A Midnight Snack [JT]

[Ailene Haschiro]

The Menos Forest. Almost more so than any other place in the realm of Hollows, the Menos Forest embodied the kill-or-be-killed mentality that Las Noches was known for. The stone branches rustled. Something was leaping from tree to tree. Just below the hulking trunks of the trees were countless Hollows who collectively ran for their lives. Something was hunting them. The dark cavelike expanse suddenly lit up in a brilliant purple glow. A ball of searing Reiryoku filled the space between the trees. Just like that, countless Hollows suddenly found themselves completely and utterly obliterated.

Just as the carnage had ended, a soft chuckle arose amidst the treetops. Atop one of the branches sat a creature. Jet-black scales adorned its entire body, purple-tinted horns rose from its head and its body radiated with power. Within one of its talons rested the head of a Hollow. She looked down at it for a brief moment and grinned. "Is there nothing here that can withstand even a fraction of my power?!" Cracking the skull that rested between her talons and tossing it aside, the creature rose to its feet. "Pathetic."Her voice would suddenly roar to life, soaring through the Forest. "Remember the name, Mélusine! One of the fabled Espada!" 

Before finding the opportunity to posture further, Mélusine would wake from her dream. Her eyes briefly scanned her environment. She was laying upon the countertop at Rēgīna. Only the sound of sweeping could be heard as Ailene prepared the Tea House for the next day. The draconian spirit gave a soft sigh. She was diminished. She was no longer the powerhouse that Ailene could unleash upon their foes. She was nothing, but flickering embers, a shadow of her former self. 

This is not what she had envisioned for herself when Ailene decided to Saigo on that fateful day. She would not wither away like Ailene into old age. She would decide to take her fate into her own talons. Rising to her feet, digging her talons into the wood beneath her, the draconian companion yawned. She turned her head to look outside. Only the lamps illuminated the otherwise dark streets. She flicked her tail briefly. "Hey Ailene. I'm gonna go stretch my legs for a bit." The Fullbringer looked up from her sweeping with a soft hum. "Hmm? Okay! Just be careful."

A soft growl rose from Mélusine as she muttered just above the sound of a whisper, "Yeah... whatever." Lightly tugging on the soul of the door using Soul Command, Mélusine sauntered through the door and into the darkness on her own. Focusing Reiryoku through her body, the draconian spirit crackled with electricity. Her body elongated, growing from a barely 2 ft tall wyrmling into a fearsome 15ft long creature. Truly worthy of the title, dragon. With a flap of her imposing wings, Mélusine swiftly rose into the air. Watching the whole sequence, Ailene shook her head dismissively. "Tsk. tsk. She's gonna be the end of me one of these days." Without another word, Ailene simply went back to sweeping. 

---

Soaring across the star-ridden sky as a silhouette, Mélusine flew with supernatural speed. Subtlety was not on the top of her list. She proudly spread her mighty wings and flew with a rather grandiose display of acrobatics. The cold wind was rather comforting, soothing her darkened scales. Flying before the moon, Mélusine spiraled downward towards a nearby building. After all, something had caught her eye. Peering from the rooftop with her imposing form, Mélusine took note of a couple walking the streets. 

Most interestingly, however, was what stalked behind them. It was a Hollow. Seemingly oblivious its presence, the couple continued to walk with blissful ignorance. Leaping to the rooftop just ahead of her and gliding towards it quite gracefully, the draconian companion watched the couple cut through a side-road. The Hollow seemed almost ready to strike. Feeling her competitiveness rear its head, Mélusine growled softly and descended down to the street. Her shadow suddenly filling the streets, Mélusine allowed her Reiryoku to flicker from her form.

Exploding outward from her body, the draconian spirit let out a mighty roar. It was a burst of intimidation that left the couple stumbling backwards. Frozen with fear, they could only gaze upon Mélusine as they quivered. The Hollow meanwhile recoiled reflexively. Mélusine bared her teeth and hissed. Allowing another burst of Reiryoku to leap forth, the Hollow whimpered and retreated a few steps before turning around and scurrying away. Mélusine allowed the Reiryoku to die down as the Hollow left her sight.

