Simply On a whim

Vermillion would appear as a cluster of bats directly in front of Annabelle. As natural as breathing was an understatement to such an act. The red eyed woman smiled and licked her lips.

"I would like to meet the leader of this establishment. I've questions that must be answered expeditiously."

Her sudden entrance was followed by a sudden request, and one would be hard pressed to think this wasn't something that happened on a daily basis. Vermillion would look the helper in the eye and show her that asking her permission was simply a formality on Vermillion's part. If she so wanted, she would've been in the kage's office already.

As soon as Vermillion entered the presence of Annabelle, the assistant only had so much time to react. Her knives were drawn and pointed to the throat of the vampire woman. Her gray eyes sharpened and she assumed a state in which only two, powerful killers like Vermillion and Annabelle could identify. Unlike Vermillion, however, Annabelle wasn't a blood-thirsty person. She was a person who only did her job when assigned. A small bead of sweat formed on the side of Annie's face.

"One, you're invading my personal space. Two, the kage doesn't appreciate surprise visits, so make an appointment next time around. Three, I rather us NOT make a mess of the place, since I'll be the one cleaning it soon after. Follow me." That was all the interaction that they needed to happen. Annabelle kept her knives at the ready turned to the side and ushered for Vermillion to go first.

They would walk a bit down the large, grand hall for a moment, before they arrived at the large war-room. There, Dente's tall and stoic figure would be looming over a giant circular table. He was stroking his chin and seemed to be in deep thought.

"Master Dente, you have a... Curious sort of visitor." Annabelle said calmly, though one could hear the venom in her tone.

Dente would have looked up from the table, turned around, and saw the small figure that was Vermillion. Immediately, something went off in Dente's mind, and flagged this woman as a danger, yet another side of him told him to keep it cool. Unlike Annabelle, Dente's being didn't show any sign of wavering in Vermillion's presence. He merely cleared his throat and gave the woman a short bow.

"Welcome to Urbe Saevitum. I am Dente Wolfheart, kage of the village. May I ask who you are and why you have come to my office?" Dente asked with a strong tone of authority and seriousness.

With every word Annabelle spoke, Vermillion's sinister smile grew more and more. Her glowing red eyes hungrily took in the pulsing vein on the neko beastkin's neck. However, her urgency was to see the Kage and she would deny herself a small treat to do as such. As Annabelle led her into the Kage's office, Vermillion glided behind her and smiled at the venom laced in her voice when she introduced her.

"Before I dignify you with an answer, I must say your kitten is in need of being de-clawed. It would be very painful if I were to do it myself."

She glanced at Annabelle as she spoke and giggled.

"Now, I am here because I've nowhere else to go. This seemed like a wonderful place to stay so I've come to take it over. My name is Vermillion Von Rachel Alucard. A pleasure."

She curtsied to Dente and slowly began to walk about the room.

"I did state that I had a question to your pet, and that was no lie. I simply wish to know the customs of a civilized society such as this one. Though I would love to simply kill you and have this village as my own, I must admit that I am conflicted with such an act for some reason. When I saw the people of this village laughing and smiling, not fearing away from my very presence, I was confused as to what made them that way. You as their leader must be doing something right if they show no signs of unhappiness."

Vermillion turned sharply and faced Dente with a serious gaze.

"So tell me. Why do your charges smile and happiness instead of cringe in fear?"

Annabelle humbled herself and kept quiet, despite the insults Vermillion slung her way. Annie simply walked back to the side of her kage, stood up straight, hands behind her back, knives between her fingers. When Vermillion glanced back at Annabelle, both of their eyes would meet once more, and a brief stare-down occurred between them.

Dente, all the while watched the two and figured both of them were acting like cats in a literal sense, and both should be de-clawed. He remained composed nonetheless and leaned back onto the table behind him. Dente smiled a bit when the woman who introduced herself as Vermillion curtsied to him and showed some form of grace among her high and mighty attitude.

Vermillion was a bold character in Dente's eyes. She was honest to a fault and simply stated her want after coming to Urbe Saevitum. The woman was obviously strong enough to go toe-to-toe with him, so he kept himself on guard just in case. She displayed humility in the form of not wanting to kill him flat out, because she wondered about his leadership, and how he operates the village.

Dente scratched the back of his head and chuckled a bit. He gave Vermillion a small smile, stood up straight, then took a step forward.

