The next two days passed without an incident or anything noteworthy, really.
Eveline was suspiciously quiet, only rarely making a quip or a barb through Rosie; Daniela was being Daniela; Cassandra still bedridden but recovering swiftly; and Bela hard at work, assisting the Duke, occasionally gracing Ethan with far-too-short but always pleasant interactions.
Daniela turned out to be more than decent company herself, however. Ethan was still understandably reluctant about letting the redhead interact with his daughter, to Daniela's chagrin; yet the man found himself enjoying spending time with the youngest Dimitrescu. In addition to being a naturally entertaining personality herself, her hidden talents also included completely unexpected quirks.
Daniela had one mean poker face.
Somehow, when playing that card game, the normally energetic, even raucous redhead turned into the very picture of calm indifference that gave nothing away. Nothing she didn't want to give away, to be precise.
Checking his hand once again, Ethan felt sweat starting to bead on his forehead. Two jacks and two 3s, a decent hand… but that's what he thought a couple of rounds ago, and Daniela smashed him with a Full House. Looking at her now, the man could do nothing but scowl in annoyance.
The redhead lounged in her chair, one leg across another as she sipped on her chilled blood casually, utterly relaxed. Lazily inspecting her nails, she caught his desperate staring and gave him a self-assured smirk. Winters wanted to do nothing more than to call Daniela on her obvious bluff...yet he folded anyway.
Watching her revealed cards, he cursed himself for his uncharacteristic act of cowardice. She had nothing. As the redhead saw his own hand, Daniela howled in deafening laughter, slamming her dainty fist against the table, making cards fly in every direction. Ethan could only grit his teeth.
"Looks like Miss Daniela wins again."
Tom, their impromptu dealer now, with Rosie asleep, noted with a hint of playfulness in his voice. Ethan just wanted to bury his head in the metaphorical sand. A pair of mirthful yellow orbs were suddenly inches from his own.
"Now, now! Don't sulk, Ethan! Bela taught me how to play this game! She said I am a natural."
Daniela giggled, as she bopped him on the nose lightly and, without warning, dispersed into a buzzing swarm that fluttered off, just to reappear whole on the couch nearby, sighing in dramatic fashion, covering her face with a single open palm.
"Ah, will I never meet a worthy opponent? Woe is me… Woe is me!"
Ethan didn't miss the admiring gazes Tom was shooting the theatrical redhead. The father was glad that at least someone else was able to peer beyond the girl's monstrous origins. Before too long, interrupting his musings, the aforementioned girl was once again in the blonde's man face, looking at him with unbridled curiosity in her wide eyes. She leaned even closer and whispered in a conspiratorial tone.
"So what are you going to gift Bela today? I won't tell. Promise."
That was a major 'oh shit' moment for Ethan.
That's right. She did mention she had a birthday today. With all that Eveline and Cassandra mayhem, somehow it just slipped my mind… shit.
Upon his lack of response and seeing his sheepish expression, the redhead pulled back and gasped in mock hurt. Her voice was playful as she spoke with a lithe finger pointed at his face accusingly.
"Bad boy! You forgot about Bela's birthday! How mean!"
Ethan just ran a hand through his hair as he pondered about where he could procure an appropriate offering, in the middle of the Atlantic ocean, no less. Tom was quick to offer a solution.
"Perhaps the Duke would be able to help with that issue you seem to be having, Ethan?"
Daniela nodded vigorously, as her finger was still inches from Ethan's face.
"That's right mister! You better get my sister something nice! We meet at Bela's at eight."
Winters didn't even remember being invited anywhere… The tone of his voiced inquiry reflected his dubious musings.
"I'll take I am invited then?"
The redhead got right into his personal space, their noses almost touching.
"Of course, you're invited! What a stupid question! Don't be late, either! It's my big sister's birthday, it has to be perfect! You…"
Whatever other accusation or remark she wanted to make died on her lips as her stomach rumbled loudly, making the redhead blush in embarrassment. Her mumblings were quiet and shy once again.
"Ugh... soooo hungry..."
And just like that, in a swarm of ravenous blowflies she was gone, the insects rushing towards the mess hall, no doubt to give some poor crewman a heart attack.
