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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only | Expand All

...True, this is probably closer to an environment you're used to. No disrespect intended.

[It's just that Trevor's likely to have been in rowdy bars before, in contrast to the prim and proper and so very sheltered dhampir. Alucard starts to walk up the path to the front door, but he stops dead in his tracks at Trevor's comment.

And his face looks exactly like there's a broom handle up his ass.]

I do not! And how on earth does one have bad posture on purpose? It seems that doing such would be just as bad if not worse, because someone would pick up that one is faking it.

Practically home.

[ Well, no. Home is the outskirts of Romania, an ancient estate on top of a library of secrets. Home is slowly becoming a castle with shifting rooms. Noise and alcohol and chaos have never been home, only the place between them. Still, he's more comfortable with this kind of thing than with the fancy parties.

He puts a hand on Alucard's back, pushing his shoulders down a little. ]

Just act like you're really, really disappointed in me, and the posture will come naturally. I'm sure I'll be able to give you some inspiration there.

[Alucard pauses, considering how he usually looks when Trevor is indeed, causing the vampire to be disappointed in him. His shoulders droop a little, but the rest of his face scrunches up. Aware of it, Alucard forces things to smooth out, and he looks far more...normal. Not the vampire regent of the city and the son of Dracula, that much is certain.]

Better?

[They're both on the porch now, but Alucard's waiting to reach for the door. Trevor's approval is important in this moment.]

Or do they need to go lower?

That easy to imagine it, hmm?

[ Yes, Trevor. It’s very easy to picture being disappointed in you. He slaps Alucard on the back in approval, then throws an arm over his shoulder. He puts most of his weight onto him, the very picture of a drunkard needing his friend for structural support. He’ll ‘recover’ if they need to separate, but right now it’s important they have a reason to stick close without suspicion. ]

‘S go in. [ His French is less accented than his English, and his acting is a little better in the former than the latter. So French it is. ] I love you. I love everyone here.

[Alucard's shoulders suddenly sink from the arm around his shoulders and...he understands the arrangement. There is a curt nod of his head, and because Alucard can, a very brief smooch to the top of Trevor's.]

Use Romanian if something's amiss.

[With that, he opens the door.

The main entrance is just as festive as Theodora's might be, but in the place of some elegant floral display or new sculpture or anything else is a great cask that has been enchanted to spurt out bourbon into constantly rotating glasses that somehow always seem to have fresh ice. The band is loud and mad and having the time of it's life, just visible from the point of entry. The dancing crowd has had to move out here too, and it mixes merrily with those drinking.

Someone recognizes Alucard, but the only greeting is a loud:]

'Eeeeeeeey look who showed!

[ Shit.

He was hoping they'd have at least twenty minutes before Alucard was recognised. It's only lucky that the city doesn't know that there's a Belmont working with him yet. A human hunter, yes, but not the specifics. They won't be too on their guard. He leans into his act (and into Alucard), raising an arm sloppily to his mouth in a shushing motion. ]

Huuuuush. [ He says, french slurred but thankfully not as accented as his english, stench of humanity hopefully overpowered by the smell of alcohol. His face is the kind of smile that he might wear if he were a happy drunk, as sloppy as his movements but not quite reaching his eyes. ] Uptight little fuck needs to see what a party is like when you don't have daddy's shadow ruining the mood, don't you think?

[ ...he's going to need to apologise later, isn't he? Even if he does, he's pretty sure he'll be sleeping in his own room tonight for that remark. ]

Cross your fingers and hope he doesn't melt if he has a good time.

[There is a moment or so of silence from those who have taken notice of Alucard's entrance, but that's mostly because of language switching. Somewhere, a glass falls, and a loud cheer goes up. Someone calls out:]

This one's what the city needs!

[So, Trevor's popular already. Which is good, because Alucard looks absolutely scandalized by what just came out of Trevor's mouth. Very lowly he leans down, hissing into Trevor's ear:]

Protesting a bit too much.

[Please just never refer to Dracula that way ever again Trevor.

