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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Ad- Alucard-

[ There are new traditions starting, too. Ones he’s feeling out as he goes. Alucard cannot be Adrian in this room. He cannot touch him in this room. He cannot offer comfort. He cannot bring anything into this room that he is not willing to see profaned. ]

-the desk.

[ It probably won’t appreciate the claws. ]

We’ll seek you out if you aren’t back by sunset the next day. And- I’ll go through the old newspapers. See if I can find any records of a different method.

[Ugh. Fuck, the desk. Alucard retracts his claws only because he must. It's a nice desk. It doesn't deserve his anger and fear. That's for later. He'll channel all of it into the grim work set before him, then deal with everything else as it comes.

This was one of the great fears he had when he accepted the things that ruling in his father's stead was required of him. It was never a question of if an execution would have to be carried out. Only when.]

Don't waste your time.

[Alucard knows this is being helpful. But all the same.]

If all I am doing is maintaining what has been put in place until he returns, then I cannot deviate in the moments when following his lead matters most of all. Minimizing witnesses is already going to be too much for some. This balance cannot be upset further.

Very well.

[ He doesn't care about the desk half as much as he cares about the impression that it'll give. Were it Dracula, they would see the marks and be afraid. With Alucard, they'll see the truth immediately. They'll see weakness. ]

I'll do what I can to find the pattern between the executions with only a few witnesses, then. Make sure that it can apply to this.

[ Sneak a new rule into the books to allow it, if necessary. Sypha's good enough with forging handwriting. She could copy Dracula's, if necessary. ]

I listened this time, didn't I? Good at following instructions.

[ He drops the subject, though, examining the cast on his wrist instead. ]

Seems to be working fine for now. I'll let you know if something goes weird. Can you tell him about the council's conclusion? He'll fucking listen to you.

That will have to do.

[There's no justification that Alucard can think of that would excuse the matter being private. This act isn't a small matter of aggression or something to be done away from prying eyes. The matter isn't so urgent as to not have the time to summon every vampire to watch this death. No one will be ignorant of the fact that this is the first execution under new leadership.

He moves the blotter on the desk down a little further, covering the claw marks in the wood.]

Are there any other key points in the records I must be aware of?

[What else is demanded?]

Both parties are young enough that their sires may well choose to get involved. The culprit's sire has the right to accept punishment in his place, though I think it's unlikely that they well. They seem to be trying to remove themselves from the situation entirely. The victim's sire may choose to demand reparations, likely from the sire of the culprit, the one who has something worthwhile to give, rather than from the culprit themselves. It would be unusual after more than ten years since turning, but not unheard of if they can make a case that the loss of the victim was a terrible blow to them. It doesn't seem that the victim was particularly valuable to or beloved by their sire, but that doesn't mean that they won't claim that they were. It doesn't seem like a situation in which Dracula would have granted whatever reparations were demanded, but you need to be ready to argue that. They may also argue, as an injured party, for the execution to be made public. You can deny this, but I'll need to go through the old execution records again to find a good reason for it.

[ It's all more minor, it pales in comparison to the terrible thing that must be done, but every detail is something that Alucard will need to be ready for. There is no official code of law for dealing with this situation, only a century and a quarter of Dracula's decisions. They're lucky that he was apparently incredibly consistent in those decisions. ]

Dracula didn't take kindly to sires using squabbles between the younger vampires to gain influence. If all else fails, you can remind them of this. And-

[ Fuck, this is a lot of shit to expect him to remember and be ready to tell potentially confrontational shitbags about on demand. ]

-I'll have Sypha help me make notes of all this shit for you, too. Once a date's been chosen, we'll take the day before it to go through all of this in detail, make sure you're prepared.

[It's a lot. But details like this, they're the only thing that matters. Do one thing out of step and that means the mistake is the one thing anyone will ever cling to. The red hot minute Trevor starts delving into the particulars is when Alucard starts writing, vampire speed being terribly useful at taking notes in real time.

