[Action for Everglade]

[what_is_a_man]

It was just before sunset, as shadows began stretching out farther and farther. Most people had closed up shop for the day and were bracing for the night that came with its own brand of danger. However, there were still the occasional pairs walking the streets. Among the people starting to wind down for the day was a tall man that towered above anyone that came close but most kept their distance. He walked the streets, keeping to the shadows until the sun began to sink beneath the horizon. That's when the King of Monsters made his move.

He spotted a couple walking the street, seemingly oblivious to their surroundings as sunlight gave way to street lights. Without a sound, Dracula positioned himself behind the pair. For a brief moment, a deafening silence engulfed the area before a woman's scream pierced the night as her companion dangled, suspended by the arm shoved through his body from behind. He jerked his arm to one side, sending the body flying across the street, leaving a river of blood staining the pavement.

The woman ran, screaming for help as she went. Those cries, however would be snuffed out quickly as Dracula pounced on her like a wolf on a rabbit. Any who heard her calls would find Vlad discarding a withered dried up husk after draining the woman as her companion remained in the center of the street in a pond of his own blood.

Comments

[drownindarkness]

[Leo had heard a number of rumors regarding Everglade and how "inhabitable" it was for humans, so naturally when he had the chance, he would have to investigate first hand. The rumors sounded farfetched, but nonetheless he still came prepared just in case- choosing to don his armor and have a sword at his hip, in addition to Brynhildr.

He rode into the city at night on horseback, the horse's dark coat and Leo's own armor allowing them to blend in pretty well. Nothing seemed off (outside of the weirder looking folk, but they weren't bothering him at all), until he heard that scream anyway. So he changed his course to find where it came from, and it certainly didn't take long for him to come across the grizzly scene. He wasn't terribly phased, given what he's seen before, but it doesn't make it any less gruesome.]

Gods... perhaps there is something to the rumors.

[He sounds pretty calm for being right there with the one responsible for this mess. Should he call the Guardian?]

[what_is_a_man]

[Vlad stands slowly, tossing away the shriveled husk to the side. Once he'd had a moment to stretch and dab at his mouth with an elegant handkerchief he turns his attention to Leo. The horse and armor were unfamiliar but the coloring implied some affection for the darkness.]

I suggest you leave lest you get caught up in what is about to happen.

[erinoah]

Being what she was now, the night didn't bother her. But wandering around Everglade was not her favorite past time, as she found.

Morbid curiosity brought her here, looking for bunnies. Hell, she'd take zombie bunnies, monster bunnies, or even evil bunnies... she had been a villain back at home after all. At least, that's what she told herself sometimes. But her tall bunny ears twitched when she heard a cry for help, suddenly and violently silenced.

Drifting quickly to the source of the noise, Noah found herself along a sidewalk, eventually laying her eyes among a vast pool of blood, and in the middle a tall man... Dracula himself.

Unfortunately, she had no idea who he was; she was just finding a part of herself terrified of the violence... but not enough. "Hmph, what a way to make a mess."

[what_is_a_man]

Dracula turned slightly to address the newcomer, arching an eyebrow at the admonishment.

"Perhaps you should choose your words a bit more carefully when addressing the one who made the 'mess.'"

If that doesn't work, let me know

[phoenixstrut]

She really shouldn't have been there.

She really wouldn't have been there had her agent not insisted that they would return well before dark. Even now she was seething over the fact he had left to meet with another client and left her sitting with those planning the next shoot, promising to arrange a ride.

Either the ride had never come or she had somehow missed it entirely, because now, on her own, she was making her way back toward Genessia, too afraid to loose her wings and fly home. It isn't hard to see that she really doesn't belong in this part of town. While her clothing may be dark, she sticks out like a sore thumb.

Her prior aversion to Everglade is immediately justified when she hears the screams and spots the scene unfolding up ahead. For a moment- much longer than she would ever like to think about- she simply stands frozen in place before she quickly makes her way to the broken man in the center of the street on instinct. The attacking...thing is distracted with his woman prey and the least she can do is see if the man is still somehow alive before he gets back.

S'all good~

[what_is_a_man]

Despite the gaping hole in his chest, there was indeed some movement from the man. Small twitches in his extremities as Dracula rose from his prey, turning slowly.

