. I don't want you to starve to death, either."
[20:05] <Rei-chan> "NO!" With a superhuman effort, Rei pushes Usagi off and gets up on unsteady legs, dashing to the kitchen and desperately hoping she'll find something else to sate her hunger.
[20:06] <Anastasia> Running into the kitchen and throwing open the fridge, you find pile after pile of smellless, uninteresting 'food'.
[20:07] * Usagi-chan lands hard, seeing stars once again from the force of Rei's shove. Gathering her wits, she sighs before following slowly following Rei's steps towards the kitchen.
[20:08] <Rei-chan> Not caring if it no longer tastes good, just needing to fill her stomach with something, Rei grabs a plate of chicken leftovers reserved for making sandwiches and starts stuffing it down her throat.
[20:09] <Anastasia> AS it enters your mouth, it's like eating dry cardboard, your throat only reluctanly swallowing it. It settles into your stomach painfully, not what the doctor had ordered.
[20:09] * Rei-chan whines piteously, "There has to be something I can eat here..." she says in a fevered tone, expanding her search throughout the kitchen for ANYTHING that catches her nose.
[20:10] * Usagi-chan comes to stand in the doorway of the kitchen, watching her girlfriend scurry around the kitchen madly.
[20:11] <Anastasia> Canned goods....frozen foods...bread...rice...ramen...none of it catches your nose, all of it bland and worthless. Yet the moment Usagi enters, your nose pricks up a bit in interest, your stomach coming back to life.
[20:13] * Rei-chan starts to cry. "I need to eat!" she complains, swaying dizzily, "I can't take it any longer!" she takes two halting steps towards Usagi before her expression becomes horrified and she retreats, though still looking rather fevered and desperate.
[20:14] * Usagi-chan takes a deep sigh, clasping her hands in front of her as she looks at her girlfriend. "Then eat, Rei-chan. You can't go without eating forever."
[20:17] <Rei-chan> "But there's nothing I CAN eat!" the distressed vampiric miko wails, "It's all like cardboard!" she falls to her knees, weeping freely and banging her fist pathetically on the floor. "I need blood!"
[20:18] * Usagi-chan walks over to where her girlfriend sits, kneeling down barely a foot away from Rei as she takes the miko's chilly hand. "What are you afraid of, Rei-chan?" she asks quietly.
[20:20] <Rei-chan> Jerking her hand back, Rei scurries across the floor to gain some distance. "I don't want to hurt you... or kill you!" she protests. "Or what if I wind up making you like I am? Then we'll BOTH need blood!"
[20:22] <Usagi-chan> "I know you won't kill me, Rei-chan... you'd never do that." Usagi remains where she is, not wanting to agitate her now-vampiric love any further. "And if everyone a vampire fed on was turned into a vampire, wouldn't we ALL be vampires by now? I mean, there are only so many people to go around, right?"
[20:23] <Rei-chan> "They probably kill the ones they don't turn into vampires," Rei says, not really understanding the mechanics herself. "And if I start..." she backs away further, "If I start to drink from you, I don't think I'll stop until it's too late." She wraps her hands around her trembling frame, "Even just being near you like this is nearly more than I can take."
[20:24] <Usagi-chan> "You can't hide from everyone though, Rei-chan. What are you going to do when Gramps gets here? Or someone who's visiting the shrine?" She almost chokes as the other possibility comes into her head. "Or Hotaru?" she says hoarsely.
[20:26] * Rei-chan looks even more distressed. "Then kill me," she finally says at last. "I should have died after killing that vampire," she continues with as much decorum as she can muster, "This... 'existence' I have now isn't worth the life of anyone else."
[20:28] <Usagi-chan> "No," Usagi says firmly. "I couldn't kill you any more than you'd ever kill me." She rises to her feet, but doesn't come any closer to Rei. "And the longer you wait, the harder it's going to be to control yourself when you finally do feed on someone - you're almost jumping out of your skin now."
[20:30] * Rei-chan curls up on herself, her stomach groaning hellishly. "Please, Usagi. I'm an abomination!" she sobs, "I don't want to become like Cain was. I don't want to hurt anyone, but it's the only way I can live, now."
[20:33] <Usagi-chan> "We'll find a way to get you back to normal, Rei-chan, I swear it," Usagi says fervently, Rei's stomach audible even from where she stands. "I don't want to lose you... please, don't do this to yourself! I WANT you to do it - I want you to be healthy and calm so we can figure out how to get out of this mess. And I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you are," she says with passion. "Do what you need to do, Rei-chan."
[20:35] * Rei-chan shudders in her little ball, her resolve crumbling with her overwhelming hunger and Usagi's freely given permission. "You don't know what you're saying, Usagi," she says in a small, choked voice.
[20:36] <Usagi-chan> "I do, Rei-chan. I love you, and I trust you with my life." She smiles at that. "I always have."
[20:38] * Rei-chan fearfully looks up, straightening a bit and slowly approaching the... delicious, blonde, running her tongue over her elongated canines as she does so. "I wish you'd killed me, Usagi," she says softly, too weak to end her life herself, and too weak to resist her hunger any longer.
[20:40] * Usagi-chan stays where she is, smiling a bit as Rei approaches. "I'd kill myself at the same moment, Rei-chan.... I couldn't do that, ever."
[20:42] <Rei-chan> Closing her eyes as new-found instinct guides her, Rei pulls Usagi's collar to the side with a shaking hand, her elongated canines descending to the carotid artery.
[20:43] * Usagi-chan closes her eyes as Rei moves in, leaning her head to the side to give her love unrestricted access to what she needs.
[20:45] <Anastasia> Usagi feels a sharp pain as two teeth penetrate her neck, then a warm, fuzzy feeling as her blood is sucked down with speed and abandon, Rei's instincts taking over. Fuzzy...warm....quiet...things are already out of focus and your mind is weak as you feel your very lifeblood removed to feed Rei-chan. Rei feels warmth explode in her body, her mouth alive with a taste that's incredibly good and fresh, her teeth digging in deeper and dee
[20:46] <Anastasia> Usagi slumps in your arms, a strange smile on her face as her eyes close quickly, the flow of blood into your mouth from her body waning quickly now.
[20:47] <Rei-chan> Able to think clearly once more after her wonderful meal, Rei stares in horror at what she has done. "Oh, God..." she breathes, a revulsion that has nothing to do with the taste of blood surging through her. "Usagi!" she cradles her love in her arms, examining her life-force and praying she hasn't taken too much.
[20:48] * Usagi-chan stirs weakly, her eyelids fluttering open at her love's cry. "Rei..." she whispers.
[20:48] <Anastasia> HEr life force is indeed very weak and on the verge. You drank deeply, probably too much for anoyone's good
[20:49] <Rei-chan> "Oh, God..." Rei cries, holding the blonde tightly against her, "Usagi, I'm so sorry," she weeps bitterly, "Why did you let me do it?"
[20:50] * Usagi-chan can't even find the strength to return Rei's embrace, but she smiles. "I'm not dead, am I?" she whispers, unable to raise her voice at all. "Do you feel better now?"
[20:52] <Rei-chan> "No," Rei shakes her head, "You're close... I'm not even sure you can recover from what I just did," she says, desperately ashamed. "You idiot, why couldn't you just have killed me?"
[20:53] <Usagi-chan> "I'll be okay... just really woozy," Usagi protests in the same whisper. "And I told you, I'd have to kill myself if I killed you... I just can't do it."
[20:54] <Rei-chan> "You idiot!" Rei sobs, clutching onto the blonde and praying to the Kami that have forsaken her to at least protect her Princess.
[20:55] <Usagi-chan> "Stop worrying about me, I'll be fine," Usagi says, letting her leaden eyelids close - she really is feeling tired now.
[20:58] <Rei-chan> A small part of Rei's mind wonders if this means she'll now be affected by holy symbols, since she gave into her evil nature, most of the undead girl's focus is solidly Usagi as she desperately tries to think of a way to undo what she has wrought, or at least ensure Usagi will recover properly...
[21:00] * Usagi-chan simply smiles, feeling safe and secure in Rei's arms - although it seems awfully cold for the middle of July. 'Why does Rei-chan have the air conditioner turned up so high?' she thinks drowsily.
[21:00] * Rei-chan furrows her brow for a moment, recalling that vampire blood mixed with her own healed her. But... that would turn her beloved into the same kind of abomination she has become, an existence she wouldn't wish on her worst enemy. But... can Usagi actually recover on her own, or is she headed for death anyway?
[21:02] * Usagi-chan drifts off into a shallow sleep, her head lolling gently against Rei's arm as she gives in to the exhaustion trying to overwhelm her.
[21:05] * Rei-chan looks torn, sensing Usagi's life force slipping away even as she dithers. Coming to a similar conclusion as Usagi reached to put them both in this situation, the neo-vampire raises her arm and nicks the vein on her wrist with one of her canines, before pressing the freshly bleeding wound against the one on Usagi's neck. "Forgive me," she whispers softly.
[21:07] <Anastasia> USagi's eyes go wide open as the liquid zooms down her throat, her eyes turning blood red as conciousness returns to the girl. You see it bleed into her aura...For Usagi, just as she drifts off and away, her body is suddenly awake again, warm and vital.
[21:08] * Usagi-chan blinks, startled at her sudden return to consciousness and strength. "Rei-chan, what...?" She looks up at her love, puzzled.
[21:08] <Anastasia> As you look up, the most wonderful taste is filling your mouth, Rei's bleeding arm just above it...
[21:09] * Rei-chan cries at the sight of Usagi's beautiful cerulean eyes turning bloody crimson, filled with the knowledge that she can never undo the horrible thing she has done, but knowing she could do nothing else for her love. "I'm sorry, Usagi..."
[21:10] <Usagi-chan> "Rei-chan...." Usagi pulls away from the miko's bleeding wrist, although not without a pang of regret for the loss of that marvelous taste filling her mouth. Finding her legs to be strong enough to support her, she gives Rei a curious look. "What happened? I was just falling asleep, and then I woke up."
[21:11] <Rei-chan> "You're like me, now," Rei says guiltily, looking away in shame. "I couldn't let you die..."
[21:12] <Usagi-chan> "You mean I'm..." Usagi puts a hand to her mouth in shock. "But... I wasn't dying, I was just really sleepy!" She shakes her head. "You didn't have to do it, I would have been okay!"
[21:13] * Rei-chan shakes her head, "I could feel your life force leaving you." She sobs, "I killed you, Usagi."
[21:14] <Usagi-chan> "But... I'm still here, Rei-chan. You didn't kill me," Usagi replies, feeling herself to make sure she's really all there after Rei's words.
[21:15] <Rei-chan> "I made you like I am," Rei sniffs, "But now we'll both need blood to survive. This is exactly what I was afraid of..."
[21:16] <Usagi-chan> "But I don't feel any different," Usagi protests. "Are you sure?"

[Halbarad]

[08:33] <Rei-chan> "Your eyes are red like mine, now," Rei confirms, "And your aura... oh, God, what have I done?!" she wails, burying her face in her hands.
[08:34] * Usagi-chan draws Rei into a tight embrace. "You did what you thought you had to do, Rei-chan," she says quietly, although she feels a pang at what she's become. "I can't blame you for that at all."
[08:35] * Rei-chan continues to sob, feeling undeserving of Usagi's forgiveness, and knowing that others will not be so accepting of what she has done.
[08:37] * Usagi-chan rubs Rei's back gently, less worried about what she is now than she is about her girlfriend's saddened state. "It'll be okay, Rei-chan... we'll work it out somehow," she murmurs softly.
[08:38] <Rei-chan> "But what about next time I get hungry? And when you get hungry, now?" Rei asks brokenly. "I've damned us both."
[08:40] * Usagi-chan sighs, finding herself at a loss to answer either question. "I don't know, Rei-chan... I wish I did. We'll just have to take that as it comes, I guess."
[08:43] * Rei-chan suddenly stiffens. "It's too late for me, but you've only just been infected. Maybe the Sacred Flame can purify you before it's too late like it did for Eudial?" quickly rising to her feet, the vampiric miko takes Usagi's hand and leads her to the meditation room.
[08:43] <Usagi-chan> "What... but... Rei!" Usagi tries to protest as she's dragged from the room.
[08:46] <Rei-chan> Heedless of any protest, Rei enters the chamber of the Sacred Flame, bowing quickly and gesturing for Usagi to kneel in front of it. "I just hope this works," she frets, "Ptliol had contained the infection in Eudial, but it's been able to spread freely in you..."
[08:48] * Usagi-chan sighs. "Then we can try it for you in a minute, then. If it's not too late for me, it's not too late for you either."
[08:49] * Rei-chan has her doubts on that, but with Usagi as the priority right now she shelves them. Kneeling off to the side, she commences her meditations, seeking to locate the taint she has given Usagi and exorcise it with the help of the Sacred Flame.
[08:52] <Anastasia> Rei - Soul check, +1
[08:52] <Rei-chan> roll 2d6+1
[08:52] * Hatbot --> "Rei-chan rolls 2d6+1 and gets 10."
[08:53] <Anastasia> Sensing through the roaring flame...Usagi's entire body is converted already by the vampirism, her aura changed and her form adjusted. It's not isolated at all, it's integrated now.
[08:54] * Rei-chan sags in defeat. "No..." she breathes softly in denial.
[08:54] <Usagi-chan> "Rei-chan?" Usagi looks over at her love.
[08:55] <Rei-chan> "Too late..." Rei shakes her head. "It's completely integrated into you." She hangs her head in shame, "There's nothing I can do. Nothing at all."
[08:56] * Usagi-chan sighs, slumping a bit herself. "Then let's find out what *I* can do. Maybe I can purify both of us with the Grail? I mean, it works on other people, so why not us?"
[08:58] * Rei-chan nods. "It is more powerful than anything I could do. Let's try it."
[08:58] * Usagi-chan nods, shifting forms to that of the Lunar queen before taking the Grail from its place of keeping and cradling it in her lap.
[08:58] * Usagi-chan is now known as Serenity
[08:59] <Anastasia> The Grail appears, warm and soft in your hands as always.
[09:00] * Serenity takes a deep breath, opening herself to the magical artifact's pure power, letting it fill her completely as she wills it to drive away the taint on her soul.
[09:03] <Anastasia> The light of the Grail floods into your body...To Rei, she sees white crashing into blood red, a battle for perhaps the soul of Usagi.
[09:04] <Rei-chan> Feeling powerless, Rei can do nothing more than pray for the success of her loved one in returning herself to her natural state.
[09:05] <Anastasia> The red and white clash...yet slowly, like a spreading pool of blood, the red seems to seep into the white...
[09:08] * Serenity frowns, doing her best into focusing the power of the Grail and keeping it separate from the taint suffusing her soul.
[09:08] <Anastasia> OOC - Soul check, rabbit. +2.
[09:09] <Serenity> roll 2d6+2
[09:09] * Hatbot --> "Serenity rolls 2d6+2 and gets 11."
[09:10] <Rei-chan> Desperate to help however she can, Rei focuses on the Sacred Flame once more, calling on the Kami to bolster the grail and keep it free of the taint as it tries to purify Usagi.
[09:10] <Anastasia> The two lights begin to seperate, the blood red of the Moon Princess and the white of the Grail...yet one does not consume or defeat the other.
[09:11] <Serenity> 'Come on... this has to work!' Usagi thinks desperately. 'I have to do this!' She pours every last scrap of her will into helping the power of purity coursing through her body.
[09:12] <Anastasia> OOC - Both ofyou make a Soul check, +2.
[09:12] <Rei-chan> roll 2d6+2
[09:12] * Hatbot --> "Rei-chan rolls 2d6+2 and gets 7."
[09:13] <Serenity> roll 2d6+2
[09:13] * Hatbot --> "Serenity rolls 2d6+2 and gets 8."
[09:14] <Anastasia> Slowly, the white power mixes into Serenity's aura again. As it does so, Usagi feels pain shoot through her, like something is being ripped from every cell in her body! (25 damage)
[09:14] * Serenity cries out in agony, desperately trying to maintain the flow despite the pain it brings.
[09:15] <Anastasia> Rei - As you watch, you see the energy ravaging Usagi's very soul and spirit and body, tearing it apart as it tries to remove the taint..
[09:17] <Rei-chan> 'Hang in there, Usagi,' Rei prays, desperately hoping her love can pull through this.
[09:17] * Serenity screws up her face in pain, bloody tears etching lines down her cheeks as she does her utmost to help herself.
[09:18] <Anastasia> OOC - Usagi, body check.
[09:18] <Serenity> roll 2d6
[09:18] * Hatbot --> "Serenity rolls 2d6 and gets 7."
[09:18] <Serenity> do-over!
[09:18] <Serenity> roll 2d6
[09:18] * Hatbot --> "Serenity rolls 2d6 and gets 6."
[09:20] <Anastasia> The pain overwhelming, Serenity falls back, her concetration and spell disrupted by the agony shooting in her body.
[09:21] * Rei-chan hurries over to Serenity as the magic dissipates.
[09:21] * Serenity collapses back onto the floor, screaming at the pain filling every inch of her body.
[09:22] <Anastasia> Rushing over to your love, you see her fangs are out, blood seeping from her cresent moon as she twists and screams.
[09:23] <Rei-chan> "Oh, God," Rei is aghast at the state Usagi's in, holding her tightly against herself to prevent the blonde hurting herself in her wild thrashing.
[09:24] * Serenity is aware of nothing but the HURT filling her world from edge to edge, although it begins to ebb away slowly without the power of the Grail to fuel it.
[09:25] * Rei-chan strokes Serenity's back and murmurs soothing words, doing her best to comfort the neo-vampire through her agony as best she can, while wracked with guilt at being the one responsible for it.
[09:29] * Serenity slowly manages to calm down as the agony coursing through her fades, tears still seeping from her eyes. "It didn't work, Rei-chan," she says piteously. "It just hurt so much..."
[09:30] <Rei-chan> "I know," Rei whispers softly, still trying to comfort the blonde, "I'm so sorry."
[09:32] <Serenity> "What are we going to do, Rei-chan?" Usagi asks softly, turning her head up to look at her love.
[09:33] <Rei-chan> "I wish I knew," Rei sighs softly, wiping the blood from Serenity's forehead. She snorts as an idea occurs to her, "Unless we rob a blood bank we're going to have to feed on other people."
[09:35] * Serenity shakes her head violently. "I don't want to hurt anyone else!" She droops a moment later. "But I don't want to die, either."
[09:36] <Rei-chan> "I know," Rei droops herself, "But when the hunger gets to you... it was awful, Usagi. If you hadn't let me, I'd probably have wound up attacking someone within a few hours, it was so overwhelming..."
[09:38] <Serenity> "I know, Rei-chan..." She shrinks against the miko's chest. "That's part of why I wanted you to do it to me, so you WOULDN'T go attack someone you don't even know. But now look at what's happened..." she bows her head.
[09:43] <Rei-chan> "If only I'd had more self control," Rei laments. "But what ifs don't help. We're in this situation now and we have to deal with it."
[09:45] * Serenity nods, giving her love a gentle squeeze. "At least I still have you... I don't know how I'd manage without you, Rei-chan." She sighs. "But what are we going to tell the others?"
[09:47] <Rei-chan> "We have to tell them the truth - there's no way to hide it," Rei sighs. "But, the others... once they learn that I couldn't control my hunger and did this to you, they'll be scared of us doing it to them. I'm pretty sure if I asked any of our friends they wouldn't hesitate much to end my existence, now..."
[09:49] * Serenity buries her head in Rei's chest. "I won't let them do that, Rei-chan," she mumbles. "They'd have to kill me, too."
[09:50] <Rei-chan> "And I wouldn't let anyone hurt you, either," Rei replies quietly. "I just hope it doesn't come to that..."
[09:52] * Serenity rests in Rei's arms, secure for the moment in her lover's embrace. "So do I, Rei-chan," she says softly.
[09:54] <Anastasia> ---
[09:54] <Anastasia> The next morning...
[09:55] <Anastasia> Venturing from Rei's Shrine, the cheery morning sunlight is far to bright for your eyes, the both of you having to resort to shades to withstand it. It does feel good on your skin, though, even if it's hellishly blinding right now. Walking to school...Usagi feels it first, as a boy happens to cross your path. He smells of shampoo, of soap...and of tasty food, of something that makes your mouth water.
[09:56] * Usagi-chan keeps her mouth shut tightly, finally understanding exactly what was driving Rei so crazy the day before. 'God, I'm hungry,' she thinks to herself, unable to stop herself from watching the boy.
[09:57] * Rei-chan takes Usagi's hand in her own, trying to offer silent support.
[09:58] <Anastasia> As you get closer, a few more Mugen students pass you by, causing both Usagi and Rei's stomachs to take note. You never thought a prime 16 year old would be your preferred food source...
