"Ƴσυ'яє α ραιη ιη тнє ηєcк." {Open For Duplicates! ;3}

Ambrosius' rare temper flares at her words, the corners of his mouth canting in what is more of a silent snarl than a smile when Kaltman strides right into an ambush- attempted ambush- with her usual...panache. Not a hint of subtlety in her. 'You Idiot.' She'd said, as if he were the only one present. Godfrey doesn't move. A mistake, on his part.

"If only to keep things interesting, ma chérie." Ambrosius read the intent in her eyes and shift of her body, already dancing backward as Kaltman blurs forward in a sudden burst of speed and divests a startled Godfrey of his weapon with practiced ease. While Ambrosius had expected this, he had not expected her to whip around and all but force a few of her knives into hands he'd instinctively brought up to block an incoming attack. A stake just barely clips his shoulder, and he's forced to ruminate on her actions later, as her arrival sparked the stand off into a skirmish.

"I would do so gladly." He mutters, spinning on his heel and neatly kicking an advancing woman into a tree. One of Kaltman's knives is buried in her throat before he has fully committed to lowering his leg, and Ambrosius follows suit by flicking three more into hunters attempting a pincer movement on his temporary partner. "If only your back weren't already injured and required more watching than usual." He spares her a caustic grin. "Losing your touch, Lexi?"

A split-second glance in her direction alerts him to the now protracted distance between himself and Godfrey. Kaltman's vicious assault had forced him to draw back, and he was attempting to escape while they were distracted. Ambrosius knows that he doesn't have a working heart- technically- but his chest aches all the same, and the next human to assault him is relieved of their own. He throws the still beating organ into their horrified face with enough force to knock them into the car, and starts toward Godfrey with a fluidity to his movements that is unlike his usual dancer's grace.

"I never took you for a coward, Freer." Ambrosius sidesteps the thrust of a stake and catches the arm that wields it, flipping the human over his shoulder with a twist that tears the arm from its socket. "But then again, I never took you for a traitor either." His lips quirk without humor. "My mistake." Though the fingers are all but slack, he uses the limb and its weapon to skewer the heart of another human. Drops the arm in disgust. He is so sick of them. Why isn't Kaltman taking care of this?

The sounds of combat are starting to wind down behind him, but his attention is largely focused ahead. Godfrey has yet to turn around. Why isn't he turning around?

"Why didn't you shoot me when you had the chance?"

His only response is a scoff, and somehow, this is worse than anything else he could have said. Ambrosius has three knives in hand before he registers the movement. Then two. One. He draws to a halt, standing alone in a shaded thicket of trees. His breathing is harsh and fast, dusk-shaded eyes trained on the space where Godfrey had seemingly vanished. There is no satisfaction in the small puddles of blood he left behind. Ambrosius slams his remaining knife into the trunk of a nearby tree with a snarl, before all the rage is abruptly drained from him and he leans heavily against the scarred wood, closing his eyes with a short inhale. He's only now aware of the tears in his clothes, the blood that makes his coat stiff and sticks now unbound obsidian hair to the left side of his face.

"You idiot."

{I'll most likely get a response up on Friday! ;3}

{Also I totally wasn't already awake to read this ahaha.}

{Oh yes!!!!! It only makes sense that humans have adapted by now. Otherwise it'd be one-sided, and that wouldn't be fun.}

{Alex would be at least a little relieved, because 'that's the Rose she knows' and all. If he acts any differently, then she would assume that she went insane or something, lol.}

Breathe. Focus. This throws a definite wrench in his plans- more like tossing a jackhammer into them- but it's nothing he can't fix. Ambrosius can fix anything. He can break them too. And he will break Godfrey- because Godfrey knows dammit. Not enough and too much- There would have to be a lot of rearranging done to ensure that nothing and no one is uncovered. Howl is still stationed in Spain, so it's unlikely that he could act in time, however....How long has this been going on? How long has he been planning this? Who exactly is Freer working with? While he has suspicions and hunches, Ambrosius needs definite answers and he would have them if only he weren't an idiot.

