We're going to have this argument later in the middle of a forest where Sypha and I can both yell at you and shame you for making us raise our voices in case we draw attention to ourselves.
[Okay, so maybe he just totally revealed the battle plan, but this system's worked in the past.]
You took full watch practically every night between the boat and here. We learned it from you.
[ It's nice, to be squabbling like this. No edge to it, no anger behind it, just throwing words at each other. Horrible things bring out either too much softness or too much anger in both of them. This argument means that despite everything, for now, they can still both believe that all is going to be well. ]
You two absolutely did not, this was an issue you two developed traveling. Don't even think of pinning it on me.
[Is this the stupidest argument they could have before all of this? Oh, there are doubtlessly stupider. But it's this argument they'll die on little fake hills on before everything must be serious.]
Look, maybe I thought that they'd look nicer on the outside. If I end up taking full watch the tonight, I'll let you and Sypha take watch tomorrow. Fair?
Flattery, in this minute, gets you absolutely no where but exiled to the carpet for extreme stupidity for defending things you patently know to be false.
[That kiss is much too brief, but Trevor moves before Alucard can try and force that issue. Too slow too late.]
Last I checked she was in the kitchen triple checking all the provisions. If she's not there, then my assumption is she's gathering a last minute bag from the bedroom. All the other equipment's here.
[ Sypha arrives first, after he leaves to find her, with Trevor in tow. Carrying both of the two books she couldn't choose between, of course. She's trying very hard not to seem too excited that they're finally heading out again, the circumstances surrounding it being what they are, but she's doing an absolutely terrible job. Trevor adds the books to whichever bags can fit them and then just watches fondly as she hugs Alucard as tightly as if they were leaving for a few months again.
In the mirror lies the distant outskirts of a town about two days' ride from the Trantoul estate. It's not the closest, which means a longer journey but also means that if something is in the estate, their arrival is less likely to set off alarms. ]
Daresay my spoken French is best. [ Literally the only language that he might speak better than Alucard or Sypha. And he still can't swear in it. ] Sypha stays on the outskirts with the supplies, I'll find horses for us. Are we to expect you in four hours, or four hours after sunset?
[That hug farewell is returned in kind. The top of Sypha's head is showered in kisses, because if this all goes to shit, they'll be apart for longer and will regret not doing the old good-byes.]
Four hours exactly. Perhaps an extra half hour if packing the mirror proves to be a greater difficulty.
[He had checked to make sure it was easily put into a trunk, Sypha had enchanted the thing to be certain, but they now all had to account for error. The trunk was the only think traveling with Alucard, all other bags were being passed through the mirror here and now.
Alucard's eyes remain on the location shown in the mirror. He's pensive, arms folded across his chest.]
[ Sypha goes first, watching for anyone who might witness them. Trevor starts work on bringing supplies through. It's quick work, with the mirror, made awkward only by the fact that only so much can go through it at once. ]
Five hours. After four, we make camp. After five we- do something. I don't know yet.
[ His goodbye isn't as overly fond and excited as Sypha's. He reaches out, drawing the hair away from one side of Alucard's face with a hand and tucking it behind his ear and then trailing his fingertips down the vampire's neck until he breaks the touch. ]
Don't make us improvise. We'll do something stupid.
[Aside from that very first time, good-byes of any sort have always been tense. Tinged with the concern of well, improvising, made worse after the specter of Carmilla. Even if this is just a few hours, that's there.]
I know you'll do something stupid. So I'll be there, if only to prevent that.
[Alucard's smile is faint and a little wistful at Trevor's touch. It's not Sypha's farewell. Something like that wouldn't suit. But before those fingers are withdrawn, Alucard reaches over to put a gentle hand on Trevor's shoulder and squeeze once.]
[ And that's it. He's pretty shitty at goodbyes and he's never really felt the need to improve.
Locating a pair of horses is easy enough, even if one of them has seen better days. A wagon is harder, but eventually there's someone willing to part with a rickety old thing for any price he can get. It's got maybe one journey in it before it's good for nothing but firewood and there's no way all three of them can ride in it along with the supplies, but hopefully one journey will be enough and he doesn't care that much about needing to walk.
Legs grow back, after all.
The topic of conversation as they travel is whether the horses need new names. Sypha thinks they do, because it takes her only two attempts to call the older horse by the name it was given, 'Useless', to feel like she's being unkind to it. Trevor disagrees, as the foremost victim of being given new names by Sypha. The set up camp at sunset and the conversation continues as Trevor skins a pair of rabbits and Sypha sets about helping him cook them. And then, partway through the meal, they realize four hours have passed.