But there's a crowd around them now, surging them both forward and to the buffet area where there are actual blood fountains for the correct degrees, and human food for the humans around. Alucard's handed too many glassfulls of blood in tiny shot glasses, and as quickly as he takes them down, he holds up a hand.]

That's more than enough for the time being. Our esteemed host is where....?

[ In trouble or not, he’s at least managed to set the tone they want. Alucard being treated as another guest, the party’s atmosphere largely unchanged. Trevor nurses a glass, managing at least for now to resist the temptation to do anything more. He elbows a nearby vampire. ]

Hey, where’s the boss. Got to pay the man my compliments.

[ They’re guided through the house to a sitting area that’s a little calmer than the rest of the place and a man in a garish suit patterned rather like one of Agatha’s tablecloths. He looks up from his glass coolly and at once Trevor becomes aware of a gap in their intelligence.

They know that this man was close friends with Dorian and only distant acquaintances with Dorian. They don’t know which Dorians. Trevor tenses, trying to gauge whether the man’s look is that of a man staring down his friend’s executioner. ]

[The man doesn't miss a beat after that moment over the glass. He's all charm, walking over with his hand extended and drink still in hand. When he speaks, the accent is most certainly not that of New Orleans, but from much further north.]

Adrian! I know that this appearance is all politics, but I'm glad to have you all the same. From the sounds of it, you've already gotten as warm a welcome as any guest receives here.

[Alucard's hand takes the man's, and he shakes it with a calm and cool throughness that is absolutely not what he needs to be projecting.]

If that's standard greeting then, I must admire your commitment to equality.

[That gets a very big laugh from the man, along with a bigger grin.]

That's the idea! No one's ever going to outdo Our Lady of Celebrations around these parts, but if I can host something different for the folks closer to my age, then we're all happy at everyone's events. I haven't heard of your hunter friend showing up in such a state to one of hers, so I take that as an honor too.

[The vampire's eyes seem to challenge Trevor's act, at least for a moment. Alucard picks up on it too, but he's very quick to fix the matter.]

Trevor, this is Philo, one of the younger generations around these parts. He was turned...I suppose what, in the--

[And at that, Philo jumps right in.]

1865, near the end of the war. My regiment was from Connecticut, and well, that's a whole other story. Been here for some time now, but the city's ever changing and that suits me just fine.

Always a lot of turnings, when things get shitty. Gives people a lot of reasons to think about mortality, I suppose.

[ He's back to English. There's not a great deal of sense in pretending right now. At least not in front of their host. He still doesn't know which Dorian this guy liked, but there's no sense in playing dumb at someone who knows you're only playing it. ]

If it's any consolation, I plan on actually being in this state in an hour or so. Didn't want to being the mood down in the meantime. [ He rubs the back of his neck, a little embarrassed at being caught out being sober. ] We got word that Dorian's friends were meaning to start shit with- Dorian's friends here. I think we'd all rather avoid anything happening that might catch the interests of the elders, you know?

That it do. And I appreciate you dropping the guise as well. It isn't a bad humbug for most folks here who are already so far gone that the idea of a hunter showing up to a party fulla bloodsuckers won't give them pause.

[Alucard just looks tired at this. Philo's a talker. Not his favorite vampire.]

It's as my associate says and you've already summised. Politics. It isn't as if we expect you not to enforce your own rules about starting such fights, but...

Insurance. Understood, gentlemen, understood. I had hoped that tonight might just be an olive branch for everyone who took sides and opinions in the situation, but there is alcohol involved.

[Alucard can only nod.]

We'll blend in as much as possible. I...the band is quite good. [Alucard's eyes do travel to Trevor's for a moment. They may have to fake it. Or well, not fake it at all, but play along a little harder than they might.]

A bad- humbug.

[ He repeats it slowly, and then shrugs. It's probably just one of those weird american sayings, like jumping out of a train. He just slaps Alucard on the back instead, guiding him away. ]

That's the spirit. You may yet experience fun tonight.

[Alucard manages a more polite good bye before Trevor guides him away, and while they still need to keep the act up for everyone else it's...

