Van Helsing

Hannah got the horse settled in and left the stable, heading back to her house. I don't really feel comfortable leaving those too alone. That girl hasn't been here long and I wouldn't put it past her to let some of our town's knowledge slip. She removed her hood and shook out her long, black curls. Van Helsing... I was expecting someone older.

 

Jinx didn't answer right away but asked for a glass of red wine instead. After they had both gotten their drinks she took a sip and finally replied. "No, I don't know her or anyone here. And my name is Jinx." she drained her glass in her second take, "So, what is your line of work exactly?" she asked, turning the questions onto him. She could see he wanted information but she wasn't going to let it all go his way just because he thought he was a 'charmer'.

 

"Well, then, she seems pretty interesting. Maybe she will join us in a while... didn't seem like the type who had much to do."

The bar mistress came back, and Van Helsing pulled her sleeve to bring her mouth down to his ear: "Bring the rest of her bottle... and mine as well," he whispered, and the barmaid left quickly.

"My line of work," he began, doing her the courtesy of tipping his worn leather hat back enough to show his eyes. "Well, as my reputation usually precedes me, I'd assume you'd know, but all the same... I myself am a man of God... a murderer, a saint, a hero, and a villian; it all depends who you ask and what I've done to them or someone they've known. I kill anything evil... I'm not paid and I'm not insane, either." He gave her a small smile at this point, but she didn't seem to find anything worth a grin. He picked up the wine bottle now and filled her glass as he continued: "Well... let's see... you may ask what do I kill? Werewolves, obviously... any irregular creature that may do evil damage to those innocent around them. Shape-shifters, goblins, vampires... I hate vampires with a passion; I have a bit of a past with some of them."

His eyes darted momentarily to the grimy, slightly shattered window and was only slightly surprised to see "Elizabeth" (yes, he saw through the alias as well) standing looking inside.

Join the party, Van Helsing grinned in his head.

 

Hannah lingered outside the inn, debating whether or not she should go inside. After looking back at the sky, she decided it was safe to spend a bit of time in the inn before she had to go back to her own house. Entering, she looked around as though she didn't know where Van Helsing and Jinx were.

 

Jinx sipped more slowly on this glass, after he poured it. "Interesting, you hate all vampires?" she asked, raising a skepical eyebrow, "Come across one and, BANG!" she slapped her hand on the table "You kill them?" she held his gaze for a moment, an odd expression on her face. But the next moment she took a sip of her wine and the expression was gone. "Makes sence." she ignored Hannah, as she was ignoring them. "What are you doing in these parts, then? I assume it's the werewolfs but, tell me anyway." she instructed, politely enough.

 

Van Helsing actually grinned now. I like her, he thought, even though he knew she was starting to catch on to him. "What am I doing in these parts?" he repeated aloud. "What am I doing... well, I assumed you were aware of the family here that was recently turned by one werewolf into a whole pack? I man lying with my bullets in his heart was the oldest brother. There is still a mother, father, and little girl to be killed before the rest of you turn into murdering, cold blooded beasts as well. And as for the vampire-related subject," he added quickly as he saw her start to speak again, "I don't reallyhate them all; I merely don't prefer them because of... ages of fighting and grudges. Let's just say I have killed enough make the whole "race" loathe me. If a vampire walked in here right now, there's a perfect chance I've killed someone they know!"

 

Hannah walked over casually, making sure her curls were over her shoulders. "Your horse is taken care of Mr. Van Helsing." She said.

 

Jinx nodded, "so you have to murder a family, that must be hard for you." before he could comment, she moved on to the vampire subject again, "that's good that you don't hate vampires, hate is too strong a word for a species. But, if you have fought and killed so many, I must wonder how you managed to keep from being bitten. Would you mind explaining that?" she asked, starting to enjoy turning his original purpose of getting info from her to him giving her answers instead.

