FicWad

Chapter 8

Jean-Claude and Karin were going to Maki’s place while Chiyuki and Ai started to scour that area of the city for anything that would give a clue to the missing couple’s whereabouts. Starting at the apartment, they started to see if there was anything left that would yield and answer. Jean-Claude said that she needed to raise just a touch of her blood to be able to use her vampire sight. (He knew that, because of the way things had turned out about four years before, she would still have raises in her blood, but not as severe if she could avoid long exposure to her blood taste. She gave excess either to Kenta, or to whatever vampire sought her out for aid, which would not be nearly as frequent as what had happened before. However, to prolong her life, she had to be careful in amount of creation and use, lest she run herself dry. Therefore, he made sure to remind her only to do that which would cost her minimum to her blood, unless it was an emergency as it had been three years before.) As they scanned the apartment, Jean-Claude noticed that each couch had recently been sat upon, and then lay upon. Karin noticed boot prints on the carpet that did not match anything that Wiener and Maki wore. Jean-Claude then said, “Okay, just another touch to your olfactory: both acts should only cost you a drop of blood each, so there is no danger there.”
They both began to sniff around the apartment, and indeed, Maki’s and Wiener’s scents were heavy there, however, Karin went back to the boot marks, and began to follow the scent. It was not the same as the other two, and Karin said, “The scent trail goes from here, to the couches, and back out. There’s a heavy canvas smell with it.”
“I smell it as well,” said Jean-Claude, “As well as a fine tobacco scent, and wax, like someone who had been around a lot of burning candles.”
They both followed all of those scents back out the door, and to the street. Jean-Claude still had a track on the scent, and he said, “Where was the last place they were before here?”
“Julian’s, I think,” she said, “I remember they said something about grabbing a quick bite before going back to her place and going over some inventory records.”
“We’ll split up here,” he said, “Go to Julian’s, and ask around to what anyone would have seen. Are you still on your two drops?”
“Yes,” she said.
“Good,” he responded, “Don’t use any extra blood that you do not have to use. I would hate to see this be the crisis that does you in.”
“You’re not the only one!” she said, smiling, but sarcastically.
With that, they both made their ways.

Karin made her way to Julian’s, and Julian was so happy to see her again. He gushed over her, and said that he missed her as a waitress there. He knew there was no chance for that, considering that Kenta, who had indeed made something of himself, was supporting her. Still, he missed her, and offered her some breakfast on the house. She accepted this, considering that she had rushed out so quickly that she had not eaten. This also gave her an excuse to snoop around a bit, and see what she could find. As she sniffed, she did pick up the wax, tobacco, and scent that marked that person they were pursuing, though it was faint. The cleaners in the restaurant did a thorough job of cleaning things up, and it was harder to see or smell anything. She was able to trace it up to the pick-up window, and then back out the door. She wondered what could have happened, yet, at the same time, she had her suspicions. Karin went back to her seat and made a point to call back to Yuriya and see if she could not relay something to Clarice and Antonio later on, and see what they thought. It was all very suspicious, and creepy. Something proverbially smelt dirty, and she did not like the implications. She sat down to think, and five minutes later, breakfast arrived. However, as she was about to dive in, someone slipped into her booth with her own meal very quietly. Karin looked curious at this, considering that she had never seen the girl before, or knew her from Adam. She had long, brown hair, with light bangs in the front, and on the side of her face are two small braids. She was wearing a tight black miniskirt and a long-sleeve, turtleneck purple shirt, with black laced boots. Her eye color was reddish pink, with lips having a deep color of red, even though she had very pale skin. She was very quiet as she ate, but then finally said, “My sister saw all of what you seek last night, and I can help you.”

