Vamps-ELWV-Section 4

												Section 4: The Dragoon and The Rifle Sister


>It had been a few months since that week when Selene finally was able to go to the range and shoot
>And in the day to day life of everyone in your apartment, not too terribly much had changed
>That's not to say that nothing had changed
>Over the course of the past few months, Selene had gotten more of a resistance to the effect of the sun
>Given that it was the winter months and that the sun was less direct, it was a perfect time to build resistance for her
>She still got burned if she stayed outside for too long, but she wanted to be outside more and more
>She also wanted to go out and do things more often
>Not like you were complaining
>Lucya on the other hand, started finding more and more books to read online
>You'd gotten an Amazon Kindle over Christmas from one of your extended family members when you were at your parent's house for the event
>The moment you got back and showed Lucya what it was and what it did, she took it immediately and said *You'll get it back eventually.*
>She had immediately found sites with free downloads for many historical books and manuals on things
>Although she freaked out the moment that you saw her downloading romance novels
>During those past few months, Lucya had also been visiting and talking with your neighbor across the street, Katherine
>The two of them got along quite well and you never heard anything negative about her when Lucya returned
>You, on the other hand, spent the last few months working towards graduation from college
>And it finally payed off when you got hired by a company a few towns over at the career fair in the spring
>The end of May was approaching, and thus, graduation and going to work
>The company that hired you had actually been good enough with their benefits to cover the costs of your moving from the apartment at college to the apartment in the new town
>Normally, you would have asked your parents to help you out with that
>However, with Selene and Lucya around, you didn't have to ask them this time
>Which was good, because they still didn't know of either of the girls that now live with you and they probably wouldn't be the happiest about it
>But, that's all a moot point and you killed two birds with one stone
>Packing went very easily the Saturday morning of the weekend you were to move out
>Most of your things got carried out by Lucya, being the strongest of the three of you
>Selene helped you pack some of the boxes that were then handed off to Lucya to put in the rental trailer
>As you're moving, your neighbor from across the street, Katherine, comes over and notices that you're moving out
<Ah, Anon! You're moving?>
>"Yes, Katherine, I graduate this next weekend and I'm moving to the suburbs of the city about an hour south of here where I've got a position, and I'll start about a month from now."
<Oh, that's wonderful that you've found a job so quickly, Anon! I presume that Lucya and Selene are going with you?>
>Selene walks by with a box in her arms, what looks like kitchen stuff
>She's wearing just a t-shirt and jeans today, although she absolutely refuses to ditch the Ruger belt buckle and the knee-high boots no matter what she's wearing
>As much as you liked seeing her in her normal sleek, black outfit, you had to admit that she looked good regardless of what she wore
"HA! As if he could get rid of us! He'd go mad without someone to talk to every day!"
>You roll your eyes at her and then turn back around to Katherine
>"I'm not about to ask you to help move, especially since I have these two here to help me."
>Katherine does the laugh that almost all elderly ladies make at some point
<Oh you'd be surprised with what I could help with here. Now, I have a request of you three before you all move out. When do you plan on leaving?>
>Lucya comes out of the apartment with a bandana holding her hair back
>Much to your amusement, she had basically changed her clothes to look like a washed out Rosie the Riveter outfit from those old World War II posters
>Almost like she was trying to be a Soviet version of the well-known poster
>She was spot on if that was her intention
*Katherine, I thought I told you that we were moving Sunday afternoon?*
<I understand that dear Lucya, I was just confirming what his plan was as he is the head of the household>
>You blush at Katherine's statement
>While true, this wasn't how you saw this
>You look over to Lucya to see that she too is blushing
>You figure you better set things straight even though you're moving out soon
>"Katherine, Lucya and I aren't dating or even in a relationship past living together as apartment-mates."
>She smiles
<Oh, so you and Selene are in a relationship then?>
>A loud thud is heard from inside the trailer
"OW SHIT"
<Selene, dear, that is unbecoming language of a lady!>
>You see Selene walk out of the trailer, rubbing where she probably hit her head
"Yeah, sorry, but he and I are not dating. Nuh uh."
>At that moment, you felt something
>You weren't too sure what it was, but it felt like something hit you in the chest after her words
>You stood there trying to figure out what the feeling was until you turned and saw Katherine looking at you
>"Ah, I'm sorry. I spaced out there. Yes, we leave Sunday afternoon after lunch, we should be able to get down there and unloaded into the new apartment well before sundown."
<Excellent. I would like to ask you to attend church with me. Unless things have changed, we are of the same faith, yes?>
>It took you a second to realize this, but you had actually met Katherine before you lived in this apartment complex
>The first time you were in this town on a Sunday after you moved into college, in a dorm at the time, you went to this church
>The elderly lady that sat next to you in the pew introduced herself and you and her chatted a little before the service
>Connecting the dots now, you realize that the lady you talked to was in fact Katherine
>"Katherine, your memory seems to be much better than mine ever was, I'm so sorry that I forgot about that!"
>She smiles calmly at you
<Do not worry about that, Anon. You have had much on your mind these past few years, remembering a single Sunday conversation would be a bit much to ask of you after all that time.>
>"Still, I do feel a bit bad about that. Seeing as it's the last time I'll be here, I don't see why I shouldn't."
<Excellent!>
>She turns to Selene and Lucya
<And you two, you will be coming along with him too, yes? Selene, I think it would be good if you went, and Lucya I hope you can show up as well.>
