cryptsleeper | 20s AU Post

20s AU Post

Current Carmilla plot outline
--Post-fire, Carmilla and Mr. Peanut team up mostly to use each other. Carmilla's spent the past several months (since November, it is now February 1925) networking, and it's clear to her that Alucard's not suited for the position and that the other two are the obvious weakness. Mr Peanut needs something back, so this is perfect on her end. Mr Peanut can only imagine the joys of vampire blood in his work, and he'd like an army of vampires for his own ends.
--Shit stirring from Mr Peanut (all of March?)
--Mr Peanut also begins to sell mis Miracle Serum, which has vampire blood in it.
--Gang is very much trying to murder Mr Peanut during this.
--Start of April, vampire gets a call from one of the blood bank contacts that 3 patients have come in and are displaying some bizarre signs. Investigation yields the fact that they're in process of turning, and they've all taken the same serum.
--Additional investigation reveals O FUCK IT MR PEANUT
--Meanwhile Carmilla's been made aware of a familiar she didn't sire, so she knows something's up. Big fight with Mr. Peanut and thus Mr. Peanut is left depowered
--Gang commits a murder
--Carmilla's well sured up on her contacts now, and it's time for open rebellion (mid-April)
--In a more subtle attempt to let Alucard just step aside, she cuts the breaks on demon car and shows up to gloat/suggest he not pull a dad and go to deal with his grief quietly while she runs the city. The how he wants to do it is up to him (black widow joke goes here.) Treffy and Sypha walk in.
--1 week of straight up rebellion; feedings, no help from allies, need to do damage control instead of fight carmilla, every dracula rule is
--MEANWHILE IN GRAVITY FALLS, triangle shows Vlad what's up to try and psyche him out, somehow this finalyl snaps Vlad out of his depression and he heads home
--Just in time for Alucard and Carmilla to be tearing each other to bits in one of the bayous, it's not going well
--Vlad coming in means the king of vampires is accosted by a belmont with a pair of blessed knitting needles and a speaker with a fucking gun and he's just like what the shit happened to the world while i was gone
--Wards around the fight means that only demon car can break the wards, everyone has to pile in.
--Carmilla gets her ass kicked AND SENT TO THE JUSTICE DIMENSION

THEN THERE WERE FAERIES.
--Prior to all of this the vampire and Sypha have done a shit ton of research on how to get their Belmont back
--Sypha has also been practicing debating with dad, which leaves everyone Very Tired.
--When Trevor is actually snatched up (1 year after marriage, it takes fae effort. Taking Arn's shape fails, so it's a lot more kidnapping by force), Sypha and Alucard go into Faerie
--But they're playing this as politics, not as heroes rescuing their damsel, so that means the faeries are just "wait what now excuse u?"
--There are 3 gates and 3 trials (the particulars we're still bullshitting.) Each is asked to sacrifice 3 things. (Alucard: voice, his titles as bestowed upon by his father and his people, i forget the third; Sypha: her human form (she's a birb), fuck what were the other two)
--They enter the court at the end of the third trial. After LITERALLY ALL THE TITLES Sypha declares she Speaks for Trevor Belmont
--Claim debate over Trevor, turns out that the rules are in Sypha's favor.
--But that means debating to leave Fae without giving up what they've chosen.
--Sypha lawyers it all out, Alucard is a safety deposit and hangs out with Fae!Trevor
--In the end, safe passage out of Faerie consists of Sypha giving up her memory of the necromancer (billed as a great mage she studied under), the vampire gives up his immortality, and Trevor is replaced with Carmilla (dad was aware of this option and OK with it), but Trevor has his ability to swear taken. He now soundslike a rubber ducky when he tries
--Everyone gets home okay, except for the AU of this AU where the gang fails, but Trevor's on their doorstep like a bat out of Hell because time doesn't work right and he's been in Hell for a WHILE.

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Hm.

[ He closes his eyes in thought. ]

Left from Greece. Sailed cheap, so I was bunking with three other men. Journey was meant to take about six days, but the weather turned sour. It was- pretty great, at first. Felt like an adventure. Like I was actually doing something worthwhile, after a couple years doing fucking nothing. Upper decks were reserved for the first and second class passengers, so we just stayed down below and played cards and drank for the first few days. They seemed decent types. One guy was seasick as fuck, and we all took turns rubbing his back and directing the vomit to places that weren't any of the beds.

Went south when the weather went bad. In the 'turned bad' sense. The ship wasn't going south.

[Alucard strokes Trevor's knuckles gently as he speaks. It's stupid that he's never asked before. Learned how one of the the two most important people in his life came to be here.]

Being entirely turned around is a level of skill that's....truly impressive and horrifying weather.

[His other hand goes to Trevor's hair, and fingernails carefully card through it. It's a mess, and he can fix that much.]

Weather added a couple days to the trip, and not too many people had brought food for that long. That's when shit started getting nasty. Seasick had barely touched the food he brought, so he and anyone else who had it were turning around to extort people. Most people were going without, but there were people who couldn't. Families with children.