Ethan couldn't help but be amazed at her perseverance for a moment. Despite everything destiny threw at her, Daniela was still so full of life and joy. Clearly, Tom shared his sentiment, if his dreamy gaze was any indication. Exchanging a handshake with the taller man, Ethan went straight to the Duke, who was in his own luxurious cabin, by Tom's words.
Minutes later, outside the Duke's cabin, Ethan knocked on the beautifully ornate door. A mere heartbeat later, the door creaked open and he was ushered in by the rotund merchant, as if he was expected. The huge man smiled wide upon the lone father, before speaking in his typical cheerful voice.
"Ah, Mister Winters! I was wondering when you would come to peruse my wares. Do come in!"
Of course he did expect me…
"Hello, Duke…"
As if on cue before his customer could even announce the purpose of the visit, Duke opened a curtain Ethan hadn't noticed before, allowing access to yet another room. Peering inside, the blonde could only stare slack-jawed at all the trinkets and baubles that lined every shell in that chamber. Items of both practical use, as well as those that only had aesthetic value filled Ethan's vision.
Entering the small reliquary, Ethan had a hard time focusing his eyes on any single thing. Books, clad in elaborate frames; statuettes of master craftsmanship; majestic jewelry, worthy to grace a queen's neck; ornate weaponry, both bladed and modern. The man could probably spend hours in this very room, admiring the intricacies of the great many objects of value here. The man turned back towards the Duke, intending to ask for advice…
"So… what do you think…"
"That just won't do, Mister Winters! The gift to Miss Bela will be from you, therefore you're the one who must choose it. You will find my prices… most accommodating, for today."
Ethan didn't even question how this obese merchant kept reading his mind, instead, he merely returned his wondering gaze back towards the breathtaking wares.
What would Bela like? She is pretty damn smart, maybe a good book? She is also unquestionably beautiful...maybe a necklace of some kind? Then again, she already has a lot of these… Bela is so kind and caring… but she can be fierce and uncompromising, when the need arises...perhaps an ornate dagger to help protect her loved ones?
Somehow, that inner monologue about choosing a gift turned into Ethan mentally appreciating the many admirable qualities of the woman he adored. Wait, adored?
Shaking off yet another unfaithful thought, the man, once again, focused on the task at hand.
Ethan spent the next fifteen minutes looking through the extensive collection of exquisite artifacts. Despite not being an appraiser, somehow he doubted that even a single one of them was a cheap knock-off.
Finally, he found exactly what he was looking for. A small figurine of a woman, likely made from silver, that reminded Ethan of the statue of Maiden of War that stood right outside Castle Dimitrescu. The statuette was of peerless craftsmanship, its posture tense in anticipation of an attack as its right arm held a heater shield. The figurine's face was intricate enough to show a determined and resolute visage; over the head she had a circlet with a tiny red gem in it. The left hand was unarmed, but clenched into a tight fist, implying that the figure was a defender, but not an aggressor.
Ethan was astounded as the similarities between this beautiful tiny thing and Bela became apparent to him. Like it was made for her. The man didn't think twice about paying the outrageous price Duke asked for it. With his prize in tow, Ethan went back to his own cabin, as the merchant hummed in mirth at yet another satisfied customer and a deal done.
Spending the rest of the day before the marked occasion with Rosie, Ethan couldn't help but think about whether Bela herself would be happy to see him at her special event. Daniela seemed to think so, but the man himself wasn't so sure. He was still an outsider, after all.
"Evie says that you're overthinking it, again. Bela obviously likes you. Why would she mind having you there?"
Ethan wasn't actually sure how to respond to that. A vicious, murdering bioweapon, that apparently could actually read his mind, spoke to him through his daughter, with her kind voice, trying to dispel his likely irrational fear of being rejected by a vampire lady that kept him captive as her younger sister tortured him. Could this situation get any more insane?
The father just nodded with a smile at his child, not showing his inner turmoil. On the other hand, perhaps he was overthinking it, after all…
Approaching Bela's room at the agreed upon hour, just a couple of minutes late, the man was about to politely knock on the door, but before his fist could connect with it, something else pushed it open, just slightly. Shrugging his shoulders, Winters walked in. Closing it behind him, Ethan's blood chilled in his veins as he turned around and beheld the atmosphere.
