As the group entered Song Shi Manor - as Uncle informed the group it was called from the information Mr. Lam had provided him - they found the ancient structure to be filled with vases, urns, tables, and various other items that seemed ancient but well-made, plainly of the finest quality. The whole place was shadowed, however, between the high peaked roofs casting long shadows and the stormy sky blocking out the light, making it difficult to see clearly. Between that and the soundless air that hung still in the halls, it felt like entering a tomb.
As the group stared, Uncle spoke up. "This mansion is...a gold mine!" He moved forward to examine a particular vase sitting atop a stack of books. "We must begin work at once! So many items to appraise, and if I am to maintain air of disgust with quality to negotiate good price, we must be finished by sunrise!"
"This place is amazing..." Jade murmured as she walked in, looking around in awe. "It's like Haunted Mansion meets Bram Stoker! We gotta check this place out!"
"Indeed!" Uncle agreed. "We have much to check! Apple Bloom, check for basement. Sweetie Belle! Find library. Scootaloo! Explore towers! Tohru, Sofia, you are with me in main room. Jackie, Viper, check second floor. Jade, Hsi Wu, check third floor."
"We just entered into a spooky mansion after Audrey refused to come with us in a place that looks straight out of a horror movie...and the first thing you say to do is split up?" Hsi Wu demanded, his tone somewhere between exasperated and stupefied.
"Okay Uncle, hand over the Dog Talisman," Jackie insisted firmly. "No way you're this reckless without it."
"Uncle does not have pass to access vault in Section 13, and girls would not get it for me out of worry," Uncle insisted. "How would Uncle get Talisman?"
"Uh..." Jackie began awkwardly.
"Don't worry so much, handsome," Viper teased as she headed for the stairs. "The sooner we finish, the sooner we can find any furniture that isn't antique..." She brushed lightly against him. "Perhaps somewhere private where no one will notice a few scratches?" she purred teasingly as she briefly sprouted her panther tail to brush up along his spine.
"Okay, to the third floor before that gets worse," Jade insisted to Hsi Wu before racing for the stairs.
It didn't take long for everyone to scatter to explore their areas of the manor. Finding no basements, Apple Bloom rejoined Uncle, Tohru, and Sofia on the main floor. Sweetie Belle had already found the library and begun cataloguing all the books, sorting between antique, ancient, intriguing, and magical. Scootaloo had been buzzing the towers for the past hour, checking for anything worth bringing down for Uncle to examine.
Hsi Wu insisted on sticking with Jade as she checked every room on the third floor, despite her insistence that they could cover more ground if they each took a room. "Seriously, why are you being so overprotective?" Jade demanded finally. "Emeraude's been teaching me how to sense different types of magic in my environment, and there's nothing here!"
"There are all sorts of magical things that could be threats that could read as nothing," Hsi Wu pointed out. "Especially types of undead. And Audrey refusing to come with points to that being what we need to look out for. But setting that aside, there's a more practical reason for me not to explore separately from you."
"Okay, what's that?" Jade pressed irritably.
"The term 'antique' didn't exist last time I was free," Hsi pointed out logically. "What am I supposed to be looking for, exactly?"
Jade blinked, completely stupefied. "Okay...I...can't really counter that..."
A sudden giggle from the room they'd just entered startled the pair. "Get behind me!" Hsi roared out as he leapt between Jade and the source of the sound, instantly assuming his demonic form.
A terrified scream echoed as something blurred through the room, ending in the curtains shaking. "B-b-back demon!" a female voice called out fearfully. "I d-d-d-do not fear your kind! I shall s-s-s-strike you down if you do not withdraw!"
Jade quickly grabbed Hsi Wu by his tail and tugged hard. "Down boy!" she insisted. "I don't think she's a threat. Sounds like she's more scared of you than we are of her." She stepped around Hsi. "Sorry about that. He takes the 'protect me' aspects of being my familiar a little too seriously-"
"And here I thought I was trying to be a good boyfriend, Mistress," Hsi teased playfully.