[09:58] <Rei-chan> "We're not going to last until lunchtime at this rate," Rei observes, grimacing.
[09:59] * Usagi-chan bites her lip, nodding in agreement. "Feels like I haven't eaten in a year," Usagi complains, trying to shut her nose to the delicious smells wandering about the two on every side.
[10:01] <Rei-chan> 'Maybe we will have to rob a blood bank...' Rei thinks as they continue towards school, doing her best to control the hunger pangs.
[10:02] <Anastasia> As you get to the school, both of you feel your fangs extending by nature. By the time you pass through the main doors, you feel frantically hungry.
[10:03] <Rei-chan> "Let's go to the office," Rei suggests, holding Usagi's hand tightly as she hurries AWAY from the banquet surrounding them on all sides, and down into the more abandoned halls beneath Mugen.
[10:04] <Anastasia> Once there, the hunger slows to a more reasonable roar, though even as you head to the Witches office, you're still munchy.
[10:09] <Anastasia> Inside, the Twins and Professor Tomoe are already there, talking quietly. They turn to you...and all three smell wonderful, far better than the other students did. They are pizza compared to the green beans of the normal students...
[10:10] * Rei-chan puts a hand over her stomach, giving the trio a rather sickly smile. "Good morning," she says weakly.
[10:11] <Anastasia> Looking at you with a solemn face, "Good morning, Rei, Usagi," he says, seeing two sets of blood red eyes starting back at him. "I heard, Rei...but Usagi?"
[10:12] <Rei-chan> "I need blood," Rei looks away, ashamed. "And I couldn't control myself."
[10:13] <Anastasia> Tomoe's eyes narrow a bit. "I see...so this is spreading when you feed?"
[10:14] * Rei-chan shakes her head. "I drank too much. She was dying and the only way to keep her alive was to give her my own blood in return..." she sags, "If you can call this 'alive'. We're both starting to get hungry, now."
[10:16] <Anastasia> He stands, taking a step forward. The smell of wonderful food only gets worse as he does so, driving you nearly mad. "We'll see. If it is what I think it is, perhaps there is a way to negate or cure this."
[10:17] * Rei-chan takes a step backwards. "We tried the Grail yesterday, but it didn't work. But any ideas you have would be good." Unconsciously, she licks her lips.
[10:18] <Anastasia> Grimacing a bit when he sees you lick your lips, "I want a blood and DNA sample from the both of you, and after that...I want to secure you two in a room in if you feel you can't control yourselves."
[10:21] <Rei-chan> "That might be best," Rei nods, glancing at the twins, "I don't suppose you two know any spells that'll keep us from teleporting? The hunger..." she grimaces, "It gets very strong."
[10:31] * Usagi-chan keeps her eyes closed, trying to ignore the delicious assault on her senses. And not succeeding at it very well at all.
[10:32] <Anastasia> "We might be able to manage something," Cyprine comments. "Yes, a teleportation block is possible," Ptilol agrees.
[10:34] <Rei-chan> "Okay, take the samples and get us locked up," Rei asks. "Best to do it quickly while we're still in control of ourselves."
[10:35] <Usagi-chan> "What about something to eat BEFORE that though?" Usagi asks, not really thinking about what she's saying. "I don't know how much longer I can go without eating SOMETHING!"
[10:36] <Anastasia> Tomoe nods to Rei, but pauses right after as Usagi speaks. "Can you control yourself, Usagi," he asks, motioning slightly to the rather quiet Twins.
[10:37] * Usagi-chan takes a shuddering breath. "I can try, but I don't know for how much longer," she says with an effort.
[10:38] <Anastasia> "Alright, then," he says, starting to walk over, taking two syringes out of his overcoat. As he approaches, your stomachs twist and howl. Gods, but does he smell incredibly good, beating Usagi's Mom's fresh pie by miles on miles.
[10:39] * Rei-chan extends her suddenly twitchy arm for him to take the sample, drawing on all her willpower to keep still.
[10:40] * Usagi-chan can't even bring herself to move, afraid that if she does so she'll do a lot more than give the Professor her arm.
[10:41] <Anastasia> OOC - Soul check, both of you, +2
[10:41] <Usagi-chan> roll 2d6+2
[10:41] * Hatbot --> "Usagi-chan rolls 2d6+2 and gets 12."
[10:41] <Rei-chan> roll 2d6+2
[10:41] * Hatbot --> "Rei-chan rolls 2d6+2 and gets 11."
[10:42] <Anastasia> Despite the smell, Rei somehow manages to stay rational. Not Usagi, however. This wonderful food, so close...she feels her mind shutting down, her hunger taking over...
[10:42] * Usagi-chan lunges for the Professor as he draws close, all thoughts of anything but satiating her immense hunger driven out of her mind entirely.
[10:43] <Anastasia> OOC - ACV check, hungry girl.
[10:43] <Rei-chan> "Usagi, no!" the crisis distracting her from her hunger, the vampiric schoolgirl tries to restrain her blood-crazed girlfriend.
[10:43] <Usagi-chan> roll 2d6
[10:43] * Hatbot --> "Usagi-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 11."
[10:44] <Anastasia> Vampiress Usagi dives for Professor Tomoe, but her aim is off, hitting the floor instead! Reacting quickly, the Professor dives back, calling, "Cyprine, Ptilol! Do it!"
[10:49] <Anastasia> Gathering their power, a combined field of blue and red appears around Usagi, lighting cracking in it! Usagi twitches in it for several seconds, then falls limp.
[10:51] <Rei-chan> "Usagi!" Rei's hunger is forgotten as her girlfriend's situation absorbs all her attention, the miko reaching out and pausing just before she touches the energy field.
[10:52] <Anastasia> "It's all right," Professor Tomoe says quickly. "It's just designed to knock someone out for a good while."
[10:52] * Prince_Herb is now known as Princess_Herb
[10:53] <Rei-chan> "I understand," Rei nods. "You might as well do the same to me before getting those samples..." she sighs, brokenly. "God, what a horrible situation..."
[10:55] <Anastasia> He nods, not arguing. "Go, you two." At that, you feel a few seconds of pain, then merciful darkness.
[10:55] <Anastasia> ---
[10:55] <Anastasia> Later...
[10:58] <Anastasia> Usagi stirs. Amid wretched pains at how hungry you are, you see that you are in a dark, small room, Rei lying beside you. Despite the lack of light, you can see perfectly fine, an empty closet your home.
[10:59] * Usagi-chan shakes her head, trembling a bit at the extreme hunger she's facing. She racks her brain, trying to remember how she got here.
[11:02] <Anastasia> Usagi remembers Professor Tomoe approaching...and then nothing.
[11:02] * Usagi-chan sits up, leaning back against the wall of the closet with her arms pressed tightly against her fiercely growling stomach. "What... happened?" she says softly.
[11:03] <Anastasia> As you sit there, no answers present themselves. Perhaps ten minutes pass, your stomach protesting stronger and stonger with each passing moment.
[11:04] * Usagi-chan manages to struggle to her feet, her legs shaking with the intense feelings of hunger pounding at her. She tries the door, almost sure it'll be locked but desperate to get out of here and find something to eat.
[11:06] <Anastasia> It's locked quite firmly, the door made of strong metal. As you do...'Usagi...' Cyprine's voice comes to you. 'Are you awake?'
[11:06] * Usagi-chan looks up, surprised at the voice. 'Yes, and I'm absolutely starving!' she sends back. 'How did we get in here?'
[11:08] <Anastasia> 'You attacked the Professor, but we managed to contain you before you succeeded,' she says, not sugarcoating it.
[11:08] <Usagi-chan> '...I what?' Usagi sends back, even her mental voice hoarse.
[11:09] <Anastasia> 'You lost yourself to your hunger,' she explains. 'Hold on..we've obtained some food for you.' Moments later, in a flash of blue light, a tall cup appears, filled with a red liquid that smells very appealing.
[11:10] * Usagi-chan quickly darts over to the cup, drinking down the liquid inside greedily.
[11:11] <Anastasia> The liquid goes down quickly, a fairly tasty but stale drink that refreshes you and calms your stomach.
[11:12] * Usagi-chan takes deep breath as she drains the last of the cup, the biting edge of her hunger contained - for the moment at least. 'Is he all right?' Usagi thinks back worriedly. 'I don't even remember anything about it.'
[11:14] <Anastasia> 'He's fine...you didn't even score a hit,' Cyprine comments. 'We have more for Rei when she wakes, Usagi. Until then...Professor Tomoe is working with the samples he got."
[11:15] * Usagi-chan slumps against the wall, sinking to the floor slowly. 'Has he found anything out yet?'
[11:16] <Anastasia> 'Some. He's working on a theory right now...just rest until then, Usagi.'
[11:18] <Usagi-chan> 'I'll try,' Usagi replies, sounding very depressed. 'Tell the Professor... tell him I'm really sorry - I really didn't mean to do it.'
[11:18] <Anastasia> 'Alright.' At that, the mental communication ends.
[11:18] * Usagi-chan rests her head on her knees, beginning to cry softly.
[11:19] <Rei-chan> At that moment, the other comatose vampire in the room begins to stir, Rei slowly pushing herself up to her knees as she shakes the grogginess from her head.
[11:19] * Usagi-chan doesn't notice, too lost in grief and self-regret to pay attention to much around her.
[11:21] <Rei-chan> The sound of Usagi's soft crying penetrates Rei's mental fog, and her biting hunger as she looks up at the source, guilt wracking her as she can only think of one reason the usually so vibrant girl would be in this state. "Usagi...?" she begins softly.
[11:22] * Usagi-chan 's shoulders shake as she weeps, the fear and uncertainty and despair inside her finally built up to the breaking point.
[11:28] <Anastasia> Shortly later, a second glass of blood appears in a blue flash, this one by Rei.
[11:29] * Rei-chan hesitantly reaches out to comfort Usagi, but then draws her hand back, shame overcoming her. How can she offer comfort after doing this horrible thing? Her nose wrinkles as she smells the contents of the glass, it quickly grabbing her attention as she guzzles down half its contents in an instant. "Usagi?" she tries again, this time offering the rest of the blood to the other vampire.
[11:30] <Usagi-chan> "I attacked him, Rei," Usagi says in a low voice. "He was just trying to help me and I attacked him."
[11:32] <Rei-chan> "I know," Rei sighs, shuffling over to lean against the wall beside Usagi. "I really hope he finds a cure... I'm not sure if we can continue like this..."
[11:35] <Usagi-chan> "I thought I could keep it under control!" Usagi protests. "I thought I could keep from hurting anyone, but the first time someone got near me, I just snapped!" Usagi looks up at her girlfriend. "How can I live like that?"
[11:36] * Rei-chan looks downcast, knowing she can't sugarcoat it after the things she said yesterday while asking for death. "I don't know," she admits quietly.
[11:38] <Usagi-chan> "I can't live with the thought of hurting people like that - but if I can't stop myself, what am I going to do?" Usagi says, fresh tears creeping down her cheeks. "I'm too afraid to die," she adds quietly.
[11:39] <Rei-chan> "I don't want you to die either," Rei says, wrapping an arm over Usagi's shoulder. "We can only hope the Professor finds a cure, or some way to negate the hunger."
[11:40] * Usagi-chan folds up against Rei's side, huddling into a ball as she draws her knees up to her chest. "I'm scared, Rei-chan," she admits. "I don't know what to do anymore."
[11:42] <Rei-chan> "Neither do I," Rei chokes a bit. "All we can do is pray and rely on others..." a few tears trickle down her cheeks, "Lest we become monsters like the one I killed."
[11:43] * Usagi-chan buries her face in Rei's shoulder. "I already am a monster, Rei..."
[11:45] <Rei-chan> "It's not your fault," Rei carols gently. "I'm the one who dragged you into this nightmare."
[11:46] <Usagi-chan> "It's not your fault either, Rei," Usagi responds, even in her despair unwilling to let Rei blame herself. "You never asked for this either."
[11:48] <Rei-chan> "No, I didn't," Rei acknowledges. "I killed that vampire and this is my reward..." she sighs brokenly, "Sometimes I wonder if the Gods are laughing at me."
[11:49] <Usagi-chan> "I just wish there was a way out of this," Usagi whispers, clinging to the miko like a lifeline. "I want this all to be a bad dream."
[11:50] <Rei-chan> "Me too, Usagi..." Rei holds Usagi comfortingly and kisses her forehead, "Me too..."
[11:53] <Anastasia> ---
[11:53] <Anastasia> Hours pass in the closet, with just yourself and Usagi to keep you company. At least that blood dulled your hunger...finally...
[11:53] <Anastasia> 'Usagi? Rei?' Ptilol asks in your minds, breaking the doldrums. 'Are both of you awake?'
[11:54] <Rei-chan> "Yes," Rei looks up at the mental voice, hoping for good news.
[11:55] <Anastasia> 'Good. Are both of you able to control yourselves this time?'
[11:55] <Usagi-chan> 'I think so,' Usagi replies, steeling herself to do just that.
[11:56] * Rei-chan sighs. "I hope so. We aren't starving, but the smell can get to us..."
[11:58] <Anastasia> "Alright...the door will be unlocked now. Head up to the lab.'
[11:59] * Usagi-chan nods, standing up and heading to the door.
[11:59] * Rei-chan takes Usagi's hand as she stands up, giving it a reassuring squeeze as she exits with her girlfriend.
[12:00] * Usagi-chan gives Rei a wan smile as the two walk out into the light of the hallway and through the halls of Mugen towards the Professor's lab.
[12:01] <Anastasia> It's well past the end of the school day, you gather, from late bits of sunshine that crack through the one window you pass. Entering the lab, you find PRofessor Tomoe, the Twins and the other Witches there. All are seated, a shimmering purple barrier between them and you, transparent but sparkling.
[12:02] <Anastasia> Two chairs have been placed on your side of the barrier. "Sit," Professor Tomoe says, somber.
[12:02] * Rei-chan does so, praying for good news.
[12:02] * Usagi-chan takes a seat, unable to even look at the Professor directly.
[12:04] <Anastasia> "I've been studying what you've been infected with," he begins solemnly, no humor in his voice. "From what I gather and what Germatou knew, vampires actually pass on two seperate taints. One causes the physical effects - the need for human blood, enhanced body, reactions to silver and garlic, and so forth. This is in their blood and can be transferred easily enough."
[12:05] * Rei-chan nods, recognising that that's what she has. Although a bit curious about the lack of aversion to sunlight...
[12:05] * Usagi-chan nods, still not raising her head.
[12:06] <Anastasia> "Normally, this is dormant until the vampire passes on the secondary infection." Tomoe goes on grimly. "This is the actual implanting and death of the victim, adding a Beast's soul to the new vampire. This explains why sunlight, holy symbols and such are fatal to them."
[12:06] <Anastasia> "However...I believe that the first virus reacted to Rei's aura and powers, caused to activate and integrate into a new virus because of this."
[12:06] <Rei-chan> "Is there a cure?" Rei asks, nervously bundling up the fabric of her skirt in her hands.
[12:07] * Usagi-chan finally looks up, her expression hollow. "So what does that mean?" she asks slowly.
[12:08] <Anastasia> "No," he replies finally. "This new virus blends directly into your DNA, and modifies it on a normal and on a spiritual level. Once it's acted, it's impossible to remove without killing the victim. It means that the mixing of Cain's blood and Rei's blood birthed a new breed of vampirism."
[12:09] * Rei-chan puts her head in her hands and begins to cry softly, her last hope trampled.
[12:09] * Usagi-chan nods, remembering the agony of the Grail. She lowers her face again, feeling her heart sink through the bottom of her chest.
[12:09] <Anastasia> "I'm sorry," he replies quietly. "It may even be possible to cure a normal person of it with enough power and skill...but it's spread into your magical ability. It's now as much a part of you as Sailor Moon or Sailor Mars is."
[12:10] * Midnight is now known as Natsume
[12:10] * Usagi-chan closes her eyes, feeling her tears begin anew. "So we're going to be stuck like this forever," she says hollowly, feeling every implication of that sentence as she says it.
[12:11] <Rei-chan> "So now what?" Rei asks brokenly, "How can we protect people if we can't even resist feeding on them?"
[12:12] <Anastasia> "Yes," he sighs, looking away tiredly. "Germatou made a side habit of studying native monsters and beings to see if he could use any to help him. While this never panned out for him, he did encounter a vampire or two. Older ones can learn to control their hunger in time...hopefully, this will extend to you and Rei."
[12:12] * Usagi-chan nods dully. "How long will that take?"
[12:13] <Anastasia> He looks uncomfortable. "I don't really know," he admits. "It could be a few hours or a few centuries."
[12:14] * Usagi-chan closes her eyes. "Are we going to kill someone every time we... feed?" she chokes out.
[12:16] <Anastasia> "...It's quite possible. You'll need about eight pints of blood a day to survive reasonably well. What you've lasted on so far is not enough to maintain you over more than a short period of time."
[12:18] * Rei-chan moans quietly, feeling more completely and utterly broken than she has ever before, even right after being purified of Metallia's influence wasn't as bad as she feels now.
[12:19] * Usagi-chan feels her mouth go dry, but she knows she has to ask the next question no matter how she feels. "Can... can we be killed the same way as other vampires?"
[12:19] <Anastasia> Professor Tomoe looks rather miserable himself, but goes on anyway. "That's the relative minimum. I know you might need more if you are injured, or had high amounts of activity - just like with any other food."
[12:20] <Anastasia> "More than a clove or two of garlic would be highly toxic to you, and silver blades would lead to vicious infections, I believe. Mind, this is just speculation, but I don't think I'm that far off the truth. You won't burn in the sunlight, at least..."
[12:20] <Rei-chan> "Does... does it have to be human blood?" Rei asks, pitifully grasping at the tiny lifeline that just occured to her.
[12:22] <Anastasia> Professor Tomoe nods. "You'd have to try yourself...but Germatou's research noted that animal blood was repugnant to vampires."
[12:22] * Usagi-chan shakes her head. "If it keeps us alive, I don't care what it tastes like."
[12:22] * Rei-chan nods fervently, "Anything's better than killing people just to survive."
[12:23] <Anastasia> He nods. "It will be worth investigating,"
[12:23] <Anastasia> Professor Tomoe then sighs. "Until then...I have a request of the both of you."
[12:23] * Usagi-chan nods, waiting to hear what the Professor has to say.
[12:24] <Anastasia> "I would strongly recommend that you two live on the Moon until further notice. We can send supplies up as you need them, and that would insure that no one else is in danger from you."
[12:25] <Rei-chan> "I understand," Rei nods, quite happy to accept any request that means she won't wind up killing anyone.
[12:26] * Usagi-chan nods, finding the idea much better than any alternative of imprisonment on the Earth. "We can do that... my only worry is that if I get too hungry, I'll teleport back to Earth to feed. You can't seal off the entire palace." Usagi looks rather miserable at the admission.
[12:27] <Anastasia> He nods. "We'll try to keep a supply of blood coming...but...if you succumb so badly that you are willing to teleport down.." he looks away again, studying the floor as his thoughts rage inside of him. "There may not be much help for you."
[12:28] * Rei-chan flinches. "If that happens..." she sighs, "Do what you have to do."
[12:29] * Usagi-chan nods glumly. "I'll do my best to keep it under control, but... I don't know how long I can keep it up."
[12:29] <Anastasia> "If it comes to that..." Cyprine looks up, Ptilol behind her. "We'll do what needs to be done, Usagi."
[12:29] <Anastasia> Tellu looks sadly at you, but nods. "We'll try and help you, Usagi. We promise."
[12:30] <Rei-chan> "Thank you, everyone," Rei stands up and bows deeply.
[12:30] * Usagi-chan manages to give the Witches a weak smile. "Thanks, everyone - I really appreciate it."
[12:31] <Anastasia> Professor Tomoe speaks again. "I'll continue to work on the blood, but I don't think I'll turn up anything useful for a good while, if at all."
[12:33] * Usagi-chan stands, bowing to the Professor. "Thank you so much, Professor... I'm really, really sorry about what happened before," she adds, quickly looking to the side.
[12:33] <Anastasia> Tomoe even manages a tiny smile. "It's not your fault, Usagi."
[12:34] <Usagi-chan> "Is there anything else we need to know?" she asks, straightening up - but still not looking at the Professor directly.
[12:34] <Anastasia> "Not right now," he shakes his head. "Be well, Usagi."
[12:35] <Rei-chan> "Goodbye, everyone," Rei gives a small wave as she stands next to Usagi, waiting for the teleport.
[12:35] * Usagi-chan nods sadly. "We'll try." Moving to stand next to Rei, she bows her head as she chants out the incantation to teleport the vampiric pair to the Palace of the Moon Kingdom.
[12:37] <Anastasia> ---
[12:38] <Anastasia> Three days later.
