World Tree MUSH

    Moments ago, a few Vines became redirected; they're now depositing people in the recently-blossomed world of Hartford, a world where magic and nonhuman beings are perfectly ordinary. Specifically, the destination is in the Trinity Church Cemetery in upper Manhattan, bisected by Broadway (the street, not the theatre). The skies are clear except for occasional rainbow trails and golden sparkles, the sun has nearly set, and there's a faint sense of supernatural unease and unwholesomeness pervading the area, palpable even to those with no magical senses, and detectable as far as a few blocks away.

    The source? Well ... there's a burial vault off in one corner of the northeastern half of the cemetery; the entrance is open, and there are eerie flickers of purple light. A woman in a black and red French maid uniform stands just inside. ... And holding a couple of large kitchen knives.

    ... Meanwhile, this was going to be the evening that Serrah invited a couple of her coworkers plus Sonia Belmont to the SheShe Pizzeria by Central Park, to discuss possible defensive measures. Not long before Sonia's arrival there, a black hearse pulled up, a vampire maid grabbed Serrah and pulled her into the trunk, and the hearse then sped northwest up 107th Street; her elf coworker Gem flew up into the air and saw the hearse turn northeast onto Broadway -- and the blue-skinned half-demon Royce happened to know of a cemetery with a burial vault belonging to the very vampire they were worried about ...

EARLIER

<Eddie.> Venom's voice purred as Eddie Brock skimmed through what, if not an exact copy, felt like a close cousin to the sort of machines he's used over the years to look at microfilm. <I do not understand what you are looking for.>

The quite literal metal man standing behind Eddie sat down another roll to load into the machine, prompting Eddie to reach into his pocket and slide a series of flexible plastic strips on the table. 

Eddie's pencil scribbled more notes before he hit eject andslotted the next roll in. "I'm seeing patterns here Vee. Something I can work with." THe metal man canted its head to one side as Eddie scribbled more notes. "Nutrients leeched from deceased hosts, a timeline of organ failure." He snorted in amusement, "Ever record they've got puts these hosts as lasting at most a couple weeks and at worst a handful of minutes. We're some kind of freak of nature."

<That is because I like you Eddie. We make a good team.>

NOW

Eddie Brock walked along streets of a New York dressed in a black leather jacket, black denims, and in general? He had his hands in his pockets as he tried to avoid bumping into people. <You seem sad Eddie. Why?> Venom's voice again pinged in his head, <Your notes gathered from those machine-people point at our nutritional needs being easy to work around without drawing attention.>

The pearpiece Eddie wore wasn't actually on, as his phone had no signal. However Eddie wore it so moments like this seemed more like he was on his phone rather than muttering to himself like a crazy person, "Yea Vee that's good news. Just," He gestured about, "I'm in a new york that isn't home and it's.... It kicks up a lot of memories." Then he gave a smile at sight of a landmark. He had no idea why it was there and it didn't look in any real way familiar. It just happened to catch his eye, "Remind me to tell you about the Sin Eater sometime."

At the name a large person possibly an Orc or Troll or something turned his head, "You talking about the bar?"

Eddie's head shook and pointed to his headset, "Nah, friend of mine's asking after an old news piece I did."

A shrug from the large fellow and Eddie was again left alone with his toughts.

This is when Eddie noticed the cemetary, causing him to quirk an eyebrow at the sky lights, not knowing if they were just a part of the local color, or if it was signifigant.

<Something is going on.> Venom caused Eddie's limbs to jerk and twitch, forcing Eddie to leap over the outer fence of the outer wall. <Those... crypts,> Venom had taken moments to find the right word, <Are supposed to stay closed.>

Eddie looked, nodding at the girl with the knives, "Yea something's up." His limbs again twitched on invisible strings as Venom made him turn around, appearing to stare at a nearby headstone.

<I will watch. Do not attempt your usual 'sneaking.' It didn't go well last time->

"Look that wasn't my fault man," Eddie gestured as he pointedly stared at the grave he was closest to, as if he were having an argument with the dead, "How was I supposed to know they beefed up security?"

<Point is you stand out like a sore thumb, and I see everywhere.>

A snort from eddie, "RIght we'll do it your way, but," He patted the marker, "Just keep the growling to a minamum alright?"

He started walking, appearign to wander aimlessly specifically not making progress towards the creepy knife maid but also within line of sight.

    When Evie Frye was dumped out here instead of her intended destination, mapping out the vines, she figured there was a purpose. Her hood up, the Victorian Assassin quickly ascertained just which version of New York she was in, and figured if there was some sort of guidence back to the Hartford world, something very wrong had occured. 

    And though they say the neon lights are bright on Broadway, the speeding Herse caught her attention -- don't often see vehicles that are carrying the dead running on such a clip. 

    She had hopped a fence as soon as she could make it to the cemetary, weaving through other walkers easily and once inside the property of the deceased the Assassin moving along the graves slowly, deliberately, if not respectfully (after all, you're not supposed to step on anyone's grave, how rude), but the befreckled woman paused. She heard a familiar voice, sticking to the back of her skull as she crouched low, and summoned up The Sight. 

    IF there were people she knew, she might be able to see them with her Eagle Sense.

Sonia might have been making completely incidental trips to this word--studying its vampires, studying its lore, its magic, making copies of information not only in written format but committing to memory, but now? Now its... a visit with a purpose. The Speaker side of Sonia wasn't here so much as it was the Belmont side. 