"The answer is simple, really. Rather than be some uppity, blood-thirsty, and selfish ruler, I take care of the foundation of my village. This foundation is the poor, sick, hungry, and so on. Long ago, those sort of people were left to die, while the past kage fed off of their unpaid taxes and other unfair business behaviors. I put a stop to all of that." Dente paused and looked up to the ceiling. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them again. "I killed the kage and assumed the position myself. I remade the village in honor of my home country and as first order of business, I focused my attention on the weak. I made them stronger, fed them, and cured them of their illness. After that it was a simple matter of spreading the same amount of treatment. Treating everybody as if they're equals and having everyone help out one another in times of need. In short, I became the symbol of hope, growth, happiness, and strength that the people needed and told them to follow my example of selflessness." He finished and allowed Vermillion to take all of that information in.

Dente took several more steps forward, getting closer to the vampire woman. He looked her up and down, rose an eyebrow, then nodded.

"However, despite the firm foundation I have created my government lacks in stability. After I had climbed in the ranks, I killed every corrupt person affiliated with the old kage. Vermillion, you strike me as a woman who is both powerful and a strong leader. I need an Arch-nin for my village. I'd like for you to be that figure and help me run things within the village." Dente solidly proposed his offer to Vermillion. He felt Annabelle tense up in the background.

"Master Dente, you can't be serious. This woman brazenly waltzes on into your office, virtually threatens you, and shows the utmost amount of disrespect towards you. She is not a person worthy of serving under your rule!" Annabelle said and turned his attention towards Dente. He smiled and laughed a bit.

"But that's exactly why she's perfect. She's brave, confident, and is curious about how I run things. The villagers didn't mind her presence and I simply like how she does business." He responded to her and kept his gaze on Vermillion. "So, Miss Alucard, will you join the Urbe Saevitum Village as its Arch-nin and help me rule with more solid integrity?" He asked.

It wasn't what Vermillion was expecting in the least. She had expected to hear some happy go lucky story about liberating the village and spreading peace and love. Instead, she gets a story about how Dente essentially showed up, got rid of the people he deemed as garbage, and gave the people not only a reason to like him, but respect him too, without using fear. His enemies, on the other hand, probably feared the mere sound of his name. Vermillion smiled a toothy grin at his story and then his offer to help run the village. The idea was enticing until Annabelle opened her mouth and said that she was not worthy to serve under his rule. Her eyes flashed dangerously as a massive wave of killing intent flooded the room.

"Your pet speaks out of place quite often, I am seeing." Vermillion said with dangerous seriousness. "I am to serve under no one. No person, be they, human or god shall command me in anyway, you little pissant. Remember that clearly for if such filth leaves your lips again I shall take your tongue."

Vermillion stopped talking as she tried to calm down. She respected Dente as a person from what he had told her, but Annabelle was slowly crossing lines she dared not even go near. Then again, Vermillion would be hard pressed to, but she would admit that Annabelle's bold attitude reminded her of herself somewhat. If Annabelle were to become stronger, she would definitely be someone Vermillion would respect and become friends with. However, Vermillion was as close to a narcissist as one could get without actually being one, so when someone below her talked to or about her like that, she couldn't help but get a bit angry.

"I shall join you, Dente, under the pretext that I am not to be seen as an underling and the first moment you treat me as one, I will attempt to kill you and everyone else within these village walls."

Dente watched as the story pleased Vermillion, which more than likely meant that she was a little bit more inclined to join him in his cause. However, the mood soured when Vermillion's own negative energy, clashed with the negativity from Annabelle. The two were already fighting like cats, ironically one was already a cat. Dente felt the killing intent that blossomed from Vermillion's presence and stepped in-between she and Annabelle, so that they could avoid eye contact with each other.

"Ladies, calm down. No threats between the two of you, not if I can say anything about it." He said sternly in order to lessen the tense atmosphere. The only reason Annabelle piped up was because Dente asked her to in the first place. The minute she felt the intent to kill from Vermillion, she nearly went off on her own to attack the woman, but kept her place. She stood her ground, yet her eyes flashed yellow and their sharp, cat-like features took a hold.

Vermillion decided that she would only join under the condition that she not be treated like an underling. Even her little snappy threat about being treated as one solidified this condition. Dente merely smiled and nodded his head. The situation was so humorous that he ended up laughing a loud, hardy laugh.

"Understood, Miss Alucard, though it was never my intent to call or treat you like an underling. Not even Annabelle is an underling or a 'pet.' You're all my equals in this endeavor and I suggest you treat each other the same way." Dente said and his the tone of his voice was just as serious as when Vermillion first told off Annabelle. His face, however, remained calm as he held out his hand to shake Vermillion's. "Welcome aboard, Miss Alucard. I look forward to seeing your work within the village and outside its grande walls."