He pauses in his frantic pacing, moving to run a hand through his hair only to freeze at the start of the act when he notices that his glove is liberally covered in blood. Ambrosius tears both gloves off and throws them to the ground with a sound of disgust. He ignores the childishness of the act in favor of slowly lifting his arms and staring almost blankly at the scarlet stained up to his elbows, the tears in his sleeves from where they had snagged on bone and weapon alike. His teeth sink into his bottom lip as he turns his burning gaze to the treeline, where the sun has begun to gingerly lower itself into the thick canopy. "Focus." Ambrosius breathes, his mind is moving too fast for him to decide on a single thought or action. So many problems to solve at once. And so much- He turns his arms over and brings them to his chest, pressing his fingers together and dipping his head over them as if in prayer. Damp locks of hair form curtains around his face and brush his cheek, but he blocks out the sensation as he does the pounding of his heart and irregularity of his breathing.

It will be dark soon and he's stranded in enemy territory with a brute and no source of modern transportation- barring those used by the humans, if he could find them, but they still ran the risk of being traced. There is a possibility that he could reprogram one, but that would take valuable time. He'd need to scrap their own now useless vehicle and where would that leave them in the meantime? And ah, if he called Vier back now he might be able to put a tail on Freer-

"Rose!"

"Don't call me that." He mutters reflexively, opening eyes that had been previously closed. His senses hurt whenever he channels himself into one facet of his already heightened abilities, and Kaltman's voice is amplified and grating on his eardrums.

"Rose where the hell did you go?"

"Not far enough, apparently." It's as close to a grumble as he gets, relaxing in increments as she draws steadily closer.

Ambrosius sees Kaltman before she sees him and attempts to put himself to rights before his discomposure becomes apparent. Straightening, he removes his ruined coat- he's sending Van Dalen the cleaning bill- and folds it carefully over his arm before combing unruly jet strands away from his face and tying his hair back with a leather wristband. He can feel drying blood stiffening a few locks but staunchly ignores the fact that he might have fatally headbutted someone. Why?

When Kaltman finds him, he's balanced on one boot, using a tree root to scrape brain matter off of the other. Ambrosius holds his bloodied coat at an awkward angle so as to not stain his silk shirt, smiling absently into the setting sun in an attempt to portray that 'This Is Fine'. His hastily tied queue is too loose, once again coming undone and spilling over his shoulders. Dark strands tickle his face and Ambrosius sneezes just as Kaltman's steps come to a halt.

"Not a word." He hisses.

{She only sees his charm when he's not pestering her. That's what she would tell him, at least. Internally, she would be f r e a k i n g out because he looks s o g o o d despite doing something so bad. Gotta love them bad boys.}

{Oh yes! Every action of his is very questionable to her. She would do anything to be rid of him and his huge ego. ;3 But! After spending so much time with him, she's gonna realize that 'Oh God I am falling for him.' and she's gonna panic bc she would have no idea how to deal with those sort of feelings.}

{Yes! So I was thinking Alex would have to get patched up a lot by Jin, and because they see each other so much, they would just end up becoming friends. Jin's cheerfulness is contagious. Plus, he would be a lot easier to talk to than Rose, I'm sure. xp}

{Ah! So Lotor's hair, but jet black. Gotcha! Also ha, Alex wouldn't be able to hold back a laugh every time he sneezes around her then. c;}

{Haha I'm glad you enjoyed that little part, because I can totally see her coaxing him to put it on and him straight-up refusing. Then she would put on the little kid-leash-backpack thingy because she enjoys acting childish sometimes. Even vampires need a little fun sometimes.}

{Awww! True love is when you hate someone a little less. xp If he makes it obvious that he likes her, she wouldn't know what to do with herself. She would probably hit him lightly on the shoulder at first, tease him a bit in return, then try and hide her face which is now bright red from blushing.}

{Alex would feel s o bad about Jin patching her up all the time. But she's not rich in the slightest, so she can't spoil him like Rose. xs And so she would probably give him stuff that she has looted, ranging from watches to phones and anything in between, almost like a cat would bring random gifts to their owners lol. "Look at this weird toy I found today! It spins!"}

{Alex would be running around and repeatedly shouting "No!" bc she doesn't want him to take such an embarrassing picture. Then she would struggle to get it off because it was made for kids and she is definitely not a kid. Oh but it would be an honor! He probably has a picture of himself anyway. cx Her phone background is a picture she snuck of him sleeping one night, but it’s not like he has to know. ;3 The reason she has it is so she can blackmail him. Also because he looks adorable when he sleeps.}

"Oh?" His brows arched, a smirk gracing now distinctly smug features. "So you were calling me Rose as a sign that you're finally acknowledging my beauty? How discerning of you, belle chose." The matter-of-fact way in which she said it threw him, but Ambrosius recovered quickly enough to be briefly irritated by her next words.

