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[ Meals are quiet, but things are easier than they were. Sypha's still having a difficult time of things, but she uses the distance mirror to watch her caravan. They're as well as could be hoped for, in the circumstances. Parked up in another town to help with rebuilding after Dracula's attacks, even working in mostly friendly cooperation with the town's church. That cooperation offers them a little protection, and she's relieved for it.
Aside from that, they try not to spend too much time in the hold. He's told her about- some of it. Told her that they might need her to bring the earth down on it. She's more resistant to the idea than he is. Killing ideas is against her nature. ]
God, please.
[ He's trying. He doesn't know what to do, other than to just do as he asked of Alucard. Exist in the same place. Stare into a dying fire together and pretend that it isn't an intensely depressing way to burn time. He pulls one of the blankets from around himself, tossing it to the side of the sofa closest to the door. Usually he takes the chair, but it's an invitation. ]
Aside from that, they try not to spend too much time in the hold. He's told her about- some of it. Told her that they might need her to bring the earth down on it. She's more resistant to the idea than he is. Killing ideas is against her nature. ]
God, please.
[ He's trying. He doesn't know what to do, other than to just do as he asked of Alucard. Exist in the same place. Stare into a dying fire together and pretend that it isn't an intensely depressing way to burn time. He pulls one of the blankets from around himself, tossing it to the side of the sofa closest to the door. Usually he takes the chair, but it's an invitation. ]
[He pours the wine. It's a white, sweet and floral in smell in contrast to the seasoned wood in the fireplace. Places it down on the coffee table in front of the fireplace, that way he doesn't have to risk touching Trevor.
His own glass is then filled. Then he sits at the very end of the sofa, but not before taking the blanket. It's draped over his shoulders after a moment, pulling it close.]
I hope white is acceptable. How are her people faring today?
His own glass is then filled. Then he sits at the very end of the sofa, but not before taking the blanket. It's draped over his shoulders after a moment, pulling it close.]
I hope white is acceptable. How are her people faring today?
[ It's asters he returns with, bright and colourful, along with a little change. Cheap enough, even if he didn't exactly manage to get a good deal on them, but nectar is nectar and he has plans for the brightly coloured petals. ]
These ones. I like these ones.
These ones. I like these ones.
[Alucard has a bag of vegetables now. Along with the fruit, and he's gone and gotten a few different types of bread. All that's left is the meat, and Alucard knows he has to do a real haggle.
But he comes back for Trevor first, and oh. He did get a riot of color, didn't he?
His smile is soft when he realizes how pleased Trevor is with the acquisition.]
You're just going to add color wherever you can, aren't you?
But he comes back for Trevor first, and oh. He did get a riot of color, didn't he?
His smile is soft when he realizes how pleased Trevor is with the acquisition.]
You're just going to add color wherever you can, aren't you?
Well enough. Someone's been trying to start shit, but the bishop of Braila has put them under his protection.
[ He sips at the wine. There's a good few feet of space between them, but it's the closest they've been in a while. Hard to say if it's progress. But they're trying. They're all trying so hard. ]
Only because he needs the help to keep his faithful well, I'm sure. Not out of the goodness of his heart. But it's good to see people acting in their own self-interest for once, instead of fucking themselves over out of spite.
[ He sips at the wine. There's a good few feet of space between them, but it's the closest they've been in a while. Hard to say if it's progress. But they're trying. They're all trying so hard. ]
Only because he needs the help to keep his faithful well, I'm sure. Not out of the goodness of his heart. But it's good to see people acting in their own self-interest for once, instead of fucking themselves over out of spite.
[Braila. He sighs at the name, and then takes a long sip of the wine. Alucard's been working at cutting back, but it's been a day. This is happening now too.]
That feels like a minor miracle, in truth.
[Because everything else? Everything else is falling apart.]
Good for all of them that they're rebuilding as they are.
That feels like a minor miracle, in truth.
[Because everything else? Everything else is falling apart.]
Good for all of them that they're rebuilding as they are.
Only a little. I have a plan.
[ He strokes a finger over the petals of one of the flowers. They'll make good thread. Bright, but not in any shade that they've not already seen on the cloth market stalls. Probably safe enough. ]
Mostly? I'm going to eat them a little.
[ Nom nom nectar. ]
[ He strokes a finger over the petals of one of the flowers. They'll make good thread. Bright, but not in any shade that they've not already seen on the cloth market stalls. Probably safe enough. ]
Mostly? I'm going to eat them a little.
[ Nom nom nectar. ]
--Ah. I could buy some honey, if you'd like.
