As Is
The Crusnik's Shadow
(Warnings: M for violence and blood, Abel being himself, a mission, AU, gorn, some sexual themes)
The chilly expanse of the early morning sky was just barely being broken by the misty-eyed sun swathed in clouds, the night barely being pushed forth by the impending dawn. Stars still clutched to their momentary holds in the Vatican sky, the moon unperturbed by the restless morning's coming. Faint streaks of light peeked over the horizon to edge uncertainly into the sky, coloring it with ripening stripes of sunflower gold and teal that began to blend with the eternal and ancient night.
Father Abel Nightroad watched that dawn with worry in his striking winter-blue eyes, ever showing forth that meager yet friendly facade nearly everyone knew him for. He was a goofy, gentle, clumsy, and perverted man whose lips quivered at the slightest worry to all who came to know him, but to certain ones, he was a monster of unbelievable power that he shared with only a few others.
He stood in the darkened, sheltered confines of the Lady Caterina's office, the lady herself studying him with fierce eyes that humbled many an egotistic man in her day. Her sumptuous blonde hair spilled around her in large ringlets that cascaded over her shoulders and down her back. She wasn't dressed in her usual, pompous red attire. Instead, she wore a simple, long white dress and wore no make-up, which barely detracted from her becoming looks.
"You're reaching that age, Abel. You can't keep putting it off," a voice like velvet spoke, intruding in through his quiet reflection of the night sky. "You know well enough why I called you here."
Abel grimaced for only a moment before pulling his mantle around him a bit tighter as if cold, when in actuality he was feeling very insecure.
"She'll never agree to it, Caterina," Abel responded hopelessly, bowing his head and pressing his forehead to the cool glass.
Caterina sighed, and closed in on the distraught priest. She stood by, but never made any motion to reassure him. "You'll be reaching your Millennium shortly, Abel. As you've come to make me understand, if you don't find a human bride for whom you have strong feelings for, then your life will be ended, am I correct?"
Abel bowed his head and turned slightly away, his voice taking a deadly low. "We must persist, else we be wiped off the face of the Earth."
The Cardinal barely batted an eye. "You Crusnik must mate with a human, produce an heir, at the cost of their humanity. If she agrees, she'll become something inhuman."
Abel nodded once.
"This is outside of Vatican jurisdiction. I'm afraid that there is nothing that I can do to help you," she said finally, folding her arms beneath her ample bosom. "That aside, you and the Lady Esther will report back here at eight after she performs the morning service. I will brief you both after you escort her here, is that understood?"
His shoulders seemed to give out and he nodded tiredly, beginning his sullen walk to leave. He was suddenly stopped by Caterina, his eyes wide at her sudden gesture.
"Abel...do your best. Your continued support is desperately needed." Her eyes lowered slightly, and she said off to the side, "And good luck with her."
The man sighed off his troubles and smiled the same goofy, awkward smile she knew him best by.
"You got it!"
"I know that we have to go to the Kingdom of Hispania of all places, but why dressed like this?" Esther cried out in protest, now clad in a short black mini skirt and almost threadbare bikini top as well as high-heeled, above-the-knee boots.
Caterina sighed as the young girl of nineteen darted back behind the changing screen in the older woman's office, motioning to snatch back her usual habit that she felt much more at home in.
"Aw, don't feel ashamed, Esther. You look great in it!" Abel praised, wiping away a metaphorical nosebleed and trail of drool from his mind. He watched the bob of her endowments with lust, his face heating to a crimson, as she flung off the sampling of what she was to wear in Hispania for their mission. He couldn't wait until they arrived.
"It's bad enough that I have to go with him to a place like that," she groused, reappearing from behind the screen in a mid-thigh high, plain travel dress that she would wear for the journey there.
Caterina folded her arms. "You're too famous as the Lady-Saint to dress as you normally do. Vatican nuns are very distinguishable, and your features are very recognizable. You'd be in trouble if you didn't make an effort to blend in."
Esther sighed, boring her eyes through the suitcase filled with scandalous garb she'd have to wear once they reached Hispania. Although it was a predominantly religious nation, in the modern age they'd succumbed to the wishes of the youth, who were very promiscuous at that, and now the entire kingdom of Hispania was a sun-kissed, scantily clad paradise.
Perfect for men like Abel.
"Yes, it is regrettable that Spain has come to that... But, they are valuable allies to the Vatican and very hospitable to clergymen and women. Don't be surprised if people try to invite you into their homes. They are especially hospitable towards black coats of the Vatican," Caterina said, glaring reproachfully towards Abel who just smiled his trademark, sheepish smile.
"Sounds like paradise~" Abel sighed, a dreamy look alighting on his face. No doubt, he was probably daydreaming about some mega-busty native sauntering up to him and asking him to stay the night.
The thought made a chill shiver down Esther's spine in disgust.
"Alright, you two. I have a few details to finalize with the pope. Wait here until I can brief you on your mission," Caterina ordered, the flap of her robes whipping about her in a momentary bloom of crimson as she breezed from the room with a quiet closing of the double doors.
Esther held up the silence, unable to think of what to say until Abel broke it.
