Speak plainly. 'Why did I not do what you failed to?' That's what you mean, isn't it?
[Adrian cannot know the length and depth of how completely unqualified Hector is to act as a counselor to anyone. He's never loved anyone, only lost the parents he'd killed for their abuse, and his view of humanity is 'best avoided, though no need to go out of the way to be cruel'. Asking why he didn't understand Dracula's grief is like asking a fish about the finer points of flight.]
I could not have stopped him if I had tried. I didn't try. Causalities were unavoidable, but I could try to direct the forces in such a way to reduce them, rather than letting the vampires run free and make a sport of it. I chose poorly, and even more poorly when I believed that bitch who said Dracula would be better relieved of his command.
[He's still kneeling when Adrian rises, finally able to collect his dog from vampiric clutches. Cesar's little body is warm when he jumps into Hector's arms, in a reanimated life rather than undeath.]
Forging is my reason for living, and I am going to have to abandon it. That's the price of my crimes. If you wish to add some penance above that, do it and be quick about it. Otherwise, I'm taking my pets and leaving.
[Meaning yeah, you called him out on it exactly, Hector. Alucard has the good sense to look at least slightly embarrassed about that much, and as for the rest, well. His father never gave biographical details of most others he met in his travels - Hector included.
He shifts his weight, folding arms over his chest and listening to the rest very carefully. I didn't try seems to acknowledge some level of culpability in all of this, even if that is not what Alucard seeks at this point. He had his answer moments before, and it's a new pain to deal with.
Carmilla though. Alucard makes a soft noise at the mention, and he understands things a little better now. The potential for a coup was only clear after Trevor and Sypha investigated the damage Sypha caused in Brăila.]
A decision that brought this all to it's conclusion. [They're words meant for himself. There's no gratitude in Alucard, but there will be a great amount of time spent dwelling on the new information.]
Anything additional would be pointless cruelty. [There's definitely a sadder gloom over Alucard now, settled in his shoulders and the way they safe.] The rest of your associates are...they have free run of this place. They're doubtlessly aware of your presence.
[Hector has the feeling of being judged and ultimately dismissed. He can't say what end Adrian has in all of this, but it seems he is being given permission to gather together his pets and depart. He gently lets Cesar down and rises.]
Carmilla will turn her sights back to this castle, once she's secured her position back in Styria. It's too tempting a trophy for her to resist. If you're lucky, Isaac will clash with her before then. I hear he ended up across the sea somewhere. He'll not rest until he destroys her for her betrayal.
[The information isn't an olive branch. It's more like a toll paid for safe passage. If Adrian truly means to let Hector leave here with Cesar and his brethren in tow, he'll have earned the warning.]
Cesar, show me to the others. [The little pug isn't great with orders, but he seems to grasp that one, and yips in excitement.]
[The part about Carmilla seeing the castle as a prize to be taken. That was the fear in all of this, what the castle might mean to others. Being proven right has no joy in it, all Alucard can do is manage a tired noise at that fact.
As for Isaac, well, Alucard cannot say much. He doesn't know the man, he only understands that there was a deeper set loyalty there - something Alucard did not have because he owed too much to his mother, and something Hector failed to have for however Carmilla persuaded him.]
We've anticipated it. [That's no royal we, but Hector doesn't need to know it.
Following Cesar to the others means taking a sudden right down the corridor, and following the pug for a little while until he reaches a door on the left that's open. Alucard is at the very end of this strange procession, far too still. There's far too much information to absorb, and there are important farewells to focus on.
The room is one of the many siderooms of the castle, this one featuring two sofas, two armchairs, and cushions set around the room for creature comforts. The window on the far left has a set bench with even more cushions there, creating a sunny sort of nook for all lazing purposes. Within are all of Hector's other companions, and all at once, there is an ambush.
[Hector weathers the onslaught happily, cooing each creature’s name in turn as they tumble against their fellows, vying for the necromancer’s attention. He scratches and caresses as he checks each one over. Their little bodies are unable to heal themselves, so the responsibility falls to Hector.