While she was... hopeful it would be a nice visit, and that nothing had happened, healthy paranoia dictated otherwise, which is why she had arrived not assuming a peaceful visit at all. No, she was at a slightly higher state of readiness than usual.

That meant that her cloak was drawn close, hood up and over her head. And after getting that same information out of the elf, she gave her a gracious thank you before turning on her heel and, quite frankly, booking it at a rate no human should be able to move at through the streets. A mix, one might say, of parkour and just simply enhanced movement. Nothing like a true super speedster or anything like that, but for lack of a horse or something else... well. Yeah. 

Still, her senses didn't take long to pick up on the feeling emanating from the graveyard way before she got closer, so she simply made a beeline for it, having leapt up towards the street lamps that lined the road and bounded from lamp to lamp until she hurtled over the graveyard's fence with a flutter of that same claok. 

She... felt others, beyond what was already coming from further in. Others who came by chance, she wondered? A vague sense of unease followed her as she began moving towards what /felt/ inevitably as the source. 

    The maid, at the very least, is someone Evie has met before. She's attractive in an anemic sort of way, she seems to have unhealthy-looking skin, and she has blood-red eyes. She has a Stepford smile, and there's a black mark in the middle of her forehead.

    She's somehow able to stand perfectly still, and just stares off into space; it's Sonia who she reacts to first, with her clear destination and intent. "Good evening, Miss Slayer," says Wilhelmina Nocturne, shooting her a fangy grin. "His Grace is in the middle of a dark ritual, and does not wish to be disturbed." Even her voice sounds kind of vacant.

    But then she shifts her posture, holding up her knives defensively. She's no trained assassin or formal soldier; she's entirely self-taught. But her bearing makes it clear that she is nevertheless willing and able to fight off anyone who wants to interrupt His Grace anyway.

<That's the woman from the pub,> Venom stated as Evie strode across the graves. 

This caused Eddie to slowly turn, again patting the headstone and start striding towards her his head would incline towards the servant woman with hte knives and the purple light from the crypt before shrugging, There was a smile, but it didn't touch his eyes as he turned to fall in step with Evie, "You here about the voodoo disturbing the dead light show?" His voice low, hopefully enough so that he wouldn't be overheard. "Not sure who's in charge here but they're waiting on somebody." 

He had no idea Evie essentially did these sorts of things for a living to the point she would have probably been better than him at spotting something on the order of site prep for delivering a kidnapee. "Magic voodoo wizardry or no, I gotta have words with whoever's in charge over stuffing their goons in... That." His eyes rolled as he glanced towards the lady with the fetish garb, "He's either that moronic, or that confident he's doing it all ironically, which makes it even worse."

<You're babbling eddie, and your pulse has quickened.> Then Sonia landed it noted calmly, <More company. Predatory. Whoever is running this is being too obvious.>

"Yea," Eddie grunted, "Either a trap, or they simply don't care." Even with Venom announcing Sonia's presence Eddie couldn't help glancing over to see who the newcomer was before looking over to Evie, "Any way you wanna play this? Your show, We're just along for the ride."

"Dark ritual huh?" Eddie, in spite of himself, strode forward. His left hand reaching out as if t ograb one of the woman's wrists. THen a black tar-like substance formed several tendrils, attempting to wrap around the knives while yanking the woman aside. "Looks like your boss forgot to invite the press and you're not keeping me out."

<What kind of moron outright calls what they're doing a 'dark ritual' that's as good as going 'burn this place to the ground and bless the ashes so nothing comes back.> Venom scoffed, regardless on if the poor door lady could keep her footing or not.

    Ah. Mr. Brock is in attendence, and a new person that she's not familiar with yet, she closes her eyes, and as she comes up behind Brock, she turns and delivers a very thin smile to the reporter. 

    "I'm afraid, Mr. Brock, Vampires are somewhat out of my league -- though *that* is Wilhelmina Nocturne, in service to the vampire ruler of this world." she states, loud enough that the Slayer would hear her as the young woman draws up, hood hiding her eyes in shadow as she regards Sonia -- letting Eddie take point on Wilhelmina. 

    "Good evening. May I presume you are also here to interrupt whatever devilry is occurring within?" she questions, drawing up her cane as she gives a breath out. 

    "I fear an acquaintence of mine is in trouble."

For a few moments--seemingly long while seemingly short at the same time, Sonia considered. She looked slightly askance at the man--the--two? There was a look of curiousness in Sonia's blue eyes just along the hood's lining.

Then to Evie--had she met them before at some time? But given her words, she simply... smiled. A dark smile, before looking to Eddie as she quietly stepped forward.

She began simply, "Vampires are in control of this world. Everything is rather... ordered. There's a place for everything. 'Siring' a new vampire is apparently an investment." Her tone betrays a sense of growing disdain, but she clearly feels it is worth making a point. "Choose your targets carefully."

And then her words are... more directed to Evie than anything else, as her voice hardens. 'Predatory' is right of it, that Venom picks up off of her. Cold anger coming off of her in slow waves. Or was it so hot, that it turned coldly burning? "She and I have already had the opportunity to meet. When her Master made the declaration that Serrah was the 'right size'. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Sonia Belmont. And my family will *ALWAYS* hunt the Night." 

Even as she says this, there is a graceful movement from her betraying singular brutality and effiency as a burst of movement from the cloak itself, the woman leaping backwards and spinning to gain momentum to lash out like a beam of light with the whip she had just been concealing--light racing down its length to send a flare of holy light from the tip itself, aimed solely for the maid's heart. Such as it were. 