The sires are further abroad if he remembers right. That means summoning them tonight, getting everything together and...it strikes him that this is all a terribly long process, whereas his father was nothing if not quick to do what he thought was best or right.

So that there's another question to ask, one that they're both going to hate.]

What is the average time for all of this to be done? I presume it cannot be more than a day or two at the most.

[Some wheels of justice turn quickly, if only due to the hand turning those wheels.]

And where is to be done, for that matter. I know such events never took place near this home.

Complicated and very long. It was deemed important to your story that we remember and preserve your many titles.

[...]

Even the ones that I am pretty sure someone just made up to sound good.

[But regardless, moving on.]

If your honor demands that you do something in recompense, then you could help my people. It is hard for us to get the things we need in cities like yours, where few people tolerate us, and fewer still will sell us the things we need, even when we have coin to pay for them.

So, all of them.

[He's just saying.

He's slow as he walks. Careful for twinges of pain, not just to be aware of sore spots, but to be sure Sypha doesn't catch on.]

I can tell you where to go when you'll be treated as tourists and thus no one will think twice of service. Offering supplies personally may be an option in the next day or so. This is less about honor and more...fairness.

[She actually has to backtrack through their conversation a minute, trying to pin down what he's talking about, until eventually she stumbles across I want you to stop being awful and — hmm. He had, hadn't he? She'd noticed, even, that he'd come around almost...

almost immediately...

...after she'd said that. Hmm.]

I'll tell him. And in the meantime, you should probably get some rest. Or I suppose you might ignore me and walk all over the place on your ankle, if that's what you decide. You and he are alike that way — stubborn, even when you are injured.

[She gets up, and before she can think twice about it, she runs the tips of two fingers down the line of his jaw, grazing the stubble before falling off naturally at the chin.]

Let's talk about magic again sometime, yes? I like to learn new things. And perhaps next time it will be my turn to show you some of my other tricks.

It varies. Normally, you would be right. But this is the first, and there is a way that this ought to look. Too quickly, especially with only a few witnesses, and it seems like something is being hidden.

[ They can't just get this shit over with as quickly as possible. It's going to have to haunt every fucking moment for at least a while longer. But this whole thing is far more about telling a story than it is about the punishment itself. ]

You have- a week, I'd say. Just under. Two days to let news of the incident spread to those who don't keep as up to date on everything, and three more to let everyone get antsy about what your decision will be. That way when it happens there's less suspicion that something's being hidden, and they'll be quick to spread the word that Dracula's rules are still being enforced in the same manner.

[ As for the location- ]

There's a building in the French Quarter that's been used for this since the 1830s. You've probably seen it before - the one with all the ironwork, at Dauphine Street. Everything happens there.

Heir of the moon and the stars.

[She singsongs, under her breath.]

It would be helpful. We are...not well liked. And I knew that when we came here, but —

[She pauses, then sighs.]

Usually we leave before such things can become...hurtful. It's tolerable enough when they are only just frustrating. Then we move on, and leave it behind, and it does not matter so much anymore.

[Of course quick isn't an option available in this moment. Damn himself for thinking otherwise. Alucard tries not to show how much he hates this fact in particular, but...

...it's a reasonable timetable. Vampires are predictable, as is news like this. Trevor's right in everything he says, terrible and dreadful and accurate. Yet Alucard is selfish, because the longer he must wait, the more likely he is to falter. To channel his anger into something else instead of the act of execution.

He'll sleep in here for a time. He doesn't want to bring these problems to bed.]

A week it shall have to be.

[Fuck. Everything.]

I'll become familiar with the building this evening then. Best to ensure there's no escape routes and the like.

Because one can inherit heavenly bodies.

[Hearing, Sypha.]

Mm. How much longer do you and your people intend to stay then?

[It's worth knowing to repay kindness. It's worth knowing in case the stitches pop.]

The keys are in the record room, but they're warded. Hopefully you'll be able to touch them, I couldn't.

[ There are a few things like that here, that he and Sypha can't touch. ]

I'd like to come with you to see it, if possible, at least while it's empty.

