[It seems hard to do. Alucard sighs, and he focuses entirely on running his hand up and down Trevor's spine. It's a foolproof way of getting him to slow down a bit. Relax. Maybe sleep a bit more.]
[ It works. It always works. Any tension that remained in him fades, the babbling stops. Before long, his breathing has slowed and his hands and feet twitch occasionally, like a dog dreaming of chasing something. ]
[Alucard find himself drifting at one point, but it is long after Trevor has settled in. He doesn't dream tonight, not this time, and Alucard stirs only when his father hand comes and gently rests on his shoulders.]
I am departing. You'll need to wake and resume your watch.
[Sleepily, Alucard blinks once or twice in response, and nods in the affirmative. It's only after Alucard sits up that Dracula disappears properly, and Alucard frowns a little for his father's absence.
The other two don't feel safe around him, but Alucard does. That's yet to change.]
[ It's only about a half-hour after Dracula leaves that the sun stretches out over the woods. With it, comes a presence. There would have always been a presence, after the events of last night.
Leon doesn't enter the came, doesn't ever look, but his calm voice drifts in ]
You can sleep, if you wish. Nothing will come close.
[Alucard is already up, his eyes wide awake and focused on the mouth of the cave. The rest of him wants to just fall back asleep, relieved for the first time to ever hear Leon's voice. It would make Trevor happy, to not be disturbed but...
...best Leon be informed of what happened.
It is with all the care in the world that Alucard slowly replaces himself with the blanket again. It's warmed, it smells of him, and this should only be a few moments more. He rises to his feet, and vaguely Alucard wonders if this sense of responsibility is genuine or if it comes from the nonsense claiming bond.
Maybe it's both. Regardless, Alucard exits the cave, opening the door and not surprised to find Leon there.]
How much of last night have you been able to guess at, versus how much must I inform you of?
Your father's magic is thick here, and so I suspect that he moved you. As for why- my daughters claim that they found the body of a Collector where you ought to be. Am I correct in my belief that the two things are related?
[ He says this with the tone of a man who isn't really asking a question. ]
They used to be Speakers, the Collectors. Took on the strengths and powers of fallen friends and creatures by carrying the stories of them in their hearts. [ He shakes his head. ] But it is easier to carry a handful of flesh than it is a story. One doesn't need to care about the origin of the flesh, nor to understand how a lump of flesh came about. So they separated, and the Speakers are as vulnerable to being collected as either of our kinds are.
You are. With pieces of Trevor being out circulating the world as spell components...[Alucard's voice falls away, trusting Leon to fill in the rest. He sighs, and this part feels closer to confession.] The final act was mine.
[There had been pride in that action, from his father. That his son knew that some days, one must take extreme measures to protect the things one loves the most. And there was a strange feeling of contradiction in Alucard, for his mother would most certaintly disapprove, and yet...he has precious little guilt over the action until now.]
Are they a new sect? I cannot say I've heard of them before, or been aware of their activities.
Would that he could have been brought away from that path without bloodshed. But it was not your responsibility to lead him. You acted to protect, and that is all anyone could ask of you.
[ He genuinely does sound a little saddened by the Collector's death. He shakes his head. ]
Older than myself and your father, but very rare. Speakers travel in groups and wear colours to mark themselves and show themselves to offer aid to anyone they can. Collectors travel alone - knowing that your companion stands to gain by carving you into pieces breeds little trust - and are a secretive sort. You could live a lifetime long as your father's or my own, and never run into one. Or you could walk past a dozen and never know unless they showed themselves. Most have no magic of their own, only that which they borrow from their collections, and so it is impossible to tell them apart from another human.
[There's the truth of it though. Alucard feels no particular sorrow about the man's death, only that he himself had to perform such an action. And that's something that deserves more reflection, doesn't it? The man was a threat, and would probably have brought them all to harm. If not now, then later. Death was a mercy, for if Dracula had seen to any of this, the man would be begging for release.