"It's good to see you again, Esther. It seems you've been caught up in your duties, huh? It makes me a little sad that I can't see you as much as I used to," Abel said, smiling warmly as he came to her side. She sidestepped away a little, averting his eyes.
"Yeah... Um, has your illness gotten any better?" she said, changing to subject. Esther thought back to when they'd rescued Ion and were escaping from Radu and Father Petros when he'd been mostly belligerent towards them. The tank, the chaos from their power...she'd never been so scared in her life. Those glowing crimson orbs, talon-like claws, and his otherworldly features that accented his cruel fangs and blackened lips, crowned by a high gathering of his hair like a lance...those blackened wings she thought she saw on their first meeting. No matter how much she tried to hide it, that vision still haunted her. But something scared her even more:
The realization of her growing feelings for him.
Abel's happy expression dropped for a moment, but then he faked his way back to it. "Oh, much better, thank you! It's not as bad as it was before."
Lies. You know that it's gotten worse and why! Those within him spat condescendingly.
Abel shook his head briefly, studying his reticent friend.
"It's been over a month since Sherah died..." Esther said quietly, her voice dropping in her sadness.
Abel instantly became concerned, a hand instinctively reaching out, meaning to soothingly pat her head, but it sharply retracted as the door slammed open.
"Esther, Abel, prepare to be briefed," Caterina ordered, a rush of her robes flapping slightly as she hurried to her desk, sitting properly into the high wing back chair. She brought her hands together and rested her chin on them, piercing them both with sharp, intelligent blue eyes.
Esther and Abel seemed to completely forget their previous tension and stood to attention.
"In the city of Madrid, Spain, many orphanages and religious, Catholic orders has been systematically attacked and over two thousand have been quietly murdered. However, disturbing trends have arisen as a result. Every body has been found headless and disemboweled as well as dismembered. Within the sewers, heads with missing eyes have also been found. On the necks, fang markings have been discovered...exactly like those of a Methuselah."
Esther immediately started, her eyes filled with concern. "Are you absolutely sure?"
Caterina shook her head. "I can't say, but what we know for certain is that a criminal syndicate has been responsible for this, and they primarily deal with the black market in human organ dealings. Usually, the dismembered corpses found not only are missing their limbs, but they are completely disemboweled of every salvageable organ, as well as drained of blood. We've been in partnership with Methuselah from the Empire, albeit on very shaky grounds, and they agree that the possibility of criminal Methuselah collaborating with a human criminal syndicate isn't at all impossible. Rest assured, Esther. We will not have these criminals run amok and mock the Vatican nor tarnish the reputation of the Empire so easily."
She stood and strode to the window, basking in the rays that illuminated her blonde hair into fiery strands of luxuriant gold. "As a matter of fact, don't be surprised if you run into Methuselah who may wish to obtain information as to assist in solving this. Please don't do it casually. The Empress assured me that Methuselah investigating in Madrid will be in possession of her personal signet, which I'm sure you both are familiar with."
Esther breathed a sigh of relief while Abel smiled pleasantly.
Her eyes then quickly became troubled. "Children become victims, too?"
Caterina shook her head. "Quite the opposite. We believe that the children taken are being transformed into Methuselah and made to serve the ones responsible. A witness reported that, at night, these children will often specifically target Catholics and lure them to places of seclusion to be spirited away. However, clergymen and women, as I specified earlier, are not exempt from this predation."
"Child Methuselah... Turning a child is a crime within the Empire, if I remember correctly. It seems that the ones we may be dealing with probably won't be loyal to the Empire, that's certain," Esther ruminated, a finger delicately holding her chin in thought.
"Oh my, well... It seems that I'll have to borrow some more silver bullets from Father Tres..." The loud grumble of Abel's stomach filled the contemplative silence of the room, irking the young redhead. He swallowed nervously, "I don't suppose that I can't go fetch some lunch before we leave?" He tapped his fingers together apprehensively.
Esther smacked Abel's head in irritation. "You're always hungry. Didn't you eat a few hours ago?" she demanded in exasperation.
"Only a few portions of food as a snack..." Abel replied meekly, shying away from her hand poised to smack him again.
"It's quite alright, Esther. We'll be sure to...adequately fund you for this mission. Pope Alessandro is especially concerned and wants this resolved before there is more bloodshed." A small, fleeting smile fetched Caterina's features and she folded her arms.
Esther huffed angrily, before sighing in exasperation. "Come on, Father. I want to get going before you do anything else stupid."
She curtsied to Caterina. "Thank you, Lady Caterina. I hope we return successful," she bid the older woman in farewell. Caterina smiled affectionately at the young nun's gesture.
"I hope you have a safe journey, both of you. Remember to keep the fact of our collaboration with the Empire a secret. The pope and I support it, but many more within the Vatican are dead set against such a venture. Keep everything confidential," Caterina warned with special emphasis.
Shortly after, Abel and Esther left the grandeur of Caterina's office and made a beeline for the cafeteria, perhaps Abel's favorite place within the Vatican.
"I have unlimited credits on my account, so take what you want, Father," Esther said, glad to be away from Lady Caterina. Abel wasn't exactly a stickler for formality, which made Esther wary since she was new to the Vatican compared to most. His embarrassing behavior was always a hindrance and she liked to be proper when the time called for it. No matter how familiar he was with the Lady Caterina, she wouldn't suffer any excuse of his to be lax or improper.
