[ Finally, finally he is close enough to see Alucard properly. To recognise his voice. His eyes go wide for just a moment, but nothing more.
(No sudden movements, over the palm of one hand. It was intended to keep him from escaping, but now it's useful. He can't, physically can't, reveal that he's recognised Alucard.)
He follows. He isn't sure he'd be capable of it were he not under orders, but it isn't a matter of what he can do. It's a matter of what he must. Soon the noise of the market fades, and there is only him and Alucard and the sunrise. ]
[Alucard keeps walking. They're not out of sight of the market yet, and in any other place, any other space, he'd be wresting the chains off and embracing Trevor.
But there are eyes still on them, and so that means walking a while more, until a dark little corner of the forest appears, and Alucard knows that it is all he needs. He murmurs the same words that have helped him before, for the dead travel fast, and the dark tunnel appears.
It's a risk, taking Trevor through the dark space meant for the dead. But it is the quickest route to Sypha, and that is all that matters. There is silence, and the tunnel moves them through it quickly, depositing them both at the mouth of the cave that has provided the three quiet shelter over the winter months.
There's no good way to announce himself, and so Alucard lets all the panic and fear and fury out in one awful swoop.]
[ This isn't a place where he belongs. Moths try to detach from him, dying with every second spent here, but they can't. The iron renders their corpses part of him, dead and rotting things stuck inside him. The journey is mercifully short.
Sypha is with them in seconds, hands fumbling with the wires that hold the bridle in place. It's not as well made as it would be were using heat in its construction on option, and so despite the lack of an obvious way to undo it she has it removed quickly. The thing in his mouth comes away bloody - a thin spike lanced through his tongue to keep it in place.
Trevor himself doesn't move except to sing forward slightly in relief. He waits for further instructions, blue-green blood dribbling from one corner of his mouth. ]
[Alucard runs towards one of the alcoves first, grabbing the nearest fur and then running back with it. He's using vampire speed for the action, only because it's important. They have to undo the spellwork, but that'll take time. For now, for now comfort is king.
He drapes the heavy fur around Trevor's shoulder and starts to guide him inside, saying nothing but his grip well, like iron.]
You're here. You're safe.
[Alucard's voice trembles. He doesn't know how true the words really are.]
We're going to get the iron off first, then undo all of the spells, okay?
[He uses the sleeve of his own coat to press against Trevor's mouth. The blood isn't a flood, not yet.]
We have you. Your sisters will be here soon, even if they can't draw close.
[ He nods. Moving his tongue to speak still feels unnatural. Painful, too, though that's not the problem. More- it just seems wrong, like something he shouldn't be allowed to be capable of doing.
Sypha makes short work of the iron. What doesn't have obvious fastenings she gives a soft, apologetic warning before freezing and then heating in quick succession until they break away. If Trevor recognises the sensation of the metal on him being heated, he doesn't seem to give any indication.
With all the chains removed, she flicks her hand. The fire in the pit burns blue, then pure white, rendering the entire cave so uncomfortably hot that the edges of her robes and the furs start to catch from just the heat of the air. She indicates to Alucard to toss the metal into it. Nullify the iron with heat, so that it's no longer cold-forged.
The heat lasts for as long as she can maintain it without burning any of them too badly with their proximity to it and then the fire is gone. Just a smoldering, stinking lump of metal in the fire pit. The heat passes, a blessedly cold wind coming in through the entrance of the cave with the first light of the sun. Trevor's hand falls onto hers, moving over it uncertainly, as if he's forgotten how one is meant to hold hands. His other hand reaches out to Alucard. ]
[The heat of the fire needed to melt the iron has Alucard backing away as much as he can. It's better to not be on fire in his experience, and the fears and dreams of his mother suffering that fate have been on-going for some time now.
He keeps beside Trevor, but his eyes remain on the fire should it get out of control. The furs are almost sacrificed, but in the end, it only claims the metal.
THat little lump feels like a hard won victory that they didn't know they had to chase. The stench of melted metal is sharp, but that too is a good thing. Alucard stares at it, wanting to move it out immediately, but Trevor takes his hand instead, and Alucard is anchored.
Fuck holding hands. He pulls Trevor in close, and Alucard holds fast, burying his face in the top of Trevor's head.]