[12:39] <Anastasia> Keeping busy by working on the palace ruins, a few pints of stale but somewhat filling blood come up each day. It's strange...since you've been turned, you haven't craved solid food in the least. Yet by the third day, even when drinking the blood bottles sent, you can't help but think of fresh blood and necks.
[12:40] * Usagi-chan shakes her head as she scrubs at a newly-repaired marble staircase, trying to drive the beguiling images out of her mind.
[12:41] * Rei-chan does her best to ignore her predatory urges as she works on polishing the bannister. "Do you think they're making any progress down there?" she asks her fellow vampire as they work.
[12:42] <Usagi-chan> "I don't know... I sure hope so," Usagi says, wincing as an image of an unsuspecting Professor Tomoe and Eudial flits through her mind. It would be so easy to pop in and surprise them.... Ruthlessly she quashes the thought.
[12:44] <Rei-chan> "Yeah," Rei sighs, leaning on the railing as her thoughts distract her from work. "I hope Grandpa's managing okay by himself... well, and Hotaru-chan." She sighs, "I wonder if we'll ever be able to go home?"
[12:45] <Usagi-chan> "God, I hope so. I miss Mom and Daddy... heck, I even miss Shingo." She feels a pang of regret at the fact that she's not likely to see any of her family any time soon.
[12:46] <Rei-chan> "Hard to believe we've been reduced to this," Rei sighs again as she sits down heavily. "From regular girls to magical defenders of love and justice to... to blood suckers."
[12:47] * Usagi-chan winces at the description, sitting down on the stairs heavily. "I thought I could turn this place into a new kingdom... now it just looks like it's going to be a place to spend the rest of my life so I don't hurt anyone else." She throws her rag onto the stairs irritably.
[12:49] <Rei-chan> "Yeah... all our hard work... all our hopes and dreams... destroyed by a stupid vampire who bled too much as he died," Rei says bitterly.
[12:50] * Usagi-chan sighs, but looks up at Rei with a smile, remembering the one ray of light still in her life. "At least we get to be stuck here together," she replies.
[12:52] * Rei-chan manages a wan smile, reaching over to take Usagi's hand. "Hell isn't so bad if we're together." She frowns slightly, "Even if it doesn't suit you..."
[12:53] * Usagi-chan moves over to give her love a gentle kiss. "Red isn't my color, huh?" she teases, trying to make light of a not-very-funny situation.
[12:55] <Rei-chan> "No," Rei shakes her head, putting her arms around the other girl's hips, "I miss your beautiful blue eyes. I could lose myself in them forever..."
[12:56] * Usagi-chan smiles, laying her head against Rei's shoulder. "I wish we could just ignore everything and stay here without worrying about anything else - about being vampires or magical girls or ancient princesses or anything."
[12:58] <Rei-chan> "As long as we keep having to drink the blood they send up, it's impossible to forget," Rei sighs, stroking her love's back. "If it weren't for that I could almost imagine this was just a holiday..."
[12:59] * Usagi-chan nods, her head shifting against Rei's shoulder. "I hope the Professor finds something that can help us..." She closes her eyes, not adding her real feelings. 'I just wish I could believe he will.'
[13:01] * Rei-chan nods distantly as she catches Usagi's thought, which mirrors her own feelings of despair at their cruel fate. With nothing left to be said, she simply holds Usagi as best she can, glad that at least their love remains a constant in this hellish ordeal.
[13:02] <Anastasia> ---
[13:02] <Anastasia> The next day.
[13:03] <Anastasia> Even more blood comes up...yet...it's almost constant that you're dreaming of a warm neck to plunge your teeth into, an unsuspecting human to be your food. The blood sent barely quells your hunger for a little while...
[13:04] * Rei-chan stares at Usagi for a long moment after they finish their 'meal'. "You feel it too, don't you?" she asks, "This bottled blood... it isn't enough."
[13:04] * Usagi-chan has to fight down the urge to teleport back to Earth almost every minute. The thought of simply slipping down to some corner of the globe where no one would know her.... She shakes her head, giving Rei a haunted look. "Not even close," she says hoarsely.
[13:06] <Rei-chan> "What are we going to do?" Rei asks weakly, "I don't want to hurt anyone, but..." she looks pained, "But I do want to! Every moment I can't stop thinking about grabbing someone and ripping their neck open to drink and drink..." she trails off, putting her head in her hands. "I can't bear it!"
[13:09] * Usagi-chan shudders, finding the image all too familiar - and enticing. "You think you have it bad... you know how easy it would be for me to disappear for five minutes?" She closes her eyes tightly, clenching her fists. "I could go anywhere in the world, and no one would ever know who it was." The blonde trembles slightly. "It would just be so easy..."
[13:11] * Rei-chan reaches over to firmly take both Usagi's hands in her own. "We have to be strong," she says, oh so tempted to just ask her vampire Princess to take her on that tempting sounding excursion. "We're better than that. We protect people... Even from each other."
[13:12] * Usagi-chan lets a tear trickle from the corner of her eye. "I know, I know! But I can't stop thinking about it!" Usagi shudders. "I don't know how long it's going to be before I just... just give in and do it!"
[13:14] <Rei-chan> "We can be strong," Rei whispers, encircling her arms around Usagi in a tight hug. "We've been through horrible things before, right? We can deal with this," she continues, not sounding the least bit convinced.
[13:15] <Usagi-chan> "I just don't know anymore, Rei-chan!" Usagi sobs, leaning against the former miko. "I don't know how much longer I can take it!"
[13:15] <Anastasia> Even as you do this, you can feel the hunger as an everpresent weight on the both of you. God, you want blood so badly...fresh, warm, lifegiving blood...
[13:17] * Rei-chan shudders, looking at Usagi's neck and recalling the delicious ambrosia she had sampled there before, but also knowing the blood of another vampire is no good. Still, the image continues to taunt her, reminding her of what she desires so badly.
[13:18] <Usagi-chan> "I want to go..." She begins to mumble the words of the teleportation spell, although she refuses to actually focus the gathering magical energy into anything useable.
[13:20] <Rei-chan> "Usagi, don't!" Rei says weakly, even as an ever growing part of her WANTS to go down to Earth and feed. The tiny bit of rationality she has left kicks in and offers a distraction, which the raven-haired vampire pursues, hungrily kissing Usagi to silence the magic words, a kiss driven by desperate need for something else that has to stay beyond her.
[13:22] * Usagi-chan returns the kiss just as fiercely, seeking an outlet for the enormous tension and strain that's been building in her for days.
[13:22] <Anastasia> ---
[13:22] <Anastasia> An hour later.
[13:23] <Anastasia> As you two lie in bed, you have to admit that was enjoyable. If anything, there was a certain extra level of pleasure, but even that...as you lie ther ein each other's arms, you can't sleep. The hunger fights back, even stronger now after such activity.
[13:24] * Rei-chan squirms in Usagi's arms, the hunger threatening what little rationality she has left. "Oh, God..." she moans piteously, "I need blood. Fresh blood, not that bottled crap..."
[13:25] * Usagi-chan shudders, the ever-present temptation of going down to feed nearly maddening. She clings to Rei, as if somehow the raven-haired girl is some magical totem that will keep her from losing her sanity. "I know... I know... I just want to go, I need blood! Now!"
[13:26] <Rei-chan> "We have to hold on... we have to hold on..." Rei repeats like a mantra, even as a nasty voice whispers in the back of her mind 'Hold on for what? There's no cure. You'll just get hungrier and hungrier with no respite. Just get it over with and you'll feel better.'
[13:28] * Usagi-chan does just that, nearly crushing Rei in a deathgrip. "I can't, Rei-chan... I can't wait anymore. I have to feed..." she moans, the last shreds of her will the only thing keeping her from teleporting straight out of the bedroom.
[13:30] <Rei-chan> Incoherent choking noises are Rei's only reply, her will utterly shredded by the all consuming hunger that fills her entire world.
[13:34] * Usagi-chan grabs at her undergarments, quickly getting herself dressed. "I can't wait anymore, I HAVE to go. Now!" She scrambles into a blouse and a pair of shorts, not bothering to pay attention to any details.
[13:36] * Rei-chan sits up and blinks for a moment, before it suddenly sinks in and she dives off the bed to grab her own clothes and hurriedly dress. Grabbing onto Usagi as she finishes, she looks at her love with haunted, desperate eyes, "If you're going to hell I'm coming with you," she whispers intensely.
[13:37] * Usagi-chan nods, almost babbling out the words as she teleports the pair back to Earth, to a place that neither of the girls has ever visited before - not really caring where that might be.
[13:38] <Anastasia> Appearing in a quiet neighborhood, surrounded by sun and grass and passing by mothers, children, fathers, brothers, sisters...
[13:39] <Anastasia> It kind of a blur to you, to be honest. All you see and feel are the warm cattle and food about...a few are close...
[13:39] * Usagi-chan moves as silently as she can, grabbing the nearest person alone and pulling them between two of the houses - not caring if they're young or old, weak or strong, man or woman.
[13:40] <Anastasia> Dragging a man with glasses and neatly cut black hair, he yelps in surprise. With a 30ish year old face and a suit, a smalld etail penetrates your fog - he's a ringer for your father...
[13:40] <Rei-chan> Rei does much the same, letting her instincts guide her and grabbing the first food source she can find, only paying the slightest attention to discretion as she yanks them away to feed upon with Usagi.
[13:41] * Usagi-chan plunges her teeth into the man's neck with abandon, the last tiny vestige of her mind trying to retain enough control to keep her from killing the man outright.
[13:42] <Anastasia> Thus the two feed, warm life slowly slaking their thirst and returning rationality to them. The two victims fall, a older lady and a man that's really almost a dead ringer for Kenji Tsukino as your minds finally clear a bit.
[13:43] <Usagi-chan> Her hunger finally abated, Usagi sits back, checking the man for any signs of life - wincing as she realizes just how much like her father the man appears to be.
[13:44] * Rei-chan wipes her mouth on her forearm, smacking her lips in satisfaction before she realises what just transpired. "Oh, God..." she stumbles, falling onto her rear and staring at their two victims.
[13:44] <Anastasia> He's alive, but barely. He's lot tons of blood, and has a very weak pulse now. Rei's victim isn't much better, just from a quick eyeballing.
[13:45] <Rei-chan> "Usagi!" Rei staggers to her feet, "We can teleport them to a hospital! Before it's too late!"
[13:45] * Usagi-chan quickly places her hands on their necks, chanting softly as she heals the bloody puncture wounds in both their necks - but little more than that.
[13:48] <Anastasia> The wounds heal, yet the two still lie there, badly weakened by your feeding.
[13:49] * Usagi-chan gives Rei a haunted look. "What good would it do, Rei?" she says hollowly. "Every time I use magic, I get that much hungrier again... if I tried to teleport them to a hospital, I'd probably feed on the first person I saw when I got there. Just teleporting down here made me feel almost twice as hungry as before."
[13:50] <Rei-chan> "Oh, God..." Rei groans, "We really are monsters now, aren't we?"
[13:50] * Usagi-chan sits back on the grass, her head lowered. "We are..." She closes her eyes tightly, bloody tears spilling from her crimson eyes.
[13:52] <Rei-chan> "Maybe..." Rei swallows and sits down, holding Usagi's hand, "Maybe we should go to Mugen and tell them what happened?" She looks down at the ground as she continues, "I said I don't mind going to hell if it's with you, but we can at least end things without hurting anyone else."
[13:53] <Usagi-chan> "Will they be able to end it though?" Usagi says, her mouth dry. "I... I don't know if I could just sit there and let them kill me - and I don't want to hurt my friends either."
[13:56] <Rei-chan> "I..." Rei looks up again, her bloody eyes glistening, "I don't want to see you die, but..." she squeezes the other's hand, "If we're together, even through everything, I can go peacefully." She sniffles, "If we just wait for the hunger to drive us insane again... it'll never end, and they'll hunt us down eventually. At least this way we won't hurt anyone else."
[13:57] * Usagi-chan draws in on herself, crying openly. "I don't want to die, Rei-chan..."
[13:58] <Rei-chan> "Neither do I," Rei admits, "But I don't want to live like this, either! I don't want to be a monster again!"
[14:00] <Usagi-chan> "I know..." the blonde whispers. "I hate this... I wish I'd never even HEARD of vampires before." She hugs her knees tightly, wondering what she can do now.
[14:01] <Rei-chan> "This is all my fault," Rei cries, "Whatever you decide, I'll abide by it." She looks up, her expression sad but determined, "I'll be with you no matter what, for as long as you'll have me."
[14:02] <Usagi-chan> "I won't ever leave you, Rei-chan... not even if we both die, wherever we end up, I'm not ever going to leave you." She takes a deep breath, steeling herself for what she knows is the best decision. "We'll go to Mugen... we can't go on like this."
[14:03] * Rei-chan nods, standing up and taking Usagi's hand. "I love you," she whispers.
[14:04] * Usagi-chan rises, gripping the miko's hand tightly. "I love you too." Closing her eyes, she mutters the incantation one final time, teleporting the two straight into the darkened halls below Mugen Gakuen.
[14:05] <Anastasia> Appearing in the dark laboratory, the gloom feels fitting to you and your mood.
[14:06] * Usagi-chan closes her eyes, sensing out to see if the Professor is anywhere nearby.
[14:07] <Anastasia> He's on the 5th floor, as are all the other Witches. They're clustered together in his office.
[14:07] <Usagi-chan> "The office," Usagi tells her love, heading for the elevator herself.
[14:07] * Rei-chan nods, still holding Usagi's hand as she walks alongside her.
[14:08] * Usagi-chan is reassured by Rei's closeness, but still trembles at the thought that these are the last moments she'll ever know.
[14:09] <Anastasia> Coming out onto the fifth floor is another familiar matter, the door to Professor Tomoe's office closed.
[14:09] * Rei-chan knocks on the door and enters without waiting for a response.
[14:09] * Usagi-chan stays with Rei, gripping the miko's hand tightly as the two walk into the office.
[14:10] <Anastasia> Inside is everyone, seated and in the middle of what looks like a fierce discussion. "Usagi...Rei..." Professor Tomoe allows himself, turning his gaze away from Eudial.
[14:11] <Rei-chan> "Sorry to interrupt," Rei says, not really meaning it, "But... we lost control earlier." She hangs her head.
[14:11] * Usagi-chan gives the man a nod. "Professor... we're here to put an end to this." Usagi says quietly, but with determination.
[14:12] <Anastasia> He sighs, nodding. "We...were discussing this, as a matter of fact. Cyprine..." He pauses, taking off his glasses while the sad Witch takes over. "Cain said something as he was dying, Rei."
[14:13] * Rei-chan looks at Cyprine blankly, wondering what that has to do with anything right now.
[14:14] <Anastasia> "We hadn't wanted to tell you or believe it, but..." Ptilol continues for her sister. "He looked at you as you healed and said the Golden Dawn had begun." Both Twins look ashamed now.
[14:14] <Usagi-chan> "Golden Dawn?" Usagi asks blankly.
[14:14] * Rei-chan snorts. "Well it ends today."
[14:15] <Anastasia> Silence echos over the room. "Rei...do you really mean THAT," Tellu speaks up, sounding on the verge of tears.
[14:16] <Rei-chan> "This can't go on," Rei says, sadly but resolutely. "We nearly killed two people just now, just because the blood you were sending up didn't taste good enough. How long before we just stop caring about the people we hurt, and become the same as Cain was?"
[14:18] <Anastasia> "So?" Eudial speaks up as well. "That doesn't mean you have to go and kill yourselves, you two," she protests, emotion in her voice.
[14:18] * Usagi-chan nods sadly, her eyes closed. "It's better this way. There's nothing else we can do - the bottled blood just isn't enough."
[14:19] <Rei-chan> "What other choice do we have?" Rei asks Eudial, her sad voice tinged with anger, "Become the same things we fought against, and eventually get killed in battle after leaving a countless trail of bodies behind us?"
[14:21] <Anastasia> "No! WE'll find something to stop this or at least control it," Eudial says quickly back, trying to keep her emotions in check and not quite pulling it off. "You can't just go off and throw your life away after everything!"
[14:21] * Usagi-chan looks like she's about to cry, but manages to keep her composure. "I - we can't live like this... we can't hide from the world forever, and this is just going to keep happening unless... unless no one has to worry about us at all, ever again."
[14:22] * Rei-chan nods, squeezing Usagi's hand tightly. "I don't want to become a monster again," she whispers, bloody red tears a testament to her new nature. "At least let us end things while we're still... ourselves."
[14:27] <Anastasia> "Yourselves?" A new voice asks, the door opening. "Is being yourself truly that important, Rei?" Setsuna asks, her business suit snappy and pleasantly colored.
[14:27] <Usagi-chan> "What else do we really have other than who we are?" Usagi says tiredly, turning to face the senshi of time.
[14:28] * Rei-chan looks at Setsuna in surprise before her expression returns to it's previous state. "I remember the last time I wasn't myself. It's not an experience I ever want repeated." She frowns, "There's no magical silver crystal to bring back everyone I kill this time around."
[14:30] <Anastasia> "There isn't," she agrees. "Nor will there be a Queen to reincarnate you if you go through with this." Coming in amid the surprised stares of everyone else, she gracefully takes the last seat and sits. "Do you think killing yourself is the answer?"
[14:31] <Rei-chan> "It's either that or live while countless others die in my place. The price is too high."
[14:31] <Usagi-chan> "What other answer is there, Setsuna?" Usagi asks with some heat. "Go around feeding off of people who don't deserve to be hurt like that? Risk killing people just to make sure we stay alive? It's not worth that!"
[14:33] <Anastasia> "Be that as it may, are you prepared to leave your friends, family, and loved ones behind to whatever will come next? Or the world without Sailor Moon or Princess Serenity to protect it?"
[14:33] <Anastasia> She stares with her strangely colored eyes right at you, unflincing.
[14:33] <Rei-chan> "Who'll protect the world from us?" Rei shoots right back.
[14:35] * Usagi-chan shakes her head. "We can't protect the world this way anyway..." she says sadly. "The only thing we are now is a danger, not a help."
[14:35] <Anastasia> Smiling grimly, she gestures at the Witches. "Your friends, your fellow Senshi all will do anything to make sure that you find a way to survive. Even if you became mindless vampires, that is likely far better than leaving the this world alone to the future." She says it with a hint of passion, a bit of anger.
[14:36] <Rei-chan> "And what good are we to anyone as mindless vampires?!" Rei demands angrily.
[14:36] <Usagi-chan> "How?!" Usagi fires back. "Why are we so important to the world? We couldn't do ANYTHING as mindless vampires the way you put it, nothing but hurt and kill and everyone would be afraid we'd show up at their house next! I will NOT live like that!"
[14:37] * Rei-chan nods resolutely with Usagi's statement.
[14:37] <Anastasia> Smiling with a vicious ice, she rises. "I said too much," is her clipped response. "Do what you will, Usagi." With that, the woman simply vanishes, leaving her words hanging. "Leave the future to whomever will come to take it for themselves, then. Even if it's..."
[14:38] <Rei-chan> "That was pointless," Rei remarks, still angry as the Guardian of Time departs.
[14:39] <Usagi-chan> "Then you tell me what it's going to cost!" Usagi shouts after the disappearing woman. "You KNOW the future - you tell me how many people we're going to wind up killing just to survive!" Finding herself addressing only empty air, she slumps back in her seat. "It can't be worth it, ONE person is one person too many," she says with a resigned sigh.
[14:40] <Anastasia> The Witches and the Professor are silent, until Tomoe finally breaks the silence. "And...what of Hotaru, Rei," he asks quietly, thinking. "She cares about you more than almost anyone else. I'm sure that with time...I'll be able to do something to help you."
[14:42] <Rei-chan> "I don't LIKE this, okay!" Rei admits, brokenly. "But what if I killed Hotaru? When the hunger takes us, we can't control ourselves at all - everyone is nothing more than a potential food source."
[14:43] * Usagi-chan nods sadly with Rei, feeling rather drained from her outburst. "I just attacked someone who looked exactly like my father... and it didn't even matter to me!" She closes her eyes. "All I could think about was how delicious he smelled!"

[Halbarad]

[09:19] <Sailor_Anastasia> "I understand..." he says simply, "But that doesn't mean you have to give up yet. We can still get blood...and when need be, some of us could provide you with some fresher material, if you need it."
[09:22] <Rei-chan> The rational part of Rei's mind recoils at what he implies, even as she subconsciously licks her lips at the prospect. Quickly, she shakes her head. "No. I nearly killed Usagi and had to make her like this so she'd survive after I fed on her. I won't do the same to anyone else," she declares resolutely.
[09:25] <Sailor_Anastasia> "We can take preparations to ensure it won't be fatal," her replies quickly, trying to spark you. "See if some blood from an open vein will do enough with bottled blood, and we have enough here to keep you fed as long as we don't overdo it. I'm sure your other friends would be willing to help, too." he stops, smiling at you lovingly. "No one wants to see you go, you've done too much to just let you slip away."