The dhampir momentarily ignored, Hector pricks a finger on an exposed fang and offers it up to his cat to suckle like a newborn. The exposed muscles on her hindquarters has deteriorated, and in the absence of his forge tools, blood is the easiest way to transfer his energy to her. Her eyes glow a brighter blue, and the flesh begins to take on a healthier color.
The pets’ needs seem to, be finally takes the time to look around the room. It looks comfortable, lived in. The cat’s backside aside, his animals are surprisingly well. He turns to study Adrian more closely.]
[Alucard's eyes look out of the window and only for the reunion of Hector and his menagerie. It's as much privacy for the matter as he is willing to allow, as he has absolutely zero reason to feel comfortable letting Hector alone in any part of the castle.
It's less for Hector's sake than the animals anyway. While knowing their names is helpful (he made his own up, although there is one cat that seems to only ever respond to You said in a deeply exasperated tone), the rest is towards their sentiment for the forgemaster.
Even the scent of blood in the air provokes no reaction. Only a deep sniff, like clearing one's nose.
His eyes do meet Hector's when the question is asked though, and there is a nod of his head.]
Yes, although I am afraid figuring out the appropriate way to do that took slight trial and error. [They didn't come with guides, after all.] I also couldn't very well ignore them.
[That’s a bald faced lie. Alucard absolutely could have ignored them. The castle’s former residents had, except for the ones who were inclined to try to kick at them when they passed.
For a moment, Hector sees the Dracula he’d first known in Adrian’s profile. Maybe it’s the mother he sees reflected in both of them, he has no way of knowing. Whatever it’s origin, it’s something Hector can respect. He inclines his head.]
Thank you.
[He pauses, still absently stroking the pets that Adrian has sheltered. He thinks of the castle, still partially in ruins, and the various forces who would try to seize it. In spite of Alucard’s ‘we’, he appears to be here alone.]
The repairs to the castle’s defenses would go more quickly with more hands. I could make creatures that could help you, before I go.
[It’s an offer that could cost him his hands, but he makes it anyway. He failed the father. Maybe he can start making amends by helping the son, if he’ll allow it.]
[It may be a lie from where Hector sits, but it absolutely isn't from Alucard's purview. Forged things they might be, but unlike the things that were used as foot soldiers in his father's army, they had done no harm to anyone. If anything, they had been a boon, although those are words Hector hasn't earned. There's no need for him to know that his creations became Alucard's therapy dogs (and cats) (and others).
At the offer, Alucard is quiet. There's no giveaway in his face about how he might lean, but after a minute or two, which implies an honest consideration, he shakes his head no.]
That would cost you time and bring too much attention here. [He doesn't know how long forging takes. It's a risk he has no intention of bringing on upon himself. Or Trevor and Sypha. They can prepare for Carmilla in their own way, without betraying anything that could be read as assisting an escaped prisoner.]
This home can be defended in other ways. If you intend to see to your safety, that must take priority.
[Hector nods. He won’t press the issue. His presence here is a risk, there’s no denying that.]
I hope for your sake that you’re right. You doubtless know the castle better than I.
[There are supplies in his quarters that he’d hoped to collect- fresh clothes, a weapon for the journey, among other things- but having been granted this much, he’s not going to press his luck further. Nothing is irreplaceable, aside from his little menagerie.]
[It's as closed to humor as Alucard has ventured into the situation thus far, and it's clear his sense of the stuff is bone dry. There is something more contemplative that overtakes him as his eyes move over all of Hector's friends (and that seems to be a closer description to what they mean to the man.]
How do you intend to move them around without their being seen?
[Alucard's face sours at that particular response, because it betrays how little Hector's really planned here. Not that he's concerned for Hector's safety, just Hector's companions who don't deserve anything, whereas if Alucard had to be honest with himself, he might not be terribly upset to learn that something happened to Hector. If anything, that seems like it would be a mercy.
All the same, Alucard's eyes go back over to Cesar, and there's a soft tut.]
A bag would be useful, for emergency situations. I believe I can provide that much, although they will find it cramped.