[ It's. Partially true. He should probably see it, it's the site of one of the biggest vampire attacks in America according to the records. Mostly, though, it's just a bad place to be leaving Alucard alone if he doesn't have to. ]

I would not go quite that far, describing yours. But I have certainly seen worse.

[That genuinely wasn't a setup, it was more automatic than anything else.]

I do not know. I think —

[Hesitates.]

...I'm not sure if I can tell you the particulars of our motivations. Or what would prompt us to go or to stay. I think it will be a while, from what I have seen and gathered.

If I can't, we'll need a new location and quickly. Away from eyes and ears, but centralized.

[Because if this is going to be public, then there are so many additional considerations to deal with.

There's a pause at the offer. It is probably a good idea to not go at this alone. But it still feels so wrong to involve either of them with any part of this. They're his cabinet. They run this city as much as he does. They're his, and they shouldn't be exposed to the worst parts of this and what it demands he become. Better to be the person who lives on the other side of this castle.

He closes his eyes again.]

We can't be seen entering it together, it'll give away everything.

...Excuse me?

[Sorry, that was a surprise. Alucard's done flirting before! But never during these kinds of discussions!!!]

A while then. I think that shall do. [So long as he isn't dead upon returning home.]

I'd ask if you want the list of places that will serve you written down, but that's rather stupid, isn't it?

[ This would be easier if he could touch the fucking keys. There are all kinds of ways for Alucard to enter unseen, and none that he can do. The whole place is drowning in almost as many enchantments as the castle itself. There's no way for someone not of Dracula's blood to enter the true building stealthily.

But since he can't touch the fucking keys- ]

Drop me off a half-hour's walk away. I'll catch up by foot and enter after you. It- isn't the kind of place I want you to go alone, not for the first time.

[ Trust him on this he knows his vampire bullshit and the Gardette-Laprete House is BAD vampire bullshit. ]

[This isn't an argument Alucard can win. Trevor's tone of voice makes that much clear. Even without words, that's clear.]

Very well. We can go now, while it's still light out.

[That means even fewer eyes to see them approach.]

Assuming I can get the keys, of course.

...Oh. You meant the stars and the moon.

[MOVING RIGHT ALONG THEN if only she had her robes to burrow into, but alas she does not, and thus her vague faint flush is regrettably visible.]

I'm more concerned with how to pass this information along to my people without having to answer questions about where it came from.

[...]

It was not that they did not want to help you. Please, do not think that about them. Especially not about our elder. He is a kind man, who believes in good works. It...he was asked to make a hard choice. I do not know if it was the right one. But I think he made it because he believes we must not attract the attention of...the people with investment in you.

Yes?

[....Oh.]

You can account for your missing time as exploring another part of the city that might be more friendly to you and yours.

[But now they're...at this. Alucard would rather not dwell on last night, so Sypha's explanation feels unneeded.]

I understand the decision and don't fault it. You didn't even have to account for the choice made. I knew I was gambling before I even approached for the exact reason you said.

That will do. Someone might wonder why I chose to do that instead of simply going about my business telling fortunes, but I am one of the more headstrong of our number, so no one will think much of it, past that initial wondering.

[She stares down at her feet, though, as they continue, and doesn't say anything for a few steps until eventually she gathers her thoughts together.]

If I had not helped you...what would you have done?

It's also a city with smaller histories that don't circulate beyond their wards. Either way, you have more than enough cover.

[Alucard doesn't mind the silence. It's...after last night, silence is nice. Not a comfort, but it means he isn't screaming with his father in the middle of the night right in front of his mother's grave. It means he isn't throwing himself on the will of others.

When Sypha breaks the silence, he only shakes his head.]

Ended up in the same place, I suppose, trying to do this myself. A hospital would not be safe due to the nature of my blood.

...I see.

[She slows to a stop, still looking at the tips of her toes, and listens to see if he'll stop as well.]

There is...one thing, that I did not do when I was assisting you last night. I would like to this morning, before we have to part ways at town. But I will have to touch you to do it. Will you allow that?

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Page 17 of 141

20s AU Post

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