Abel took her hands, his eyes filled with twinkling stars. "Thank you so much, Esther!" he praised in a cracking voice at the overwhelming opportunity before him. Esther sighed and smiled affectionately, handing him her card which he immediately took off with without a second thought.
In all actuality, she found his demeanor to be incredibly relaxing and comfortable. Maybe he wasn't the most serious of men, compared to the other stalwart and somber men within the Vatican, but he was the only one she felt at ease around. His strength was incomparable and his gentle, clumsy, absent-minded personality made her feel at ease where everyone else demanded perfection and seriousness. Sure, he was a pervert, but he was so in a way that was kind of childish... And she adored his eyes that enraptured her, his inviting smiles...
Esther banged her head reproachfully with a fist, mouth deepening into a frown. "That idiot is JUST A FRIEND. He's annoying, a block-head, and way too dense. I'm not attracted to him AT ALL," Esther mumbled like a mantra beneath her breath.
In the great, elegant expanse of the cafeteria, everything was a seamless blend of past and present, with technology tucked away and luxurious appointments being a boastful undertone to the Vatican's supreme wealth. Multitudes of marble columns with veins of black, silver, and gold placed themselves in a cathedral ring where the many tables and chairs were delegated. The high, domed ceiling with beautiful frescoes was in the center of the band of columns. A recessed chandelier of a magnificent, impossible size illuminated the space with individual flames of beaded crystals that were much larger then they let on. The floors were glazed tiles where veins of water glittered as they wore paths beneath a layer of glass, which Esther always found to be remarkably beautiful. Discreet areas along the marble walls dispensed food according to individual order, and Abel seemed to be delighted in being able to order all that he wanted without having to be mindful of the limited credits on his own card.
Being friends with the Lady-Saint was beneficial in more ways than one.
"Your statements are all false, Sister Esther Blanchett. .58 seconds ago, you claimed not to be attracted to Father Abel Nightroad, but my auditory sensors indicate that the pitch in your voice strongly conveys denial and self-reassurance for various truths that you refuse to acknowledge. Body language is also very stiff and controlled, suggesting your struggle to keep your body from subtly expressing attraction towards him. Your pupils dilate when before him—"
"—I know. But, it's nothing, really. Don't you have silver bullets to lend to him?"
"Sister Esther Blanchett, bullets cannot be lent, for they become expended at first use. I came to announce that your train to Madrid has been canceled and you will be leaving by aircraft in 1400 hours and that all necessary articles have been loaded on board it," his dull monotone announced as he stared with ever disinterest ahead.
Esther placed a hand on Tres's arm. "Thank you. We'll see you as soon as we get back."
"Negative. The probability of my seeing you immediately upon your return is 1 in 1 thousand..."
He was cut short by Esther being distracted by Abel's childishly loud summons.
"Esther! I'm over here!" Abel called with exuberance is his dancing, steel-blue eyes, flailing an arm in the air in the semblance of a wave. The girl in question bit back a smile as she waved the despondent Tres a quick good-bye and walked over to the table Abel had found.
The table, of a medium size, was cleaved in half by a dizzying assortment of food that could've fed a starving village for a week.
"Ah, where should I start—I truly owe you Esther!—My, those pastries look sumptuous, but so do the eclairs...The steak looks so tender, and those biscuits divine..."
Esther sat down tiredly, gazing off into the distance. For several minutes she felt the unwanted prick of tears in her eyes, and by the time he had a quarter of his food left, he finally noticed her troubled state.
Abel burped into a hand finally, as he stacked the most recent dish in a growing tower of plates, sighing contentedly before taking Esther's troubled state into consideration.
"What's wrong?" he asked as he knelt before her, Esther shocked at his sudden intrusion into her mournful reminiscence into the past, tearing her from her happy memories with Deitritch and Bishop Laura, and from the brief joy she'd felt with Sherah.
Esther tried without avail to harden away her obvious sadness, but those pleading eyes of his captured her instantly, causing her to blush insanely. He mistook it for impending tears, so he took her into his arms gently
She stiffened at the gesture, and resisted caving into his kindness. And yet, no matter how much she fought against it, his warm scent drifted through her and she finally relaxed, secretly loving the sensation of his soft yet toned body enveloping her in a cocoon of warmth and security.
Feeling incredibly stupid at her sudden vulnerability, Esther pulled away slightly, indicating her desire to be released, which he did...with what she hoped was extreme reluctance.
Abel released her only slightly, loosening his tender hold. "Can you tell me what's wrong?" he asked again, his gentle voice tearing the rest of her stubbornness asunder. She felt his thumbs rub her shoulders, which caused her to shiver involuntarily.
"Um...I've been feeling kinda crummy...might be a cold," Esther meekly fibbed, hoping that her heated face might be good evidence of that. She sniffed for emphasis, and made her voice as hoarse as possible.
"Ah, let's make sure that your breathing is good." Without warning, Abel pressed his ear smack dab in the middle of her bosom to her sternum, and her face heated in indignation as he obviously delighted in the feeling of her extremely soft breasts, unable to keep his pleasure hidden.