[Alucard expression gets a flat look in return. Maybe a dhampir lordling who grew up with a library ten times the size of Hector’s childhood home could come up with a better plan while escaping from captivity and running for his life, but Hector’s working with what he’s got.]
I’m pretty sure being spotted with a bag full of undead animals would mark me just as suspicious as just having them loose, but I’ll take it.
[Where it is in the castle he's departing to, Alucard declines to say. All that's clear is that when he returns some fifteen minutes later, nary a hair out of place, he has given transportation some thought. He returns with not one bag but two, one elongated with a long, thin blank of wood at the bottom to provide support, and a second that's closer to the bags messengers use for carrying words across the miles.
They're both made of canvas. Durable but not expensive, and not something that will not be missed. Their original owners are a mystery, and Alucard sets them both down for inspection. Not Hector's, of course, but those who may yet need to make use of them.]
They have been agreeable companions over the past several months. It's the very least that I can provide upon their departure.
[Hector stands for a moment, but when Adrian doesn't immediately return, he crosses the room and slumps into a chair. He crosses a leg, leans his head on one palm, saves his game and lets out a long sigh. It's been an exhausting journey.
Cesar spins at his feet, then leaps up into his lap. The cat settles into a warm spot where sunlight streams in. They wait. Hector puzzles over why Adrian would possibly help. People aren't charitable, not to him. They despise him, or they want something from him.
Adrian comes back with bags, which the animals sniff at with their usual curiosity. The hound ducks his head inside and snorts.]
So that's how it is. [He gives Cesar's head another scratch. It's just about the only explanation Adrian could have offered that would make sense to him, given that he's turned down the offer of forged workers. The man was in want of a dog.
He gives Cesar's backside a push to signal to the dog that lap time is over. Go say goodbye he wills the pup, but doesn't say. Cesar crosses the room toward Alucard, but gets distracted by the bags along the way. Hector rises from the chair.]
These will do. My friends will be safe. [He's already said 'thank you' once, and he's not saying it again. He nudges the animals aside so he can collect the two canvas bags.]
[There's a very, very soft noise that might be a laugh from Alucard as the hound decides the best way to investigate is to just shove his entire head in there. It checks out, hounds are mostly scent creatures and he's brought in something with a new smell. To not conduct a full investigation is against their very nature.
Hector himself looks like some weird ruler of undead creatures, sat in the chair as he is. That thought has no time to develop as Hector rises, and his words only bring a brief nod of satisfaction.]
That's the only important matter in this situation.
[What Alucard wants in this moment, the request of a few moments to say proper good byes, isn't forthcoming. It feels wrong, as these were never truly his pets. That much is very clear to him now.]
Don't go south, there's been issues with the Ottomans lately. You're best off going east towards the coast, then sailing across the Black Sea.
[Adrian is a bit of an asshole, but Hector actually agrees with the sentiment. He'll die before he lets harm come to his pets.
The stifled noise the dhampir makes doesn't go unnoticed. Hector isn't great with many emotions, but wanting to pet the dog, he is fluent in. What the hell, Cesar will whine for half the journey if he feels like he missed out on another potential belly rub.
He hums noncommittally at the advice, and gives the animals a wave to stay put as he walks past Adrian to the door.]
I'm going to take a look outside before I venture out with them. I'll be back in to collect them once I'm sure the way is clear.
[I want to pet the dog is the truest universal sentiment. Alucard catches what that wave probably means, and he stays still for a few moments until he is very, very sure that Hector is gone, around the corner, and out of earshot.
Good byes are hard. This castle has been home to far, far too many of them this year. Some bloodied, others muted, all of them difficult to weather in their own way. These farewells are no different in that respect, and each and every single one involves a deep debt of gratitude for companionship and listening.
Said good byes also definitely happen twice, with both human and wolf form because sometimes certain sentiments are easier to communicate when one's shape is much closer to that of dog anyway.
When Hector does return, Alucard's sat himself down on the floor entirely, administering the very last belly rub that Cesar will be getting from the dhampir. He doesn't even look up at Hector, he simply gives a final pat to the ridiculous pug who's definitely got all his tiny paws up in the air, spoiled rotten.