>Selene seems hesitant about it
"Um...sure? I mean if Blood- um, if Anon is going, then I don't see why not?"
>Lucya nods quickly, fully onboard with the idea
*Of course, Katherine. This might be the last time I am able to talk with you in a long time, so I would enjoy the chance.*
<Good to know. I will see the three of you tomorrow morning at 8:30 a.m.>
>With that, she walked back to her apartment, waved at us, and went inside, closing the door behind her
>"Huh, to think she'd remember that..."
>You look in the trailer and see that everything except the stuff that would normally fit in your car is all in and secured
>Normally, you'd be able to fit much more in there, but this time with Lucya and Selene riding along with you to make the ride less boring, you didn't have that option
>Not that you were complaining
>"Alright, looks like we're done today. We'll pack the stuff I don't want in there in the car tomorrow."
*Sounds good to me, Anon. I'm glad you agreed to go to church tomorrow with Katherine.*
>"Of course Lucya, I can tell that you definitely wanted me to go, so why not?"
*Thank you.*
>You look at the two of them as they stand next to each other by the closed trailer
>How lucky you were; to have these two girls in your life
>And considering that they were both receptive to the idea of attending a church service with you, you didn't really foresee any issues about religious arguments
>You'd had enough of those with your most recent ex-girlfriend
>You were a little concerned though
>Selene is a Vampirgewehr
>Close enough to a vampire as far as you were concerned
>You remembered that the last time that you looked up vampire lore, you found that they had an aversion to holy symbols
>And what other place to hold holy symbols than a church?
>You needed to try something out before tomorrow came around
>You walked up to the two of them and looked at Selene
>"Selene, I just want to make sure of something."
>She looks at you with a quizzical glance
"Uh...what?"
>You pull out the necklace that you always wear; a stainless-steel cross with a thin, silver, carbon fiber weave in the middle, and you closed your hand around it
>"Sorry in advance."
>You open your hand so the necklace is facing Selene
>Much to your surprise, she doesn't even flinch
"Sorry for what?"
>"Um..."
>Selene started laughing
"Oh don't tell me, you thought I would have an aversion to holy symbols?"
>"Uh...yes?"
>Selene bursts into laughter, doubling over and clutching her sides
>Lucya shifts uncomfortably
*Selene, you're making a scene.*
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but that was just so funny!"
>You return the necklace to under your shirt
>"Sorry about that, Selene. I wasn't sure about that."
>She regains her composure fairly quickly and looks at you with a smirk
"Oh Bloodbag, come on now. You take that thing off every night before you go to sleep and put it on your nightstand. If I had an aversion to them, you'd have known already."
>You realize that she's completely right
>"Well I feel stupid now."
"Don't, it's not something you'd normally think about and didn't know about. It's all good."
>"Alright, if you say so. It's getting around dinner time, I'm hungry and I'd like to have dinner with you two one last time while we're in this town. Sound good?"
>Selene and Lucya both nod
>You point to the car as you unlock it, the two of them going and getting into the car
>Selene took shotgun this time, Lucya opting for the seat behind Selene
>You locked up your apartment and then got in the car with them and went off to dinner
>The three of you had dinner at a restaurant that you had loved ever since your freshman year
>You weren't surprised at all when Selene and Lucya both loved the place as well
>After dinner, the three of you went back to the apartment for the night
>You'd taken the bed apart, but left the mattress on the floor so you had something decent to sleep on for the night
>Your desktop computer was already disconnected and the periphrials packed away, so you pulled up your laptop and sat against the wall of the room on the mattress
>Selene sat on your left side, taking your left arm and draping it over her shoulders as she sat and scooted next to you
>Lucya sat down on your other side, putting her arm over your shoulders so you could still use your laptop somewhat
>The three of you agreed on watching a movie
>Selene once again picked her favorite movie you had, Mad Max: Fury Road
>You were too tired from moving to argue with her and Lucya didn't say anything either
>So the three of you started watching the movie
>Around the time Nux first called Max "blood bag", Selene took your hand in hers and squeezed it, sleepily giggling
"I'll take *my* bloodbag~"
>She yawns and rests her head on your shoulder, drifting off to sleep before the end of the sandstorm
>You pull her closer to you as she mumbles in her sleep
*She likes you a lot, you know?*
>Lucya's whisper was so soft you almost didn't catch it over the movie
>You turn to look at her
>"Hm?"
*All you've done for her since you've gotten her. Despite the fight you two had, she is still extremely glad to be here with you, though I doubt she would admit it to you if you didn't press her to share her feelings about you.*
>"Hmm, I'm glad she's here too. And you too Lucya. Even before you showed yourself like this, I was and am so glad to have you here with me."
>She smiled softly and paused the movie after seeing you yawn
*Go to sleep, Anon. I'll take care of the movie and join you in a second*
>You lean your head over and rest it on top of Selene's head, her soft hair making a fairly decent pillow
>As you were about to fall asleep, you feel yourself move upwards a little
>You look over to see that Lucya slid her legs underneath you, and sat parallel to the wall; putting a pillow between her shoulder and the wall
>Lucya wraps her arms around your middle, pulling you closer to her in a hug
>"Your legs aren't gonna hurt after this?"
*No, Anon. I won't feel pain from something as simple as this. And besides, I've felt much, much worse.*
>"Alright then, goodnight Lucya."
*Goodnight, Anon.*
>Before you went to sleep, you pulled Selene next to you again, and she took up her position on your shoulder again
>You placed your head on hers in response, and wrapped your arm around her shoulders; your other arm resting on Lucya's as she hugged you
>As you drifted to sleep, you thought to yourself:
>"You know, I could get used to falling asleep like this every night."