[ He nods, and Sypha is the one to lead both of them to sit. The cave is still uncomfortably hot but her presence is cooling. Soothing. The ink is still all over Trevor but that, that she'll need more time to undo. It can wait. This is more important anyway. Being between the two of them as his calm finally starts to waver and the his hands start to tremble- that's more important than anything. It takes a few tries for Trevor to speak and he continues making thick, sloppy attempts at noises as Sypha piles furs around him, pulls the both of them in against Alucard. ]
...shit. [ He finally manages. His voice is strange, tongue swollen from the bridle. Another few attempts before- ] Sorry.
[The ink is a terror. And so is this moment, the only one of them sitting up tall, arms around the other two in an attempt to provide comfort. This is not his place, and there's a terrible part of him that wants to luxuriate in being the safe one. The one to provide a safe harbor in.
Alucard's hands find their way to Trevor's hair and begin to card through it, almost automatically. It feels like the only thing he can do that'll help. The only thing worth doing, perhaps.]
You're here. Repeat it until it becomes true if you must. In your head if it's easier right now.
[ He does repeat it, mostly because following instructions is the easiest thing to do. Moving is a challenge, anything so delicate as curling his fingers more so, but he tries. Eventually, with only a little guidance from Sypha, he has both arms around Alucard’s waist. For now, this feels safe. The worst of the horror is behind them, and the aftermath of it is yet to come. He buries his face in Alucard’s chest, trapped between him and Sypha. ]
[He kisses the top of Trevor's head, then stays there so that the two of them have Trevor hidden from the world between them. It's hard to manage, squishing them both together to manage it (Trevor's so damn big) but they do it all the same.]
[ It isn’t quite what Alucard meant by recovering, probably. But it’s the definition he’s willing to consider. Just getting the parts of himself that he’s lost back. Everything else- well. Hoping to not be afraid requires a willingness to admit to being afraid in the first place. There’s a long pause. And then, quietly, with an immense amount of effort behind speaking in a more complete sentence. ]
[ At that, he relaxes. He’s already pressed against Alucard’s chest but he sinks further. The one thing he’s been able to admit to himself that he’s afraid of won’t come to pass. It’s an immense relief. Eventually, his breathing becomes steady. He wants to stay awake, to enjoy the luxury of being between them both again, but this is the first time in days that the pain has relented enough to let him rest. He’s safe and warm and comfortable, and those things make it all too easy to drift off. ]
[There's a lot to unpack that in all of this, it is Dracula that loomed largest in Trevor's head. Alucard knows he doesn't have the time to do that, and so all he focuses on is murmuring soft things into the top of Trevor's head, waiting for him to fall asleep.
Because once that happens, he and Sypha will have to move, take stock of everything, and figure out what is to be done. Sypha will handle the spell work, Alucard will have to tell Trevor's sisters that their brother is safe but coated in iron and...
[ He doesn't answer properly, but makes a vaguely positive noise against Alucard's chest. Sypha stirs and disentangles herself. Trevor seems about ready to complain about the loss, but she's quick to return with a bottle of the sleeping medicine in hand. This was the original intended use for it, after all. An anesthetic that can safely be used on humans and supernatural beings alike, the recipe to be given to Lisa once the dreaming side effects were eliminated.
The proper version is mostly complete, but the flawed, dreaming medicine will serve better for them anyway. Keeping him asleep for whatever needs to be done to remove the ink is probably the kindest thing they can do, and Alucard will have to leave at some point. Best for all of them that they give Alucard some control over what happens inside his head right now. ]
Drink. [ She says, and her voice is soft but the command there is clear. Trevor drinks when the bottle is held to his lips. His gaze becomes unfocused, from tiredness rather than from pain, and he falls still aside from the rise and call of his chest and shoulders. ] He'll join you, once he can.
[ She only reacts with anything other than efficiency once Trevor is asleep, her own breath becoming ragged as she grits her teeth and expels the stink of burning, melting metal from the cave with a gust of air that's far more powerful than it needs to be. ]
[Alucard holds onto Trevor until it is certain that the Belmont is asleep and well in dreams. He holds onto Trevor until the gust of air has flown past, his hair a perfect disarray from the force of it. It is only then does he reach over to grab a few pillows, and he gingerly replaces himself with them and with all too warm furs to make sure Trevor stays asleep and comfortable.
