Main Event Genesis

[Capri]

He was surprised that someone like her was talking to him like this, but nevertheless, it did not faze him. She did look strange, like a demon. Though there were no horns on her head, she gave off the aura of something otherworldly, and the strange marks on her forehead that were reminiscent of a crown did her no favors.

"I see. So even though we have similar names for locations, they are not the same place." He nodded at the knight of the Chuch. "Apologies. Perhaps we are not allies after all."

This girl seemed to know a lot as to what was happening, and from what he overhead earlier, it appeared she did this quite often - or had some sort of ability to move across the 'multiverse', whatever this meant. Alucard was suddenly a little bitter he had not known anything about this before, and he did not remember there were books about this subject. But it was definitely a thing mankind stumbled across often. Too supernatural... the dhampir glanced at the others littered about the containment. Or maybe he was wrong. Most of these people looked like normal men and women. Though they probably housed powers he had never seen before. Now he was curious. But he knew he had to keep his distance. Judging from the knight and the dark-skinned girl's reaction, contempt for vampires remained constant throughout these different... realms.

And he was wrong again. Where were these people from, exactly? Their worlds seemed so different from his. She certainly looked like a demon, but she was arguing otherwise. Controlling demons...? His eyes narrowed. Reminded him a lot of his father, who held command over the demons that resided in his domain. The castle was littered with them and was always hostile whenever he returned home - to kill their master. He had a few familiars himself, but they would be useless here if they could not help them break out of their glassy cell.

"... A descendant of Noah? ... The son of Lamech?" Alucard asked, his curiosity hidden well. "Interesting, is that why you have command over demons? That is certainly a power that only those who wield dark magic can possess..."​

"Y-yes..." Road spoke in a benign tone, feeling the edges of curiosity biting at her mind. Just how different were their worlds? The roots at least had similarities. Excluding the country boy, Clark, this woman - Ries - and the vampire... Alucard and Road herself all came from worlds with Vampires, a Holy Knighthood, and Noah. It was no surprise to Road that it seemed that all who arrived in this room seemed to be dividing themselves. Even unconsciously.

Finally, Road sat up from the floor and tried desperately to whip away the blood from her ears with her wrists before standing quickly and tending to the final stream from her nose. Using Door was apparently a big no-no in here. All that remained now from the recoil was a headache. Road missed Lero. He'd have got her something sweet and some tea in such a situation.

"In my world, the children of Noah resented God for destroying humanity and waged against him by aligning with Satan and becoming the Fourteen Apostles. Our genes are recessive in all of humanity and we reincarnate to fight against the Holy every generation." Road's explanation was said in an almost friendly tone. It was clear Ries and Clark weren't going to bite... so... she might as well educate ignorance. "First though... we destroyed Satan, and used the black magic we obtained from this to turn the souls of the dead, tortured mortals into 'Akuma'." The seemingly young girl's eyes flickered at Alucard. "From Akuma, came sub-species... such as your progenitor - Dracula. That boy had been so sweet in youth... a shame he got rebellious and the Earl had to put him down. After Dracula's revolt, Vampires became servants to the family of Noah. Hence my... emotion at your arrogant tone, before."

Might as well fill the holes in their history, right?​

"Road. Killing one to save a million isn't a fair trade. Either all life is equal, or none are. You said even a good man can turn evil? A bad man can be redeemed. If you and I took the life of someone "evil", even to save millions of people, we're giving up on that person. I don't give up on people. Even if it might cause issues in the future."

In Clark's eye, the greater good is no excuse. You either protect all life or none. Smirk now, Clark.

"It wouldn't be the first time I'd been called an alien or freak either. However, I apologize if I hurt your feelings."​

"Thanks, bumpkin, but when it comes to saving lives... it's more often than not someone saving others from me. So I doubt I'm in need of the lesson. Or I save my own... which is sufficient."

It was clear, had these two came from the same universe, it was likely that they would not be on the same side of things. and that was right. Even right now, Road wanted nothing more than for this being to drop his guard so she could pounce and infect him with the Akuma virus. Who knew what made him special, but it seemed nothing in this room frightened him, which was considerable, seeing as the very fabric of space-time had been torn asunder to bring him here.

A shrill laugh suddenly left the girl's form at that last part, and she looked at Clark with belittling eyes.

"Did you say hurt my feelings? That's adorably naive."

--

Once again, Road turned her attention to the tail end of what Ries and Alucard had been speaking of. Words like 'demons' and 'church' bite at her loose attention span, and the word, 'Belmont' sounded interesting too. How Alucard ended that though- "I appreciate the existence of your Church. At least our worlds have something against vile creatures like demons that roam the world of men."

A shame. For whatever reason the Nosferatu was a servant to the Church, it seemed, and that sickened her.