***


=====

>Morning came much too quickly
>The sound of your alarm going off pulled you out of your slumber
>Lifting your head off of Selene's you find that Lucya isn't hugging you anymore
>In fact, where is she?
>You don't see her in the bedroom from looking around
>Shower doesn't sound like it's on either
>So where is she?
>Selene, however, is still sitting next to you with her head on your shoulder
>Still asleep as far as you could tell
>"Selene."
"Nnnnnn..."
>"Selene where's Lucya?"
>Her arm slowly raises and she points to the kitchen, letting her arm fall back down slowly after
"Kitchen..."
>"She's making breakfast?"
>Selene stirs, sitting up a little and looking you in the face
"Yeah, she said Katherine came by and dropped off stuff for breakfast about an hour ago when you were still sleeping."
>"Huh...and I didn't wake up?"
"Didn't even stir. So I got to watch you sleep for a few minutes before I fell back asleep myself. You looked so peaceful."
>You looked at her with surprise, that's the first time anyone's ever said something like that
>Or watched you sleep
>You chalk it up as weird and then notice she's looking at you funny
>"What?"
>She grins
"Lucya's making breakfast, which means you'll be able to regain your strength if I do... THIS!"
>Selene lunges forwards and tries to bite at your neck
>Unfortunately for her, you were sitting up against the wall
>THUD
"Owww!"
>Having not thought that through, she leans back, rubbing her head
>You were feeling a little sarcastic at that
>"Good job."
>Her eyes shoot daggers at you
"Fuck you."
>"Heh, when and where?"
"I'll let yo-"
"..."
>"..."
>The two of you sat there and stared at each other for a few seconds
>Extremely awkwardly
>There was some sort of tension in the air
>You were pretty sure that if Lucya walked in the room at this point, both Selene and you would freak out and deny anything happened
>Even though nothing really did except that awkward exchange
"Just...lean forward so I can get something to drink."
>"Yeah, sure."
>You lean forwards and she bites down on your neck
>You go a little light headed from the blood drain, but you've gotten more used to it over the past few months
>It takes a few minutes, but eventually Selene pulls away from you
>You're still not sure how she seals up the puncture wounds but you don't feel a single drop of blood on your neck
>Luckily, Selene understands your limitations after living with you for a while
>And also after making the mistake of letting you get up on your own one time she drank your blood
>That ended in a bruise on the back of your head as you fell back into bed and hit the headboard
>So now, she's helping you get to the kitchen so the three of you can get breakfast
*Damn it, Selene, I know you need to drink his blood, but could you not make him so weak? He has to drive.*
"No, remember? Katherine said she would drive."
*Right, right. Well set him down and get him some juice, food's done as well.*
>Although your vision was a little blurry and the kitchen table was spinning a little as far as you could tell, you were able to get the juice and food down with minimal help from Selene or Lucya
>Katherine went all out with breakfast ingredients and Lucya with her cooking
>She had made little breakfast skillet-like bowls of hash browns, sausage, ham, bacon, cheese and scrambled eggs
>The more you ate the more you wished there was more food and you were a bottomless pit
>Everything returned to normal after you finished your food in terms of vision
>You still wanted more food though, despite there being no leftovers
>"So, I'm just going to be wearing basically what I do every day; the whole button-down, rolled-sleeves, plaid shirt and blue jeans combo with a good pair of brown shoes, but what about you two?"
>They both look back at you like you'd asked them why the sky was green
"What do you mean, what about us?"



