knightsoflegend | paris ♔ tried to save myself but myself keeps slipping away

[She got a respectable 20 total but... yeah no she can't beat that. Struggling in the vampire's grasp, the lets out a shout. So maybe Faith can hear that through the phone... just saying.]

Must it always be terrible food puns with you lot? [Sasses through the pain.]

[Faith is already kinda wondering if this guy is more interested in getting into her pants instead of getting her to the scene of some underground vamp crowd.]

Hang on - is this one of those times where you pick up a girl at a bar and offer her some great amazing Paris experience and want to show her some etchings or some shit and then she gets up to your place and it's just you? 'Cause you're not that impressive.

[She's also gonna be keeping a listen out (listen 26 THANK GOD) for anything in the area ...or her pocket.]

[ her other hand clamps over helen's mouth as she twists her neck towards her more so that she can see her features clearly, and the irritation in her eyes. ] For last words, you really should have done better. [ and she's going to sink her fangs into her neck as she does 13 crushing damage from her grip, drinking 14 hp and draining 6 temporary Con, as well as a number of hit points equal to her lost modifier x her total number of levels.

faith hears a noise from the phone, but she doesn't know what it was exactly. the vampire opens the door and holds it for her as he smirks again. "The place is downstairs." ]

[Faith gives the guy a skeptical look. At the very least she knows where this place is now. She can come back with Helen, Max, and Lissa. Shaking her head, she laughs, trying to play it off (bluff 23).]

Yeah... look maybe I'm sobering up a bit, but I think I'm gonna go.

[She's not sure what she heard from her phone, but she's not really gonna linger here to let that unknown sound get any less clear. She just turns and starts to head away from him.]

[Crying out as the arms around her tighten, she gasps when the life is drained away from her. She struggles in the vampire's grasp, trying desperately to break free (grapple 24).]

[ the male vampire's hand darts out to grab faith's wrist (grapple 32, she can make an opposed grapple check which is d20 + base attack bonus + her strength modifier, and if she beats a 32, she can yank her hand away ] Maybe what you need is just another drink. I know I could use one.

[ ♬ a handsome stranger called death - foe

the world starts to blur red, and helen's waning pulse begins pounding in her ears like the roaring ocean. she isn't strong enough to pull away, even giving it all she has, the supernatural power behind the woman's grip keeping her locked in place as she eagerly prepares to suck the last drops of life from helen magnus.

and then there's a whooshing noise, sudden and unexpected, and difficult to recognize through the haze of sound in her brain, but the scream that issues from the woman moments later is more easily identifiable. the fangs retract, the grip vanishes and the cold air rushes into helen's lungs once more, as the vampire slumps to the ground, a stake perfectly shot through her back, lodged in her heart.

behind her in the alley stands a dark-haired, goateed man in a dark trenchcoat, holding up a strange looking gun that looks old timey as shit.

the man watches the vampire fall lifeless to the floor, before turning his attention to helen, raising one eyebrow as he studies with dark, impenetrable eyes. ] ... Are you quite alright? [ his accent is slightly french, slightly english, but perfectly refined. ]

[Ha ha. Faith is NOT HAVING THIS. No means no, vampire dude. She breaks free (grapple 34) and just books it away from the guy and back toward the bar.]

[For the last two hundred years, Helen Magnus has been something of a cheat. She manipulated the forces of life and death, lived several lifetimes, traveled to a new world entirely. But in this moment, she finds herself close enough to death to taste it. With a few tears brimming in her eyes, she soundlessly mouths a single word, a plea for forgiveness for so many things she cannot have a hope to voice.]

Ashley...

[A moment later, things are moving faster than she can hope to keep up with. She feels the jolt of the force of the stake striking it's target, hears the sound of the woman screaming in pain. The loss of the hold around her causes her to stumble forward, one knee striking the pavement with a crack as she catches her self with both hands. Her breath comes in hard pants, still very weak from the blood loss. She manages to look up at the man who speaks, needing to blink to clear her vision enough to see him clearly.]

I'm... [She's not, but that's likely quite evident.] Thank you.