"I'm not your Mistress, and now's not the time!" Jade snapped back.
The voice giggled softly. "You...you aren't going to hurt me?" The curtains moved...and a see-through face showing Asian features peeked out, the only color visible her very pale yellow kimono.
"Only in self-defense, if that," Jade promised. "Who are you?"
The figure phased through the curtain, revealing itself to be a ghost or spirit of some sort. "M-my name is Mei-Ling," she introduced herself softly. She appeared to be a teenager in age...though with ghosts or spirits, that could be deceptive. "Forgive my brash declarations. Since I lost track of my sister, I have been...forced to maintain bravado to maintain safety."
"Your sister?" Hsi Wu asked curiously. "Is she here?"
"Unfortunately not," Mei-Ling offered sadly. "We...had an argument some months back, and I refused to stay with her when she laid down to rest as I always have. It...was not that serious, and I thought we would make up when we awoke with cooler heads...but when I awoke, someone had moved her resting place, I know not where. And what was left in her place..."
Viper carefully peeked into one of the rooms on the second floor. She'd managed to get Jackie looking for 'someplace private', leaving her to patrol for any trace of monsters she could dispatch. While she hadn't found anything yet, she did find something intriguing. A covered casket...with a lock on it.
"You only lock something like this for three reasons," she murmured as she approached, lockpicks in one hand and a bottle in the other. "One, hiding treasure. Two, hiding information." As she spoke, she carefully picked the lock and lifted the lid...only to find a wizened figure in colorful robes, long claws for nails and sunken eyes that opened as her shadow fell on it, revealing golden pools with no other color visible. "Three, undead!" she snapped as she tossed the contents of the bottle over the figure.
The water cascaded off its body, and the figure sat up. His hands snapped out, wrapping around Viper's neck. Shocked, she pulled the bottle around to thrust the silver cross emblazoned on its front in the figure's face...only to feel her life force draining out as he opened his mouth wide.
As she was dropped to the floor, the figure blinked, red slits appearing in the yellow pools as it examined the bottle. It was no longer wizened, its musculature fleshed out as it looked much younger as it smirked at Viper. "Oy!" it breathed playfully as it crushed the bottle in one hand. "Do you got the wrong vampire..." With a dark chuckle, it flowed through the air elsewhere.
...knew I shoulda grabbed the mezuzah... Viper thought just before she sank into darkness.
Oh dang, a Jewish vampire.
Man, that vampire is going to regret doing that to Viper when Jackie gets a hold of it.
8863239
And a reference to "Fearless Vampire Killers", an old movie that's a spoof on the vampire genre. Look it up if you can find it.
8863239
Funny. He doesn't look Druish.
Did viper just piss off Dimtri from darkstalkers?
Mei-Ling? I'm going to take a guess and say she's Mei-Ling from Darkstalkers? Hsien Ko's sister?
I know it was goes be Mei-ling and Hsien Ko from Darkstalker
Holy crap! Mei-Ling? Of Darkstalkers? Okay, her sister Hsen-Ko is BOUND to be somewhere. What's next? They run into the Catgirl Popstar Idol/Nun Felicia? If so, she is either going to join in the relationship with Jackie and Viper, or bond with Viper as a "Cat-Sister" and share tips or something.
Other than Felicia, I think if they run into Morrigan Aensland, she is more likely going to try and get Viper and Jackie in bed once in a while.
I hope someone picked up that phone because I fucking called it!
So, not two squatters, but three. Now the gang is on a "missing persons case", while fending off a Yiddish Hopping Vampire. Yeah, Uncle is either going to get this place dirt cheap, or file attempted murder charges. Or maybe criminal negligence. I'm not entirely sure what this falls under.
Dark stalkers really?
Okay… I have never heard of Darkstalkers before and I have no idea who these characters are.
*one quick google search later*
Ah. Fighting game. That explains it. Never really cared for fighting games outside of Smash.
Still hoping Alucard shows up soon.