>> SUMMARY[Sonia Belmont] >> Nope. Not even playing around. She's in full Slayer mindset.

Wilhelmina turns her vacant smile on Eddie. "I beg your pardon?" she says -- and when the tendrils lash out, she moves like a snake; vampires are fast. She swings the knives through the air, slashing at the tendrils.

The problem is, she just slashed at Venom's tendrils.

She jerks her hands away, abandoning the knives. "... I see," she says, just the slightest strain in her voice. "I do not serve His Imperial Majesty, however. I serve the Duke Vincent D'Ambr--"

And then she has a whip coming at her called the Vampire Killer, and she leaps to the side -- but she's a hair too slow to avoid it completely, and she lets out an inhuman hiss from her throat as the holy light from the whip seems to disintegrate most of her right arm, and she falls down backwards into the burial chamber.

A man's voice wafts up from within -- the voice of Vincent D'Ambrosio himself. "Not exactly what I was hoping you'd accomplish, Mina, but in the ballpark."

<Excus me. WHAT?!> Venom growled at Sonia's.... handling of the situation as the black substance that made up itself retracted back into Eddie.

"Vampire, Investment, blatantly sexualizing underlings." There was a careful neutrality as he checked his forward momentum, allowing Sonia to take lead. This gave him a handful of moments to flex his fingers and massage his left hand, "If this character's expecting trouble enough to post a guard you'd think he'd give her more than knives."

<Overconfident? It sounds like he is relying on family name to shield him.> Venom's voice was full of scorn, <an overconfident->

"Parasite," Eddie spat at the sound of Vincent's voice. Except it wasn't just Eddie's voice, it was his and something else, deeper, animalistic. Offended.

    Evie sensed a certain kinship with the Belmont, and her lips purse in appreciation of the Belmont's methods. 

    "Evie Frye." she states in introduction, "And Venom." she introduces the Symbiote as well, just in case they've not made acquaintence -- and without further ado, the Assassin moves to follow Mina's descent into the burial chamber, canesword in hand as she goes, assuming that Eddie and Sonia will be along.

"No, 'overconfident' is correct. I've had the displeasure." Sonia retorts as she lands, a quick flick of her wrist snapping the whip back and bringing the Vampire Killer into coils that she grips with the same hand wielding it, giving a slight nod towards Evie Frye as introductions are conducted with the swift effiency of all due haste being required. 

Tugging her hood back, the blonde considers the burial crypt for a moment, which reveals a faint yellow glow that is fading from her eyes. "If you cannot get a stake of wood in their heart, dismember, decapitate. Some have the ability to mesmerize with a look of their eyes if they are strong enough. Above all, do not hesitate, but I do not think that is a concern here." Such is a wry look given towards Eddie and Venom's tendrils. "Though I am curious about the two of you," she remarks curtly, "there is little time for such questions, I fear." 

Her eyes harden a bit as the impromptu group closes towards where Mina has tumbled back towards, though the truth is she's actually preparing to do something more /permanent/ about Mina if the opportunity presents itself.

The burial chamber is reasonably well-lit by an electric light in the ceiling; there's two grave markers in front, one bearing the text "Hugo D'Ambrosio, September 9, 134 4A - January 1, 176 4A - May 13, 647 4A", and one with "James D'Ambrosio, June 13, 514 4A - March 17, 547 4A - April 30, 682 4A". There's two large mirrors embedded in the back wall, one of them backed with gold; there's a hospital blood bag laying against the other one.

The center of the room is dominated by a large bier. Serrah Delany is lying on top of it with a pair of fang-marks on her neck, looking like she was drained of blood. She isn't breathing, and there isn't any sign of a heartbeat either.

Vincent is a tall man with brown hair and a razor-thin beard, dressed in a tuxedo with a cape. He's holding a black stylized scepter with bat-wings and a glowing purple heart-shaped gem at the tip; the light it's shining on Serrah's forehead seems to be the source of the flickers of purple light. He's only visible in the golden mirror; in the silver one, the scepter seems to be hovering in midair.

The glow fades, revealing a black heart-shaped mark on Serrah's forehead, much like Wilhelmina's. He turns as the group arrives. "Wait, what do you mean 'sexualized'?" he says, sounding genuinely baffled by Eddie's words.

Wilhelmina lies on her back with one knee raised, clutching what's left of her arm. "He is no doubt referring to my uniform, and to your desire for a minion of a specific height, Your Grace," she says, her voice sounding exactly the same as it usually does without the slightest trace of pain. "Incidentally, the slayer's whip contains holy energy, and I will be unable to regenerate on my own."

Vincent glances at Wilhelmina's injury. "You don't say," he says dryly. "Hokay, gimme a sec to deal with the rabble, and I'll Blackheart it away!"

... Yep, Sonia's right: overconfident it is.

"So like the movies then," Eddie grunted, putting together a mental list of every vampire movie that wasn't a parody he'd seen other than the classic black and white. "Thralls have any mind of their own or meat puppets?" 

<She's already dead Eddie.> Venom's voice had a hard edge to it, <Died the moment she got made into a meat-puppet.>

"And... uh yea i"m Eddie, you'll see Venom in a minute, trying to hold him as a wildcard." Even that handful of words felt like too many. "You're the specialist. lead on." 