Ambrosius narrowed his eyes and looked down his nose at her- a move perfected by years of aristocracy and his height advantage over most. Though partly delivered in annoyance, it covered up the minute assessment of her health and sustained injuries. Not that he believed she would slow him down; the other vampire would rather die than give him further reason to disparage her. Her stubbornness was a blessing and a curse, really. Kaltman's threat was received with a derisive huff. 'I'd like to see you try' Ambrosius almost sniped, but held his tongue when she tilted her head and he could more clearly see the emotion in her gaze. It's notably disparate from her tone, and it took him five entire heartbeats to realize that they had been silently staring into each other's eyes when his soft, pitched sneeze had broken the strange silence.

And then Kaltman had degenerated into a solid minute of laughter. As he knew she would but hadn't truly anticipated experiencing. He had never actually heard her laugh before. It wasn't the snide chuckles or teasing snickers she usually subjected him to, but something that was more genuine than he thought she was capable of being. Ambrosius is so taken aback that he can only dredge up the barest hints of annoyance. He blames it on his fatigue. "Keep that up and you won't live to see day light at all." The threat is an affronted hiss, and he draws himself up with a soft huff and downturn to his lips that is dangerously close to a pout.

Ambrosius then resolves to ignore her in favor of retying his hair and thinking of hour-long showers. Just as soon as he returns. No one will be able to pry him out. No one and nothing. This will be his last ever field operation. He did not want to be reminded of what eyeballs feel like. His mind is split between three different rapid fire schemes- plans- and sleeping for a week straight, but Kaltman's casual inquiry slows them to a sluggish pace as he wrestles with his answer and its implications. He can't be weak here. There isn't the time for it.

Tense slender shoulders are forcibly relaxed and he swings around to face her, wearing his usual superior smirk. "You should know by now that there are consequences whenever I 'let' anyone do anything. He won't be away for long." Ambrosius knew his blood now. Could pick out his heartbeat in an army of them. Freer's every breath is numbered. A lift of his chin, hint of fang in his grin, metallic glint in ruby rose eyes. "You may not trust me, Kaltman, but you can trust in that, can't you?"

Just when he believes that he's regained the upper hand in the exchange and equilibrium has returned, Kaltman simply must ruin it all. Again. She reaches into her jacket to retrieve something, the movement stirring the scent of dried blood and reminding him of her injury. It's apparent in the forced smoothness of her movements, as if she's trying not to make it obvious. Ambrosius is about to comment on it when Kaltman draws nearer and extends a familiar weapon toward him. Freer's modified Colt Peacemaker, a birthday present from his late father that had been restored by Ambrosius as a gift in turn. Freer would be wanting that back. Wouldn't he? Though the fact that he could turn it on Ambrosius in the first place...

He almost doesn't want to touch it. Not without breaking it- But he gives her a minute nod and accepts the gun, slipping it into the folds of his coat. "And here I never thought I would live to see the day your disgusting corpse looting...hobby would become usefu- What are you doing?" The mocking drawl quickly becomes an indignant exclamation as he reaches her in two strides and seizes her arms, nearly dropping his coat when he pulls her away from the tree. "You're injured, don't make it worse!" Her heartbeat is more sluggish than it should be. Her skin is too pale and her eyes are taking on a glassy sheen and he continues to be an idiot. He was so wrapped up in himself that he had completely dismissed any strange noted behavior on her part. Honestly, it should have been obvious that something was wrong when she'd looked at him with concern twice in one day. Obviously both of them weren't in their right minds. "Qu'est-ce que tu fous?! Porca miseria, but I am sick of this day." His accent thickens, becoming three at once before finally settling on the more familiar Latin-tainted Italian, though French slips into his muttering as he moves to turn Kaltman's back toward him. "Of course I know him. I know everyone. Stop moving, let me see."

