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It'll only be a few moments. I promise.
[Alucard turns back from the thing at the mouth of the cave. He leans down, gathering up the blanket he had wrapped around himself and then gathers it all up, inching it closer to Trevor and putting it in a rough Alucard shape for him to hold onto.]
Hold fast to this until I'm back.
[But there's a rattle of something now, and Alucard's eyes flash a very dangerous shade indeed. Within a moment he is gone, using his natural speed to his advantage. Natural speed that sees him slam bodily into something at the mouth of the cave, something that makes an angry noise at Alucard, followed by a sudden spray of magic. It's supposed to be a web of some sort, meant to restrain.]
I think not.
[Alucard's dodged the spell already, and he now advances with blade drawn.]
[Alucard turns back from the thing at the mouth of the cave. He leans down, gathering up the blanket he had wrapped around himself and then gathers it all up, inching it closer to Trevor and putting it in a rough Alucard shape for him to hold onto.]
Hold fast to this until I'm back.
[But there's a rattle of something now, and Alucard's eyes flash a very dangerous shade indeed. Within a moment he is gone, using his natural speed to his advantage. Natural speed that sees him slam bodily into something at the mouth of the cave, something that makes an angry noise at Alucard, followed by a sudden spray of magic. It's supposed to be a web of some sort, meant to restrain.]
I think not.
[Alucard's dodged the spell already, and he now advances with blade drawn.]
[ There's the sound of glass against glass. The man - probably a man - ahead of Alucard wears long robes, but they're also bulky. There's more than a person beneath them. There's bottles and jars, numbering in the tens, maybe closer to the hundreds. Alucard dodges the web, and the tosses aside a jar containing a long, dark finger. It smashes and the finger collapses into dead spiders when it hits the ground.
He chooses another focus. A bottle this time, blood sloshing around in it. Giant's blood. When Alucard comes close, the man grabs at the blade of his sword with a bare hand, the one that isn't holding the bottle. His skin is like a giant's thick hide, no matter how human it looks, and the blade barely scrapes it. He pushes the blade aside with strength he shouldn't have. ]
Goodness. It would seem I'm in luck. Here I came hunting a sick fairy, and I find all manner of other prizes. A vampire. One of rank, I think. And do I smell a mage on the air, as well?
He chooses another focus. A bottle this time, blood sloshing around in it. Giant's blood. When Alucard comes close, the man grabs at the blade of his sword with a bare hand, the one that isn't holding the bottle. His skin is like a giant's thick hide, no matter how human it looks, and the blade barely scrapes it. He pushes the blade aside with strength he shouldn't have. ]
Goodness. It would seem I'm in luck. Here I came hunting a sick fairy, and I find all manner of other prizes. A vampire. One of rank, I think. And do I smell a mage on the air, as well?
[Alucard clocks the sound of glass, and....oh, he understands. He understands just enough, that the jars contain spell components and so to destroy those is to destroy his spell arsenal.
He can work with that. He can pull his sword back for a moment and then aim the sword for the man's robes and where he heard the jars clink together only moments before. This man has a thick hide. He doesn't have Alucard's speed, speed that lets him slam his sword into the man's robes, each strike aimed at where glass has sounded.]
You smell nothing but your own undoing.
[There's a darkness to the statement that sounds better on Dracula's tongue. So be it.]
He can work with that. He can pull his sword back for a moment and then aim the sword for the man's robes and where he heard the jars clink together only moments before. This man has a thick hide. He doesn't have Alucard's speed, speed that lets him slam his sword into the man's robes, each strike aimed at where glass has sounded.]
You smell nothing but your own undoing.
[There's a darkness to the statement that sounds better on Dracula's tongue. So be it.]
Oh no. I smell blood, vampire. Blood on the air.
[ Jars break, dropping their contents to the ground. Blood. Fingernails. An eye. a chunk of antler the size of a knife's handle. The man snatches the last before it falls to the ground. When Alucard's blade next strikes, it sails harmlessly through a cloud of moths.
The man reforms behind him. The giant's blood is set aside, and in its place is a long knife, thrusting toward the vampire's back. ]
[ Jars break, dropping their contents to the ground. Blood. Fingernails. An eye. a chunk of antler the size of a knife's handle. The man snatches the last before it falls to the ground. When Alucard's blade next strikes, it sails harmlessly through a cloud of moths.
The man reforms behind him. The giant's blood is set aside, and in its place is a long knife, thrusting toward the vampire's back. ]
[Alucard snarls, not quite feral but getting close to that point. He sees the antler, and...
fuck.
He understands how the components work, but he's already made the thrust with his sword. That it goes through is no surprise, but it also means that Alucard cannot keep using his sword. He needs to wake Sypha, but that means leaving Trevor undefended. If this thing wants a mage, then Alucard could very well be delivering exactly what's desired.