 

"Like I said," Van Helsing said after a moment, giving Elizabeth a slight nod only. "It's evil... I kill it. How do I stay alive? Well, it's kind of hard to explain. How does an inexplicable amount of luck, prayer, weapons, and a few friends sound?"

Realizing Elizabeth still stood there, he turned his head in her direction and offered her his half full third glass of rum. "Thirsty?" he asked.

 

Hannah shook her head. "I'm not into that kind of drink." She said taking the empty seat next to Jinx. "I apologize for the villagers behavior. I for one, thank you for your service."

 

"Sounds like good luck all around, and good luck doesn't last forever." Jinx replied to him, seriously. She filled her thrid glass of wine, knowing that she would get tipsy soon, but she counted on being gone by then. She drank half the glass and ran her finger around the rim, "Ah yes, that is something to be thankful for. One down, three more to go, and you'll surely be a hero in the town." she smiled at them, finishing the glass.

 

"You can't originally be from here," Van Helsing said now, refilling hers and his glass once more. Elizabeth gave him a slightly stern look, but he ignored her once more. "You ask so much about me, so I'd rather enjoy something about you by now."

The family didn't even know what had happened... the words of the monk in Rome came randomly back to his head as he waited from Jinx's reply. The mother and father were bitten first... bit their twenty year old son in a rabid rampage, and he bit the ten year old girl. Ridiculous, but we have sufficient evidence that Draulca himself sent this werewolf to infect the family... kill them all before the whole town is turned to Dracula's side.

He grimaced and then swallowed the fourth glass in two gulps now, waiting for some response (either an answer from Jinx or a snide remark from "Elizabeth").

 

"As would I." Hannah put in. "You've kept to yourself during your stay here. I'd like to know why."

Jinx sipped on her her glass, and giggled, now on one too many glasses of wine. "Well, alright, I'll answer, maybe. To a direct question though." she added, "I'm not just going to blurt out my past to you two." she laughed again, setting her glass down.

 

"What do you know about vampires?" Van Helsing asked. That's as direct as I can get,he thought. Let's see what she has to say since she seemed so keen on my disliking of the diseased group!

 

Hannah's eyes widened and she stared at Van Helsing. He couldn't have asked something else?! Chances are, she'll tell him something of value, even if she doesn't realize it! She sobered her expression and prepared to step in if Jinx said anything that might give her away.

 

Jinx, in her tipsy state, couldn't help laugh right out loud at the question although under normal circumstances she would have simply kept a striaght face and lied through her teeth. "Vampires? Oh I know that they are undead, that they're enemies with werewolfs, that you kill them, Van Helsing, that they drink blood, and that, Dracula wants all the women vampires for himself." she shook her head laughing at this last comment. "I'm no expert though, just what everyone else who knows about vampires at all knows." she felt her concentration on her glamor slip for a second and was glad her mouth was closedOh dang, I'm really off now, I'd better keep a better hold on my glamor. "Is that all you want to know?"

 

"Hmm, I see," Van Helsing said, catching the expression in Elizabeth's eyes. "That's quite the Encyclopedia definition, isn't it? I'm impressed. Now, you asked about my 'line of work.' In addition to werewolves, I'm also out here in search for vampires. Do you know any, or have you heard anything about them lately? It would help me out greatly," he added, reaching for the wine bottle once more to find that it was empty.

Now I really like her, he thought, grinning once more.

 

Hannah grit her teeth. I shouldn't have anything to worry about. She doesn't know about me, she can't. I've done all I can to keep it a secret for these past couple of months. A bit nervous, Hannah played with the ends of her hair.

 

Jinx also noticed the bottle was empty. Ah, whoops. She thought on the question. "Well, actully I do know about one... do you want to know who?" she giggled agian and leaned foward as if to tell something secret. "Dracula." she giggled, leaning back and breaking into full out laughter.

 

Van Hesling sighed. "Of course," he said to Jinx, and then turned to Elizabeth, who hadn't touched a drink yet.

"So, Miss Elizabeth," he began, no smile, "want to help me out by answering the same question: what do you know about vampires?"