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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...Oh.

[Oh, well. That certainly sheds a lot of light on things, doesn't it, and there's even a little flush in her cheeks as her hand is moved to where Alucard has the ribbon and they're each going to tie it on, one by one, and —

Oh. That's really rather nice, isn't it? It feels like a promise. A promise of it's safe to do this now, it's over.]

So. Rings later, but for the time being, ribbons?

That's the timeline as it has been explained to me. [There's a pause, and a sudden joy in Alucard's tone.] I'm not in charge.

[He will be absolutely in charge of wedding planning, but that's different. This is Trevor's domain, and he's so, so happy to go with it.

His hand takes Sypha's, and there is a soft kiss that is not unlike Trevor's. Then Alucard is careful as he ties the ribbon there, ensuring that it isn't too tight.]

Later, yeah. Can't promise when, but- I'll find work, once I'm not needed for carrying vampires around.

[ It might be a while.

There's one ribbon left. He runs a thumb over the one tied around Sypha's finger, making a soft noise of approval, and then places the last one in her hand and holds out his own. ]

Your turn.

I'll teach you how to tell fortunes by the roadside. It's good enough work, though I doubt anyone will believe you.

[ALSO NOT A METAPHOR. But that's okay, because she's taking her time looking at the length of ribbon wrapped around her finger, and who's put it there, and what it means, and how the circuit flows amongst them.

Maybe it wasn't intentional; maybe it only worked out that way. But there's something significant, perhaps, about Trevor choosing Alucard, and Alucard tethering Sypha, and Sypha keeping Trevor. That's a detail she'd weave into a story, later, like an ornament; not vital to the structure, any, but still good to be there nevertheless.]

This is how I do it, yes?

[She picks up his hand, and kisses the ring finger, and then nimbly wraps the length of ribbon and carefully ties it on.]

I think the problem isn't believing, it's dressing up unkind truths in a way that's palatble. Speaking from experience, he's bad at that.

[BELMONT COMING OUT OF A WELL TO SHAME VAMPIRES and all that.

He'll make some of his own suggestions later. For now, the vampire simply watches as the little circle of theirs is completed, smiling at it like a big, dumb idiot.

(His father's going to be furious. Which is great.]

Looks right to me. [He pauses, then his smile becomes a little more regretful.] Should've been done a while ago.

I can be nice! [ Wow rude. ] I was just going to do something normal. Maybe ask Father Robert to put in a good word for me next time someone mentions needing garden work or repairs done.

[ Never mind that priests aren't a normal thing for 2/3 of this group. Never mind that there probably is no normal here. Because now everyone has a ribbon, and that's perfect. ]

Couldn't have been. Imagine the fuss that people would have made about you going around with a ribbon on you. [ They'd have needed proper rings, which means that Alucard would have had to take the lead because the other two don't have any fucking money. And by all appearances, that's not what he needed. He needed one of them to be the one to lay claim to him, not the other way around. And Trevor knows Alucard, and he knows himself, and Alucard would have chosen something that he would have balked at the extravagance of. And Sypha would just be stuck in the middle of all of this. ] It doesn't have to be tied up in that bullshit now.

A fresh start.

[That comes on the tail end of Trevor's remark about bullshit, a softer echo filled with promises of turning gazes from the past toward the future. It's a pretty little sentiment, a ribbon-ring, and she ducks down as best she can to give Alucard a kiss once they're all wearing theirs.]

Very well, so if Trevor is going to do garden work, then what are the rest of us going to do? Let's all play. Adrian, what silly job do you want to have, instead of your old one?

Tied u...was that a pun?

[A fresh start indeed. There's a soft hum in Alucard's throat, and he drinks in just the concept slowly. Carefully. Considering what it really means, because what he thought was a fresh start when he and Sypha returned to the castle (alone) was that only until Trevor was put into their hands. (A blessing, in retrospect.) That had been the start of politics.

He's careful, before he settles on an answer.]

Perhaps I'll just be a lab assistant for a while. Keep daylight hours again, which would feel like a novelty.

But that leaves you.

It is absolutely a fucking pun.

[ He ignores the comment about these being silly jobs. Almost. He does give it a 'hmph', but it's short-lived after watching her attempt to fold herself in half to kiss Alucard. ]

It'd be nice, having you on daylight hours. You're prettier in the sun.

I want to be the star of a radio show. I have the voice for it, don't you think? Actually, I have all the voices for it!

[She would happyclap, but she's occupied with petting Alucard, which is infinitely more important.]

I'm not going to miss all of the stress and the madness and the vampire politics, but I think I might miss the dressing up to go dancing all night.

[Alucard would also agree that petting the vampire is much more important. He would argue that it's more important to turn his head so he can smooch against the palms of her hands though.]

If the dressing up is the issue, then perhaps film is the better way to go.

[Alucard pauses, then laughs softly to himself.]

Your people are still in California, yes? Perhaps they have connections.

[But to Trevor's point, which means reaching out to squeeze his wrist since he can't do much more:]

As are you. Even if we're both meant for night things.

Speak for yourself. I'm meant for carrying around vampires. And setting up bake sales. And teaching sunday school. And gardening, eventually.

[ He's not really introspective enough to appreciate what that means coming from a man who a year ago couldn't imagine a world where he didn't have to fight some horrible thing or another to the death. ]

You can still dress up pretty and dance without having to. You could just do it because you want to. Tanti would take you as her guest, even if Adrian doesn't feel like any more parties.