Esther was too dumbfounded to speak, and much too embarrassed to shove him away like any woman should have.
A minute later, many would report a ruckus involving a priest slapped silly and a young woman sprinting from the cafeteria in heated embarrassment.
Of course, said priest was reported not to have shot after said girl until he polished off the rest of his food in five minutes flat, said witness feeling too sick to their stomach and losing their appetite for several hours afterwords due to aforementioned pig-out.
A beautiful, fiery redhead stalked ahead at one of the Vatican's many landing bays, a protesting priest in tow.
"How many times must I say I'm sorry, Esther? I'm truly concerned for your health, you see! I just wanted to make sure that you were alright!" Abel cried in languishing protest as Esther stomped on ahead, trying and failing to out-pace the much taller man.
"I suddenly got better," Esther growled lowly, lips pursed angrily.
"Ah, Lady Esther! We are pleased to have you here! We hope that you enjoy your flight aboard the Celsius this evening!" a page called out to Esther and Abel approached. Esther's anger instantly melted into the usual sweet facade the lady-saint was renowned for.
"Thank you so much! May the Lord bless you for your selfless service," Esther said in a voice like the blessings of song-birds. Abel smiled warmly, for even he was enchanted by the young girl's charming voice when she wasn't angry or irritated...mostly at him.
"It should be a quick flight, my Lady. By the time you fall asleep and awake, you'll be in the beautiful Madrid," the blond page said dreamily, receiving a kind smile from Esther.
"I'm sure it will be, won't it, Father?" Esther turned to look over her shoulder, beaming him an absolutely radiant smile and gazing at him with those adorably large eyes.
His cheeks heated and he laughed once or twice, saying, "Why yes, yes it will!" with incontestable zeal in his voice.
Esther gave him a brief, dubious expression before putting on her practiced airs before the boy once she turned back towards the page.
"Please come, my Lady, Father," the boy motioned towards a gangway that would board on to a great, streamlined chrome airship that was painfully modern. Inside, however, struck them dumb.
A narrow passage with graceful, even lines of warm red chestnut lined every angle of faux wood, resembling the interior of a car that would've belonged within a locomotive from the 1800's or so. There were dozens of cabins where people sat on two parallel benches and their luggage was packed on wire racks above their heads. The walls were lined with flowery red wallpaper, a commodity in their modern times, and the benches were extremely plush, velveteen seats that looked enticing to sit on. The floors were plush carpets and charming scones hung in pairs inside each of the beautiful cabins, fixtures of lights caged by mellow, frosted glass set throughout the aisle and cabins. As the boyish page led them down the aisle, she could see that the curtains secured on each window opposite the door were drawn down in some, with blinds pulled down the door. Esther took note of that for when she and Abel would discuss the details of their mission.
"Why are some of the windows displaying different scenes?" Esther asked, one piquing her interest as two children babbled soundlessly from the standard sound-proof cabin, the scenery of a grassy farmscape passing by at a lazy speed despite their motionless state.
"You have the option of selecting from a nearly unlimited collection of scenery, since this craft possesses no windows. Your journey could even be underwater. With every scene comes an optional 'senses stimuli' where you could feel the breeze and smell freshly cut grass, such as with theirs," the page gestured to the cabin they were passing. "All imagery is made to be as dimensional and lifelike as current technology allows."
"Could you make it an endless journey through the preparation of every food item known to man? Can you smell the sweetness of fudge as it's being rolled taut by a confectioner? Can you feel the heat of an oven as a lamb chop is being roasted?" Abel jumped in, nearly mowing down Esther in order to ascertain his desire to the boy page.
The page was slightly taken aback by the grown man's immature exuberance, Abel's eyes glittering hopefully, practically salivating at the thought.
The boy swallowed uneasily. "Yes..." he affirmed, pressed against a wall like a frightened rabbit.
Esther pushed him back. "I apologize for my partner's behavior. He's still recovering from...major surgery and the morphine still is making him a little loopy," she explained, laughing awkwardly.
Abel looked hurt and indignant. "I never went through such a thing, Sister Esther!" he complained, looking like a kicked puppy. Who wouldn't be after his partner used such a ridiculous excuse to justify perfectly normal behavior?
"Here's your cabin—have a wonderful stay—good-bye!" the boy squeaked in a terrified rush, ushering them—corralling, really—into their cabin, cabin 13. Esther couldn't help but gulp at such an odious number.
The boy bowed hastily, and nearly slammed the door shut, loosening the curtains and the blinds as both fluttered down to give them absolute privacy.
Esther sat on the seat, curling her knees to her chest and adjusting a glowing panel so that the large window sifted through many scenes. She settled upon an expansive field of flowers, the millions of cheerful blooms accented by a slowly setting sun that filtered through each tongues of color like fiery flames, setting a line of distant trees alight with ravishing emeralds and jade stones. The sky above was streaked by plumes of clouds colored by oranges or reds, or calmed by mellow violets and faint blues. The sound of a rickety horse cart drawn by a placid animal sounded in the ambiance, and the thick, summery musk of life filled her mind with ease, the temperature rising in the room slightly and warm breezes caressing her cheeks.
She smiled to herself, eyes half-lidded in relaxation. Until, a very whiny partner actualized her troubles all over again.
