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Can't, or won't? That seems an important distinction.
[He has to poke at the den, doesn't he?]
[He has to poke at the den, doesn't he?]
Very well.
[Alucard does remain seated. His eyes, however, move up and meet Trevor's, quietly wondering what it is the Belmont is thinking.]
[Alucard does remain seated. His eyes, however, move up and meet Trevor's, quietly wondering what it is the Belmont is thinking.]
Can't. I can lie down and close my eyes anywhere I please. Maybe even close my eyes for a while and stop thinking. Could do it here, if I wanted.
[ And honestly? That sounds like it'd be nice. Just closing his eyes here. Letting the warmth revive him, letting Alucard's fingers keep moving through his hair. ]
But it doesn't work right anywhere but the den. Just get more tired.
[ And honestly? That sounds like it'd be nice. Just closing his eyes here. Letting the warmth revive him, letting Alucard's fingers keep moving through his hair. ]
But it doesn't work right anywhere but the den. Just get more tired.
[Alucard's fingers go still for a moment at that particular revelation. It's strange. But then his fingers resume their work and Alucard only nods.]
Would I be permitted to examine your den after the snow settles?
Would I be permitted to examine your den after the snow settles?
[ He just stands there for a while. Considering. Measuring. Balancing things against things against things in his head and coming to conclusions that can't easily be read on his face.
Then he bends, just a little, so that the top of Alucard's head comes just about up to his collar and wraps his arms around him tightly. Trying to pull him as close as possible. Trying to put himself between Alucard and the world as much as possible.
It's careful, almost experimental. ]
Then he bends, just a little, so that the top of Alucard's head comes just about up to his collar and wraps his arms around him tightly. Trying to pull him as close as possible. Trying to put himself between Alucard and the world as much as possible.
It's careful, almost experimental. ]
[It's the strangest waiting game Alucard's ever played with Trevor. And yet by the end of it, Alucard can't say he minds. Oh, yes, the angle is weird as hell, but the rest? He can't lie the rest is lovely.
So Alucard uses one hand to pat Trevor's forearm, soft and reassuring but saying nothing for the moment. That would ruin the experiment.]
So Alucard uses one hand to pat Trevor's forearm, soft and reassuring but saying nothing for the moment. That would ruin the experiment.]
No.
[ It's sharper than anything else so far, and he suddenly pulls his head away from Alucard's fingers. He can feel the loss keenly, but not so keenly as the sudden terror of the idea of someone poking around in the fireplace.
Someone was there before, looking for something. And he doesn't know how he knows that but he does and he hates the idea. ]
[ It's sharper than anything else so far, and he suddenly pulls his head away from Alucard's fingers. He can feel the loss keenly, but not so keenly as the sudden terror of the idea of someone poking around in the fireplace.
Someone was there before, looking for something. And he doesn't know how he knows that but he does and he hates the idea. ]
[Trevor.
You know he's going to.
Alucard doesn't hide the disappointment on his face, and he keeps his fingers where they once were.]
Very well. I will beg you to reconsider, but I will not do so now.
You know he's going to.
Alucard doesn't hide the disappointment on his face, and he keeps his fingers where they once were.]
Very well. I will beg you to reconsider, but I will not do so now.
[ It's- yes. This is correct. And perhaps why he needs to be physically larger in order to feel like he's doing a better job of doing protecting should be something he examines at some point. But for now what matters is that this feels correct. This feels like Alucard throwing himself into danger is not, in fact, a sound strategy. Like he can protect him.
He feels safe. ]
This- this okay?
[ It doesn't matter if this makes him feel safe if it isn't, after all. ]
He feels safe. ]
This- this okay?
[ It doesn't matter if this makes him feel safe if it isn't, after all. ]
The angle's a little odd.
[He says it softly, with a laugh threaded under the statement.]
Sit down? The rest is perfectly fine.
[He says it softly, with a laugh threaded under the statement.]
Sit down? The rest is perfectly fine.
I-
[ Okay, so he was going to announce his intention to leave. But his body still feels heavy and useless. ]
-I'll stay here. Go see to your wife.
[ Okay, so he was going to announce his intention to leave. But his body still feels heavy and useless. ]
-I'll stay here. Go see to your wife.
[Alucard tuts softly.]
I was going to ask you to come with me to do that.
I was going to ask you to come with me to do that.
[Alucard pauses. A part of him wants to argue Hector's point about humans being more logical and reasonable than beasts, but that isn't the point of this discussion. He asked and said he'd listen. Not debate human nature.
The idea of demons invading villages though? That does give him some pause.]
So you were mostly in the mountains. Did you ever venture towards the east and the land the Turks call their home?
[As a point of clarification there:] They and the Arabic scholars beyond have a far better understanding of physical sciences than those in the west.
The idea of demons invading villages though? That does give him some pause.]
So you were mostly in the mountains. Did you ever venture towards the east and the land the Turks call their home?
[As a point of clarification there:] They and the Arabic scholars beyond have a far better understanding of physical sciences than those in the west.
In the case of my family, it was understood as a matter of biological science and nothing more.
[Never mind the particulars, which Alucard knows more than ever to avoid.]
The art in there was made by someone who truly believed the creatures within to be real, but assigned no moral judgement to them. They were simply other animals to study.