"So... I'm fraternizing with the enemy?" There was a tinge of... something in her words. Hesitation? Remorse? Something. "You might also appreciate that, in my world as well... the Church spearheads a vendetta against evil... and has won. That's the link that connects all four of our worlds... good... triumphs over...us."

Road couldn't bring herself to call her family 'evil'. They weren't.​

 

[Capri]

James Proudstar - Warpath

As he was talking with Palpatine, he watched carefully as one of the mouthy young women recovered from her mishap. She was loudly proclaiming her and hers as enemies of the Church, intimating that she was a villain. Playing a game, most weren't playing he noticed. Clearly, Kent and he would likely be friends under different circumstances. The church lady? he didn't know, the history of his folk and white church folks was mixed at best. She seemed to be on the level, even if from a different side of the tracks than he.

Clearly, at least in his own mind, Palpatine was already Darth Sidious. Though even if the X-man believes that to be the case, even if the old man was evil at every level, it was too dangerous to ignore him and walk away, too dangerous to antagonize him, and way too dangerous to let the old man get his hooks into the X-man.

"Do you think she is trying to draw others out into the open?"​

 

[Capri]

"Not likely you would know it, miss..." Joshua tilted his head at the newcomer as if examining her for a moment for reasons other than flirting, before shrugging, "But it's Grado. Specifically, the Grado Empire, the largest kingdom in all of Magvel."​

 

[Capri]

"Y-yes..." Road spoke in a benign tone, feeling the edges of curiosity biting at her mind. Just how different were their worlds? The roots at least had similarities. Excluding the country boy, Clark, this woman - Ries - and the vampire... Alucard and Road herself all came from worlds with Vampires, a Holy Knighthood, and Noah. It was no surprise to Road that it seemed that all who arrived in this room seemed to be dividing themselves. Even unconsciously.

Finally, Road sat up from the floor and tried desperately to whip away the blood from her ears with her wrists before standing quickly and tending to the final stream from her nose. Using Door was apparently a big no-no in here. All that remained now from the recoil was a headache. Road missed Lero. He'd have got her something sweet and some tea in such a situation.

"In my world, the children of Noah resented God for destroying humanity and waged against him by aligning with Satan and becoming the Fourteen Apostles. Our genes are recessive in all of humanity and we reincarnate to fight against the Holy every generation." Road's explanation was said in an almost friendly tone. It was clear Ries and Clark weren't going to bite... so... she might as well educate ignorance. "First though... we destroyed Satan, and used the black magic we obtained from this to turn the souls of the dead, tortured mortals into 'Akuma'." The seemingly young girl's eyes flickered at Alucard. "From Akuma, came sub-species... such as your progenitor - Dracula. That boy had been so sweet in youth... a shame he got rebellious and the Earl had to put him down. After Dracula's revolt, Vampires became servants to the family of Noah. Hence my... emotion at your arrogant tone, before."

Might as well fill the holes in their history, right?

"Thanks, bumpkin, but when it comes to saving lives... it's more often than not someone saving others from me. So I doubt I'm in need of the lesson. Or I save my own... which is sufficient."

It was clear, had these two came from the same universe, it was likely that they would not be on the same side of things. and that was right. Even right now, Road wanted nothing more than for this being to drop his guard so she could pounce and infect him with the Akuma virus. Who knew what made him special, but it seemed nothing in this room frightened him, which was considerable, seeing as the very fabric of space-time had been torn asunder to bring him here.

A shrill laugh suddenly left the girl's form at that last part, and she looked at Clark with belittling eyes.

"Did you say hurt my feelings? That's adorably naive."

--

Once again, Road turned her attention to the tail end of what Ries and Alucard had been speaking of. Words like 'demons' and 'church' bite at her loose attention span, and the word, 'Belmont' sounded interesting too. How Alucard ended that though- "I appreciate the existence of your Church. At least our worlds have something against vile creatures like demons that roam the world of men."

A shame. For whatever reason the Nosferatu was a servant to the Church, it seemed, and that sickened her.

"So... I'm fraternizing with the enemy?" There was a tinge of... something in her words. Hesitation? Remorse? Something. "You might also appreciate that, in my world as well... the Church spearheads a vendetta against evil... and has won. That's the link that connects all four of our worlds... good... triumphs over...us."

Road couldn't bring herself to call her family 'evil'. They weren't.​

"I'd say the only enemy here is the people on the other side of that glass." 18 responded to the gray girl. In her mind, they were all prisoners to these...people. "Besides if we stick together it will be easier to give them some payback. I'm probably going to punch them really hard."​

 

[Capri]

At first, Kujou thought that her companions had gone off the deep end. Magic? Abilities? Unless they meant abilities like, say, knitting, that was just crazy talk. And to be honest, she wanted no part of the crazy bunch. That just wouldn't help at all. But as Twisted Fate took the card and began to channel some sort of magic into it, she couldn't help but stare blankly.