[He's not sure what the plan is. But he's looking forward to it.]
[He's not sure what the plan is. But he's looking forward to it.]
You know how it goes. Sometimes a little genocide brings out the best in people. Or at least the most pragmatic.
[ The wine isn't nearly enough to get him even close to drunk, but it'll be enough to help him sleep.
He pauses for a long, long time. ]
There's- there's shit I can't tell you yet. And it's not because we want to keep secrets from you. I just- cant. [ The fire crackles, and he squints his eyes at it. ] But have you heard of a place called Lindenfeld?
[ The wine isn't nearly enough to get him even close to drunk, but it'll be enough to help him sleep.
He pauses for a long, long time. ]
There's- there's shit I can't tell you yet. And it's not because we want to keep secrets from you. I just- cant. [ The fire crackles, and he squints his eyes at it. ] But have you heard of a place called Lindenfeld?
It's only ever the pragmatic.
[He's feeling far more cynical about humanity these days. Uses that pause to drain the rest of his wine and pour himself a second glass.]
No. That sounds closer to Germanic though rather than Wallachian.
[He's feeling far more cynical about humanity these days. Uses that pause to drain the rest of his wine and pour himself a second glass.]
No. That sounds closer to Germanic though rather than Wallachian.
Really?
[ Every moment he seems to grow more excited about something or another, but the promise of honey seems to be the most exciting thing yet. ]
It wouldn't be too much, would it?
[ He has no idea what things cost in human money, okay? ]
[ Every moment he seems to grow more excited about something or another, but the promise of honey seems to be the most exciting thing yet. ]
It wouldn't be too much, would it?
[ He has no idea what things cost in human money, okay? ]
Close to the Serbian border. Or- you know. Was.
[ Was. ]
We fucked up.
[ Was. ]
We fucked up.
No, it's common enough here.
[It's a little expensive. But not by too much.]
Let's go get some.
[It's a little expensive. But not by too much.]
Let's go get some.
Did you? Or did circumstances simply get worse?
Where do they keep it?
[ Honey! For him! He's going to have flowers and honey and he went on a date with Alucard and Alucard is GIVING HIM PRESENTS this is the best day. ]
Show me?
[ Honey! For him! He's going to have flowers and honey and he went on a date with Alucard and Alucard is GIVING HIM PRESENTS this is the best day. ]
Show me?
[Alucard gestures for Trevor to follow. He knows one of the dried fruits sellers usually has it and---
--he's right, and he haggles for the honey alone with a new supply of dried dates because he is actually running low. It is more expensive, but it means Alucard is walking away with a larger jaw of honey than usual.
He hands that bag of goods to Trevor.]
Can you carry this please? It's a little too heavy, and we still have to go get the meat.
--he's right, and he haggles for the honey alone with a new supply of dried dates because he is actually running low. It is more expensive, but it means Alucard is walking away with a larger jaw of honey than usual.
He hands that bag of goods to Trevor.]
Can you carry this please? It's a little too heavy, and we still have to go get the meat.
Does the difference matter?
[ It doesn't feel like it does. ]
They got worse and we could have stopped them. Should have. We should have just gone in, slit up everyone who was fucking things up and the head man for good measure, and left. But we did things right. Her way. With investigating, and trying to find out the truth. The slow way.
[ He takes a gulp of the wine. ]
I'm meant to protect her from shit like this. I know better. This shit doesn't get to me anymore. But I got caught up in her thinking that we were big fucking heroes who could do everything the good way, and I let it backfire on her. On a lot of people.
[ It doesn't feel like it does. ]
They got worse and we could have stopped them. Should have. We should have just gone in, slit up everyone who was fucking things up and the head man for good measure, and left. But we did things right. Her way. With investigating, and trying to find out the truth. The slow way.
[ He takes a gulp of the wine. ]
I'm meant to protect her from shit like this. I know better. This shit doesn't get to me anymore. But I got caught up in her thinking that we were big fucking heroes who could do everything the good way, and I let it backfire on her. On a lot of people.
[He's quiet. But he listens, and then? Then the guilt grows. The details aren't exacting, but he can understand where things ended. Too many deaths, and someone in charge related to the reason why some of that was a problem.
And Trevor lays the blame at his own feet. Because things were going well.
Eventually, he manages:]
I would have taken the slow way too. Because it was safer and would have seemingly gotten fewer people hurt.
And Trevor lays the blame at his own feet. Because things were going well.
Eventually, he manages:]
I would have taken the slow way too. Because it was safer and would have seemingly gotten fewer people hurt.
Of course.
