Unnamed Wanderer: Thank you very much for pointing these things out :) any input is of course appreciated. I personally do use many brushes/paints and pure gum turps, but then again I don't do many large scale paintings, I can now see there are some inconsistencies and realism issues. I can agree that long nails are infact a pain in the ass to remove paint from, as I have them myself. Re-reading the painting chapters, I realize that I didn't "write in" a easel as needed, but yes I agree it is necessary. As for the canvas, along with many of the other issues, It is stylistic issues, everyone paints and uses tools differently (eg using mediums or not). Thank you again for this feedback as it will help me loads with future art writings :3
Sorry for the mildly OOC characters, I did try really hard to keep them as in character as possible :S
Thanks for reading :^)
The air was cold, that was the first thing she noticed, that and how her teeth rattled and her body shook. The pitch blackness surrounded her like a suffocating shroud, the only light source peaked out from a crack under the door in front of her. Victoria knew what was going to happen, as it had many other times before,
"No" she whispered through chattering teeth, "I won't do it".
"But you must! You must!" A heavy whisper chanted cheerfully. Victoria tried to move her head to hear where the voice came from, but a sharp pain tore through her neck. Wincing she moved it back to face the door,
"I won't" she rasped feeling her throat tighten.
The voice let out a soft rumbling laugh,"Death and despair comes on a ravens wing" the angelic voice whispered, "life and peace comes on that of a dove... Which will you fly with?" The words echoed softly.
Victoria ignored the voices cryptic words and continued to stare at the knob of the door which now more than ever looked very enticing, reaching forward she caressed the metal gently. "I don't understand.. But I know I don't want to be a vampire, I did choose death" she replied softly.
"Hmmmm Silly girl!" The voice growled suddenly, shedding it's angelic tone. "YOU DON'T CHOOSE REMEMBER?!" It cackled before a sea of hideous shrieking laughter erupted around her.
Victoria felt the laughter coming closer, she could hear it getting louder and louder, her anxiety took hold and she desperately searched for the source of the laughter. Giving up as it only got louder she snapped her eyes shut and clamped her cold shaking hands over her numb ears as she feel to her knees.
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP!" She howled,
immediately the muffled laughter stopped. Hesitantly opening her eyes she was greeted with the sight of the door infront of her bursting into bright green flames. Shrieking she desperately scrambled away from the flames only to tumble off the unseen ledge behind her. As she felt her body fall over the edge the air left her lungs and her heat skipped a beat in shock. Desperately she blindly tried to find anything to grab onto but even her screams left her as the icey wind whipped past her form as she fell.
"You'll get what you want girl!" The voice reappeared this time with a blunt tone, "should have taken my offer, you have chosen the hard way..."
XxX
Victoria snapped her eyes open and greedily sucked air back into her aching lungs, her tired blurry eyes quickly darted around trying to take in her surroundings.
"You are awake then?" A woman's voice asked softly,
The artist quickly snapped her eyes to the figure adjacent to her, the heavily accented voice brought up recent memories. "Katja?" She rasped.
"mhmm" she nodded, "I suppose you don't remember walking in here" the vampire noted crossing her legs gracefully.
"Huh? No...but there was a door... On fire... I fell..." She mumbled listing the events,
"Yes, but what happened before that?" Katja asked snidely,
"I..can't remember" Victoria frowned trying to recall the events. "But... You would have seen?" She muttered looking at the woman in confusion.
Katja had her eyes locked on the flickering candle in front of them, now the only light source since the once roaring fire was now reduced to warm coals. "I saw, I was there. But you need to remember".
"Something about a raven and dove wing...I don't have a choice.." she muttered absently, the woman's glazed over eyes now locked on the same candle.
Tisking in annoyance Katja quickly stood up from the decaying armchair and strode over to Victoria, stopping short and kneeling in front of her. Victoria quickly snapped out of her daze and glanced at the vampire but quickly looked away, choosing to stare and her curled hands in her lap.