Shit got wild. Resolved itself by the last day, the way shit like this always resolves itself. But it wasn't a card games sort of atmosphere anymore, you know?

[ He shrugs. ]

But it was great, at first. I mean, I was coming here to kill your dad, so I can't imagine you'd share my enthusiasm for it. But it was the first time in years I had a purpose. Had something I was setting out to do. And it was the thing that all Belmonts set out to do.

Wait, so the solution that you're proposing to 'too many fucking parties' is 'another, smaller party'?

[ He can't keep up the fake incredulous tone. ]

I like it.

Hmmmm. It's a shame that extortion was everyone's first thought, but not terribly surprising. [That's a bad trip, Trevor. Alucard keeps rearranging Trevor's hair, continuing even when all is well.]

There are days I understand the urge. [JUST WAIT.] I...I can only imagine how good it felt to have purpose though.

Where did you come into port?

Philadelphia. Getting in was- a process. Lot of probing questions, lot of trusting you to not fucking lie and no, sir, never engaged in buggery in my life. This one talk about lizards. They didn't like the eye, thought that it'd keep me from working. Had to take a test to prove that I could see through it.

[ ...There's a pained, awkward sound at that. Oops. Didn't mean to hit that topic, but here we are. ]

I got to keep my name, though. Appreciated that. Not everyone does.

....Okay, you need to explain the lizards.

[Trevor can't see it, but the vampire is so genuinely taken aback by that little statement. It means that he doesn't even notice the eye comment. He's just?????]

I don't even fucking know. They seemed to think we were bringing lizards into the country to sell them as pets? I didn't bring any lizards.

[ HE DOESN'T GET IT EITHER????? ]

[There is a deep, delighted, and confused laugh from the vampire. It means his hands stop moving for a moment, because this is too much.]

That...is information I would never know if it weren't from you.

[Alucard is breathless by the time he's done laughing, and then he leans down to kiss Trevor's forehead.]

You also saved yourself from a rude comment about buggery.

And what would that comment be?

[ Alucard's hair brushes against him first, and he flinches at that but it means he's ready for the kiss itself. It's going to get some getting used to, suddenly being touched out of nowhere. ]

I doubt you could say anything cruder than I would have if I didn't need to not piss these people off.

I've already forgotten it. Too besotted with actually doing the act, most days.

[He's careful when he kisses Trevor. Far to reverent, because the vampire's scared but he wants to make sure it manifests in a comforting way instead of one that betrays the vampire's fear.]

[ Dracula does not speak. The silence becomes thick, heavy-

It's the Belmont who breaks it, voice shaking. His hand falls onto Alucard's, trying to ease it away from the cane. ]

-promised I'd leave and take her someplace safe, didn't I? If the worst happened. And, no offense, your dad is kind of the fucking worst. And he's happened.

Take care of yourself, Adrian.

[At Alucard's side, the gun in Sypha's hands slowly lowers to hang at her side, as the quaking anxiety and tension of the past few moments slowly seems to seep away, replaced by a quieter, steadier sort of calm.

It was wrong of her, she realizes, to push back against Alucard when he'd tried to send her away. It would've been safer if she'd gone when he wanted her to. Better. Her people are out to the west, far from this — far from the madness. She would have been safe if she'd only gone like she'd known he really wanted her to. Even if he hadn't said it — even if he'd insisted that he wasn't trying to send her away —

No, that's really what he wanted, wasn't it? For her to be safe. Safe, happy, and here. She only gets one, and here isn't safe, not at all.

But — that's all right. Isn't it? Because there's still time. She can still remedy it. There are still trains running west. There are always trains running west.]

You...should have sent me away, before all this.

[She sinks down into a crouch just long enough to set the gun on the floor, resting it gently on its side as she gets back to her feet.]

This city has never been safe for Speakers. Not before, and not...not now that Dracula has returned. I shouldn't be here.

[She bites her lip, and ducks her head, and doesn't look at anyone.]

This...isn't where I belong, Alucard. Not anymore.

No.

[Alucard throws the cane aside into the darkness. He doesn't care. If they're going then he's not going to fucking care. His arms wrap around them both immediately, trying to be the stupid fucking shield that Trevor has always been. Trying to fight back against this oppressive thing surrounding them like the sword Sypha has always been.

If this happens, he's in a living death. Stuck in his father's Fucking Demon Castle alone, like all the princesses in Sypha's stories and without anyone to come save him. Depression napping forever, probably, rather than dealing with this loss.

His arms are so tight around them both. He's refusing to let go, but there's no tears like he expects. There's nothing but fear and loss and every feeling the two have help him keep at bay. There's a swear or two in Romanian that Alucard's picked up from Trevor when no one's thought he was listening, and the vampire tries to find the right magic fucking words that will make all of this right.