(Rose won't admit it but he totally finds all of her vampire jokes/puns/references cute.

Also I feel I should clarify that to temper his brilliance- Rose can get so caught up in his head or with his singleminded determination that he misses important things sometimes. Like Alex's injury affecting her and Godfrey planning to betray him. His mind is one of his greatest assets, and when he's actually using it correctly and not blinded by his emotions, he can actually be a little more terrifying because normally Rose can read people so well it's like he has telepathy. But he's a really emotional person, and years of this only helped him build up a facade of calm when he's still pretty much a mess. So this is just not Rosie's day. ^^'

And he really is concerned about Alex- Not quite in that way yet, but he hates being alone and he'd see any harm coming to her as another failure on his part. This is technichally his mission and he'd hate himself if it ended with a teammate, no matter how much he dislikes them, dying and a traitor running free. So for the next while Rose is going to be a bit twitchy.

Belle Chose - Pretty Thing - French
Qu'est-ce que tu fous? - What the heck are you doing? - French
Porca Miseria - (Like) Bloody Hell - Italian

He's mostly switching to French because I imagine that he's so accustomed to speaking with others largely in one language that when someone introduces another, he automatically switches so that he'd still be able to communicate. 

Also I have a friend who can switch between accents and even use multiple accents in a single sentence. He's awesome.)

{She would insist on giving Jin a gift every time. Also she likes to compete with the gifts Rose gives him. She's a very competitive person.}

{Oh. My. God. That is BRILLIANT and I totally want to start texting people pictures of when they sneeze. My friends and I sneak pics of each other like all the time already. It's great!}

{Alex would be excited to know that someone appreciates her puns! ;3}

{Haha, Rose has a crazy mind indeed. He has to keep track of everybody, that is. Awww, Alex is also a very emotional person. But she would only cry in front of someone if she really trusts them. And that level of trust hasn't happened yet, but she is starting to feel a little better around him. Being reminded of her past is hard. Also, this doesn't seem to be anyone's day. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯}

{While Rose is concerned, Alex doesn't want him to be. She's not used to anyone caring about her, besides Jin of course because of her wounds.}

{Ah, thank you for the translations! Saves me the time, because I was just about to look them up. And that's so cool!!!!! Wow!!!!!!! That would be so cool to listen to haha, because I can't imagine it. xp}

(Jin would always brag to Rose about how much better Alex's gifts are. x3 'They come from the heart Rosie.' Rose would be more competitive in turn.

xj Go for it! Tell them you're blessing them.

Jin does too! He likes to make puns with her and Rose would just roll his eyes.

He needs a crazy mind to accomplish all that he has. xp
They'd be emotional together but simultaneously covering it up by being stoic. That's great! x3
Aw, Rose actually really wants her to trust him! And not just for shady reasons...While he doesn't know everything that's going on, he'd be a lot less hostile with her while she's going through that- Bad days all around. ^^'

Rose is just a mess of Care. Like I said, he never actually hated her so he's concerned. Also fussy. She'll need to watch out for that. 'Kaltman you need sleep. Kaltman you need help with that. Kaltman take my coat.'

Sure~ It can be a pain to look them up, haha.
I couldn't either. x3 He did it as a bet and has been smug ever since.
At least 70% of my Arrogant Characters are based off of him. He's ridiculous cx)

{Jin is such a c o o l d u d e and Alex appreciates him acknowledging that her gifts are better.}

{Being Alex, she hasn't told anyone about her past. She always claims that the past is over and done with, yet it always comes back to haunt her. Especially in the form of nightmares. The poor woman hasn't had a single good night's sleep in what feels like forever. She would kill to know what kind of life Rose lived, but knows he probably wouldn't tell the truth.}

{She is surprised that he wants to help, considering it would get his hands dirty.}

{To think that he's actually concerned about her would be crazy. For some reason she just doesn't believe it. Alex would definitely question his sanity.}

{Aww, I hope you get well soon! Fevers are the worst. ;v;}

{Also do you roleplay with your iPad? :0 If so that’s crazy haha, I used to be able to type up looong responses on my phone, but not anymore. xp}

{Thanks! I had to change it back to Lotor because I just recently finished the newest season! ;3}

{Edit: Augh I forgot to mention that I have a horrible habit of editing my posts! I keep wanting to change things, but I swear this is the last time I'm editing my most recent reply. xs}

(Jin: 'Alex wins this round~'
Rose: 'do you know how much that costs?!'

