Coming Back

[Saasha]

Pain. Death. Agony. Fear. That is what tinted the air. So much had happened since she had left... so many had died. Plague. It still lingering in the air enough for her to pick it up in trace amounts. Even though many had been healed- too many more had been lost. The town was very empty. Devoid of life. It was saddening.

Melany paced through the town's center slowly, taking in all that she could about what had been going on. Any little hints she could get that would help her. In the end, she knew she would probably have to find either Anthony or Sparda, but for the time being she would see what she could gather.

Her long red hair had been pulled back into a tight and low pony tail to keep it out of her way. As per usual, she was wearing her black tank top and grey jacket, dark blue jeans and black combat boots. Slung over her shoulder was her brown leather backpack, though the strap had been let out to allow her to carry it like a bag. Around her waist was her usual white obi and tucked into this was her katana. But the one thing that was not usual was the green bandanna that had been tied around her mouth. Peeking out from the cloth was the very edge of a white adhesive bandage.

She adjusted the bandanna a bit with one hand, her other resting upon the hilt of her blade- another usual sight. Though the reason for the cloth was unknown, it seemed to hold some sort of purpose with how tightly it was tied.

Her chocolate eyes scanned the streets with a mix of solemn scrutiny and calm examination. But it was clear that whatever these people had gone through, she felt it.

[Mewtwo]

Alice wasn't the kind of girl that would shy away from death, pain and destruction. Her whole life has been centred around that, losing her family at the age of eight, having to witness her sanity being destroyed, and then the pain of not knowing whether or not she was the one that caused her family to burn...one could say that Alice was much, much more mature then her age suggests.

However she had never been to a place that was full of death and destruction, the whole city looked like they just survived some sort of epidemic. She covered her nose when she got the waft of decomposing corpse, enough to make her gag, "What in the world happened here? This is much worse then my Wonderland," Alice said to herself, at least in her Wonderland you couldn't smell anything other then the putrid smell of oil and god knows what else was inside those black liquids.

She continued to explore this place, Hallowtown as she learnt, since it was eerily like her London, but yet not her London. "If only that blasted cat was here, I could use some company even if he is as annoying as ever," Alice mused to herself sighing as she never thought that she would miss that skeletal cat with his wide grin. She supposed she would have to make a new friend in this world if she was to find any sort of information about this world and anything else that would prove useful to her.

[Saasha]

Melany spied the woman coming closer and placed her hand over top of the bandanna gently with just her fingers touching her cheeks. The smell of the substance on the cloth became stronger with this action, soothing the woman a bit as the other neared. Finally she lowered her hand.

"Pardon me, miss. But you may want to tread lightly. This area is still rather dangerous to be in, that it is."

She warned gently. From the smell of the buildings, the sickness had not left entirely yet- whatever kind it was. And as she had no idea how is spread, she did not wish for yet another to become infected. It was in times like this that she was thankful for being what she was.

[Mewtwo]

"Pardon me, miss. But you may want to tread lightly. This area is still rather dangerous to be in, that it is."

Alice turned towards the source of the voice as she saw a woman dressed in strange clothing holding a cloth over her mouth, no doubt to prevent herself from being sick by whatever was causing this whole mess. "Thank you for your concern miss, however I'm as cautious as I can be, but if you could be of help I would very much appreciate it. You see I recently came into this city through a devilish portal and I'm wondering if you can give me any information on where I am. I know that I'm in Hallowtown, but am I on Earth anymore? And what exactly happened in this city?" Alice explained.

[Saasha]

"No you are not. You are on the planet Genesis. I fear it is a rather lengthy explanation however as to how you came here..."

She went over what the woman had told her once more and discovered that her speech was conducive to one who was used to this sort of thing. If that were true it could certainly make things easier. However, through the whole explanation the woman gave, Melany kept her hand loosely upon her katana.

"You are familiar with portals?"

[Mewtwo]

"No you are not. You are on the planet Genesis. I fear it is a rather lengthy explanation however as to how you came here..."