[09:28] <Usagi-chan> "Is it really worth that to keep us here, though?" Usagi says, her head drooping. "What we've done in the past doesn't make up for what we're doing or what we're GOING to do."
[09:28] * Rei-chan nods. "It's better to slip away like this than to become a menace you'll have to hunt down to protect yourselves and everyone else."
[09:28] <Sailor_Anastasia> Viluy nods. "You're my Queen now, too. We can't just abandon you when it gets back. I don't know that much about the past yet...but would any of your friends back then have let you go ahead with this, Usagi?"
[09:30] <Sailor_Anastasia> "We'll stop this before it manages that far," Tomoe nods with conviction born of hope and desperation. "It can't be completely untreatable."
[09:30] * Usagi-chan makes no answer to that, knowing that her friends would have given anything to help her stay alive.
[09:32] <Rei-chan> "You already said it was entwined with our DNA and our spirits," Rei sighs. "We're stuck this way for the rest of our lives."
[09:33] * Usagi-chan nods with Rei. "There is no cure, not without killing us. That's what you said."
[09:34] <Sailor_Anastasia> "Maybe, but that doesn't rule out controlling or even modifying it. In time, you will be able to control yourselves, and we should be able to even speed that up with enough research."
[09:35] * Rei-chan glances at Usagi, her resolve wavering.
[09:35] <Sailor_Anastasia> Professor Tomoe puts back on his glasses, composing himself. "If we fail...you can still insist on ending it if you wish. But at least give us some time to try and save you."
[09:37] * Usagi-chan finally sighs. "How long do you want us to wait?" she says dully.
[09:38] <Sailor_Anastasia> "Let's aim for a month for now," he decides, smiling a bit at his apparent victory. "We don't have anything else going on right now, so we can all focus our energies on it."
[09:39] * Usagi-chan closes her eyes. "We didn't even make it four days before we had to feed on someone for real... how are we going to keep this up for a month?"
[09:40] <Sailor_Anastasia> "As we said," Tomoe smiles a bit thinly. "We'll see if fresh blood donations from an arm vein can help with that."
[09:42] <Rei-chan> "Isn't there..." Rei begins hesitantly, "Could there be some way we could be put in stasis or something until a cure is found? Like those crystals the criminals on the Moon were put in?" she looks at Usagi questioningly.
[09:43] <Usagi-chan> "I... It might be possible, but I have no idea how to do it myself," Usagi says after a moment of thought.
[09:44] <Sailor_Anastasia> "That may be worth investigating as a last resort," Professor Tomoe agrees. "It will give you something to do as well."
[09:45] * Usagi-chan nods slowly. "I guess it's as good as anything else I could do," Usagi finally allows. After a moment of silence, she looks up at the Professor. "Have... what have you told my parents?"
[09:46] * Rei-chan looks curious as well, wondering how the Shrine is doing.
[09:47] <Sailor_Anastasia> "I called them and said you were dealing with a Senshi matter," he says. "I said you'd be gone a few days. If you're going to be gone longer, however..."
[09:47] * Usagi-chan nods, her heart sinking. "I'm going to have to explain this to them." she finishes.
[09:51] <Sailor_Anastasia> "Yes," he agrees. "Will you tell them the truth?"
[09:52] * Usagi-chan nods slowly. "I think they deserve the truth."
[09:54] <Sailor_Anastasia> Turning to Rei, "Will you tell your grandfather?"
[09:57] <Rei-chan> "I..." Rei looks hesitant, "I'm too ashamed to let him see me like this," she admits sadly. "This existence goes against everything he's ever taught me. If," she swallows, "If there's no cure, I'll tell him before we... end things. For now it'd be better if he didn't know." She finishes talking and stares at her feet sullenly.
[10:01] <Sailor_Anastasia> Nodding simply, he lets it lie for now. "Alright...back to the Moon?"
[10:02] <Rei-chan> "For as long as we can control ourselves, I guess," Rei sighs.
[10:04] <Usagi-chan> "I... think I'll go talk to my parents first," Usagi says after a moment. "I can actually control myself right now, so it's better just to get it over with." She closes her eyes.
[10:04] <Rei-chan> "You might want to get cleaned up first," Rei points out, coughing delicately.
[10:06] * Usagi-chan looks over at Rei. "How bad do I look?"
[10:07] <Rei-chan> "Quite a bit mussed up, and..." Rei wrinkles her nose, coughing again in the same manner. "Well, we both smell of..." 'You know what we just did before we came down to feed, Usagi.'
[10:08] <Usagi-chan> 'Oh... right.' Usagi blushes a bit. "We'll head back to the Moon to get cleaned up then," she says. "I can just come back afterward."
[10:08] <Sailor_Anastasia> Tomoe nods. "Alright...The Twins will be up there tomorrow again."
[10:09] <Rei-chan> "Okay," Rei looks rather uncomfortable as she regards said girls, "See you, then..." she waves lamely.
[10:10] * Usagi-chan looks sad as she steps over next to Rei, teleporting the pair of vampires back to the Moon Palace.
[10:11] <Sailor_Anastasia> ---
[10:12] <Sailor_Anastasia> A little bit later, after absolutions...
[10:12] * Usagi-chan stands a few feet away from Rei. "Wish me luck..." she says, now clean and dressed in a pale yellow blouse and denim shorts.
[10:13] <Rei-chan> "Good luck," Rei gives what she hopes is an encouraging smile.
[10:15] * Usagi-chan smiles wanly, then teleports herself back down to Tokyo, to the living room of her home - her FORMER home, at least.
[10:16] <Sailor_Anastasia> It's later on in the day when you arrive, Shingo playing a video game on the TV, the sounds of the kitchen and Mom comforting, even if the smells aren't.
[10:16] <Sailor_Anastasia> Back turned to you, Shingo fails to notice you as he pilots his ship past all sorts of video game menaces.
[10:18] * Usagi-chan sighs, closing her mind to the hunger that simply being close to humans causes. "I'm home," she says dully, loud enough to be heard in the kitchen.
[10:18] <Sailor_Anastasia> "Hey, Usagi," Shingo turns, Mom's voice from the kitchen echoing him. He stops when he sees your eyes. "Woah, Usagi. Did you get contact lenses without Mom's permission?"
[10:19] <Sailor_Anastasia> Moments later, Ikkuko comes out of the kitchen, noting much the same thing. "Usagi-ch-Usagi, what happend to your eyes?"
[10:20] * Usagi-chan closes her eyes, ashamed. "They're not contacts, they're my real eyes."
[10:21] <Sailor_Anastasia> "Coooooool," Shingo murmurs. "They look better than that Moon thing on your head," he grins a bit, feeling a stirring of jealousy.
[10:21] <Sailor_Anastasia> "Is it another thing about your past, Usagi-chan," Mom asks quickly, coming over to you while keeping her eyes on yours.
[10:24] <Usagi-chan> "It's... not about my past. Rei... Rei had an accident while she was fighting the other day, and I kind of got caught up in it." She takes a deep breath, then plunges ahead, not seeing any way to sugarcoat it. "I'm a vampire now, Mom."
[10:26] <Sailor_Anastasia> Ikkuko blinks at that, taken completely off guard, her hands resting on your shoulders. Shingo, for his part, is rather more vocal. "Man! How come you get all the fun stuff, Usagi? I want to go run around in a cape and look cool," he grumbles further.
[10:26] <Sailor_Anastasia> "You...what...vampire..." Ikkuko manages, her mouth failing to properly work as she holds you.
[10:29] * Usagi-chan pushes her mother away gently, the scent coming from the woman too appealing to let her get any closer. "I'm a vampire, Mom." She bares her teeth to emphasize the point. "I'm not going to be able to stay here any more."
[10:30] <Sailor_Anastasia> "Vampire..." she says again, yet another daughtershock working through her. "Like you're going to live in a coffin now," she says in a daze. "And...gah, you drink blood? All of that?"
[10:31] <Usagi-chan> "Not the coffin," Usagi manages a small smile. "But yes, I drink blood now. And I'm not too crazy about garlic or silver."
[10:33] <Sailor_Anastasia> "Then why are you moving out," she mutters, face slack jawed.
[13:08] * Usagi-chan closes her eyes. "Because I can't risk hurting any of you guys. I... everybody, every person out there smells like food now! And... when I get too hungry, I sometimes can't control myself." She lowers her head in shame, a bloody tear trickling from her eye. "I'm not going to risk hurting any of you because of that."
[13:09] <Sailor_Anastasia> She listens to that, freaking and freaking more so when you cry. "Usagi, you're bleeding," she says quickly, pulling out a bit of Kleenex from the dress pocket from instinct. Handing it to you, she goes on. "What do you mean, food? Usagi..."
[13:11] <Usagi-chan> "I mean like food!" Usagi almost shouts. "Normal food is just... I can barely keep it down, and if I don't have fresh blood every so often, I almost go crazy with hunger." She dabs at her eyes, wincing at the red stains on the handkerchief.
[13:13] <Sailor_Anastasia> "Usagi..." Mom murmurs again, not really sure what to say to that. "Were you just crying," she realises, "And..."
[13:14] * Usagi-chan closes her eyes, nodding slowly. "It's really true, Mom. I wish to God it wasn't, but it is."
[13:15] <Sailor_Anastasia> "You can't just get rid of it as Sailor Moon or do something?" she asks, grasping at straws while her mind struggles with yet another Usagi bombshell.
[13:17] * Usagi-chan slumps. "I've tried... it's impossible. I'd probably kill myself before I could purify it away from me."
[13:18] <Sailor_Anastasia> "Then...then...you can't even go outside anymore during the day, and you are a walking bloodsucking corpse," she asks, recalling basic vampire legends.
[13:18] <Sailor_Anastasia> "That's at least cool," Shingo pipes in, even if he is starting to look a bit shaken himself.
[13:19] * Usagi-chan shakes her head. "Not... exactly. The Professor's already looked into it some, and I'm not actually... actually DEAD. I can still go out in sunlight - even if it does seem really really bright most of the time - and holy symbols don't have any effect on me at all. But I do suck blood..." Usagi winces at that admission.
[13:21] <Sailor_Anastasia> "Oh..." she murmurs, going over to the couch and sitting down hard. "Usagi...you've gotten yourself into trouble good this time, haven't you?"
[13:23] * Usagi-chan takes a deep breath, the odors in the room causing her stomach to give an audible gurgle. "I really have," she says quietly. "I don't... I don't think I can get out of this one, either."
[13:25] <Sailor_Anastasia> She takes that in, "So...you'll be a vampire for the rest of your life now? It's permanent?" Shingo sits down as well next to Mom, keeping an eye on your blood soaked irises.
[13:26] * Usagi-chan nods slowly. "Unless the Professor comes up with some kind of miracle cure... yes."
[13:28] <Sailor_Anastasia> Ikkuko puts her head into her hands and sighs deeply. "Usagi...what have you managed this time? Oh dear..." As she sighs, you hear and smell Luna come in - she doesn't smell like food, but she smells different from what she should. "Usagi," she asks, coming in from behind. "Is something the matter?"
[13:30] * Usagi-chan takes a deep, shuddering breath. "You could say that, Luna."
[13:31] <Sailor_Anastasia> Hopping onto the table and looking at you, the Mau stops cold when she sees your eyes. "Usagi, what happened," she asks gently, grimly. Closer to you, she smells...nice, but not in a food way.
[13:32] <Usagi-chan> "I'm a vampire, Luna," Usagi says tiredly. "Rei and I are both vampires, now."
[13:35] <Sailor_Anastasia> "What...I see," she starts, but recovers very quickly. "Haven't you used the Grail to reverse it?...and how in the world did that happen, anyway?"
[13:36] <Usagi-chan> "I've tried." Usagi says flatly. "Just TRYING to do it nearly killed me - I don't think I've ever hurt that much in my life before."
[13:40] <Sailor_Anastasia> Frowning..."Usagi...A vampire is a..." she starts by rote, but then stops cold. "Oh...." she deflates entirely, going down on her haunches. "What are you going to do, then, Usagi?"
[13:41] * Usagi-chan swallows hard. "Rei and I are living in the palace for now," she begins. "The Professor has said he's going to work on this for the next month and try to find some way to help us. If he can't in that time, we've... we've decided that it's better not to take the risk of staying around where we can hurt anyone." She closes her eyes at that.
[13:44] <Sailor_Anastasia> "You'll stay up on the Moon if he can't help you, forever," Ikkuko interjects, sounding rather heartbroken. "Just leave your family behind?"
[13:46] <Usagi-chan> "No, I won't stay on the Moon forever." Usagi says. "It's not safe enough for everyone here on Earth as long as I can teleport. I'm... we'd have someone kill us, or we'd kill ourselves." she finishes in a whisper. "It's just not worth the risk."
[13:50] <Sailor_Anastasia> "...Usagi?" Ikkuko gasps, stunned as her eyes start to tear up. "You..."
[13:51] <Sailor_Anastasia> Luna blinks, scowling. "Usagi, you can't do that! What about the Moon Restoration?"
[13:52] <Usagi-chan> "It can't go on like this, Luna. I'm..." She takes a shuddering breath. "I nearly killed someone earlier today because I hadn't had fresh blood in four days. I can't do that to people, and I refuse to live like that."
[13:54] <Sailor_Anastasia> "That doesn't mean you just go and kill yourself," she protests automatically, while your mother starts to cry.
[13:56] <Usagi-chan> "Then what am I supposed to do? Just give up and start feeding off random people on the street?" Usagi shouts back hotly. "I don't WANT to die - but I've spent too much time protecting people to start hurting them now. I'd be better off dead," she finishes with a sniffle.
[13:57] <Sailor_Anastasia> Amid tears, "Then go ahead and go feed off them," Ikkuko says with some hurt savagery. "You're my daughter, and I won't see you kill yourself over something so...stupid!"
[13:59] <Usagi-chan> "It's not my right!" Usagi replies through her tears. "If I have to hurt or kill other people just to live, then maybe the world is better off without me!" She wraps her arms tightly around herself. "I don't want to die either, but I can't see what else I can do."
[14:01] <Sailor_Anastasia> Stung by your words, tears continue to go down your mother's face, Shingo watching the scene in frozen horror now. "So, you're just going to go kill yourself just when you were doing so much better? Go ahead and just throw everything away and leave us?"
[14:03] * Usagi-chan looks up at her mother, her face a picture of agony. "I don't WANT to!" she cries. "But what else can I do? I can't use people like that... I'd rather die than start looking at people that way!" The tears course freely down her cheeks.
[14:05] <Sailor_Anastasia> 'But don't you want to? You and Rei could live forever, feasting on them...' At the edge of your mind, a voice echos. "Usagi...but...you can't die," she sobs, Luna also looking at you sadly. "You aren't like those from the Dark Kingdom, Usagi. You aren't that terrible to require...that."
[14:07] * Usagi-chan shakes her head at the voice in her mind. "But I am, Luna. I don't want to be, but I have to be now. I thought I could get by without feeding on people directly, but I can't."
[14:11] <Sailor_Anastasia> "You can control it...you will be able to - You can't just give into it," Luna tries, sensing your steely, almost suicidal determination.
[14:12] <Usagi-chan> "Luna, I've tried, I really have!" Usagi protests. "You don't know what it's like!"
[14:15] <Sailor_Anastasia> "No...but...." Luna sighs. "You just can't do that, Usagi!"
[14:16] * Usagi-chan picks up the Mau, hugging her tightly. "I don't want to do it, Luna, but I have to keep everyone safe. Even from me."
[14:16] <Sailor_Anastasia> Luna sighs again. "Are you serious," she asks, already knowing the answer.
[14:19] * Usagi-chan nods. "The only other chance is that I'm going to try to work out a stasis spell... if I can manage to do that before the month is over, I'll put both of us under and hope you guys can find a cure someday. But I don't know whether I'll be able to in just a month."
[14:20] <Sailor_Anastasia> "That's an idea, at least," Luna comments. As you talk, you notice the tail end of your mother, crying and heading into the kitchen...
[14:22] <Usagi-chan> "I'll give it all I have, but I just don't know. I have to make sure everyone stays safe, and as long as I'm awake and hungry, they're not." she says quietly.
[14:24] <Sailor_Anastasia> Luna nods. "You'll be staying on the Moon until...something happens?"
[14:25] * Usagi-chan nods. "Probably, unless the Professor needs us to come down for anything."
[14:26] <Sailor_Anastasia> Luna nods. "Do I smell like food as well," she asks abruptly.
[14:27] <Usagi-chan> "No," Usagi says. "Not the way Mom and Shingo do."
[14:27] <Sailor_Anastasia> "Then I want to come to the Moon with you," she declares. "I don't want to leave you two alone there."
[14:29] * Usagi-chan sighs. "All right, you can come along. But don't you dare risk turning human while you're there, okay?"
[14:29] <Sailor_Anastasia> "Fine," she smiles in a small victory. "I'm used to being a cat, anyway."
[14:31] * Usagi-chan nods, carrying the cat into the kitchen in search of her mother. "I'm sorry, Mom..." she says quietly once she enters.
[14:32] <Sailor_Anastasia> Ikkuko is leaning against the countertop, sobs still wracking her. "Usagi..."
[14:36] * Usagi-chan walks over to her mother, caressing the older woman's back with one hand. "I wish it could be some other way, Mom... I hope the Professor DOES find a cure, or that I can manage something that will keep us stable until someone figures out what to do."
[14:38] <Sailor_Anastasia> "You can't go," she murmurs brokenly, nodding. "You said you're going to college now, and....you'll...."
[14:39] <Usagi-chan> "I don't want to go," Usagi says, tears beginning to fall from her own eyes again. "I want to go to college and get my degree and get the Moon Kingdom going again... but I can't do any of it anymore."
[14:41] <Sailor_Anastasia> "Then don't...you can feed...." she says weakly.
[14:42] <Usagi-chan> "I can't, Mom," Usagi says with a sob. "That's how I ended up like this in the first place. I won't do this to anyone else."
[14:44] <Sailor_Anastasia> "So?" she says again. "You just can't die, Usagi, even if you have to make other people like that!"
[14:44] <Sailor_Anastasia> She pounds on the counter as she says that, knowing full well what that would entail.
[14:46] <Usagi-chan> "I won't do it, Mom," Usagi whispers. "It's not worth it."
[14:46] <Sailor_Anastasia> "You are worth it," she says, tears streaming down her face.
[14:48] <Usagi-chan> "I'm worth my own life. Not anyone else's," Usagi shakes her head gently.
[14:49] <Sailor_Anastasia> "Then go," she sighs. "Just...go right now, alright," she says amid tears. "We'll talk later."
[14:50] * Usagi-chan nods. "I love you, Mom. Send the Professor a message if you need me for anything." Usagi retreats, looking at her mother longingly.
[14:51] <Sailor_Anastasia> She just nods, looking away now.
[14:52] * Usagi-chan takes up the black Mau once again, teleporting herself back to the Moon without another word.
[14:53] <Sailor_Anastasia> ---

[Halbarad]

[14:26] <Anastasia> ---
[14:27] <Anastasia> Hearing all about Usagi's trip home from both her and your unexpected guest Luna, (Who smells nice but not like food, a certain relief there) another day passes. The Twins teleport up, bringing plenty of bottled blood and basic news. Nothing yet, as they just started in earnest. That night...
[14:29] * ChanServ sets mode: +o Rei-chan
[14:29] <Anastasia> As you sleep in Usagi's not quite warm arms...
[14:30] <Anastasia> Images of your battle with Cain come back, swords of blood slicing, flames burning, a mandala forming, almost etched with your own blood...
[14:31] <Anastasia> "The Golden Dawn has begun," Cain declares, coughing and unseen. "You will bear witness to it with me!"
[14:33] <Anastasia> "It's over for you, monster," Cyprine hisses, furious. "This won't even hurt," Ptilol agrees, the sound of a blast of energy coming forth.
[14:34] <Anastasia> "Too late...her blood has already mixed with mine..." Cain wheezes out, pained as his voice rises into a thundering cresendo. "It's begun!"
[14:34] <Anastasia> From this, the scene fades into the black of dreams, yet a few final words haunt you.
[14:35] <Anastasia> "Rei, it has begun...Bear witness to the Golden Dawn with me and your brood..."
[14:42] * Rei-chan sleeps uneasily for the rest of the night, her subconscious disturbed by the portents of the Golden Dawn and what it could mean for her and perhaps the whole world.
[14:45] <Anastasia> ---
[14:45] <Anastasia> The next day.
[14:47] <Anastasia> The Twins stop by early, having a bit of a conversation. They mention bringing by a few extra people tomorrow, the purpose of the visit rather clear. Luna herself is rather quiet that day at first, as the day gets going...