"U-um..." Kujou stuttered as the other two sprang into action. She wasn't sure exactly what her role was. The stealth part? What stealth? She didn't know anything about stealth. "What do I...need to do?" She asked a little hesitantly, pointing at herself.​

 

[Capri]

"Y-yes..." Road spoke in a benign tone, feeling the edges of curiosity biting at her mind. Just how different were their worlds? The roots at least had similarities. Excluding the country boy, Clark, this woman - Ries - and the vampire... Alucard and Road herself all came from worlds with Vampires, a Holy Knighthood, and Noah. It was no surprise to Road that it seemed that all who arrived in this room seemed to be dividing themselves. Even unconsciously.

Finally, Road sat up from the floor and tried desperately to whip away the blood from her ears with her wrists before standing quickly and tending to the final stream from her nose. Using Door was apparently a big no-no in here. All that remained now from the recoil was a headache. Road missed Lero. He'd have got her something sweet and some tea in such a situation.

"In my world, the children of Noah resented God for destroying humanity and waged against him by aligning with Satan and becoming the Fourteen Apostles. Our genes are recessive in all of humanity and we reincarnate to fight against the Holy every generation." Road's explanation was said in an almost friendly tone. It was clear Ries and Clark weren't going to bite... so... she might as well educate ignorance. "First though... we destroyed Satan, and used the black magic we obtained from this to turn the souls of the dead, tortured mortals into 'Akuma'." The seemingly young girl's eyes flickered at Alucard. "From Akuma, came sub-species... such as your progenitor - Dracula. That boy had been so sweet in youth... a shame he got rebellious and the Earl had to put him down. After Dracula's revolt, Vampires became servants to the family of Noah. Hence my... emotion at your arrogant tone, before."

Might as well fill the holes in their history, right?

"Thanks, bumpkin, but when it comes to saving lives... it's more often than not someone saving others from me. So I doubt I'm in need of the lesson. Or I save my own... which is sufficient."

It was clear, had these two came from the same universe, it was likely that they would not be on the same side of things. and that was right. Even right now, Road wanted nothing more than for this being to drop his guard so she could pounce and infect him with the Akuma virus. Who knew what made him special, but it seemed nothing in this room frightened him, which was considerable, seeing as the very fabric of space-time had been torn asunder to bring him here.

A shrill laugh suddenly left the girl's form at that last part, and she looked at Clark with belittling eyes.

"Did you say hurt my feelings? That's adorably naive."

--

Once again, Road turned her attention to the tail end of what Ries and Alucard had been speaking of. Words like 'demons' and 'church' bite at her loose attention span, and the word, 'Belmont' sounded interesting too. How Alucard ended that though- "I appreciate the existence of your Church. At least our worlds have something against vile creatures like demons that roam the world of men."

A shame. For whatever reason the Nosferatu was a servant to the Church, it seemed, and that sickened her.

"So... I'm fraternizing with the enemy?" There was a tinge of... something in her words. Hesitation? Remorse? Something. "You might also appreciate that, in my world as well... the Church spearheads a vendetta against evil... and has won. That's the link that connects all four of our worlds... good... triumphs over...us."

Road couldn't bring herself to call her family 'evil'. They weren't.​

"..." Alucard was silent at her explanation, but listening carefully. The lore of her world was intriguing, far more than his own. All these things about Satan and 'Akuma' and an Earl... he could make no heads or tail of it. The closest thing he could relate to her was Death, the reaper entity that haunted Castlevania. Once his servant, now his enemy. A guardian of the place he once lived in.

"So my father was one of these 'Akumas'?" he repeated. The dhampir shook his head, "Father was a human a long, long time ago." That was the only thing he was willing to share. His soul had not been turned into anything... not from Satan's dark magic, but by a stone created by alchemists. He had created one of his own to defy God, and in the end, he became this monster. A blood-sucking monster who valued nothing of mankind, what he used to be. And from Dracula... Alucard was born.

He closed his eyes, pushing away these memories. They were usually suppressed for a reason. Thinking of the past did nothing for the future, not when Castlevania could rise any time, and anywhere. Especially in a place or a world like this. "Do you think these people brought us here fortuitously? Or were we selected with reason?"​

 

[Capri]

James Proudstar - Warpath

"If you will forgive me for butting in, I'd say we were selected on purpose. Few of us are in a position to know much about the others and if so, very few of the others. There is a lot of uniqueness in this room, I'd wager. Just thinking out loud."​

 

[Capri]

Twisted Fate would be able to successfully convert the card without any issues. Whether the scientists near the glass took notice seemed unclear.

