[Action]

[what_is_a_man]

[When Vlad had first awoke, he thought he was once again rising from his coffin, however that quickly that proved to not be the case. As soon as the lid of the capsule opened, he burst forth in a cloud of bats, soaring off into the night. Once he found a nice secluded area to gather himself, he inspected his surroundings, and the materials placed on his person. While annoyed at this latest turn of events, he could not be surprised.]

It seems this place yearns for chaos as well...

[His voice was muted, muttering more to himself than anything as he stepped off the building he had chosen to land on, this time taking the form of a black-furred wolf, stalking the streets, looking for a suitable place to raise his castle, and finding only frustration in the shadowy streets. At least the night was dark enough he could hide from sight with little effort.]

Comments

Action

[lookprofessor]

[Luke is walking home from the library when he spots movement in the shadows. Stopping in his tracks he realizes he's seeing a dog, and smiles.]

Hello there, boy! Are you lost?

Action

[what_is_a_man]

[It's a darn good thing dogs don't have the facial structure or musculature to smile as humans do, or else Luke would just barely be able to make out a predatory smirk. However, he just eyes the boy, cocking his head slightly to complete the illusion. From his last experience with a multiverse nexus, he had learned the importance of building alliances, and this boy seemed learned enough to provide information. He uses the shadows to his advantage, subtly shifting his form to display the necklace around his neck as if a collar as he steps into the light.]

[soundmind]

[If Maka came from some other world, some other culture, people might have told her that it's not safe to be out at night.

But she didn't, and she sees nothing wrong about being out after dark. It's not as though she could help it, anyway, she was part of the closing crew for her job. A bag full of books (palindromes, poems, and history of Genessia) is slung over her shoulder and her eyes are focusing ahead.

Until she spies a flash of movement out of the corner of her eye. She stops and turns, squinting to see if she can get a better look in the shadows. It looks...furry.

So obviously the nature reaction is to kneel down and hold out her hand, clicking her tongue to get its attention.]

Hey, hey, are you lost? Come here, it's okay.

Action

[lookprofessor]

[Thankfully, though Luke has a tendency to be naive he can run fast as necessary. Anyway, when he notices the necklace, he smiles a bit more.]

Oh! You're not from here as well. I supposed as much, seeing as there aren't many strays here.

You can talk! I'll understand you just fine!

Action

[what_is_a_man]

[He just cocks his head again, taking a seat in front of Luke. After all, what does a dog know of speech? There's nothing out of the ordinary really. Just a random large black dog with a necklace.]

Re: Action

[lookprofessor]

[If he's suspicious, it doesn't show. Instead he offers one hand for the dog to sniff.]

May I pet you?

[what_is_a_man]

[Young, innocent, and blond. Watching Maka make her way down the street was like dangling a 3-course meal in front of a starving man. He was actually rather impressed she had noticed him so quickly. Her senses were more attuned to her surroundings than an ordinary person's would be. Of course that only made him curious. When she knelt down, he approached, crimson eyes taking stock of what her physical capabilities might be, just given her build. Small, wiry... yet undeniably strong. And he could sense an odd aura about her... but that was not the main issue here. As he approached his necklace would become apparent, draped around his neck in lieu of a collar.]

[betel_geuse]

Betelgeuse floated down in front of the wolf and laughed, his head back.

"Gee, a big, black wolf wandering the city streets, on a dark, spooky night? Naw, that's not suspicious at ALL. Ya want a bone, doggy?"

He'd be only mildly embarrassed, if the wolf was just a wolf. They weren't exactly common animals in the middle of a city.

[koishi_komeiji]

Though the form of an animal would work to fool most people in the city, Koishi was not most people. She was just finishing a sandwich when she saw the wolf go past, blinking after it. Stuffing the last of her food in her mouth she took to the air, following it. The creature didn't have the mind of a wolf and she was very curious as to what it actually was. She caught up easily and landed in front of it, focusing as best she could, trying to become visible.

"Hello there Mister! Can you see me? Are you a wolf youkai? Or maybe a wolf in the process of becoming a youkai?"

[soundmind]

[Innocent indeed, when Maka sees that the creature is canine, her face lights up into a smile rarely seen by other people. That kind of affectionate smile reserved for people she's close to.

Her mind is also screaming "PUPPY!" at her and it doesn't register that she should check the red-eyed wild dog-looking animal with Soul Perception. Really, Maka, wolves were a threat in your world, it's not as though you don't know what one looks like. Instead, she notes the necklace and still holds out her hand to show she's not a threat.]

Oh, so you definitely belong to someone. Your owner must be worried...but then again, maybe you arrived on your own in Genessia? [It's not impossible to her, though Blair is--by all rights--her cat, she is independent. Also has the capabilities of turning into a human.] Maybe you have a lot of magic.

[A moment of pause and she laughs, tugging on one of her pigtails with her free hand.]

Sorry, boy, I'm just talking to myself.

[swordprincess]

[Every so often, Karla likes to take a short stroll at night. She was used to the night sky thanks to her travels, and her Sacae heritage lets her appreciate the beauty of the outdoors, and the nighttime sky.]

[Not focusing on her journey allowed her to see things that she hadn't noticed before. As she strolls down the sidewalk, she notices something, a faint movement in the shadows. She presses her hand lightly against her sword sheath as she slowly moves in to take a closer look. Before long, she could make out its form.]