[16:35] <Anastasia> The day goes by as you work on another part of the ruined palace, Luna tagging along and helping as she can in Mau form.
[16:36] <Rei-chan> "Usagi," Rei begins, interrupting their mostly silent work, "I had a dream last night. I'm not sure what it means, though..." she looks rather worried as she speaks.
[16:37] <Anastasia> Luna looks up as well, knowing full well the ability of Rei's strange dreams. "What kind of dream, Rei?"
[16:39] <Rei-chan> "I saw Cain's death - it actually happened after I passed out from blood loss," she sighs, "Anyway, it's ass Cyprine said the other day - he said the Golden Dawn has begone and died, but after that... I could hear a voice in my head sayin 'It has begun. Bear witness to the Golden Dawn with me and your brood'."
[16:53] <Anastasia> "Golden Dawn, Rei-chan," Luna asks, brooding over the words of the slain vampire.
[16:55] <Rei-chan> "I don't know what it means really," Rei says apologetically. "Could mean a dawn of a time when invincible vampires like me and Usagi rule the Earth, could mean pretty much anything, really." She sighs, sitting down. "I don't even know if Cain was just on his own or if he has vampire buddies out there still working to bring about the Golden Dawn... whatever it is."
[16:58] * Haru[TV] has joined #evildunes
[16:58] * Haru[TV] is now known as Haruka
[17:00] <Anastasia> "Vampires, immune to sunlight and other hazards..." Luna nods. "Usagi said Professor Tomoe discovered that your Senshi powers and the vampire infection had created something new."
[17:02] <Rei-chan> "Yeah," Rei nods, "Even without the demonic spirit normal vampires have, the drive of our hunger is quite enough to make us horribly dangerous to people. And without the limitation of only coming out at night..."
[17:04] <Anastasia> Luna sighs. "If it's as bad as you say..." she says, looking at Usagi.
[17:05] * Rei-chan chuckles mirthlessly, "I don't think words can do it justice, really."
[17:55] * Usagi-chan nods. "Imagine you hadn't eaten for a month. Then imagine going to an all you can eat sushi bar. Then triple it and you're in the right neighborhood."
[17:58] <Anastasia> "It's that impossible to resist?" The Mau asks, discouraged at that answer. "Granted, you have trouble resisting normal food as it is, but..."
[18:03] <Usagi-chan> "It's worse than that even, Luna. I mean, just being AROUND people makes me that hungry, but when I go without for a few days... it gets way worse than that. It's almost impossible to even think about anything but feeding." Usagi sighs.
[18:04] <Rei-chan> "We were going pretty nuts the other day," Rei agrees shamefacedly.
[18:05] <Anastasia> Luna shakes her head. "You'll have to try and learn some control, girls. Otherwise..."
[18:05] <Rei-chan> "We know, Luna," Rei sighs, depressed. "But it's a lot easier said than done."
[18:08] * Usagi-chan nods glumly. "We did the best we could before, I promise. But it just will NOT go away, and it always gets worse and worse."
[18:09] <Anastasia> "And if it's that bad...will you go through with IT, Rei?" she asks, already knowing the other girl's thoughts on it.
[18:10] * Merc is now known as Experimenting_Mako-chan
[18:12] <Rei-chan> "I don't want to hurt anyone," Rei draws her knees up to her chest, "I've worked too hard to redeem myself after what Metallia did to go back to being... like that."
[18:13] * Usagi-chan moves over to sit next to the dark-haired girl, putting an arm around Rei's shoulders in support. "We can't keep people in danger because of us."
[18:15] <Anastasia> "Yes...but killing yourselves isn't the answer, either," she says firmly staring you in your blood moon eyes.
[18:15] <Usagi-chan> "Then what is, Luna?" Usagi gives the Mau a resigned look. "I don't want to kill anyone, and unless we can be kept from getting hungry, that's a risk we're going to keep taking."
[18:16] <Rei-chan> "I'd hardly call it ideal, no," Rei snorts, "But spending eternity preying on others to survive holds no appeal."
[18:19] <Anastasia> "I know," she sighs. "But just doing what you're thinking of can't be right."
[18:21] * Rei-chan leans back against Usagi's arm. "I really wish there was another way... this whole situation really is a tragic conclusion after all we've worked so hard for..."
[18:21] * Usagi-chan looks over at her love. "Neither one of us really WANT to do it either. But if there's no other option..." she trails off.
[18:24] <Anastasia> Luan sighs a third time. "Bitter end, indeed..."
[18:25] <Anastasia> ---
[18:25] <Anastasia> That evening, again.
[18:25] <Anastasia> In the middle of her restful slumber, Rei again has the same dream, Cain's voice mocking her...
[18:27] <Anastasia> Waking in the morning, she feels refreshed, however, despite the lack of sleep and encroaching hunger.
[18:28] * Rei-chan tries to put the dream behind her, and ignores the hunger as best she can as she carries out her morning ablutions.
[18:29] <Anastasia> Shortly thereafter, the Twins arrive...with Tellu and Eudial in two as well. "Hey," Tellu smiles, looking a touch jumpy. "How are you feeling?" Even now, you can feel your nose twitch and stomach rumble as you see them.
[18:30] <Rei-chan> "Hungry," Rei says, looking at the assembled girls with mixed feelings. "Are you guys really sure about this?"
[18:31] <Anastasia> "Yeah," Eudial comments, rolling up her sleeve. "We thought we'd try the wrist vein first and see how that works, alright?"
[18:31] * Usagi-chan tries to conceal her own nervousness as she watches the two.
[18:31] <Anastasia> Tellu nods. "We'll help you as much as we can."
[18:32] * Rei-chan sighs and nods, approaching Eudial. Her fingers twitching slightly, she glances at the twins, "Don't hesitate to do something if we lose control," she tells them, before her elongated canines descend on the redhead's wrist.
[18:33] * Usagi-chan decides to wait for Rei, so she doesn't have to hurt Tellu more than necessary if the wrist proves ineffective.
[18:34] <Anastasia> The Twins nod as Usagi digs in, Eudial wincing. Fresh, wonderful blood rushes into Rei at a crawl compared to the neck, yet it's still heaven...(OOC - Rei, Soul check at +2)
[18:34] <Rei-chan> roll 2d6+2
[18:34] * Anastasia sets mode: +v Musk-bot
[18:34] <Rei-chan> roll 2d6+2
[18:34] * Musk-bot --> "Rei-chan rolls 2d6+2 and gets 4."
[18:35] <Anastasia> Drinking for perhaps a half minute, Rei finally withdraws, feeling worlds better and more alive. Eudial is pale and sweating, but manages a weak smile to you. "Did it work...?"
[18:36] * Rei-chan can't help but smile brightly, even as she feels bad at Eudial's state. "It was wonderful, thanks." Remembering herself, she ducks her head, "Sorry..."
[18:37] <Anastasia> "It's alright," she murmurs, stumbling as she sits herself ungracefully on the floor. "Just a bit dizzy after that..."
[18:37] <Anastasia> Ptilol goes to Eudial as she does so, getting out a bit of bandage and cloth to bind her still trickling wrist puncture.
[18:39] <Rei-chan> "Just take it easy for the rest of today and get plenty to eat," Rei suggests, even knowing that her older friend most likely already plans such. "And thanks a lot - I really do feel better than I have in days, now."
[18:40] <Anastasia> Going to Usagi with wrist offered as Eudial simply nods wearily, Tellu tries to smile and change the subject. "Did you hear about the news about the Moon last night?"
[18:41] <Rei-chan> "News about the Moon?" Rei looks curious.
[18:41] * Usagi-chan only half pays attention to the conversation, her attention focused on Tellu's wrist almost entirely.
[18:41] <Anastasia> Half wincing and waiting for Usagi to bite, "They said many around the world reported a blood red full moon last night," she explains.
[18:42] * Rei-chan frowns. "That's a bad omen."
[18:42] * Usagi-chan plants her lips against Tellu's wrist, gingerly letting her sharp canines slice into the green-haired girl's skin.
[18:43] <Anastasia> Shivering a bit in pain as Usagi begins her feeding, she tries to go on. "The news was saying it was a result of pollution in the air, but....it isn't true, it is?"
[18:43] <Anastasia> OOC - Usagi, Soul check +2.
[18:43] <Usagi-chan> roll 2d6+2
[18:43] * Musk-bot --> "Usagi-chan rolls 2d6+2 and gets 11."
[18:44] <Rei-chan> "It could be a coincidence," Rei concedes, "But... I don't really believe it is."
[18:44] <Anastasia> Drinking in the restorative blood of Tellu, you have to savagely fight down impulses to tear out, knock the girl down and plunge into her neck, a sea of pure blood slaking your thirst.
[18:45] <Anastasia> Cyprine nods. "We think it's because of Usagi's condition," Ptilol says. "It may be reflecting in the Moon itself."
[18:45] * Usagi-chan winces at that even as she feeds, her thoughts turning to Rei. 'Do you think it's going to stay like that?'
[18:49] <Rei-chan> 'We'll find out tonight, I guess,' Rei replies to Usagi, speaking aloud to Ptliol, "That's possible..." she sighs, "I wonder if it has something to do with that Golden Dawn thing..."
[18:50] <Anastasia> "We've been looking into that," Ptilol replies. "Yes, we found a few mentions of it - it's a vampiric legend, but that's all we have found."
[18:51] <Rei-chan> "Nothing about what the legend entails?" Rei prods, "I remember there were a bunch of books were we fought Cain, have you looked there?"
[18:51] * Usagi-chan releases Tellu, placing a hand over the still-bleeding wound and healing it herself as she licks the last of the blood from her lips.
[18:51] <Anastasia> "Thanks," she murmurs, feeling woozy and falling to her knees a moment later, moaning.
[18:52] <Anastasia> "That's where we have been looking," Cyprine agrees with Rei. "Most of them are in gibberish that we can barely decipher with magic."
[18:53] * Usagi-chan helps the green-haired girl to her feet. "Are you okay?" She feels a pang of guilt, wondering if she took too much.
[18:54] <Rei-chan> "Didn't the Professor say Germatou had dealings with a few vampires? Maybe you could try contacting them..." she trails off thoughtfully, "Or we could look into it ourselves? After all, we're already vampires, so we have less reason to worry if they prove difficult..."
[18:54] <Anastasia> She barely manages to stand, weak and dizzy. "I'm...just...." she gasps, falling into your arms. The Twins dash over at that point, abandoning their conversation.
[18:54] * Rei-chan looks at Tellu in alarm, trying to discern just how badly off she is.
[18:55] <Anastasia> Rei - she's rather drained...not quite life threatening if treated quickly, but Usagi probably drank too much.
[18:56] * Usagi-chan supports the other girl alone, on the verge of tears. "Oh god, this is all my fault..."
[18:56] <Anastasia> Taking hold of the girl, "We should get her back quickly." Cyprine asserts, taking her while Ptilol goes to Rei. "We left some bottled blood if you get hungry later, too."
[18:56] <Anastasia> "We'll come back to talk in a little while," Ptilol says as she helps Eudial up.
[18:56] <Rei-chan> "Thanks," Rei nods, "You should get going so Tellu can get looked after. We'll see you later."
[18:57] <Anastasia> "Yes, we'll be back," Cyprine says, the four vanishing away and gone from this Moon.
[18:58] * Rei-chan goes over to comfort Usagi. "That could have gone better, I suppose," she sighs.
[18:58] * Usagi-chan looks rather dejected as the foursome disappears. "God, I took too much..." She bites her lip and frowns. "How am I going o manage this for a month?"
[18:59] * Rei-chan rubs the blonde's back soothingly. "I'm not sure," she admits, "But we'll find a way. Somehow."
[19:00] * Usagi-chan leans against her girlfriend, trying not to cry. "And now I've turned the moon red too... this is just such a disaster."
[19:01] <Anastasia> ---
[19:01] <Anastasia> That evening, yet again.
[19:01] <Anastasia> Again has the same dream, but at the end...
[19:03] <Anastasia> The image of Cain appears in your dreams after his last words, grinning with sinster intent. "You feel the thirst and the rhapsody when you claim a human as your cattle," he declares, talking to Rei, besides him. "You, of my blood...my daughter, you will soon know the joys of being a God amid these lambs..."
[19:04] * Rei-chan pulls away from the dead vampire, "I'm not your daughter, we're nothing alike!" she retorts defiantly.
[19:05] <Anastasia> "We are everything alike," he purrs. "Soon, we will feast on this world together...and you have already turned another, no less! We are even beyond death now, and this would will be ours for eternity..." he laughs cruelly, reality reasserting itself as he fades.
[19:07] * Rei-chan wakes up, shivering and hoping the dream was nothing more than an active imagination... but she has a hard time convincing herself.
[19:09] <Anastasia> ---
[19:09] <Anastasia> The next day.
[19:09] <Anastasia> The Twins never made it back yesterday - they sent a short message about something coming up on Earth - but they arrive on time today, bearing blood and news. "There were more red moon sightings last night," Cyprine annouces as she passes over the bottles.
[19:10] * Usagi-chan sighs, taking the blood from Cyprine. "Just great..."
[19:11] * Rei-chan accepts a bottle and gratefully drinks for a moment before speaking, "It doesn't look any different from the ground, here..."
[19:12] <Anastasia> "On the other hand, the Professor made a discovery last night," Ptilol goes on. "He needs to confirm it, however."
[19:12] <Rei-chan> "Oh?" Rei perks up and leans forward.
[19:13] * Usagi-chan pauses, listening to the pair.
[19:14] <Anastasia> "It's about why the bottled blood isn't enough to sustain you," Ptilol starts, her sister picking up. "Energy flows in the entire body including the bloodstream. The theory is that the vampire also needs the energy from the blood to survive - it lasts only about a half hour in any quantity in withdrawn blood."
[19:15] <Usagi-chan> "So it's blood AND energy that we're taking?" Usagi asks, mildly curious although the subject is one she'd rather not have to deal with.
[19:15] <Anastasia> "Mainly blood, but yes. Energy plays a lesser but important role if he is correct," Cyprine nods.
[19:15] <Rei-chan> "Drain energy, like how Alan and Ann were feeding their tree? So if we could do that and drink bottled blood, we wouldn't need to directly feed on people?" Rei now looks very interested.
[19:17] <Anastasia> "Perhaps, yes. He was also running around with the idea of infusing energy into the bottled blood before drinking and other ideas." Cyprine smiles. "If he's right, perhaps you will be able to manage this."
[19:18] <Rei-chan> "It does give us some hope at least," Rei nods.
[19:18] * Usagi-chan nods, thinking. "I can definitely manage the energy part of it, even store it for a while," she says, musing. "Does he have any idea how much it it takes for one feeding?"
[19:19] <Anastasia> "Not entirely," Ptilol shakes her head. "That's why he wants to see one of you feed outright and monitor it."
[19:19] <Rei-chan> "Well... we probably will need another live feeding in a day or two, anyway," Rei admits with a sigh.
[19:23] <Anastasia> "We were thinking of tomorrow evening," Cyprine nods. "Until then?"
[19:23] * Rei-chan nods, standing up to see the twins off, "Until then. Thanks for everything," she bows.
[19:24] <Anastasia> Smiling at Rei, "I think we're finally getting someone," Ptilol says as the two vanish away.
[19:24] <Anastasia> *Somwhere
[19:25] <Anastasia> *Somewhere. I suck.
[19:25] * Usagi-chan still looks thoughtful as the Twins disappear. "Energy and blood..."
[19:25] <Rei-chan> "Well," Rei gives Usagi a small smile, "If we get bottled blood and take a little energy from healthy people, we could manage. I doubt we'd need nearly as much energy as Alan and Ann were taking for their tree, so it shouldn't be much of a risk."
[19:27] * Usagi-chan nods. "It might just work... I know I can drain energy, I did it a couple of times with cardians. I don't expect people would be a lot different."
[19:28] <Rei-chan> "I..." Rei frowns, "I could do it, that time," her demeanour and phrasing leaves no doubt as to which time she refers. "It's not a skill I've ever attempted to relearn, though..."
[19:30] * Usagi-chan nods, giving Rei a sympathetic look. "I can probably manage that part of it for both of us if I have to. Don't worry about it yourself."
[19:31] <Rei-chan> "Thanks," Rei gives the blonde a grateful look, "It's not something I really understand how I did, so figuring it out wouldn't be easy."
[19:33] * Usagi-chan takes a deep breath. "If this works... maybe we CAN live without being a risk to anyone." She gives Rei a hopeful look. "It's not what I would have picked to do with my life, but if we can manage that... I'm willing to give it a try."
[19:33] <Anastasia> ---
[19:33] <Anastasia> Later that afternoon.
[19:34] <Anastasia> The two work away on the Moon some more, Luna having dashed off to do her biological imperitive. As you scrub an old floor, both of you begin to distantly smell food...
[19:35] * Usagi-chan looks up at Rei. "Do you smell that?"
[19:35] <Rei-chan> Rei's nose twitches. "We have visitors," she observes, using her supernatural senses rather than her sense of smell to determine their location and identity.
[19:36] <Anastasia> Rei - A bit away, you sense two humans, perfectly normal...and something else. Another vampire?
[19:36] <Rei-chan> "Very, very odd... Two humans and a vampire," Rei stands up, "I don't recognise any of them."
[19:37] * Usagi-chan nods, getting to her feet. "Come on, let's go check it out."
[19:37] * Rei-chan nods, starting off at a rapid clip towards their 'guests'.
[19:39] <Anastasia> As you approach, the smell of food rattles your stomachs just a bit, even though you've fed recently. They are just outside, in a just starting to bloom Lunar Garden. Two women, looking to be about 25 and dressed in housewife clothes, like back to back and unconcious, their necks bare and clean. Above them on a ruined fountain sits a tall man with strikingly curly and long white hair, dressed in a fine black suit.
[19:40] * Usagi-chan frowns at the sight, getting a better sense of the man - vampire? - with her aura sight.
[19:40] <Rei-chan> "Who are you?" Rei asks without preamble, her stance assertive.
[19:40] <Anastasia> His face is of a vicious smile as he greets you. He bows his head to you as you enter. "I bring food, ladies of the Dawn." He is indeed a vampire, his bloody aura fairly strong.
[19:42] * Usagi-chan scowls. "We're not interested," she replies, despite the grumbling of her stomach.
[19:43] <Rei-chan> "We have our own ways of acquirring 'food'," Rei adds, "Now answer me, who are you and how did you get here?"
[19:45] <Anastasia> "I am Berselius," he stands, well over seven feet tall and imposing. "Lord of Greece, ruler of the night and one of the Two Thousand-Four." With that, he drops to a knee in a shocking gesture of humility. "Ladies, I have brought you food as you desire." He looks up slightly, red eyes disturbing.
[19:45] <Rei-chan> "And how do you know of us, or how to get here?" Rei asks, her eyes narrowing, "Very few know of this place."
[19:48] <Anastasia> "We are ancient and eternal. No secret is unknown to us," he smiles back at you, raising his head even further. No comfort is in that smile, only a coldness reaching back farther into time than you care to reckon.
[19:50] * Usagi-chan crosses her arms, frowning at the man. "As far as I'm concerned, you're trespassing in my kingdom. I don't care how you got here, but you can go now."
[19:51] <Anastasia> "As you wish," he stands, his figure somehow blotting out the blue Earth behind him. "I am honored to be the first one of us to see the beginning of our Golden Kingdom...my Queen." With that and a burst of energy, the man vanishes, leaving two tasty treats behind.
[19:52] * Prince_Herb is now known as Princess_Herb
[19:52] <Rei-chan> "Well, that explains a bit about the Golden Dawn," Rei notes sourly. "Two thousand-four, though? Is that how many vampires there are, or how many lords like him?"
[19:53] * Usagi-chan shakes her head. "I have no idea, but we should do something about them." She points to the two unconscious women, resisting the urge to go and feed on them immediately if not sooner.
[19:55] <Rei-chan> "They're probably from Greece," Rei says, "But I'd rather not have them up here any longer than necessary - the smell is too damn distracting."
[19:58] * Usagi-chan nods, licking her lips. "I know... I just don't know where I should take them..." Usagi shakes her head.
[20:00] <Rei-chan> "Well, Greece isn't that big a country. Just drop them off somewhere near a police station or something and they can contact their families to get home?" Rei suggests.
[20:01] * Usagi-chan nods, steeling herself as she approaches the two women to teleport them back to the Earth. And hopefully somewhere close to their homes.
[20:01] <Anastasia> OOC - Usagi, Soul Check. No mods.
[20:02] <Usagi-chan> roll 2d6
[20:02] * Musk-bot --> "Usagi-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 6."
[20:02] <Anastasia> Repressing her animal urges, Usagi does so and returns to the Moon in short order, the teleport going without incident.