Aah poor Alex! D: Rose is totally not going to let that slide.
And she would be right! When he tells stories of his past, no one can tell where the truth ends and the lies begin. But being as self-absorbed as he is, Rose would tell her snippets from his life eventually, possibly to distract her. And when they get closer, he'll tell her whatever she wants to know. Including that one time an elephant made him cry. But only with a lot of bribery. That story is also the reason he keeps a stuffed elephant in his office

She can trust that he's going 'ew ew ew' in his head

Rose would be offended. He'd understand but still. Sure he rips out other people's hearts, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have one of his own!
Even though he doesn't always show it, especially not to Alex

They are. T_T

xj I can only write if I'm on my iPad it seems.

Honestly? You just. You have to. Season 5 Lotor cleared my skin and cured me of insomnia.

No that's fine! I edit my posts like ten times because 'I didn't use the right verb ugh!' xj

They're all so cool~! Girl squad! Can't wait to see them in action~

Haha, I feel you. It always takes me forever to choose one character, let alone three.)

{I'M SCREAMING YOUR PROFILE PIC IS MY NEW AESTETHIC.}

{Alex: "Give me some of that money and I'll let you win Jin back...for this week." ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)}

{No way. Rose crying over an elephant? She would do anything to hear the details. And yes, she's the kind of person who would straight-up REFUSE to believe anything he's saying. But she's also very gullible at some points, so she might believe a few of his lies if they're convincing enough.}

{His face probably shows at least a hint, if not more, of disgust. Because everyone knows for a fact he wouldn't have a pleasant time with that.}

{She'll soon come to the realization that he cares enough to keep her alive, which says a lot.}

{I would have trusted Lotor in a ~ h e a r t b e a t ~ even if that would've gotten me killed. His voice is GODLY too. Everything about him just screams perfection.}

{I always type up my replies in the dead of the night, so half the time I'm probably not even using the correct words and such either. I am not an English major in the slightest, so my grammar is probably questionable half of the time too lol. But if anything, I think it captures Alex's personality perfectly.}

{Ditto! Can't wait to see them all, your characters included!}

{I'm super excited for your reply! ;333}

{Just a heads up, I've just had the worst day ever after finding out I got a D in one of my classes for my Midterm grade, so I don't know when I will be able to reply next due to me being busy in hopes of trying to fix it. xs}

Ambrosius opened his mouth and closed it. Clicked his tongue. He had suspected as much. Flagrant and chatty she may be, but Alexandria Kaltman had always been focused and professional when circumstances called for it. This change in demeanor would be a break from that if it weren't for underlying issues that he could read in her subdued admissions. Perhaps he would have to work another angle for now. There isn't time for anything else.

Ah, yes. The time. They're running out of it.

When she falls, Ambrosius drops with her, sliding his hands under her in order to help prevent the worsening of her injury. "Oh? And who would ever think you weak?" His tone is light, posed as a casual inquiry as he rearranges their positions so that he can maneuver the shorter vampire onto his back. With her injury as it was, he preferred not to risk a fireman's carry in case the combination of her prone position and rough terrain negatively impacted any damage done to her spine. Not that this was much better.

He keeps his sigh inwards as he adjusts his grip and rolls his shoulders so that her head rests against one before rising slowly. "You know," Ambrosius begins conversationally, "I don't care what you want and you're in no position to argue with me. I want to return to HQ with a breathing partner- who else would I push the blame on?- as we've apparently lost Terrence- Ah, did he betray you as well?" His gait is smooth but covers the ground quickly, head tilted to listen to the sluggish beating of her heart. Her breathing is fainter now. He quickens his pace. "You're really starting to disturb me now." He huffs, a breathless laugh. "Is blood loss making you delusional? Neither of us even have a 'life' to begin with, so your belief is faulty on a technicality at the least." No response, but he needs to keep talking. "Alexandria, are you listening? Stay with me, yes? It shouldn't be difficult- my voice makes even angels envious."

