[In a secure chatroom:]
[box]Hello, this is Rai. Recent arrival. I heard there's a lot of hunter action here. Thought you could use some help.[/box]
Bonjour mes amis!
Oh Rai, you're here too. :)
[box]Just looking for the right place to start. ;) Make sure my brother doesn't get into trouble, Mari.
OH! We do have some info ourselves. We tracked a group of hunters here, right, Mari? Their specialty seemed to be vampires, might have come from up north.[/box]
If keeping him out of trouble was that easy, cher, I would have done it a long time ago!
The vampire hunters are led by a German called Johanns. They always work in pairs.
But actually I've been hearing about a hunter from Hazleton who is a vampire himself.
[box]Ay dios, don't I know that one?
What? When did you hear about the last part? I already knew about the German.[/box]
I was doing some research on my own. He has teamed up with a sun witch, last I heard.
[box]Odd. Both the combo and the fact they're hunting their own kind.[/box]
It bears looking into.
Or it would if SOMEONE hadn't run off again.
His running off doesn't change anything.
You and me?
Again, I might add. This makes it 4 times in a month, you know.
Not in the chat, Mari!
What?
Oh they don't care about all of this. These Americans, they're not interested in private things.
Aren't they the BIGGEST gossips?
Oh, fine, fine, fine
[Moves to private chat]
Happy?
Yes, thank you.
Anyway I haven't seen him in a while. I just assumed you knew where he was.
He said he needed time to think and took off. I haven't been able to contact him.
And think about what?? What is there to think about?!
Well he's not answering my calls. Do you think he knows?
Probably. I texted him a few days ago, to let him know about the vampires.
Maybe you and I should go and scout on ahead.
We're going to have to.
You know he always does this. He runs off on a whim and you and I have to do the job of three people!
I'm going to slap him silly when he comes back.
I'll hold him down for you. ;)
What is he doing? I tried calling again, goes straight to voicemail.
This clown.
You spoil me. ;))
If he doesn't come back in time, and if we need to raid, we should ask some of the others to help. I hear that the werewolves are sympathetic to our cause.
...but they are very unpredictable.
I've heard the same. They're not... very happy with what's happening out here.
I can't blame them.
This place is one of the worst I've seen in a while.
We've got our work cut out for us here.
I just hope it's not another repeat of Panama. I don't think I can handle a disaster like that.
I don't think any of us can.
Do you think that's why my useless brother is more useless lately?
What? Because that demon almost out-witted him?
Are you saying that put an actual dent in his giant ego?
I DEFINITELY think so.
You don't?
Well why the hell did he run away? To train?
Oh my god you don't think he's training do you? Or
Hunting on his own?
Merde
I think he's doing something on his own.
I don't like it.
Let's both agree
When we find him, we're putting a chip in his head so we can use the SatNav to track him forever
Si, I agree to this. We'll knock him out with something in his alcohol, get it in there and he won't be the wiser.
Can't you talk to him? Make him stop acting like a child?
I've tried so many times, Mari. But look at him. He just refuses to grow the fuck up!
You know, I thought once that starting a family would settle him...
But it looks like he still has some growing up to do. I don't even know if I can trust him with a child at this point.
...yeah. I wouldn't either, honestly.
I don't think he even wants to get married.
...before he left, we fought about it. I think that's the real reason he left.
I'm sorry, Mari. :(
Don't
You're not the one who owes me an apology, Rai. You don't have to apologize for him every time he does something stupid, either.
I should say sorry to you, for unloading all of this onto you.
No. Don't ever apologize for that. We're still best friends, aren't we?
But you're right. I shouldn't be apologizing on his behalf. He should BE here doing it himself!
You're my one and only best friend, Rai. Don't ever question that.
It's been a while since we've spent any time together, hasn't it? Just you and me, I mean. Usually SOMEONE has to be the center of attention when we go out.
When we meet up again, I'll treat you to this little place downtown that I found.
I'll give these small towns this much: they have a lot of character.
Please
Please please please tell me it's not a French restaurant.
With the best will in the world, Rai, these Americans just don't know how to cook a proper French meal.
Do you really think they would have one here? Hah!
If we can find a Chinese restaurant called Bon Appétit, we can find a French restaurant here in the middle of nowhere, my friend.
So what is it?
They say it's the best Italian place in town.
Are you afraid to try it?
I'm not afraid of anything!
Except food poisoning. But if you think it's a good restaurant, then I'm going to trust you. :) Best friend.
All right. Trust me when I say: we have had better. Nothing's gonna touch Italian food from Europe, is it? But it's good, for America.
Do you know what I really miss?
Remember that little tiny cafe in Altafulla? In Spain? The beautiful beach and the sunset...
Ah I remember it well
And the drinks were always excellent
We always had to taxi home
Except that one time we decided to walk and ended up on the beach all night instead...
Oh yes... The night you claimed to have gotten 'lost' wasn't it? You devious man, you did that on purpose didn't you?