[20:04] * Usagi-chan returns, looking a bit pale. "God, that made me hungry. Is there any of that blood left over from this morning?" she asks upon her return.
[20:05] <Rei-chan> "Yeah," Rei nods, we still have a couple of bottles left. She sighs as she leads Usagi back the way they came, "This sure isn't what I expected for our Kingdom, I have to say."
[20:05] * Usagi-chan nods, a sour expression on her face.
[20:10] <Anastasia> ---

[Halbarad]

[09:25] <Ana-games> ---
[09:25] <Ana-games> That night...Again Rei dreams of Cain's prophecy, this time twice and without any new information or illumination from it. Though, when you both wake up...you're hungry.
[09:26] * Usagi-chan awakens to the growling of her own stomach, a very unhappy look plastered on her face. "Already?"
[09:27] <Rei-chan> "It has been a few days," Rei remarks, stretching langruously across the bed. "We're due for another live feeding today anyway. I think we can manage a few more hours."
[09:28] * Usagi-chan nods, still looking a bit disappointed. "I wonder who it will be this time," she thinks aloud, resolving to be more careful this time.
[09:29] <Rei-chan> "We'll find out soon enough," Rei shrugs, getting up and going to get herself cleaned up and dressed to face the new day. "I just hope our only visitors today are people we know."
[09:30] * Usagi-chan nods. "Me too... I just hope we don't see any more vampires up here at all. At least besides us." That elicits a quirky smile from the blonde.
[09:31] <Rei-chan> "We're not the same as regular vampires after all," Rei frowns a bit, "Although we're still close enough by any standard."
[09:32] <Usagi-chan> "Closer than I want to be, that's for sure." Usagi rises from the bed, heading over to get herself ready for the day.
[09:34] <Anastasia> The morning passes by, your hunger strong but manageable until the Twins arrive just past one. They come not with blood, but with an invitation. "Professor Tomoe is ready for you two," Ptilol starts, while Cyprine is solemn. "Usagi, Rei. Have you two fed on Earth in the past few days?"
[09:35] <Rei-chan> "Not us, no," Rei shakes her head.
[09:35] * Usagi-chan shakes her head. "We've done okay since Eudial and Tellu came."
[09:36] <Anastasia> "There have been a few reported incidents of a new Juuban sickness," Ptilol goes on. "Neck biting, near death or death to a single person or a small group."
[09:38] * Usagi-chan scowls. "Just great... if it's not us, it's someone else."
[09:38] <Rei-chan> "Well, we definitely know there are other vampires all around the world," Rei notes sourly, "We recieved a visit from the Night Lord of Greece or whatever he was calling himself yesterday."
[09:39] <Anastasia> That gets an eyebrow raised from Cyprine. "More vampires, capable of coming up here? We should consider doing something about that, sister."
[09:39] * Usagi-chan sighs. "He even brought us a 'snack', although I took them back to Greece without hurting them."
[09:40] * Merc[sleep] is now known as Makoto
[09:41] <Rei-chan> "If you guys find any vampires, tell us," Rei asks, "We can fight them without as much risk, and..." she shrugs, "It lets us continue to protect people and actually be useful."
[09:41] * Usagi-chan nods in agreement.
[09:42] <Anastasia> They both nod. "We will...if we don't have a chance to destroy them first," Cyprine says with a touch of annoyance. "We both owe them for all the trouble they've caused."
[09:42] <Rei-chan> "Just don't end up like I did," Rei says warningly.
[09:45] <Anastasia> "We won't," Ptilol smiles fiercly. Nodding, Cyprine goes on. "Anyway, the Professor is ready for you - we can talk about this more after the scan and your meal."
[09:46] <Rei-chan> "Alright, let's go," Rei stands close to Usagi for her to teleport them down.
[09:46] <Anastasia> With that, the Twins vanish, leaving Usagi to teleport herself and Rei down.
[09:46] * Usagi-chan nods. "All right, we'll meet you down in the lab." Usagi closes her eyes, and moments later the two vampires appear in Professor Tomoe's lab at Mugen Gakuen.
[09:48] <Anastasia> A more discreet barrier field is up this time, greenish with a slight distortion of the area between Professor Tomoe and the twins. On your side, amid tons of sanning machinery, is Viluy. Wearing a neckless short sleeved shirt, her purpose is clear. "Welcome. I assume Cyprine and Ptilol told you what I have in mind here?"
[09:49] <Anastasia> Professor Tomoe states from behind a mess of control panels and computers.
[09:49] <Rei-chan> "We're going to feed and you're going to scan the energy flows?" Rei guesses, taking note of the fact that there are two vampires and only one Viluy.
[09:50] * Usagi-chan nods, trying NOT to lick her lips at the scent coming from Viluy. "Who's going to be the one to feed on her?
[09:50] <Usagi-chan> "
[09:50] <Rei-chan> "You look hungrier than me, and I know teleporting doesn't make it easier," Rei demurs, stepping aside. She looks a bit twitchy, though.
[09:51] <Usagi-chan> "I... are you sure?" Usagi asks, too hungry to defer the chance to feed.
[09:52] <Anastasia> Viluy watches on as the two vampires argue about whose meal she is, waiting with no hint of nervousness.
[09:53] <Rei-chan> "Just go ahead," Rei says, stepping back so she doesn't get overly tempted.
[09:54] * Usagi-chan notes the cut of Viluy's blouse. "Does it matter whether I take from the wrist or the neck?" she asks the Professor, her gaze never leaving the newest senshi.
[09:54] <Anastasia> "The neck, if you please. We're prepared to treat her afterwards," Professor Tomoe says. "I want as accurate a scan as possible."
[09:55] * Usagi-chan nods, giving Viluy an apologetic look as she moves in. "I'm really sorry about this, Viluy..." With that apology, she lowers her head to Viluy's neck and begins to feed - as carefully as she can.
[09:56] <Anastasia> "It's..." she begins, then pauses as Usagi begins her meal. Estascy rushes in as you drink - how did you ever miss the raw pleasure this girl could give you before, or any of the other humans?
[09:56] * Rei-chan keeps her attention on Viluy, but tries to ignore her hunger, instead watching her lifesigns and preparing herself to yank Usagi off if the blonde gets too... exuberant.
[09:58] * Usagi-chan tries to keep her head even through the pleasure that simply comes from feeding, trying to gauge how much she's taken from the silver-haired girl.
[09:58] <Anastasia> (OOC - Soul check +1, Usagi-chan.)
[09:59] <Usagi-chan> roll 2d6+1
[09:59] * Musk-bot --> "Usagi-chan rolls 2d6+1 and gets 8."
[10:00] <Anastasia> Resisting the primal urges roaring in your cursed body, you continue to monitor as the girl weakens, Viluy starting to go limp in your grasp.
[10:01] * Usagi-chan moves away just as Viluy actually loses consciousness, almost automatically moving to heal the puncture wounds in her neck.
[10:02] <Anastasia> The girl staggers into your arms, drained by your needed meal.
[10:03] * Usagi-chan wilts a bit at the sight of Viluy's condition, holding her carefully to keep her from falling out of her chair.
[10:04] <Anastasia> As you do so, the twins blink over, taking the girl quickly and teleporting away. "We'll take care of her, Usagi," Ptilol promises as they vanish. "We have something set up."
[10:05] * Usagi-chan nods, unable to keep a frown from her face. At least she isn't so hungry anymore...
[10:05] * Rei-chan still looks a bit twitchy. "Did you get all the readings you needed?" she asks the Professor.
[10:06] <Anastasia> "Okay, we got the readings," PRofessor Tomoe says. As he says that, someone quietly steps out from behind a bit of machinery in corner side of your room - Hotaru. "Rei-chan," she asks quietly, purple eyes wide and staringa t Usagi's blood stained lips.
[10:07] * Rei-chan looks at Hotaru in horror. "Hotaru-chan..." she whispers, before turning a hurt look at the Professor, "You let her watch that?"
[10:07] * Usagi-chan licks her lips quickly, staring in horror at Hotaru. "Hotaru-chan..."
[10:07] <Anastasia> Grimacing and grunting audibly, Professor Tomoe speaks harshly to Hotaru. "What are you doing here, Hotaru? I told you that you shouldn't see Rei right now?"
[10:09] <Anastasia> "I wanted to see Rei-chan," the tasty smelling girl replies - if anything, her smell is exotic and tempting to a high degree, as she steps to Rei. "What happened, Rei-chan...?"
[10:10] * Rei-chan looks down, ashamed, "I didn't want you to see me like this, Hotaru-chan. I'm not the same as I was before..." she backpedals away from the frail girl a bit. "You should stay away from me."
[10:11] * Usagi-chan shakes her head quickly, knowing what Rei must be feeling with Hotaru so close. "Hotaru-chan, go... go back over to where your dad is, okay? It's not safe in here with us."
[10:11] <Anastasia> She approaches, starting to run a bit as she tries to catch up to you. "Rei-chan! I don't...why did you..." she winces as she runs in and hugs you, her smell torture on your stomach. (Soul check, -2 bonus)
[10:11] <Rei-chan> roll 2d6-2
[10:11] * Musk-bot --> "Rei-chan rolls 2d6-2 and gets 10."
[10:11] <Rei-chan> do-over!
[10:11] <Rei-chan> roll 2d6-2
[10:11] * Musk-bot --> "Rei-chan rolls 2d6-2 and gets 6."
[10:14] * Rei-chan gently pushes Hotaru away. "I'm sorry, imouto-chan," she says sadly, doing her best to give no visible sign of her discomfort, which would only further upset the young girl, "I'm not safe to be around any more."
[10:14] * Usagi-chan heads over to Hotaru, gently holding her away from Rei. "I'm sorry, Hotaru-chan."
[10:14] <Anastasia> She whimpers a bit at that, staring at you with watery eyes, ignoring the shouted commands of her father. "Rei-chan, I don't want you to go away..."
[10:15] <Rei-chan> "Please, Hotaru-chan," Rei winces slightly at her stomach protesting, "You have to. I don't want to ever hurt you."
[10:19] * C-Rat is now known as Ruby
[10:20] <Anastasia> "Rei-chan...but...Not like Mommy," she wails, Professor Tomoe wincing at that visibly.
[10:21] * Usagi-chan closes her eyes, maintaining her grip on the young girl's shoulders.
[10:21] * Rei-chan hangs her head. "Everyone's trying hard to find a way so I don't have to go away, Hotaru-chan, it's not over yet," she gives a thin-lipped smile, trying to hide her elongated fangs, "But until we have a solution you need to stay away from me."
[10:24] <Anastasia> Twisting futelily in Usagi's grasp, the girl cries. "I don't want to lose you, sister," she says. "Can't I come with you?"
[10:25] <Rei-chan> "No!" Rei shakes her head fervently, "I don't ever want to see you end up the same way I have."
[10:29] <Anastasia> She reaches forward again, but Usagi merely holds her. "Rei-chan...I..."
[10:30] <Anastasia> As this goes, the twins reappear, grabbing the girl most firmly and teleporting her away to her father. "We should have sensed her," Ptilol says to the man, rather annoyed with herself.
[10:31] * Rei-chan gives the twins a grateful look as she turns to Hotaru's new location. "Please understand, Hotaru-chan, I still care about you. That's why you have to stay away until I'm safe to be around."
[10:32] * Usagi-chan nods sadly.
[10:33] <Anastasia> Whispering a word himself as he reaches out to Hotaru, the girl falls into his arms asleep. He pats her a moment, then turns to the two vampires. "I'll send the twins up with some more...food in a little bit. Could you go back now? I have work to do."
[10:34] * Usagi-chan nods, quickly moving over next to Rei and teleporting away.
[09:40] <Anastasia> ---
[09:41] <Anastasia> It's been a bad week for Ami. Amid a flurry of busy work and exhaustion, the news about Usagi and Rei's new condition has come to you from Professor Tomoe. The two girls live on the Moon right now, unable to subsist amoung humans.
[09:42] <Anastasia> Walking home just past nightfall, you have plenty of time to ponder this turn of events...at least Artemis and a warm dinner are waiting for you at home.
[09:44] <Anastasia> As you walk down a quiet residental street towards home, you notice it's quiet...save for a single, strappingly tall man with white, long hair and wearing a charcoal western suit, striding right at you. His red eyed gaze is fixed on your face, something really rather...disconcerting about it.
[09:49] * Ami-chan steps to the side, prepares to walk around the man, while keeping him in her vision, but not taking her eyes off him, and trying not to give away her reaction to the slightly disturbing gaze.
[09:50] <Anastasia> He keeps his eyes on you, grinning with sinister intent. He changes his walk to still be in a collision path with you as his eyes burn, your head spinning. "Miss, you are lovely..." his melodic voice says. (OOC - Soul check, Ami.)
[09:51] <Ami-chan> roll 2d6
[09:51] * Hatbot --> "Ami-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 6."
[09:53] <Anastasia> You feel a cloud passing over your mind, but a quick burst of mental concentration breaks it as he gets close. "Such a lovely creature," he smiles, long fangs in his white set of teeth. "You will serve me excellently."
[09:54] * Ami-chan recoils in alarm, and begins backing away. "I'm afraid my alliegance belongs to someone else." She stammers, having no illusions his intent after the news of Usagi and Rei's condition, bracing herself for an attack.
[09:55] <Anastasia> OOC - Initiative from here on out, I suppose. He's not here to play nice.
[09:55] <Anastasia> roll 1d6
[09:55] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 3."
[09:56] <Ami-chan> roll 1d6+11
[09:56] * Hatbot --> "Ami-chan rolls 1d6+11 and gets 13."
[09:59] <Anastasia> Moving effortlessly in the night, the stranger darts at you, hand extended to grab you by your uniform top!
[09:59] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[09:59] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 8."
[09:59] <Ami-chan> roll 2d6
[09:59] * Hatbot --> "Ami-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 12."
[10:01] <Anastasia> Rushing forward and making the grab with speed unbecoming of a lifeform, you are taken as he runs and slammed into the wall on the end of the sidewalk, still in grasp! (22 damage, and you're badly winded.)
[10:01] <Anastasia> Smiling as his face is merely an inch or two from yours, "You will make an excellent choice, indeed."
[10:07] <Ami-chan> Panic and primal fear surge through Ami's body, and she struggles to take in breath, and keep the terrifying face away from her own.
[10:08] <Anastasia> OOC - Initiative. -1 penalty due to being winded, Ami. We'll resolve it this way.
[10:09] <Anastasia> roll 1d6
[10:09] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 6."
[10:10] <Ami-chan> roll 1d6+11
[10:10] * Hatbot --> "Ami-chan rolls 1d6+11 and gets 15."
[10:12] <Anastasia> "Just rest now...soon it will be done," the man promises, as he leans into your neck and you feel twin puncture pains and a growing feeling of lightheadness...
[10:15] <Ami-chan> 'No!' Ami thinks, panicking and grabbing hold of her assailant, and desperately reaching for her affinity with ice, panic overriding her restraint as she attempt to freeze solid the moisture in her attacker's body...
[10:16] <Ami-chan> roll 2d6
[10:16] * Hatbot --> "Ami-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 10."
[10:18] <Anastasia> Despite your last ditch burst, you can't seem to focus enough as your sight goes dim and your senses dull. It's..just like...falling...asleep...
[10:18] <Anastasia> Ami feels herself falling away, gently into the night...until a warmth comes into her mouth, a delicious liquid that seems to restir your senses.
[10:19] <Anastasia> ---
[10:19] <Anastasia> Meanwhile...
[10:19] * C-Rat is now known as Ruby
[10:21] <Anastasia> It's an interesting trip to Japan so far. With a strange spike in vampire sightings and activity over the past month here, investigating was a slam dunk matter. You've dealt with three underlings in the past 2 days, with signs that really rather big target is about.
[10:22] <Anastasia> Just past nightfall, you head on a tip to a residental area, where you find what you want - a vampire and a young, blue haired girl, the vampire's open wrist spilling blood into the girl's mouth. Maybe if you had been a minute earlier this girl wouldn't be infected now, but it's too late to stop. The attacker, however...you can just tell he's a strong one. About seven feet tall and with distinctive white, long curly hair...
[10:23] <Anastasia> His voice filters over to you. "You willm ake an excellent hand maiden to our Queen....your magic and your beauty will serve us well..."
[10:24] <Ruby> Ruby chokes down familiar feelings of sorrow, focusing only on the job to be done at hand. Withdrawing a small, wooden spike from his pocket, he mutters a small prayer to Selene, before hurling it as hard as he can towards the vampires black heart..
[10:25] <Ruby> roll 2d6
[10:25] * Hatbot --> "Ruby rolls 2d6 and gets 8."
[10:25] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[10:25] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 2."
[10:27] <Anastasia> Turning as it comes and holding his spawn in his arms, he merely deflects the stake with a gaze, the wooden tool bursting into flames and falling apart. "A hunter," he says, darkly amused. "The one who has been making a pest of himself, no less?"
[10:29] <Ruby> Ruby's hands flitter about his loose jacket as words tumble from his lips; "Not well enough, it seems," he replies, darkly. "But have no fear, darkling. Many more pests will soon spill over into this country. Luckily, their eyes will not have need to see your wretched face."
[10:31] <Anastasia> "How many times have I heard this spiel in my long life? A hundred? A thousand?" he mocks dryly. "I have far more interesting matters to deal with, hunter - leave now and you shall keep your soul. Or dare you challenge Berselius?"
[10:33] <Ruby> "As a hundred hunters have died before me, fail not their memories now," chants Ruby, producing a small, brightly shining sign. "Cower, darkling spawn! May your ancient soul at least taste holiness once before it is to perish!"
[10:34] <Ruby> roll 2d6
[10:34] * Hatbot --> "Ruby rolls 2d6 and gets 7."
[10:35] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[10:35] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 10."
[10:36] <Anastasia> He staggers back a bit, blinking as if a strong light was shoved into his face. "Impudent..." OOC - Initiative.
[10:36] <Anastasia> roll 1d6
[10:36] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 3."
[10:37] <Ruby> : 1d6+13, 1 , Total: 14
[10:37] <Ruby> roll 1d6+13
[10:37] * Hatbot --> "Ruby rolls 1d6+13 and gets 14."
[10:39] <Ruby> "Now, fiend, perish!" cries Ruby, withdrawing another stake from his jacket and slinging it at the vampires chest.
[10:39] <Ruby> roll 2d6
[10:39] * Hatbot --> "Ruby rolls 2d6 and gets 8."
[10:39] <Anastasia> roll 2d6
[10:39] * Hatbot --> "Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 8."
[10:40] <Anastasia> Still just a bit taken off guard by the flash, his hold on the girl buckles a bit up. This causes the stake to impact on the new vampire's leg instead of at his foul chest!
[10:42] <Anastasia> The girl twitches a bit, but remains still as Berselius growls. "Enough! I have not time for you when my Queen awaits her first hand maiden," he looks right at you. "We shall settle this soon, hunter. Enjoy your last day on Earth!" With that and a slight distortion, the vampire is gone. Teleportation? That's an extremely powerful and rare ability, used on ly by the strongest of the vampires...
[10:43] <Ruby> "Grant me sight, Selene, to percieve mine foe.." mutters Ruby, drawing a long, thin blade from his waist and glancing around, down, and up for a trace of the black-hearted fiend..
[10:44] <Anastasia> The spell wraps around your eyes, allowing your to see even the tinest foul darkness...yet he is clearly gone, only the traces of his besotten aura left.
[10:46] <Ruby> Ruby glances towards the moon, angrily. "Why, Selene? Why were such creatures placed on this Earth?" he mutters, replacing his blade and moving to collect his stake. "Nonetheless, it is clear that I am almost helpless alone.."
[10:47] <Anastasia> As you stare at the Moon, you notice it's strangely red tinted tonight, and almost creepy. Odd, that.
[10:48] * Ruby spits, cursing the ground the vampire committed his foul deed on. Slaying is common to all beasts, but this terrible transformation is a sin beyond compare..
[10:44] <Anastasia> ---
[10:44] <Anastasia> That night...
[10:45] <Anastasia> As you prepare for bed, your senses pick up an arrival in the garden again. Two vampires this time, no humans.
[10:45] <Anastasia> The Twins came by with blood and snack for Rei (A bit from Ptilol), so at least that's not a huge issue.
[10:45] * Usagi-chan sighs. "Not again..." Usagi struggles out of bed. "Two vampires this time... at least they don't have any people."
[10:56] <Rei-chan> "Lets go see what our 'subjects' want," Rei says sourly, halting in her undressing and quickly putting her clothes back on.
[10:58] * Usagi-chan nods, redressing herself and following Rei out of the bedroom.
[10:58] <Anastasia> Heading out to the garden, you find Berselius sitting on the edge of the crumbled fountain, a girl vampire lying in his lap, unconcious...one Ami Mizuno, blood drying on her now cursed lips. "I bring you a hand maiden, my Queen," he smiles darkly at the both of you, looking down at the poor girl he holds.