Almost literally.]
That'll have to be that, I'm afraid.
[There's acceptance of the finality involved, and all words are directed down at the dog.] Best you get up and on your way.
[The lands surrounding the castle are free of pursuers as far as Hector is able to tell. Now is as good of a time to depart as ever. He lingers at the door for a moment before he goes back in, pressing his palm to the wall and feeling the weird, almost thrumming energy of the castle. This is a time for his goodbyes as well.
He doesn't bother with stealth as he enters again. He lets his boots fall heavy on the floor, giving vampiric ears plenty of forewarning of his arrival.]
You spoil him more than I do. [Hector observes. He wouldn't have thought it, but Adrian son of Dracula might be even more hopeless of a dog person than Hector.] You could get one of your own.
[He whistles, and his friends rush to his side. He tucks the cat in the open messenger back preemptively. The less debris he has to clean out of her exposed legs later, the better. Cesar, he takes in his arms so they aren't limited by the speed of his tiny legs. The others have longer limbs and sturdier frames, and Hector can trust them to follow behind.]
Fare well. ['Try not to get killed by the hordes who will try to storm your father's castle' feels too harsh to voice in the wake of Adrian's departing message to Cesar, so he leaves it at that and turns to leave.]
[The castle is perhaps the most complete legacy of Dracula to remain after his passing, encompassing the whole of the man. Oh, there are the shrines of wisdom within, but those are coupled with deep, dark places that betray one of the worst tempers there could ever be, and the nature of all vampires and what they require in order to survive. There's likely no surprise that the energy of the castle responds to Hector, the stones beneath his hand running hot and cold. The castle knows him, yes, but it was the witness to Hector's actions. He isn't welcome.
Alucard hears Hector's approach. He definitely doesn't care. This should be the last time they ever see each other, and if nothing else, he hopes he's been a gracious enough host given the circumstances.]
In many ways, that would be redundant.
[He rises as Cesar finally wiggles off his lap. The tiny thing was never a warm weight, but a familiar and comforting one. Friendliest of the group as well, but that was personality rather than a forgemaster's intent.]
Mmmm. I hope that there are clear nights for your departure.
[Don't die and leave these things without a defender.
Alucard pauses, opening his mouth as if to say something. He knows the castle, and even if Hector has spent time here, getting out is sometimes still a nightmare. There's no polite way to ask if he knows how to get to the exit, and so Alucard makes a snap decision.
There's a wolf where Alucard has been standing. One that slinks past Hector with far more haughtiness than required, and trots forward.]
[Hector's eyes go wide as the son of Dracula shifts into wolf form. His pets don't bat their undead eyes at the change, so perhaps it's not the first time he's done it. Hector didn't even know such things were possible.]
Show-off. [He mutters, to mask the intense jealousy. To be able to take on such a form, the embodiment of freedom.... It's nothing less than amazing. Hector can only create. Adrian can become.
He studies the shape of the wolf as he follows. His line of work has given him passing familiarity with the anatomy of most of the wild creatures that he's encountered. The power in this wolf's musculature seems beyond that of a normal specimen. He'd greatly love to see how far he could leap, how fast he could run. But he's in no position to ask, and Adrian is no dancing bear to perform for his amusement. Just seeing the great wolf trot along in front of him will have to be enough to sate his curiosity.]
Can you open doors like that? [He can't help but ask, though he doubts he'll get an answer.]
[Oh, it's mostly showing off. But it's also to prove a point: anything Hector's assumed should be thrown out the window. Or at least Alucard hopes that is the point, as he likes to think this entire situation has been approached with as deft a touch as possible, given the circumstances.
His nails click over the stone floors, past a set of windows that look out into the landscape beyond. They're not terribly far up in the castle, all things considered and...
...well, it turns out wolves can side-eye rather well, because that is the response Hector gets to his question. A very wolfy side-eye that doesn't miss a single step. Or a turn, towards a flight of stairs.]