Ambrosius' pace shifts as their ravaged vehicle comes into view. Freer had needed to be led to it in order to locate it in the first place, so the only damage was inflicted during their skirmish with the hunters. Provided none had returned to ransack it in the interim, everything they needed should still be inside. Including the first aid. Especially the first aid. Leaning against the bloodstained metallic sides, Ambrosius takes Kaltman's weight with his left arm whilst searching within the sleeves of his coat for the keys. He hums as he does so, some half forgotten nursery rhyme that he knows only the melody to. It's meant to be a distraction for both of them; he's standing in the remains of his first... outburst. The doors unlock with a hiss and Ambrosius wrestles one open to slide Kaltman into the backseat before hunting for the emergency supplies that Van Dalen always insists on. Some new EMP device deployed by Freer had insured the car would never run again, but some of its basic features still worked. Ambrosius loudly talks to his unresponsive partner as he fiddles with them, unlocking the weapons compartment. "If you die, I will write you the worst eulogy. I'll use an embarrassing photo from the security cameras for your obituary and-" He pauses in speech but continues strapping the deconstructed rifle to his leg. "-I'll bury you in a pink princess dress. One worthy of Disney."

It takes some creative organization to figure out how to carry supplies meant for two and the other vampire- who is fortunately petite, and for this he is grateful- but Ambrosius manages. The remains of his beloved coat are put toward a hasty bandage job that he hopes will keep for long enough to actually heal her, and he wastes time checking it twice more before finally setting off in a direction perpendicular to the town.

"I apologize for making you wait." His tone is uncharacteristically soft now, though his attention is divided between Kaltman's state and stretched across what he can perceive of their surroundings. "I need to double back at least once before we can- Is that a helicopter? Ah, Freer's death will be very slow~" Ambrosius risks picking up his speed, passing under the shadow of a building as he swiftly changes direction.

[###]

They had made good time and successfully evaded detection- For the time being. Yet it isn't until the sun is beginning to rise again that Ambrosius feels safe enough to settle. Vampires are tough and meant to withstand much, yet he knows that Jin would have his head for what he put Kaltman through.

Though he suspected that she had finally succumbed to unconsciousness long ago, Ambrosius had spent much of the time singing to her. Sometimes soft songs reminiscent of lullabies, battle hymns that he had learned from old soldiers, the last pop songs released before the war began, children's show tunes. Whatever happened to come to mind when next he took a breath. It was in the chorus of 'Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood' that he saw fit to set up temporary camp.

A clearing would be preferable but unwise, so Ambrosius had maneuvered them into a dense grove of trees that was somewhat protected on at least three sides before going through the painstaking act of making Kaltman reasonably comfortable. He folded extra clothing and leaves into a makeshift bed before gently laying her on her side, removing the remainder of her knives and other things that could prove uncomfortable with an amused quirk to his lips. "A pen? Really?"
Though fatigue and soreness lagged his movements, he cleaned and redressed the wound before stalking the perimeter of their 'camp' to make note of weaknesses and potential methods of escape. It was silent but for the waking of birds and movements of insects, so Ambrosius filled it with more singing.

The sun is nearing its zenith when Kaltman first shows signs of movement, and Ambrosius shifts closer to her from where he had been leaning against a tree within arm's reach, drinking from a blood pack and staring unseeingly at the swaying branches overhead. His hair has been braided away from his face, now cleaned of blood and grime that still somewhat shows on torn clothing that he had done his best to neaten. The remainder of their supplies remain within an accessible distance, and he still wears the necessities in straps and pouches that give his normally graceful movements an air of stiffness. Ambrosius sits in a half-crouch, one newly gloved hand resting on the grip of a Beretta while the other drifts away from the blood pack that he now holds between his teeth to peel back an eyelid and examine Kaltman's dilated pupils.

"Hm." He hums approvingly, removing his hand and shifting to face her. "How are you feeling?" Though he removed the blood pack before speaking, his words are still somewhat muffled by a smothered yawn. Even so, Ambrosius' features automatically brighten, any signs of fatigue fading away with the evidence that she has yet to die. Small victories and all that.