Chiyuki and Ai then thought it would be fitting to pay a visit to Clarice, to see what she could piece together in her head. They went to the hotel where she was staying, and she warmly greeted them as she invited them inside. “So,” she said, “What brings you to me today?”
“Well, I’ll apologize in advance,” said Chiyuki, “but what I have to say may not be pleasant.”
Ai chimed in quickly, and said, “Two of our friends went missing last night, and there is no trace of anything that could have indicated where they went, or what could have happened.”
Clarice thought for a few moments, and she said, “Knowing what we are dealing with, it is not good. If he was able to introduce the coup de poudre on them somehow, then there may be more problems than we care to even imagine.”
Since Ai was up on her chemicals and herbs, she said, “He turned them into zombies!” saying “he” considering that it was obvious with whom they dealt.
“Yes,” she said, “and what you are dealing with is a teterodotoxin, normally found in certain kinds of puffer fish.”
She then said with a sly look on her face, “We may look like primitives, but we did pay attention in chemistry class!”
“Wait a minute,” said Chiyuki, “That stuff is supposed to kill someone within 24 hours of ingestion.”
“Yes, that’s true,” said Clarice, “but only if the right amount is ingested, and if it sits alone. However, if combined with dissociative datura, it changes the chemical state of the first substance when it reacts with body chemistry, stopping the killing effect, but still inducing a death-like state. Normally, they would have been buried, and then dug up later. However, there is no need for that here, and he did what he did to induce that state. The herbs he then would give would revive them, but keep them in a drug induced, suggestive state, as if they were the living dead.”
“What should we look for?” asked Ai.
Clarice went to her supplies, and she said, “I keep this around to teach younger priestesses about what to look for in times like these. This powder is the two mixed.”
She opened the lid to the can and waved it below their noses about their waist level. That way there would be no ill effects. However, their sensitive noses could then keep that smell in mind. Chiyuki then said, “We need to then keep our noses out for a large supply of this stuff. It just might lead us to him.”
Ai then said, “Do you have any attropa belladonna as well?”
Clarice smiled and said, “So, you do know your stuff!”
“I had some exposure to the bokor before,” she said, “and they tried to do me in. That was not fun!”
“Well, now is your chance to set things straight,”said Clarice, “And if you do find them, bring them here and I will begin the cure process. May Mama Ayezan look after you as you travel the public places today in your search, and keep you from evil in whatever portal you cross!”
They accepted her well wishes, and then went out to search. In the meantime, Clarice began to light a few candles, and some incense, and began to focus on Papa Legba in order to find out what was going on in the spirit ream. If anything were happening with Mimoun, Legba would fill her in.

Meanwhile, back a Julian’s, Karin and the stranger continued to eat. Her dining mate did not seem very conversational, especially for someone who had something to tell her. Karin tried to engage her, saying, “So, why it is that you are not in school right now?”
The girl said nothing. “Is there a problem?” Karin probed.
“Don’t you think the truant officers might find…” asked Karin, but the girl cut her off, saying, “It would be a terrible mistake for them to try.”
Her emotionless state reminded her of Anjou, but Anjou could be more expressive than this! “I don’t understand? What is…” but she was cut off again. The girl said, “My sister saw your friends in here last night, and she saw someone with an African descent and a top hat slip in and slip something into their food. She followed them, and the same man was seen coming from their place with two large sacks, which he put upon a rolling cart and walk away. She said she did not have time to follow, but she said that she knew you, or at least of you, and one of your friends. She met him one night about three years ago. She did not forget him. He would need to know.”
Karin was stunned at the girl. She was very matter-of-fact about the whole thing, and she did not show even one effect towards emotion in dealing with a possible kidnapping. Still, this was the information that she needed, and she wanted to find Jean-Claude quickly. She looked down at the last of her breakfast and began to eat, and said, in between bites, “Thank you for your help! This will be good. Now you need to get to school before…” but she stopped when she had looked up to see the girl gone. There was some money left to take care of her meal, and that was it. Karin was overwhelmed a bit over the girl, what it all meant, and what her part in all of this was.

Jean-Claude, in the meantime, was following the scent further and further out of town. Finally, he came to a ridge with a dirt road that led down its steep embankments into a wooded area. Just as he reached that point, Chiyuki and Ai arrived, and Jean-Claude said, “What have you found out?”
“Maki and Wiener may have been zombified,” said Chiyuki, and Ai continued, “and we followed the scent of the chemical used to do it all the way here.”
“Then they have to be down here,” said Jean-Claude.
At that, Ai jumped up, saying excitedly, “Great, let’s go down there and kick some tail!”
“Hold up!” said Jean-Claude, “Bring it back behind the 38th parallel for a minute. If they are down there, then they would be in danger if we tried to strike now.”
“What do we do, then?” asked Chiyuki.
“We wait,” said Jean-Claude, “I think this is all about his ‘demonstration of power’ to us, and I think that he will send them to us.”
“Why would he do that?” asked Ai, confused.
“He wants to flaunt it in our faces that we are powerless to stop him,” said Jean-Claude.
“Oh, I’ll show him what power he has,” said Chiyuki, angrily.
“Their safety is of the utmost importance right now,” said Jean-Claude, “They may try to cause some problems, but they would be easily subdued. Then we have to figure out how to cure them.”
“Clarice seems to have the solution,” said Ai, “She has the night shade, and so she would also know how to use it.”
“Then be at the club tonight,” said Jean-Claude, “I have a feeling that they would be coming there!”