>"Selene, it's church. You're not going to be going wearing your normal bodysuit and corset. And Lucya, well half the stuff you picked out when we went shopping would work just fine."
"Give me your phone."
>"Uh...okay?"
>You hand her your phone and she immediately unlocks it and starts typing away
>There was something about how secretive she was being with the phone, holding it close to her face with hunched shoulders
>"Uh, what are you looking for?"
>She stopped typing and tapping on the screen for a few seconds and got a look in her eyes
>She smiled and then got up from the table
"Go take a shower and get ready, you'll see when I'm done."
>She runs into the spare room where your computer and gun accessories were and shuts the door, locking it behind her
>Lucya looks at you and shrugs
*Go get ready and I'll clean things up here. I can take a shower and get dressed after you.*
>You nod at her and go grab clothes from your room before getting in the bathroom and starting the shower
>In the quick shower you took, you started to wonder
>What did Selene find that she would be that pleased about?
>It had to be clothes of some sort since you'd mentioned she couldn't wear her normal clothes to church
>You just hoped that she didn't find some extravagant, old Victorian style dress that would more be suited for a costume party
>How would that even fit in the car?
>Maybe she found something that had long sleeves and covered her legs?
>It was summer, so the sun would be very harsh for her
>Actually, this was her first time being in 'geist form in the summer
>Your mental checklist was updated at that thought to include her black lace umbrella
>You figured that there's no point in putting more thought into what she found
>After all, you were about to see it for yourself
>You finished your shower and got dressed; also shaving, applying deoderant, and getting your hair the way you liked it


>The bathroom was cleaned up a bit so Lucya wouldn't complain
>You exited the bathroom into your room, walking past Lucya as you place your dirty laundry in a bag as you'd already packed the hamper
>"All yours!"
*Thanks!*
>You walked out of your room and over to the closed door where Selene was doing her own thing and knocked on the door
>"You all good in there?"
"Y-yeah, just give me a second to get my shoes on!"
>You wait outside the room, fidgeting for a few seconds with the umbrella until she opens the door partway
"Alright, ready."
>You open it the rest of the way and finally see what she had found to wear
>'Surprise' was the first word that came to mind
>This was definitely a change of pace for Selene
>The part that didn't surprise you was the fact that what she chose was black and red
>Nothing new there
>What did surprise you was the fact that it was a sundress
>She had no issue showing skin when it was just you, her, and Lucya in the apartment as she had taken to wearing shorts and a tank top most of the time
>But out in public? The bare minimum for her was usually jeans, t-shirt, and some form of overshirt or jacket
>The sundress was a definite change
>She had picked a black, knee-length sundress that had open shoulders and the front straps tied off behind her neck
>The dress had a floral pattern of bright red roses scattered across it
>Her shoes were just some flat shoes that only covered the toes and sides, leaving the top of her foot open
>You must have been staring for a while becase Selene snapped her fingers at you
"Hey! What do you think?"
>"I-it looks great! You look great!"
>She starts to walk past you out of the room, taking the umbrella as she passes
"Thank you, Bloodbag."
>You go to turn around to follow her, but are stopped by the tip of her umbrella
"And just know, that if the wind blows this dress up and I find you looking up it, you're gonna get a lot more than poked by this thing, understand?"


