Konan375
FallenreaperBloodline
Queen Anne
Swirling a glass of wine, Henry decided to intrude on the Kian and Pallidinos. In terms of trust the Queen Anne were perhaps among the last picks of most, much of the credit for this infamous reputation went to the Patriarch of pirates. For centuries the Queen Anne family have sought their thrills and amusement through meddling in the affairs of others, however with Henry's rise to power this 'meddling' has become a common place affair in the lives of the New Bloods. Regarded as the 'Viper', Henry's invisible hand has been present in most conflicts regarding territorial disputes to cargo and shipment ‘misplacement’; however the man has always slipped out of any allegations made at him hence earning his nickname.
"I see my children have caused you some discomfort," Henry spoke as Nima and Dante concluded. "Ye don't need to worry mate, me children maybe rowdy and impulsive but they know better than to pull a hornets' nest. Ye children could learn a bit from Dolos and Apate, they aren't held back by suffocating and hypocritical delusions of honor and righteousness that ye two seem to force onto ye kids. Though that is what I enjoy about ye two, blind priests preaching to the blind." The Patriarch couldn't help but laugh hysterically as he walked away, allowing the two to continue their discussions, but not before giving his two cents on the real issue on hand.
"My children at least don't have a death wish," Nima growled, his eyes fixed on the man with a loathing that seemed to soil the air. If he could, he would plant a dagger in the Patriarch's back and rid the world of another piece of filth that should've died long ago. Sahar, in tune with his current mood, squeezed his arm to settle his wrath once more. Her own eyes followed his gaze with more... observant eyes. Though hatred was there, it just hidden much better.
"It would be wise not to discuss the Delacour case, the word is spreading and one of us will fall," with this forewarning, the Viper left to retrieve his idiot son who had somehow managed to be thrown overboard. Henry's intimidating gaze meeting with Lucas, as he observed the head of Peraltas approaching Dante and Nima, his large hand giving their host a friendly pat on the back.
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Steins and Laveaus
"You're behind the Delacours aren't you, you cold hearted bitch," Clair scoffed as she sat next to Cassandra, her knees calmly crossed while staring in the opposite direction. It was no secret the Laveaus and the Steins have always had animosity between them and this opportunity was a gold mine for any to capitalize on. As with any political power, dominion was key to survival and success and dominion is built over the corpses of your enemies. This age old philosophy, while crude, was detrimental to the Bloodlines which were bound by a fragile pact through A.M.R.O’s mediating.
“Am I to gain something from the annihilation of the Delacours?” Cassandra replied, her tone sincere in its confusion. “I would have contemplated their destruction if they could have offered me substantial alchemic research, but to my knowledge they were a relatively mediocre Bloodline?” The Matriarch continued, despite her expressions hidden through the gas mask, the callousness seeped from her casual tone. Unlike most Bloodlines, the Steins were often raised in a controlled and restricted environment; their grooming was strictly based to coincide with alchemic research as opposed to basic norms and principals of the modern society. As such the Stein’s could never distinguish between right and wrong, for them it was a simple matter of progressing alchemic research and stock piling alchemic knowledge. “Though I am absolutely ecstatic to start receive on their corpses!” Cassandra clasped her hands in a display of excitement, much like a child impatient to receive a present.
“You sicken me you abomination,” Clair spoke in disgust, the very sight of the Stein in front of her causing bile to rush up her throat. In retrospect, the Steins and the Laveaus were quite similar in their respective hatred of ‘God’ and their desire to destroy the entity. While one’s hatred rose from a past of suffering at the hands of the church, the other’s hatred was nestled in the irrationality that God represented. Despite these similarities both Bloodlines, since the time of their inception, have always conflicted with one another in a feud that has lasted generations.
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Laofeng
"Something isn't right; the Bloodlines seem to be on edge....even more so now." Ying whispered worryingly, her scrutinizing gaze bouncing from one Bloodline member to another. Sherlock wasn't need to perceive something had rippled amongst them, something was pricking at the fragile balance of peace.
"It seems A.M.R.O hasn't disclosed the situation to the Asylums," Lei mused, his feminine hands reaching out to pour some more wine. "Ying, my sweet sister, you need to be very careful. These transpiring events are making this situation far more precarious than what I originally expected. I have no doubt A.M.R.O has sent its agents to evaluate the misfortune that befell upon the Delacours, and I have no doubt there will be blood." As the Patriarch of the Old Bloods spoke his voice echoed with heart ache over the realization of the many souls extinguished for such simple carnal desires.
Ying however did not share the same empathetic expressions, the Lost Number couldn't care less of the weaklings burnt to ashes, her concerns lay with the Patriarch of the Laofengs and his protection. "There...will...be..blood," she reitterated her brother before locking her eyes with him. "That is an understatement; a Bloodline will fall before this week ends....."
Meanwhile Dara and Ziba, the twins, were entertaining each to distract themselves from the adult's unsettle nerves. For them, the conflicts of the older generation was still a long time off. It also a rarity that the Kian children didn't have to worry as much about a stray snake in the grass or various other ways their uncles could come up to end their lives. In comparison, this ship was far less dangerous than their own home. This was enough to cause Dara to push the boundaries of his parents' rules.