Diverting her attention to the couple, Mélusine's indigo-tinted eyes focused on them. Just as before they were frozen with fear, only able to a few words. "W- what is i- it?" Mélusine scoffed for a moment. She had almost forgotten that she had taken on a physical form. She continued to stare at them, dismissing their soft stammers. What was she supposed to do? "I suppose I could just let them go? There's no harm in it. They are just humans." As she thought on it, she quickly realized something. "I'm a Hollow. These are humans. The choice is practically obvious!" The air around Mélusine suddenly felt as though it grew cold. 

She stared at the pair with a notable smirk. Brandishing her razor-sharp talons, Mélusine moved in a flash. Without a hint of remorse, her claws slashed against the man's throat. Blood began to violently spray from the gash. As the crimson red liquid covered the woman, her eyes grew wide. In an instant, she seemed to lose consciousness from the gore. Taking this opportunity, Mélusine dragged the corpse and the fainted woman further into the alley. Soon a plus would form and Mélusine would find herself with yet another meal. She had to act quickly. With her hind leg resting upon the woman, pinning her, Mélusine bared her teeth and mercilessly tore into her fresh kill. Crushing bone and splitting flesh, Mélusine gorged herself messily and somewhat noisily upon her prey. It was downright intoxicating to feast upon so fresh a kill again! 

[Talia Napolitano]

Walking through the streets of Karakura with a pep in her step and a whistle to her voice, Talia Napolitano continued to live her life without a care in the world. After all, what reason was there to have one? She was practically immortal; she was going to live totally and eternally, and she knew damned well that she was going to make the most of it. If nothing else, the girl had drive to live how she wanted.

And, what she wanted for the night? Talia wanted to take the opportunity to score a few kills, and proliferate her eternal hunt. She was feeling a bit peckish all things considered, and ultimately wanted to invest a bit of time in taking a moment to feed. Surely scoring a kill was going to at least sate the girl's appetite, though it was a bit difficult to say without actually going through the motions.

Seeing a couple walking down the street, Talia knew full well that she was going to focus her hunt toward these two. Surely there was nothing that could've potentially gone wrong, right? Well, that's what the girl was hoping for, anyway. Until, much to her surprise, a huge fucking dragon swooped down from the sky, and seemed to almost stalk the couple.

To say Talia was furious was an understatement. This was supposed to be her hunt! Still, though; she was going to wait this one out. She wanted to see just what this dragon was about before making any rash decisions, and getting herself injured again (much like she'd done fighting that damned Shinigami). Placing her hands into her pockets, and simply trailing behind, Talia stalked both the couple and the dragon into an alleyway.

Though, what she saw happen was certainly more than she'd originally anticipated. With relative ease, the man of the two was cut open with little effort, spraying blood amidst the alleyway. As the woman passed out, and the dragon practically secured her kill, Talia couldn't help but smile to herself. If nothing else, she respected an efficient hunter.

As Mélusine started to focus on eating, Talia sighed softly to herself as she followed in suit. Perhaps she was going to bargain with the dragon? She found the idea amusing. She didn't really have much of a problem doing so, after all. Surely she'd at least hear what the Vampire had to say? If nothing else, she'd get a hunt going herself if the dragon said something antagonistic.

"Well, then," she cooed, "I've seen a lot of things in my time, but a dragon? Surely that wasn't one that anyone could've reasonably expected." Crossing her arms, and staring toward the woman that lay beneath the beast's claws, Talia couldn't help but smile. "Surely you could share the spoils a bit, no?" She smiled.

In truth, she hadn't expected the dragon to turn her down. "I needn't the entire body," she cooed, flashing a smile - complete with her sharpened, pronounced canines, "just a bit of a drink, you know how it is. Perhaps you'd be willing to oblige little ol' me, given you've taken my prey from the get-go~?"