From a bit of a distance, Cullen glanced their way.

"... what rubbish are you blokes up to?"​

 

[Capri]

"..." Alucard was silent at her explanation, but listening carefully. The lore of her world was intriguing, far more than his own. All these things about Satan and 'Akuma' and an Earl... he could make no heads or tail of it. The closest thing he could relate to her was Death, the reaper entity that haunted Castlevania. Once his servant, now his enemy. A guardian of the place he once lived in.

"So my father was one of these 'Akumas'?" he repeated. The dhampir shook his head, "Father was a human a long, long time ago." That was the only thing he was willing to share. His soul had not been turned into anything... not from Satan's dark magic, but by a stone created by alchemists. He had created one of his own to defy God, and in the end, he became this monster. A blood-sucking monster who valued nothing of mankind, what he used to be. And from Dracula... Alucard was born.

He closed his eyes, pushing away these memories. They were usually suppressed for a reason. Thinking of the past did nothing for the future, not when Castlevania could rise any time, and anywhere. Especially in a place or a world like this. "Do you think these people brought us here fortuitously? Or were we selected with reason?"​

"In my world, he was the spawn of Akuma." she merely shrugged her shoulders in retort to what he had said. It meant little to the matter at hand, in all honesty. A stone is thrown in a stream, then miraculously retrieved and thrown in again to see if it would cause the same ripples. "Curiously, it seems in similar realities, certain figures appear. Different, but the same. I'm going to operate under the assumption you have daddy issues though because the soul from which the Earl created Dracula was an old King who had been killed by his son - for in life he had no time for him, and in death, all he had was time to mourn the wasted time." Nearing the end of her speech a smile spread across her lips - her tone becoming more and more theatrics, and it became increasingly evident that she enjoyed, very much, trying to push others' buttons.

As to his second question, however... "How should I know? I'm trapped here with as a little a clue as you, though..." Her eyes darted to a few individuals in particular. Alucard himself, Palpatine, their country bumpkin, the Power Ranger. "I'd say the vast majority here are capable of fighting, and when numbers get that high, it seems unlikely to be a coincidence."​

 

[Capri]

One could almost hear the gears in Navel's head as they ground to a halt. "What is a Pokémon?" Navel thought to himself.

He wasn't one to jump to conclusions or concoct outlandish theories; his job dealt with simple, precise facts and figures. His job was to analyze evidence. However, there was definitely a speck of imagination that sat within his head.

From the Pokémon's mention of its own existence as common knowledge, Navel drew a conclusion. "I think that we both must not come from the same place. With the collection of people here, it seems people are being brought from all over. The question is, all over what?

To answer your question, I've never heard of a Pokémon before. You Pokémon definitely seem interesting...

What's the chance that you've never heard of what a human is?"​

"Oh, we have humans where I'm from!" Doremi would answer. "Maybe you come from a world where we don't exist?"​

 

[Capri]

"In my world, he was the spawn of Akuma." she merely shrugged her shoulders in retort to what he had said. It meant little to the matter at hand, in all honesty. A stone is thrown in a stream, then miraculously retrieved and thrown in again to see if it would cause the same ripples. "Curiously, it seems in similar realities, certain figures appear. Different, but the same. I'm going to operate under the assumption you have daddy issues though because the soul from which the Earl created Dracula was an old King who had been killed by his son - for in life he had no time for him, and in death, all he had was time to mourn the wasted time." Nearing the end of her speech a smile spread across her lips - her tone becoming more and more theatrics, and it became increasingly evident that she enjoyed, very much, trying to push others' buttons.

As to his second question, however... "How should I know? I'm trapped here with as a little a clue as you, though..." Her eyes darted to a few individuals in particular. Alucard himself, Palpatine, their country bumpkin, the Power Ranger. "I'd say the vast majority here are capable of fighting, and when numbers get that high, it seems unlikely to be a coincidence."​

"'Daddy issues'?" he repeated. Unfamiliar term. But he could get the general gist behind her strange words. "We do not get along, that is all. We have conflicting ideals." That and because he always tried to stop his father's return. Everything changed when his mother died. Alucard always thought his father did not care about his wife. He paid no heed to how she viewed the world at all, and it disgusted the dhampir.
​

"Oh, we have humans where I'm from!" Doremi would answer. "Maybe you come from a world where we don't exist?"​

The tall man jabbed at the creatures he had spotted earlier in response to the Noah girl's words. "Even them?"​

 

[Capri]

"Hmm..." Cagliostro was leaning against Alucard's back while speaking in her 'serious, rough' voice. "Interesting conversation. I haven't done too much research on vampires myself, but as far as I know, vampires were a thing before alchemy was invented, which is, as many may put it, a long time ago. Maybe they were around before the era of the Astral war, but no one really bothered to check. Some say they're brutal barbarians, others say that they were the kind of people you'd like to meet. Vampires aren't too common where I come from, but they certainly exist. They're just another race in the Skydom."