Alice feared as much as she gave an irritated sigh, "Well that explains how I didn't know about Hallowtown until now, though it does look familiar to London, I wonder where the architect got the idea from?" she mused to herself as she shook her head at the woman's last statement, "don't worry about the portal...I'm sure there's a reason I'm here, just like there's a reason I get called back to Wonderland every time..." as her face was one of pondering before it snapped back to reality.

"You are familiar with portals?"

Alice nodded, "Oh very much so, every time I go back to Wonderland it's always through a portal, why once I went through a portal after chasing a white rabbit of all things. Usually the portals come out of nowhere as annoying as it is, but however irritating it is I do understand how portals work and all," Alice replied.

[Saasha]

"Well this may help you a bit."

She outstreched one had to point out over the horizon at the tower that loomed far into the distance.

"Thanks to the tower, different worlds are merging together. Like your... wonderland, I suppose. I myself came from another world for that matter."

She was silent on the fact that coming to this world was much easier than leaving. No she would save that for later. No need to upset the woman. But on that same note, something about her didn't sit well with the fledgling. Something was... off.

But that was not the only factor that made Melany keep a respectable distance between them. And it was beginning to make her hand itch.

[Mewtwo]

"Well this may help you a bit. Thanks to the tower, different worlds are merging together. Like your... wonderland, I suppose. I myself came from another world for that matter.

Alice looked over at the tower and saw that even from here it dominated the sight, she wondered if there was anything she could find over there, but if what the woman's words were correct then that meant there were already people looking over it. But it wouldn't hurt to try and see if there is anything interesting over there, after all she had found many curious things through exploration, "It seems that is my next stop then," Alice declared.

Speaking of the woman she saw that there was a considerable distance between the two of them, now Alice may not have had a good bath in a while, but surely she couldn't have smelled that bad. Was there another reason for the gap? "May I ask why you choose to stand a good distance away from me? It's quite rude you know to speak to another person from that distance," Alice said.

[Saasha]

"It seems that is my next stop then."

The woman grew quiet- solemn as these words were spoken.

"May I ask why you choose to stand a good distance away from me? It's quite rude you know to speak to another person from that distance."

Again, Alice was answered with silence. After a moment, Melany's cool, even voice rang out in empty area- even echoing a tad perhaps if one listened close enough. It held a solemn tone of warning in it's message. Not only the words, but the voice itself.

"There is more to be wary of than only the sickness here... miss."

Her brown eyes shimmered with the lightest hints of a glow from under her red bangs. But as quickly and softly as it came, it was gone again.

"And a trek to that tower may just be the thing that introduces you to the worst of those things. Best if you remain here for the time being. Until you know what lies within the shadows that is- and if you feel you could face them."

[Mewtwo]

"There is more to be wary of than only the sickness here... miss."

Alice tilted her head at those words, "What do you mean by that?" she asked, surely there was nothing too dangerous over there by the tower could there? Well if there is then Alice was more then prepared to fight it, she may look like a pale young woman, but her heart was that of a warrior and she would never back down from a fight...she never had and she never will.

"And a trek to that tower may just be the thing that introduces you to the worst of those things. Best if you remain here for the time being. Until you know what lies within the shadows that is- and if you feel you could face them."

The way the girl was speaking was reminiscent of the Cheshire Cat, speaking in riddles, if there was anything she disliked it was riddles. She had enough of them for a lifetime as she crossed her arms, "I would ask kindly that you don't speak in riddles and speak clearly about what dangers are over there in the tower, and I do not fear danger, I'm quite capable of taking care of my friend thank you," she said with a huff.

[Vayne Rouan]

After a long while of traveling he came somewhere that reminded him of his home. He had always loved London during it's Victorian times, not to mention queen Victoria had rather tasty blood. As he glided through he sky he began picking up a familiar scent, though it had a different feel to it. He couldn't put his finger on what it was, but it gave him a feeling of home and family.

Finally the scent was close enough to track as he landed on a building and darted to the edge jumping off of it into the sky like a rocket. With the momentum it gave him he could soar faster, he had to get to whatever this was. He knew what the scent was, it was the same as his. Another vampire. Though something was a bit off about it, perhaps an alien bloodline? He wasn't sure, but he finally spotted two cute girl's down below and the scent was pouring from their presence, no only one the other was human.