He's the one that picks up the horrible lump of iron from the center of the fire pit, and he moves it further back into the cave. There's a horrible chance that they may need to look at some of the non-destroyed spell work on it, otherwise he'd have chucked it away with great speed and enthusiasm into the deepest part of the forest.]
My mother sent these along when I described the writing system, but I don't know if they will truly be helpful.
[They're a set of magnets. Two of them, both terribly strong.]
They may be able to pull all of the iron under his skin into one spot.
[It's going to be a complicated spell to break. A little science could help hack it if they're lucky.]
[ The certainty in her voice wavers for a moment before she steels herself again, taking the magnets. They're a long way inland, but unless the daylight can stop Alucard then she is the only one here bound by mortal means of travel. ] -I want you here. for as long as you can be.
[ She kneels, pulling aside the furs to expose an arm and choosing the first command to work on carefully. One that isn't too close to a large blood vessel. That she isn't risking too much damage, experimenting with. Once she finds one ('punish the forgemaster') she takes a magnet to it with trembling hands. Sweat beads on Trevor's forehead as she does, as the magnet moves the iron through his flesh. His fists curl in his sleep. It's rare for him to show pain, usually parts of him just die away and he doesn't seem overly concerned about it. The medicine works, at least, and he doesn't wake.
When she's done, the dark purple mark has spread as the iron was dragged about. It looks worse, initially, a horrible dark bruise. But the words are no longer legible. It's just a theory, one she can't test with Trevor asleep and the order apparently being nonsense anyway, but she's become good at finding loopholes in these things. The words aren't there anymore. And so the orders- hopefully, they are no longer binding. ]
Yes. Besides, someone must guard this place while you work.
[They have to be cold things for this next chunk of time. All the more reason to indulge now, to kiss Sypha's forehead and murmur softly against that spot that she has this and can do more good than anyone else can for Trevor. It's awful to look at, but it is also true that there is no one better qualified, save for Lisa Tepes. Alucard suspects that that? Isn't going to happen.
Sypha works. Alucard hovers for a few moments to make sure that she has everything under control, and it seems that the magnets will work for now. The magic that is surface level, that can e dealt with. That feels like a victory.
Then he moves to the mouth of the cave. Moves there, then tries to summon any one of Trevor's sisters. Each of their beliefs is repeated in turn, but in his own show of bias, Juliet's is mentioned with slightly more frequency.
For something like this, she seems the best to deal with.]
The first of Leon's children to be created of something without sharp teeth or claws, with only keen eyes and ears and wits to hunt with, might have felt a little inferior. Formed that belief a little aggressively. As a rabbit, her winter coat is barely visible against the snow until she moves closer, takes a humanoid form, and immediately starts to say something that begins with 'fu-' at the smell of iron.
She catches herself. Proper ladies don't say words that begin with 'fu-'. ]
You found him, then.
[ ...the alternative is that Alucard has summoned her here for some other reason involving burning iron, and he doesn't seem like the random murder type. She likes to think she has a good intuition for avoiding the random murder types. It's why she keeps trying so hard to get out of delivering messages to Dracula. ]
We did. I apologize for the smell, it's...[Alucard sighs, breathing out before he dares to continue.]
He was covered in it. Restrained, the stuff was cold forged. I don't know how safe it is for you three to approach the cave at the moment, and we need to ask more of you yet.
He's retrieved. That's more than we should ask of an outsider. The rest- [ And there is a 'the rest'. She isn't seething for vengeance, not in any obvious way. Their oldest sister will be. And- well. dogs always like to have meat. ] -can wait until this work is done.
[ Juliet's demeanor is usually jovial. Not now. She shakes her head. Alucard didn't ask, but- ]
I'll do all I can, but doubt I can be closer than this. I can call our patriarch, if the two of you need help. He is the eldest. Part human. He could be close enough to help.
[ She tugs at one of her ears in thought, weighing options. ]
You do- like him remembering you, yes? Most humans like being remembered, I've found. It's convenient for them.
Salt water- [ Her face twists into a grimace. Iron on him is one thing. It doesn't need to be rusted, just removed. Salt water implies iron in him. ] -That would work. I'm the fastest. Messengers really ought to be the fastest, you know. I can fetch it.
