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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Never will.

[ He takes a step forward and down, and the dizziness is awful but Alucard is right there - it's impossible for him to fall. ]

That's one.

Mmm. Move your foot forward, the stairs are wide here. Then move it down.

[ He pats his foot down a few times before finding the step and stepping down. Two. Still dizzy, but this is working.

His head flops down against Alucard's shoulder, and he sighs. It sounds relieved, almost. ]

Thank you.

What else am I good for if I cannot accomplish this?

[He's serious, because the vampire has always and will always prioritize the other two first.]

I could name a few things.

[ Another few steps. He has his bearings, now, and he has Alucard as a compass. He knows which way he's going- it's always to close the gap between himself and Alucard. It's easier to judge the distance. ]

You- would tell me, wouldn't you? If you resented this.

Things that don't happen in the bedroom.

[In a few days, if this remains for a few days, the vampire may float beside Trevor to let him have the luxury of feeling like he's moving on his own. Now, now all the vampire wants is to be clung to. Needed.]

I would. If I ever did.

[He'll shower Trevor i the appropriate affection when they are not on the stairs.]

You take care of me in all the stupidest little ways. I can only begin to repay that.

It's not the same. I'm not meant to-

[ He's not meant to need help. He's meant to be able to do this himself. Alucard needing help isn't the same. Alucard was never trained for this. ]

You're important.

As are you.

[Last step. Last step and they're in the kitchen, moving on from all of this.]

I'll scream it to the ends of the earth until you know it and know it well.

It's-

[ It's going to be an argument that just lasts forever, isn't it? Belmonts are meant to be disposable. Meant to be replaceable. He has a keen idea of what his life must be worth, and it's not optimistic. ]

That's the last one, isn't it? [ He's been counting. ] Not far, now.

Yes, last step.

[Alucard sighs. His stupid Belmont's brain wiring.]

I'll change the metaphor. As shields protect, so must they be attended to to last forever.

Mm.

[ He makes his way down the last step and, just for a moment, just settles against Alucard. Still. ]

Shields are things. Not meant to last forever. Replaceable.

[Well, there' the crux, isn't it.]

Yet many do. Endure. Because they're cared for, important, and loved.

Loved.

[ Loved.

He sinks against Alucard, head against his shoulder. It's still a month and a half away, Sypha explaining this all to him, pulling his head out and putting it into words he understands just because she's worn and tired and has nothing better to do. But he understands for his a moment. He doesn't mind being broken. He doesn't mind being thrown away. He doesn't mind much of anything that happens to him, not too much, and the uselessness is agony but it's agony because he's being kept despite it.

But Alucard minds him being broken. Sypha minds. ]

Doesn't usually make a difference for Belmonts, that. Hard- hard to get my head around.

I'll say it until it's something you internalize and replace with all other notions of use.

[They're off the stairs now, but the vampire is so very, very still. Trevor needs to hear this. It upsets him sometimes, how Trevor views himself, how easy to throw away he thinks he is. That kind of perspective, it's mortifying to hear from anyone, never mind someone so terribly precious.

The stillness lingers.]

We both will. Forever, if we have to. Because you're not ust a Belmont to us.

I'll try. No promises. But I'll try.

[ It's not the usual response, to Alucard being protective. Not the blissful, useless quiet. It's heavier, weak, struggling with it. But it's grateful. And struggling- struggling is still trying. ]

I'll work on wanting to be more than just a Belmont.

Focus on her then. Wanting to be more than just that for her.

[He starts them moving again. The kitchen. Food. A place to start.]

[ It's easier, now the stairs are done. He still needs Alucard as a guide, but he can stay on his feet without leaning against him. ]

That's- difficult, right now.

[ Wait oops he accidentally an upset again. They want him to be more than just a Belmont. They deserve him to be the best fucking Belmont that there is, and nothing else. ]

He's still out there. The best thing I could do for her is to make that not the case. And I can't fucking do that like this.

It's just a setback.

[That's all it can ever be. They'll find a way forward. Use limits to an advantage.]

And it could be the ultimate exercise in futility to worry.

I know. I know.

[ They should be close to the table by now, and he holds a hand out in expectation. He's almost there. If he can just make it to the table, then there'll be a chance that he can- he doesn't know. Make it further himself, next time. Make it further than the table. Achieve anything. ]

I love you. I love you both. And this- [ He gestures to himself, with one hand to the other, protection, and there's a hopelessness to it. ] -this is all I have to give you.

[They do reach the table, just as Trevor expects. It's a testament to memory, and Alucard is careful to make sure that Trevor is seated and comfortable before he remotely lets go.

Hell, he doesn't. He gets Trevor seated, then lingers, making sure that Trevor's hands are still in his.]

Relationships like this aren't transactional. I know you know that, but...

[It needs to be said. Now.]

[ It's a relief, to be sitting. It's not easy, and he can't lean back in the chair to be more stable - even cushioned as it is it would be too much pressure against the horrible rainbow of bruises there. But he can rest his arms against the table, use that to steady himself.

He made it. He made it as far as he meant to. And he needed help, but he did it on his own two feet. ]

I know, I just- [ All the love in the world won't do shit for either of them, if the necromancer comes back. If Carmilla begins whatever she's plotting in earnest. ] -I protect you both. That's how I love. That's what I am.

[It's the word how that makes everything click into place. Alucard knows Trevor can't see him nod or the look of absolute understanding, and maybe that's for the better.

He does squeeze Trevor's hand though, not to reassure but to express a much more precious thing. I understand. I understand so well. Because the vampire's an idiot who is possessive of them both and tries to be a fraction as protective as Trevor is. There's just been other expressions too that come just as easy. Cooking, for one.]

I cannot challenge a fundamental part of you. Then you would not be yourself.

[He won't press this or contradict or do anything more than kiss the top of Trevor's head.]

I want to believe that this isn't going to last. But- it's hard.

[ Hard not to be afraid. ]

If I can't protect you both, I don't know what I'll be.

You'll just find another way to do it. You are a man of infinite resources.

[Alucard pauses, just long enough to drag another chair over. He uses his foot to do it, so he doesn't have to stray from Trevor's side for even a moment.]

Tell me what else you need.

I'm not. I'm really, really not.

[ He just shakes his head helplessly. He can just about believe that he's loved. That that love is anything more than a massive fucking liability if he remains this way is harder to consider. ]

I'm going to guess that the wine's off limits.

I'll need help to get back up the stairs. And- water. Water would be nice.

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