Kitty shrieked as the building shook and a pile of books fell off of the shelf and onto her.
Michael is out of his seat and across the room in a second, clearing books off of Kitty and helping her up.
"You okay?" He asks quietly.
Kitty shrieked as the building shook and a pile of books fell off of the shelf and onto her.Michael is out of his seat and across the room in a second, clearing books off of Kitty and helping her up.
"You okay?" He asks quietly.
"Umm, yeah, I think so," she said, blushing. "I was more scared than hurt I think. It's not every day I get hit with a book avalanche," she added with a weak grin.
"I, uh, guess we should pick these up and put them back where they belong then."
The road turned off in a direction that would have taken them considerably out of their way, so Ephebe turned off of it. Driving was a good distraction right now as she was slightly overwhelmed by too many thoughts at once. The pall of silence that had fallen over the group wasn't helping any. She understood Asch's brooding, but they were all so afraid of stepping on his feelings (except for Solivala who hadn't quite progressed far enough in his lessons to grasp the concept of polite conversation) that there was no longer any talking at all.
Seems deep in thought or maybe prayer...
Opens an eye...
"Wow boss...even while I'm on a moving...skim-thing? that's pretty neat!" Gains his composure a bit
"Yes, sir, it's about the artifact. We've acquired it from the monks who guarded it, and are set to actually give it to the guy who is black mailing us, who is an old vampire. I was wondering about what it does, exactly, and why he'd want it in the first place?"
Asch sits in silence his mind trapped in the past. Dank dirty cells hands and feet chained. Everyday wondering what it was his father wanted from him the death of his mother still fresh in his mind. Light bright irritating light gods how he hated the light. Then a voice a girls voice strange normal it was a rough male voice on of his fathers retainers. "Brother we have to help him why would they keep a child here…?" He awoke sharply remembering the first time he saw Amada he first saw her brother he was afraid he was here at his father's request to 'train' him. "I… want to thank all of you for choosing to help me… you really don't have to." He says breaking the silence.
"I… want to thank all of you for choosing to help me… you really don't have to." He says breaking the silence.
"Of course we'll help you, Asch. You're our friend. Besides, you're the first one at that school, other than my brothers, who ever stood up for me and damn the consequences. How could I not do the same for you?" she asked with a smile. "And Amada, too, who has always been a friend, I would not simply abandon her."
"Would he pass on that 'gift' to any spawn he created or retro actively effect those he already has? Would Asch lose his vampiric side?"
He stops for a second.
"I guess that doesn't matter since he can not have it. How is it activated?"
EDIT:
He thinks about it a second more...
"Can this artifact then remove the curse on Amada? If it does, then we wouldn't need to give it to the vamp, and we could keep it at the school in case of a vampirism outbreak...screw Asch's father!"
"Well, we can't have you being disappointed can we? I don't wanna end up reincarnated as a Pech!" He grins "I guess that's all I needed. Thanks again, Boss..."
Krays' eyes open up, and he has a somewhat mischevious grin on his face.
"Hey guys, boss says the amulet will cure Amada, so we need to hang onto it. We can under no cricumstances give it to Asch's father, as it will remove his weaknesses and make him stronger. Instead, we must remove him as a threat."
"Well, if Death says it's time to end this guy, who are we to argue? Let's go kill a vampire," she said with a rather frightening grin.
"What really! Well father is going to have an unpleasant surprise when we get there then." Asch says as shadows envelop his hands and when they pull away his customary revolvers are in his hands.
"What really! Well father is going to have an unpleasant surprise when we get there then." Asch says as shadows envelop his hands and when they pull away his customary revolvers are in his hands.
"Yes. After all, you're not at all the same as you were the last time he saw you. I would be very surprised if he weren't inclined to underestimate you."
"Krays, I suppose this means you know what the amulet is? We need it to help Amada, and I'd like to use it to help my uncle as well...but then we're going to have to track down the proper owner and return it. Only the rightful owner of it can fix it and return it to its former purpose after all."
"Is it a secret?"
"Is it a secret?"
"Well, I don't think we should advertise it too loudly. Madness has made some direct interventions with some of our enemies and that means we have to be careful. If Madness knows then he might twist the information and use it against us."
"Yes I know what it is and what it was, then."
Solivala thinks back to his earlier days, before his transformation. His many secrets were baried deep, far to deep for any to claim. Only one remained revealed to the world in a way, his stolen shame. This trinket that the vampire desired was a waste of power, infused beyond what was needed for the purpose. He did not like the feel of it, it felt akin to his shame. Twisted in some manner not by design.
His orbs shuddered for a moment.
His shame was a bane, a world ender he had not reclaimed or sealed away. He wondered why he thought of it now and of the one who had twisted his anger, or more likely his pride. He returned from his thoughts.
"We are to use it as a cure, then destroy it?"
"We are to use it as a cure, then destroy it?"
"Heavens, no! To destroy such a thing! No, we are to use it and then return it to its proper owner to be repaired. It will be difficult to find the owner, but not impossible. It's very important they get it back. They've been weakened by its loss."
"Heavens, no! To destroy such a thing! No, we are to use it and then return it to its proper owner to be repaired. It will be difficult to find the owner, but not impossible. It's very important they get it back. They've been weakened by its loss."
"Who is it's proper owner and how do you know that they in fact are?"
"Heavens, no! To destroy such a thing! No, we are to use it and then return it to its proper owner to be repaired. It will be difficult to find the owner, but not impossible. It's very important they get it back. They've been weakened by its loss.""Who is it's proper owner and how do you know that they in fact are?"
"Ummm....this is a little challenging to explain....er...it's like my hourglass. An artifact like that. It belongs to someone like me or Krays and that's why we can recognize it and will be able to identify its rightful owner when we find them. Umm...that's probably a completely insufficient explanation, but short of stopping time I'm not comfortable talking about it now and I don't want to use that ability before we head off into battle. I might need it later. The best I can do is promise a full explanation tomorrow."