Abel rounded his eyes wide and innocent, staring at Esther as cutely as possible, making her noticeably uncomfortable at his inexorably cute display. He pouted, and Esther could swear that the rising temperature wasn't because of the senses stimuli.
"Estheeeer~!" he begged in a whiny stream, his eyes seeming to heighten their intensity, boring through her head.
The girl in question responded by grabbing a pack of peanuts that fed from the arm rest, throwing it at his head where it smacked off his cheek rather loudly, eyes still stubbornly affixed to the beautiful scenery it practically floated by.
"Esther, please~!" Abel whined louder, pouting even more.
Smack! Right off the forehead.
He flinched, but continued his whiny appeal.
Soon, after dispensing nearly every packet at her disposal, Abel had a growing pile of peanuts that he stashed off to the side. Esther fixed only her eyes on him, remaining in the same position.
"I forgot to mention that air travel makes me rather ill to my stomach," Abel admitted sheepishly, smiling the way he said it.
Esther buried her face between her knees. "Why I try, I don't even..." she mumbled to herself.
Suddenly, the plane slanted, angled against her of course, and Abel became displaced, veering towards her at rapid speed.
"Ooh, my stomach," Abel moaned. Realizing where he was, he drowsily added, "Sooooft..." from between her boobs.
Esther gasped and shoved him away, where the pale-looking priest collided against the wall, sinking to his seat in defeat as the plane evened out.
Mega-annoyed-teenager-ready-to-lecture-you-to-hell mode, activate!
"Father! If you hadn't eaten so much, you wouldn't feel as sick as you do now! It's your own fault, and now I'm the one who has to take the brunt of your poor choices!" Esther scolded, in complete and utter disbelief at his level of unprofessional behavior. "It seems like you'd be more suited to chasing skirts than to represent the Vatican, what with your endless history of idiocy and utter lack of common sense! If it weren't for the Crusnik, you'd be totally-" She guiltily caught herself, averting her eyes in shame as Abel's extremely hurt expression, his eyes shining with threatening tears, broke down her irritation greatly, reducing her to guilt. She swallowed down the lump in her throat, and hurriedly sat down.
Huffing irately, she pulled out a slim, see-through, glowing keyboard where she hastily punched in an order for seltzer, ginger ale, and a bottle of wine that she hoped he would drink himself to sleep with. It was moments like these she was grateful that she'd been given some training on how to use computers.
A practically invisible chute delivered the drinks, which she set next to Abel, and then began to avoid him again. She resumed staring out the window, listening to the faint sounds of nature wafting peacefully through her mind, trying to drown out the sound of him guzzling down all of his drinks to the last drop.
Her eyes darted to him, where he stiffly lay on his side, his back to her. He seemed to be feigning sleep, but she could tell by his depressed aura that he'd been very emotionally wounded by her unnecessarily callous comment. He looked extremely uncomfortable, cramped in a tight fetal position due to his wiry frame and gangly limbs.
"Um, Father?" Esther ventured uncertainly. Abel stiffened at the sound of her approach, and walled his shoulders up a little higher.
Sighing, she decided on an approach that would probablymaybe work on him.
She let her small hands perch on his shoulder, pressing her endowments into his back, knelt down. She shivered at such a low form of persuasion, but kind words and suggestive gestures seemed to work well in convincing him to do something.
"I'm really sorry about what I said. It was wrong of me, and none of it is true... Well, may—um, I just wanted to let you know that you've protected me so often, that if I had to count how many times that you've saved me and helped me, I'd have to use the fingers and toes of everyone on board," she giggled slightly at that ridiculous thought, but it seemed to have its effect on Abel. He gingerly peeked at her, which seemed to be a sign for her to say more.
"You've really helped me and so many other people for so long now...We're all in debt to you...I, especially, owe you my life too many times over..." Abel, while his eyes were still saddened by her earlier words, turned around and smiled.
"We all do things that we regret, Esther. It makes me glad that you worked up the courage to apologist. It's very reassuring that there is someone as kind as you at my side." His smile made her blush warmly, and avoid him out of shyness.
He patted her head, and she found herself saying," Um, is there anything that I can do for you?"
Abel sat up, and Esther moved away to her bench, waiting as the older man thought of something. "...Can you lend me your lap?" His eyes were on the ground, but his smile was adorably hopeful.
He glanced up and she shyly nodded once, so he rose and came to her seat and timidly sank down besides her, smiling reassuringly. He twisted away from her, bringing his legs to the seat and lowered his back to it, his neck and head finally descending towards her lap. He stiffened as he subtly positioned it in a nice spot, then relaxing all at once with a sigh. Esther stiffened at the contact, but forced herself to calm down. Luckily, the seat was wide enough for her to lean back, so that she wasn't too uncomfortable supporting Abel.
She sat up a little, gazing down at the much older man with a shyness that betrayed her earlier defensive and prickly attitude. Noticing that his hands were resting on his stomach, she shyly asked, "Um, feeling a little better?"
"Why yes, Esther. Although, I can't say that I regret eating all of that food. I'm not sure when I'll get to feast like that again, so I might as well take pleasure in what the Lord provides~" he purred, patting his stomach satisfyingly.