A dog...? No...a wolf. But why is there a wolf out here in the city...?

[watchesthesea]

[Kairi was use to being up and about some nights. Sometimes it was because she was unsure of what would happen, like when she was on the open seas. The other is simply because she couldn't sleep well sometimes. Memories she would rather forget go round and round in her head and it bothered her more than she would like.

Turning a corner she couldn't help but notice the wolf and so with a small smile she knelt down to it's level.]

Hey there, are you lost?

[witchofsnakes]

[Selina had rather enjoyed going out at night as it meant others didn't see her and she could move around much easily. No one knew who she was but once she got started...she was certain they would do the same all those types do and try and track her down.

With the book smaller and on her belt, she was on guard, spotting the wolf out of the corner of her eye.]

A wolf, huh. Didn't expect to see one wondering the street. [It kind of reminded her of the one she summoned when she first arrived.]

Action

[what_is_a_man]

[There were many things Dracula was willing to do in order to avoid detection at the moment. However, being petted was not one of them. He was nobody's pet, let alone a human child's. He draws his head back a bit, wrinkling his nose slightly in response to the question.]

[what_is_a_man]

[The wolf's ears perk as Maka talks, and cocks his head in particular at the mention of magic. So, this girl knew something of the dark arts? His attention was fully captivated.]

[what_is_a_man]

Sensing the apparition's approach a moment before he spoke, Vlad was curious as to whether he would be able to tell the difference between a normal wolf and a vampire. The taunting remark was enough of a pass that he decided to take on his normal form, shifting rather fluidly as he took a step toward the spirit.

"I would suggest you save your taunts for someone more deserving, ghoul."

[what_is_a_man]

This place was truly fascinating indeed. This was the second supernatural being he'd encountered in his short time here, and after being seen through rather soundly, he just shakes his head, shifting to his normal more stately form.

"I am neither. I am what most call a vampire." Now to gauge the girl's reaction, and thus the reputation of vampires in this place. Anything he could work with to accomplish his own goals.

[what_is_a_man]

[Vlad saw that movement to the weapon at Karla's side as he approached, but gave it little pause. It didn't smell like a holy relic of any sort, and it would be of little use should she decide to attack him. Instead, he just walked up to her as if to simply walk past her, eyes half-lidded.]

[what_is_a_man]

[The redhead definitely stood out against the rather drab colors that had cloaked the city at night, and Vlad had to admit... it was a most appetizing color. He had not seen a red-haired maiden since his conquest nearly reached to Scotland. He made a mental note to follow her and perhaps feed on her at a later date. For now, he simply stepped out of the shadows, showing off the necklace denoting him as one of those brought from other worlds.]

[what_is_a_man]

[Being one of great magical prowess himself, Dracula could easily sense the aura of other magic users. Without all the witches and warlocks inhabiting his castle, the sense was much sharper, more distinct auras could be found amongst the relative vacuum and away from the static of the castle. As such, he decided to have a bit of fun with the girl.]

I'm not just some simple wolf.

[koishi_komeiji]

Koishi's expression only brightened as he shifted back into his regular form. "That's better. It's good to be in the form you're most comfortable with." Standing at a tiny 4'1" he towered over the little youkai. Despite this, she didn't seem at all intimidated, effortlessly floating into the air to be more on his level.

"Ohhh! I didn't know vampires could turn into wolves. Back home I've only seen Miss Bat and Miss Chime turn into bats and mist."

Either she was courageous, stupid, or just plain crazy because her next move was to grasp the count's hand and shake it vigorously. "It's nice to meet you Mister! My name is Koishi Komeiji! I'm a satori youkai but you don't have to be scared of me, okay? I can't read conscious minds anymore. Just the subconscious."

As if to further her point the closed eye floating in front of her chest drifted up, swaying from side to side a little, the artery floating above her left shoulder twisting itself into a loose heart.

[what_is_a_man]

One of the kinds of creatures from the far East, hm? Interesting. Dracula offered a quick and shallow bow as she introduced herself.

"You may call me Vlad," he said, not wishing to divulge his full identity just yet. "Vampires can change themselves into all manner of forms. Mist, bats, and wolves are simply the most common."

[swordprincess]

[Karla watched the wolf carefully, trying to gauge its intentions. She had no reason to actually attack, unless it attacked her first. She took a step to the side, as if to allow it to pass, never taking her eyes off it.]

Action

[lookprofessor]

[Luke pulls his hand away with a bit of a frown.]

I'm sorry, I won't pet you then...

[He crosses his arms.]

I'm not sure what else to do for you. If you won't talk, and I don't know what you need, I'm not sure if there's anything I can do to help you...

[Action]

[redsnowangel]

[Since learning of Nanana's disappearance, Zelos had been in a rather low mood. He'd not returned back to his place that evening, instead just wondering through the city streets with no particular direction in mind. He hadn't realised how late it had got...

After a little while, his sensitive eyes caught sight of a wolf stalking through the streets near him. That was...odd. Zelos couldn't recall seeing a creature like that here before.

If Colette were here, he thought, she'd be rushing over and naming the thing as she gave it a fuss-- quickly, he pushed the thought back. He didn't want to think about anything from back home. And certainly, he wasn't like Colette.]

...Huh. Where'd you come from?