[The side-eying does nothing. Alucard needs to work side by side with Isaac for a year if he want to hone his quelling gaze to the required level to put a stopper on Hector's idiocy. Because now that the floodgate is open, he's got more questions.]
Where did your clothes go? Are you still wearing them?
If I were to trim your fur, would your hair be shorter when you change back?
Do you still weigh as much as you did? Your mass couldn't be altered, that defies the laws of nature. You'd need a scale to be certain, though.
[Hopefully, for Adrian's sake, it's a short walk to the outside. Underneath the sarcasm and the indifference toward humanity, Hector is a child with more curiosity than sense, who stumbled from garden variety necromancy to devil forging because he couldn't stop asking 'but what if...'.]
[Alucard huffs out, and that noise sounds perfectly human in spite of wolf vocal chords. He? He has made a mistake. A very big mistake, and now he regrets it.
But at least being annoyed over something incredibly stupid and ridiculous removes the harder emotions of the moment. It wasn't the goal, but now that Hector's playing twenty questions with Alucard when Alucard can't reply? Things are slightly easier.
He's careful as he heads down the stairs, because of course it's a staircase in one of the castle's towers. As a child, the things were tricky in wolf form. As an adult, he at least knows to be careful as he moves.
The bottom of the stairs opens into a corridor, and the wolf ends up taking a sudden left and settling down beside a door. There's a cool breeze coming out from the other side, making it clear that this is one of the side exits of the castle.]
[In Hector's opinion, Adrian is greatly improved as a wolf, and he has zero regrets about this. He can't help but look back and forth between the wolf gingerly stepping down the stairs and the hound's reckless descent. He smiles to himself. The body changes, but the mind is still all human...half human. Fascinating.]
I guess that answers the questions about the doors.
[Hector does a quick headcount, nods at the wolf sitting beside the door, then uses his human hands to push the door open. He and his pets slip out, and he turns back for one last brief look before he shuts the door and leaves Castlevania for good.]
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[Adrian cannot know the length and depth of how completely unqualified Hector is to act as a counselor to anyone. He's never loved anyone, only lost the parents he'd killed for their abuse, and his view of humanity is 'best avoided, though no need to go out of the way to be cruel'. Asking why he didn't understand Dracula's grief is like asking a fish about the finer points of flight.]
I could not have stopped him if I had tried. I didn't try. Causalities were unavoidable, but I could try to direct the forces in such a way to reduce them, rather than letting the vampires run free and make a sport of it. I chose poorly, and even more poorly when I believed that bitch who said Dracula would be better relieved of his command.
[He's still kneeling when Adrian rises, finally able to collect his dog from vampiric clutches. Cesar's little body is warm when he jumps into Hector's arms, in a reanimated life rather than undeath.]
Forging is my reason for living, and I am going to have to abandon it. That's the price of my crimes. If you wish to add some penance above that, do it and be quick about it. Otherwise, I'm taking my pets and leaving.
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[Meaning yeah, you called him out on it exactly, Hector. Alucard has the good sense to look at least slightly embarrassed about that much, and as for the rest, well. His father never gave biographical details of most others he met in his travels - Hector included.
He shifts his weight, folding arms over his chest and listening to the rest very carefully. I didn't try seems to acknowledge some level of culpability in all of this, even if that is not what Alucard seeks at this point. He had his answer moments before, and it's a new pain to deal with.
Carmilla though. Alucard makes a soft noise at the mention, and he understands things a little better now. The potential for a coup was only clear after Trevor and Sypha investigated the damage Sypha caused in Brăila.]
A decision that brought this all to it's conclusion. [They're words meant for himself. There's no gratitude in Alucard, but there will be a great amount of time spent dwelling on the new information.]
Anything additional would be pointless cruelty. [There's definitely a sadder gloom over Alucard now, settled in his shoulders and the way they safe.] The rest of your associates are...they have free run of this place. They're doubtlessly aware of your presence.
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Carmilla will turn her sights back to this castle, once she's secured her position back in Styria. It's too tempting a trophy for her to resist. If you're lucky, Isaac will clash with her before then. I hear he ended up across the sea somewhere. He'll not rest until he destroys her for her betrayal.