Cagliostro turns to Alucard.

"Your mention of the name 'Dracula' as your father... and your name... 'Alucard'... I think even a fool would realize that 'Alucard' is 'Dracula' backward, but there is something else about this that makes me wonder - were you named with the intention of being the opposite of your father? You did mention that your ideals are conflicting. Some say that destiny is tied to one's name. Really makes you think...

... as for my name, let's just say that it had no meaning before I gave it one. If destiny truly is tied to one's name, then I am the master of my own destiny.

The story of Noah, what was it about? Perhaps my world has an equivalent that goes by a different name. It seems that our worlds are more similar than we think as if they were written by authors from the same plane of reality, using the same inspirations. Makes me wonder if we're all just fragments of fiction, and the true gods are but writers who decide our fate, deciding who lives or who dies to make a tale more 'interesting' or 'unique', as many put it."

Cagliostro's face warps back into her usual sweet smile, and her voice, back to its usual bubbly self.

"By the way, have I introduced myself to you two yet?"​

 

[Capri]

The smaller figure leaning against him made the dhampir twitch ever so slightly, almost as if he was instinctively pulling away from contact. It was best for someone like him with cursed blood to stay away from others most of the time. But now, he needed answers. And quick allies for what was so come. The enemy had suggested that they all get to know one another. Nothing too bearing, he was unlikely to see them again once he returned.

"That may be true in your own world." But where he was from... and had happened to his father... "Alchemy creates vampires where I hail." The stone that his father had copied and used to disobey the written laws of life set up by an entity more powerful than any human in the world. The source of vampires, the source of demons that spawned from Dracula. Alchemy was the reason why so many children of the night littered the earth in Europe. There was no time for Alucard to rest now.

He blinked at the girl who had turned to face him. She was dressed interestingly, as an aristocrat. But a little too... flappy, for his taste. A cape was enough, and even then it could sometimes hinder his movements.

"Alucard is not my birth name, it is a name I bequeathed to myself." His statement was simple. "... Yes, it is my father's name in reverse. Just as my beliefs are the opposite of my father's."
​

"By the way, have I introduced myself to you two yet?"​

"... no, you have not. I am more curious how a young girl such as yourself knows about alchemy."​

 

[Capri]

James Proudstar - Warpath

Watching Palpatine for a bit as he thought allowed James to get himself together. It appears that imagination really was more interesting than he figured. If he got back to his world, he was going to find Director George Lucas and smack him hard across the head. It appears that folks here seemed calmer now, that's good, he wanted to fly under the radar for now.

"You can call me James sir. I have an interesting question, somewhat philosophical. I feel at some point, our captors are going to require something more of us. Already it seems like folks are dividing into something like three groups. Those more morally inclined, those more neutral, and those with a more self-interested nature. Now, many aren't going to show their true nature just yet. As someone who borders on neutral and morally inclined, what would be your advice for our situation?"

James was calm, watching a couple of the others, very much wanting to talk to Kent and happy that Arkham was calmer now. Interesting one of the loud girls fell on her ass trying to activate her powers to make a doorway. He fully understood the multiverse theory since the X-men have been down that path before. After a moment's hesitation, he held out his hand to the older man.​

"The pleasure is mine, James- and please, do call me Sheev" Palpatine muttered, releasing the X-Man's hand "I doubt we will need any formality by the end of the evening"

Sideous was taken back by the sudden introduction of Philosophy- one of his preferred fields. Such an unusual topic to bring up with a stranger....it was as if he already knew him...

"Of course people are going to want to keep secrets. We all have them. I think we'll find that by the time we leave, many of the White Knights won't be so pure after all. We are best of sticking to the Grey Areas- safety in Neutrality"​

James Proudstar - Warpath

As he was talking with Palpatine, he watched carefully as one of the mouthy young women recovered from her mishap. She was loudly proclaiming her and hers as enemies of the Church, intimating that she was a villain. Playing a game, most weren't playing he noticed. Clearly, Kent and he would likely be friends under different circumstances. The church lady? he didn't know, the history of his folk and white church folks was mixed at best. She seemed to be on the level, even if from a different side of the tracks than he.

Clearly, at least in his own mind, Palpatine was already Darth Sidious. Though even if the X-man believes that to be the case, even if the old man was evil at every level, it was too dangerous to ignore him and walk away, too dangerous to antagonize him, and way too dangerous to let the old man get his hooks into the X-man.

"Do you think she is trying to draw others out into the open?"​

Sheev threw a hawk's gaze towards the young woman, his brow tensed in thought while the rest of his face relaxed.