"Look at me" Katja demanded gently guiding Victoria's head to face her, eventually Victoria's eyes met hers in a timid stare. Victoria desperately wanted to look away from the vampires red eyes, as they brought up feelings of anger and fear for a reason unbeknownst to her at the time. However Katja's firm hand on her cheek deterred her efforts.
"These eyes, the eyes of a vampire, make you feel anger, sadness, confusion" she noted, her unnerving unblinking glaze locked on the woman's. "You'll soon see why". Motioning for the artist to close her eyes, the vampire did the same and pressed her cold forehead to the woman's, causing a ocean of dark memories to flood her mind.
XxX
"Alucard this is getting ridiculous" Integra barked standing over the man, "you've been here for a week now, your presence isn't going to wake her up!"
Alucard ignored her comment and continued lazily watching the blood IV drip slowly into the tube below, "she should have awoken by now" he muttered. Integra snapped her mouth shut as she noticed the genuinely concerned expression on the vampires face, "Katja may have taken her" he noted.
"Well, is she a vampire now?" Integra cut in, "physically?"
"Yes" he replied gruffly, "her body is healed-"
"But not her mind?" The Hellsing leader supplied.
"Precisely" Alucard replied shortly, "we won't know who occupies her body until she wakes up".
The blonde nodded slowly, "how is Seras?"
"She refuses to drink blood or take her lessons seriously" he explained reluctantly, "Victoria's absence has impacted her greatly".
"As it has you" Integra noted eyeing the white tinge in his normally ebony hair, "you both must take better care of yourselves".
Alucard scoffed and turned back to watching the IV slowly drip, signalling the end if their conversation.
XxX
Victoria jerked backwards away from the woman and buried herself against the back of the chair in shock, "you were... You controlled me... I killed Scott... Alex.. Alex died.. She was killed...he got away" she stammered wide eyed. "Alucard bit me!" She shrieked slapping her hand to her neck and feeling the deep puncture wounds. "Because I was going to die... "
Katja stepped back cautiously, somewhat excepting this reaction, "but I kept you alive" she reminded, "he was far more desperate however" she noted.
Ignoring her comments Victoria kept rambling absently, "the bastard got away...I let her die, I was useless" she sniffed, "I let him get away..."
"Oh do not be so harsh on yourself" Katja scoffed, "you were with that woman in her final moments, you would have regretted pursuing the vampire and leaving her to die alone".
Victoria nodded slowly but she brushed the words off, still processing everything that had happened. "Why did you do that?" She asked softly,
Katja looked at her with a cold expression, "you were emotionally weak, I saw an opportunity and I took it, I did no harm, in fact... I helped you" she reminded slyly.
"Yeah..I guess" Victoria replied hesitantly,
"So, you can trust me" the vampire continued, "I gain nothing harming this body".
"I don't care if you hurt me" she replied gruffly, "it's the people around me".
"How...noble" Katja huffed, "regardless, it seems we have reached the end",
The artist perked up immediately and looked at her with suspicion, "end of what exactly?"
"This...co-existence" she replied shortly, "the time you have dreaded is here, it was once Vlad bit you...",
Victoria's eyes widened and she bit her lip anxiously, "your going to use my body as your...vessel now?" She asked anxiously awaiting the answer.
After several tense seconds of silence Katja replied, "no...no I have a better plan". Before the other woman could respond she quickly continued, "we both have something that we want-"
"Wait, what do you think I want" Victoria cut in, "and what could you possibly want?"
Katja scowled at her interruption, "well, of course I want control over this vessel, and to make amends with Vlad of course" she grinned eerily.
This took Victoria by surprise and she raised a brow, "you want to...forgive Alucard?"
"Well of course!" She chirped, "he is my husband after all".
"But not long ago you were so angry at him, he killed you!" She protested, "why the sudden change?"
Katja forced an uncomfortable smile and relaxed in her chair, "I've seen how he has changed, now a much more, hmm... compassionate man I suppose, more...forgiving I suppose" she rambled.
Victoria remain suspicious but brushed it off regardless, "okay...well what is it you think I want?"
