Liberty and Control

When You emerged into the apartment, Diana limping as she held your arm, You escorting her in.

A shadowed form swept past you both, however, faster and quieter than you could detect, forcing you and Diana to spin around, to see your aunt's unamused face as she contemplated her ruined bathroom "Your paying for that." She growled.

Flushing, You let your sister go, smiling nervously "It was an uh... rigorous talk."

Hilde held her hands on her hips, looking at the adult Diana who folded her arms in slight embarrassment. Your aunt pointed at you "And an expensive one. if You are going to... do your business here, then try not to destroy my apartment." She said calmly.

You and Diana look at her and nodded "Okay."

Hilde seemed dissatisfied "Yes, Mentor." She corrected.

You and your sister scrambled to bow "Yes Mentor." You both said.

She smiled "Good, You can go, Diana, get cleaned up in a less ruined bathroom."

Diana nodded "Uh okay-I mean, yes Mentor." Her golden eyes looked up to you before she placed a tender kiss on your cheek "I love You, stay safe okay."

"Yeah, you too." You smiled.

Diana took her leave, and Hilde fixed you with a knowing smiled.

"What?" You asked.

Hilde gestured for you to follow silently, as she smiled to herself, leading you over to the center of the room and sitting curtly. You saw Rose laying peacefully in Hilde's bed, out like a light.

"You have a lot of women on your hands, You think you can handle it?" She asked as You sat before her.

"I-I Ummm..."

She waved you off "Rommie wasn't different, Plenty of love to go around, it's a tough life, but a rewarding one. still, I need you focused if this is going to interrupt then-"

You frowned, looking strong "No Mentor. It won't."

She saw your conviction "Good, Now, let's play a game."

Okay, so focus and be a warrior... and play games? what the fuck was wrong with this woman?
Hilde looked off into nothing, peering as she reached into nothing. Suddenly she plucked a coin from the air, shiny and silver, a liberty dollar coin.

You smiled a little, slightly puzzled as she expertly flicked it up into the air.... only... it never came down? did it?

"Woah... how the hell did you do that? where's the coin?" You asked, staring up at the ceiling.

She reached over, taking your hand and opening your palm. You paused, seeing the silver coin in it. She did not speak, she only smiled as she retook the coins and tossed it... only to brandish it from your ear. "Okay, what the fuck-"

Her arm swept out, and a dozen coin flew into the air from her long sleeves. You were going to try and catch some, but she'd already done so, catching them all in the other sleeve, before showing her hand, a coin between each finger, which in turn vanished again, only for her to hold out her palms, where coins began to appear from nothing, knocking them out of her ears, plopping a few down from your own hands before spitting a few out of her mouth.

"How are you doing this-" You were cut off again, but her closing her palm, and with a simple shake of her closed hands, they were gone, not a coin to be seen in her palms.

She looked at you coyly, before speaking gently "Your senses, they have heightened, have they not?" She asked.

You were Silent "H-How does she know?"

"I know because of the way you react, or a better word is overreact, to everything, every sound, every movement, it is a great gift that You have inherited the senses of a Vampire, but it means nothing without a warrior's most important value..." She took a long breath, looking entirely at peace "Strength and Power, mean nothing unless it is laid with the foundation of Control. Every breath..." She exhaled long and slow "...Every movement." She flicked a coin into the air, juggling them before your wonderous eyes "Every attack, or defence." her finger tensing, she shot two more coins out, both colliding with the two already in the air, all four flying across the room and landing perfectly into a change pot on the mantlepiece. "all of your movements should be measured, calculated, and Your mind should be sharper than those claws."

You nodded "Is this gonna be some kind of awesome warrior training thing? catching super fast coins or cutting them in half!?"

She shook her head and smiled "What, no don't be silly, I said we are going to play a game! games are fun! how about we play a game of Find the coin!?" She said giddily as she drew out a single shining coin.

You raised an eyebrow "Don't... you want to teach me how to fight?"

She chuckled "What? no! fuck no! don't be silly, You already know how to fight, now shut up and listen. I'll pass the coin around and You have to pick which palm it's in." She said playfully.

"but..." You tried to protest.

She frowned "That's an order, not a request, now, shall we begin?"

Hilde twirled her arms dumbly, moving with exaggerated movements before holding out her palms "Come oooon, which one?" She asked excitedly.

You sighed, poking her left hand, the coin had not left it "the left one."