"I would step away if I were you. Ghouls can be rather violent upon first awakening."

[singinghuntress]

[She had been stalking the night, taking her time before Rip had to be to work when she heard the screams and then the thud of a body hitting the ground. It made her pause and tilt her head before she started to move towards the sound, sticking to the shadows as she approached.

The first thing Rip noticed was the scent of human blood. It made her pause just to relax and revel in the delightful scent before she moved a little more towards the scene. Once she got there, she saw a rather familiar figure discarding what was once a woman.

Rip watched him from the shadows, leaning against the side of a building with an amused look before glancing back at the male bleeding out.]

Vat a vaste~. Both of zhem vould haf made a delightful meal vith how much fear vould haf been coursing through zhem after a little torture.

[what_is_a_man]

[Vlad didn't even blink when he heard Rip's voice. He simply smirked as he stood, the first body starting to twitch as the transformation into ghoul took root.]

Patience, Rip. This is only the beginning of tonight's banquet.

[priceofmagic]

[At night, Satou's duties are harder to stomach: She patrols Everglade looking for corpses, identifies them, and has to get them tagged for hauling back to PD in the morning. It's a miserable job. She's not allowed to move them, since eating them is free game. She's not allowed to charge anyone either: Only note that the murder took place during legal night hours.

So seeing the bloodied pavement isn't a surprise. She keeps her distance, able to sense Vlad's presence with her empathy. She can guess that he's still feeding, so it's not time for her to examine the bodies for identification. Satou just stops some distance away and begins marking the time and location of the discovery on her police phone. All she can do is make sure these deaths are marked as legal, and no one will be prosecuted for them.]

[what_is_a_man]

[As Vlad stood, his ears twitched ever so slightly at the noise of the tapping on the phone.]

I can hear you, you realize. It is pointless to hide your presence at this point. However, I do think it is a good thing to have someone to see what is about to happen.

[The two bodies began twitching, eventually struggling back to their feet. Should Satou be able to sense such things, there would be no trace of anything controlling the ghouls. These two were moving purely on their own instincts as their dead, empty eyes settle on a nearby house.]

[anamnestik]

[Meanwhile: Adventures with Stupid.

Eliot isn't renown for his good life choices. Like tonight, when he's late leaving Everglade. Everglade, of all places. He at least has the sense to walk carefully, keeping an eye out for anyone who might want to test if he tastes as much like pink lemonade as he looks. At crossing the bloodied pavement, Eliot stops short. Even his ditzy personality has memories of blood and bodies. He remembers once being the victim too, and bled out until he was begging not to die.

It takes a moment for his instincts to guide his gaze to Vlad. Despite his appearance, he is vampire enough to have excellent night vision. His green eyes flash briefly, as a reminder of his psychic power, as they fix on Vlad. He looks mostly disappointed. Maybe a touch scared.]

... I know about the night laws, but do you have to make such a spectacle about it?

[what_is_a_man]

[As Vlad stood, he glanced over his shoulder. His senses quickly identified the other as a member of the undead, keeping Eliot safe for the moment as he turns to face the other vampire.]

If you think this is a spectacle, perhaps you should leave before the curtain truly rises.

[keepitcatty]

[Perhaps it was the screams. Perhaps it was the sudden rushing scent of blood. It could be both, and Ranulf zeroed in on the spot with speed of a nimble cat. But the smell of it all... almost overpowering and, at the same time, makes him want to go hunting.

Though seeing these poor beorcs... What could have caused this? The only likely culprit the Laguz can see is this dark-clad man. Hunting will wait for now. While in may be too late already, Ranulf will leap into nearby shadows and watch Dracula closely.]

[what_is_a_man]

[As Dracula rises, he turns his gaze toward the cat like creature. He isn't quite sure what to make of it just yet, so he does nothing but watch as the corpses begin to twitch and turn to ghouls.]

[scarlet_devil]

[ The little vampire was drawn to the area by the scream, and since it's after dark, it's mostly the noise she happened to be concerned with. ]

Is all that noise necessary?

[what_is_a_man]

[He arches an eyebrow as he turns to face Remilia.]

Of course it is. It wouldn't be much of a statement if nobody was around to hear it.