>A single nod from you sufficed as she took the umbrella away from you and smiled
"Now come on, let's go!"
>As she walks towards the door, you can't help but watch her walk and the dress sway as she does so
>Until you feel a quick slap on the back of your head
*At least wait until after we're at the new place. You want that safety deposit back, right?*
>You turn to see Lucya has walked out behind you without you noticing
>Must have been staring that hard at Selene to not notice her approach
>Lucya went for the much more reserved look of dressing as it turns out
>She's wearing a blue, pleated skirt that goes just past her knees with matching reasonable heels (you'd guess around 1" heels)
>Her outfit is completed with a tucked-in, white, button down blouse, with only the top button unbuttoned
>Her normally long black hair was tied up into one of the stereotypical secretary buns, but using a miniaturized version of her bayonet instead of the decorative rod that you would normally see
>You look up to her face again after giving her a once over with your eyes
>She's smiling softly at you, which was a surprise
*An old rifle like me can still look good too, yeah?*
>"Lucya you don't look old to begin with, of course you look fine. The bayonet hairpin is a nice touch"
>She blushes a little
*Thank you, Anon. Now we should get going before we are late!*
>You nod in agreement and walk out of the apartment, locking the door behind you
>As it turns out, Katherine is already sitting in her car at the steering wheel, waiting patiently for the three of you
<Oh, well glad to see that you all made it on time, if you three would like to get inside, we can be on our way>
>Looking at the other two girls, you go ahead and get in the car in the front passengers seat, with Lucya behind Katherine and Selene behind you
>The car ride was mostly quiet, Katherine asked you about what you would be doing at your new job and the two of you talked about that for a few minutes


>She also asked Selene and Lucya what they were going to do to help you out
>You looked back at them and they mirrored your look of "Hell if I know!"
>None of you had really looked up laws or anything on whether Waffengeist/Vampirgewehre could legally work
>So you didn't really know
>They both answered that they would try to find something local to help out with living costs and such
>That seemed to placate Katherine for the rest of the short drive to the church
>Lo and behold, it was the same Lutheran church you had gone to when you first started college here
>You'd been raised Lutheran and it always stuck with you
>That being said, you were slacking in attendence this past year as living in an apartment by yourself had the perks of no one waking you up early Sunday morning for church
>Or rather, setting an alarm and then considering going to church, but instead going back to sleep until about 10 a.m.
>As you walked through the doors, you saw that pretty much everything was the same
>Same general set of people, same architecture, same stained glass, same pews, font, and altar
>Lucya, Selene, and you follow Katherine to about halfway towards the front of the church and sit in a pew on the left side of the main isle
>Since Katherine got the three of you there early, you had time to talk to people you hadn't seen in a while
>The pastor of the church even walked up to you and said he was glad to see you back, even if it was just for one week
>He also asked to speak with you and the girls after the service was over
>You were sitting with Katherine on your right and Selene to your left; Lucya on the other side of her
>Right before the service began, you leaned over to Selene and Lucya
>"Apart from today, I'm not going to ask you to come with me to church from now on. Take today as a test period of sorts, see if you like it, want to know more, et cetera. If you want to keep coming back to church however, I'll be more than happy to bring you each week, okay?"

>They both nod at you
>"All I ask is you give it an honest chance, alright?"
"Yeah, sure!"
*Of course.*
>With that cleared up, you were content about how the service would go
>The service began shortly after
>Since it had been a while, you were a little rusty on how everything went for the first few minutes, but after that, you were right along with it
>You looked over at the two girls early in the service
>They were following along for the most part, occasionally turning a few pages back in the service book to re-read something
>Their singing voices were utterly beautiful
>It surprised you a little, this being the first time you'd heard them ever sing
>The rest of the service went just as well
>They listened intently to the sermon, seemingly interested in every word, occasionally asking you to explain a concept of the belief that they weren't familiar with
>They were a little disappointed that they didn't get to partake in communion as they weren't confirmed in the faith yet, but they understood
>End of the service rolled around and everyone was dismissed
>You figured that you would sit in the pew for a little while longer and wait for the pastor to speak with you after he was done greeting everyone
>Katherine got up and went to go greet people as well, her being a very well known person in the congregation
>You turned to the two girls with you
>"Well? What do you think?"
>Selene turns to you first and smiles at you warmly
"I like it! There's definitely more to it that I'm not getting from the first time being here. I want to know more, I'll go with you in the future if you let me."
>"Of course, anytime I'm going, you can come along. Lucya?"
>She turns to you just as she rubs at one of her eyes
*Having been born in a land where religion was anathema, I am whole heartedly glad to have been brought to this country. I will go whenever I can.*
<And that right there, is exactly what we wanted to hear.>

