The bear was loping through the city streets, no doubt turning some na've heads in its wake" Atop the creature, Martyr sat. "J-just a little f-further?" The immortal pressed, "Thank y-you v-very m-much for the ride?" She owed the bear a lot of salmon. Emlen's apartment came into view, and the bear had recognized it from before. The mammal had also noted Martyr's misshapen demeanor" She was stressed" Worried" Her heartbeat was different, her blood was running cold, and for the first time, the immortal was rushing.

It was true, she'd been pressing the bear forward and nearly forgetting her manners"but if Minoko was right, if this"whatever the hell she was"had taken Emlen's soul, then there was quite a lot to worry about. The bear stopped, Martyr hopped off. Her hand pets the creature's face, and right there, her bag dropped to the massive paws"a promise that she would return. "Alright, M-missy' I n-need you t-to watch the d-door, okay?" C-can you d-do that for m-me" If anyone that smells like m-me or Emlen c-comes through, y-you have t-to stop them ok-kay?" The bear's eyes were fierce, and filled with approval. She sniffed the bag and sat down right next to it.

"G-good girl," she nodded. "Ok-kay?" With a deep fixated breath, she marched through the threshold and moved for the elevator. A howl from outside alerted her, and she looked back and gave the mammal a firm nod as she stepped through the sliding doors and pressed a single button. She bit into her lip as the elevating box took away her stomach. Soon, the doors were parting and allowing her passage to the hallway. She'd make the trip to his apartment door, and produce the key that Orchid had given her" Seriously, she needed to learn to return things.

Martyr wouldn't bother knocking; instead, she'd insert the key and turn. She could feel her heartbeat in her ears as she pressed forward. On the couch, in the same spot as before, Emlen sat. It didn't look like he moved at all" "Emlen??" Martyr called, and she squinted. "H-hey?" she whispered and headed that way. The immortal bit into her lip and scooted carefully along the wooden floors.

His face had grown gaunt. That outfit was the same since she'd last visited, and he didn't look as if he'd moved, showered, or eaten in days. What was perhaps the most haunting was the empty blackness of his eyes. ?"Emlen?"

"Martyr," a feminine voice behind her had her spinning on her toes to meet the imposter that posed as Emlen's long-dead flame" "N-novia" Hey, I j-just c-came to check on Emlen, I"haven't seen him around in a w-while?"

"Oh, Martyr! You know how the honey moon stage is, it's hard for us to get out of the bedroom!" The girl jested with a grin. Martyr narrowed those eyes and nodded after a hard, disgusted swallow of whatever lay in her mouth.

"Y-yeah, I b-bet?" Martyr whispered with her eyes to the floor. "The thing is, h-he d-doesn't look like he's m-moved in d-days?"

"Oh, he's moved, if you know what I'm saying!" She offered a playful elbow to Martyr's shoulder, and the girl responded with a wince. "But anyways, we were just about to take a bath, so if you could just' You know, scoot!"

"Right, ok-kay?" The girl nodded and turned for the door. "There is one m-more thing, though?"

"Anything you want! We're going to be sisters someday!"

"Where is his soul?"

"Where's his what now?"

"D-don't p-play "excuse m-my language- d-dumb with me" W-what d-did you do with his soul?"

"Martyr, Martyr, Martyr" I like you? I really do' And you're putting me in a really rough spot right now with this whole situation' On one hand, I like you? On the other, I can't let you spoil my plans?"

"Here w-we go?" Martyr whispered and sighed. Her arm came out to face the wall, her fist was shut tight as a blade erupted from her forearm and stretched well past her knuckles. Martyr was beyond furious, which had been something new for her" Normally she made excuses for people, this was something different. "Him and m-my friend, they w-were really h-happy t-together"and you had t-to tear them apart"and f-for what"a soul?"

"Do you understand what it's like to live your whole life without one Martyr?"

"W-who are you, r-really?"

Martyr kept her back to the woman for now, she wasn't sure what power she had over Emlen, or how she maintained it' Novia-or so it seemed- spoke up, "I'm a soulless monster who just wants to feel something?"

"I d-don't feel sorry for y-you? I d-don't' It's one thing to p-pick on m-me, b-but you g-go too far when you t-touch m-my family and friends!" Then the calm before the storm occurred, and Martyr stilled. "So I'll ask y-you again? Where is his soul..?"

The immortal would soon be grabbed from behind, and when that happened, she'd spin quickly on her toes to break free and leave the woman a scar to remember her by. "That w-was j-just a warning?" The stammering savior warned and distanced herself from the woman. Her eyes went not to Novia's, but to the wound she made in the woman's torso. Imagine her surprise when it healed up in a way that rivaled her own. "Y-you stole his b-blood?"

"No, that"Minoko practically handed it to me" She put it into my system after she cut down Emlen to get to me?" Martyr winced.

"He n-never d-did dump her, d-did he??"

"Emlen fought to protect her with everything he had"but eventually, he fell victim to me just as you will" just as Minoko did" What you'll learn about me, Martyr"is that you'll remember what I want you to remember, you'll believe what I want you to believe" Does it make sense" Look me in the eye when I'm talking to you!"

Martyr almost took the bait. Almost' Her eyes trailed up to the woman's chin and stopped there. "That's how y-you got them, isn't it??" The immortal asked. "It's h-how you c-control p-people?"

"For somebody who presents themselves so idiotically, you are a clever girl, aren't you?" Novia asked, and she smiled leaving that for Martyr's viewing pleasure. "It took Emlen weeks to figure out how I'd get him to do crazy things"You've known me for all of two minutes" Clever girl, yes, yes." Nodding to her own words, Novia smiled.

"How about you s-show your r-real face, then?"

"Why bother when you won't look me in the eye?" Then Novia moved to duck down, to try and steal the immortal's eyes. Violet orbs were squeezed away behind a veil of lid and lash. It had been a close call, but no cigars were granted to the imposter.

Simply listening" That's all she could do without risking her own free will. "You're n-not fighting f-fair?" The girl whispered, not that she had expected anything less. Just then, she felt something rather blunt smash into her skull. The lightest of yelps was uttered, and soon she was sailing toward the ground.

When violets resurfaced, they were staring into blackness, and suddenly her free-will was washed away completely. "Tell me, Martyr" What is your biggest weakness?"

"Poison?" The immortal muttered her response blankly.