Young Girl. A fighter, both internally and externally. A hero to some, a devil to others.

He dropped his eyes back to the floor and then to James again; lingering for any longer would be suicide.

"Perhaps...Maybe we should go get a closer look...."​

 

[Capri]

The smaller figure leaning against him made the dhampir twitch ever so slightly, almost as if he was instinctively pulling away from contact. It was best for someone like him with cursed blood to stay away from others most of the time. But now, he needed answers. And quick allies for what was so come. The enemy had suggested that they all get to know one another. Nothing too bearing, he was unlikely to see them again once he returned.

"That may be true in your own world." But where he was from... and had happened to his father... "Alchemy creates vampires where I hail." The stone that his father had copied and used to disobey the written laws of life set up by an entity more powerful than any human in the world. The source of vampires, the source of demons that spawned from Dracula. Alchemy was the reason why so many children of the night littered the earth in Europe. There was no time for Alucard to rest now.

He blinked at the girl who had turned to face him. She was dressed interestingly, as an aristocrat. But a little too... flappy, for his taste. A cape was enough, and even then it could sometimes hinder his movements.

"Alucard is not my birth name, it is a name I bequeathed to myself." His statement was simple. "... Yes, it is my father's name in reverse. Just as my beliefs are the opposite of my father's."




"... no, you have not. I am more curious how a young girl such as yourself knows about alchemy."​

"Then I will introduce myself~," Cagliostro said in a bubbly voice. "I'm the number one cutest, genius, beautiful alchemist, Cagliostro~! It's nice to meet you~. As for how I knew about alchemy and learned it... well, you see, it all started a long, long, time ago... oh! Sorry! I really shouldn't drag. I'll say it right away~..."

Cagliostro's voice warped into its more 'serious' state once more.

"... funny you should ask, for I am the Founding Alchemist, Cagliostro. A pleasure to meet you, Alucard, Road. I take an interest in your discussion of many worlds, for research in the unknown to make it known is something I dwell in. The human mind - or the mind of any sentient being for that matter - is always hungry for knowledge, and I am no exception."​

 

[Capri]

"Always war... seems to be all there is right now, no matter where I go," Joshua sighed, recalling the present conflict in his own world. Pulling out a golden coin, the myrmidon rolled and flipped it between his coins to pass the time as he spoke, "The nation I've been working for has gone on a warpath, starting conflicts with old friends...Don't think I'll keep with them much longer."​

"Hm. Our father wishes to start a war with the neighboring kingdom to conquer it, using fear and intimidation to do so. He's....not exactly the man he used to be, so to say." Azura replied.

Naomi watched silently, observing the people around her. Princesses, alchemists, myrmidons, and more surrounded her, making her think.

"These are certainly things that I'd never see in Portland," she thought to herself, "and some of these things seem entirely impossible altogether. Is it possible that we're no longer even on the planet Earth? Well, I shouldn't completely remove that possibility, but I don't exactly have proof either."

Her train of thought became derailed with Joshua's words. The train finds itself a new set of rails as she asks Joshua, "What nation, exactly, are you working for?"

Even as she is talking with Joshua and Azura, her eyes dart towards Zerberus every few seconds to make sure he doesn't cause too much trouble with the alchemist.

Azura almost didn't realize that someone else was so close, though her question was towards Joshua at the moment she found the woman's clothes slightly unfamiliar, though they could pass for Nohrian apparel. Maybe.
​

"Not likely you would know it, miss..." Joshua tilted his head at the newcomer as if examining her for a moment for reasons other than flirting, before shrugging, "But it's Grado. Specifically, the Grado Empire, the largest kingdom in all of Magvel."​

"Grado Empire in Magvel...hm." Azura repeated thoughtfully. She hasn't heard of such a kingdom or land and wondered how similar or different their worlds were.​

 

[Capri]

"..."

Riesbyfe had been left to ponder Road's words. Her claims of the multiverse theory, one that she was no stranger to the concept of, were quite interesting, as were her words, but perhaps that explained some strange gaps in logic, such as the existence of someone like Alucard, and those strange little monsters that Road had mentioned before. However, perhaps more pressing than that, this all meant that if Road's words held true, then this situation was worse than they'd realized, enough that Ries had already lost much of the will to react to the fight Road had initially intended to pick with her.

Not only was Riesbyfe in a world not her own then, but so were all these other people, taken here deliberately, most likely by those enigmatic scientists. The knight could only furrow her brow. Attempting to make sense of this as she was wouldn't get her anywhere, as they had little facts to go off of. Waiting and seeing wasn't something Ries especially liked doing, but without her weapons, there was little to be done here.

Truly, like a rat in a cage.