<I wonder if one could catch us bothor if only you would be vulnerable.> Venom mused as Eddie fell in step behind Sonia, <I will take over if you start acting like not-you.>

Eddie saw the fang marks. Which meant in his mind the girl on the slab was either already turned, or that they'd need to kill the sire.

"You heard me." He stood quite open, hands empty as he spoke, "French maid outfits." He took a step forward, "the little comment about her being the perfect size to be your minion. Giving the house help next to nothing before throwing them to the wolves." Eddie again took another step. "All while spounging off of your family. So you're what? The hedonistic idiot cousin?" There was an offended spite, "One of the saudi princes that always makes the news for a spike in dead hookers floating to the surface whenever you're in town?"

<Eddie what are you doing?!> Venom screamed in Eddie's head.

    Evie lands, and she's taken aback by the casual air of the whole event. She draws herself up, cane in hand as she levels a look to Di'Ambrosia, midnful to keep her own gaze about his chest, then to the poor visage of Serrah. Eddie takes point, and she stays silent. Edie's focusing on the vampire, and she turns her attention to the still active minion. 

    She much rather would have people rushing her. This felt like an explosion with too much line to burn. A regular powderkeg. 

    "To live such a life as yours is a waste." she whispers to Wilhemina with a pitying tone.

"Almost. Not quite. From what I've heard about 'movies' at least. Still need to actually see one, or so some have told me." Sonia briefly admits. "Garlic varies. Never was particularly of use where I come from." There was some other parts, sure, but. She kept to the standards at least, the 'overall, that should work' and if not, be careful.

Still, the arrival here makes Sonia's eyes turn to slits at the sight. "Not... quite dead, I don't think. We're too late for that." There's a small sigh, somewhat put upon by Sonia as she regards what she sees of Serrah, though she's not even remotely missed Wilhelmina and Vincent's exchange. 

On the other side of the coin, at the very least Venom and Eddie--as she senses them, feels them, are acquainting themselves with the notion of 'swift action'. Still, a brief look, her eyes having taken in the scepter, and what she 'felt' as Eddie-Venom remarked. "Powerful curse. Thought as much from the other day." She exhales slowly, while Eddie unloaded a whole /bucket/ of presumptions at Vincent. Probably wasn't true. 

...probably. 

With a quick gesture--her middle and index fingers drawn in under her thumb, circling around as to /not/, y'know, maybe get Eddie caught in either whipcrossfire, or what she does next. Which is, with that same hand, sending those two beads of light outward that arc and converge into a tight beam of light that lances towards Vincent--seemingly right at his heart, but at the last moment, a gesture from Sonia sends the beam careening towards the scepter-holding hand. 

>> SUMMARY[Sonia Belmont] >> Commentary on the strange way movies are before moving aside so as to let Venom-Eddie take the fore while she decides to experiment with what maybe doing harm to that scepter--or at least the holding of it--might do. If she can!

    "In my defense," says the prone Wilhelmina, "I am quite sufficient at deterring those rabble who are not specialized in destruction, ours or otherwise."

    Vincent mostly just looks affronted at Eddie's tirade. "Excuse you!" he says in a huff. "I am a Duke of the Hartford Empire, and the head of the House D'Ambrosio! That manner of crass hedonism is beneath me!"

    "His Grace's preferred hedonism is wining and dining," Wilhelmina adds helpfully.

    "You be quiet," Vincent says flatly. "G'DAH!" He was distracted, but not enough that he misses a vampire-hunting fellow-predator sending holy light at him. He dodges to the side -- he's visibly quicker than Wilhelmina -- and the attack only damages his cape, but his face betrays how startled he is.

    He quickly recovers his confident grin, however. "All right, down to business, then!" he says, and in the next instant, he zips forward in a simple zigzag, and his fist swings towards Sonia's head with enough force to knock her into the far wall.

    Wilhelmina smiles at Evie. "Life?" she whispers back. "I am dead." Her voice has actual amusement, almost. "But my purpose is simply to serve the master of the Blackheart Scepter, and hence the House D'Ambrosio."

    ... Serrah's reflection in the silver mirror flickers.

    "You move, you speak, you fetch coffee. A half life." she compromises quietly, "With enough will to argue." she points out curiously, carefully close to Nocturne. 

    HEr green eyes narrow at the poor vampire thrall.. and she looks up as Serrah's reflection flickers. She's distracted as she narrows her eyes, her lips purse. 

    "And what happens should the master of the Blackheart Sceptor fall?" she asks.

Well there went any chance at holding Vincent's attention by trying ot psychobabble how all this was a clear sign of his impodence, or that he secretly craved the love of his mother. Eddie mentally grumbled at not being able to go full on Freud on this guy. Because Vincent deserved nothing more than that load of stupidity as distraction.

Then Sonia fired her LAZOR!

<THAT IS SO UNFAIR!> Venom squealed, <I WANT GIANT DEATH LASERS! WHY DON'T I GET DEATH LASERS!?>

Eddie huffed before running towards Serrah. Let the specialist do specialist things. His focus was on getting girl out of fire. "Alright girl c'mon we're getting out of here!" Tar-black tendrils would extend from Eddie to form a shield around Serrah as Eddie moved to pick her up. Gone were his quips. "Alright kiddo time to go!"

Venom crisscrossed Serrah's body with finger thin tendrils as Eddie started for the exit, hoping to deter any attempts at either her being snatched away, or if she were under Vincent's thrall, keep her from lashing out. 

A tendril lashed out from Eddie's torso towards the nearest wall to pull him away from the fighting.