[10:59] <Rei-chan> "Ami!" Rei cries in alarm, ignoring the vampire and running to the... new vampire...
[10:59] <Usagi-chan> "Oh my god, Ami-chan!" Usagi rushes to her friend's side, checking her over rapidly.
[11:00] <Anastasia> Her body is sound, her spirit drenched in the same blood aura as you and any other vampire would have. Berselius simply smiles sinisterly and watches, patting the girl's head.
[11:00] * Usagi-chan gathers the unconscious senshi in her arms, hugging her tightly. "Not you too, Ami-chan..."
[11:01] <Rei-chan> "You..." Rei starts breathing heavily as she straightens, glaring hatefully at the vampire lord.
[11:01] <Anastasia> With an insultingly innocent smile, "Is there something amiss with my offering?" he asks of Rei.
[11:03] * Usagi-chan simply holds onto her now-cursed friend, crying softly.
[11:03] <Rei-chan> "We don't want any of your offerings," Rei spits, "But this... she's our friend, and you've cursed her to the same vile existence we share."
[11:04] <Anastasia> "No," he says, smugly. "I have raised her above the petty livestock of Earth to share in the rule of the Gods...and perhaps..." he says as his body vanishes, "Your blood would complete her as it did the other?"
[11:05] <Rei-chan> "Don't ever return if you wish to continue your wretched unlife!" Rei snarls as he vanishes, turning back to Ami as her expression slowly shifts to regret and sadness. "Oh, Ami-chan..."
[11:06] * Usagi-chan studies Ami's aura a bit closer at the vampire lord's words, wondering how she's 'incomplete'.
[11:06] <Anastasia> USagi - Soul check, +1.
[11:07] <Usagi-chan> roll 2d6+1
[11:07] * Musk-bot --> "Usagi-chan rolls 2d6+1 and gets 13."
[11:10] <Anastasia> You can't quite seem to make it out on first inspection.
[11:10] * Usagi-chan frowns, narrowing her eyes as she tries to make sense of the swirling energies in Ami's new aura.
[11:10] <Usagi-chan> roll 2d6+1
[11:10] * Hatbot --> "Usagi-chan rolls 2d6+1 and gets 7."
[11:10] <Anastasia> There is a demonic seed in her aura, but it's just starting to blossom, weak and tiny right now.
[11:12] * Usagi-chan scowls fiercely, pulling out the Grail and changing to Serenity almost immediately. "He's put the dark part into her already... I don't think I can change her from being the way we are, but I think I can keep her from being evil at least."
[11:12] * Usagi-chan is now known as Serenity
[11:12] <Anastasia> As Serenity appears, her cresent Moon is blood red, glimmering wetly in the light.
[11:14] * Rei-chan nods, dimly wondering if her own vampiric blood could do anything for Ami if the Grail fails, or if it would only make things worse... it would seem to be playing into the other vampire's plans, after all...
[11:15] * Serenity closes her eyes, concentrating on the purifying power of the Grail in her hands. Working carefully, she attempts to guide its power into snuffing out the seed of evil inside the blue-haired senshi without trying to separate out the vampiric taint that affects Rei's and her own auras.
[11:16] <Anastasia> OOC - Soul check, most bloodthirsty one.
[11:16] <Serenity> roll 2d6
[11:16] * Hatbot --> "Serenity rolls 2d6 and gets 10."
[11:17] <Anastasia> Red and white energy pours out from the Grail, flowing into Ami! Her body jerks as there is a battle in there, but the still immature demonic seed cannot resist, being cleared away...
[11:18] * Serenity lets the power fade away almost immediately, remembering the pain the Grail's power caused her earlier.
[11:18] <Anastasia> The girl's blood red eyes open wide, a odd scream escaping her lips before she goes limp, moaning and blinking awake.
[11:18] <Anastasia> ---
[11:20] <Anastasia> The delicious liquid...it warms you and mends your body, then you fall blissfully asleep again. Pure blackness without any dreams, broken by something entering your being - another warm light, removing something vile as energy rises in you, and a fierce hunger for what you had before, to taste it again...
[11:22] <Rei-chan> "How do you feel, Ami-chan? Do you remember what happened?" Rei asks, hovering over the blue-haired girl as she awakens.
[11:23] * Serenity sits back on her heels, looking at Ami as she puts the Grail away.
[11:24] * Ami-chan opens her eyes, looking blankly at Rei. "Rei-chan? What..." she pauses as she feels an entirely alien need welling up inside her, alongside a residual panic. "Where is he...W-Why..." She stumbles, disoriented.
[11:25] <Rei-chan> "You were attacked by a vampire," Rei sighs. "You're like us, now."
[11:25] * Ami-chan begins to shake. "I-I couldn't get away..."
[11:26] * Serenity nods sadly. "I managed to get the evil part of it out of you, but... you're going to be like we are now," she says resignedly.
[11:27] * Rei-chan puts a reassuring hand on the neo-vampire's shoulder. "Believe me, I understand. Fighting a vampire is anything but easy."
[11:28] * Ami-chan nods, and forcibily brings herself back under control, trying to reign in dozens of dizzying sensations. "...Are...Are either of you wearing perfume?" She asks suddenly.
[11:28] * Serenity shakes her head. "No."
[11:28] <Rei-chan> "No," Rei blinks.
[11:30] <Ami-chan> Ami shakes her head, as though to clear it. "You...both of you smell...good." She blurts, puzzled, then realizes what she's said, blushing. "I mean..." she pauses, waving her arms helplessly. "I..."
[11:32] <Ami-chan> She sighs, examining herself and slumping a little. "I really am a vampire..." she murmurs softly.
[11:32] <Serenity> "WE smell good?" Usagi exchanges a glance with Rei. "I know regular people smell wonderful, but we... Rei doesn't smell like that."
[11:33] <Rei-chan> "Are you sure we smell good like food? Not just good like... nice? Luna smells a lot nicer now, but not like food."
[11:34] * Ami-chan looks up and shakes her head. "Not like food." She corrects. "Just...good." She flushes.
[11:35] * Serenity sniffs at Rei a bit, wondering if she can make out what Ami is talking about.
[11:35] <Rei-chan> "We do seem to have a much stronger sense of smell, now," Rei shrugs, wrinkling her nose.
[11:36] * Serenity shrugs. "I don't smell anything different about Rei... are you sure?"
[11:38] * Ami-chan squirms a bit, unable to explain. "Yes." she nods. "It..." she sighs, looking at her hands, folded in her lap. "...I can't explain it, but you both smell appealing. Almost like...pheromones, or the like."
[11:40] <Serenity> "Like what?" Usagi gives the blue-haired genius a blank look.
[11:41] <Rei-chan> "Well... with everything else that's changed, it's really just a drop in the ocean," Rei sighs. "I guess I better tell the guys down at Mugen to bring extra blood up tomorrow."
[11:42] * Serenity nods to Rei, suppressing a sigh. "Probably a good idea. I hope the Professor's research works out."
[11:42] * Ami-chan smiles, happy to find something familiar to hang on to. "Animals emit certain smells, though chemicals on their skin...Usually to attract a mate by the nose." She explains to Usagi. "I don't know if that's what it is.."
[11:42] * Ami-chan sighs. "So much for helping him finish..."
[11:43] * Serenity gives Ami a hug. "We'll work it out together, Ami-chan. Somehow."
[11:44] <Rei-chan> Seeing as Ami is busy in 'sensei-mode' explaining her scientific terminology to Usagi, Rei sits down and focuses herself, projecting her astral form to Mugen Gakuen.
[11:44] * Ami-chan smiles weakly at Usagi and returns the hug, without much spirit. "I hope so..." she replies wearily.
[11:49] * Serenity separates from the genius, giving her a sad smile. "With so many people working on it, I'm sure we'll come up with something before long." She speaks with more confidence than she herself feels.
[11:50] * Anastasia is now known as Ana-away
[11:51] * Ami-chan nods and smiles. "Mm. But...Usagi-chan...the problem is more about what we can do about Earth...if more people are attacked like I was..." She began to shake again, controlling it only by force of will.
[11:52] <Serenity> "I know," Usagi says, wilting slightly. "I don't know what to do about that, other than killing the vampires that are doing it."
[11:53] * Ami-chan closes her eyes, trying to banish the echoes of the helpless terror she'd felt. "I tried to kill him." She confesses. "I wasn't fast enough...but...I meant to."
[11:54] <Serenity> "I know you did, Ami-chan." She takes Ami's hand gently, giving it a soft squeeze. "We'll take care of him together the next time he shows up."
[11:55] * Ami-chan nods shakily. "I don't think there's going to be a safe way to end this." she replies bleakly, clutching Usagi's hand and regaining her self control.
[11:59] * Serenity puts her other hand on top of Ami's. "Maybe not, but at least we can put an end to it together," she says with a smile. "Just like old times, right?"
[12:00] <Rei-chan> With a sharp breath, Rei returns to her body, opening her crimson eyes and blinking a few times. "We'll get more blood for you tomorrow, Ami. Think you can last that long?"
[12:01] * Ami-chan nods slowly, cringing at the thought, but her body rebelling and almost lusting at the idea. She nods slowly to both. "Thank you...both of you." She says, smiling wanly.
[12:02] <Rei-chan> "You don't have to thank us, Ami-chan," Rei looks away, ashamed, "If it weren't for me this probably would never have happened to you."
[12:03] * Serenity nods sadly, giving Ami an apologetic look.
[12:05] * Ami-chan blink-blinks, then smiles faintly. "I heard the story, Rei-chan. It didn't sound to me like you chose this. You have nothing to be ashamed of." Ami answers, finally feeling sure of something. "I didn't wish for this, but I'm not going to blame you for it."
[12:06] <Rei-chan> "No, I'd have chosen anything before this," Rei agrees. "I still wish it hadn't happened, but wishing doesn't solve anything."
[12:07] <Ami-chan> "Neither does feeling poorly about something you couldn't prevent." Ami observes gently. "We'll survive, and get through this, like Usagi says."
[12:08] * Rei-chan smiles slightly. "Surviving is something I have a knack for, at least."
[12:09] * Serenity grins a little at that. "I'm going to make sure you KEEP that knack too, Pyro." Usagi relaxes a bit as she falls back into old patterns.
[12:10] * Ami-chan smiles, a bit more genuinely now, as Usagi and Rei's mood lightens somewhat, and watches the pair. "It is a useful ability." She agrees.
[12:11] <Rei-chan> "Well, at least if this energy thing works out things won't be so bad for us," Rei admits. "I'm just worrying about the other vampires - for all that Bersellius claimed to be our subject, he didn't seem all that bothered by our disapproval."
[12:12] <Ami-chan> "The one who bit me?" Ami asks, stilling her expression to stifle the unwelcome burst of fear.
[12:12] <Serenity> "That's for sure. He almost seemed like he was laughing at us." Usagi frowns at the thought.
[12:13] <Rei-chan> "Yeah, Dark Lord of Greece or whatever he called himself. He brought you up to be our 'handmaiden'," Rei says distastefully. "I warned the Professor to have everyone be really careful from now on in case he goes after anyone else."
[12:15] * Serenity sighs, nodding. "It was bad enough just being me and Rei-chan... now we have you up here too, Ami-chan. Not that I don't like having you here, but not for what it cost you."
[12:16] <Rei-chan> "The hunger is the worst part, but there's all sorts of inconvieniences to being a vampire," Rei nods. "And red just really doesn't work for your eyes, Ami-chan."
[12:16] <Ami-chan> "He singled me out." Ami remembers, closing her eyes. She opens them and smiles faintly at Usagi. "I understand." She assures Usagi, then blinks at Rei. "Red?"
[12:17] <Rei-chan> "Same as me and Usagi," Rei nods. "All vampires seem to have blood red eyes."
[12:18] * Serenity nods glumly. "I miss Rei's violet eyes... and she's right, red just doesn't work for you at all."
[12:19] * Ami-chan blushes a little. "I guess colored contacts are in all our futures." she murmurs in attempt at levity.
[12:20] * Rei-chan sticks her tongue out playfully, "Not for me. I can't touch my eyes without freaking out."
[12:21] * Ami-chan giggles. "I can understand that. It's why I prefer my glasses." she admits, glancing at Usagi's eyes and finding she too misses the cerulean orbs.
[12:22] <Serenity> "I could do an illusion, but it's hard to hold it in place for long." Usagi says. "With as much as my eyes move around, it'd slip out of place kind of quickly."
[12:23] * Ami-chan smiles. "There IS an alternative, but...I don't think you'd want to hear it..."
[12:23] <Rei-chan> "What would that be?"
[12:23] * Serenity looks at Ami curiously.
[12:24] * Ami-chan shrugs. "Scientific American mentioned an operation that injects colored dye into the iris." She says, making a face at the thought.
[12:25] <Rei-chan> "Gah," Rei shudders, "If I can't touch my eyes no way I'd want a needle in there." She calms down a bit, "Besides, I'm pretty sure the blood would overshadow any dye the same way as it overshadows our natural iris colours."
[12:26] * Serenity grimaces. "I'll pass, thanks. I'd rather do contacts."
[12:26] * Ami-chan nods, sighing. "Too True. Although, it's a relatively minor problem to conquer compared to the current one."
[12:30] <Rei-chan> "Anyway," Rei stifles a yawn, "It's pretty late, and it's been a long day for all of us. Shall we go to bed?"
[12:31] <Serenity> "Sounds like a good idea to me," Usagi agrees.
[12:31] * Ami-chan nods. "Since I'm here, I'll go to my workshop for now." She replies quietly. "I don't think I want to sleep just yet."
[12:32] * Serenity nods, rising to her feet as she returns to her natural form. "Just come get us if you need anything, okay?"
[12:32] * Serenity is now known as Usagi-chan
[12:33] * Ami-chan smiles again, subdued but relaxed. "I will. Thank you."
[12:34] <Rei-chan> "Yeah, even if you just don't want to be alone," Rei agrees kindly, knowing exactly how Ami's thoughts must be running wild with what's been done to her. "Goodnight," she says, starting off towards her and Usagi's bedroom.
[12:35] * Ami-chan nods to her friends, and turns toward her own rooms. "Night..."
[12:35] <Usagi-chan> -----

[Halbarad]

[09:03] <Sailor_Anastasia> ---
[09:03] <Sailor_Anastasia> Later that evening...
[09:04] <Sailor_Anastasia> After running into Berselius and failing to save that poor, now damned forever soul, Ruby heads along back to his hotel room to regroup. But, perhaps by chance and perhaps by destiny, you catch a man in a heavy overcoat and sunglasses heading down an alley. Not that suspicious, except he makes the hairs on the back of your neck rise.
[09:05] * Ruby has long learned to trust his extra senses, glancing towards the man and trying to pick him out as undead or not.
[09:06] <Sailor_Anastasia> OOC - Make a Soul check, Ruby.
[09:06] <Ruby> roll 2d6
[09:06] * Hatbot --> "Ruby rolls 2d6 and gets 8."
[09:08] <Sailor_Anastasia> The aura of blood and death around him is clear to you - that man is a cursed nightwalker.
[09:09] <Sailor_Anastasia> As you see him, he heads into the darkness of the alley, starting to get out of your range of vision and away from the loose crowds of Tokyo's night.
[09:10] * Ruby swiftly drifts towards the vampire, attempting to blend in as best he can with the surroundings. His right hand closes around a stake as he closes distance with the fiend..
[09:12] <Sailor_Anastasia> As you enter the alley between your hotel and a silent, blackened two story business, the vampire goes in a side door, passing into the building quietly.
[09:13] * Ruby pauses before entering the building, calmly extending his formidable senses and attempting to gain an idea of any other creatures who may be inside..
[09:13] <Sailor_Anastasia> OOC - Ruby, make another Soul check at +1 modification.
[09:13] <Ruby> roll 2d6+1
[09:13] * Hatbot --> "Ruby rolls 2d6+1 and gets 9."
[09:14] <Sailor_Anastasia> Inside you feel at least two other vampires, a festering nest of the accursed beings.
[09:15] <Ruby> Disguising his presence as much as he can, Ruby slips into the building, praying to Selene that the vampires he must face tonight are not of similar caliber to Bersileus..
[09:17] <Sailor_Anastasia> The door is unlocked, as expected, a grimy interior hallway leading to a dusty, cracked open door. You can sense three vampires inside...
[09:17] * Ruby creeps towards the door, quietly brushing a lock of red hair out his eyes as he tries to peer into the dark room without being seen..
[09:23] <Sailor_Anastasia> You can just see inside as you move silently(You hope). The vampire you followed in his here, his coat and glasses gone to reveal a young Tokyo teenager. With him is an older man of Western decent, perhaps 40ish with blonde, short hair and a dumpy build. A girl with green hair tied up into two balls that resemble mouse ears in a strange way is on the floor between them, bite marks fresh on her newly changed form and local school un
[09:23] <Sailor_Anastasia> newly changed form and local school uniform. "..will be pleased with her," the older one says. "Perhaps he will even reward us with a droplet of his own blood!"
[09:24] * Ruby continues to listen, mentally pegging the older one as the first target, while the other two should be relatively easy prey. Relatively being the operative word, of course..
[09:25] <Sailor_Anastasia> The younger one nods, drooling a bit - a sign of a very new and very weak willed new vampire. "Oh yes...I'd love that, Master Gleeson," he says, voice needy. "Master Berselius will be back soon, won't he?"
[09:26] <Ruby> Ruby's eyes shoot open in alarm, and he prepares to deal with the three vampires quickly and flee before the lord arrives...
[09:27] <Sailor_Anastasia> "He will...he should be back any moment," the other lips it's pointed teeth.
[09:28] * Ruby kicks forward the door, brandishing his brightly shining holy symbol in one hand and holding a stake in the other. "Nightstalkers! Your master cannot save you now! Repent in your final moments of undeath!"
[09:28] <Ruby> roll 2d6
[09:28] * Hatbot --> "Ruby rolls 2d6 and gets 8."
[09:29] <Sailor_Anastasia> The younger vampire shrieks, holding it's face as the light burns it's eyes. The older staggers back, blinking up upright. "A hunter!" he roars in a dreadful voice, the third one on the floor starting to stir.
[09:30] <Ruby> roll 1d6+13
[09:30] * Hatbot --> "Ruby rolls 1d6+13 and gets 14."
[09:31] <Sailor_Anastasia> roll 1d6
[09:31] * Hatbot --> "Sailor_Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 6."
[09:31] <Sailor_Anastasia> roll 1d6
[09:31] * Hatbot --> "Sailor_Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 6."
[09:31] <Sailor_Anastasia> roll 1d6
[09:31] * Hatbot --> "Sailor_Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 6."
[09:33] * Ruby lunges towards the vampire, brightly glowing stake in hand. "Selene! Use my temper to pierce the blackest of hearts!"
[09:33] <Sailor_Anastasia> "Urgh! I'll feast on your cooling body for that, hunter," the older, dominate vampire declares, rushing forward to introduce a vicious blow to you with Vampiric strength.
[09:33] <Sailor_Anastasia> roll 2d6
[09:33] * Hatbot --> "Sailor_Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 11."
[09:33] <Ruby> roll 2d6
[09:34] * Hatbot --> "Ruby rolls 2d6 and gets 10."
[09:34] <Sailor_Anastasia> roll 2d6
[09:34] * Hatbot --> "Sailor_Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 7."
[09:35] <Sailor_Anastasia> As you sidestep a crushing punch aimed at your throat, you smoothly plunge the stake into it's heart! It cries as it's body turns to fine dust, destroyed!
[09:36] <Sailor_Anastasia> The younger vampire whimpers. "Master! Master Gleeson! Master Berselius, help me," he cries in fear before throwing it's body forward at you, trying to crash tackle Ruby!
[09:36] <Sailor_Anastasia> roll 2d6
[09:36] * Hatbot --> "Sailor_Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 4."
[09:36] <Ruby> roll 2d6
[09:36] * Hatbot --> "Ruby rolls 2d6 and gets 2."
[09:37] <Sailor_Anastasia> Easily stepping away from the clumsy charge, the younger vampire crashes into the wall, stunning itself.
[09:38] <Sailor_Anastasia> Meanwhile, the prone school girl moans, opening her eyes. "What...I feel so...hungry," she smiles, licking her lips.
[09:39] <Ruby> "A pity one so young must be so cursed," intones Ruby, dramatically.
[09:39] <Sailor_Anastasia> As this goes on..."Accursed hunter! You dare to meddle again in my business?" a voice from nowhere and everywere calls, on you've heard before this night. Appearing next to the girl is Berselius, his eyes burning with rage. "I was fond of Gleeson as a servant, and you dare to come and dispatch him! Impudent human!"