...interesting. This is the first time he hasn't truly been held up to any sort of expectation in terms of how he ought to act or behave as the most important person in the room. No one thinks he is here, and that brings a sense of freedom the dhampir has long since lacked.

He pauses, then looks sidelong to Trevor.]

We could dance.

'Could' is a strong word.

[ -he says that, but there's something to Alucard's voice. He doesn't even need to say anything else. He sighs, extending a hand. ]

I hope you weren't expecting any dances from this century.

You can still say no, I promise.

[Right. As Alucard takes Trevor's hand in his and squeezes.]

No, I wasn't. But luckily for you, the current dance trends are hardly difficult to pick up and everyone here is too drunk to notice anyway.

[He pauses, then grins with confidence.] Or you can do what Sypha did during waltzes at Theodora's the first few times and stand on my feet.

And ruin your first real party this year? Not happening.

[ But he does need to not stand out too much, and- well. Standing on Alucard's feet is the better option for that. Humiliating, but better. He moves in close, placing his feet over his (this was probably easier with Sypha and her smaller feet). ]

Lead on.

What do you mean real party?

[He leans in to plant a moment's kiss under Trevor's ear. It isn't much, but it's an attempt to be reassuring. Because the tempo has just changed to something far more frantic, and Alucard wiggles his feet under Trevor's.]

I lied. Feet on top of feet don't work for a dance like this.

Any party where you don't spend half the time standing around being important and miserable.

[ He frees Alucard's feet, sighing. He's used to hearing music with this tempo, not dancing to it. It's usually just a backdrop to the drinking. ]

Well shit. Just lead, I'll improvise. I'm meant to be drunk anyway.

...I can't actually argue with that statement. Which makes me resent it deeply.

[Alucard is confident enough to take both of Trevor's hands though, before bridging the gap between them so that they're torso to torso. Easy enough to guide Trevor's hand to his hips and then to do the same, the other suspended above them.

There. And then his feet start to move, back, forth, side and side, the pattern slow so Trevor can try and get a sense of it before it actually hits the correct speed for the music.]

It's music where you're supposed to be drunk and full of sugary cocktails anyway.

[ He does try to follow, he really does, but it isn't any sort of dance he's used to. The only dance he knows that could match this speed is a galop, and he's self-aware enough to know that that would be horribly out of place here.

And so he tries to imitate. Back and forward, then to the sides, and-

-well, it's a very good job that he's been acting like a drunkard. And It's a very good job Alucard is more than capable of holding his weight without it appearing to be any effort at all, because the second he tries to match the speed of the music he trips over his own feet. ]

-let me try that again.

As many times you need.

[Alucard tries not to laugh at Trevor's mistake. So he mutes it, instead appreciating that Trevor's making an absolute attempt to do it at all.

He slows himself down, demonstrating the first step again.]

Here. Like this.

[ He tries again. Imitates. It's- easier if he tries to think of it like his lessons back at the hold. Not just the dancing lessons, but the lessons on fighting with the whip. He has to hold himself a certain way, then move into the next step a certain way.

He manages the steps this time, though he's not quite confident enough to try to match the pace of the music as he goes through them. He matches Alucard's pace instead, slow and steady. ]

That right?

[Alucard's eyes drift between Trevor's feet and those around them. Yes, this is fairly relaxing as far as parties go, but they've both long since learned that being in a relaxed environment doesn't mean a damn thing as far as Alucard's safety goes.

But Trevor nails it, and that earns a real dhampir smile. Not a put upon one.]

Mmmhmmm. Let's do it a few more times at this pace and then fa--

[Goddamnit.]

Don't take that in any other meaning, please.

[ He chuckles. He wouldn't have caught it if Alucard didn't point it out, too focused on his steps to be teasing. But since Alucard has so kindly pointed the potential euphemism out- ]

So how would you like me to take it?

[ And, just in case he's not made it clear enough, he leans in to whisper. Ruining his footwork in the process. ] Any pace you like.

[N o. What has the vampire done to himself.]

I hate you at some moments.

[Alucard maybe uses this moment to gently tap his foot against Trevor's. As a form of protest.]

Try again.

20s AU Post

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)