I imagine you must have someone looking out for you. Ms...? [ his forehead creases as the hand he extends to help her up shifts in action to gently tilt her cheek aside so that he can get a better look at her wound, concern making its way into his gaze. ] You're still bleeding out heavily. She left quite a mark. [ he nods to one of the nearby buildings. ] I've only recently rented a room nearby, having tracked them this far. I've the supplies there to get you patched up quickly. [ probably a good idea as helen takes another 2 points of bleed damage whoops. he moves to take her hand in his own gloved one and offer her a very supportive lift to her feet. (str 17) ] Perhaps a bit indecorous, but I don't think we've much time to hold ourselves overly accountable to manners. You're in a very bad way, madam, if I may say so.

[She doesn't fight against the way he tilts her face away, examining the vampire's handiwork. She knows enough about medicine and well.. vampires to know that he's right. She's bad off and need medical attention. The idea of leaving her fallen teammates sickens her, though. And Faith is still out there, still with that man she left the bar with.]

Magnus. [She starts, finally attempting to reply to him and not simply be lost in her own thoughts.] Helen Magnus.

[Cautiously, she wraps her hand around his and lets him lift her to her feet.]

I suppose if I can't trust the man who saved my life, who can I trust? [The poor attempt at a joke falls flat, mainly because she's still traumatized by dead knights and blood loss and worry. She searches the ground for her phone, because she probably dropped it in all of the commotion. But seeing the shattered screen in the glint of the streetlights, she can tell that it won't do her much good.]

Faith... my friend. She'll be looking for me. [Especially now that the call is definitely dead.]

[ he nods once firmly, but seems much more concerned about her injuries right now, gesturing towards some doors a bit down the alley. ] I'll try and track her down for you then. After these wounds of yours are dressed. [ he glances back down once at max and lissa and grimaces. ] And deal with... all this. [ there's a hint of remorse in his voice, perhaps because while he'd been here in timely order to save helen, that clearly wasn't the case all around. still, as he helps her down the alley, he seems to remember that he hasn't introduced himself yet either. ] A pleasure, Ms. Magnus.

Lord Dashiell Amory Roux-Rivage. Dashiell will do.

[She has every intention of coming along for any tracking and dealing with that he does later this evening, knowing that Wynn would want to see his Knights returned home, even if they couldn't be revived. And she doubts Faith would easily trust the word of a mysterious stranger, given the circumstances. But there will be time for such insistence once she's less light headed.]

Dashiell. [She repeats the name, keeping close to him as they walk, one hand trying to apply pressure to her wound.] I'm lucky you arrived when you did. Another moment more and... [There have been moments in her life in which Helen has regretted her longevity, surely. But far more often, she knows that she has so much to live for. Ashley, Rose... The thought of leaving them is too troubling.]

Edited 2015-08-14 12:04 (UTC)

Let's avoid dwelling on what-might-have-beens. [ he gives her a small smile, before opening a door for her. she takes another 2 bleed damage, continuing to fade fast, as he ushers her into a dark foyer, where wooden floorboards creak. it's well decorated, at least, but feels riddled with antiques and a bit dusty. ] What's important is that you're still here.

[Oh no. She's down to like 7 hp. Better get to those bandages soon... Also for the sake of self preservation, I should roll a sense motive so she doesn't just walk into a vampire orgy or something. She got a 33 to try to avoid walking into a trap. Barring any red flags, she follows him inside, feeling herself sway a little as the blood drips past her fingers while she presses a hand to her wound.]

I've survived worse in my time.

That does make an interesting statement about the life you must have led before now. [ he sounds wryly amused, and releases her gently where she can support herself on the wall, as he draws a set of old-looking keys from his pocket and slips one into one of the doors that lines the corridor. the gentleman is rather difficult to read, but that seems to have more to do with his air of casual reaction to slaughtering vampires than to any sinister motives. he pulls the door open with a creak and steps aside, gesturing her into the dark interior. ] Do watch your step. I haven't yet unpacked everything, and some of my trunks are scattered about.

[She refrains from making a comment abut her life before now, but there's a slight lift to the corners of her mouth- a poor attempt at a smile in the face of all the horror she's seen tonight. Her life could certainly be described as interesting. He's not wrong there. She steps into the room, not sure if she can trust her own instincts anymore. But with the rate that she's bleeding, she'd be dead if she ran, so there's at least a chance that he could be genuine in his desire to help her. The darkness and her dizziness do little to help her navigate the room. Her toe catches the corner of a trunk a few feet in and she stumbles (dex 8. it just isn't helen's day.)]