He listens though. Quiet. Thoughtful. Nodding along, stunned that there's something rarer than vampires and fae and other things.]
So to know how many of them are out there is an impossible task. [He knows Leon is aware of the fact there's more Trevor parts out there. That Alucard's nervous about that fact.]
But it requires magic of some sort to activate spell components and to use them in a skillful manner, yes?
No more magic than is used in recalling a story. It is- I am no chirurgeon. I couldn't begin to explain it as it deserves to be explained, I will try.
A friend [ Mathias. ] told me once that human thought produces tiny sparks in the mind. The Collector remembers, and then uses those sparks to activate the components. Just as you'd put a spark on dry wood to make a fire.
...Intent. [Sypha's explained it so many times.] Memory and intent, like any good Speaker telling a story from the records.
[Alucard understands the mechanic now, although he has absolutely no love of that knowledge. If anything, he chafes against it, even more horrified than before.]
Of course I do. He was without both horns and wings, and those were sold off for parts. This could easily happen again.
Most of our kind would never have been freed from the ordeal without a rebirth, and so we have few methods to right the situation. And the parts are dead, so most divination would fail to locate them.
I apologise. Magic has never been a strong suit of mine. Enid will continue her research, with luck she will find something.
The recovery's taking far longer than we expected. This fever is...[terrifying, if Alucard was to be honest. He settles for just shaking his head in mild distress.]
There are other people who will help train me to look. [200% dad magic.] But we're all running on low energy at this point, the three of us.
I would offer you more aid, if I could. The situation is unusual, for our kind. To be unwilling to be reborn, nor to ask for our queens favour. And whatever sanctuary I could offer will be rejected by your father.
I can be here by day, if you wish, but I fear I can offer little more.
It's a gesture his mother used to do. Still does, when alucard is sitting near her and truly thinking too hard.
Alucard shoves that thought aside in favor of just focusing on the important part.]
Thank you. We all appreciate it, please know that. I...[He pauses, not sure if good night or good morning is appropriate.] I will see you shortly before sunset.
[Alucard withdraws at that, retreating back to the cave. He can't tell if Trevor's stirred or not, but he immediately resumes the spot where he was, arms around them both and feeling even heavier from a need for sleep than before.]
[ Trevor has noticed the absence. Not entirely consciously, he's still hovering between sleep an waking, but enough to attach to Alucard like a vice when he returns. Sypha is more awake, if only by a little, and her hands are in his hair and head upon his shoulder almost as quickly.
He wakes properly a few hours later, predictably trying to disentangle himself from the others without waking them. The medicine's worn off, and the pain is back along with his mind and a stubborn dislike for burdening the other two. A meal is laid out - nuts and fruit and dried meats, and if Alucard wakes it's to Trevor halfheartedly trying to chew at a piece of dried hare. He's going to need to take the medicine again eventually, but he'd like to at least have a few moments of rational thought. ]
[Sleeping is lovely. Sleeping is very much needed, and Alucard drifts back to that state quickly. Under almost any other circumstance, he'd be terrified to be guarded by Leon Belmont, but here? Now? He feels safe under that watch.
Being awake, only after his side has gone cold, Alucard is not terribly surprised to find Trevor doing his best to treat the entire situation as if it isn't happening. The food that's there, that's lovely, but seeing Trevor slightly more to rights is....
Wonderful. But oh, he needs to keep resting.]
Good morning.
[Sypha's gone back to sleep too, and Alucard does not intend to disturb her.]
[Alucard's gotten good at not overthinking fae bullshit. But he has noticed that while Juliet may have brought the food, Trevor's arranged it because everyone's likes are accounted for.]
How is the pain today?
[Not are you feeling any better? Alucard has learned from watchig his mother's bedside manners.[
The pain's doing great. It's having the time of its life.
[ He chews the meat, then tries giving a real answer. It feels too much like complaining, but the other two get antsy if he tries to downplay it. ]
Better than it has been. Good enough to keep down food, at least. Still waiting for the fucking fever to break. [ Not for the first time, he gives a harsh little laugh. ] Before you ask, no. I've not been scratching it.