The moderately-sized cabin was lit only by several candles, giving it a frightening appearance. Some kind of strange, incense-like smell permeated the place. What truly shocked the man, however, was the sight at the center of the room.
All three Dimitrescu sisters were kneeling in front of what looked to be a makeshift altar, with a large portrait of Lady Alcina herself on top of it. The girls were back in their menacing black robed dresses and were muttering something quietly, in Romanian. None of them looked at him, though several blowflies fluttering around the room likely alerted them to his presence. Their hooded faces hid their exact identities from Ethan.
Somehow this otherworldly scene evoked painful, traumatic memories in Ethan. He was quick to recall the horrific events that transpired in Castle Dimitrescu, vividly. The man gulped as unwelcome thoughts raced through his head - that he was an intruder, after all; mere prey for these vampiric women to hunt down and devour. And he just stumbled into their lair, uninvited, unarmed and alone.
The deeply uncomfortable, tense moments continued as the girls proceeded with their strange ritual, not paying the man suddenly in their midst any mind. Finally, after what felt like an eternity to Ethan who kept shock-still, not saying a word or moving a muscle, the Dimitrescu siblings finished their inaudible chant and stood up, in perfect synchronicity. As they turned to face him, their piercing yellow eyes all focused on his own, brown-gray ones, almost making the man sweat. Except for their healthier looking skin and lack of bloodstains, they looked exactly the same as they did two years ago. Ethan couldn't help but consider the possibility that the sickles and knives will be coming out next. His voice was as unsteady as were his thoughts.
Maybe coming here was a bad idea, after all…
"Hello, girls…"
Suddenly, as if some invisible switch was flicked, the heavy, almost choking atmosphere dissipated in an instant. The perfectly neutral, almost threateningly-so faces and postures of the daughters relaxed. Daniela pulled her hood back as she grinned widely and rushed to embrace him in a bone-crushing hug; Cassandra scowled in annoyance and folded her arms. Bela gave him a serene smile; her amber orbs shone with clear affection, as she took her own hood down, letting her golden locks cascade down her head freely.
The eldest sister approached him steadily, even as her redheaded sibling released him from her grasp and stepped away. The blonde woman gave him a gentle hug of her own, in which the man immediately felt safe and secure, once again. Before he could return the gesture, Bela backed off a step and just gazed at him with fondness. Ethan realized that the naturally tall woman now had a couple of inches on him, in her high-heeled shoes.
As if feeling the same and wanting to be on an even eye-level, Bela kicked off her shoes without a care and finally spoke, in her soft voice.
"I am glad you came, Ethan. I hope our display here wasn't too startling. We couldn't leave out mother, after all… so we did everything as she would've liked."
That actually made total sense to the man. Lady Alcina probably never missed a birthday of one of her beloved daughters and the girls obviously wanted her to be present here, if not in body, then in spirit. His own face finally relaxed, he gave Bela a bashful smile.
"I admit I was a little bit surprised; but I am sure your mother would've loved to see you girls doing this… I bet she would be really happy once we get her back and you tell her about this yourselves...here, this is for you, by the way… Happy Birthday, Bela."
Accepting his words with gratefulness and his wrapped gift with unmistakable curiosity in her bright eyes, the woman's deft fingers quickly went to work on the wrapper, making Ethan smirk.
Guess love for presents is universal, after all.
Ethan's heart rate noticeably increased as he saw Bela's eyes lit up at his gift.
"It's…beautiful! Have you purchased it from Duke? He must have charged you a fortune for this... You really didn't have to, Ethan. Your presence would've been a gift enough for me…"
Bela was quick to place a kiss on his cheek that was just a bit too long and too close to his lips to call it chaste. Ethan's heart rate increased even more. Daniela gasped in delight as Cassandra groaned in annoyance. The middle child was quite frustrated still, as her wounds were not fully healed and her movements were stiff and measured. Her voice was remarkably less hostile, this time, however. Almost approving.
"Ugh… Can't you spare me the sight of...whatever is this you do with your man-thing?"
Daniela just giggled and poked her sister lightly with an elbow.
"Don't be jealous, Cassi. I am sure someone will fall for you too, eventually! Especially if you act just a liiiiitle bit nicer."
"Why, you little..!"