Solivala takes a moment.
"You should know better then most their is nothing I can not repair. I will keep it safe in the meantime."
"Yeah, if Soli can't be charmed or dominated it's best he hang onto it till we get back home."
"THE VAMPIRE LORD WANTS IT TO GAIN THE ABILITY TO WALK AMONG THE LIVING AND BE FREED FROM HIS WEAKNESSES WHILE YET RETAINING HIS STRENGTH. THIS MUST NOT BE ALLOWED."
"HOWEVER, SOME OF ITS ORIGINAL PURPOSE YET REMAINS, THE ABILITY TO UNDO SUCH CURSES."
"It's not every day I get hit with a book avalanche," she added with a weak grin.
"You've obviously never been in the library when someone opens a book about storms. Books fly everywhere and the librarian gets a raise." He smiled back.
"I, uh, guess we should pick these up and put them back where they belong then."
"I wouldn't dream of leaving them on the floor. I enjoy books to much for that." He starts helping her place the books back on the self, ears burning under his hair when he realizes most of their classmates are staring at them.
Which meant they either couldn't see Kitty or were thinking they might be a couple(this was what made his ears burn).
Kitty giggled when Michael talked about the books flying around in the library. She quickly started picking up books.
"You don't need to be embarrassed. It's a good thing to like books, right?" she said cheerfully, totally misinterpreting his blush.
"Oh, uh, yeah!" He laughs a bit. "I've got a whole wall of shelves back at home. My father had to talk me down from trying to make the house into a library once."
"Oh, uh, yeah!" He laughs a bit. "I've got a whole wall of shelves back at home. My father had to talk me down from trying to make the house into a library once."
"Well," she teased, "I guess that makes you easy to buy presents for."
With the possibility of his ear causing his hair to burst into flame, Michael smiles and finishes putting the books back on their shelves.
"Guess that means I'd have to get you something." Michael says vaguely as before returning to his seat.
Kitty sat back down confused. Had she said something wrong? Only, she thought that if maybe she gave Michael a book with something written inside it would be easy to prove to him that he actually did know her when he forgot, since everyone forgot her. And it was really hard to be friends with someone who doesn't remember who you are. Maybe he took it a different way? But what other way was there to take a comment like that? Was he one of those people who didn't like feeling obligated to others?
Kitty sat back down confused. Had she said something wrong? Only, she thought that if maybe she gave Michael a book with something written inside it would be easy to prove to him that he actually did know her when he forgot, since everyone forgot her. And it was really hard to be friends with someone who doesn't remember who you are. Maybe he took it a different way? But what other way was there to take a comment like that? Was he one of those people who didn't like feeling obligated to others?
Kitty sat back down confused. Had she said something wrong? Only, she thought that if maybe she gave Michael a book with something written inside it would be easy to prove to him that he actually did know her when he forgot, since everyone forgot her. And it was really hard to be friends with someone who doesn't remember who you are. Maybe he took it a different way? But what other way was there to take a comment like that? Was he one of those people who didn't like feeling obligated to others?
After class, Michael catches up to Kitty.
"Hey, what class do you have next? I've got Alchemy, which means dodging vials instead of rocks."
After class, Michael catches up to Kitty.
"Hey, what class do you have next? I've got Alchemy, which means dodging vials instead of rocks."
"Oh, I have light blades next. Well, I might. The teacher has some sort of family emergency, so the class was cancelled yesterday and it might be again today."
"What a coward..." Krays mumbles to his companions.
"Hey, what class do you have next? I've got Alchemy, which means dodging vials instead of rocks.""Oh, I have light blades next. Well, I might. The teacher has some sort of family emergency, so the class was canceled yesterday and it might be again today."
"You really like the classes with high chances of injury, don't you? Somehow I don't think it would be a fun class for me. So what are you going to do if you don't have a class?"
"So.. um, sorry about.. back there in class. Its just that, I, um.. didn't want them to think that.. not that we are.. unless you.." Just like in class, Michael can feel his ears start to burn. "I'm going to need fire proofing for my hair at this rate!" he thinks.
"Look forget what I just said. It's just that I'm starting to stand up to some of the bullies here, and I don't want you caught in the crossfire."
"Hey, what class do you have next? I've got Alchemy, which means dodging vials instead of rocks.""Oh, I have light blades next. Well, I might. The teacher has some sort of family emergency, so the class was canceled yesterday and it might be again today.""You really like the classes with high chances of injury, don't you? Somehow I don't think it would be a fun class for me. So what are you going to do if you don't have a class?"
"So.. um, sorry about.. back there in class. Its just that, I, um.. didn't want them to think that.. not that we are.. unless you.." Just like in class, Michael can feel his ears start to burn. "I'm going to need fire proofing for my hair at this rate!" he thinks.
"Look forget what I just said. It's just that I'm starting to stand up to some of the bullies here, and I don't want you caught in the crossfire."
"Oh, but I have to learn these things if I want to follow the family tradition...even if they did forget I existed after I learned stealth a little too well...but maybe someday I'll get it under control and they'll remember me again and be proud of what a good ninja I am!" ^.^
"And it's okay, I don't mind if people know we're friends. I'm not really helpless, and the whole not being noticed thing is actually really helpful in that way. Oh, but I uh, I guess that was really presumptive of me, huh, just assuming that we were friends...I mean, er...."
"What a coward..." Krays mumbles to his companions.
"Well, what can you expect from a guy who gets his jollies murdering women and beating up on kids?" she said with a growl, her eyes filled with that black-purple color as she glared at the demons.
"Dibs on the bodyguards."