It would be easy--regrettably easy--to educate, to admonish, to all but practically /scold/ Vincent in the way he is acting. But that would be /helpful/ to him, and that is not something that Sonia plans on actually doing. 

The first swing, on that note, does connect--though perhaps not with Sonia's face as much as Vincent intends to. Her arms crisscross at the last moment and the woman braces herself before she goes flying backwards--slamming into and maybe making just a slight *crunch* of the brick and mortar evident and audible. She goes still, at least for a moment. 

From the impact, there is a very subtle change in her. It did hurt--make no mistake. It did give her a better understanding at least, of Vincent's personal strengths. That, plus the sight of the reflection fading... for a moment internal conflict took the stage about swiftly ending Serrah's soon to be undead life. Blood oozed from her hairline before she murmured, "Haec succurrant ventis hiberno." And with those words, the pain from it, the bleeding stilled, one hand briefly lain upon her chest. And with that same hand, the other holding the Vampire Killer in the other, she tugged the clasp.

The cloak fell--revealing well--a potentially revealing figure. It might be distracting the point of how built it was for actual combat, as the woman pushed off of the slightly fractured wall behind her and just unleashed a fury of whipstrikes--a dancers grace belying each movement. Movement she takes for enhancing the whipstrikes themselves, and to give her the edge on moving quickly in response to counterattacks. 

She would have to leave other matters to Eddie, Venom, and the nature of Mina, towards Evie. Hopefully she would remain disabled while the Belmont fought Vincent. 

    Wilhelmina's only reaction to Evie's comments about her half-life is, "The term is 'undead'." Her smile doesn't even waver at the question. "I will serve the next master of the Scepter, of course."

    And then her gaze shifts to Eddie. "Your Grace!" she calls out.

    Vincent, once again, is briefly distracted by Eddie, this time making off with Serrah. "Oh, you've got a trick up your sleeve!" he says, apparently mostly misconstruing what Venom is. He raises his fist. "Nah, I don't think so!"

    But first, he's got a Belmont to worry about.

    He jumps back, grinning as he does his best to dodge the whip, using his cape to try to entangle and block it and to partially obscure his movements. It's just an ordinary cape; it starts to get torn in relatively short order. But then, in response to a strike that looked like it was going to hit him in the face, he turns into a black liquid shadow that sinks to the floor, flows towards Eddie, and then reforms -- and his cape and clothing are now intact.

    Serrah's reflection vanishes from the silver mirror at that point. She gasps, her mouth hanging open to reveal fangs, and she squirms in the grip of Venom's tendrils. "Ffffffuuuuuuuuugghhh ..." She coughs. "Put me down you ... you bloodsucking ... goddamn ... shit!" Seems she thinks she's still being held by Vincent or Wilhelmina.

    ... Her voice sounds different from what Evie and Sonia have heard before. It sounds less scratchy and androgynous, while still being obviously Serrah's voice.

    Vincent turns around. "Good morning!" he says. "Or should I say, good evening!" He seems to think this is so witty.

<Eddie look!> Venom made Eddie aware of Serrah's fangs.

"Hey I'm one of the good guys here!" Eddie protested as he continued to run. Right until Vincent reformed in front of him. "And you." Eddie's eyes locked on Vincint, praying to God that this worked, that vincent was going to take the bait ad that Venom was going to be able to counter it. "Are a parasite among parasites. You're deluded into thinking you're better, that you being in this... Family... someow puts you above people like me. All on top of you treating the world like your play pen."

<Eddie you're being stupid.> Venom growled as the tendrils around Serrah readjusted, taking all the weight away from Eddie's hands.

"You think you're so much better than the rest of us." Eddie growled as he took a step towards the exit. "So come. Take." He bared his teeth at Vincent, revealing rows of pointed needle fangs instead of what should be there.

Frustration doesn't have a place here. For what it's worth, Sonia is carefully ramping up her attacks, gauging and judging. A fleeting look of consternation at that flow of liquid--and with gall Vincent has, in one fell movement Sonia reaches behind herself, and with an audible hiss of metal on leather pulls free a sword, giving it a quick flipping toss in the air... 

Then catching it and throwing it straight at Vincent's head. Serrah's awakening has not gone unnoticed, nor Eddie's attempt, at least, to get her out. At the very least, Serrah's personality is seemingly there, even if she feels unmistakable vampiric. 

But, back to the sword throw--because she's not just throwing the sword, she's lashing out with the whip again--a twofold attack?! Maybe--yet maybe not--as in the moments between time, that whip manages to actually catch the handle of the sword and yanking it back--loosening up before she spins and kicks the handle, sending it scything back towards Vincent. 

Namely, due to learning some of his movements not moments before, and hoping to catch him with the feint of the thrown sword plus whip. She's fast. "Don't be stupid, tear his throat out instead of staring at him!" she snaps in the moment. That might be well why she decided to aim violently for the head with that yo-yo like attack. 

    "Then I'm not sorry for what must be done." Evie comments, and as Wilhelmina calls out to Vincent, Evie moves. Graceful, well-practiced and without hesitation. 

    Her left hand lowers, her right hand rises up and she provdes a more perminant solution for Wilhelmina's existence. 

    There's a slight flash, and though it's no stake, there is a lengthy blade that's drawn form beneath Evie's bracer, her right hand holding to the girl's shoulder as she pushes the injured thrall to the side.. 