[ She's babbling. That's normal, but there's a more manic quality to it now. It's not that she simply likes to fill silence. She's panicked. ]
Normally, if one of us were badly hurt, we would just go through the rebirth instead. You know. With the- stabbing. It's easier than recovering the human way, especially from iron. A lot less painful. But his last rebirth was so recent. He might not pass everything on to himself. So if being remembered is important, I suppose that makes it a bad option.
[Alucard's face makes it clear that he doesn't like the idea of rebirth. It disturbed him deeply the first time, and he can't imagine a second one in the short time frame would be wise.]
Think of it this way: figuring out how to reverse the problems would allow for the information to be applied to much smaller problems too. [Is he applying science to this? Yes.] It's...we can make something good come of it.
[They're wasting time. They're both panicking.]
Meet me at the mouth of the cave, or else as close to the front of it that you can get. Okay?
An hour. If I ride the lines, I can be to the sea and back in an hour.
[ The unicorn is waiting in the forest somewhere, audible but difficult to see, white against white snow. Juliet doesn't waste any more time, heading to climb onto the creature's back.
True to her word, she is back within the hour. Sypha spends the time finding the worst of the orders - some demand obedience, others calm. Some, like the command to stand, no longer seem to be binding and can be left for last. She doesn't care to leave any of them for last, but some have to come before others. Methodically, she smears the ink over each one. It's a horrible process, leaving Trevor more bruised than not, but it's also one that erases most of the commands themselves and leaves only the damage.
Juliet arrives about where she was before, not entirely sure about getting closer, a large clay pot in her arms. ]
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(No sudden movements, over the palm of one hand. It was intended to keep him from escaping, but now it's useful. He can't, physically can't, reveal that he's recognised Alucard.)
He follows. He isn't sure he'd be capable of it were he not under orders, but it isn't a matter of what he can do. It's a matter of what he must. Soon the noise of the market fades, and there is only him and Alucard and the sunrise. ]
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But there are eyes still on them, and so that means walking a while more, until a dark little corner of the forest appears, and Alucard knows that it is all he needs. He murmurs the same words that have helped him before, for the dead travel fast, and the dark tunnel appears.
It's a risk, taking Trevor through the dark space meant for the dead. But it is the quickest route to Sypha, and that is all that matters. There is silence, and the tunnel moves them through it quickly, depositing them both at the mouth of the cave that has provided the three quiet shelter over the winter months.
There's no good way to announce himself, and so Alucard lets all the panic and fear and fury out in one awful swoop.]
Sypha?!
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Sypha is with them in seconds, hands fumbling with the wires that hold the bridle in place. It's not as well made as it would be were using heat in its construction on option, and so despite the lack of an obvious way to undo it she has it removed quickly. The thing in his mouth comes away bloody - a thin spike lanced through his tongue to keep it in place.
Trevor himself doesn't move except to sing forward slightly in relief. He waits for further instructions, blue-green blood dribbling from one corner of his mouth. ]
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He drapes the heavy fur around Trevor's shoulder and starts to guide him inside, saying nothing but his grip well, like iron.]
You're here. You're safe.
[Alucard's voice trembles. He doesn't know how true the words really are.]
We're going to get the iron off first, then undo all of the spells, okay?
[He uses the sleeve of his own coat to press against Trevor's mouth. The blood isn't a flood, not yet.]
We have you. Your sisters will be here soon, even if they can't draw close.
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Sypha makes short work of the iron. What doesn't have obvious fastenings she gives a soft, apologetic warning before freezing and then heating in quick succession until they break away. If Trevor recognises the sensation of the metal on him being heated, he doesn't seem to give any indication.
With all the chains removed, she flicks her hand. The fire in the pit burns blue, then pure white, rendering the entire cave so uncomfortably hot that the edges of her robes and the furs start to catch from just the heat of the air. She indicates to Alucard to toss the metal into it. Nullify the iron with heat, so that it's no longer cold-forged.
The heat lasts for as long as she can maintain it without burning any of them too badly with their proximity to it and then the fire is gone. Just a smoldering, stinking lump of metal in the fire pit. The heat passes, a blessedly cold wind coming in through the entrance of the cave with the first light of the sun. Trevor's hand falls onto hers, moving over it uncertainly, as if he's forgotten how one is meant to hold hands. His other hand reaches out to Alucard. ]
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He keeps beside Trevor, but his eyes remain on the fire should it get out of control. The furs are almost sacrificed, but in the end, it only claims the metal.