She opened it and a silver eye looked back "Very good!" She smiled "Again."

She moved slightly faster this time, although still in a very goofy motion, you though you detected her pass it to her right this time. "Choose."

"The Right one." You said surely.

Once again, you were right and she grinned "Good good, one more-"

"-Hilde, I am going to be fighting fucking Monsters and crazed zealots, you know this right. So stop fucking around and get serious." You growled.

Hilde raised ana eyebrow, her smile becoming ominously malicious "Serious eh? Alright. Let's, get, serious."

You jolted as she exploded with movement, her hands moving in an extremely fast flurry before holding out her hands, staring seriously "Choose." She commanded.

You blinked, fuck you hadn't expected that she was so god damn fast "Uhhhh... the left one?"

"Are you sure?" She asked.

"Ummm no?" You admitted.

She slowly opened her palm, and there it was the silver coin. "Good. Once more."

This was ridiculous, the way she moved one this last try it made no sense. never before had you seen someone's arms move with such inhuman speed, dust kicking up from her sleeves, the air batting with her might, flurrying and weaving, your eyes rapidly tracking her movements before she game to a sudden stop, her fists white from the ****, gripped tightly as she stared darkly.

"Choose." She growled.

You rubbed your chin... what it... a fake-out? did she move it, You thought you knew where it was, but... "Do you have the will? to choose, what if I accidentally misplaced one of my coins in your lover's skull?" She gestured to Rose behind her sleeping peacefully.

You frowned "Don't you dare harm her-"

"I wouldn't.... although, I'm getting old see, my hand might slip, if you make the wrong choice."

You contemplated her, and contemplated the sleeping Rose, considering your aunt and her closed fists before you. Taking a deep breath you tried to search your memories for her pattern, to latch unto the current, to recall it's course... You pushed and pushed, trying to fetch the accurate memory, and in the peace of your mind... You found it!

NEVERMORE

Left-left-right-up down-across-down- right-right aaaannd.....

"It's under your tongue." You said certainly.

"Are you sure?" She asked darkly.

You nodded, with conviction "Yes, Mentor."

Her face relaxed, she smiled, opening her empty palms "Well done." She whispered, before looking at You.

You waited for her to spit it out, but she just smiled "Aren't you going to..."

"To what?" She asked lightly.

"Spit it ouhh... ough?" You paused as something hard and metallic was in your mouth, blinking in confusion as she smiled deeper.

"Stay still." She commanded.

You expected her to reach inside and take it from your tongue, but instead, her face stalked forward, You looking in confusion, and a little fear, as she swept in slowly, allowing you to take in her sweet scent, and gentle eyes as darted forward, biting the coin that emerged from your lips before leaning back, letting it settle back under her tongue "Hmmm, You did well, have you ever use, Nevermore before?" She asked gently.

You shook your head "I... don't think so?" Still shaken up by that fairly intimate moment from your Aunt.

But she nodded "Very well done. You are talented but you need to polish off your abilities. Before I let you go, I want you to bear this in mind. Nothing is free, especially the threads, to push the soul past its limits, sacrifices must be made, and without control, they will rip you apart from the inside." She spoke softly, warningly "Forevermore, gifts the power of foresight, but in its overuse, you can render yourself in madness, your mind will be split between present and future, never again to perceive the real. Nevermore, allows us to look into ourselves, but with its power, now can be trapped, stuck in a vegetative state for the rest of their natural lives. Anchor allows for the purest protection, to guard the mind and its senses... but..." A sad look adorned her face "Well, as Diana said, you have been using it unintentionally for a long time, and the payment lays on those." She tapped the sides of your glasses.

"M-My glasses? I... I need bifocals because of Anchor!?" You asked, grimacing.

She nodded "It wears away at all of the senses, but it seems that You have managed to get away with minor blindness, try and control it, I beg of you, I'd had to see you lose your sight completely."

"Fuck." You muttered.

"Language. Now take your filthy tongue and get out of my apartment, without destroying anything." She chuckled.

You smiled nodding as You looked at Rose. Hilde reasured you with a nod "She'll be safe. Go on. think about what I have taught you."

Bowing respectfully You smiled "Yes, Mentor..." Only, you paused "Hilde... what about Overdrive, what's the price for that?"

Her smile faded, and she touched her chest, almost longingly, You saw the locket that hung around her neck, the one you'd tried to sneak a peek at before, and she closed her eyes "Good night, Charlie."