    And Evie's grappling line shoots out from beneath the bracer, and she tries to entangle the vampire lord with the lines, the stone-peircing line should have enough power and tense strength to peirce throught he damned cloak at least... 

    ... she hopes.

    Serrah's now-blood-red eyes blink open. "Uh ... wha ...? Who the hell are you!?" she says.

    Vincent smirks at Eddie. "Hm ... nice teeth!" he says, stepping to the side. "But okay, sure!" He points his scepter at Eddie, and fires a purple blast!

    If it hits, Eddie would find a spell descending on his mind, attempting to take control of him, and if he isn't able to resist it, a glowing purple heart-shape would appear on his forehead -- and he would become unable to disobey any order (Vincent's actual intent, not simply his precise wording), although it wouldn't stop him from speaking his mind.

    Vincent turns back to Sonia without waiting to see if it hit. "Now drop her and murderize everyone else in this room!" He tries to follow Sonia's double-feint. "Wait, what is she -- whoa!" He ducks under the thrown sword, and swings his fist to deflect it further off-course, but it does leave a red line across his forehead.

    Wilhelmina's response to getting pushed aside by Evie is to call out once again: "YOUR GRACE!"

    And Vincent's reaction is just too slow to avoid getting hit by the grappling hook, and it pulls him right off his feet and he falls onto his backside. "WHYYYYYY!"

Eddie saw Vincent raise his staff, then lunge forward, teeth bared trying to go through with Sonia's suggestion of ripping the dandy's head off. instead he got hit by the big bag magic staff thing and all momentum stopped. He stumbled, his eyes unfocusing. "..Aw crap...." Eddie felt his body going slack. "So that's how it works huh...?" His hands started to let go ofSerrah before violently being shoved back in place and his body twisting towards the exit.

<Yea you go sleep now Eddie. I'll drive thank you.>

A tendril would lash out to grab the staff from Vincent's hand, "So whoevr holds the staff?" Eddie growled. He was compelled to fight, but Eddie wasn't driving anymore so he took the opprotunity to mouth off. "What if we're the one holding the black magic staff?" Another tendril snaked out to pull Eddie to the ceiling as a third lashed out towards Vincen'ts head. "What if we shove it down your throat?!"

    Evie looks with some sort of revulsion at Willy, and she shakes her head, the mostly 'armless vampire not holdingh er attention long as she braces her legs, and keeps the pressure on the line tense to try and keep the vampire on his ass -- but Eddie was hit with the light. Evie braces for the worst when the order is given to 'murderlize'. 

    Dear lord, what are they doing to the Queen's English?! 

    SO She pulls her left arm back tighter, giving a low sound in her throat. 

    "Ms. Belmont? If you woudl be so kind as to advise?!"

Sonia just. Grits her teeth, really. Part of her was hoping, just maybe, /maybe/ he would've acted sooner. And you know, that staff--which the mere existence of it is becoming... troublesome. Whether she has a chance to destroy it or not--if it even can be, minus some ritual. Her mind races--but then what happens next surprises her. 

"... two minds." she murmurs more to herself than anything else.

Sucking in a breath she shifts her position. Whether Venom actually /succeeds/ in cramming that scepter down his throat is one matter, the other is, well. Hmm. "Kill her." Sonia says, looking over at Wilhelmina. "Give him something to think about." she harshly declares before making another gesture, bringing her hand close again like she were making a prayer, and then lashing out with the whip once more. 

And as she lashes out, holy light seems to snap outwards like it were a veritable extension of the whip itself, coursing up the leather, making that same light a Vampire-seeking missile for Vincent's heart.

    Serrah's eyes go wide as she sees Eddie come under Vincent's control. "What the fuck is that," she says. And then ... Eddie comes under Venom's control. "What the fuck is that!?"

    Vincent, too, seems startled by this turn of events. He jumps to the side to avoid the tendril, possibly tugging Evie back towards him in the process. "Nope, just me!" he says, answering the question about who needs to hold the scepter.

    And then he has the whip coming at him. He lets out a squawk, and shoots straight up into the air over the whip; the chamber doesn't really have room for flying, but he's nevertheless making the attempt. He bumps his head, and the whip strikes his leg, causing him to let out a hiss like Wilhelmina did before as he loses his foot.

    He grimaces. "Yeah, no." He turns into a liquid shadow again, sinks back to the ground, and hurriedly flow towards Wilhelmina. "New plan, Mina!" says his voice. The injured maid sinks into the shadow as if into a trapdoor, and vanishes. "We leave, and then I'll Blackheart both of our injuries!"

    "Indeed, Your Grace," says Wilhelmina's voice, even as the shadow flows over to the exit. When it reaches the stairs, it sort of turns into a black mist, and flows out at speed.

    Serrah stares after them. Then she looks up at Eddie. "Okay, seriously, could you please put me down?" she says flatly. She hesitates. "... what's with my voice?"

>> SUMMARY[Serrah Delany] >> Vincent and Wilhelmina GTFO!

Venom grunted as Eddie lowered back to the ground, "You got hit with that Obey-Me stick your boss used on me." The Tendrils retracted back into Eddie's body. All except the ones binding Serrah, "I am perhaps a very special case on why that stick doesn't work. You, however," Eddie turned towards Sonia. His moviements jerkey, almost as if something were puppeting his body. "I tell you, then you escape doing that shadow... whatever. Then you go tell screwball and his flunkie. I'm not trusting him to be /that/ stupid."