[ ooouuch, that's another 2 bleed. he manages to catch her before she tumbles over with a reflex of 17, holding her in place a moment, before she starts off again tripping her way across the room. ] As I said. [ he holds up a finger, indicating she should stay in place a moment, and then goes to turn on a few lamps here and there so that she can see the room. the furniture is all dark wood, the paint peeling off some of the walls, wispy curtains drawn across the windows. the trunks in question are all rather large and very old, scattered here and there throughout the room in the dim light. he gestures to a velvet lined chair, helping ease her into it. ] Give me a moment to fetch my supplies, Helen. [ once she's settled in, he takes a few brisk steps across the room towards what looks like a bathroom ]

[If I'm tracking correctly, she's down to 5 hp now? It's not much.

She nods weakly as he tells her to stay put, blinking as the lights are turned on. She's in too much of a haze to really take the room in, but she can tell that he's not exactly packing light. Following his guidance, she sits in the chair and lets out a shaking breath. Now without needing to focus on standing, she can watch him more carefully.]

You're hunting them, aren't you? [She says, her voice a bit weak. It's not really a judgmental tone. Her caveat for the whole live and let live policy was the threatening of innocent lives. Those creatures killed two of her teammates and would have had their fill of her if he hadn't stepped in.]

[ she can hear him rooting quickly through things in the bathroom, but he answers in the same measured, calm tone. ] A small group of them, compared to a real coven. The equivalent of their rebellious teenagers, really. Not nearly as dangerous, individually, which is why they're easy enough to kill if one knows how to. I heard they were cutting a bloody swath through this portion of Paris, and ascertained that was likely the cause quickly enough.

And you knew just how to track them. [She says, unable to keep from sounding impressed, despite the dire circumstances.]

Quite the task for one man to take on, alone.

I've my share of experience, with their kind. When facing vampires, numbers aren't necessarily a boon.

[ he comes back into the room, framed in the doorway for a moment with bandages in hand. ] Did you know them well? [ his voice is a bit quieter as he asks the question, clearly aware that if the answer is yes, helen's likely still grappling with the reality of their death. with another 2 blood loss, she's finding it very hard to think straight as she starts to slip away from consciousness. ]

Edited 2015-08-17 19:09 (UTC)

[The edges of her vision start to blur, the light from the restroom making a halo around his shape in the doorway.]

They were under my care. [It was how she saw it, anyway. She was mission leader, after all. Max wasn't all that stable and Lissa was barely more than a child. Her eyes close, heavy from the blood loss and the guilt of what's happened to her fellow Knights.]

I told them to go outside, tried to protect them from his song. [Not that those words will necessarily make any sense.] Too bloody curious for my own good. I should have gone with them. I should have-- [Her voice gets weaker as she goes on, a lump forming in her throat.]

[ he moves closer now, kneeling down beside her chair, and she would catch a whiff of smoke and maybe gunpowder and blood, her own perhaps, replaced by a sharp scent as he twists the cap off a bottle in his hand. he lifts one hand to her jaw, gently pushing her head aside again so that he can examine the wound, the clenching muscles in his own cheek betraying just how bad it must look. ] Death is an inevitability. [ a beat before he adds: ] For most, at least. [ he pours a bit out of the bottle onto the bandage. ] Not much of a comfort, I'm afraid, but neither is dwelling on the mistakes we have made that we can no longer change.

[ he lifts the bandage beside her neck, and his dark eyes shift to hers for a moment, apologetically ] This will hurt, but I can't imagine you wish to risk infection.

[Death is an inevitability. For most, at least.

The words echo in her mind. How many friends, family, colleagues will she manage to bury while she survives for year after year? How many times has she felt as if she would gladly trade her own life to spare theirs? His comment on how much it will hurt draws her out of her own thoughts. Shifting her gaze to meet his, she gives the smallest nod.]

Do it. [She says with firm certainty. Steeling herself, she does her best to keep from crying out in pain (will 25)]

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