The knife does find it's way into the vampire's back, but it is not a vampire that is there. It is a wolf, a wolf who has thrown his sword aside on top of another jar in favor of getting himself some space. There's a pained yowl that sounds as the knife sinks in, but Alucard can still move. He sprints, four paws becoming two legs again when he has enough distance.
He reaches back to pull out the knife from his own back. He can't have the damn thing in his back, it could have spells.
In the cave, there's the sound of Alucard's small viewing mirror going off, and by now, an all too disapproving voice. Dracula's.]
Adrian?
fuck.
He understands how the components work, but he's already made the thrust with his sword. That it goes through is no surprise, but it also means that Alucard cannot keep using his sword. He needs to wake Sypha, but that means leaving Trevor undefended. If this thing wants a mage, then Alucard could very well be delivering exactly what's desired.
The knife does find it's way into the vampire's back, but it is not a vampire that is there. It is a wolf, a wolf who has thrown his sword aside on top of another jar in favor of getting himself some space. There's a pained yowl that sounds as the knife sinks in, but Alucard can still move. He sprints, four paws becoming two legs again when he has enough distance.
He reaches back to pull out the knife from his own back. He can't have the damn thing in his back, it could have spells.
In the cave, there's the sound of Alucard's small viewing mirror going off, and by now, an all too disapproving voice. Dracula's.]
Adrian?
...is-
[ Trevor stirs again, looking around blearily. Dracula's voice commands enough attention to wake him, but not enough to make him realise that it's probably a bad idea to let Dracula know what he's just done. ]
-is that his name?
[ Trevor stirs again, looking around blearily. Dracula's voice commands enough attention to wake him, but not enough to make him realise that it's probably a bad idea to let Dracula know what he's just done. ]
-is that his name?
[The good news: Dracula's angry at just seeing Trevor's face that it would take actual effort for him to detect the twitch of oh fuck in having made a name mistake.
The bad news: Dracula's angry!]
Where is my son, Belmont?
The bad news: Dracula's angry!]
Where is my son, Belmont?
Adrian. [ He repeats it to himself contentedly, apparently too dazed from sickness and the medicines, human and magical, he's been given or the pain to realise how bad an idea that is. ] It's beautiful.
[ And then he promptly forgets what's happening and buries his face in the blanket Alucard left him holding. ]
You're beautiful. It suits you. [ And then softer, lower- ] Come back.
[ And then he promptly forgets what's happening and buries his face in the blanket Alucard left him holding. ]
You're beautiful. It suits you. [ And then softer, lower- ] Come back.
[Dracula lets out a very, very annoyed noise. The Belmont is useless right now (when aren't they?), and so that means that in only a moment, there is a sudden and serious roll of thunder right over the cave.
Sypha's stirred by this point, a mix of the howling wolves, Dracula's voice, and the sudden shift in the weather. Alucard isn't there, and she can make out the distinct sound of a fight. It demands she disentangle herself from Trevor as well, but there is a low snarl from ahead that has Alucard's voice.]
Wait.
[It is addressed to her, but also to the suddenly furious sky. Alucard has blood dripping out of his back now, and the blade that was in his back has since been snapped in half. He bears fang at the source of the problem, and there is a low, feral fury in what happens next that makes it clear exactly whose son he is.
Alucard can't recall if the wizard is still moths. Or giant hided. Or anything else. He's smashed so many bottles. But oh, oh he embraces that man's neck with a horrible noise from deep in the pit of himself, ready to end this.]
Sypha's stirred by this point, a mix of the howling wolves, Dracula's voice, and the sudden shift in the weather. Alucard isn't there, and she can make out the distinct sound of a fight. It demands she disentangle herself from Trevor as well, but there is a low snarl from ahead that has Alucard's voice.]
Wait.
[It is addressed to her, but also to the suddenly furious sky. Alucard has blood dripping out of his back now, and the blade that was in his back has since been snapped in half. He bears fang at the source of the problem, and there is a low, feral fury in what happens next that makes it clear exactly whose son he is.
Alucard can't recall if the wizard is still moths. Or giant hided. Or anything else. He's smashed so many bottles. But oh, oh he embraces that man's neck with a horrible noise from deep in the pit of himself, ready to end this.]
I am waiting.