[09:40] <Sailor_Anastasia> "Master!" the new vampire cries from his less than favorable position, the older vampire's face sneering. "You failed," he says bluntly, raising his hand to his mouth and biting down, a bit of blood coming from it forming a knife, hurling at the younger vampire and cutting it's head off. It doesn't even manage a scream before it's dead...
[09:41] <Ruby> "Ah, the folly of vampires," whispers Ruby. "Slaying your own when most in need, my lord? Perhaps we should allow you to do our job for us."
[09:42] <Sailor_Anastasia> Turning his full might to you, you can feel the centuries and milleniums of power flowing darkly around this being. "Dare you talk to me," he roars, black strands of evil around him. You feel a welling of terror rise in your body. OOC - Ruby, Soul check, -2 bonus due to being familiar with this attack.
[09:42] <Ruby> roll 2d6-2
[09:42] * Hatbot --> "Ruby rolls 2d6-2 and gets 7."
[09:43] <Sailor_Anastasia> Reflexively shoving down the rush of fear, Ruby stands firm against the vampire lord!
[09:43] <Ruby> "Old dogs never learn new tricks," replies Ruby. "The same assualts against new hunters. How trivial."
[09:43] <Ruby> roll 2d6+13
[09:43] * Hatbot --> "Ruby rolls 2d6+13 and gets 18."
[09:43] <Sailor_Anastasia> roll 1d6
[09:43] * Hatbot --> "Sailor_Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 2."
[09:43] <Sailor_Anastasia> roll 1d6
[09:43] * Hatbot --> "Sailor_Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 3."
[09:43] <Ruby> roll 1d6+13
[09:43] * Hatbot --> "Ruby rolls 1d6+13 and gets 18."
[09:45] <Ruby> Ruby rushes Berselius, his stake still glowing brightly- an eerie pink, the cooling vampiric blood covering it still fresh. "Selene! End a millenia of terror tonight!"
[09:45] <Ruby> roll 2d6
[09:45] * Hatbot --> "Ruby rolls 2d6 and gets 6."
[09:45] <Sailor_Anastasia> roll 2d6
[09:45] * Hatbot --> "Sailor_Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 10."
[09:46] <Sailor_Anastasia> With speed and grace, you ram the stake into his long dead body! The flesh resists the puncture with more tensile might than hard steel, your weapon hurting him, but only going in perhaps an inch or so. Not enough except to cause his eyes to flare with pain for a moment as a flash of white spews forth from your stake.
[09:48] <Ruby> "How does it feel, vampire?" whispers Ruby. "Your unlife will end tonight.. unless you flee Selene's wrath."
[09:48] <Sailor_Anastasia> A bit staggered but still otherwise functional, the vampire makes an open handed swat at you, claws of blood forming from his fingertips. "I will not flee a uppity human cattle that dares to fight one of the Masters!"
[09:48] <Sailor_Anastasia> roll 2d6
[09:48] * Hatbot --> "Sailor_Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 7."
[09:48] <Ruby> roll 2d6
[09:48] * Hatbot --> "Ruby rolls 2d6 and gets 6."
[09:51] <Sailor_Anastasia> Letting go of the stake, Ruby leaps back and avoids the vicious claws!
[09:51] <Sailor_Anastasia> The younger vampire just stares on at the battle, shaking her head. "I'm so hungry...why....didn't he say that...." she moans.
[09:51] <Sailor_Anastasia> OOC - Initiative
[09:51] <Sailor_Anastasia> roll 1d6
[09:51] * Hatbot --> "Sailor_Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 2."
[09:51] <Sailor_Anastasia> roll 1d6
[09:51] * Hatbot --> "Sailor_Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 2."
[09:51] <Ruby> roll 1d6+13
[09:51] * Hatbot --> "Ruby rolls 1d6+13 and gets 14."
[09:52] <Ruby> Ruby draws a long, thin blade from his waist, the silver glinting in the eerie light given off by the vampires wound. With a wordless roar for all the hunters who fell before him, and all the victims he could not save, he lunges forward to thrust it into the vampires black heart.
[09:53] <Ruby> roll 2d6
[09:53] * Hatbot --> "Ruby rolls 2d6 and gets 7."
[09:53] <Sailor_Anastasia> roll 2d6
[09:53] * Hatbot --> "Sailor_Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 7."
[09:55] <Sailor_Anastasia> Moving swiftly, you slash the vampire's side, causing a trickle of black blood to flow from it's wound! He hisses, turning to the new vampire.
[09:56] <Sailor_Anastasia> "You're not needed here - Begone to your Queen!" A flash of black surrounds the new vampire, the girl gone in an instant!
[09:56] <Sailor_Anastasia> OOC - Initiative.
[09:56] <Ruby> roll 2d6+13
[09:56] * Hatbot --> "Ruby rolls 2d6+13 and gets 20."
[09:56] <Ruby> roll 1d6+13
[09:56] * Hatbot --> "Ruby rolls 1d6+13 and gets 14."
[09:56] <Sailor_Anastasia> roll 1d6
[09:56] * Hatbot --> "Sailor_Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 1."
[09:57] <Ruby> Ruby's long blade traces an arc of light around the vampire, cutting forward to injure him again..
[09:58] <Ruby> Bright light continues to surround the blade, a mark of Ruby's great zeal.
[09:58] <Ruby> roll 2d6
[09:58] * Hatbot --> "Ruby rolls 2d6 and gets 8."
[09:58] <Sailor_Anastasia> roll 2d6
[09:58] * Hatbot --> "Sailor_Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 10."
[10:00] <Sailor_Anastasia> Again striking, this time you run him a good ways through the right chest, causing blood to spurt out as the monster is badly hurt. A primal roar escapes his lips as he glares at you, his power manifesting in full now. "ENOUGH! BEGONE TO THE DARKEST PIT OF HELL, HUMAN!" Berselius declares as a wicked curved blade of blood forms in his free hand, swiping twice at you!
[10:00] <Sailor_Anastasia> roll 2d6
[10:00] * Hatbot --> "Sailor_Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 5."
[10:00] <Sailor_Anastasia> roll 2d6
[10:00] * Hatbot --> "Sailor_Anastasia rolls 2d6 and gets 2."
[10:00] <Sailor_Anastasia> roll 1d6
[10:00] * Hatbot --> "Sailor_Anastasia rolls 1d6 and gets 6."
[10:00] <Ruby> roll 2d6
[10:00] * Hatbot --> "Ruby rolls 2d6 and gets 5."
[10:00] <Ruby> roll 2d6-2
[10:00] * Hatbot --> "Ruby rolls 2d6-2 and gets 8."
[10:00] <Ruby> OOC: X-nay on that roll. >_>;;
[10:00] <Ruby> roll 2d6+2
[10:00] * Hatbot --> "Ruby rolls 2d6+2 and gets 10."
[10:03] <Sailor_Anastasia> You nimbly dodge his first swipe with agility, yet his second is masterful! It plunges straight through your own chest, pain flaring as red and black fills your vision, your ears filled with the cruel laughter of the vampire lord...
[10:06] <Ruby> His already-dead face locked in an angry glare of pain, Ruby collapses to the ground. Only a slightly tinkling of metal is heard as his now-dull blade clatters to the floor, now staining rapidly with his own blood..
[10:15] <Sailor_Anastasia> ---
[10:16] <Sailor_Anastasia> That night, Usagi happens to stir as is natural in the night, waking groggily. As she does so, she senses something, another vampire...and not Ami, you think. The aura is familiar, somehow, and it's coming from the garden again.
[10:17] * Usagi-chan decides not to wake Rei, as she's seemed rather restless for the past few nights. Silently slipping out of her large bed, she heads down to the garden to investigate the strange new aura.
[10:17] <Sailor_Anastasia> Heading down, you sense it deep in the garden. Odd, since only Tellu usually bothers back there. The vampire isn't in sight when you arrive, back in some bushes...
[10:18] * Usagi-chan moves slowly, hoping to come upon the vampire before they notice her in case it's Berselius or another like him.
[10:19] <Sailor_Anastasia> As you get to the bushes, you hear a soft moaning and crying, a female voice. "Ohh...hungry..."
[10:20] <Usagi-chan> "Who's there?" she asks, tensing in case it's something she'll need to deal with in a less than friendly fashion.
[10:20] <Sailor_Anastasia> "Usagi,
[10:21] <Sailor_Anastasia> "Usagi," a familiar voice calls out, hesitant and confused and hurt. It explains why she was back in the bushes. "I'm so hungry..."
[10:21] * Usagi-chan moves through the bushes, trying to place the voice. "Who is it? What's wrong?"
[10:23] <Sailor_Anastasia> A rather fangy, dirty and red eyeds Tellu looks up from her place deep in the bushes. "I'm so hungry...I want to eat..." she wails. Even in this position, though, there is something sinister about her now. Something evil.
[10:24] * Usagi-chan covers her mouth, searching through Tellu's aura for what she knows must be there - the evil taint of most vampires. "Oh god, Tellu..."
[10:25] <Sailor_Anastasia> "It's there, still young and growing, but there. "Usagi...Help me...you have something to eat?"
[10:27] <Usagi-chan> "Just hold on for a minute, Tellu, I need to do something else for you first." Quickly shifting to the form of the Lunar queen, she produces the Holy Grail and attempts to purify the evil taint from her soul before it can root itself any more deeply than it already is.
[10:27] <Usagi-chan> roll 2d6
[10:27] * Hatbot --> "Usagi-chan rolls 2d6 and gets 2."
[10:28] <Sailor_Anastasia> Power flows from the Grail, washing away the signs of evil from the girl! She looks up at you after that, blinking. "Usagi," she asks in a more normal voice. "What...I'm hungry, so hungry," she comments, glancing down at her stomach. "I feel different..."
[10:29] * Usagi-chan helps Tellu to her feet. "You are different, Tellu." She closes her eyes. "You're a vampire now, too."
[10:30] <Sailor_Anastasia> "Oh God," she murmurs, holding your hand still and with a swift motion, jerking it up and biting down with her fangs! You feel almost no pain, but you can see the girl's aura shift a bit as she takes in a bit of you.
[10:31] <Usagi-chan> "Tellu!" Usagi jerks her hand away quickly, grabbing it with her other hand and holding it tightly to staunch the bleeding. "You can't feed on me, it doesn't work like that!"
[10:32] <Sailor_Anastasia> Looking at you with confused eyes. "I..." she blushes. "You smelled so good there...but you're smelling normal again now?" she says, it not making any sense to her.
[10:33] * Usagi-chan studies the green-haired girl's aura, wondering exactly what about it changed. "Ami-chan said the same thing..."
[10:34] <Sailor_Anastasia> It's more like yours and Rei's now, bloody as always - but not evil in the slightest. "But I'm..." she sighs. "Wait. Ami's a vampire too?" she says, grasping onto that idea.
[10:35] * Usagi-chan nods sadly. "There's a vampire lord or something named Berselius - he's been up here a couple of times now. He turned Ami earlier tonight and brought her here," she says, clenching her jaw. "He's not leaving here alive - or whatever he is now - the next time he shows up."
[10:37] <Sailor_Anastasia> She nods. "I...I remember being grabbed from behind and then...there were two people fighting somewhere, but one of them send me up here, I think." The girl sighs. "It's kind of blurry right now."
[10:39] * Usagi-chan nods, sighing. "It's okay, Tellu. We'll get things straightened out - for now, you can stay over in the guest quarters." She looks at the gardener. "How do you feel after having bitten me?" she asks curiously.
[10:39] <Sailor_Anastasia> "I feel stronger, and not quite as hungry," Tellu offers. "Just...more alive, almost."
[10:41] * Usagi-chan nods, helping the other girl to her feet - a bit more warily this time. "We'll send word to the Professor to have MORE blood sent up tomorrow," she says with a sigh. "I really hope his research is right, or it's going to be way too hard to keep everyone fed."
[10:47] <Sailor_Anastasia> She nods. "He said he was getting confident that an answer was close...Didn't think I needed to worry this much about it, though," she confesses. "At least it's not plant chlorophyll or anything like that."
[10:49] * Usagi-chan smiles a bit at that. "Well, if you're feeling okay now I think I might need to go see Ami-chan. She said we smelled 'good' too, so maybe she DOES need blood from one of us. Will you be all right by yourself now?"
[10:51] <Sailor_Anastasia> Tellu nods. "I think I'd like to stay here for now," she decides. "The plants will cheer me up." she smile faintly at that, her eyes a bit haunted now.
[10:52] * Usagi-chan nods, knowing how Tellu must feel. "I'll see you later then, Tellu. You can come up to my chambers if you need anything - Rei or I should be there." With a sad smile she departs, heading for Ami's workshop.
[10:57] * Usagi-chan pads quietly through the familiar hallways of the Moon Palace, finally coming to a stop outside the office suite that Ami's converted into a study and workshop. "Ami-chan? Are you still up?"
[10:59] <Ami-chan> There's no response at first, the office quiet...until Ami's voice, extremely faint, drifts through the door, unintelligible and agitated sounding.
[11:00] * Usagi-chan heads inside quickly, rather worried about her friend. "Ami-chan? Are you okay?" She looks around quickly for the genius.
[11:05] <Ami-chan> After a few moment's search, Ami is found on her spare futon, though her covers are askew, and she's curled up in the corner, pale and sweating, and pleading with an invisible foe to leave her alone...
[11:05] * Usagi-chan quickly rushes to Ami's side, placing her hand on the troubled senshi's side to rouse her. "Ami-chan! Snap out of it!"
[11:09] * Ami-chan sits bolt upright, snapping awake and looking around, panicked, as her crimson gaze settles on Usagi. "Ah...wha-?"
[11:11] <Usagi-chan> "Are you okay, Ami-chan?" Usagi's face wears an expression of deep concern. "Were you sleeping?"
[11:16] * Ami-chan makes a wry face, and sighs. "Trying to."
[11:23] * Usagi-chan sighs. "How are you feeling? Aside from the bad dream, I mean."
[11:24] * Ami-chan sighs. "Drained, and empty..." she pauses, shivering and recoiling from Usagi.
[11:25] <Usagi-chan> "Still hungry?" Usagi asks.
[11:26] <Ami-chan> "A little...but...you..." She shakes head, trying to focus. "You smell stronger, now..." she bites her lip, trying not to salivate.
[11:27] * Usagi-chan nods, holding out her wrist. "Go ahead, it'll make you feel better. Just go slowly if you can."
[11:28] * Ami-chan swallows, hard. "Usagi-chan..." she stills her own movement, obviously not happy with the idea.
[11:30] <Usagi-chan> "It's all right, Ami-chan." Usagi smiles. "It'll help, I promise."
[11:32] * Ami-chan hesitates, wanting to refuse, but slowly giving way to the demands of her body. "Why...You're turned, too..." she murmurs in confusion as she delicately takes the profferred wrist.
[11:39] <Usagi-chan> "I don't know why, but apparently it'll help you." She sighs. "Tellu was turned too, and she bit me without thinking. She said it made her feel better, so maybe it will help you, too."
[11:42] * Ami-chan nods slowly, and closing her eyes so she doesn't see what she's about to do, and by smell alone, guides her canines to the vein in Usagi's wrist, shuddering as a rush of fluid pushes into her mouth, and she drinks it eagerly...
[11:43] * Usagi-chan takes a deep breath as she feels Ami's fangs pierce her skin, letting the other girl drink from her blood.
[11:45] <Sailor_Anastasia> Warmth and tasty life spills down your throat a moment, before you instinctively pull away as the fluid becomes tasteless rather rapidly. You do feel better though, stronger in a way. Usagi feels weaker as she sees Ami's aura change and shift slightly.
[11:45] * Usagi-chan shakes a bit as she seals over the punctures in her arm, looking on at Ami a bit woozily. "Did it help?"
[11:47] * Ami-chan nods silently, staring at the floor, shamefaced.
[11:48] <Usagi-chan> "It's all right, Ami-chan," Usagi says, kneeling down on the floor next to the blue-haired girl. "I offered, you didn't take. You don't have anything to be ashamed of."
[11:51] <Ami-chan> "Taking pleasure in it..." Ami looks up, her eyes disturbed. "Enjoying the act...seems perverse, but I couldn't..."
[11:56] * Usagi-chan leans over and gives Ami a hug. "I know, I don't like it either. But we can't help it, it's just the way we are now."
[11:58] * Ami-chan leans in to the hug, her voice tight. "Yes...from now on..." she says softly, sounding as though she's about to cry, for a moment, then it's gone. "What...What time is it? Why are you up so early?"
[12:00] <Usagi-chan> "Not even sure, really." Usagi says, shaking her head as she leans back. "I just woke up a few minutes ago and sensed Tellu out in the garden." She sighs. "Apparently someone turned her too, but I managed to get her cleaned up the way I did for you - and that's how I found out about my own blood helping you."
[12:02] * Ami-chan winces. "Poor Tellu..." she murmurs softly, then looks up. "Usagi-chan...the others...they may be targeted. Are they taking precautions?"
[12:04] * Ami-chan frowns. "It can't be a coincidence that he found Tellu so quickly..." she adds, almost as an afterthought. "If he's homing in on strong auras..."
[12:06] * Usagi-chan shakes her head. "I don't know, but Rei warned the Professor that the others should be careful. I'm just guessing they got to Tellu too quickly for her to hear the news."
[12:10] * Ami-chan sighs softly, and nods. "She's alright, then?" Ami asks softly, rubbing her stomach gently.
[12:10] <Ami-chan> "Or as well as can be expected?"
[12:11] * Usagi-chan nods. "She was pretty hungry when she arrived, but when she fed on me, she said it was a lot better. Same for you, I hope."
[12:25] * Ami-chan nods slowly. "I feel...better." she agrees with a small smile. "Thank you..."
[12:27] <Usagi-chan> "You're welcome. Anyway, I'd probably better get back up to bed... feeling a little dizzy after that." She climbs to her feet unsteadily, tottering a little as she rises.
[12:30] * Ami-chan looks guiltily up at Usagi. "Do you want help going back?" she asks softly.
[12:36] * Usagi-chan wobbles a little bit. "Actually, that might not be a bad idea... if you don't mind, of course."
[12:37] * Ami-chan quickly gets up, gently taking hold of Usagi's arm and steadying her. "Of course not.."
[12:40] * Usagi-chan gives Ami a grateful smile. "Thanks... didn't think it'd take quite so much out of me." Slowly the two make their way back to the princess' chambers, Ami lending her support to the blonde.
[12:44] <Ami-chan> "Sorry..." Ami murmurs softly, quietly thinking as they head back to Usagi's current room...
[12:45] <Usagi-chan> "It's all right, don't worry about it." Usagi smiles, simply thankful for the helping hand. "I'm just glad I could help you out too."
[12:49] * Ami-chan smiles back, a little more sheepishly. "I appreciate it...though I'm curious as to what happened...and why I needed it..."
[12:52] <Usagi-chan> "I don't know exactly, all I know is that your aura looks a little more like Rei's does now. Maybe it changed you into the kind of vampire we are?" Usagi thinks aloud.
[12:53] * Ami-chan blinks. "I was different?" She asks, puzzled. "No, I guess that's right, since it wasn't Rei-chan that..." She pauses and shudders. "Bit me..."
[12:54] * Usagi-chan shakes her head. "I don't know enough about the 'old' kind of vampires to say for sure. All I know is that the Professor said we're different somehow."
[12:58] * Ami-chan sighs. "And I was going to start helping him tomorrow, so I don't know, either..." She smiles faintly.
[13:00] <Usagi-chan> "Well, maybe you can coordinate with him or something. You can check us out directly while he researches down on Earth?" Usagi shrugs, not really understanding how all that stuff works out.
[13:02] * Ami-chan smiles a little more. "I wish...but I'm not really equipped to do much up here." Ami replies. "We'll have to talk to Professor Tomoe and see if I can help at all, as it stands."
[13:05] <Usagi-chan> "I bet we can figure something out," Usagi replies, now more determined than ever to finish her own research - just in case.
[13:08] * Ami-chan sighs. "I hope so..." She murmurs softly, just as her stomach growls audibly. "Eep..."
[13:13] * Usagi-chan makes a wry face. "Me too... kind of hungry after feeding both of you guys. Hopefully the Twins can bring enough for all of us tomorrow."
[13:16] * Ami-chan smiles embarrassedly in return. "Mm. They will." She replies confidently as they come to a stop outside Usagi's door. "I hope we won't get you in trouble with Rei-chan." She offers, preparing to go.
[13:19] * Usagi-chan smiles. "Nah, I'm sure she won't mind. It's for the best that I got to Tellu when I did, and helping you out wasn't any trouble at all." She lets go of Ami, a bit more steady on her feet now. "Thanks for your help, Ami-chan."
[13:20] * Ami-chan shakes her head and smiles in return, edging away from her rooms. "My pleasure. Sleep well."