[Ailene Haschiro]

It had been so long since the draconian spirit had been able to enjoy the spoils of a freshly earned kill. Blood dripped down her maw as she feasted upon the corpse without a second thought. The crack of bone was music to her ears. She hummed ever so softly as she enjoyed her meal. However, there was one thing to consider. She had just killed a human. Soon a plus would emerge. Other Hollows would be attracted to its scent as a shark is drawn to blood. "I suppose that devouring the plus wouldn't hurt. Better for me to claim it than some other Hollow." A soft cackle reared its ugly head. 

It was then that a voice pierced the darkness. "Well, then," Immediately, Mélusine looked up. It seemed that this night was going to prove to be far more interesting than she initially thought. "I've seen a lot of things in my time, but a dragon? Surely that wasn't one that anyone could've reasonably expected." As the woman emerged from the shadows, Mélusine's eyes focused on the woman. She was quite the catch. 5'9", blonde-hair and an eye color that almost mirrored the dragon's own.

The draconian spirit let out a soft sniff. The woman's faint scent was unrecognizable to her. Even her energy did not reveal any cracks. Yet, the woman continued to speak. "Surely you could share the spoils a bit, no?" Mélusine briefly tilted her head and stared down at the couple, primarily the woman's body which rested beneath her talons. The dragon briefly snorted. "Interesting... she can't be a fellow Hollow? Could she?" Mélusine's instincts were honed. Yet even despite centuries of experience through Ailene, she could not immediately identify just what Talia was. 

Regardless, she'd bide her time. For now, she wouldn't respond. Instead, she'd merely wait and see what else Talia had to say. "I needn't the entire body," For far, all was well and good. In fact, thus far, this woman reminded her a bit of Ailene. Overly courteous, seemingly a bit archaic and rather diplomatic. Then it hit her like a stack of bricks. "just a bit of a drink, you know how it is. Perhaps you'd be willing to oblige little ol' me, given you've taken my prey from the get-go~?"

Just like that, Mélusine snarled at the vampire. Leaning down, she'd take another bite of her quarry, messily tearing him to ribbons. Chewing softly, Mélusine would finally give her first response. "I see I'm in a presence of a fellow hunter. Yet... I am forced to wonder what manner of hunter you are." Mélusine gave another snort. "Your prey?" The inflection was clear enough to indicate her disdain of the accusation. "A true hunter doesn't simply claim prey through words alone." Her talon suddenly dug itself into the man's flesh, separating head from shoulders. "You simply claim that which you desire through sheer force." It was a brutal, truly Hollow-like way of viewing the world.

Alas, the two of them were at an impasse. Mélusine didn't inherently mind the idea of tearing into a third victim today. Yet... there were two problems. She really knew nothing of the woman's capabilities. Was she confident? Absolutely. However, she dare not rush in without a plan. Second, a fight would not only attract Hollows, but it would also bring Ailene. The spirit had no desire to put up with her other half's morals. Besides, she had some sympathy for this woman. Her talon clasped over the shoulders of the woman. 

As Mélusine spoke, there would be far less animosity in her voice. With a soft toss, the woman's unconscious body flew through the air before landing a few feet away from Talia, rolling onto its back. "I know the feeling of being denied a proper meal and I seem to be in like-minded company. Come, feast with me." Talia had intrigued Mélusine. Besides, her body was already stained in blood and gore. Even more of it would be hell to wash off. Continuing to tear into the human flesh, Mélusine sighed briefly. It was visceral. She loved it. However, it was very raw. Too chewy. 

Taking a deep breath, Mélusine allowed her reiryoku to surge ever so slightly. A small spark later and the oxygen had suddenly ignited. Mélusine was literally spewing fire down upon the corpse of the man. It would've been rather soothing if not for the scent of smoldering flesh. The draconian spirit didn't mind. After a few seconds, she closed her mouth and with it the stream of fire. As she took a bite, there was a notable crunch as Mélusine hummed contently. "So, what shall I call you?" It was clearly directed at Talia as she continued. "I'm Mélusine." She continued to feast upon the charred meat with little pause. 