[ His eye, he means, still covered by a thick medicinal smelling paste with a dressing over it. Sypha's constantly reminding him not to scratch it. ]
[Better than it has been means a lot. It makes the vampire almost happy to hear, and he finally reaches for the piece of dried deer that's been left out in his little portion area.]
I leave all questions about scratching to Sypha. [He smiles though, small and maybe a bit fragile, but it is a smile all the same.]
Your father's taking today's watch, so neither of us have to step away from you.
[ He only vaguely remembers his time with the medicine, a blur of infuriating confusion, but Sypha's told him how it makes him act. It's embarrassing. ]
I'd survive if you did need to leave, you know, no matter what I say when I'm like that.
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[It seems hard to do. Alucard sighs, and he focuses entirely on running his hand up and down Trevor's spine. It's a foolproof way of getting him to slow down a bit. Relax. Maybe sleep a bit more.]
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I am departing. You'll need to wake and resume your watch.
[Sleepily, Alucard blinks once or twice in response, and nods in the affirmative. It's only after Alucard sits up that Dracula disappears properly, and Alucard frowns a little for his father's absence.
The other two don't feel safe around him, but Alucard does. That's yet to change.]
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Leon doesn't enter the came, doesn't ever look, but his calm voice drifts in ]
You can sleep, if you wish. Nothing will come close.
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...best Leon be informed of what happened.
It is with all the care in the world that Alucard slowly replaces himself with the blanket again. It's warmed, it smells of him, and this should only be a few moments more. He rises to his feet, and vaguely Alucard wonders if this sense of responsibility is genuine or if it comes from the nonsense claiming bond.
Maybe it's both. Regardless, Alucard exits the cave, opening the door and not surprised to find Leon there.]
How much of last night have you been able to guess at, versus how much must I inform you of?
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[ He says this with the tone of a man who isn't really asking a question. ]
They used to be Speakers, the Collectors. Took on the strengths and powers of fallen friends and creatures by carrying the stories of them in their hearts. [ He shakes his head. ] But it is easier to carry a handful of flesh than it is a story. One doesn't need to care about the origin of the flesh, nor to understand how a lump of flesh came about. So they separated, and the Speakers are as vulnerable to being collected as either of our kinds are.
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[There had been pride in that action, from his father. That his son knew that some days, one must take extreme measures to protect the things one loves the most. And there was a strange feeling of contradiction in Alucard, for his mother would most certaintly disapprove, and yet...he has precious little guilt over the action until now.]
Are they a new sect? I cannot say I've heard of them before, or been aware of their activities.
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[ He genuinely does sound a little saddened by the Collector's death. He shakes his head. ]
Older than myself and your father, but very rare. Speakers travel in groups and wear colours to mark themselves and show themselves to offer aid to anyone they can. Collectors travel alone - knowing that your companion stands to gain by carving you into pieces breeds little trust - and are a secretive sort. You could live a lifetime long as your father's or my own, and never run into one. Or you could walk past a dozen and never know unless they showed themselves. Most have no magic of their own, only that which they borrow from their collections, and so it is impossible to tell them apart from another human.
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[There's the truth of it though. Alucard feels no particular sorrow about the man's death, only that he himself had to perform such an action. And that's something that deserves more reflection, doesn't it? The man was a threat, and would probably have brought them all to harm. If not now, then later. Death was a mercy, for if Dracula had seen to any of this, the man would be begging for release.
He listens though. Quiet. Thoughtful. Nodding along, stunned that there's something rarer than vampires and fae and other things.]
So to know how many of them are out there is an impossible task. [He knows Leon is aware of the fact there's more Trevor parts out there. That Alucard's nervous about that fact.]
But it requires magic of some sort to activate spell components and to use them in a skillful manner, yes?
