“Um,” Sanji replied, not sure of how to extricate himself from the situation. He was a high schooler, but certainly not the type of high schooler to have a girl over at his house. In fact, it was difficult enough to process the whole hand holding thing. It didn't help that she was just standing there frozen and wide eyed, as if stuck in time. “We need to talk about what?”
That pulled her from her stupor she shook her head and replied “Well first off, my name is Rose, what's yours?”
“Hi Rose… I'm Sanji.
Suddenly she pulled her hands away and spun back to the door dramatically, “You saved me from High Commander Ritten’s minions, so I think you can be trusted. I’ll need your help in the quest to defeat her, but we need a plan.”
Again Sanji failed to think of a response, but this time it wasn't so much being flustered as it was being baffled. And again Rose stood locked in place, facing the door, hands clasped behind her back. A lot of her thighs were showing in that skirt… he shook his head, “Where do you think you are right now?”
“In your dwelling of course,” she turned back to face him
“Yes… how did you find me by the way? But no, I mean beyond that, where in the world do you think we are?”
“Oh, I just followed you home after hiding from Rittens minions, that was easy,” she then scrunched up her face in what might have been a cute gesture were it not for the dried blood on her head, “And how could you forget where you live? We’re in the great city of Archeria. Or at least it was great before Ritten sent her forces to corrupt the population.”
“This is Novinger,” Sanji said, but his voice came out as a croak.
“That's an odd name for a building, but what's more important is finding the ancient texts that will allow us to purge the evil from this city.”
“I think we should get you to a hospital,” Sanji said.
“We can't do that, Ritten will have all of the shops and healing centers marked with tracing runes. If we show up there we are as good as dead.”
Sanji took a deep breath, “Listen. You were hit by a truck, you definitely hit your head, this is not some fantasy video game, this is the modern day of Novinger. I assume you grew up here, you must know that Commander Ritten is a fictional character in a video game. Now I really think we should get you some help.”
Rose looked at him, blinked, and said, “We can't do that, Ritten will have all of the shops and healing centers marked with tracing runes. If we show up there we are as good as dead.”
“Oh dear.” Sanji groaned. Maybe he should call emergency services… although the situation would be more than a little difficult to explain.
Another knock came at the front door.
Was it the police? Sanji felt a jab of fear, how could he possibly explain this situation at all? Maybe if he had called in he could explain, but if the police were showing up at his door how could he possibly explain that he did not in fact lure a clearly confused and injured girl away from the scene of an accident and into his own home. Rose seemed to share his concern- although definitely for the wrong reasons, “Don't open the door.”
The knock came again, but this time Sanji noticed it wasn't so much a knock as it was a tap. The police wouldn't be so gentle on the door, would they?
He moved to open it, and undid the latch even as the girl hissed, “It might be a trap.”
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Ignoring her, Sanji opened the door.
It wasn't the police, but instead it was that strange girl from the street corner. Sanji wasn't all that tall himself, but this girl was exceptionally short. She wore a black robe that dragged on the ground a few in he's, and even with her impressively sized hat she still came in quite a few centimeters under Sanji’s chin. He had to look down to see her face. Her voice was soft and drawn out, “Hello.”
“Um, hi, how can I help you?”
“May I come in?” She spoke slowly as if intentionally making each word last longer than really necessary.
“Um, no,” Sanji replied, and glanced over his shoulder to thankfully see that the delusional girl had hidden somewhere.
“Oh come on!” The robe girl exclaimed, her voice suddenly fast and high, but she quickly composed herself, “Please may I come in?”
“No, I don't even know you,” Sanji exclaimed, getting a bit huffy over the entire situation.
“Ah, of course,” this stranger replied, “Well allow me to introduce myself, I am Eva Montogue. I couldn't help but notice a thin trail of blood leading up to your door here…”
That couldn't possibly be her real name, and Rose wasn't all that likely of a name either. It would be nice to deal with only one crazy thing at a time, “Yes, I tripped and fell, that's why there's blood. I promise I'll clean it up, do you live around here?”
“Where I live does not matter, neither does the mess, I just couldn't help but be drawn to the blood…”
“Close the door!” Rose shouted from behind, and before Sanji knew what was happening she dashed by and slammed it shut.
“What was that for?” Sanji asked, relieved his fingers had narrowly escaped serious injury via door and frame.
“She was clearly working for Ritten.”
“I think she's just a concerned citizen wondering why there's blood outside,” Sanji replied, “And it was rude to slam the door in her face-”
A tap came from the door, she was knocking again.
Then her voice came from outside, louder than before, and with a noticeable lisp, “Pleath let me in. I juth want to come inthide.”
Now that was a bit weird, not so much a concerned citizen, and why the lisp all of a sudden? Probably best to just tell her to go away. Sanji opened the door despite Rose’s protests. Eva stood there, hand raised to tap again, and she grinned at Sanji.
She was wearing a very clearly fake set of fanged teeth, those of the cheap plastic variety.
Sanji blinked at her, “You are…”
“A Vampire!” Both Rose and Eva exclaimed at once.
Sanji decided Rose had the right idea, the door was better off shut, and he began to close it again, but before he got the chance Rose reached over his hand on the know and pulled it open. Excitement filled her voice as she said, “Come in!”
“Oh no, please don't,” Sanji began, but it was too late.
“Oneth thomeone ith invited in they can't be uninvited.” Eva said matter of factly.
“She might be able to help us in the battle against High Commander Ritten,” Rose explained as both girls looked at Sanji. “Vampires have potent powers.”
Groaning inwardly Sanji decided to try to quickly deal with this new thing and then figure out how to get Rose to a hospital.
[AUTHOR’S NOTE: If someone shows signs of delirium or delusion do not engage in or play along with their delusions.]
So, Sanji decided to play along with her delusions, “Okay, you're a vampire. What's your plan now that you're inside?”
“Ah,” her mouth fell open, and in the process her fake teeth fell out. She leapt forward to catch them, missed, ended up knocking them further away, and ended up colliding with Sanji.
They fell to a heap on the floor, and Rose let out an exclamation of shock. Eva got up quickly, whereas Sanji took a moment, groaning at the throbbing pain in his back and a sharp pain at his neck. He took his hand away and noticed a tiny spot of blood on his finger.
“Ew! Ew! Ew!” Eva exclaimed and danced a few steps back, “You're bleeding!”
“Oh no, Sanji,” there was a deep terror in Rose’s voice and Sanji was afraid to ask. “She bit you!”
“What?” Sanji asked and felt at his neck, there were a few digits there that felt like they might have been tooth marks, “It's nothing, I'm fine.”
“Get a band aid or something!” Eva groaned, terror in her voice, “I didn't mean to! Please just cover it up.”
Sanji pressed a hand to his neck, it was hardly a little nick, “I thought you were a vampire, isn't this your whole thing? I thought you were supposed to want to drink blood.”
Eva stuck out her tongue and gagged a bit, “No! I'm not that kind of vampire, ew, no!”
“We should go to the Church of the Left Rune,” Rose said, “There might be something there to cure the vampirism before it kicks in.”
“Wait, no!” Eva burst out, suddenly dashing forward to take Sanji’s hands, “He doesn't need to get cured, I bit him, so that means he's my servant now!”