Jolly Eddy's Crew [Action]

[om_nom_namur]

[It takes awhile for the calls to Jolly Eddy's to truly reach near-catastrophic levels. He's had people out since the onset, but with strict orders to keep out of fights if they can avoid them, it's well after midnight before Namur realizes he's going to need to call in everyone he's got for extra hours- and maybe try to come up with a better coordinated way to deal with the sheer volume of distress calls. He doesn't run a peacekeeping force, they're not there to be heroes. But they are gonna back each other up, and kick the asses of anyone who gets between them and their goal: getting paid.

Right now, that means they're going up against Dracula's ghouls more often than not.

Sorry, Vlad. It's nothing personal. Though depending on how heated things get, Namur might send him a thank you card later.]

[OOC NOTE PLEASE READ: This is something of a header post for several potential Jolly Eddy's action posts so that they can be kept in the same place. Members of Jolly Eddy's feel free to make your own "top posts" off of this comment rather than the main comment. Also anyone who may want to call in for help, please do so here. Thank you! Let's not forget rule #1: HAVE FUN!]

[firechild_azure]

[Having a bad feeling after the day tours she stayed behind in the office until they received their first frantic calls.

Something like this...Azure hated with every inch of her body. Normally she would be out there fighting off every last creature that was taking advantage of the chaos the fellow named Vlad seemed to bring. Apparently, he wanted to make Everglade something to fear again? That's when she was asked to start escorting those who had money for protection. Easy enough, but her moral standing was making this hard to do as she watched from the sidestreets innocents being ripped apart while getting her own watch to safety without being noticed. Of course, there were some prowling where she did, Azure was quick to dispose of them with either flame or sword.

By the time midnight came the woman was starting to feel all of her battles were catching up as she walked back into the office for her next task.]

called in for protection

[beamsmagicalgirls]

[Seventeen was no hero, he was a simple guy trying to make a life, nothing more. But when he gets a called from work, he flew in. He was calm walking through the night. Ghouls were nothing, and he was getting paid to do it.]

So this is what we were called for?

[Seventeen questioned, looking at the ghouls unimpressed. He walked forward, calmly, hands tucked in his pockets. It was nothing personal, but he had a job to do.]

[Action prompts for Namur] OTA

[om_nom_namur]

[Rip and Dracula aren't the only ones covered in blood by the end of the night. It's amazing how much dead shit bleeds. Namur shoves his shoulder into a ghoul, a terrified little family doing its best to stay close as he clears a path. They move quickly, the parents carrying their children at a slow run- it's the best pace they can keep. Namur picks up another ghoul, sprints forward, and slams it into a small knot of others, sending several flying backward. It earns them a couple yards, but Namur has to circle back and keep his wards from being caught from behind. Damn it, at this rate he's going to have to double up his crew, meaning they'll halve their capacity. It'd be best if they could just go out and start claiming ground, but...

Damn it, they aren't mercenaries, and they aren't bodyguards, and their business charter states that they may protect customers en route to a location. Without some higher authority granting additional rights...

Oh hell. Since when does he give a shit about that?

Since he has a business, and several people he cares about depending on that business not getting shut down for doing what the shittyass law enforcement can't.

Namur grits his teeth, then yells, brutal and guttural, as he leaps over his wards and lays into the next group of ghouls, shattering bones and maybe occasionally ripping off a limb with his teeth.

And where the hell is Rip, anyway? It doesn't help that he's beginning to worry.

At least he's got a nice outlet for his frustration.]

because Junko

[despairunending]

[Junko knows full well that she is not the sort of person who belongs in Everglade. Not by any measure that seems to matter to the powers that be, at least. As a normal, non-powered human even she can only do so much against the things that go bump in the night - but then, that's a whole part of the thrill of her being here. That knowledge that even her analysis might not be enough to save her makes her forays into Everglade a little unpredictable, a little chaotic - and that's something she always craves.

The other part, of course, is in getting to witness the fear and despair of the human residents when they realise the mistake they've made. Setting foot out after dark, when even the law can't protect them, might or might not be signing their own death warrant - all it takes is an errand to run a little too long and suddenly they're a target.

Even if she can't contribute much to their despair, she can be close enough to enjoy it.