"... Such a simple way to look at things, but I suppose aspiring champions of justice will always be needed. Those who are able to fight as well as they can dream, and not," Riesbyfe sighed in response to Clark as the woman crossed her arms. She had nothing to say when Clark later went on about the ethics of "killing" to Road, as Ries had no desire to debate about anything like that, especially considering their circumstances were wildly different, no doubt.

Admittedly, however, she did raise an eyebrow when Clark mentioned being called some sort of "alien" or "freak," which was odd, as he seemed otherwise completely normal, hero of justice ideals aside. She'd have to inquire about that later at a more appropriate time, though whenever something like that would come wasn't something the knight would be able to predict.

Turning to Alucard with that, Riesbyfe tilted her head slightly. "Belmont... That name means nothing to me, unfortunately, but with this multiverse theory come to light... If some black magic more powerful than what I could ever have conceived is at work here, then perhaps the reason I haven't heard that name is that it simply does not exist where I come from. In turn, I don't suppose terms such as True Ancestor or Dead Apostles mean anything to you then, Sir... Alucard?" She inquired, seeming to suddenly take a slightly more civil tone with him.​

"What can I say? I'm an optimist."

Clark nodded at the Holy knight. Even if Clark was some alien, he always tried to be a man. Humbleness is a noble human trait. However, a wave of sadness hit Clark as the young man followed up.

"I wouldn't call myself "simple", though. Just ask my ex. Believe me, I wish I was."​

"Y-yes..." Road spoke in a benign tone, feeling the edges of curiosity biting at her mind. Just how different were their worlds? The roots at least had similarities. Excluding the country boy, Clark, this woman - Ries - and the vampire... Alucard and Road herself all came from worlds with Vampires, a Holy Knighthood, and Noah. It was no surprise to Road that it seemed that all who arrived in this room seemed to be dividing themselves. Even unconsciously.

Finally, Road sat up from the floor and tried desperately to whip away the blood from her ears with her wrists before standing quickly and tending to the final stream from her nose. Using Door was apparently a big no-no in here. All that remained now from the recoil was a headache. Road missed Lero. He'd have got her something sweet and some tea in such a situation.

"In my world, the children of Noah resented God for destroying humanity and waged against him by aligning with Satan and becoming the Fourteen Apostles. Our genes are recessive in all of humanity and we reincarnate to fight against the Holy every generation." Road's explanation was said in an almost friendly tone. It was clear Ries and Clark weren't going to bite... so... she might as well educate ignorance. "First though... we destroyed Satan, and used the black magic we obtained from this to turn the souls of the dead, tortured mortals into 'Akuma'." The seemingly young girl's eyes flickered at Alucard. "From Akuma, came sub-species... such as your progenitor - Dracula. That boy had been so sweet in youth... a shame he got rebellious and the Earl had to put him down. After Dracula's revolt, Vampires became servants to the family of Noah. Hence my... emotion at your arrogant tone, before."

Might as well fill the holes in their history, right?

"Thanks, bumpkin, but when it comes to saving lives... it's more often than not someone saving others from me. So I doubt I'm in need of the lesson. Or I save my own... which is sufficient."

It was clear, had these two came from the same universe, it was likely that they would not be on the same side of things. and that was right. Even right now, Road wanted nothing more than for this being to drop his guard so she could pounce and infect him with the Akuma virus. Who knew what made him special, but it seemed nothing in this room frightened him, which was considerable, seeing as the very fabric of space-time had been torn asunder to bring him here.

A shrill laugh suddenly left the girl's form at that last part, and she looked at Clark with belittling eyes.

"Did you say hurt my feelings? That's adorably naive."

--

Once again, Road turned her attention to the tail end of what Ries and Alucard had been speaking of. Words like 'demons' and 'church' bite at her loose attention span, and the word, 'Belmont' sounded interesting too. How Alucard ended that though- "I appreciate the existence of your Church. At least our worlds have something against vile creatures like demons that roam the world of men."

A shame. For whatever reason the Nosferatu was a servant to the Church, it seemed, and that sickened her.

"So... I'm fraternizing with the enemy?" There was a tinge of... something in her words. Hesitation? Remorse? Something. "You might also appreciate that, in my world as well... the Church spearheads a vendetta against evil... and has won. That's the link that connects all four of our worlds... good... triumphs over...us."

Road couldn't bring herself to call her family 'evil'. They weren't.​

The Man of Tomorrow couldn't help be amused.

"If you're as powerful as you say you are, why don't you help people? There's good in everyone, even you."