Esther twitched slightly in disgust, which made Abel go into puppy-mode all over again. "What, you don't like food? You eat so little, Esther, I'm surprised that you have the energy that you do," Abel tsked, shaking his head. His long hair tickled her lap as he did, eliciting an unwanted giggle from the young girl.
"Ah, you see? You're so adorable when you're happy, Esther. You should smile much more often. I love it when you do~" Abel said, a brief grin splitting his face.
"S-Shut up!" Esther cried in protest, making Abel only chuckle quietly to himself. Tongue-in-cheek, she softly ordered, "Close your eyes."
Abel unhesitatingly did so, letting his face relax, looking as peaceful as one who had attained enlightenment.
With deliberate slowness, Esther began to massage along Abel's strong jaw, the man sighing as she did. From there, she moved up his face, around his nose, mouth, his rosy lips, over the lids of his eyes, underneath to brush against long and soft lashes of silver. Her hands guiltily relished in brushing over his skin, feeling the contours of his face and the beautiful smoothness of his skin. Once she passed over his forehead, she moved back to his ears, where it seemed to be stimulating for him, each movement bringing a tensing and relaxing of his muscles. A few times his breath hitched, and she could feel his pulse racing along his neck. She watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed thickly.
Soon, her face became a livid red, her heart pounding into her throat as she worked through his hair, loving the sensation of it trailing through her fingers.
"Oh my, this is rather lovely," Abel sighed, smiling.
The summer scenery began to fall into night, and the sounds of the cart ceased. Twilight overtook the horizon completely, and Esther realized that they'd been on the aircraft for several hours.
She began to doze, and soon her head fell against the cool pane of glass, it cooled to simulate the coolness of a summer night.
The young nun could swear that someone was taking her into their arms, and dreamed that Dietrich was cradling her like when she was young all those many years ago...
Something rose and fell as Esther pulled herself from a deep sleep, her nose filling with the heated scent of a person and the feeling of a cheek resting atop her head. Slowly coming to her senses, she realized that Abel's cassock was wrapped around them both, her head clearly resting on his chest with only her eyes peeking out. Her abdomen was coiled around by his arms, causing her to heat up at the sensation of a hand resting loosely on her hips, the other by her waist.
Her arms overlapped Abel's, and she felt the cascades of his long bangs tickling her face and his soft snores in her ears.
What in all the nine levels of hell was she doing cuddled so closely to him?
Suddenly, a thunderously loud crash shook the cabin, and the simulated morning light from the screen fizzled off. Esther yelped as she felt gravity loosen its hold on them, rolling off the seat in her panic. Abel was rudely awakened, and found himself toppling over on Esther.
Their gazes shot up with a start as the plane leveled itself and the window screen flickered back on, the captain's face filling its entirety, Esther having a rather picturesque view of the pilot's inverted face. However, both were still too hushed with concern to care about their awkward predicament.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we seem to be experiencing some...turbulence. Please stand by while we...AGGGGhhhHHH—!"
"Father, we should really see what's wrong," Esther said in concern. Abel nodded stiffly, his face becoming leveled and serious. He rose, reaching into a holster for his trademark percussion revolver. He silently offered his hand, which Esther took to be pulled suddenly forward, smack-dab into his chest.
He held her there for a moment, looking like the stern guardian she had become very used to seeing. "Stay close to me, understand?" he whispered, his warm breath ghosting by her ear. She felt for her own shotgun, which she held in trembling hands shaking from the jack up of adrenaline.
To his annoyance, the doors had been locked, perhaps so that panic could be avoided. He released Esther and aimed the muzzle to the lock, shooting dead on and disengaging its hold on them. He wrenched the door open, gesturing for Esther to take his back.
A piercing howl tore through her senses and Esther writhed to the ground, screaming in agony. Abel crouched down and sheltered her, guarding her with a predatory keen taking to his eyes, sweeping his head back and forth, reacting to the slightest disturbance through the screams.
The sealed entrance to the cockpit became forcefully indented with virulent claws, and Abel rose, the screams ceasing. Esther followed suit shakily, trembling violently, those cries having made fear spike to her core.
"W-What was that?" her voice trembled, cowering behind Abel.
"We'll find out soon enough," Abel replied with a guttural low, eyes transfixed ahead. He canted his head slightly like a predator considering its prey, then bolting away with inhuman speed to the entrance, kicking open the door and finding himself grappling with a mass of clawed limbs and wild, extremely long tresses of disheveled black hair.
Esther careened towards Abel, the man gritting his teeth as he flipped the beast on its back, struggling for his gun. She quickly fired a round at its limbs, the thing writhing away and ghosting around her and towards the luggage hold of the plane. Esther ran towards Abel, trying to help him up, but the man brusquely refused her efforts.
"Take control of this plane and try to safely land it NOW!" he ordered with a terrifying strength in his voice, he shoving her towards the cockpit rather violently.
She flinched as pain greeted her mind, and she winced as she tried to stand, watching as the entrance to the luggage area was slammed shut, now unable to witness the action.
Struggling to stand, Esther soon became very well aware of the airship's swift ascent to the ground. Airships in this time were built to crash land much more safely then the models of a thousand years ago, but there was still risk in an unmanned craft.