[Talia Napolitano]

"I see I'm in a presence of a fellow hunter. Yet... I am forced to wonder what manner of hunter you are." Talia couldn't help but chuckle to herself. In truth the girl wasn't surprised; surely she looked like a normal human as far as Mélusine was concerned. Though, she did heed her words rather quickly; perhaps she had an idea of what Talia was?

After her comment about prey belonging to one another, and making claims without backing those claims up, it seemed that the dragon had quite the stance on Talia's words. "A true hunter doesn't simply claim prey through words alone. You simply claim that which you desire through sheer force." Talia couldn't help but smile. She very much respected Mélusine's rather raw passion toward the topic at hand. It was certainly interesting to see.

"You are not mistaken on that," Talia spoke, keeping up a polite smile with her potential acquaintance, "a hunter, more often than not, relies on strength and sheer force of will to take their prey; that'd be your case, no? It's certainly a respectable stance, I'll give you that. Unfortunately I don't quite have the same... luxuries, to be able to do so."

Motioning toward her own body, Talia couldn't help but chuckle at the situation. She was explaining a rather interesting stance to the dragon, and couldn't help but get a bit of a kick out of the situation. "In order to survive, I've a need to blend in with this... lesser human society. If I jeopardize that, I'll be spending the rest of my days hunted, which, while I might be able to fend those folks off, it makes simply enjoying immortality quite difficult, you know?"

Hoping that Mélusine would avoid resorting to argumentatives or aggressions, Talia simply took a moment to hear out the dragon if she'd continue on as normal with her words. "I know the feeling of being denied a proper meal and I seem to be in like-minded company. Come, feast with me." Seemed that all had been going well thus far. The body now in front of the vampire only proved that fact. The best part? This woman was surely still alive, albeit certainly a bit banged up. She'd still taste fresh.

"I'm appreciative of your kindness," she spoke, before dropping down toward the currently unconscious woman, and clearing away hair and clothes from her neck and shoulder. With a deep breath beforehand, Talia brandished her canines, and immediately sunk them into the neck of the woman before her. As the woman's blood was very forcibly drawn from her body, along with whatever faint traces of spiritual energy that she had, Talia began to feast like a queen.

Within a rather short matter of time, she'd been drained almost entirely. She didn't want to overindulge; after all, Mélusine had been kind enough to allow her to share in her own meal. She had no use for the body afterward, so that was likely going back to the dragon to feast. And, while she didn't quite know how human tasted - nor did she really desire to - surely it'd be a bit dry without any fluids circulating through it? At the very least, she wanted to make a kind gesture, from one apex predator to another.

Watching as Melusine cooked the body she'd been eating into, Talia couldn't help but cough a bit. She wasn't particularly fond of the scent that it had given off, despite her rather frequent exposure to it over the years. Ah, well. She'd have to simply get used to it, because there wasn't much of a plan to leave the area. Quite the opposite, in fact; perhaps Mélusine would've been up for more of a hunt? She'd have to inquire.

"So, what shall I call you? I'm Mélusine." Talia smiled. "Mélusine, eh? Quite the attractive name, and certainly not one I was expecting." She chuckled. "My name is Talia; heiress of the Napolitano family, and Vampire Queen Extraordinaire. Pleased to make your acquaintance." With a sly smile, she remained seated by the dragon.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, "much like I'd said, you're free to eat this one as well; I've gotten my fix, for which I'm grateful for." Nodding her head along with her own words, Talia focused her attention back toward the eating dragon. Truly a wild word, for someone like Mélusine to openly exist. She knew of the Shinigami, but she would've never believed that something like a dragon would be roaming about.

[Ailene Haschiro]

"I'm appreciative of your kindness," It seemed as though Mélusine would not be feasting upon this woman after all. The draconian spirit had a short fuse. She was temperamental. Vicious. She cared little for more than a handful of people. This woman, however? She was alright. A little eccentric, but charming. Besides... Mélusine was more than curious to see just what the Bount had planned with her prey. The dragon had already shown her hand, viciously tearing into flesh. How would Talia feed?