"Ah.." Katja grinned, "revenge for your friend",
"I..well..I didn't think about it" Victoria admitted, "she told me to live enough, for the both of us" she recalled repeated the woman's words. "I mean I do want him to pay but-"
"And you should be the one to do it!" Katja beamed, "don't you want his weak sniveling head on a pike?" She encouraged, "to see him writhe and squirm under your foot like the worm he is?!"
Victoria clenched her teeth out of hatred at the thought of the man, "I, well of course but-"
"The pleasure you got from killing Scott, was not only me" the vampire reminded, "do you recall how good it felt? To get your long awaited revenge?"
A small grin split the woman's face, "yes" she hissed eagerly. "It was...amazing",
"Of course!" Katja smiled back, "revenge is by far the best sensation".
Victoria gave it little thought, after all from the moment she saw him disappear into the night still alive, she longed to be the one to kill him and avenge her friend's death. But something continued to bother her, "well, why do I need you? And who would control this body?" She asked bluntly.
"Well" Katja begun irritably, "you cannot defeat a powerful engineered vampire as a weak fledgling vampire, and I doubt Millennium will send him back to the field without a upgrade" she replied. "As for your second question, I am willing to...co-exist, it's far less effort on my part" she confessed.
"This deal seems weighed in my favor" Victoria muttered, "whats the catch?"
"The catch?" Katja muttered, "the catch is that after our deal has been fulfilled, I have this body, forever" she grinned staring at the woman predatorily.
"I don't have much else to lose, all that matters to me now is killing Jake" Victoria growled, "I don't care what happens after".
Katja's consistent grin split wider, "wonderful... but a deal is a deal, there is no going back" she reminded.
"Of course, that also applies to you" Victoria replied bluntly,
"yes, i'm aware" Katja muttered eagerly standing and walking over to the other woman, "but for now...I think it's time for us to wake up".
XxX
Pip and Seras hesitantly walked into the woman's bedroom, the curtains were once again shut and Alucard sat gloomily in the corner.
"Any changes?" Seras asked hopefully,
"No" Alucard replied shortly watching the pair cautiously, Seras scowled and ignored his bad attitude. The pair approached the bed where Victoria lay and Seras examined her state,
"She looks a little less pale?" She suggested.
"Uh, yeah" Pip agreed halfheartedly, "I mean she still looks kinda dead but-"
"Don't say that!" Seras barked glaring at the man. "She's going to be okay!" She reassured herself. Pip nodded his head solemnly in an apologetic manner, before Seras walked over to the bedside table and removed the wilting sunflowers from the empty vodka bottle and replaced them with white roses.
"Much better" the blonde sighed, "she told me how her mother used to put flowers in her room whenever she was sick" Seras mumbled. "The light colors make the room look less like a dungeon" she noted.
"This is the third time police girl" Alucard snarled, "your weeds won't wake her up",
Seras felt a twang in her chest before looking back at the woman. "I know, but I think she'd like it" she mumbled feeling her cheeks flush.
Alucard merely grunted in reply before returning to his idle state, "your wasting your time".
Ignoring his comments once again Seras looked at the women sadly, "please wake up" she begged, "it's awfully boring here without you" she confessed.
"uh Seras we have to go meet with sir Integra" Pip awkwardly cut in. The fledgling took a final sorrowful look at Victoria before silently following Pip out of the dark room.
XxX
Alucard carefully cracked open the curtain, the unpredictable weather of spring was in full force, and the previously hot weather had turned to humid rain. Pushing back the curtain fully he pulled open the window to allow the warm humid spring air to circulate in the room. The distant low rumbling of thunder could be heard in the distance as lighting illuminated the clouds nearby. The vampire looked into the distance thoughtfully as he recalled the days when he and Victoria would watch the storms roll over the hillside, while she would capture the scene in watercolor. A smile pulled at his lips and the light pattering of rain turned to a heavy drumming.
"Lovely weather isn't it?" A soft voice beside him muttured, Alucard quickly turned around to see Victoria's paler form standing beside him. His mouth remained wide open in shock as the wind gently blew her dark hair around like drifting smoke, "something wrong?" She asked absently staring at him with her large crimson eyes.