[ It's theoretically one of the reasons he came along, after all. Even if the real reason was closer to just wanting to spend time with Alucard. It seems like it would be difficult to carry much and to use the cane. He hooks the bag from a wrist so that he can continue clutching the flowers, and now the jar of honey, against himself. His presents. His presents from Alucard. ]
What's left? Just meat?
[ It's theoretically one of the reasons he came along, after all. Even if the real reason was closer to just wanting to spend time with Alucard. It seems like it would be difficult to carry much and to use the cane. He hooks the bag from a wrist so that he can continue clutching the flowers, and now the jar of honey, against himself. His presents. His presents from Alucard. ]
What's left? Just meat?
Yes. Sypha's diet needs more protein, now that she can stomach it. Chickpeas and other legumes are fine, but it'll be better like this.
[He takes a sudden turn, and things change. There's now meat behind all the counters. Chickens and cows, fish brought in from the sea. No pork for all the obvious reasons.
But it's fish that Alucard goes for first. Picking three out, hoping Sypha will be willing to try and eat the whole thing.
His eyes go to Trevor every so often, just watching him react.]
[He takes a sudden turn, and things change. There's now meat behind all the counters. Chickens and cows, fish brought in from the sea. No pork for all the obvious reasons.
But it's fish that Alucard goes for first. Picking three out, hoping Sypha will be willing to try and eat the whole thing.
His eyes go to Trevor every so often, just watching him react.]
We could have torched the place ourselves, in the end, and it would have ended better. At least the ones that didn't get off on murdering all the little children would have gone somewhere better.
[ He drains the glass. It's not enough. The entire fucking wine cellar wouldn't be enough. ]
I shouldn't be putting this on you. I shouldn't need to put it on anyone. But she's hurt. She's hurt, and I let it happen because I turned into an idiot the second a pretty girl grabbed my hand and said that things didn't have to be shit.
[ He drains the glass. It's not enough. The entire fucking wine cellar wouldn't be enough. ]
I shouldn't be putting this on you. I shouldn't need to put it on anyone. But she's hurt. She's hurt, and I let it happen because I turned into an idiot the second a pretty girl grabbed my hand and said that things didn't have to be shit.
--Fuck.
[Child murdering. Fuck. No wonder. No wonder.
His shoulders almost cave in.]
You were happy. That's allowed to happen.
[Child murdering. Fuck. No wonder. No wonder.
His shoulders almost cave in.]
You were happy. That's allowed to happen.
[ Oh. It's an entire sea of flesh. That's neat.
He looks around, finding less game than he expected. Much of the meat is from livestock, and he's not very accustomed to the idea of farming. Chickens, he knows, and those are what he gets distracted by while Alucard pays for the fish. They're laying hens rather than birds for eating, and he crouches down by the cage to look at them as they wander about or sit in perfect chicken-shapes to snooze, unbothered by the crowds. ]
I wanted to find birds to put in the garden, before. [ He says. ] For eggs. And company. But I think Eight would have bothered them.
He looks around, finding less game than he expected. Much of the meat is from livestock, and he's not very accustomed to the idea of farming. Chickens, he knows, and those are what he gets distracted by while Alucard pays for the fish. They're laying hens rather than birds for eating, and he crouches down by the cage to look at them as they wander about or sit in perfect chicken-shapes to snooze, unbothered by the crowds. ]
I wanted to find birds to put in the garden, before. [ He says. ] For eggs. And company. But I think Eight would have bothered them.
Eight probably would have chased them around too much. Stressed them out so they couldn't lay.
[The chickens are where Alucard heads next, so it's actually rather good timing. He looks at Trevor, then the hens, then back to Trevor.]
I'm nearly done. I'm getting some of their less living relatives, and then we can head back.
[The chickens are where Alucard heads next, so it's actually rather good timing. He looks at Trevor, then the hens, then back to Trevor.]
I'm nearly done. I'm getting some of their less living relatives, and then we can head back.
Doesn't feel like it, these days. [ A bitter laugh. ] Shouldn't have left, should we?
[ It's the first time he's brought that particular thing up. He puts the glass down on the table, looking up to stare at the ceiling. ]
Your hunters wouldn't have tried shit. And nobody would need to know about the little village that got condemned to hell. She'd still be happy. We could have just won once then stopped and not tried again.
[ It's the first time he's brought that particular thing up. He puts the glass down on the table, looking up to stare at the ceiling. ]
Your hunters wouldn't have tried shit. And nobody would need to know about the little village that got condemned to hell. She'd still be happy. We could have just won once then stopped and not tried again.
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