Panicking, Esther made way into the cockpit, aghast at what she saw.
The mangled bodies of the pilots were ripped to shreds, intestines hanging from levers, stretches of arteries and veins hung in macabre decor, and limbs torn randomly throughout the area. Blood was painted everywhere, splattered over controls, and stained the seats. Limbs were in corners, and ligaments stretched every which way.
Esther hurled into a corner where soulless eyes stared at her, heaving up what little food was in her stomach. Wiping her lips, she felt too weak to stand, but resolved herself. Now chalky white, her dull and weakened eyes affixed themselves to the window pane where a trembling hand reached out to wipe away the blood and heavy stench of iron.
The sky was an endless blue expanse, but soon, the puffy layers of clouds gave way to land. Her trembling hands graced over the controls, she having learned to fly many kinds of aerial craft as a part of her training for AX. Levers were pulled and switches were flung up or down, knobs turned and buttons pressed. She unsteadily took the controls pelted with with blood and guts, surveying the land and finding a lonely stretch of abandoned farmland for her to ease the airship upon. The hover treks became engaged, the she pulled the nose of the airship up, easing the craft upon the land, rear to nose. Sliding to a halt, the aircraft slid across rough terrain, rocks and debris excruciatingly screeching against the sides, to a grinding stop.
"Oh my God!" Esther cried with relief, tears pouring from her eyes.
"Abel!" she suddenly remembered, tearing from the bloodied seat and blazing down the hall, mashing a random control to unlock the doors, allowing for the exits to become unlocked and for the passengers to make their escape. As she entered the luggage area, the cries of badly shaken children and mothers lapsing into silence as the door swept shut.
Suddenly, the same terrifying screech as before sounded, sending Esther to the ground in intense agony. She felt hot breaths against her exposed neck, and drips of saliva against her creamy skin.
"You will not have her!" a powerful, tremendously angry voice boomed, assailing the beast with a hail of bullets.
Esther watched as Abel lunged at the beast, a foot to its throat, the hammer to his gun cocked, poised to blast its head off at the slightest provocation.
MY BABY MY FAMILY! WHY?
"In the name of Augusta Vradica, I order you to cease and desist!" Esther screamed above the thing's agonizing screams.
You know the empress? Oh please, have mercy! Please, help me!
"Abel, please, let her speak!" Esther begged.
Abel's eyes widened. "She's speaking to you?" he asked incredulously.
Esther nodded. He quickly released the thing who lay itself before Esther, who had been grounded in her weakness.
The Methuselah's, as it was known, face became apparent, one of a diseased hag with wrinkles over every inch of her green skin, eyes nearly consumed beneath sagging flesh. A prominent, beaked nose hooked over her small, hideously infected mouth where two single fangs poked out. Her eyes were a raging red, with no iris or pupil to be seen; a haunting effect. Every malady possible infected her skin, from warts to festering wounds to missing fingers on her hands...it was too disgusting to bear, but Esther felt no repulsion from the female. Greasy hair like bunched and decaying worms spilled over her disgusting face. Her body was an emaciated form that was only skin and grossly protruding bones that was now sprawled on the ground before Esther.
Hands took Esther's, which made a jealous rage flare within Abel, his gun instantly fixed to the hag's temple.
"Abel, please!"
The man growled harshly, removing the gun grudgingly, but remained possessively close to Esther's side.
Oh, you beautiful child, you will help me, won't you? The hag crooned, a pathetic attempt of a smile spreading over its canted face.
"Of course I will!" she cried desperately, remembering Sherah's own plight.
My children were stolen from me! she wailed, My children were stolen four years ago by them! Their bodies were torn and shred, and their heads cast into the sewers below! I went to them to beg for them, but instead they tortured me! They made me as I am! Men dressed as dark as night came and stole them! They steal the children of us, and of the humans as well! They steal and tear ANDRENDANDNOOO! she screamed, splitting Esther's mind.
"My hands..." Esther gasped, the wailing Methuselah clenched them so tightly, they were nearly breaking. "Agh!"
Abel viciously tore the woman away, standing as a wall between them. He aimed the gun point blank, a vicious snarl ripping from his throat, the Crusnik within growing restless for a kill.
The hag spirited to Abel's front, clutching his chest.
Destroy me, Crusnik! Destroy me and let me be at peace with my children! Avenge them, avenge them!
Abel trained it to her temple, blasting her brains and blood to the floor. His lips suddenly darkened and his eyes seared a glowing crimson.
Esther watched in horror as he lunged for the Methuselah's throat, loud gulps filling the room sickeningly. A scream tore from her throat and she ripped from the room, tearing down the hall.
The young girl struggled to escape the airship, heaving open a latched exit with every ounce of waning strength she could muster. She fell to the grassy field rendered to shreds by the earlier, desperate landing. Her limbs heavy with weakness, she began a frenzied crawl away, trying to make way to the other survivors comforting each other in pockets around the fallen craft.
Her nose suddenly picked up the overwhelming fumes of gasoline, whirling around to see it leaking in distorting waves, small flames billowing in the wind at random spaces on its flank. She knew well enough what this would entail, realizing with horror that the explosion would be far reaching, and the people gathered around would most likely...die.