Parsia was both distracting both Palladinos children and thier by continually getting their attention, a fact made easier by the baby. They quickly slipped through Francesa's attention and moved toward the Laofeng's, creating distance for something likely unacceptable by their mother's standards.
"Want to see something neat?" Dara stated, asking his twin as he moved toward the table. He snatched a ripen apple and started to decay it without ever needing an answer from his twin. They were too into sync to require that. Slowly, the apple darkened. A rotten, earthy scent permeated through the air causing Ziba's nose to wrinkle in disgust.
"Gross. You know mother won't like you showing off your alchemy specialty." Ziba scowled, pushing the fruit away.
"So?" Dara stated, careful not to let the fruit soil his shirt. It was clean and he knew smelling like rotten things only kept animals away, usually, and not bloodlines.
"Now you're sounding like the Queen Anne's children."
It was Dara's turn to look sour. His eyes narrowed and his fingers tightened on the slowly rotten fruit, now only part way soften, when he replied. "Am not!"
"Are too."
"Not."
"S'tew!"
"S'not!"
At the final not, Dara shoved the fruit at his sister. Ziba, on impulse, sidestepped him as she read his body language then slammed her open palm into his chest. It was a reaction they were all taught: to assess, and then react. It was the only way to survive in their home though this was a first time Ziba had ever used it, applying more power behind the punch than she realized her twin expected. Naturally it did the trick. It pushed him away from and right into Lei's unprotected chair side, likely knocking both the man and the boy down.
"It is such a shame, death hounds A.M.R.O and each decision spurs her onwards. I only wish there were more peaceful solu-" before Lei could complete his rant, his head instantly tilted towards the direction of the incoming blur. Despite having the alchemic prowess to vaporize the child as well as the honed skills to easily evade him, Lei chose to remain seated so as to absorb the child's impact and reduce the possibility of injury.
In but an instant the Patriarch found himself colliding with the Kian child, the child's hand touching the leg and causing it to decay. This immediately tipped the couch causing both of them topple upon each other. "I suppose I should have thrown the wine....." Lei sighed, while he had managed to lift the glass above their heads, the wine had found its way on their heads, painting their hair crimson.
Ziba, not yet aware of who Dara plowed into, giggled. Then her face went white when she heard a voice exclaim.
"Have the Kian's lost all sense, sending a child to assassinate a Laofeng!" Ying, who had easily evaded to a safe distance, screamed as she activated her alchemic drive. The sheer magnitude of her power resonated across the ship, shattering the lights and engulfing their room in an eerie, almost sentient darkness.
"Calm down sister, it was an accident," Lei's cheerful voice echoed from within the darkness that ebbed and swayed almost demonically. "Now kiddo I need you to shut your eyes super tight, okay?" He calmly whispered to the child before shutting his own eyes only to reopen them, his irises stark white.
Dara could hear Ziba whimpering softly, her lips pressed tightly to cease displaying her weakness and trying to show strength. It didn't help he couldn't see and was trembling against the older man, like a leaf in the wind. It didn't take long for him to realize he messed up as he prepared for the worse. Death, he hoped, would've been quick. His eyes shut and stood completely still.
"Ignite"
With those words a blinding flash emanated from within his eyes, consuming the ship in stark white and ripping Ying's darkness to shreds.
"There we go, now scurry along little one." Lei spoke with a playful tone, reassuring the child no harm will come to him while lifting him to his feet, his hands 'shooing' him towards his parents and sister. "See sister, just a simple misunderstanding. After all these years and you are still the same, still the hasty over protective big little sister huh?" He teased, his hands petting Ying, whose cheeks were flushed red from embarrassment with eye reflecting guilt. She could tell Lei had used a considerable amount of power to attempt to anull her alchemy, especially knowing she was far stronger than him and the signs were quite visible. The Laofeng was clearly out of breath and mentally as well as physically drained from this endeavor.
Dara immediately darted off toward Ziba as they scrambled over to Sahar, the woman meeting them half way. Her eyes widen in panic when she heard the shout and checked each child over, her grip showing her disapproval over their actions without verbally scowling them. Her alchemy vibrating the wine from Dara's and his hair, soaking it up while uttering in their native tongue over her son's stupidity to Dara.Ziba, while her twin was getting lectured, peered over to Lei Laofeng when her mother was distracted.
Being the head of a prestigious family such as his, Lei knew just how much appearances mattered. It took the head mere seconds to regain composure and play a convincing charade of being unaffected. His head gently bowed towards Sahar in thanks for wiping away the wine after which his gaze spotted the little one peering at him. The only natural response the young patriarch could think of was to stick out his tongue and give the child a friendly wink as if silently saying, 'everything is fine'.
Ziba giggled then silenced herself when Sahar's head darted in her direction.
"Enough fooling around, can we try not to die before we even reach our destination?" Angel's voice echoed in the minds of all the passengers present on the ship. "Keeping these leaches alive is truly an arduous task," the Silver Reaper continued, forgetting he is still telepathically communicating, that or simply not bothering whether he is heard or not.
"Look brother we are here!" Rena suddenly chirped, the child regaining her vigor and beginning to bounce and frolic across the ship, only stopping when the Peralta estate had come into view.
"Ah, the graveyard of our passengers, we your undertakers… welcome you." Angel teased while welcoming them with a sarcastically courteous bow, enjoying just how tensed and paranoid the Bloodlines were.