THat little lump feels like a hard won victory that they didn't know they had to chase. The stench of melted metal is sharp, but that too is a good thing. Alucard stares at it, wanting to move it out immediately, but Trevor takes his hand instead, and Alucard is anchored.
Fuck holding hands. He pulls Trevor in close, and Alucard holds fast, burying his face in the top of Trevor's head.]
Let's get you sat down.
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...shit. [ He finally manages. His voice is strange, tongue swollen from the bridle. Another few attempts before- ] Sorry.
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[The ink is a terror. And so is this moment, the only one of them sitting up tall, arms around the other two in an attempt to provide comfort. This is not his place, and there's a terrible part of him that wants to luxuriate in being the safe one. The one to provide a safe harbor in.
Alucard's hands find their way to Trevor's hair and begin to card through it, almost automatically. It feels like the only thing he can do that'll help. The only thing worth doing, perhaps.]
You're here. Repeat it until it becomes true if you must. In your head if it's easier right now.
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[ He does repeat it, mostly because following instructions is the easiest thing to do. Moving is a challenge, anything so delicate as curling his fingers more so, but he tries. Eventually, with only a little guidance from Sypha, he has both arms around Alucard’s waist. For now, this feels safe. The worst of the horror is behind them, and the aftermath of it is yet to come. He buries his face in Alucard’s chest, trapped between him and Sypha. ]
Here. With you both.
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[He kisses the top of Trevor's head, then stays there so that the two of them have Trevor hidden from the world between them. It's hard to manage, squishing them both together to manage it (Trevor's so damn big) but they do it all the same.]
You're going to recover from this. I promise.
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[ It isn’t quite what Alucard meant by recovering, probably. But it’s the definition he’s willing to consider. Just getting the parts of himself that he’s lost back. Everything else- well. Hoping to not be afraid requires a willingness to admit to being afraid in the first place. There’s a long pause. And then, quietly, with an immense amount of effort behind speaking in a more complete sentence. ]
Is he angry, that I fucked up? Will he hurt her?
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[It says too much that Dracula is on the forefront if Trevor's mind after all of this. Alucard hates it.]
Don't give him another thought. We need you to foxus on you.
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Tired.
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[There's a lot to unpack that in all of this, it is Dracula that loomed largest in Trevor's head. Alucard knows he doesn't have the time to do that, and so all he focuses on is murmuring soft things into the top of Trevor's head, waiting for him to fall asleep.
Because once that happens, he and Sypha will have to move, take stock of everything, and figure out what is to be done. Sypha will handle the spell work, Alucard will have to tell Trevor's sisters that their brother is safe but coated in iron and...
...shit, does he even tell Leon?]
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The proper version is mostly complete, but the flawed, dreaming medicine will serve better for them anyway. Keeping him asleep for whatever needs to be done to remove the ink is probably the kindest thing they can do, and Alucard will have to leave at some point. Best for all of them that they give Alucard some control over what happens inside his head right now. ]
Drink. [ She says, and her voice is soft but the command there is clear. Trevor drinks when the bottle is held to his lips. His gaze becomes unfocused, from tiredness rather than from pain, and he falls still aside from the rise and call of his chest and shoulders. ] He'll join you, once he can.
[ She only reacts with anything other than efficiency once Trevor is asleep, her own breath becoming ragged as she grits her teeth and expels the stink of burning, melting metal from the cave with a gust of air that's far more powerful than it needs to be. ]
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He's the one that picks up the horrible lump of iron from the center of the fire pit, and he moves it further back into the cave. There's a horrible chance that they may need to look at some of the non-destroyed spell work on it, otherwise he'd have chucked it away with great speed and enthusiasm into the deepest part of the forest.]
My mother sent these along when I described the writing system, but I don't know if they will truly be helpful.
[They're a set of magnets. Two of them, both terribly strong.]
They may be able to pull all of the iron under his skin into one spot.
[It's going to be a complicated spell to break. A little science could help hack it if they're lucky.]
What do you need me to do?
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[ The certainty in her voice wavers for a moment before she steels herself again, taking the magnets. They're a long way inland, but unless the daylight can stop Alucard then she is the only one here bound by mortal means of travel. ] -I want you here. for as long as you can be.
