[Alucard's nostrils flare. Blood. He knows the scent, and moreover, he knows Trevor's scent. He's consumed it enough, after all.
But he isn't hungry. He can't remember a time when that wasn't the case, and in that is a terrible, wonderful luxury. Being home. Resting. Oh, everything's still shit, but slightly less shit. It feels worlds better.]
I see.
[That sounds suspiciously like a metaphor. It is also the moment that Alucard realizes that some of his hair has escaped, and he pauses to tuck it back behind his ear.]
[ WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT SOUNDS LIKE A METAPHOR HE'S JUST TALKING ABOUT WANTING TO FIX CLOAKS GOSH. ]
Just about. Sypha says that once the castle moves she can make sure that the magic around the hold doesn't tear it apart, which sounds- better than the alternative.
[ That was the main difficulty here. Alucard can move the castle, with nobody trying to stop him. But none of them knew what putting the castle into Dracula's magical barrier would do. They still don't, but Sypha's at least confident that she can make sure that it's 'not destroy the castle, them, and possibly that entire part of Wallachia'.
I see. [Alucard has a thought, but he doesn't articulate it. Not yet. Not until he's sure.] I'll check in with her soon then. The castle might have thoughts, although it's...it's unhappy. Why we're here. What we mean to do.
[It's furious. It's weeping. Alucard knows because it reflects every feeling inside of him right now too.]
[ That, he's not hurt by. It makes sense. this castle's fought off generations of Belmonts - no doubt it wants him out. ] No to worry. Just a little longer, and you'll be free of me.
[ He does look up at Alucard again after a moment, trying not to stare like he did before. It's hard. He's- fuck. If he weren't well aware of what compulsion feels like, he'd suspect it. He's so impossibly beautiful. ]
It only ever welcomed two other people besides my father. It tried everything it could to get Carmilla out.
[Poor thing failed, and it bears that shame.]
Both. [He sits down opposite of Trevor, folding his hands and resting them on his own lap.] We...spoke, such as it was, for a very long time. It knows you two are here to help me. It won't try and cause harm, unless my father asserts full control of it. Even then, it'll try and give you some kind of notice.
Appreciate it. [ And then, addressing the walls- ] Thanks for the cooperation, castle.
[ He finally, finally brings his hand up to his mouth, licking the tiny puncture from the needle to clean it, then hands over the cloak. It's absorbed a fair amount of heat from being over his lap, and it radiates warmth in a way that it probably doesn't while Alucard wears it. ]
Hope I didn't fuck it up too badly. You look- [ beautiful. ] -more comfortable like this. I'm glad.
[There's a moment where a soft vibration responds, localized to only Trevor's feet. It's a soft thing, one with no ill intent. Alucard expects Trevor does not require interpretation for that, and so he takes the cloak instead.
It's cleaned. It smells clean, although it carries his own scent of earth and bone. Carefully, he wraps it around his shoulders again and pulls it tight. Oh, it's warm in the castle now, but that may not last forever.]
You did fine.
[As for the other thing, Alucard lets out a soft snort.]
First time I've had a proper bath since....everything.
[ You smelled really bad, is what he’s saying. Not that he had any room to complain when they first found him. ]
I- have bad news. I think.
[ He’s still receiving visions from Dracula, a side effect of being used to seal him away for so long. Or maybe Dracula just trying to fuck with his head. It’s hard to say if they can be used for strategy, not knowing if Dracula is sending them deliberately or not. But if Dracula has a human serving him, one who can use the tools of the hold-
-Alucard fears the Belmonts. He needs to know that there’s a chance their weapons could be turned against him. ]
There’s a forgemaster. I think. Or he wants me to believe there’s a forgemaster. At least one. I thought he’d just been gathering the natural night creatures, but-
[Alucard's already to respond to Trevor's smart remark, but then the mood becomes painfully somber instead. The dhampir goes still, the hand that has tugged his cloak around him now reaching up to bury itself in the cloak's fur collar.]
How do you know any of this?
[He isn't demanding, thankfully. Just cautious and worried.]
[ He says it like it’s normal. Like it was just a pleasant conversation and not Dracula filling his and his siblings heads with visions of what he planned to do to them, with the deaths of every one of their ancestors. ]
He has less control over it now. Probably didn’t want us to know that he had an ally.
[Alucard has an idea of what Trevor means, and there's a horrid, ragged little sigh that follows. Of course. His father can send visions of death to the Belmonts, but not reach out to his son. No. Why would he?
There's a horrible ember of jealousy in the pit of Alucard's stomach. But...no. This is fine. If this ends badly, then it ends badly. He's always considered that option.]
The plan remains unchanged. We move when you and Sypha are ready.
[ They’ve never had a choice, and this doesn’t change that. ]
We expect more resistance, but the castle’s defences will protect us from the worst of whatever army he has. The bigger problem-
-a human forgemaster would be able to use my family’s tools. If you see him, you need to flee. Leave him to Sypha and I. To you, he’ll be as deadly as Dracula himself.