"Your...awake" he replied gruffly still in disbelief,
"Nice...observation" she smiled staring out the window into the rainy hillside, "quite a rest I've had". Groaning softly she stretched her limbs and scratched at the bite wound under her bandage. The vampire was frozen in anticipation, after almost three weeks of waiting, She was finally awake. Her mouth stretched into a wide yawn exposing her long canines before her eyes lazily darted around the room and locked on the makeshift vodka bottle vase of flowers, "very nice" she sighed. The sweet scented air brought a small smile to her lips before she looped her arm around Alucard's and rested her head on his arm affectionately.
"Victoria?" Alucard asked unsurely,
The woman's lips pulled into a mischievous smile. "Perhaps" she mumbled cryptically.
"Are you Victoria or Katja?" He demanded anxiously,
"I have just awoken" she scowled, "leave me be".
Examining her closer as the woman eyed his actions carefully, he noticed her features which had been altered slightly, more sharp and hollowed, and noticed the slight accent in her tone. "Katja..." He growled ripping his arm away from her and reaching into his coat.
She frowned further and turned to face the vampire in shock, "oh Vlad don't be like that" she pouted, "we both know you would not dare to anyway".
The vampire froze, before slowly sliding the weapon back into his coat, "where is Victoria?" He asked coldly.
The vampiress smirked before tapping a clawed finger to her temple, "in here, asleep and well. We have a...agreement, while she rests I will control this vessel". She explained rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Although...I must admit, I hope she does take her time" Katja confessed.
"I need to speak to her" Alucard demanded, "now",
"Hmm after I was so kind to forgive you, you are so rude" she tisked, "my my, how this world has changed, however the greatest change is in you Vl- oh, I suppose it's... Alucard now isn't it?" She snickered.
Ignoring her comment he narrowed his crimson eyes suspiciously, "aren't you still mad at me? Don't you want revenge?"
She shook her head softly, letting her curled hair bounce, "No, I was never mad",
Alucard tentatively increased the distance between them, "What were you?" He muttered,
"Hurt" she replied simply. "Beyond the pain of the knife was the pain of betrayal".
"I was ignorant of my priorities at the time" he reasoned, "I was always somewhat fearful of your power" the vampire confessed.
"Yet here you are, arguably one of the most powerful vampires alive" Katja sneered, "although I suppose I must thank you for this" she remarked coldly before pointing at the bandage around her neck.
"I was attempting to revive Victoria" he reminded shortly,
"Quite the chance you took" the vampiress replied in amusement. "But enough of her" she dismissed, "through her memories I've recalled your conversations. After you murdered me, you had quite the successful rein of our country. Then forward a few centuries, and you became the property of Hellsing" She grinned.
"Regretfully" he growled, "against my wishes"
"Hm of course" she barked, "however, what I waited so many years to know, is but a simple answer to a simple question" Katja grinned slyly. "Did you miss me?"
Alucard scowled and stared into her crimson eyes blankly, "I regret my actions... But I did not miss you" he replied coldly. "Now, let me speak to Victoria" he demanded standing over her threateningly.
Katja's sly smile faded to a genuine frown and she returned to looking out the window, "why do you lie to your wife?" She asked softly, "have you sincerely grown so cold hearted? fate has brought us together again, yet...you cannot get that human off your mind?" The vampiress sneered. "Your loyalties lie with her only because she is a cheap copy of me!" She snarled bearing her pointed teeth.
"Your lying!" He hissed in reply, continuing to glare at the woman,
"No you are!" Katja growled, "you love me! Not her! And you will be mine again!" Turning away from the man she quickly climbed onto the frame of the open window and dug her claws into the wood for support. Playfully rocking backwards and forwards, leaning out the window before rocking inwards a eerie grin pulled at her lips.
Alucard's eyes widened and he quickly rushed forwards to rip her from the window frame, however he stopped when Katja lent further back and let a single hand slip from the frame, "oh I don't think so" she sneered eyeing him mischievously.
"You wouldn't" he challenged, "you put in too much effort obtaining this vessel" Alucard reminded. "It would only heal anyway".