[ It’s petulant. Grumbling. It’s also the most normal thing that happens in those few seconds. Sypha has a ward up around the mouth of the cave before she’s even woken properly, one that only the three of them can move through. And the collector of parts-
He’s still holding the antler. And his exact weight might feel familiar. Trevor’s face stares back at Alucard, dangling uselessly by the neck in his hands. His face in health, with the antlers and without the long cut over one eye that seems to be threatening to be permanent. ]
[ It’s petulant. Grumbling. It’s also the most normal thing that happens in those few seconds. Sypha has a ward up around the mouth of the cave before she’s even woken properly, one that only the three of them can move through. And the collector of parts-
He’s still holding the antler. And his exact weight might feel familiar. Trevor’s face stares back at Alucard, dangling uselessly by the neck in his hands. His face in health, with the antlers and without the long cut over one eye that seems to be threatening to be permanent. ]
[He's holding the antler and he's wearing Trevor's face. Alucard doesn't care, because he knows the truth of all of this. When he tears a hunk of flesh away from Not Trevor's throat, the blood is red and tastes so very human. There's no green, there's no distinct taste of the fae wilds, there is only human.
Overhead, the thunder sounds a second time and there is a note of approval in the long, low, rolling noise.
Alucard spits out the flesh, staring down at the Collector of Parts with absolute fury.]
You were not wrong about blood in the air.
Overhead, the thunder sounds a second time and there is a note of approval in the long, low, rolling noise.
Alucard spits out the flesh, staring down at the Collector of Parts with absolute fury.]
You were not wrong about blood in the air.
[ The collector does not respond. The antler falls out of his hands, becoming dead moths when it hits the ground. Other jars follow, falling one by one. He doesn’t move, and his body slowly grows cold with the winter chill. ]
[Alucard swears softly, and his gaze returns to the cave rather than skyward. Sypha's still there, but there's no need for her to spring into action now. Alucard sheathes his sword and turns his back to the corpse, aware of what will happen next.
There is a single stroke of lightning, and it touches the collector's body. Channels some kind of energy, and there is then the scent of burning flesh in the air.]
You're both okay?
There is a single stroke of lightning, and it touches the collector's body. Channels some kind of energy, and there is then the scent of burning flesh in the air.]
You're both okay?
[ Sypha nods, about to answer when Trevor interrupts. ]
No. You left.
[ He’s cross about it. He’s actually pouting. ]
Come back.
No. You left.
[ He’s cross about it. He’s actually pouting. ]
Come back.
[...This is ridiculous. Alucard's about to say the word, just as he's about to shed his shirt as well, but there's a sudden shadow behind Alucard and he freezes.]
...Father.
[There's Dracula's usual look of distaste at Trevor before his attention moves to Alucard and Sypha.]
This place isn't safe for extended recovery, Adrian. The defenses allow for tracking, and I can't say with confidence that this is the last time some mortal will be that stupid.
...Father.
[There's Dracula's usual look of distaste at Trevor before his attention moves to Alucard and Sypha.]
This place isn't safe for extended recovery, Adrian. The defenses allow for tracking, and I can't say with confidence that this is the last time some mortal will be that stupid.
It's a nice place! You're just jeal-
[ Sypha has a hand over Trevor's mouth before he can defend his good cave to Dracula any further. She looks like she's about to say something, but she doesn't have it in her to actually apologise to Dracula on Trevor's behalf. Besides, it's clear enough that he isn't in his right mind. ]
We can't move him far without daylight. [ 'Without Leon's aid', she means, though she has the good sense not to mention the man by name right now. ] Where would you have us go?
[ Sypha has a hand over Trevor's mouth before he can defend his good cave to Dracula any further. She looks like she's about to say something, but she doesn't have it in her to actually apologise to Dracula on Trevor's behalf. Besides, it's clear enough that he isn't in his right mind. ]
We can't move him far without daylight. [ 'Without Leon's aid', she means, though she has the good sense not to mention the man by name right now. ] Where would you have us go?
[Alucard looks as if he's waiting for the ground to open up when Trevor opens his mouth. It's his boyfriend, so it's his role to apologize.]
Medication. I'm sure you know the rest.
[Dracula's eyes narrow just a hair, suggesting that while that may be true, he knows that it really is just medication loosening lips. For once though, he isn't offended. His gaze instead turns to Sypha.]
There are spaces in this country that I marked out for my family as defensive dwellings should the need for them arise. It takes precious little effort for me to transport the whole of your surroundings into such a location.
None of these places are intended to keep the fae out, but they are cloaked from most other things. Under normal circumstances I would make those modifications, but these are not normal circumstances.
Medication. I'm sure you know the rest.
[Dracula's eyes narrow just a hair, suggesting that while that may be true, he knows that it really is just medication loosening lips. For once though, he isn't offended. His gaze instead turns to Sypha.]
There are spaces in this country that I marked out for my family as defensive dwellings should the need for them arise. It takes precious little effort for me to transport the whole of your surroundings into such a location.
None of these places are intended to keep the fae out, but they are cloaked from most other things. Under normal circumstances I would make those modifications, but these are not normal circumstances.
Move us, then. [ Sypha says, then catches herself and remembers her manners at least a little. ] We would be grateful for your aid.