[The information isn't an olive branch. It's more like a toll paid for safe passage. If Adrian truly means to let Hector leave here with Cesar and his brethren in tow, he'll have earned the warning.]
Cesar, show me to the others. [The little pug isn't great with orders, but he seems to grasp that one, and yips in excitement.]
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[The part about Carmilla seeing the castle as a prize to be taken. That was the fear in all of this, what the castle might mean to others. Being proven right has no joy in it, all Alucard can do is manage a tired noise at that fact.
As for Isaac, well, Alucard cannot say much. He doesn't know the man, he only understands that there was a deeper set loyalty there - something Alucard did not have because he owed too much to his mother, and something Hector failed to have for however Carmilla persuaded him.]
We've anticipated it. [That's no royal we, but Hector doesn't need to know it.
Following Cesar to the others means taking a sudden right down the corridor, and following the pug for a little while until he reaches a door on the left that's open. Alucard is at the very end of this strange procession, far too still. There's far too much information to absorb, and there are important farewells to focus on.
The room is one of the many siderooms of the castle, this one featuring two sofas, two armchairs, and cushions set around the room for creature comforts. The window on the far left has a set bench with even more cushions there, creating a sunny sort of nook for all lazing purposes. Within are all of Hector's other companions, and all at once, there is an ambush.
A weird, fuzzy, undead ambush of affection.]
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The dhampir momentarily ignored, Hector pricks a finger on an exposed fang and offers it up to his cat to suckle like a newborn. The exposed muscles on her hindquarters has deteriorated, and in the absence of his forge tools, blood is the easiest way to transfer his energy to her. Her eyes glow a brighter blue, and the flesh begins to take on a healthier color.
The pets’ needs seem to, be finally takes the time to look around the room. It looks comfortable, lived in. The cat’s backside aside, his animals are surprisingly well. He turns to study Adrian more closely.]
Have you... been caring for them?
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It's less for Hector's sake than the animals anyway. While knowing their names is helpful (he made his own up, although there is one cat that seems to only ever respond to You said in a deeply exasperated tone), the rest is towards their sentiment for the forgemaster.
Even the scent of blood in the air provokes no reaction. Only a deep sniff, like clearing one's nose.
His eyes do meet Hector's when the question is asked though, and there is a nod of his head.]
Yes, although I am afraid figuring out the appropriate way to do that took slight trial and error. [They didn't come with guides, after all.] I also couldn't very well ignore them.
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For a moment, Hector sees the Dracula he’d first known in Adrian’s profile. Maybe it’s the mother he sees reflected in both of them, he has no way of knowing. Whatever it’s origin, it’s something Hector can respect. He inclines his head.]
Thank you.
[He pauses, still absently stroking the pets that Adrian has sheltered. He thinks of the castle, still partially in ruins, and the various forces who would try to seize it. In spite of Alucard’s ‘we’, he appears to be here alone.]
The repairs to the castle’s defenses would go more quickly with more hands. I could make creatures that could help you, before I go.
[It’s an offer that could cost him his hands, but he makes it anyway. He failed the father. Maybe he can start making amends by helping the son, if he’ll allow it.]
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At the offer, Alucard is quiet. There's no giveaway in his face about how he might lean, but after a minute or two, which implies an honest consideration, he shakes his head no.]
That would cost you time and bring too much attention here. [He doesn't know how long forging takes. It's a risk he has no intention of bringing on upon himself. Or Trevor and Sypha. They can prepare for Carmilla in their own way, without betraying anything that could be read as assisting an escaped prisoner.]
This home can be defended in other ways. If you intend to see to your safety, that must take priority.
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I hope for your sake that you’re right. You doubtless know the castle better than I.
[There are supplies in his quarters that he’d hoped to collect- fresh clothes, a weapon for the journey, among other things- but having been granted this much, he’s not going to press his luck further. Nothing is irreplaceable, aside from his little menagerie.]
I’ll make sure we’re not seen leaving here.