I'll take the blows. If we lose each other in moving forward, we may be on paths that twist away from each other entirely. We can't let each other out of our sights, do you understand?
[He gestures at the room, but he really means the whole castle. It branches and twists and turns, and there's no reason to assume Dracula would not try to use that to defeat a Belmont and reclaim his son.
And Alucard cannot promise that there's part of him that won't give in and just embrace his father after everything.]
You’ll die. [ He grits his teeth, shaking his head before continuing. ] Fine. We don’t separate. But whatever means this place has to keep my family’s tools from working, it uses them. And if we come across the forgemaster you stay behind me. Sara - the Morning Star - she’ll break bones on a human. She’ll kill you.
I can't promise. I will try and avoid it, but if it is between me taking a hit or scuttling our primary objective, then I will take the injury. Is that enough?
Castle, if we fail, take her somewhere safe. Back to her people, and then to somewhere without humans, where Dracula won’t turn his wrath. It doesn’t matter if it’s a harsh place, they’re hardy types. Just- somewhere he won’t look.
She has to be inside to tell it where to go.. It can't...can't reach out and grab her if she isn't inside. It's...it's connected to him though, you know. It is the clearest manifestation of himself in the world. Any safety it offers is temporary. He'll know where it is and she is.
[It's a noble, thoughtful notion. It just won't work.]
It doesn't think the idea will work. I don't either.
[ His shoulders slump. She won’t. She won’t run, no matter what he says. He could beg and plead, he could tell her the minute details of how Dracula intends to kill her. She won’t run. ]
Her tongue. He tears out her tongue, first. Then he- there’s a part of her brain, that lets her remember. She breathes him in as mist and he reaches inside her and cuts it apart and she just- stops knowing things. She’s alive, but she doesn’t know where she is or why she’s here. Just that it hurts, and that she’s scared, until he lets her die. I’ve seen it. He’s shown me. Please.
[Alucard forces the awful lump in his throat down. It's easy to forget what his father's capable of when Alucard is home. Wrapped up. Safe. Able to recover, to feel a tiny part of him that isn't just bitterness and a death wish.
He's never claimed to care or not to care. He's just let life and the world slide off of him, water off a duck's back. Focusing on survival to at least appease his mother.
But Trevor speaks, and Alucard truly cares about Sypha.]
You still have to tell her. Everything you just said to me. She may listen when she hears the tone in your voice. But you can't just...you can't decide for her. She'll resent that more.
-she won’t listen. She’ll just stay anyway, and she’ll know what’s coming. And- shit.
[ He takes a deep breath, composes himself again. Acts like he’s above this. Above going to a vampire and a castle and begging. There’s a terrible question that hangs in the air, if he’s seen what Dracula intends to do to the scholar of the prophecy, then the other two- ]
But you'll have tried. You'll have made yourself clear, and at that point, it's all on her. She's an adult, Belmont. If she wants to scrap out for survival or take another path, you have to let her. You can't save everyone.
[Alucard can't save anyone, but he's already known that. Known it for a long time.]
Mmm. That's why I won't make promises about what I will and won't allow to harm me. This isn't a situation that allows for such things.
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But he isn't hungry. He can't remember a time when that wasn't the case, and in that is a terrible, wonderful luxury. Being home. Resting. Oh, everything's still shit, but slightly less shit. It feels worlds better.]
I see.
[That sounds suspiciously like a metaphor. It is also the moment that Alucard realizes that some of his hair has escaped, and he pauses to tuck it back behind his ear.]
You've found everything else you've needed?
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Just about. Sypha says that once the castle moves she can make sure that the magic around the hold doesn't tear it apart, which sounds- better than the alternative.
[ That was the main difficulty here. Alucard can move the castle, with nobody trying to stop him. But none of them knew what putting the castle into Dracula's magical barrier would do. They still don't, but Sypha's at least confident that she can make sure that it's 'not destroy the castle, them, and possibly that entire part of Wallachia'.
He still isn't looking at Alucard. ]
If you need a little more time-
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I see. [Alucard has a thought, but he doesn't articulate it. Not yet. Not until he's sure.] I'll check in with her soon then. The castle might have thoughts, although it's...it's unhappy. Why we're here. What we mean to do.
[It's furious. It's weeping. Alucard knows because it reflects every feeling inside of him right now too.]
I'll rest there again tonight. It has helped.
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[ That, he's not hurt by. It makes sense. this castle's fought off generations of Belmonts - no doubt it wants him out. ] No to worry. Just a little longer, and you'll be free of me.
[ He does look up at Alucard again after a moment, trying not to stare like he did before. It's hard. He's- fuck. If he weren't well aware of what compulsion feels like, he'd suspect it. He's so impossibly beautiful. ]
Helped you, or helped the castle?
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[Poor thing failed, and it bears that shame.]
Both. [He sits down opposite of Trevor, folding his hands and resting them on his own lap.] We...spoke, such as it was, for a very long time. It knows you two are here to help me. It won't try and cause harm, unless my father asserts full control of it. Even then, it'll try and give you some kind of notice.