It seemed that Mélusine would get her answer rather quickly. Much like a spider or even a bat, Talia sunk her teeth into the human woman. It was not like how Mélusine had torn flesh from bone. Quite the opposite. This was more akin to a deadly embrace. Elegant in its own way. Mélusine stared at Talia as she fed with boundless fascination. If nothing else, it left the dragon even more curious as to the identity of this mystery woman. Before tackling the pleasantries, however, Mélusine charred her victim to a crisp using Soul Ignition. Now with a more pleasing morsel between her gnashing teeth, the spirit would introduce herself. 

Interestingly enough, this would only further arouse her companion's curiosity. "Mélusine, eh? Quite the attractive name, and certainly not one I was expecting." She nodded briefly in response to Talia. Mélusine was not one for flattery. She had no need for it. Fear and power were the only two things that mattered to her. The ability to crush others and demonstrate that she was an apex predator. It was a life she had missed. Alas, it seemed as though she had found a kindred spirit. 

Finally, as if to seal the deal, the Bount would reveal her own identity. "My name is Talia; heiress of the Napolitano family, and Vampire Queen Extraordinaire. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Mélusine simply stared at Talia with a mixture of interest and disbelief. "Vampire Queen Extraordinaire, huh? That's a new one." Was it really so hard to believe? After all, Mélusine herself was a dragon. Or her appearance at least mimicked that of a dragon. Unfortunately, before she could inquire further, Talia spoke up.

"Oh!" Mélusine briefly perked up in response. "much like I'd said, you're free to eat this one as well; I've gotten my fix, for which I'm grateful for." The draconic companion leaned down and sniffed the remnants of the corpse. It was completely drained of blood. Mélusine scoffed slightly and shook her head. "A bit too dry for my liking. Besides..." Her eyes shifted to the male corpse she had been feasting on not more than a few moments ago. "I've got my eye on something else at the moment." 

Almost as if on cue, it emerged. Forming right beside the corpse. Looking almost completely unharmed aside from a bit of anxiety, the plus of the man had come into being. In the center of his chest was the familiar Chain of Fate that Mélusine knew quite a bit about. It was the gateway to becoming a Hollow. To lose oneself to their obsessions and be deprived of a heart. As expected, the Plus would be incredibly flustered. "What the hell? Where am I?" As he shifted his gaze downward, looking upon the mutilated remains of his corpse just beside the dragon who was covered in blood, he began freaking out. An understandable reaction.

"Y- you! You're t- that monster!" Before he could say another word, Mélusine brought her tail down against his chest. The blow sent him crashing into the ground violently as she snarled. "Hush now. Dinner should know its place." Turning around and lifting her tail, Mélusine lowered her head to grasp the Plus' neck between her teeth. Biting down and twisting, the Plus violently twitched followed by a loud snap. Once more she'd show her callous disposition. Once more she'd show what she had truly been waiting for.

Hollows existed to feast upon the souls of others. It's how they grew stronger. Those days were long behind Mélusine, however. She could no longer evolve in the same manner. It was, at the end of the day, the only life she knew, and she'd waste little time. Consuming the Plus' core, the body vanished, forever separated from the Soul Cycle. Consuming a plus was a surreal experience. It was not visceral like human flesh. More than anything else though, it made Mélusine feel alive. She felt powerful. "It just feels right!"

Finishing the rest of the corpse, leaving little besides the mangled remains of bones and bits of flesh, Mélusine finally returned her attention to Talia. "If I may be so bold, the night is young, and you are a curious woman." It would likely be very obvious as to how this conversation was going to go. Regardless, Mélusine wanted to offer it anyway. "I would be interested in hunting some more with you. This would be mere sport. A way to sharpen our instincts as hunters. Interested?" The dragon inquired with a toothy grin. She had a feeling about Talia. If she truly was a hunter, could she resist an opportunity to hunt alongside a kindred spirit? Mélusine waited for her response with anticipation.