>The three of you turn around swiftly, seeing that the rest of the church is vacated except you three, Katherine, and the pastor
<<It is good to see you here under this roof again, Anon. In fact, I was a little concerned that you had fallen away from the church>>
>"No, pastor. Just my own laziness getting the better of me, nothing more."
<<I understand. Regardless, it is good to see you here again. Now, who are these two ladies with you? Could you introduce them for me?>>
>You weren't sure how to explain it since they were both Waffengeist, so you tried to say something vague
>"Right, this is Selene and next to her is Lucya. They are two friends who I let into my home for a place to stay recently."
>The pastor doesn't say a word, but Katherine pipes up
<That's a bit vague, Anon. How about we let them Introduce themselves; properly, this time.>
>That shocked you
>So Katherine knew about what Selene and Lucya were
>The old woman kept surprising you the more you found out about her
>Lucya and Selene looked at each other with a little bit of concern and then shrugged
*I'm Lucya, Tula factory-born Mosin Nagant M91 Dragoon, converted over to a M1891/30, Anon has been my owner since September of last year.*
"Selene, Ruger Precision Rifle, 6.5 Creedmoor, I've been with these two since last November."
>Katherine nods approvingly
<Alright, good. And given that, I think it fair that I should properly introduce myself. Anon, your hand please.>
>You hold out your hand in front of you, as if you were going to shake her hand
>In a speed that you would not have expected from someone of her age, she reached out and grabbed your wrist, bringing it up to the back of her neck and leaving it there
>With a flash of light that wasn't blinding, but certainly distracting, you found that in your hand was no longer Katherine's neck, but instead, an old bolt-action rifle
>You looked at Lucya and Selene to see their reactions

>Selene was utterly shocked, about as disbelieving as you were
>Lucya didn't look that shocked, but more awestruck
>Looking at the rifle that you know to be Katherine, you do as any reasonable person handed a gun would do and look it over
>You turn it back and forth for a few seconds, admiring the extravagant quality in a rifle so old, every bit painstakingly taken care of with minimal wear
>You bring the stock up to your shoulder and look down the sights of the rifle
>Just before you hear the voice in your head like the last few times you went to the range with Selene and Lucya
<Well now that is taken care of, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Katherine, I've had many last names, so that is irrelevant right now. The form you are holding me in, is that of a Winchester Hotchkiss Second Model Rifle, chambered in .45-70 Government, an improvement on the First Model Rifle that was pattented in 1876.>
>She paused for a second to let that sink in
<Oh, and one other thing; please set me down for this.>
>You follow her command, leaning the rifle up against the baptismal font
>Another flash of light and she transforms back, this time taking the appearance of a much younger woman, looking to be about in her early fourties, wearing a much more business like black skirt and white shirt with a black jacket to match the skirt; her hair changed from a long and loose white to a secretary style bun like Lucya's hair today, except brunette
>She stepped forward and stopped leaning against the font, smirking at you before turning to Lucya and Selene
<I may not have mentioned this before, but I'm a Rifle Mother.>