Mmm, but then whose toes would I stand on, when I don't know the steps?

[She divides her petting equally; a few strokes of the hair for Alucard, a brush of fingertips against the cheek for Trevor. Back and forth, once and again, letting Alucard kiss at her hands when he so desires, never hindering him from anything he wants because he's the one getting spoiled today.]

And who would be there to rescue me when the vampires scatter broken glass everywhere?

[She laughs, softly.]

We should go to see them. My family, out west. They're neither vampires nor grandmothers, but I know they would love you both very much. Like I do.

Hm. Coming home smelling of dirt and roses would be nice.

[Alucard's smile is soft when Trevor speaks of purpose. It's one he's come to define for himself, not something driven by what his family demands. It feels...it's right, isn't it? Bonds chosen, not forced. He can't kiss Trevor at his current angle, but later he will.]

Sypha, I would bet three rare books from this house that Theodora would oblige both points in a heartbeat and that is not born of being a good host.

[He laughs softly at his own statement. No vampire is subtle.]

Then let's do that, when I'm robust enough to travel. I...probably owe your grandfather an apology anyway, for daring to pin a speaker to one place.

[There's something unspoken in that though. Robust enough to travel also includes dad being okay with it and boy, that's..there's going to be a lot to deal with there, huh.]

If it were anyone else, I wouldn't expect she'd miss having us around stirring up trouble. But-

[ -...well, it's Theodora, isn't it? She wants the right kind of trouble stirred up at her parties. ]

Hm. That may be a little while. We'll have to wait for father dearest to declare you well again. [ It gives him time, though. Speakers are still something of an- emotional thing for him. He'll need to prepare himself. ] West, then.

And you'll have to make a case for going with us yourself, I think. We...sort of forfeit the right to negotiate about your future and your well-being, earlier.

[She did, at least. But you know. Crazy things happen sometimes when your father-in-law is Dracula.]

But he will listen to you, I think, when you do. ...I hope.

[She really, really hopes.]

Everything about...him...is a discussion for later. I owe you both a million apologies and 100,000 of them focus on forcing you both to deal with him for a week alone.

[It's a way to delay the inevitable questions of what, exactly, happened while Alucard was depression napping for a week. This is a far happier moment, and his father's shadow is not allowed to ruin it.]

West. For a month, I think, and then wedding planning in earnest. [Alucard pauses, then looks over at Trevor, his laugh soft and so very delighted at this new detail.] Your grandmothers are going to be thrilled.

Also the case for- [ Not. Allowed. To. Ruin. It. ] -ugh, we'll explain later. This is nice.

[ He puts his arm back over Alucard's chest, and puts the other over Sypha's knees so he can rest his chin on them, face pressed against the side of Alucard's. ]

Thrilled and busybodies, I imagine. You'll have to find some way to distract them if you want to do any planning yourself.

Well, I know what I want out of the wedding, and unless one or both of you have some great attachment to seeing me in a big white dress, I want to wear a suit just like the rest of you.

[Is she serious? Is she saying that purely to get a reaction? It's impossible to say, but either way she's smiling.]

That's all from me. Adrian can do the rest.

I'd rather you be comfortable. I'll let the tailor know, and put the rest in your hands.

[He wants to be surprised. Delighted. He's not sure how wrestling Trevor into the Fanciest Clothes will go, but they'll see.

Alucard hums, happy. He's too tired to react stronger, because Sypha in a suit usually does things to him.]

I think flowers will keep the busybodies well occupied. Trevor has the honor of informing the pastor, but I demand a play-by-play of the reaction.

You should wear a big dress. Not for the wedding, if you'd rather not. But- you know. Just for the sake of it. [ He thinks about it a little more, trying to figure out if there's anything important to him.

He had leaves in his hair. ]

Flowers. Could you have flowers in your hair? Both of you? I don't mind what sort, it'd just be nice.

Then I will. Because what I really want is for the both of you to stare at me, a lot.

[She's the only one upright at this point, and the only one not draped over her lap in some capacity, and so it's reasonably easy for her to reach and card her fingers through Trevor's hair with one hand while the other brushes stray strands and flyaways out of Alucard's eyes.]

We could match them. My bouquet, your lapels, and the flowers in our hair. It could all go together.

Wait. How is that different from normal?

[Alucard's tone is borderline serious with that question, even as he sighs happily at just the sight of them both. Theirs. Only theirs now, and this is real. Happening. No one's making it weird.

He is also certain that he's missed some sort of significance with the placement of the flowers.]

That'd be nice. Maybe reds, golds, and oranges for the most part with silver accents, as I imagine the fall would be ideal.

[And more importantly: fire]

I'll- have to ask Bunicuta about what kinds would be good. I only know the ones for fighting shit.

[ But hey, maybe he'll learn on the job. Or just make really, really vampire-proof gardens. ]

...I suppose there's no chance at all of it being a small thing? We've had an awful lot of big parties.

[ This is probably not something that is on the table, sadly. Alucard is still a prince, after all. ]

Even if we have to have a big ceremony for one reason or another...

[Like Dracula, or Theodora, or hell, Father Robert, even — ]

...We could have a small one for just ourselves, too, couldn't we? A little one, like a secret.

[She lifts her hand with the ribbon on it, turning it over to appraise it quietly.]

Like these.

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