"Hmmm possibly" Katja chimed turning around and leaning forwards out the window, feeling the rain and wind rush past her. "But it is the highest level yes? And there is a rather large metal spiked fence below, I'm sure I could take off our head if I tried!" She sung leaning forwards further, her toes clinging to the edge of the frame.
"Stop this!" Alucard growled, "what is it you want!" He demanded,
Katja looked over her shoulder and a toothy grin once again split her face, "promise that you will be mine again! Forever, and ever, and ever! Till the end of our lives! Just like before!"
Alucard scowled and clenched his teeth, for the first time in moths he felt like genuine distress, and knew he had no other choice. He carefully watched as her toes slid to the edge and her claws reached the end of the frame. Just as the first few fingers left the frame he gave in,
"Fine!" He hissed, "yes I accept!"
Katja gave her widest smile yet and gracefully climbed back inside the room, her wild hair and cotton shift damp with the rain, while the vampire let out a breath he didn't know he had held. Katja quickly padded over to the man and wrapped her cold damp arms around him in a tight hug, before nuzzling into his coat. "Oh I'm so happy you made the right choice!" She giggled rubbing her cheek against him affectionately. Alucard remained stiff and looked away from her form, "hug me back" she growled. Reluctantly he wrapped his long arms around her form, enticing a delighted hum from Katja.
After several minutes the vampiress pulled away and gazed at him dreamily, "ah I'm so glad to be back!" She squealed before twirling a lock of his graying hair between her fingers. "You look awful, you should really feed" she sighed, "speaking of which I'm starving, bring me someone" she demanded.
"We cannot feed on humans" he replied shortly, "and I firstly must inform my master of Victoria's condition".
Katja scowled and clicked her tongue in annoyance, "fine, I shall go too" she muttered, "perhaps I'll find someone on the way".
"Fine" he replied coldly, "let's go".
XxX
Alucard knocked twice on the large oak doors before a voice within beckoned him to enter, "wait here" he instructed.
Katja nodded slowly and sat down against the wall, "I'll be here" she mumbled. Alucard nodded shortly before entering the room and quickly shutting the door behind him. Katja pouted and continued to scratch at the bandage, when suddenly her stomach let out a loud rumble and she was reminded on her inconsolable hunger. To her surprise and luck, Walter had spotted the woman and strode forward eagerly.
"Victoria? Good to see your awake" he smiled kindly, "I shall go inform Sir Integra" he remarked reaching for the door.
"No!" She quickly supplied standing up and blocking his path, "her and Vl-Alucard are talking, he told me to let no one in" she lied. "But could you please show me to the..kitchen..I'm very hungry" she smiled softly.
"Of course!" He replied, "I can imagine after all that time",
"You have no idea" she mumbled following him to the secluded area of the mansion.
XxX
"Katja has informed me that her and Victoria have entered an agreement for..co-ownership of the vessel" Alucard explained reluctantly.
Integra quickly flipped through the journal scanning it's pages for information, "impossible...this won't last" she concluded. "Whats to say it's not just Katja inside?"
"We cannot know until Victoria shows herself" the vampire noted,
"So what do we do until then? Has she proven to be dangerous? Reckless? Homicidal?" Integra listed.
"Somewhat" he replied shortly recalling her earlier actions.
"I believe it is best that we lock her in the cellar until we can see what her state of mind is" Integra concluded, "whats to say she won't try to kill us?"
"Victoria would not let that happen" the vampire protested,
"Your basing that assumption on the fact that she has control" the blonde reminded, "and there is no way to tell if she will still be functioning".
Alucard scowled and glared at the woman, "I will find a way to separate the two".
XxX
"Now that you are a vampire, you will be consuming these pouches of medical blood" Walter explained rummaging through the contents in the fridge. "You are allowed one per day, and two per day if you complete a mission".
"Hmm yes..very interesting" Victoria replied absently eyeing the mans exposed neck. "Can you just.. Retrieve one for me?" She asked sweetly.
"Of course" Walter replied kindly, "your injuries are still bothering you I assume?"