***

=====



<<It's Rifle Sister Katherine, not Rifle Mother, remember?>>
>Katherine looks at the pastor like he was crazy for a split second before a light must have clicked on in her head
<Oh riiiight. They didn't want to get what we're doing confused with the whole Rifle Mother belief.>
>The pastor nods at her statement
>Meanwhile, you're standing there, utterly confused
>You can tell that Lucya and Selene are on the same level as you
"Wait, wait, wait; you mean to tell me that the whole Rifle Mother belief that every other rifle in stores talks about isn't real?!"
*I had heard it was some German gun that was the first one of us...*
<That is not the case. Truth be told, I'm not actually sure what or who the first Waffegeist was. All I know is that a lot of firearms started having Waffengeist around the first world war. That being said, the first appeared in different countries at different times. The pattern was the same though. During wars, Waffengeist started appearing in different firearms about the time militaries started moving away from muzzle-loading black powder weaponry.>
*So if Rifle Mother isn't a real thing, then why did I hear all the guns in the store Anon bought me from speak about their Rifle Mother?*
>The pastor sighs and turns to address Katherine
<<So you've been going around calling it Rifle Mother still? You see why I stress making sure to call it Rifle Sister?>>
<Alright, alright. I'll make sure to mention the change the next time I go to the local stores.>
>Selene is still standing next to Lucya just staring at the whole exchange dumbfounded
>Lucya looks as if she just came to a realization though
*So you're saying that you go around to local stores and speak with the Waffengeist there?!*
<Indeed Lucya. In fact that brings us to the reason why I asked you to stay here after the service. Our church as a whole, all across the country and world, decided years ago that despite how Waffengeist are viewed by some and are occasionally disregarded by other churches and beliefs. Some of the other beliefs don't even regard them as worth noticing. Ours decided differently. Since we as Waffengeist are capable of rational thought and are effectively humans, the church decided at some point in the past to allow us to be baptized into the faith and be members.>
>This was all news to you
>It wasn't common that your faith made changes to their standard way of doing things
>The more you think of it though the more it makes sense that they would see Waffengeist as effectively human and capable of belief
>"So then about what percentage of our congregation is actually Waffengeist?"
>The pastor starts counting on his fingers but before he can finish, Katherine speaks up
<About fifteen percent or so. You'll notice that some of the older members that look like they are too old to have children so young have a child with them each week. That child is most likely their carry weapon, a pistol Waffegeist. And of course there are a few like you three. The large groups of young women that sit together each week are almost always Waffengeist.>
>She shakes her head and looks at Lucya again
<I'm getting distracted; what I'm trying to say is that I met you, Lucya, before you ever left that store. That store is one of the places that is under my current jurisdiction as Rifle Sister for this area. Every so often I go and visit the local stores to speak with all of the Waffengeist that want to talk or are starting to lose hope that they'll ever have an owner. I looked different of course, much like how I would look like I did before just now. You never really talked with me past a hello or small talk, but I do remember you.>


>Looking at Lucya you can see the realization on her face as it all clicks together
*What are you getting at Katherine?*
<What I am getting at is that even while I was there at the store visiting, you were already acting like a mother or sister to the other girls there. You were practically doing my job.>
*I'm sorry about that, some of them didn't really feel comfortable talking to you so I just gave them some encouragement or reassurance that nothing will go wrong.*
<And I am thankful for that, no need to apologize. In fact I am giving you a chance to do it again.>
"So you're saying that Lucya is taking over for you?"
>Selene's first words in a while surprised you and Lucya, caught up in the conversation with Katherine she was all but ignored
<Well, yes and no. Currently, I am over this area and the next area over, which includes the town that you are moving to for your new job. After I found out that Lucya had left the gun store she was in and living with you, I decided that I needed her to be the Rifle Sister wherever you ended up full time. Knowing that the next town over needed their own Rifle Sister, I had one of the engineering firms in that town go to one of your university's career fairs and told them to look out for you and at least give you an interview.>
>Now that came as a surprise
>You remember walking around at that career fair she mentioned
>And the representative of the company that hired you had called out to you and basically said "You should come talk to us."
>One conversation later and you had an interview
>One interview later and you had a full time position
>It had never occurred to you how bizarre that really was at the time, you were too overjoyed to have an actual full time position
>"Wait, Katherine how did you make that happen? How were you able to have that much pull with them?"
>She smirks at you, obviously enjoying being this in control of things
<Oh it's simple. The founder of the company back about seventy years ago was an owner of another Waffegeist I worked with closely, and she is actually the current owner of the company as he left it to her in his will as he never married or had children. So if I wanted that company to hire you, I just had to give her a suggestion to hire you, and then she gave the order down the chain to make it happen.>
>"Wow...thank you Katherine."
<You're welcome, but my motives for this was not only to help you out.>
>She turns to Lucya again
<Lucya I am asking you to take over as the Rifle Sister in that town. You'll be working with the local church over there and getting to work with Waffengeist, owners, and gun stores, helping them with issues that may arise or just act as someone to talk to. Can you do this, accept this responsibility and position?>
>Lucya nods quickly, small tears of joy starting to form in the corners of her eyes
*Yes Katherine, I'm honored...*
<I'm glad, and I will be here for everything you need help with. In the first few weeks I will be driving down there and working with the local pastor to complete the training required for the position. We will need to have you baptized today so we can start the process as soon as you have free time after moving in.>
>At some point Selene shuffled around to stand next to you while Lucya was being addressed
>Katherine turns to Selene and you
<Anon and Selene, I need you both to help her out as she needs with this position. Selene, you might have to go with her on her visits; in fact it might help out a lot. Anon, you are a Rifle Sister's owner. This is an unofficial position almost as important the Rifle Sister herself since you are her caretaker. Are the two of you up to the position? You can take a moment to->
>"Absolutely."
"Absolutely."
>The two of you look at each other and smirk when you realize that you both answered her in uniso
>As you're smirking at each other, Katherine turns back to the pastor and puts a hand by her mouth, whispering
<Want to make a bet on how long until we see these two in here for a marriage?>
>"What was that?"
<Oh nothing, just getting ready for the ceremony. Pastor, if you will?>
>The pastor stepped forward and beckoned your group to the baptismal font
>The baptismal of both Lucya and Selene was rather quick in the absense of the usual procession and hymn being sung during regular baptismals
>You and Katherine were both sponsors of their baptism
>One short baptism later and your rifles, Katherine, and you left the church
>It was lunch time and with your stuff all packed and Katherine not wanting to cook, you went out
>Katherine, Selene, and you were trying to let Lucya decide on where to eat, but she politely declined to choose, still caught up in the emotions of the day to focus on anything else
>You put the question to Selene as to where to eat, and she picked the place that she had first ventured out in Vampirgewehr form
>No one had any arguments there and so you ate lunch together there, sitting outside
>The lunch conversation wasn't anything special, just some small talk here and there, and more insight into Katherine's past
>After finishing lunch, Katherine drove the three of you back to the apartment to get all of your things and finally move
>As you pack the final things up and close the rented trailer, you turn around to see Katherine standing there looking at the three of you
>"You're good at this sneaking up on people aren't you?"
<As good as I have to be, dear. If you thought you would be able to leave without saying goodbye then you were woefully wrong.>
>"Wouldn't think of it Katherine. Although I almost expected you to return to the more elderly form I knew you by."