[ She kneels, pulling aside the furs to expose an arm and choosing the first command to work on carefully. One that isn't too close to a large blood vessel. That she isn't risking too much damage, experimenting with. Once she finds one ('punish the forgemaster') she takes a magnet to it with trembling hands. Sweat beads on Trevor's forehead as she does, as the magnet moves the iron through his flesh. His fists curl in his sleep. It's rare for him to show pain, usually parts of him just die away and he doesn't seem overly concerned about it. The medicine works, at least, and he doesn't wake.
When she's done, the dark purple mark has spread as the iron was dragged about. It looks worse, initially, a horrible dark bruise. But the words are no longer legible. It's just a theory, one she can't test with Trevor asleep and the order apparently being nonsense anyway, but she's become good at finding loopholes in these things. The words aren't there anymore. And so the orders- hopefully, they are no longer binding. ]
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[They have to be cold things for this next chunk of time. All the more reason to indulge now, to kiss Sypha's forehead and murmur softly against that spot that she has this and can do more good than anyone else can for Trevor. It's awful to look at, but it is also true that there is no one better qualified, save for Lisa Tepes. Alucard suspects that that? Isn't going to happen.
Sypha works. Alucard hovers for a few moments to make sure that she has everything under control, and it seems that the magnets will work for now. The magic that is surface level, that can e dealt with. That feels like a victory.
Then he moves to the mouth of the cave. Moves there, then tries to summon any one of Trevor's sisters. Each of their beliefs is repeated in turn, but in his own show of bias, Juliet's is mentioned with slightly more frequency.
For something like this, she seems the best to deal with.]
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The first of Leon's children to be created of something without sharp teeth or claws, with only keen eyes and ears and wits to hunt with, might have felt a little inferior. Formed that belief a little aggressively. As a rabbit, her winter coat is barely visible against the snow until she moves closer, takes a humanoid form, and immediately starts to say something that begins with 'fu-' at the smell of iron.
She catches herself. Proper ladies don't say words that begin with 'fu-'. ]
You found him, then.
[ ...the alternative is that Alucard has summoned her here for some other reason involving burning iron, and he doesn't seem like the random murder type. She likes to think she has a good intuition for avoiding the random murder types. It's why she keeps trying so hard to get out of delivering messages to Dracula. ]
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He was covered in it. Restrained, the stuff was cold forged. I don't know how safe it is for you three to approach the cave at the moment, and we need to ask more of you yet.
[Alucard sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose.]
It took too long to retrieve him. I'm so sorry.
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[ Juliet's demeanor is usually jovial. Not now. She shakes her head. Alucard didn't ask, but- ]
I'll do all I can, but doubt I can be closer than this. I can call our patriarch, if the two of you need help. He is the eldest. Part human. He could be close enough to help.
[ She tugs at one of her ears in thought, weighing options. ]
You do- like him remembering you, yes? Most humans like being remembered, I've found. It's convenient for them.
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[Alucard folds his arms over his chest, trying not to bite at his lip over much.]
Why do you ask about remembering? [Alucard's lips thin.] What did you have in mind?
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[ She's babbling. That's normal, but there's a more manic quality to it now. It's not that she simply likes to fill silence. She's panicked. ]
Normally, if one of us were badly hurt, we would just go through the rebirth instead. You know. With the- stabbing. It's easier than recovering the human way, especially from iron. A lot less painful. But his last rebirth was so recent. He might not pass everything on to himself. So if being remembered is important, I suppose that makes it a bad option.
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Think of it this way: figuring out how to reverse the problems would allow for the information to be applied to much smaller problems too. [Is he applying science to this? Yes.] It's...we can make something good come of it.
[They're wasting time. They're both panicking.]
Meet me at the mouth of the cave, or else as close to the front of it that you can get. Okay?
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[ The unicorn is waiting in the forest somewhere, audible but difficult to see, white against white snow. Juliet doesn't waste any more time, heading to climb onto the creature's back.
True to her word, she is back within the hour. Sypha spends the time finding the worst of the orders - some demand obedience, others calm. Some, like the command to stand, no longer seem to be binding and can be left for last. She doesn't care to leave any of them for last, but some have to come before others. Methodically, she smears the ink over each one. It's a horrible process, leaving Trevor more bruised than not, but it's also one that erases most of the commands themselves and leaves only the damage.
Juliet arrives about where she was before, not entirely sure about getting closer, a large clay pot in her arms. ]
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