The short but frantic chase and cheerful laughter that followed set the mood for the rest of the evening. Upbeat, hopeful and relaxed. Cassandra lounged in an armchair while Bela and Daniela settled on a comfy sofa, with Ethan nested in between the two girls, at their insistence, which evoked mixed feelings in the man. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to feel delighted or chagrined at this awkward position, but eventually he settled on 'comfortable' as their warm bodies and friendly and outgoing personalities eased his own troubled mind. Despite the insanity that had engulfed every aspect of his life lately, the man felt at peace with the three sisters now.
This felt awfully like a warm family meeting and Ethan almost regretted not bringing Rose along. Still, even if he was swiftly getting to that point, the father simply could not be one hundred percent at ease with the idea of Rose being in Cassandra or even Daniela's immediate proximity, not yet. Not to mention his fear of Rosie starting to go all Eveline on them, exposing him to a barrage of unpleasant questions. Ethan could only hope that hiding the truth was not making him a liar and that it would not come back to bite him in the ass later.
Dismissing the thoughts, the man gratefully accepted a glass of red wine, offered to him by Bela. The girls also, all sipped on their own wine, but if the suddenly strong scent of iron in the air was any indication - theirs were spiked with blood. At this point, Ethan really didn't mind that, especially since it likely kept his own vital fluid in his veins, where it belonged. He didn't miss that dreamy gaze Bela leveled at his neck. Likely deciding that asking him for it now would cause an unfortunate chain-reaction with her sisters, the woman abstained, making do with the blood from the cold storage mixed with wine, instead. He found his own wine perfectly ordinary and his veins undistributed, to his unvoiced jubilation.
Ethan relaxed completely, as pleasant banter continued throughout the evening, the girls surprisingly taking much interest in his own life, both mundane and extraordinary bits of it. Bela seemed fascinated with his description of his work as the system engineer, while Daniela couldn't help but pester him about Dulvey or Romania incidents. Even Cassandra laughed and asked questions in barely-disguised curiosity as he retold some of the less terrifying aspects of his Louisiana 'adventure'. Naturally she was after the grisly details and his own personal 'killcount', which he didn't keep, to her obvious disappointment.
Ethan, in turn, listened with great interest to their own stories. They lived long lives, and even if most of it was spent behind the walls of their sanctuary, they still had quite a few interesting experiences to tell, not all of them blood-chilling, even.
After a couple of hours like this, Daniela fell asleep right at his shoulder, snoring softly. Bela, with her cheeks tinted pink, laid her own blonde head on his other shoulder and sighed in contentment in her dulcet tone. Ethan felt a bit awkward in such a position, which only grew worse as he locked his eyes with Cassandra, who frowned back at him. Finally, the brunette stood up from her armchair and joined them on the sofa, a spot still open for her, right next to Bela. The elder sibling wasted no time in putting a hand over her younger, fierce sister's shoulder, locking them all together.
They sat like this for a while, in perfect silence and solace. Eventually Ethan noticed that the girls were all asleep, likely tired from their long day, or in Cassandra's case - still healing body. As much as the man wanted to stay in this comfortable position all night, he, nevertheless, carefully escaped their locked embrace, making sure not to wake anyone up, before starting to make his way back to his own cabin, to Rosie. Before he left the room, he couldn't help but give one last loving glance at the three peacefully sleeping sisters; Daniela now cuddling up to Bela, as well. His heart soared at the sight and as he walked through the empty halls of the ship, he found himself resolved to do everything it would take to protect these girls, all three of them.
They will soon be once again in the fight for their lives, likely against overwhelming odds, in a desperate bid to save their loved ones. Nevertheless, for tonight, Ethan felt at ease, as he finally felt like he belonged somewhere, with someone, once again.
Whatever comes next, they would face it together.
Mia hummed in satisfaction as the latest results came in. Two out of ten kids took to the implant. Eight rejected it and had to be put down, but that was an expected result, not far from their estimates. At least the project could move forward now and Sebastian would get off her back.
The woman left her tiny office, her guards shadowing her, as they always did. There were three of them now; apparently the facility was put on 'yellow alert', whatever that meant. Something was going on, but only the chief security officer was privy to conditions outside of the facility, the rest were pretty much isolated from the world. The gruff security officer reassured everyone that everything was fine and they were to continue their own duties. They all did as told.