<And give up all this range of motion and freedom? Of course not! And truth be told, I honestly detested being called "ma'am" all the time. I may be over one hundred years old, but that doesn't mean I still have my quirks.>
>"Fair enough, Katherine. I know that we will come and visit as we can, Lucya especially."
<Oh I'll be more likely to visit you if anything; Lucya needs to get used to the area, and training her there will be more useful than it will here. I appreciate the sentiment though.>
>Katherine walks over to Lucya and embraces her, Lucya hugging back
*Thank you for everything, Katherine. I won't let you down.*
<I know you won't, my dear. You will make a fine Rifle Sister.>
>She breaks away and turns to hug Selene under her umbrella
>Selene hugs back, facing you, making eye contact
>You can hear Katherine whispering something that only Selene could hear
>At some point during the whispering, Selene's eyes widen for a split second before she turns her eyes away from you
>You can almost see the start of a blush, but the shade of her umbrella obscured her too much to tell for sure
>They break away from each other and Selene quickly makes for the back seat of your car, Lucya getting in on the other side as you ended up putting things in the front passenger seat for a change
>Katherine walks over and hugs you one last time, patting you on the back twice before breaking away
<Be good to them, okay? They both really like you, and I'd hate for that to change.>
>"It won't Katherine, they've been my best friends practically since I met them."
<Good...>
>She pauses as if to say something more but shakes her head and walks back across the street to her apartment and waves at you as you get in your car and drive off
>The car ride is uneventful, not much happening on the way there
>At some point about half way there, Lucya reaches up and turns down the music you had playing
*Thank you, Anon. And you too, Selene. Both of your support means so much to me.*
"Not a problem, Lucy."
>You could almost feel Selene's smirk and Lucya's pointed glance at Selene
>Lucya loathed the nickname Selene had given her
>"Of course, Lucya. I wouldn't have it any other way."
*Thank you anyways, Anon.*
>More silence followed for a while until you remembered something from earlier
>"Selene?"
"Yes, Bloodbag?"
>You look at her in the rear-view mirror
>"What did Katherine say to you that surprised you so much? When she hugged you."
>This time the blush was unmistakable, as faint as it was due to her utterly pale complexion
"N-nothing...just to take care of you. Odd, right? Since you can take care of yourself fairly well."
>"Hmmm....alright then. Odd, but she has a point; we all have to care for each other considering how close we all are."
>She nods and you turn the music back up
>You knew there was more to it than that, but you didn't press further
>As far as you were concerned, it would become relevant when it needed to
>For now, moving in was more pressing, but you were glad to have these two to move in with

***