Later that evening, D’amphile and the Bats were doing a couple of sets, and the whole of the Clan were there, including Ren, and oddly enough, Elda. About halfway through the set, in came Brother Antonio, with his own guitar, and he took a seat near the stage. This, he found odd. He did not figure that this man would be in his place. Granted, it was not like an ordinary nightclub, in that smoking was banned, (the vampire’s nose was sensitive to things,) no hard liquor was served, and the bartender knew when to cut someone off. However, there was a mix of different subcultures in there, and a mix unlike any other. Those that were actual members of the Clan swore off alcohol because they were also part warrior: they wanted always to be sure that they had their wits about them at any given time. Thus, the place never got too rowdy. Jean-Claude was not fond of the kinds of dancing that some did, so he did what he could not to have music that would entice that kind of dancing. He did have his morals. In short, Jean-Claude and Anjou both wanted this to be a place where a parent would not be frightened to allow their child to go. Since the clientele was primarily high school/college age anyway, (or at least vampires that looked the part,) Jean-Claude wanted to foster more of a “hang out” kind of place than anything else—a place to socialize and do one’s homework, much like Julian’s was to them. Still, to see a man like the friar come into his club surprised him. Yet, the surprises were not over. About three quarters of the way into the first set, Clarice came in, and two girls that seemed to be identical twins followed her. Clarice sat a table away from the friar, one girl tried to find Karin, and the other sat by herself. The one that tried to find Karin had long brown hair, with light bangs, and her hair was pulled back into a braid, with sea blue eyes. She had pink lips and was a bit tanner than her counterpart was. She wore a short sleeve, green shirt, and wore a blue denim mini skirt. As soon as she found Karin, she plopped herself down in front of her, and Karin thought it was the same girl again. However, she was in for a surprise. She piped up, and said, “Wow! So you’re the Fountain of Psyche! I never thought I’d meet a celebrity in my time!”
Karin’s jaw practically hit the table! Karin regained herself, and sputtered, “How…how…who are you!”
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, “My name’s innocent!”
“That’s not what I meant,” said Karin, “And keep it down: not everyone’s in the know here!”
Innocent scratched her head, and said, “’In the know?’ What do you mean by that?” and after thinking for a minute, she said, “Oops! Sorry: I didn’t see the mortals around here!”
She then saw Kenta, and then said, “Oh no! There’s a human here!”
“It’s okay,” said Karin, “He’s my fiancé!”
“Fiancé!” she exclaimed, “You’re marrying a human? How would Henry permit something like that?”
“How do you know my father!” Karin then demanded.
“Well, we’ve been around for a bit,” Innocent answered, “but we’ve been secluded. When we first got here, we met your father as protocol called for, and he told us that there had been trouble. So, we laid low until things blew over. However, my parents were a bit more paranoid, (you know how grown-ups are,) so we thought it safe to emerge now.”
“I would have asked if you were a vampire,” said Karin, “but I think you made that quite plain.”
Innocent giggled, and said, “I’m sorry, but I saw so many vampires in here that I assumed that everyone was.”
Kenta watched, but he was listening to Sophia, (his name for the spirit of Karin that lived in his mind whenever she had bitten him,) and she was saying, “Don’t worry: she’s young, and has a lot of growing to do. She’s safe, and she could be a good candidate for the Clan.”
“You think so,” he said aloud, causing Karin to ask, “Who are you talking to?”
“I’m talking to you, in a sense,” he said, smiling.
Karin knew instantly what that meant, and she said, “It is so good to know I can be with you, even if I am not with you,” and they kissed.
Now Innocent was confused, and she had to ask, “Okay, what’s going on,” and it was then she saw the marks on Kenta’s neck. She then was a bit livid, and said, “I’ll be right back!”
She went to her sister, they talked, and they came back over. However, the one in purple and the leather skirt was on top of Kenta, growling, “Hey! What gives! How dare you rob her precious blood from us!”
By this point, the first set had ended, and Jean-Claude showed up right on time. He snatched her off, and said, “You have about ten seconds to tell me what you are doing to my friend before I toss you out on your keester.”
She wanted to say something, but the sight and size of what held her froze her in her tracks. She finally sputtered out, “Your…your friend? What’s going on here!”
At this point, Antonio came over and said, “Please, children, this violence is not the answer.”
Innocent then spit out, “What’s it to you, human!”
With that, Jean-Claude grabbed both of them, and set them down forcibly, saying, “Give me a few minutes, and I’ll explain everything. Now what are your names?”
They both said at the same time, “Innocent.”
Now Jean-Claude plopped down in his seat and said, “This is going to be a long night!”