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A friend [ Mathias. ] told me once that human thought produces tiny sparks in the mind. The Collector remembers, and then uses those sparks to activate the components. Just as you'd put a spark on dry wood to make a fire.
[ He finally looks over at Alucard. ]
You worry.
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[Alucard understands the mechanic now, although he has absolutely no love of that knowledge. If anything, he chafes against it, even more horrified than before.]
Of course I do. He was without both horns and wings, and those were sold off for parts. This could easily happen again.
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Most of our kind would never have been freed from the ordeal without a rebirth, and so we have few methods to right the situation. And the parts are dead, so most divination would fail to locate them.
I apologise. Magic has never been a strong suit of mine. Enid will continue her research, with luck she will find something.
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There are other people who will help train me to look. [200% dad magic.] But we're all running on low energy at this point, the three of us.
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I can be here by day, if you wish, but I fear I can offer little more.
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I won't demand so much of your time. Just...just for today. We all need the rest, and then our watches can begin anew.
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Rest, then. You have more than earned it. Nothing will come close until sunset, and you will call on me should you need to rest further.
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It's a gesture his mother used to do. Still does, when alucard is sitting near her and truly thinking too hard.
Alucard shoves that thought aside in favor of just focusing on the important part.]
Thank you. We all appreciate it, please know that. I...[He pauses, not sure if good night or good morning is appropriate.] I will see you shortly before sunset.
[Alucard withdraws at that, retreating back to the cave. He can't tell if Trevor's stirred or not, but he immediately resumes the spot where he was, arms around them both and feeling even heavier from a need for sleep than before.]
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He wakes properly a few hours later, predictably trying to disentangle himself from the others without waking them. The medicine's worn off, and the pain is back along with his mind and a stubborn dislike for burdening the other two. A meal is laid out - nuts and fruit and dried meats, and if Alucard wakes it's to Trevor halfheartedly trying to chew at a piece of dried hare. He's going to need to take the medicine again eventually, but he'd like to at least have a few moments of rational thought. ]
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Being awake, only after his side has gone cold, Alucard is not terribly surprised to find Trevor doing his best to treat the entire situation as if it isn't happening. The food that's there, that's lovely, but seeing Trevor slightly more to rights is....
Wonderful. But oh, he needs to keep resting.]
Good morning.
[Sypha's gone back to sleep too, and Alucard does not intend to disturb her.]
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[ He tugs at the meat with his teeth a little more. ] Juliet brought food.
[ ...the less anyone thinks about the implications of Juliet bringing them the meat of rabbits and hares, the better. Fairies are weird. ]
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[Alucard's gotten good at not overthinking fae bullshit. But he has noticed that while Juliet may have brought the food, Trevor's arranged it because everyone's likes are accounted for.]
How is the pain today?
[Not are you feeling any better? Alucard has learned from watchig his mother's bedside manners.[
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[ He chews the meat, then tries giving a real answer. It feels too much like complaining, but the other two get antsy if he tries to downplay it. ]
Better than it has been. Good enough to keep down food, at least. Still waiting for the fucking fever to break. [ Not for the first time, he gives a harsh little laugh. ] Before you ask, no. I've not been scratching it.
[ His eye, he means, still covered by a thick medicinal smelling paste with a dressing over it. Sypha's constantly reminding him not to scratch it. ]
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I leave all questions about scratching to Sypha. [He smiles though, small and maybe a bit fragile, but it is a smile all the same.]
Your father's taking today's watch, so neither of us have to step away from you.
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[ He only vaguely remembers his time with the medicine, a blur of infuriating confusion, but Sypha's told him how it makes him act. It's embarrassing. ]
I'd survive if you did need to leave, you know, no matter what I say when I'm like that.
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[There's warmth though, and Alucard is very bad at hiding the fact he doesn't mind when Trevor's like that in the slightest.]
And while I'm aware of that, it's distressing to see you that upset about anything, never mind my absence. [He pauses though, then has to ask:]
Do you remember much from last night?
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