[Talia Napolitano]

Listening carefully to Mélusine's words with a smile on her face, Talia found herself certainly interested. Just what had that dragon planned? What had she had her eyes on? Normally she wouldn't've been able to tell, but thankfully she'd been able to figure it out rather quickly, what with the newfound shouting done by the plus soul that decided to emerge.

Crossing her arms in fascination with the situation unfolding, Talia couldn't help but watch with morbid curiosity. Truth be told she had very little exposure to the spiritual world at large, and this was sure to be quite the opportunity for her to learn. Especially if Mélusine was willing to inform her about the goings-on of the worlds around her. Was she too familiar with the Shinigami? She'd have to ask.

As the dragon mercilessly ended the life of the soul in front of her, and took ample opportunity to consume the once-alive individual for a second time, Talia continued to smile to herself. "Fascinating," she spoke aloud, "was that the human's soul? If you don't mind my asking, do you get any sustenance out of consuming something like that?"

She'd patiently wait for a response from the dragon. Though, Talia didn't feel that Mélusine would've done so if it didn't come with benefits to her. Even if it was just the taste or something, she was still curious as to hear back from her. Though, that did leave Talia to wonder; what did the soul of a human taste like? A wicked smirk persisted across her face. Perhaps by the end of this little excursion she'd find out. Lord only knew how excited she was to have that opportunity!

Though, the vampire quickly found herself dragged out of her own thoughts with Mélusine deciding to speak up. "If I may be so bold, the night is young, and you are a curious woman. I would be interested in hunting some more with you. This would be mere sport. A way to sharpen our instincts as hunters. Interested?" Her? Interested in hunting? All she had to do was ask.

"You've certainly captured my interest," Talia spoke, nodding her head, "I'd be delighted in having a bit of a feast tonight." In truth, she'd meant every word of that. Talia felt very passionately about the opportunities she had to hunt, and surely this was going to be one that remained worthwhile.

Stretching her arms, and standing back up from off the pavement, Talia hummed softly to herself. Surely this was going to make for an interesting night; the fact that she was with an actual dragon had gone far enough to prove that fact. Still, though, she'd need to prepare beforehand. With a soft yawn, Talia's canines quickly coated themselves with blood before solidifying. The same happened with her nails, each one sharpening into a rather prominent claw.

"I'm ready when you are, Mélusine; this is going to be quite the night."

[Ailene Haschiro]

After feasting upon the Plus, Mélusine simply sighed. It was a wondrous feeling to consume a soul like the good ol' days. What disappointed her was the sheer ease of it. She believed that hunting the weak was simply the way things should be. There were predators and there was prey. One existed to feed the other. It's how the food chain worked. Yet, Mélusine was a creature of pride. She wished to be challenged. To prove her strength and secure the spot she knew she deserved. Apex predator.

If nothing else, it seemed that Talia intrigued by Mélusine consumption of the Plus. "Fascinating," She raised an eyebrow. "was that the human's soul? If you don't mind my asking, do you get any sustenance out of consuming something like that?" Sitting in an upright posture, Mélusine mulled it over. Finally, she'd respond. "Don't know nor does it matter to me." There'd be a slight pause before continuing. "I've exerted my power over another. Added their essence to mine. If it were to give me power, it'd only be a plus." 

Mélusine, despite giving a straight answer, did find it a little strange. After all, this woman was a self-proclaimed vampire. She had drained this woman of her blood. Yet she was forced to question was a Plus was? Mélusine hummed softly. Either she was playing dumb, or she was simply just that inept. If it weren't for her interest in the woman, the dragon would've found herself quickly turning on the Bount. Alas, it was time to see just how much of a hunter that Talia actually was.