After he went back over the story, the two girls were amazed. Never in their wildest dreams did they imagine something like this. Antonio then said, “Change always comes hard, but I am glad to see this. If only we could have come to this some centuries ago.”
Jean-Claude then said, “Now, how come the two of you have the same name?”
“That was our parents,” said the tanner Innocent, and the more talkative one, “One of us is up in the day, and one in the night.”
“Hold on,” said Karin, “Are you…”
“Like you?” said the quieter Innocent, “Almost: it seems that, because you emerged, I was born with the fountain in a recessive state, that, if ever anything happened to you before you came to our aid, my fountain would open up, and then things would be alright. However, you came along, and I turned out somewhat normal. The only difference is that I can be out in the sunlight.”
The other Innocent then said, “Because they only saw us one at a time, most of the time, and because we both look alike, they named us both Innocent. However, we could not be more different.”
“Yes,” said the first, “because, as you see, she has diarrhea of the mouth!”
“Do not!” the other sniped back.
“Do to!” the first shot back.
“Ladies, please,” said Antonio, “There is no need for all that!”
“Well, if you two are going to be around here,” said Jean-Claude, “I need some way to tell you two apart.” He thought for a moment or two, and said, “Okay, you’re eye color does separate you, so, you, I’ll call you Sea Blue Innocent, and you, because of your lips, I’ll call you Ruby Innocent. Does that sound okay?”
“Sounds cool to me!” said Sea Blue.
“I guess,” said Ruby.
Then Sea Blue said, “So, what gives about throwing away your blood like that, Psyche?”
“Please, call me Karin,” she said, “And about that: now that many vampires have either been bitten by me, or gotten blood that I have donated, visits are still rare. However, the fount has not died yet. The elders so underestimated how long this would last, so I have a fighting chance to live a long time, or not. It’s the same kind of wonderment that a human has, in that, we just don’t ever know what our time is, so we just live one day at a time, and enjoy each day as if it were the last, because it may well be. However, I have ended up loving life more because of all this. It makes me appreciate a lot more what I have. Yet, my blood still increases monthly…”
Kenta then said, “…and if she doesn’t bite someone, she gets massive nosebleeds. At one time, they were getting worse and worse. Once we knew what was going on, we determined that she could no longer have those, or she just might have the one that does her in. If she bites, she can control her release, and not dry herself up. She can last decades longer that way. She has to put it somewhere, and it is easier for her to have someone that she trusts to allow her to do what she does.”
Ruby thought, and then said, “It would make sense, then, that you two would fall in love. It does seem a bit romantic.”
Despite her response, there was no emotion. Somehow, Anjou could relate. She and Anjou were about to retake the stage, when Antonio said, “I was wondering if I could jump in there.”
“You dig this kind of music?” asked Jean-Claude.
“You don’t play anything outrageous,” said Antonio, “and I can sing. I’ll just give you an idea of the chording, and you can improvise.”
“Sounds cool!” said Jean-Claude, “Let’s go!”
However, before that could happen, Elda, who was talking with Clarice, saw Clarice stiffen, and say, “Be ready, your friends are coming.”
With that, Jean-Claude jumped up, and saw Maki and Wiener approaching, and there were four others behind them, rather large, bearing baseball bats, all with the same blank expression, heading right for the club!