As the butler dug through the fridge Katja crept up behind him, and eagerly for the moment where he would stand up and she tear open his neck. Everything happened in a split second, just as he stood up and Katja felt her teeth graze his flesh she felt herself restrained. Letting out a snarl she tried to advance forward but found thin wires cutting into her arms and legs, just as she snapped her mouth shut Walter calmly moved out of the way.
"Did you really think me that ignorant Katja?" He laughed.
Katja hissed and swiped at him with her claws, "come here!" She snarled struggling against the wires, causing them to cut into her skin. Fat droplets of dark blood traveled from the wire to the floor in small smatterings.
"I don't think so" the butler replied shortly, "while I'm flattered you chose me to be your prey, I must decline".
Katja relaxed against the wires and found them to still remain taunt, "sorry" she huffed. "I'm very hungry, Alucard refused me food" she lied easily.
Walters stern expression softened and he carefully pulled three largest medical blood bags from the fridge and threw them on the table infront of the vampiress. "This is all you may have".
Katja nodded her head in thanks and found that he allowed the wires to relax around her arms, she reached for the bag and tore the top off before downing it in seconds. Throwing the packet aside she scrunched her face up at the taste, "cold and bland" she muttered.
"Yes, Alucard describes it to be that way as well" he noted before noticing him walking towards the pair, "ah speak of the devil" he chuckled quickly retracting the wires.
"I told you to stay there" the vampire remarked sternly.
"I was hungry" she huffed, "very very hungry",
Alucard glanced at the butler, "did she cause trouble?"
"No, none at all" Walter smiled, "perfectly behaved, unlike you" he chuckled.
A smile pulled at the vampires lips before he picked up the blood bags on the table, "let's got Katja" he commanded. The vampiress nodded eagerly, eyeing the bags in his hands hungrily.
XxX
Katja looked around the room and noticed the old brick walls and low ceiling, enticing a frown. "This isn't our room" she huffed feeling the rough stone,
"It is as of today" Alucard replied gruffly setting the bags down on the table nearby.
"Feels like a cell, much like our dungeons yes?" Katja frowned falling onto the single bed, "...tell me something Vlad?"
"What is it?" He huffed taking a chair nearby,
"Did you ever remarry?" Katja mumbled.
Alucard scoffed and crossed his long legs, "of course, a king needs a queen",
"Hm is that so?" Katja huffed irritably. After several seconds of silence and a persistent scowl from them both, a devilish grin pulled at her lips. Sitting up causally, she made sure to get his full attention, "About Walter ear-", suddenly falling silent and limp, she collapsed back onto the bed.
Figuring it was another dramatic stunt he called her attention boredly, "Katja?"
When there was no reply he scoffed and turned back to the table, however after several seconds the woman hesitantly opened her eyes and painfully propped herself up on her elbows, looking around the room anxiously.
"Alucard?" She begun nervously, "where am I? What happened?" She called tiredly rubbing her eyes.
The vampires eyes widened and he quickly rushed to her side, "...Victoria?" He asked in disbelief.
The woman looked into his eyes shyly, "yeah, what is it? Where am I? Please Alucard I can't remember" she begged wrapping her arms around herself for comfort.
She was taken by surprise when the vampire wrapped her in a tight embrace, "you are safe now" he gruffly comforted.
The woman wrapped her arms around him and nuzzled into his soft coat comfortably, "can't I leave" She asked shakily squeezing him tighter.
"No, I am sorry you cannot" he apologized beginning to pet her hair softly,
"Stay with me then?" She sniffed looking into his sympathetic eyes.
"Of course" he replied simply before gently laying her down and covering her with his coat, before laying beside her. The small bed forcing the together,
"Thank you" she whispered.
"Mhm" he hummed before beginning to stroke her hair again, settling down into the comfort of his embrace, Katja let another eerie grin split her face.
'So easily fooled!' She thought triumphantly enjoying his embrace.
To be honest I'm not crazy about this chapter, It was rewritten several times but I believe this to be the best draft. However I thought it important to first introduce Katja, you'll see why later :^).
also, whenever Katja or Victoria says 'we' they are referring to both themself and the other woman as they are essentially the same person.