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[ He finally, finally brings his hand up to his mouth, licking the tiny puncture from the needle to clean it, then hands over the cloak. It's absorbed a fair amount of heat from being over his lap, and it radiates warmth in a way that it probably doesn't while Alucard wears it. ]
Hope I didn't fuck it up too badly. You look- [ beautiful. ] -more comfortable like this. I'm glad.
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It's cleaned. It smells clean, although it carries his own scent of earth and bone. Carefully, he wraps it around his shoulders again and pulls it tight. Oh, it's warm in the castle now, but that may not last forever.]
You did fine.
[As for the other thing, Alucard lets out a soft snort.]
First time I've had a proper bath since....everything.
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[ You smelled really bad, is what he’s saying. Not that he had any room to complain when they first found him. ]
I- have bad news. I think.
[ He’s still receiving visions from Dracula, a side effect of being used to seal him away for so long. Or maybe Dracula just trying to fuck with his head. It’s hard to say if they can be used for strategy, not knowing if Dracula is sending them deliberately or not. But if Dracula has a human serving him, one who can use the tools of the hold-
-Alucard fears the Belmonts. He needs to know that there’s a chance their weapons could be turned against him. ]
There’s a forgemaster. I think. Or he wants me to believe there’s a forgemaster. At least one. I thought he’d just been gathering the natural night creatures, but-
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How do you know any of this?
[He isn't demanding, thankfully. Just cautious and worried.]
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[ He says it like it’s normal. Like it was just a pleasant conversation and not Dracula filling his and his siblings heads with visions of what he planned to do to them, with the deaths of every one of their ancestors. ]
He has less control over it now. Probably didn’t want us to know that he had an ally.
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[Alucard has an idea of what Trevor means, and there's a horrid, ragged little sigh that follows. Of course. His father can send visions of death to the Belmonts, but not reach out to his son. No. Why would he?
There's a horrible ember of jealousy in the pit of Alucard's stomach. But...no. This is fine. If this ends badly, then it ends badly. He's always considered that option.]
Probably not. Yet we do now. How do we proceed?
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[ They’ve never had a choice, and this doesn’t change that. ]
We expect more resistance, but the castle’s defences will protect us from the worst of whatever army he has. The bigger problem-
-a human forgemaster would be able to use my family’s tools. If you see him, you need to flee. Leave him to Sypha and I. To you, he’ll be as deadly as Dracula himself.
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[That much is clear.]
I'll take the blows. If we lose each other in moving forward, we may be on paths that twist away from each other entirely. We can't let each other out of our sights, do you understand?
[He gestures at the room, but he really means the whole castle. It branches and twists and turns, and there's no reason to assume Dracula would not try to use that to defeat a Belmont and reclaim his son.
And Alucard cannot promise that there's part of him that won't give in and just embrace his father after everything.]
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Promise me.
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[Surviving Dracula is unlikely, after all.]
I can't promise. I will try and avoid it, but if it is between me taking a hit or scuttling our primary objective, then I will take the injury. Is that enough?
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[ Both. Not all. They should talk about that. ]
I- have a favour to ask. Of the castle, if I may.
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[ They won’t. They can’t. But if they do. ]
Castle, if we fail, take her somewhere safe. Back to her people, and then to somewhere without humans, where Dracula won’t turn his wrath. It doesn’t matter if it’s a harsh place, they’re hardy types. Just- somewhere he won’t look.
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[It's a noble, thoughtful notion. It just won't work.]
It doesn't think the idea will work. I don't either.
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[ He doesn’t want her distressed, but- ]
She survives this. Please.
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You have to say this to her. Not me. Not the castle. Her.
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[ His shoulders slump. She won’t. She won’t run, no matter what he says. He could beg and plead, he could tell her the minute details of how Dracula intends to kill her. She won’t run. ]
Her tongue. He tears out her tongue, first. Then he- there’s a part of her brain, that lets her remember. She breathes him in as mist and he reaches inside her and cuts it apart and she just- stops knowing things. She’s alive, but she doesn’t know where she is or why she’s here. Just that it hurts, and that she’s scared, until he lets her die. I’ve seen it. He’s shown me. Please.
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He's never claimed to care or not to care. He's just let life and the world slide off of him, water off a duck's back. Focusing on survival to at least appease his mother.
But Trevor speaks, and Alucard truly cares about Sypha.]
You still have to tell her. Everything you just said to me. She may listen when she hears the tone in your voice. But you can't just...you can't decide for her. She'll resent that more.
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[ He lets his head hang, then shakes it weakly. ]
-she won’t listen. She’ll just stay anyway, and she’ll know what’s coming. And- shit.
[ He takes a deep breath, composes himself again. Acts like he’s above this. Above going to a vampire and a castle and begging. There’s a terrible question that hangs in the air, if he’s seen what Dracula intends to do to the scholar of the prophecy, then the other two- ]
-we just won’t fail.
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[Alucard can't save anyone, but he's already known that. Known it for a long time.]
Mmm. That's why I won't make promises about what I will and won't allow to harm me. This isn't a situation that allows for such things.
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time for some EXTREME MOOD WHIPLASH
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