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[It's as closed to humor as Alucard has ventured into the situation thus far, and it's clear his sense of the stuff is bone dry. There is something more contemplative that overtakes him as his eyes move over all of Hector's friends (and that seems to be a closer description to what they mean to the man.]
How do you intend to move them around without their being seen?
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[Translation- He’s got no real plans, but he’s trying his best here. It’ll probably be fine.]
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All the same, Alucard's eyes go back over to Cesar, and there's a soft tut.]
A bag would be useful, for emergency situations. I believe I can provide that much, although they will find it cramped.
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I’m pretty sure being spotted with a bag full of undead animals would mark me just as suspicious as just having them loose, but I’ll take it.
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[Where it is in the castle he's departing to, Alucard declines to say. All that's clear is that when he returns some fifteen minutes later, nary a hair out of place, he has given transportation some thought. He returns with not one bag but two, one elongated with a long, thin blank of wood at the bottom to provide support, and a second that's closer to the bags messengers use for carrying words across the miles.
They're both made of canvas. Durable but not expensive, and not something that will not be missed. Their original owners are a mystery, and Alucard sets them both down for inspection. Not Hector's, of course, but those who may yet need to make use of them.]
They have been agreeable companions over the past several months. It's the very least that I can provide upon their departure.
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saves his gameand lets out a long sigh. It's been an exhausting journey.Cesar spins at his feet, then leaps up into his lap. The cat settles into a warm spot where sunlight streams in. They wait. Hector puzzles over why Adrian would possibly help. People aren't charitable, not to him. They despise him, or they want something from him.
Adrian comes back with bags, which the animals sniff at with their usual curiosity. The hound ducks his head inside and snorts.]
So that's how it is. [He gives Cesar's head another scratch. It's just about the only explanation Adrian could have offered that would make sense to him, given that he's turned down the offer of forged workers. The man was in want of a dog.
He gives Cesar's backside a push to signal to the dog that lap time is over. Go say goodbye he wills the pup, but doesn't say. Cesar crosses the room toward Alucard, but gets distracted by the bags along the way. Hector rises from the chair.]
These will do. My friends will be safe. [He's already said 'thank you' once, and he's not saying it again. He nudges the animals aside so he can collect the two canvas bags.]
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Hector himself looks like some weird ruler of undead creatures, sat in the chair as he is. That thought has no time to develop as Hector rises, and his words only bring a brief nod of satisfaction.]
That's the only important matter in this situation.
[What Alucard wants in this moment, the request of a few moments to say proper good byes, isn't forthcoming. It feels wrong, as these were never truly his pets. That much is very clear to him now.]
Don't go south, there's been issues with the Ottomans lately. You're best off going east towards the coast, then sailing across the Black Sea.
[Running water, after all.]
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The stifled noise the dhampir makes doesn't go unnoticed. Hector isn't great with many emotions, but wanting to pet the dog, he is fluent in. What the hell, Cesar will whine for half the journey if he feels like he missed out on another potential belly rub.
He hums noncommittally at the advice, and gives the animals a wave to stay put as he walks past Adrian to the door.]
I'm going to take a look outside before I venture out with them. I'll be back in to collect them once I'm sure the way is clear.
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[I want to pet the dog is the truest universal sentiment. Alucard catches what that wave probably means, and he stays still for a few moments until he is very, very sure that Hector is gone, around the corner, and out of earshot.
Good byes are hard. This castle has been home to far, far too many of them this year. Some bloodied, others muted, all of them difficult to weather in their own way. These farewells are no different in that respect, and each and every single one involves a deep debt of gratitude for companionship and listening.
Said good byes also definitely happen twice, with both human and wolf form because sometimes certain sentiments are easier to communicate when one's shape is much closer to that of dog anyway.
When Hector does return, Alucard's sat himself down on the floor entirely, administering the very last belly rub that Cesar will be getting from the dhampir. He doesn't even look up at Hector, he simply gives a final pat to the ridiculous pug who's definitely got all his tiny paws up in the air, spoiled rotten.
Almost literally.]
That'll have to be that, I'm afraid.