So far, however, it's only been the fear of what-if that she's witness. Only now is she fortunate enough to hear the kind of screams she normally has to engineer herself and like a moth to a flame, she's drawn towards the source. And even as she sees the truth of the situation, even as she knows in the fraction of a moment it takes her to process everything before her, she doesn't have it in her to tear herself away.

She probably can't use this. But that doesn't mean she can't be curious.]

So you're one of the things they're all so afraid of, huh?

[She says they, because she's not. Fascinated, yes, and perhaps apprehensive. But fear implies she can't find a way to enjoy this and that implies a very different mind to the one possessed by Junko Enoshima.]

This can only end well.

[what_is_a_man]

[As Vlad rises from his meal, tossing the shriveled husk to the side, he turns to face Junko, a drop of blood still on his lips. At first, his eyes are full of contempt, but that quickly turns to confusion and then curiosity. Hearing a human's heartbeat was simple for a vampire's hearing, but he was more familiar with the accelerated rates that accompany a warrior or prey. This child stood here before him with a calm that no Belmont could match, or any sycophant had ever produced.]

One of them, yes. However, I must say it is rare to encounter a human who does not share that fear that does not immediately bring arms to bear. You are no hunter, nor are you prey, which begs the question... what are you?

[brat_from_hell]

[For someone who appears to be a child of no more than eight or nine years old, Phibrizzo doesn't even flinch at the sight of the corpses and blood.

Whether it's a child's bravado and naive feeling of invincibility or if he belongs among the horrors of Everglade is anyone's guess. He approaches the imposing looking man, expression curious rather than afraid.]

How come you only drank the lady's blood and just threw the man away? If you need to drink blood, isn't it kind of wasteful to just leave him bleeding out like that?

[what_is_a_man]

[One of the first things he learned as a Vampire was to never trust a creature's appearance. When Phibrizzo approached, he knew without a shadow of a doubt that the child was not human. He wasn't quite sure what he WAS, but that was not the point.]

I admit that part of it is personal taste. But, more importantly, if the blood was not there to paint the scene, it would do little to serve as a source of fear for those that would come to investigate.

[wildcardterrier]

[ God damn vampires, seriously. Why do they always have to go and make trouble for him?

This little dog is little... and after dying once already, doesn't fear death as much as he should.

He doesn't just growl and bark at him... he summons his Stand, The Fool. Geez, where's Jotaro when you need him? ]

[what_is_a_man]

[Vlad paid the dog little mind as it began to bark. Such a reaction was normal considering the heightened senses of animals. However, when the large sand creature formed around him, that caused Vlad to take notice.]

What a strange power. Not quite magic, yet not entirely natural. Intriguing...

[Of course, as he spoke, Cagnazzo leaned out from Dracula's back, twisting around a shoulder and placing its pitchfork before his master as menacing kanji hover around him.]

Here we go, man.

[originbullets]

( Old habits die hard. So, when Kiritsugu picked up on the rumours about vampires running rampant in Everglade, it's no surprise one would find him (or not) about the town at night, his trusty Contender resting at his side.

When he hears the blood curdling screams of the woman, he is not quick to reveal himself, but he does gravitate towards the vicinity, careful to obscure his image by whatever buildings or trees might be in the way, silently scanning the area for the culprit. )

RIP everything

[what_is_a_man]

[Vlad does not do anything different with his routine now that Kiritsugu had shown up. And despite his best efforts of concealing himself, the scent of his blood carried on the wind enough to alert the vampire of the mage killer's presence.]

I can smell you. You may as well come out, lest my minions find you first.

[Action]

[fadedscarlet]

[-And here Kii was. This Demon had smelled blood so suddenly, then a scream..and before the red-haired was Dracula.

Normally they would have relished in such the death of not just one human, but TWO! And in such swift movements!! But this-this was..

There was a fear about this. Kii knew it had to do with them finally becoming a human mortal in Genessia. They cursed themselves and shouted at themselves to run. They were motionless, and they froze in front of this thing]

Run...r-run damm..it..run...

[Action]

[what_is_a_man]

[As Vlad rose from his meal, he turned toward the sound of the murmuring.]

It would do you little good even if you did run. Even if you evaded me, my armies fill the shadows. You would do better to converse. Convince me not to kill you.