"Dead?" Van Helsing repeated, lowering his voice. "So... you're the only one left?"
"How?" Van Helsing demanded, raising his voice slightly and gripping her wrist tighter. "How the hell can you 'handle it' when you have no clue how to kill the b.astard?"
Van Helsing stepped forward, grabbing Anna's wrist and twisting it until her gun fell to the floor. He pulled he wrist until he yanked her forward, his face an inch from her own. "You'll be careful what you say, miss," he began in a slow, angry tone. "Despite what you may think, you're the one that needs us, so do not do anything to make me unhappy, understand?"
"You can speak with them yourself, if you like," Van Helsing began, and then smiled to himself when he thought what Jinx would say. "They'd be very happy to prove themselves, I'm sure."
"Three," Van Helsing began quickly, seeing the look of distress on Carl's face. "Three women, all of whom have had the misfortune of falling to vampires stronger than them. They regret what they are and haven't harmed any humans in their immortal lives." He paused, glancing at Carl to keep his mouth shut through the little lie. "All of them are here to help, and I trust them all, for some absurd reason. They've already helped kill two of Dracula's three brides in the past weeks. They are not a threat to you and even wait outside, among... unwanted company for your sake."
"Now would not be the best time to mention the girls, I guess?" Van Helsing laughed at Carl, putting his hand down and smiling.
Van Helsing nodded, thinking about what they both had said. He stepped forward, reaching his hand up to the mirror, and then stopped. "What about the others?" he muttered to Carl.
Van Helsing frowned, and then his eyes widened as the map in front of them began to change, to dissolve and fade into what looked like a mirror, shining dully in the soft candlelight. He glanced over at Anna and then Carl, unsure what to say or do. "How the hell does this help us?" he muttered after a moment.
OOC: time to sleep! ZZZzzzzzzzzzz :)
"Here," Van Helsing began, and shoved a desk out of the way that was blocking the bottom left corner of the map. He fit the missing peice of parchment back into place and stood. "Read it," he motioned to Carl.
"Something like this?" Van Helsing thought suddenly, pulling a roll encasing a peice of parchment out of his trench coat. "Something a friend of yours gave me in Rome a while back," he added to Carl's astonished look.
OOC: yay for lestats 1500! :D BIC: "Do you?" Van Helsing asked Anna again.
"But we're talking about Dracula here," Van Helsing added to Carl, not looking at the friar. "This used to be his house... to him, maybe this isn't a map, parchment, or a wall at all! Do you follow?" he added, turning to Anna, taking a step toward her.
"Maybe it's not just a map," Van Helsing continued. "Maybe... it's not a map at all. You said he stared at this parchment for hours, no?"
"We have some... bad company as well as good," Van Helsing began uncertainly. His mind drifted to Jinx, but he shook his head, almost planting his feet against the marble floor again to make himself stay still. "They must have sensed some of our... nonfriendly followers are close by. They'll be fine," he added, glancing at Carl once more.
"Maybe..." Van Helsing began, and then frowned. "Maybe it's not just a map... maybe the reason- ow!"
"Let it be, Edward," Van Helsing said sideways, not looking over at the man. He continued to watch Carl and Anna, letting his eyes rove over the map, memorizing anything he thought could be important.
"Hmm," Van Helsing thought aloud, turning to face the map and glancing over at Carl. "What do you think?"
"I'd like to know you," Van Helsing began easily. "You see, we've figured to how to kill Dracula... we just need to figure out where he is now." OOC: i fixed it, too.... its smexy!!!
"How convienient," Van Helsing muttered, and then laughed. "Being alone doesn't seem very safe," he added a little more seriously.