He then looked to Sonia, "So. I got hit by the stick, What do we do about it?" He stood there, waiting. Serrah most definitely not being let go.

    Evie gives a grunt as she's dragged about by Vincent's mucking about, and she loops the thin line around her bracer, feelign it cut through the jacket and hold to the metal liners as she pulls back down -- and then? 

    THey're gone. 

    "COME /BACK YOU BLOODY COWARD!/" she bellows angrily, huffing before she regains her composure, and with a couple of adjustments, the grappling line retracts, and she slides the hook back into place, her hood still up as she looks to Venom and Eddie, to Serrah and to the Belmont before she exhales. 

    "How are you feeling, Serrah?" she asks, a little out of breath.

Sonia growls sharply--this was not as planned--then again was any of this beyond Vincent's intentions really planned? Frustration is writ large upon her face as she snaps her whip back, a subtle motion making the whip practically coil up all its own. Evie's bellow besides, she's turning her attention towards several things. The talk about making sure Serrah didn't have to suffer not but maybe days ago. 

Then her eyes fall on Venom. And Eddie. The ... bizarre structure of the Symbiote is something she commits to memory as much as she can. Her head cants ever so slightly to one side. "Serrah... Vincent made good on that claim of his." is all Sonia can at first say, before looking to Eddie, and studies him. Studies the magical curse that rod sought to lay on him. 

And then she'll try. With a hand placed on Eddie's forehead, with light glimmering and warmth pouring through that same hand, she murmurs something in latin if one had to guess, seeking a very straightforward task: breaking that curse by dispelling it with a combination of raw magic to break down the curse itself, with sanctified energy to remove its remnants. Akin to a blessing, really. 

>> SUMMARY[Sonia Belmont] >> Not happy over any of this, kind of. Stewing a bit, before attempting a cursebreaking.

    Serrah blinks in confusion at Eddie's words. "... sorry, what?" she says. She winces slightly at Evie's outburst, then shrugs at the question. "I ... am not really feeling all that good at all, honestly. Thirsty, kind of, but ... I'm ... not sure what I'm thirsty for ..."

    Her red eyes go wide with shock as Sonia spills the beans. "Wait, wh ... y-you mean ..." She flinches back from the blessing; it simply obliterates the Heart Control, which felt like it was on its way out anyway without Vincent there to sustain it. "Wait ... are you ... telling ... me ..."

    Her head turns towards the two mirrors. The silver one shows the blood bag resting against it, Sonia and Evie standing around, and Eddie with a firm grip on what appears to be nothing whatsoever. "... ohhhh shit," she says softly. In a panic, she squirms in Eddie's grip for a moment. "Shit, shit, shitshitshitshitshit ..." She's ... putting a bit more of a struggle than an ordinary human would ...

    ... and then she turns into a shadow and slides away from Eddie towards the gold mirror, reforming in front of it and tugging her cheek open to get a good look at her fangs. "GOD DAMN IT!" she yells, punching the mirror hard enough to crack it. There are tears in her eyes now. She lets out a loud scream, and unleashes a flurry of super-fast punches which basically obliterate the mirror.

Eddie heard the words and felt... something. His mind flashed back to one of the few times in church when he felt something there. Something other than his sister trying to hurry him along. More than his father's abuse. THat one moment when there was this feeling of some vast Grandness that was more than architecture, more than the priest at the pulpit.

<Eddie...?> Venom heard the words, and more ot the point could feel Eddie's awareness not on the here and now, but on that singular moment. <What's happening?>

"Pater noster," Eddie's voice was soft, but the curse hadn't taken his ability to speak his mind. "qui es in caelis."

It was an impossible moment, the scene in his memory shifting. No longer quite a memory as the family was gone. THe other church-goers gone. Eddie, a small child, maybe five maybe a little older. Behind him a shadowey figure holding his shoulders, trying to reassure Eddie he was not alone. A woman there where the priest should have been, seaking.

"... libera nos a malo."

Eddie's eyes were unfocused, his lips moving as he repeated the lord's prayer. His mind and, for lack of better term, soul, grasping at the holy energies. 

Then Eddie smiled, "Alright. I'm good now." The tendrils would untwine, loosening as Venom twisted Serrah about so she would be on her feet as she turned to shadow. Without Serrah there the tendrils retracted into Eddie's body, causing him to frown at Serrah. 

Then he looked to Sonia, "So any chance killing the greastballthat bailedo n us will make her turn back or is it like.... done is done and she's always gonna be jonsing for blood?" He looked from Sonia to Serrah and his head shook.

"Should've ripped his head off when we had the chance..."

    It had been a long time since Evie had beleived in any sort of God. Her entire order was built on the idea that there probably wasn't one. 

    BUt she's quiet as the holy energy cleanses the curse from Eddie. She knew the Latin well enough, but wasn't her place to say it. 

    Instead, she approaches Serrah, and kneels beside her. She offers her right hand, the ungauntleted hand. 

    "I'm sorry, Serrah." she whispers, with genuine sorrow in her voice.

For several moments, Sonia's legitimately at a loss for words. She didn't expect the curse to be affected in Serrah as well--in this regard, that is a very good thing. She sighs quietly, and for the first time, looks... not the severe hunter that Evie, that Serrah, that even Eddie and Venom in their short time--have seen. Despite her age, she looks every bit the sympathetic mother. A devout, kind person who didn't want to see anyone suffer. 