But it was nice. The moon was so bright that night.
Perhaps......
We'll go back there again some day.
Is that what you want?
...
You know I've always...
Always what, Rai?
It's better not to talk about. I'm sorry.
We should probably look for that brother of mine if he doesn't show up by the weekend.
Okay, if you say so.
That gives us 3 days to find out what we can about this new hunter. I still can't believe a vampire would turn against his own kind. Do you think he's been brainwashed?
No. I don't think he's brainwashed. Maybe he's new...? Or maybe he's very old and bored.
He sounds possessed to me.
And dragging a witch into it, that's just wrong.
It is strange enough to be possession.
To what end though?
That, my dearest, is what we are here to find out!
Did you happen to catch what they look like? Where they hang out? Names?
I only know that he and his partner are Asian. The witch is a sun witch apparently.
I think it will be easier to go through the witch. I have an approximate area, it's in the suburbs
All right. We'll get to the bottom of this.
Partners?
Another job for two. ;)
Do you want to discuss it over dinner?
I hate mixing business with pleasure but
I suppose so
If we get the business part over with first... and quickly... :)
Let's go somewhere after dinner. What's fun around here?
That... part's a little trickier. But I'm sure we'll find something to suit us.
Not much grown up fun that doesn't involve alcohol around this town...
What about the fairgrounds? I think they left some of the games there. ;) We can have fun like young people too!
Oh the fairgrounds. I've heard of them. Haven't been there yet. Do they have something there nightly or only on weekends?
Mmm...
It's not open right now. Buuut... there are ways to get inside.
Well, we're the experts on breaking and entering. ;)
When you put it like that, it sounds so criminal!
Technically, isn't that what we are? Vigilantes?
That isn't what you said when we started doing all of this, cher.
Back then we were saviours, hm? ;)
Back before I realized we can only help ourselves.
I wish I was still as naive as I once was, but it wouldn't help us now.
...
I still think of you as a saviour, Rai. That won't change for me.
That helps.
I mean
I like to hear it.
I miss the naive Rai...
You were so cute back then
And when I stopped being cute...
I didn't say you stopped
Haha, this is true..
You never did either.
Cute? Me?
I prefer deadly beauty, thank you. ;)
But... why not both?
Is that possible?
I don't think I even remember how to be cute.
Really? I think you're cute every time you laugh.
Oh stop, you flatterer.
Oh? Is that flattery? But I thought you didn't want to be cute.
You're in charge of being cute. I'll be in charge of kicking ass. ;P
Hey hey I can kick some ass too.
No it's already decided, Rai~
When did I become second banana?
You're not the second banana.
You are the founding member of our group, my dearest Rai.
But I kick the ass around here.
Is it banana or fiddle? I forget the idioms sometimes.
Neither of those sound very attractive...
English is ... inelegant at best.
Yes... and also one word isn't nearly enough to describe you.
Can one word describe anyone?
Irresponsible
:/
...He MEANS well, Mari.
If he didn't, I wouldn't have stayed with him for this long.
It would just be nice if he'd grow up a little bit...
Maybe some people can't grow up. Maybe it's useless to force it.
I agree that trying to force it is a bad idea... I think me trying so hard with him might be why he's so... defiant.
I just wish he'd figure things out for himself without the rest of us suffering for it.
He should have been spanked more as a child!
I think we were spanked enough. But it never meant anything to him.
Thinking too much about him gives me a headache, Rai.
I feel the same. So why are we still talking about him?
Because we love the little idiot, I suppose. But point taken, let's talk about something else.
Have you heard anything about your mother? What about those leads we had?
Part of it led me here.
Do you think she'd be here though?
I don't know. The information is conflicting.
Rai, how long are you going to search for her?
Until I know.
You don't think that maybe... she doesn't want to be found?
It's been so long...
Maybe that's the case. But don't you think she owes us some kind of explanation?
-I- do of course. I would never leave my children for this long, not without a good cause.
But you can't search for her your whole life, Rai. You have to start living your own life too.
Am I not? This is still my own life.
Are you living your best life right now, mon cher?
Si, of course!
Well, I suppose there are
components I would alter to make it better.
Like
Maybe finding a girlfriend? Settling down?
Any woman would be lucky to have you in her life.
Maybe she is here.
Oh no cher, not one of these American girls! They're... so uncultured.
But there's such a melting pot here, maybe she's not American!
Maybe, but these small towns... They live in trailers! You cannot bring a girl like that to meet your father
This is true... My father would be disappointed.
Would you marry her even if your father doesn't give his blessings?
If I love her enough to marry her, then yes.
*sigh*
If only Neyen thought this way...
Is he blaming our father?
No he always changes the subject or finds an excuse to run away.
That sounds like him... :/
I found him
Market
What? Why...?
Are you coming or do I kick ass on my own?
I'll be there. Market, you said?
Market
Beside the art tents
Art tents? Why there?
I don't know
But I'm going to find out right now!
I'm on my way there now.
Don't let him drag you into something.