Well, I guess we're still dealing with the Chinese vampire. Just played a little different. I wonder how well it'd fare against Hsi Wu...
Viper carefully peaked into one of the rooms on the second floor
1. Peeked.
Clearly Hsi is not split on criticizing Uncle's decision.
Scoots certainly has a towering task ahead of her but I'm sure she'll just finish it with flying colours.
Man, Viper just had to choose the activity that sucks the life out of her.
Oh fuck, here it comes.
C’mon, baby!
8863344
Since the Chi Vampire is a supposedly a Jiang-Shi, wonder how'd he do if Hsen-Ko is also somewhere in the manor given she IS a Jiang-Shi and a pretty capable fighter too?
.......Oh my gosh. I honestly can't say what's funnier right now. An expert like Viper falling for this and remembering the right tools before she passes out...Or the Chinese Vampire with Billy Crystal's personality (Look up Miracle Max, Princess Bride if you want to know what's going through my head now).
....You know? On second thought, I can say. It's Billy Vamp Crystal. Seriously, if you have him talking and wise cracking like that through this whole arc, I might die of laughter before I ever get to see the later ones. Not that that would be a bad way to go. Who knows. Maybe I'll come back as a vampire with Eddie murphy's sense of humor. Oops. Too late. Been done.
Chapter One Hundred Seventy Nine
"Aiyah!"
Chapter Count: 0
Total Count: 49
"One More Thing!"
Chapter Count: 0
Total Count: 85
Oooooooh crap. This ain't good. I'm kind of annoyed that I don't remember who Mei-Ling is, though.
Chapter One Hundred Seventy-Nine
"Bad Day"
Chapter Count: 0
Total Count: 43
"I'm not his/your Mistress!"
/
Chapter Count: 1
Total Count: 9
Yeah... Viper falling for something so elementary is kinda... I don't know, but I do know that unless you're Nephalem or something equally badass you never open the caskets without backup, because otherwise the next thing you know, the Village above only just manages to seal the chapel/monastery/castle/ancient manor/mine before it's overrun by undead and/or demons and the survivors are resigned to counting down the days they have left to live unless some wandering band of wannabe heroes stumbles into down and clears out the Dungeon Crawl for them.
8863461
To be fair, she had specially prepared Holy Water with ingredients mixed in that works on 99% of undead to either kill, weaken, or paralyze them, and had other weapons at hand...just not in hand.
Hardly her fault a Jewish Chinese Vampire just happens to be that 1%.
And now all I can think of is the time SomeCallMeJohnny got Mike Pollock to do a reading of the opening of Symphony of the Night. Johnny did his Bentley impression as Richter Belmont, and Mike played the role of Dracula... Yiddish Dracula...
O.k. someone animated it.
Viper somehow seemed careless than her usual ex-phantom thief behavior. Wonder if the cat power make her more curious than normal?
8863381
Well considering what I have seen in games, movies, and anime...I rather not say
8863315
Smash only became a fighting game after patch 1.04 of For WiiU /3DS....
Well Jewish Chinese Vampires are a thing, I'm expecting another cameo from either Alucard/Xiaolin Monks/Scooby Doo/Supernatural's Men of Letters coming to the "assist" and the first time this group goes to Egypt they'll be encountering a certain mummy. Three CW shows (Scooby Doo counts) to dip into. Let's hope that my guesses are better than my rolls in DnD!
8863639
...because I wanted to reference Fearless Vampire Killers, an old vampire spoof movie that Mom introduced me to that I loved. That line I used about 'the wrong vampire' comes from that movie.
8863646
IS THAT A MOTHER FATHER JOJO'S REFERENCE?!
Some sadsack added this masterpiece to the site's smallest and fifth-saffest hate group, an anti-crossover group with seven members and seven fics.
Liked and followed.
8863549
Smash Melee is the greatest fighting game, 64 is an ok fighting game, and the other two are disgraces to the franchise. Sakurai "If the more skilled player beats the less skilled player, that's no fun for the loser so the game needs more balancing" Sakurai needs to retire and take his hate for competitive melee with him. The man loves Kirby and only Kirby, just let him work on some passion projects while advising someone who wants Smash to succeed.