Throat too constricted to speak, she watched in a frenzied panic as people sat listlessly in the field, her own vision swirling and blurring and finally blinding, her senses seemingly destroyed.
Then, the loudest blast she ever thought she'd ever hear rocked the earth to its core.
"Esther?"
"Esther, please wake up!"
"Lord, let her be okay!"
Fa...ther?
"Oh God, you're awake! Dear Lord...!"
Father, am I dead?
"NO! No... You're fine. You're fine..." a terribly shaken voice assured, a presence cuddling her dearly to their form.
Abel's voice entered her mind with feeble clarity. She wrenched her eyes open, everything coming into blinding focus. The first thing she saw were cascades of divine silver and beautiful, steel blue eyes that were all the reassurance she'd ever need in the world. She felt herself being cradled to a bare chest, feeling a warm and steady heartbeat pound into her ear.
"What happened to the woman? We need to help her, Abel!" Esther cried in a panic, trying to force herself to stand, when vertigo and his vice on her kept her against him.
"She died in the blast, Esther...and so did many of the other passengers. There was nothing I could do but save you," Abel explained, rocking her back in forth, frenzied by his fear at having nearly lost her again.
"Did anyone survive?" she asked insistently, locking her gaze with his as he was forced to release her slightly.
"A few did. Medics are treating them now," Abel said, Esther motioning to rise and assist in any way that she could.
Abel kept her imprisoned in his embrace, Esther fighting against him. "Father, please! I have to help them! It's my duty! Just let. Me. GO!" Her shaking head created a whiplash of red against his face, but instead he pinned her to the ground, locking her wrists in a vice, looming over her with an expression wrenched by fear and worry.
"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Abel thundered, cutting her from her pointless struggle.
"I don't want to be useless!" Esther cried back, tears beginning to build in her eyes.
Abel, absolutely defeated, released. Like a foal after birth, she struggled to stand, but her muscles gave way and her legs buckled. He watched, feeling torn apart by her weakness, eyes clouded with sadness.
"Why...?" A failed attempt. "No, please..." Another try, more tears. "No!" she cried out in frustration, defeated as she heaved her sobs into the parched spring earth.
Abel took her in his arms again, letting her cry against his blood-stained chest, but neither seemed to care for the other's filth from the explosion.
"We have to help her, Abel, we just have to..." she said weakly after crying it out. "We can't stop. We just can't." She saw the woman's struggle just like she saw Sherah's from not even a month before.
"I know... I know."
Last Thoughts: DRAMATIC CLIFF-HANGER IS DRAMATIC. Okay, not really.
Erm, welcome to my first attempt of a Trinity Blood fanfiction! The whole reason of this fic was for some good, old-fashioned AbelxEsther luvin' and a possible excuse for Esther to be with Abel furevuuuuur. While I just started reading the manga start to the current chapter about a week ago, I love it. Seriously, though? Read the manga over seeing the anime first. The anime is nice, but it's no where nearly as good as the manga's rich, evocative art and story. I honestly am not sure as to how you'll react to this fic, but I did my best to keep the characters IC, but I'm no vet to the series, so please firmly tell me if I'm going off on a tangent. I'm going to try my best to blend humor, love, and my luffly-duffly gorn in a way that will make you think of the series, hoping that you think that the plot is a-ok, too. I don't want this to be completely alienated from the main in any way, so if you've been a fan longer then I have, please tell me if I'm screwing anything up. I'm a stickler to keeping things as canon as possible in my fanfics, so I just hope that details live up to the godly standard of that which is Sunao Yoshida-sama's work of AWESOME.
About the fic: This takes places roughly before the start of the Londonium arc, instead a month after Sherah's sacrifice. and of course is 100% AU in the fact that it's like the Londonium arc never existed... Anyway, the basic idea is that Abel (who I'm gonna tweak his age to be 999 instead of 972) has to find a mate/bride before his Millennial and produce an heir (who will end up being a genetic Crusnik) else he risks dying completely...which is bad because he needs to still kill his brother Cain (which was an unresolved plot bunny in both the manga and anime...not too sure about the novellas, though). Aside from that, I thought it would spice it up nicely if I added a counter-plot alongside this one to allow for some ass-whuppin' and bonding for Abel and Esther, which I thought would be nice since the manga seems to run on arcs like this anyway... The villain is undetermined at this point, but I will be hitting up any wikis that I can find and research into this more. Anyway, this criminal syndicate has been harvesting the organs of humans and Methuselah alike, and are based in Madrid, Spain. This is causing friction between the Terran and the Methuselah who want to blame the other, since they've been in contention for an extremely long time, and something like this could spark another war between the two. So, in a time frame of, lemme say, a few months, Abel has to find a bride and crack the case before his Millennium, or else everyone's plans are kaput.
A lot more info will come in later chapters...but I just don't feel like turning my footnotes into a separate story, ya know?
By the way, if there are grammatical errors or spelling mistakes, please forgive me since LibreOffice seems to have a non-existent spell-check as far as I'm concerned, so I've been correcting things line by line and there might be some inconsistencies there. Hopefully, running it through ffnet's editing software might make things a bit more peachy keen.
~Peace, G.