Vermillion folded her arms and glared at Dente. She 'humphed' and flipped her hair as she approached the window of the office. "I expect complete cooperation from you both. And I at least appreciate you not judging me before...nevermind." Vermillion caught herself and quickly placed a foot on the window sill as she prepared to leave.

"...I would like an escort around the village." She said as she faced the oriental like village. "I want to see the charges that will soon be under my care. They should know who their new master is immediately."

"And we expect the same from you. But before that, not judging you for what?" Dente asked curiously and he put his hand away after Vermillion's princess-like behavior. Seemed as though she wanted an escort around the village. Dente felt it appropriate only because of the fact that Vermillion showed up at the office without a second thought, rather than explore the village she was now co-leading.

"That would be wise. Since you and Annabelle have already been acquainted with each other, I suppose it is only natural that she accompanies you." Dente spoke. Annabelle said nothing in response and made her way back to his side. She soon stood right in front of Vermillion and eyed her down.

"Guess we ought to spend a little time with each other, to get used to each other." Annabelle agreed. She then turned towards Dente and scowled at him. "No cheating while I'm away." She said seriously and Dente merely chuckled. "After you, Master Alucard." Annabelle said, with a mix of venom and respect.

"Someone is learning quite well." Vermillion stated with a small hint of mirth. "Let us depart at once." Vermillion burst into a cluster of bats before surrounding Annabelle and turning her into bats as well. The even larger cluster of bats fluttered out of the office and into town. However, a singe bat remained and quickly formed back into Vermillion. She stood before Dente with a smirk.

"You are a collected fellow, yet careless and a bit overconfident. Though I must admit I am the same. Annabelle and I have more in common than she can see. But she is blind with loyalty for you. Do not let your subordinate gamble so casually with her life. I was far more than inclined to take it."

She leaned back and sat upon a smoky cluster of bats. "You believed you could stop me were I to try something, yet it is still a casual gamble that one in your position should try to avoid."

She frowned at her words. She was already talking as if she had found something worth her time in that village. Or maybe it was just something in the two people that she had already met that reminded her of something from a previous life.

"Now that we are alone, answer me truthfully. Why do you accept me so readily?"

The two had left and looked to be starting a wonderful friendship, under the guidance of Dente. He smiled and wondered just how well the two would get along, during his campaign to make the village a much better place. However, before he could return to the large table, there was a single back that remained, flapping its wings. The bat changed into Vermillion and Dente smiled when he saw her.

She began talking first, calling out Dente on a few flaws that he even knew about. It was true, both he and Annabelle shared a trait for careless acts of valor and even Dente himself agreed with the bit that he seemed overconfident. Sure he bet the life of Annabelle casually, but he did know that he would have defended her to the death at all cost. However, something told him that the past situation wouldn't have escalated past what had already occurred.

"But you didn't." Dente said briskly and turned his back. He motioned for Vermillion to follow him back to the large table in the middle of the room, if she so desired. "Even more so, you marched into my territory and tried to aggro one of my own. We both underestimated each other, yet we can say we have each other in similar situations, no?" He asked and looked upon the table. It was a shogi/risk game that had carried one for many months, after Dente had taken control of Urbe Saevitum.

Vermillion had wondered about why Dente asked her to join his ranks so quickly and suddenly. He stopped his thought on the game and turned to face her. He took another good look at her and stroked his chin.

"I liked how you presented yourself. Yeah, you did it in a very antagonizing and bold way, yet I respected you for it. Reminded me of how I came in and took over the village from its previous kage. I figured having two similar minded and equally powered leaders on the same side, would benefit the village and its people, rather than having one kill the other. Don't you think?" He asked and a small grin appeared on his lips. "Besides, you already seem to care for the well-being of Annabelle even though you were ready to kill each other. Anybody who can put up with her rough edges are fine in my book." He finished, then turned back to make his move. Dente moved a piece on the board and took one of Annie's main pieces, which meant he now had control of two continents, and she only had one left.

"I find you infuriating for some reason." She casually stated after listening to him speak. "So if that's your answer, I will take it as is for now." Her final words were punctuated by her simply fading away this time.

"I would like to live a different lifestyle, even if just for the moment." Her voice rang through the office. "So I place myself in your care."

With that, her presence was completely gone.

"We'll channel that fury towards someone more deserving of it." He said as a witty retort and watched as his Magistra Iram faded from the venue. She left with some parting words and Dente smiled at them. He sensed that she just opened up a bit and he figured that this was going to be a very wonderful partnership. "Don't worry, I'll make your stay here as comfortable as I can, Lady Vermillion." He finished and yawned.

He turned towards the door of his quarters. Vermillion and Annabelle were out, which left Dente alone. He headed towards his room and decided to take a nap for a few hours.