Her own team was already hard at work, half of them trying to decipher which part of the DNA exactly caused positive bonds to form between the subject and the implant. Race and gender seemed to play little part in the selection process, as one of the successful recipients was a boy of Asian descent, while the second one was a Caucasian girl.
Another half of the scientists were making the necessary preparation for the second stage of E-001 development. Mia herself decided to take yet another look at the subject that truly amazed her, before returning to her less-exciting primary duties. Entering the observation room, the woman had to suppress a shiver.
Despite her best efforts to observe the Dimitrescu matriarch dispassionately, her awe-struck wide eyes betrayed her true feelings to any onlooker. Thankfully, none of the five guards in the room were looking at her face.
The harvesting procedure took its toll on Lady Alcina, both physically and mentally. The captive's skin, that was almost healthy-looking when she was brought in first, was now deathly pale. Her features were haggard and drained. Her body, once curvy enough to make most men and even many women to salivate with desire, was now almost bone-thin.
Even Alcina's piercing, baleful eyes were glowing with less intensity. The amber orbs still glared at the black one-way glass with that same look of defiance and hatred, yet now they also betrayed a new feeling the captive experienced - resignation. The subject finally embraced the fact that nobody was coming to save her. That she would die here, in this cell, alone. But even in that knowledge of her own imminent demise, the woman remained strong, unbroken. Alcina Dimitrescu was a woman that knelt to none, and even staring death in the eyes, she would not yield.
Still, as fascinating as her incredible mental fortitude was, something else truly drew Mia's awe. Just like the chief scientist expected, the captive's regeneration had its limits. Two days ago, even her miraculous self-healing capacities were put to their very limit. However, instead of breaking, like Mia expected, they bent.
Mia Winters never saw anything like that in her ten years of service to this organization. Normally, most B.O.W.s would start to mutate uncontrollably after reaching that breaking point. They would lose human shape completely, turning into some abomination or another. Naturally, such wild mutations ensured that the creatures would expire soon after, in the majority of cases.
Yet, Alcina Dimitrescu showed something none of them did before. Whether consciously controlled or a mere instinct at work, her body was desperate to preserve its own shape and function. Any damage that was inflicted on it, was repaired, using its own biomass now that all the spare energy in the woman's cells was drained dry. Every non-essential speck of fat or a pound of flesh was transmuted to further prolong the noblewoman's life. The captive changed, adjusted...persevered.
And so, the chief scientific officer Mia Winters could do nothing but gape at her in wonderment. Lady Alcina Dimitrescu was so vastly different now from when she was brought here...yet still the same. Against all odds, the captive survived the grueling process she was subjected to. She will be allowed to rest now that they had the prototypes, before Sebastian would decide her ultimate fate. Mia was pretty sure that the captive would've been better off dead, and that her own unspeakably resilient body was playing a cruel joke on her, but the scientist in her was glad of this unexpected development, nevertheless. Maybe Sebastian would allow her to run a couple of her own tests on Alcina, once she had recovered a bit...
Leaving the subject alone, for now, the chief scientist departed towards the E-001 section of the facility, her security detail in tow. Despite everything, Mia Winters actually felt like she was meant to be here, after all. This was one place where the scientific miracles that would shake the very foundation of the world could happen. And she will be the one who will make them a reality, once she could get past the small-minded Sebastian and speak directly to the council. Her eyes wide at all the possibilities that played in her bright mind, the woman smirked as she entered the production wing.
Author's Note:
Sorry for the delay and a shortish chapter, had some intense IRL stuff that occupied some of my time :(
Also, I did mention last chapter that I wanted this one to be big and have a lot of action, but I also REALLY wanted to put this birthday and the last Alcina/Mia segments in, and they would've clashed too much with the action, so instead I just wrote a small calm before the storm chapter to accommodate them. Hope it was enjoyable and provided a little more insight! Next one will definitely be a major bloodbath, though.
God, I love writing cute Daniela. One reason I only played RE8 once so far was because I would have to kill her again, otherwise. (Also the horrible PC stuttering that capcop still couldn't be arsed to fix)
As always, feel free to ask questions or leave opinions/suggestions/theories! I greatly enjoy reading each and every one of them :)