"Are you really shocked that good always beats evil? People are, humans are a naturally good race. The capacity of compassion and love are endless in man. If you can see that, well, I guess you're the naïve one, huh?"​

 

[Capri]

"Then I will introduce myself~," Cagliostro said in a bubbly voice. "I'm the number one cutest, genius, beautiful alchemist, Cagliostro~! It's nice to meet you~. As for how I knew about alchemy and learned it... well, you see, it all started a long, long, time ago... oh! Sorry! I really shouldn't drag. I'll say it right away~..."

Cagliostro's voice warped into its more 'serious' state once more.

"... funny you should ask, for I am the Founding Alchemist, Cagliostro. A pleasure to meet you, Alucard, Road. I take an interest in your discussion of many worlds, for research in the unknown to make it known is something I dwell in. The human mind - or the mind of any sentient being for that matter - is always hungry for knowledge, and I am no exception."​

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The princess pressed her palm against the glass, narrowing her eyes at the outside. Looking at the men from outside wasn't proving helpful, either, and she turned around to inspect the groups of people huddled together. "What is this place?" Hakuei couldn't tell whether any of the others held inside with her were even from familiar lands such as Kou or Sindria. They were too varied, too exotic, and some weren't even what could be called human! She wondered if Judal or any possible magician from Kou could have been responsible for this.

A nearby group's voices caught her attention. Moving towards them, she stared at the unusual mixup and smiled tentatively. "Pardon me, but did you just mention... Different worlds?" The princess didn't sound upset or anxious, merely curious. Her eyes widened as she realized her forwardness and lack of manners, and quickly, she amended, "I apologize for not introducing myself."

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"I am the third daughter of the first Kou Emperor, Ren Hakuei, and one of the Kou empire's military commanders." Bowing forward in a fluid motion, she brought her hands together in the traditional greeting of her people. Her blue eyes smiled at them with genuine friendliness, despite her situation. "While I am not certain of the circumstances that I seem to have found myself in, may I stay with your group for the meantime?"

The young girl with blonde hair was a curious sight, there was something about Cagliostro that reminded the princess of that blue-haired boy she met in the plains. The mysterious fourth Magi. She still wasn't sure what to make of this girl. Aladdin was easy to trust even from their very first meeting, but what would this girl show her?​

 

[Capri]

Alucard's bland voice answered the alchemist. "My pleasure." At least he had acknowledged her, even for her assumed age and size. She didn't look threatening to him, and the dhampir was not sure she could ever pull the appearance of a cold-blooded killer.

If she was as she said, a founding alchemist, that was impressive. Alchemy was a complex study, and one where a lot of experimentation went on and a single incorrect calculation could lead to dire consequences. Dabbling into it was dangerous enough, but being one of the progenitors...?

He nodded at her "I understand one's thirst for knowledge," he admitted. He spent most of his time in the library, reading whatever he could get his hands on. Castlevania, for a creature of chaos, had a surprising amount of materials to read. There were the enchanted books that tried to bite you constantly, the books of dark magic that he as a child had spent his days pouring over to master each and every spell just to ever hope to be as good as his father, and books about mundane things. Books about fairy tales and books written by masters of the pen and creativity - those caught his interest the most. "The unknown begs to be discovered and researched."

At the arrival of a new person, the pale man turned to face her. She was dressed in clothing that was clearly not from Europe - or any otherworldly counterpart - and was reminiscent of the diagrams in books from the East in his father's library. It was plain and simple, nothing too distracting or 'flappy'.

Alucard nodded at her introduction. He had not heard of any 'Ren's before, or this Kou Empire she was speaking of. Another world that he had no clues whatsoever as to where it was, what it contained, and what sort of people lived within it. Though he had no interest in researching if he ever made it home, the talk of so many of these 'alternate realities' whetted his appetite for knowledge, as the alchemist had said. "Salutations. I am Alucard," was all he said in reply.

Unsure as to why she was bowing in such a way - like a servant(?) - he shifted a little to make room for the newcomer, making sure there was enough space between him and the next person.​

 

[Capri]

"What can I say? I'm an optimist."

Clark nodded at the Holy knight. Even if Clark was some alien, he always tried to be a man. Humbleness is a noble human trait. However, a wave of sadness hit Clark as the young man followed up.

"I wouldn't call myself "simple", though. Just ask my ex. Believe me, I wish I was."

The Man of Tomorrow couldn't help be amused.

"If you're as powerful as you say you are, why don't you help people? There's good in everyone, even you."

"Are you really shocked that good always beats evil? People are, humans are a naturally good race. The capacity of compassion and love are endless in man. If you can see that, well, I guess you're the naïve one, huh?"​

Jason had mostly been quiet now, having nothing to contribute to the conversation anymore. But when Clark mentioned 'good' and 'evil', Jason decided to put in his two cents.

"Kid, it's better you realize this now than later...

The Batman considers them Villains, but I know better.

There are no heroes and there are no villains.

There are just opposing points of view."​