After finishing the rest of her meal, Mélusine offered the Bount the opportunity to hunt some more. Talia seemed enamored with the idea. "You've certainly captured my interest. I'd be delighted in having a bit of a feast tonight." This pleased Mélusine. Idly dragging her claws along the concrete, she rose along with Talia. All of a sudden, the draconic familiar with notice something interesting. Blood pooled around her companion's nails. She now possessed a rather wicked claw not unlike Mélusine's own. She growled in a rather pleased fashion.

"Well now. That's a nice little trick you have there." It seemed that now she would be ready to hunt. "I'm ready when you are, Mélusine; this is going to be quite the night." Nodding her head, the dragon elegantly shifted her body around the torn up remains of her quarry. Stretching with a soft groan and a crack, Mélusine sauntered back onto the street, hopefully with Talia in tow. It could take them a bit to come upon their next quarry and it would do them some good to get to know one another. 

Keeping up a steady pace with Talia, Mélusine spoke in a soft tone. "I presume by your reaction earlier; you have never seen a Plus, a human soul, before?" Looking to probe into the girls' understanding of the spiritual realm, Mélusine opened with the simplest question that she could. If she truly had little understanding, it begged the question if she even knew what a Hollow was. A Shinigami? It was all so curious. She clearly had some ability to manipulate reiatsu or some other supernatural ability. Just what was she?

[Talia Napolitano]

"I've exerted my power over another. Added their essence to mine. If it were to give me power, it'd only be a plus." If nothing else Talia had quite an amount of respect toward a stance like that. In truth, that was rather similar to how Talia felt about her own life; she served almost exclusively to further her own capabilities through the consumption about anything and everything she could. After all, she was superior. Why should she care about the lives she took?

As the two prepared for the coming hunt, with Talia manifesting her blood weapons as she found fit, she chuckled softly from the dragon's words. In truth, she found it rather neat herself. She wasn't quite sure how she was capable of creating the weapons she did, but in truth? She was glad to have been able to. They've since helped her quite a large amount over the years, that was for sure. Though, perhaps innovation was in order? She could stand to improve her weapons after all. Perhaps this would be good for that.

"I presume by your reaction earlier; you have never seen a Plus, a human soul, before?" Talia stared back at the dragon, almost dumbfounded. A Plus? What? "I'm..." She started, "I cannot quite say that I understand. I figured that was a soul, but I didn't know such a thing had a name. That's... interesting." Smiling to herself, Talia began to allow herself to ponder.

So, it seemed that human souls had names. Rather interesting ones, at that; a Plus. She hadn't expected there to be a name like that at all. Perhaps this was something that more information was hidden under? It was hard to say. "Say, Mélusine," she started, "why are they called 'Plus'? Is there any other information that might needed to be known about these?"

[Ailene Haschiro]

Mélusine waited patiently for the Bount to answer. She was, however, already expressing confusion just with her body language. It was certainly a rarity. To possess spiritual power and yet have no understanding of the spiritual world. It left Mélusine intrigued. Just where did Talia come from? Perhaps a question to ask later. Alas, the vampire would soon offer her response. "I'm..." Before she even continued, Mélusine already softly chuckled to herself. "Oh... this is going to be good." 

"I cannot quite say that I understand. I figured that was a soul, but I didn't know such a thing had a name. That's... interesting." Mélusine nodded, her talons tapping against the concrete. At least Talia had the brains to put two and two together. "Say, Mélusine," The dragon shifted her gaze towards Talia. "Hmm?" She hummed inquisitively. "why are they called 'Plus'? Is there any other information that might needed to be known about these?" What a curious question. It seemed that Talia was at least eager to learn. 

Mélusine mulled it over for a moment. There was no harm in explaining more of the spiritual world to Talia. If she was to be a competent hunter, she needed to understand the world around her. "Why are they called Plus?" The draconian spirit repeated briefly. "I don't have an answer for that. I guess it's just the way it's always been." She paused for a moment. "I've simply heard them referred to as such by Shinigami." Mélusine did not know if Talia even knew what a Shinigami was. Nevertheless, if she was curious, she'd likely ask. 