[Hector's notebooks had long outlived the man. Alucard retained them out of a sense of respect to his father.]
[Never mind the particulars, which Alucard knows more than ever to avoid.]
The art in there was made by someone who truly believed the creatures within to be real, but assigned no moral judgement to them. They were simply other animals to study.
[Hector's notebooks had long outlived the man. Alucard retained them out of a sense of respect to his father.]
Hmmmm...
[An interested hum and a new appreciation of the pictures and the attention to detail provided as she turns each page with delicate fingers.]
As it should be, in my personal opinion anyway. Hysteria does no good in the face of dark truths, though that is what they look to inspire. Moral judgment is not entirely objective either even if we wish it to be so.
[An interested hum and a new appreciation of the pictures and the attention to detail provided as she turns each page with delicate fingers.]
As it should be, in my personal opinion anyway. Hysteria does no good in the face of dark truths, though that is what they look to inspire. Moral judgment is not entirely objective either even if we wish it to be so.
Yes, I’ve been to Turkey, but not beyond. I preferred the islands off of the coast. Islands are fascinating as microcosms of life.
[And if you steered away from the ones used as waypoints for sailors, usually less populated.]
You have to remember, we aren’t all polyglots. I avoided lands where my Greek or Romanian wouldn’t serve.
[And if you steered away from the ones used as waypoints for sailors, usually less populated.]
You have to remember, we aren’t all polyglots. I avoided lands where my Greek or Romanian wouldn’t serve.
That's true. They are often their own microbiomes, and I'm sure that appeals to your biologist nature.
[He's a necromancer of course, but that's the flip side of studying life science isn't it? Alucard knows that, and perhaps in another time and place, Hector's kinder nature could win out and let him live a more peaceful life.]
A mistake I've been accused of making more than once. My apologies.
[He's a necromancer of course, but that's the flip side of studying life science isn't it? Alucard knows that, and perhaps in another time and place, Hector's kinder nature could win out and let him live a more peaceful life.]
A mistake I've been accused of making more than once. My apologies.
Yes. I think if I were to build myself a lab, it would be on an island.
[He is a biologist, really. Death is a part of life, and you can't truly study one without the other. If Hector could ever be left to his own devices, he would lose himself in his studies and be a threat to precisely no one. But the likelihood of that happening is so tiny as to be unimaginable.]
It is fine. I'd rather someone assume I am smarter than I am than dumber.
[He is a biologist, really. Death is a part of life, and you can't truly study one without the other. If Hector could ever be left to his own devices, he would lose himself in his studies and be a threat to precisely no one. But the likelihood of that happening is so tiny as to be unimaginable.]
It is fine. I'd rather someone assume I am smarter than I am than dumber.
Me?
[ He manages to sit up a little straighter at that. It aches, but it's good to know that his body can move. ]
I did this to her. She's not going to want to have me around.
[ He manages to sit up a little straighter at that. It aches, but it's good to know that his body can move. ]
I did this to her. She's not going to want to have me around.
Have you talked to her at all since it happened?
[Good, he can move. Alucard pauses and reaches behind him. There's a towel there, he knows it and--ah. There. He brings it over and rests it beside him.]
[Good, he can move. Alucard pauses and reaches behind him. There's a towel there, he knows it and--ah. There. He brings it over and rests it beside him.]
I can see you living in such a situation.
[He means that as a compliment, truly. Not because Hector is a safer presence for all if he's away from humanity, but because he already knows how to forage and take care of his needs from that perspective.]
You're not dumb at all.
[Just totally lacking STREET SMARTS. /john mulaney voice]
[He means that as a compliment, truly. Not because Hector is a safer presence for all if he's away from humanity, but because he already knows how to forage and take care of his needs from that perspective.]
You're not dumb at all.
[Just totally lacking STREET SMARTS. /john mulaney voice]
[Now you’ve THROWN HIM OFF HIS RHYTHM, Alucard!!]
Well, that is arguable. I did end up following two separate vampires’ evil plots.
[And you know what they say. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...]
But I appreciate the thought all the same.
Well, that is arguable. I did end up following two separate vampires’ evil plots.
[And you know what they say. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice...]
But I appreciate the thought all the same.
The fuck would I say to her? 'You're a rock because you're an idiot who can't follow instructions'?
[ He clambers gracelessly from the bathtub, ignores the towel and proceeds to try to shake himself dry like a dog. It doesn't work as well when human-shaped. ]
[ He clambers gracelessly from the bathtub, ignores the towel and proceeds to try to shake himself dry like a dog. It doesn't work as well when human-shaped. ]
[ He pulls a chair over, sitting and returning to eye-level with Alucard. It's- a little disappointing to be back like this, but only a little. He reaches out a hand, touching the side of his face. ]
You don't need to be kept safe. But you deserve it. Deserve more than you'd ever accept.
You don't need to be kept safe. But you deserve it. Deserve more than you'd ever accept.
[TRULY IF THERE WAS EVER A NECROMANCER IN NEED OF J J BITTENBINDER ADVICE....]
There's a pointed difference between intellectual intelligence and inter-personal intelligence.
[OKAY MAYBE DON'T BE SO RUDE ALUCARD????]
There's a pointed difference between intellectual intelligence and inter-personal intelligence.
[OKAY MAYBE DON'T BE SO RUDE ALUCARD????]
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