[There's acceptance of the finality involved, and all words are directed down at the dog.] Best you get up and on your way.
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He doesn't bother with stealth as he enters again. He lets his boots fall heavy on the floor, giving vampiric ears plenty of forewarning of his arrival.]
You spoil him more than I do. [Hector observes. He wouldn't have thought it, but Adrian son of Dracula might be even more hopeless of a dog person than Hector.] You could get one of your own.
[He whistles, and his friends rush to his side. He tucks the cat in the open messenger back preemptively. The less debris he has to clean out of her exposed legs later, the better. Cesar, he takes in his arms so they aren't limited by the speed of his tiny legs. The others have longer limbs and sturdier frames, and Hector can trust them to follow behind.]
Fare well. ['Try not to get killed by the hordes who will try to storm your father's castle' feels too harsh to voice in the wake of Adrian's departing message to Cesar, so he leaves it at that and turns to leave.]
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Alucard hears Hector's approach. He definitely doesn't care. This should be the last time they ever see each other, and if nothing else, he hopes he's been a gracious enough host given the circumstances.]
In many ways, that would be redundant.
[He rises as Cesar finally wiggles off his lap. The tiny thing was never a warm weight, but a familiar and comforting one. Friendliest of the group as well, but that was personality rather than a forgemaster's intent.]
Mmmm. I hope that there are clear nights for your departure.
[Don't die and leave these things without a defender.
Alucard pauses, opening his mouth as if to say something. He knows the castle, and even if Hector has spent time here, getting out is sometimes still a nightmare. There's no polite way to ask if he knows how to get to the exit, and so Alucard makes a snap decision.
There's a wolf where Alucard has been standing. One that slinks past Hector with far more haughtiness than required, and trots forward.]
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Show-off. [He mutters, to mask the intense jealousy. To be able to take on such a form, the embodiment of freedom.... It's nothing less than amazing. Hector can only create. Adrian can become.
He studies the shape of the wolf as he follows. His line of work has given him passing familiarity with the anatomy of most of the wild creatures that he's encountered. The power in this wolf's musculature seems beyond that of a normal specimen. He'd greatly love to see how far he could leap, how fast he could run. But he's in no position to ask, and Adrian is no dancing bear to perform for his amusement. Just seeing the great wolf trot along in front of him will have to be enough to sate his curiosity.]
Can you open doors like that? [He can't help but ask, though he doubts he'll get an answer.]
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His nails click over the stone floors, past a set of windows that look out into the landscape beyond. They're not terribly far up in the castle, all things considered and...
...well, it turns out wolves can side-eye rather well, because that is the response Hector gets to his question. A very wolfy side-eye that doesn't miss a single step. Or a turn, towards a flight of stairs.]
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Where did your clothes go? Are you still wearing them?
If I were to trim your fur, would your hair be shorter when you change back?
Do you still weigh as much as you did? Your mass couldn't be altered, that defies the laws of nature. You'd need a scale to be certain, though.
[Hopefully, for Adrian's sake, it's a short walk to the outside. Underneath the sarcasm and the indifference toward humanity, Hector is a child with more curiosity than sense, who stumbled from garden variety necromancy to devil forging because he couldn't stop asking 'but what if...'.]
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But at least being annoyed over something incredibly stupid and ridiculous removes the harder emotions of the moment. It wasn't the goal, but now that Hector's playing twenty questions with Alucard when Alucard can't reply? Things are slightly easier.
He's careful as he heads down the stairs, because of course it's a staircase in one of the castle's towers. As a child, the things were tricky in wolf form. As an adult, he at least knows to be careful as he moves.
The bottom of the stairs opens into a corridor, and the wolf ends up taking a sudden left and settling down beside a door. There's a cool breeze coming out from the other side, making it clear that this is one of the side exits of the castle.]
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I guess that answers the questions about the doors.
[Hector does a quick headcount, nods at the wolf sitting beside the door, then uses his human hands to push the door open. He and his pets slip out, and he turns back for one last brief look before he shuts the door and leaves Castlevania for good.]