8863715
I'll agree to disagree since I've been fighting since the prototypical games were released (Fatal Fury / Garou Denrsu & Stgreet Fighter) and as I've said, until Ryu's Inclusion, Smash is not a fighting but a party game, or more specific, an action figure play simulator
8863646
Tempting but he'd be dead by that point. We'd get part 4 Jojo cast for the Japanese Demon Saga.
8863811
I reffer you to the same post you cited...
now, I didn't want to carry on the topic further, since it's not pwny related and I actually Like Tats enough to give a flying *yay* to actually keep on point with the theming, but I must address some things:
Smash Melee is no fightging game because it features NOT EVEN ONE of the key tennents on Fighting Games (That even 3d Fighters Like Tekken Adhere to) the commands are too simplistic the objective is to throw the opponents of the stage,not knocking them out and basically the "characters" are amibos magically moving and there's no health bar / it's implemented in a completely different way, the same with 64, brawl and pre patch 1.04 For WiiU / 3DS... Once Ryu was incorporated at least some of the basics were brought inj (including traditional fighting game commands, mechanics and behaviours...) and of course thoes were aplicable only to Ryu...
If you think Smash Pre For WiiU/3DS Patch 1.04 is a fighting game you are welcome to keep thinking it, but please keep it to yourself because you are OBJECTIVELLY WRONG! oh and also... SAKURAI BE DAMNED... HE'S MADE A GOOD SERIES OF GAMES, BUT NONE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING GAMES... NOT EVEN THE SMASH PROTOTYPE...
Apologies to Tats and everyone else for the deviation but I've made fighting games my life since I was 10 (1992) and don't like when people misplaces their little fanboy games in the category...
With this I close the topic on my end, any further answers will be ignored...
8863946
Wow what an elitist. The Smash series are classified as a fighting game, It may be done in a party style but still a fighting game, simply because the whole purpose aside from a few side events is to fight other people in the game. By your own logic Mario Kart isn't a racing game because it was done with a party style as well but only idiots try to claim it isn't a racer at all.
Hsien-Ko, by any chance?
Welp. Jade called it.
8864083
Yes, yes indeed... Lei-Lei is in da House... M.D.
Silly, Viper, everyone knows the rogue never fights alone. Especially against undead, you can't sneak attack them! Best to use that high charisma score for something other than flirting with Jackie.
*sees argument about if SMASH is a fighting game* ......wtf
8863946
The key aspect of a fighting game is that the characters FIGHT. So yes, it's a fighting game.
8863946
Smash Melee does have fighting game inputs, not that a fighter needs them to be a fighter. See: Divekick.
Waggle the C-stick to do uncharged smash attacks, or get the timing of direction+A right to get the ability to charge them.
A game doesn't need traditional quarter-circle motions to count as a fighting game, please tell me you don't think "Only Smash 4 is a real fighter" because that game sold Ryu as DLC.
Nothing like Darkstalkers to spice up a chapter.
...Isn't Mei-Ling the only thing stopping her sister from going on a rampage?
8864762
Technically.... Yes, depending on which continuity you are following... The Games states just that... In the OVA Hsien-Ko was a lot more subdued.... I don't think she appeared on the DIC cartoon... Then again I don't remember watching the DIC cartoon....
If I remember my Darkstalkers right doesn't Mei-ling speak that ever so wonderful ancient chinese language known as EMOJI's while in talisman form?
8865051
Then they have to deal with Killer Queen and Kira. Maybe even the other Kira. Kira Versus Kira. Death Note Versus Jojo. L's going to get a headache trying to explain to his task force about dealing with both Kiras. I'll be over here. *takes up the penalty bench*
I'm feeling rather dumb at the moment. Who are the these two?
Nevermind... read the comments... -_-
TFW your familiar is way more dangerous and terrifying than the ghost you just found.
Well that's not good.