[ Trevor says nothing because he understood maybe three of those words that Dracula just said. He's taken notice of the blood on Alucard's back instead, reaching out unsteadily for him. He sniffs at the general direction of the wound, eyes narrowing in concentration. ]
No silver. Iron, but it's forged. Safe. You'll be fine.
[ Drugged boyfriend has priorities. ]
[ Trevor says nothing because he understood maybe three of those words that Dracula just said. He's taken notice of the blood on Alucard's back instead, reaching out unsteadily for him. He sniffs at the general direction of the wound, eyes narrowing in concentration. ]
No silver. Iron, but it's forged. Safe. You'll be fine.
[ Drugged boyfriend has priorities. ]
[Drugged boyfriend has the absolute best priorities. However Alucard is still covered in blood, which means he doesn't sit himself down beside Trevor immediately. He leaves his father to look around the cave and account for what must be transported, allowing himself to find their water bucket and wash the worst of the blood off. Alucard's shirt is discarded as well, changed out for a clean one and--]
It is in your best interest that you all sit while this cave moves.
[It's as close to the concept of please sit as Dracula will ever get. Alucard simply does as he is told, and he settles back down beside Trevor.]
I'm back, just as I said I'd be.
It is in your best interest that you all sit while this cave moves.
[It's as close to the concept of please sit as Dracula will ever get. Alucard simply does as he is told, and he settles back down beside Trevor.]
I'm back, just as I said I'd be.
You are. And- [ He frowns. He doesn't remember what it was he had to say.
Instead, he grabs at Alucard's arms, arranging them around himself and Sypha Putting everything back the way it was before, the way he likes it. ] -you're back. Don't go again. I don't like it.
Instead, he grabs at Alucard's arms, arranging them around himself and Sypha Putting everything back the way it was before, the way he likes it. ] -you're back. Don't go again. I don't like it.
[Alucard sighs, immediately using the hand he has closest to Trevor to try and stroke his back. Soothe whatever he can, because holy shit he just killed a man out of a need to protect the other two and...
...and who that makes him like is a thing to think about indeed. Dracula ignores the display in front of him, and focuses on the magic require for this next step. There are things to murmur, symbols to etch into the rock with long, long nails, and then there is a low rumble in the ground itself.]
Trevor, I may have to get up in a few minutes, okay?
[Alucard knows his father. He saw that injury, he'll want to inspect it.]
...and who that makes him like is a thing to think about indeed. Dracula ignores the display in front of him, and focuses on the magic require for this next step. There are things to murmur, symbols to etch into the rock with long, long nails, and then there is a low rumble in the ground itself.]
Trevor, I may have to get up in a few minutes, okay?
[Alucard knows his father. He saw that injury, he'll want to inspect it.]
[ He sinks against Alucard. Predictably, he doesn’t like it. ]
I don’t like it. [ His voice lowers, speaking into Alucard’s shirt. Not actually enough to keep anyone from hearing, but an attempt is made. ] I can’t keep her safe, on my own. Not like this. Don’t go.
I don’t like it. [ His voice lowers, speaking into Alucard’s shirt. Not actually enough to keep anyone from hearing, but an attempt is made. ] I can’t keep her safe, on my own. Not like this. Don’t go.
I know, I know.
[Alucard buries his face in the top of Trevor's head, and all of his words are muffled into that spot.]
When I get up, it's to keep you both safe.
[Alucard buries his face in the top of Trevor's head, and all of his words are muffled into that spot.]
When I get up, it's to keep you both safe.
You won't let anything happen to her?
[ He's not being quiet or subtle about this. Sypha's rolling her eyes. ]
She's the cleverest. If anything happened to her, everything would be less clever. And less kind. And less pretty, and-
[ SHE'S ROLLING HER EYES SO MUCH. And pretending not to hear. This is embarrassing. ]
[ He's not being quiet or subtle about this. Sypha's rolling her eyes. ]
She's the cleverest. If anything happened to her, everything would be less clever. And less kind. And less pretty, and-
[ SHE'S ROLLING HER EYES SO MUCH. And pretending not to hear. This is embarrassing. ]
I promise. And I won't let anything happen to you either.
[You know who's joining Sypha in eye rolling? Dracula. You know who's having a moment with his Totally Not Daughter In Law? Dracula.
Thank God Dracula's still focusing on moving this cave, because otherwise he'd be rolling his eyes even more. Below them, there's a slow roll of the floor, like a gentle wave going over the ocean, and then there's a soft shake.]
This place is safe enough for the time being. Adrian, I would have words with you.
[You know who's joining Sypha in eye rolling? Dracula. You know who's having a moment with his Totally Not Daughter In Law? Dracula.
Thank God Dracula's still focusing on moving this cave, because otherwise he'd be rolling his eyes even more. Below them, there's a slow roll of the floor, like a gentle wave going over the ocean, and then there's a soft shake.]
This place is safe enough for the time being. Adrian, I would have words with you.
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