The second component of the question, however, was much more interesting. "Well. Pluses can either languish in Soul Society thanks to the Shinigami..." It was clear that Mélusine had little love for Soul Society or the Shinigami. "Or they can rise above their station and become Hollows. To become hunters like you and I, Talia." It would likely be rather vague for someone who had little understanding of the spiritual world, but Mélusine was not one to go on and on about topics. She left the lecturing to Ailene. 

Thankfully it did not seem that she needed to. In the distance, Mélusine caught a glimpse of a few young adults. Dressed in all manner of clothing, carrying speakers to play music and subtle swaying motions of some of them, Mélusine recognized them for what they were. University students. The cover of darkness did wonders for hiding both Talia and Mélusine until they got closer. The draconian spirit couldn't help, but grin. The party of four or five students left plenty for both of them to be satisfied. 

She looked over at Talia for a brief moment and cackled ever so softly. "Here's a few sheep to prey upon." She paused for a moment. "I look forward to watching you work." Concentrating reiryoku just beneath her, Mélusine suddenly disappeared in a small flash of light where her talons once rested. Resting upon one of the nearby buildings, she'd look down to see how Talia tackled this group. Mélusine had made her method of hunting clear. She was curious to see how Talia preyed upon the weak. She gently flicked her tail in anticipation. 

[Talia Napolitano]

As the dragon began to share her words on why Plus were called what they were, Talia found herself almost surprised at the fact. Shinigami had come up with that title? That was... odd, that such a title stuck around like that. Especially considering that Shinigami were few and far between, from what she'd seen.

Just how far had Shinigami influence spread? She wasn't exactly keen to find out, but there was certainly a level of morbid curiosity that found itself rising within her. Perhaps she'd get the opportunity to learn more at a later date? She couldn't help but smile at the thought. Regardless, she'd ask to see what more Melusine knew about the spiritual world at large. Perhaps she'd get an interesting bit of information from the dragon? She could really only hope. After all, this was the first opportunity that Talia had to learn about the world at large! She was going to learn what she could.

"Quite the interesting thought," she said, putting her clawed finger to her chin, "I had never known of a 'Soul Society'... I assume this is where those Shinigami reside, no?" Well, now she couldn't help but laugh back toward the grave of Silvano. If such a place existed, and large congregations of Shinigami had tended to linger around this 'Soul Society', why hadn't he made the call to attack there directly? She couldn't help but find his actions rather moronic.

As Melusine had taken the opportunity to inform Talia of the college students that had been making their way down the street, and simply left, Talia let out a soft sigh. It wasn't anything out of disappointment or frustration, but rather out of the fact that the situation presented itself as rather comedic; a dragon watching a human-presenting woman hunt was certainly not what she'd expected to be doing tonight. She couldn't help but find it amusing.

Regardless, it was time for her to show Melusine how Vampire girls make do. Sticking to the shadows, and melding in with the darkness as she took the opportunity to approach the crowd, Talia knew full-well that the silent approach was going to be much more beneficial to her at this very moment. If nothing else, the last thing she wanted to do was to alert the crowd of her presence. She'd stay silent.

As she approached, and threw a hand to cover the mouth and nose of a girl lagging behind the remainder of the group, Talia made her move. Bearing her fangs, and sinking them deep into the woman's skin, Talia began to do what she did best and drain her absolutely dry. Within a few moments, the light in the woman's eye went out. Slowly lowering the now-dry woman to the ground, Talia began to repeat the process once more.

Though, only one more of the four students were going to be Talia's. Grabbing a taller man, and draining him of his blood and spiritual energies, Talia turned back toward where Melusine had been perched. Wiping her mouth, and giving the dragon a thumbs-up, she awaited her move. In truth, she wanted to see just what the dragon was going to do. She figured that Melusine probably wasn't one for stealth, and there was nothing wrong with that; stealth was simply a necessity for the vampire, given she did not want to make her existence known to the general populace where she could avoid it.