10th

[splitthebaby]

It's a shame winter doesn't last longer. I would like to see more snow, don't you think, mom?

[Merem and Ciel are taking a walk in the park, enjoying the warm weather like a normal family. Keywords there on normal. Unfortunately, there's an interloper here in the form of Arcueid, the Princess of the True Ancestors.]

IDIOT NUN!!

[The White Princess takes a hefty swing and nails Ciel right in the stomach. Even though she should be in horrid pain, she's still smiling. And she keeps smiling after a few more punches go to her face, which causes Arcueid to pause.]

What are you doing, Princess? This kind of thing is useless, you know? Watch and see.

[Merem grabs Ciel's arm and without pause, pulls her down and bites her neck. All the way through. Her head rolls off in a small spray of arterial blood and Merem grabs it before it hits the ground. The Crown starts to spin the head around on his finger struggling to balance it like a basket ball.]

See? It has to be like that.

I didn't want to kill her, I just wanted to beat her up for being stupid. I guess she managed to run away by getting droned because she knew what was coming. Or I guess maybe she didn't. Either way that shell is useless so you can do what you want with her.

[WELL. At least one of them is impressed with Merem's mad skillz.

Arcueid and Merem will be replying separately.]

Comments

[puppeteerings.livejournal.com]

[Flat stare as she continues smoking nonchalantly. Keywords may or may not apply.]

[wise-king.livejournal.com]

You can't deny that the two of you look similar. Either way, it confirms who you are.

[puppeteerings.livejournal.com]

[NON-COMMITTAL SHRUG]

You must get some flak from fellow Apostles for working with the Church. It's somewhat comparable.

[wise-king.livejournal.com]

Only from the ones who disliked me in the first place.

[puppeteerings.livejournal.com]

Oh, the rest can't be bothered? I thought as much. You're an Ancestor too, aren't you?

[wise-king.livejournal.com]

I am. They only gave me the rank of twenty but I suspect I'm tied at around third or fourth place. The vile lady who assigns the numbers hates me, you see.

[puppeteerings.livejournal.com]

Tche, other than knowing there are supposedly 27, these numbers don't mean anything to me. The Church probably uses them to keep track of you, and as for Dead Apostle Ancestor politics? I'm sure that it's fascinating, but I'm satisfied with staying in the peanut gallery. Sheesh, what's a monster like you doing here, I wonder? America's rather far off from Italy.

[wise-king.livejournal.com]

It's closer than Japan so I doubt you have much room to talk.

[puppeteerings.livejournal.com]

To be fair, I was originally born in that region. The eastern lands are much more lax, so of course it's a good place, if one wants to stay away from the Association.

[wise-king.livejournal.com]

Or, say, the Church?

[puppeteerings.livejournal.com]

That too, yes. What, there are Church members who flee from it by going to Japan now, too? [Jokingly, as she takes another draw of her smoke.]

[wise-king.livejournal.com]

Japan is a godless land and the Vatican doesn't have a power base there. Of course it's a hide out for those on the run from the Church.

[puppeteerings.livejournal.com]

For other Dead Apostles, hm? I've heard something like that too, but it's a few months into my future. Misaki City, let me guess?

[wise-king.livejournal.com]

That was an aberration. Most Dead Apostles don't even care to hide themselves because they're either too powerful for the Church or simply aren't a threat.

[puppeteerings.livejournal.com]

[Raising an eyebrow in vague skepticism.] Really? I've heard about some pretty scary things from the Church. Ah, maybe the Dead Apostle Ancestors don't have much to be concerned about, but the Church probably has agents specialized in killing vampires when these cases crop up. I'd think that the Church definitely poses a threat to the Dead Apostles, as long as they're not found out. Are you really saying that it's different?

[wise-king.livejournal.com]

If the Church could easily wipe out the Ancestors, they would have done it long ago. They're waiting to catch them when they're weak, I suppose. I hardly know the politics, I'm just along for the ride.

[puppeteerings.livejournal.com]

Not the Ancestors, just the average ones. ...Eh, I've heard scary things about the current director too, even on the side of the Mages' Association. Does the name 'Bartholomei' mean anything to you?

[wise-king.livejournal.com]

You could kill one of those with a bullet. Probably why you rarely hear of those kind of incidents in America.

And she's someone I'd rather not have the ire of. People with some kind of grudge like her are no fun. Especially Narbareck, who makes fighting one sided.

[puppeteerings.livejournal.com]

It'll also take a monster to land that bullet. ...Huh, were there these sort of organizations there? Then again, America is Christian land for the most part, so that could stand to reason.

...Grudge? I know that she hunted Dead Apostles, but did she finally cross the mediators of the Holy Church? [...That name...] An acquaintance of yours, I'd presume? I'm a magus, so I'm not the most well-versed in Church matters.