The conversation ends at that realization, as they both eat in silence and wait. ]
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[ That's a 'we're going to have to argue about this, aren't we?' tone. ]
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[Okay, so maybe he just totally revealed the battle plan, but this system's worked in the past.]
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So I'll already have done what I want.
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[ Srry Alucard you're stuck wit two self sacrificing idiots. ]
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[ It's nice, to be squabbling like this. No edge to it, no anger behind it, just throwing words at each other. Horrible things bring out either too much softness or too much anger in both of them. This argument means that despite everything, for now, they can still both believe that all is going to be well. ]
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[Is this the stupidest argument they could have before all of this? Oh, there are doubtlessly stupider. But it's this argument they'll die on little fake hills on before everything must be serious.]
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[ Excuse you they were both always like this. It just never came up on the way to Dracula because Alucard barely needed sleep at all. ]
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Look, maybe I thought that they'd look nicer on the outside. If I end up taking full watch the tonight, I'll let you and Sypha take watch tomorrow. Fair?
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[But the offer is...that's fine. And Alucard relents.]
Very well, that's fair.
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Maybe it is. Good a defense as any against being disemboweled. Once your guts are out, they can't get any more out.
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[How does he share a bed with this.]
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[ IS THIS BULLYING? IS THIS FLIRTING? It's probably both. ]
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Flattery, in this minute, gets you absolutely no where but exiled to the carpet for extreme stupidity for defending things you patently know to be false.
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[ And he leans in close to kiss Alucard's cheek and whisper- ]
And I'm taking full watch tonight, so you can't exile me anywhere.
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Fine, but this matter isn't done.
[No, it's done, he just refuses to relent.]
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[ They're fine. They're going to be fine. That's what all of this means. He kisses once more before he pulls back, on the lips this time. ]
Prepare the mirror, then. I'll fetch Sypha and then you can be rid of me for a few hours.
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Last I checked she was in the kitchen triple checking all the provisions. If she's not there, then my assumption is she's gathering a last minute bag from the bedroom. All the other equipment's here.
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In the mirror lies the distant outskirts of a town about two days' ride from the Trantoul estate. It's not the closest, which means a longer journey but also means that if something is in the estate, their arrival is less likely to set off alarms. ]
Daresay my spoken French is best. [ Literally the only language that he might speak better than Alucard or Sypha. And he still can't swear in it. ] Sypha stays on the outskirts with the supplies, I'll find horses for us. Are we to expect you in four hours, or four hours after sunset?
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Four hours exactly. Perhaps an extra half hour if packing the mirror proves to be a greater difficulty.
[He had checked to make sure it was easily put into a trunk, Sypha had enchanted the thing to be certain, but they now all had to account for error. The trunk was the only think traveling with Alucard, all other bags were being passed through the mirror here and now.
Alucard's eyes remain on the location shown in the mirror. He's pensive, arms folded across his chest.]
Go. I'll be there soon.
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Five hours. After four, we make camp. After five we- do something. I don't know yet.
[ His goodbye isn't as overly fond and excited as Sypha's. He reaches out, drawing the hair away from one side of Alucard's face with a hand and tucking it behind his ear and then trailing his fingertips down the vampire's neck until he breaks the touch. ]
Don't make us improvise. We'll do something stupid.
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I know you'll do something stupid. So I'll be there, if only to prevent that.
[Alucard's smile is faint and a little wistful at Trevor's touch. It's not Sypha's farewell. Something like that wouldn't suit. But before those fingers are withdrawn, Alucard reaches over to put a gentle hand on Trevor's shoulder and squeeze once.]
Until then.
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[ And that's it. He's pretty shitty at goodbyes and he's never really felt the need to improve.
Locating a pair of horses is easy enough, even if one of them has seen better days. A wagon is harder, but eventually there's someone willing to part with a rickety old thing for any price he can get. It's got maybe one journey in it before it's good for nothing but firewood and there's no way all three of them can ride in it along with the supplies, but hopefully one journey will be enough and he doesn't care that much about needing to walk.
Legs grow back, after all.
The topic of conversation as they travel is whether the horses need new names. Sypha thinks they do, because it takes her only two attempts to call the older horse by the name it was given, 'Useless', to feel like she's being unkind to it. Trevor disagrees, as the foremost victim of being given new names by Sypha. The set up camp at sunset and the conversation continues as Trevor skins a pair of rabbits and Sypha sets about helping him cook them. And then, partway through the meal, they realize four hours have passed.
The conversation ends at that realization, as they both eat in silence and wait. ]
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