He came close to the ground and slowed down allowing himself to land on his feet gracefully. With a smile he stepped closer, "Hello ladies," he said to both, though only actually acknowledging the vampire by taking her hand in his kissing it lightly and letting it drop. "Sorry to disturb your talk, I was looking for something but I found it here."

[Saasha]

"I would ask kindly that you don't speak in riddles and speak clearly about what dangers are over there in the tower, and I do not fear danger, I'm quite capable of taking care of my friend thank you,"

"It is not what is only in it, but around it as well. Tell me. Do you believe in the supernatural?"

She was going to continue in her explanation, but her attentions were yanked to the rooftops by a presence she felt long before she smelled it. A vampire. And it was coming this way- fast.

As her eyes narrowed, she took a defensive step past Alice to place herself between the human and the fast approaching newcomer. She may have not known what this woman would do, but she was not about to take any chances. And so she waited with her hand curled tightly around the hilt of her treasured blade.

She did not have to wait long as the being appeared from over the rooftops and landed gracefully on the cobblestones.

The way he addressed the pair did not seem conducive to having any ill will-

Her thoughts were cut off as he boldly walked straight up to her and, taking her hand from her side, laid his lips upon the back of it. This boldness caused Melany's defensiveness to drop suddenly in astonishment. A light blush crept up over the edges of her bandanna for a moment before she collected herself. But that did not mean that the blush had faded.

"Sorry to disturb your talk, I was looking for something but I found it here."

"Well I can assure you that whatever it is, it is not here."

She noted in her usual polite way, though she still kept her body as a shield for Alice. She had not lost her instincts after all.

[Mewtwo]

"It is not what is only in it, but around it as well. Tell me. Do you believe in the supernatural?"

"If you mean ghosts, ghouls and vampires then I don't. They are merely fairy tales to scare little children as well as good stories on a warm night," Alice replied. Honestly the supernatural? Who would believe such things? Now if she asked if she believed in insanity and going mad then Alice would agree with her, after all she was the embodiment of madness itself if she was led to believe.

However just as she finished saying the woman stepped closer to her and faced the other way, as though shielding her from a danger, as Alice looked at her strangely wondering what on Earth possessed her to do that. Her answer soon came in the shape of a young man with blonde hair as he addressed the pair before seemingly kissing the woman's hands, much like how a noble kisses a noblewoman's hand as Alice found it curious, "I beg your pardon, but who are you and are you an acquaintence of this woman?" Alice asked as it was quite rude to interrupt a conversation as she glanced between him and the woman.

[Vayne Rouan]

Vayne had never been one to care about inconveniencing humans, they were lucky he didn't enjoy killing them, so when the girl spoke up he just gave her a look. "Her and I are...alike," He said looking back at the vampire, "Er...connected is a better way to put it." Turning to face the human directly he left his hand on the small of the others back, "My name is Vayne, or the fallen angel as I'm known as at home, it's a pleasure to meet you both." He lowered his head to show some form of respect towards the two though the human didn't deserve it since it was proper for one to introduce themselves before asking the other.

[Saasha]

The moment the hand brushed the curve of her back, the charm was gone and Vayne would find his wrist cupped firmly in her hand.

"It is also rude to touch a person you have just met in such a manner. And without their permission as well."

She stated rather pointedly. Funny to think how he spoke of rudeness with such distaste. Without letting go, she addressed Alice.

"What he means is that he and I are somewhat the same species. This world is fraught with the supernatural Alice- He and I being a part of that. Though the explanation might be a little much to swallow at the moment if you do not already believe."

Now she turned back to Vayne.

"My apologies, but I am afraid I am going to have to ask you to refrain from such motions in the future, if you would."

Her soft tone hardened just the slightest as her words went on, conveying their warning as becomingly as possible. Though he was not in the right to touch her, Melany was internally a little flattered by the notion- but too much.