They don't come. There's just Alucard's voice, soft and scared and pleading at them. Not his father.]

Please. Please don't go.

Of course that's it, and you didn't just realise that whatever comment you could have made, it wouldn't be half as funny as whatever I've come up with.

[ Once he knows they're coming, the kisses are- good. Calming. Enough, for the moment, to push back the encroaching thoughts of useless. ]

No shame in it, I've had a year to think about mine.

Well, that's a factor too. My wit is never going to be as sharp as yours.

[Alucard's still kneeling beside the bed, which is a terrible angle but that's just fine. He can stay here for as long as he's needed, alternating between the kisses and just stroking Trevor's face now.]

But now you have to tell me what your response is.

[ Neither of them move. Not to console Alucard, not to push him away.

Dracula's hand falls upon his son's shoulder. He looks tired. Human. ]

This is how it has to be, Adrian. They will be well. No earthly force will harm them. I will promise them my protection, if you will only accept it yourself.

I was going to go for the obvious one. Sometimes you have to go simple. I'd just ask if they were offering.

Your country is too fucking big, you know. I didn't think it would be half the problem it was to make port on the wrong end of it.

[Logically, it's a good deal, isn't it? There's a tiny part of Alucard that knows it, the tiny part that can still think in near-regent mode. All strategy and thinking ahead, like Trevor forced him to learn.

It's drowned out by loss. Not a small sense of it either, but a great, horrible, overwhelming feeling. When his mother died it was loss and the fear of what his father might do. Now it's not just that feeling of loss, but the horrible empathy for the other two and what will lie ahead. For himself stuck in the castle, consumed by the feeling.

All of that manages to come out in a single loud, horrible noise that might be a howl if he was a wolf and not a man. Such as it is, he nearly collapses from the effort to choke it out, leaning on the other two and trying his best to pull away from that goddamn hand on his shoulder.]

That is a little too obvious. And maybe an official would have went for it.

[Alucard pauses, and okay, this is not comfortable.]

Oh, yes, I imagine that you needed the trains to get here. Hang on, I'm going to climb into bed, this is a terrible way to sit.

[ The light flickers back on. Dracula's grasp on his son's shoulder tightens.

(There had been a howl like that the night of Lisa's death, made by a wolf the size of a horse, and the world had awoken to a bishop's corpse crucified on the cross of his own church, to HE IS NOT HERE written in blood on the steps to the altar.)

There will be other humans, in his long life. They would have left him one day regardless of this. His mouth opens to say every word that he was told after Lisa's death. Those useless, empty words that could never cut through the grief of finding a tiny, precious light after centuries of solitude and seeing it extinguished.

And so he says none of them. The words that leave his mouth sound foreign to even him, as if he were under the same spell as the humans. ]

What would you give, to keep them?

Oh, but you're not thinking far enough ahead. If they did go for it, I'd be able to say 'Can't, sorry to disappoint, I have to go kill Dracula'. And I'd fail the test completely, they'd think I was mad, but it'd be entirely worth it.

[ He nods, doing his best to shuffle backward so that Alucard has space to lie against him. He doesn't get far, he'll need to actually be moved. ]

How long 'til I'm allowed to sleep?

[He doesn't notice the light. Alucard does feel the tension on his shoulder, and he strains against it out of instinct. The last time his father laid hands on him was a bloodied thing. There's no trust. Just shattered emotions that have only since been ground into fine powder.

Alucard's riding out the terrible swell of emotion that has since risen up and come thundering down, not unlike how tsunamis come in and then wreck every precious thing that has been built up. That....that's a good comparison for the moment, isn't it? Alucard's sure of it.

He's having auditory hallucinations. That's the only logical explanation for what he thinks Vlad Dracula Tepes says next. It makes no sense for him to say those things.

It takes a few moments for the worst of the sobs to level out. He's still refusing to look at his father. Still trying to keep his hold on the other two.]

You're....

[He's serious?

Alucard breathes out shakily. Only opportunity.]

Very limited movement. Grocery shopping and the like and...we talk next month. Refine things.

If they thought you were mad, you could always just try another port of entry.

[Alucard just goes to the other side of the bed and then climbs in. Easier, much easier, and he gets comfortable on his side before he pulls Trevor to him.

He'll let Trevor settle first. Find the right way to rest against the vampire with his injuries. Use the vampire's natural cool-ness to ice the bruises.]

I'll give it an hour and then revise my inexpert medical opinion.

Very well.

[ Whatever fell over the two humans, it ends abruptly. The Belmont shoves his way out of Alucard's arms, immediately placing himself between Alucard and Dracula, breaking the contact of the hand on his shoulder. Dracula ignores him, speaking past him. ]

A month, then, to earn my trust. If any one of you leaves, the other two remain. In a month's time, if they can be trusted, you may keep them and we will discuss your presence in the world.

If they cannot, the Queen of the House of Justice will be granted dominion over her two subjects. Am I clear?

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20s AU Post

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