Maybe the kind of person that would've done Eddie a load of good, given her faith wasn't marred by the corruptions the church often fell victim too. Just a brief 'amen' from her at the last utterance before Eddie declared he was okay. 

"... I made you an offer, Serrah. I will carry it out, if that is your wish." If Serrah had, in any way attacked them, this would not have been a question. "You will be made to hurt people. You will undoubtedly will. I can and will end you here and now. You won't even feel it. You will not suffer." Sonia begins. 

A look from the blue eyed woman to the reporter, if anything, she was looking at him *and* Venom, somehow. There's no going back from this. She didn't want to make this offer, she didn't want to, and Evie could see it in the hunter, but there was an ironclad will behind it. 

    Serrah doesn't react to Eddie's Latin or Sonia's 'amen', but she feels uncomfortable in a way she can't define. Oh wait yes she can, it's because in some sense, it's a religious symbol coming from a true believer. "... J-just don't hold a cross at me and I'll be fine," she says, just loud enough that it's obviously meant for them to hear.

    She weakly takes Sonia's hand, and straightens up. Actually, her general physique is slightly different as well -- she was once stocky, but now she has a more slender as well, and she's noticeably more attractive ...

    ... in an anemic sort of way.

    She takes a deep breath, and then hesitates. "I ... can breathe, I still have lungs and shit, but it ..." She shakes her head. "There's no ... 'relief' to it?" She's looking miserable. "... wow."

    But at Sonia's offer, she immediately whirls around and shakes her head. "No! Hell no!" she says, with a force that surprises even her. "I ... shit." She looks away. "I'm not dying yet. Or ... permanently-dying ... damn it I'm gonna have to learn all the ... the terminology." She hesitates. "A-and get a new driver's license with my date of death, and ... and ..."

    She stares down at herself. "I can feel ... 'humanity' ... inside me," she says quietly. "Like ... I haven't read anything about this before, but ... there's ... something left ... that could ... maybe ..." She sounds like she isn't even sure she wants to hold out this much hope. "... be ... brought back?"

    A pause. "But I mean if I end up turning into another Wilhelmina, sure, go ahead."

Eddie nodded once and took a deep breath. "Even if he doesn't make you hurt people. He'll hurt /you/." There was a lump in his throat. How many abuse victimes had he talked to over the years? Homelessness? Getting shoved around by corporations? Domestic? Commonalities of someone getting stepped on just because they could be. "If..." He took a breath. "If I knew of any way." He swallowed.

<Eddie you did NOT make a mistake!> Venom chided, <We were in a poor position to strike. I had to assert control. You did NOT fail her!>

Eddie looked down, "Easy for you to say..." He turned to walk away. He's hurt people. He's literally eaten people. He paused then made himself turn. If this girl had to die. He was going to watch.

...except all he saw was Serrah having a meltdown over the beurucratic hell that would be getting her new license, having a deat hcertificate, her medical redone, and all of... the everything that was both fantastical yet mundane enough he winced in sympathy.

Then a look to Sonia with a raised eyebrow. "...is.... this /NORMAL/?"

    Evie completely understood Sonia's offer, but she stood back. If Serrah were to attack, well, she still had her cane sword. 

    But instead, it was complaints about identification and learning new terminology. She gives a slight smile. 

    "I do beleive in spite of the night's events, Miss Delaney will be just fine." she comments to Sonia, securing her cane in place and looking to Eddie and Venom. She pats his shoulder, once, and then goes for the way back up. 

    Dreadfully outgunned and out of her league indeed.

A brief nod comes from Sonia, listening to Serrah. Listening, indeed, to Evie, to Eddie. "I know. I can feel inside you, you know?" Sonia sighs softly. "I usually do not tell people this. Anyone, save people who I might need to fight with. The more others know, sometimes the more it can get used against you." Her smile is weak at first before hardening. 

She gestures with her whip. "I didn't want him, or her, learning too much. And I still don't. But you should know, even if you might be compelled to tell him. I can simply feel where others are. Feel their souls, undead or otherwise. Presence. I know many, many things, but that knowledge is incomplete here amidst the boughs of this... tree." She sighs quietly. 

"But I can tell you from what I saw that, for one thing or another, you can expect him to find you. Expect yourself to be put directly under his control and do things. Everything I have been taught tells me I need to grant you this mercy now, before you're forced to be a prisoner inside your own body."

A bitter laugh as she turns and goes to pick up and collect her cloak, finally answering Eddie. "No. No it's not even remotely normal." Not even in the slightest, as she mulls over the fight itself, looking to Evie. "I feel about the same way, but... this is..." She shakes her head. And hopes she won't have to just straight up dust Serrah at some point later, drawing her cloak around herself. 

    Serrah snorts, and manages a weak fangy smile at the others. "Shit, what is 'normal', anyway?" she says. "I've sure as hell never known what it's like to be normal."

    She nods, listening to Sonia's words, and shrugs. "I think him finding me is gonna be even more easy than even that," she says, rubbing the black heart-shaped mark on her forehead, but she doesn't elaborate beyond that. "But ... yeah." She makes a face. "First thing that comes to mind is, I guess I'll have to start running around the World Tree sooner than I thought."

    She picks up the blood bag, makes a face, and then turns away from the group. There's a somewhat ghastly slurping sound, and then she stares at the now-nearly-empty blood bag, then tosses it aside. "Yeah no, fuck that, he can deal with how to get rid of it." She grumbles, and turns to leave as well. "Okay, not thirsty anymore!"