Catch All

[cryptsleeper]

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[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard won't lie that he is relieved when Hector pulls away. It's only because the taste of blood is overwhelming, and he at least needs a moment's worth of air to swallow it. So he does so, but the rest of him stays where he is.]

That's why I was moving slowly.

[petcromancer]

['Slowly' isn't the word Hector would use. He presses his tongue to the roof of his mouth and swallows the blood, trying to staunch the flow with pressure.]

Where's the fun in that?

[Here they both are, trying to catch their breath, neither backing down but both uncertain how to move forward.

Hector brushes Alucard's hair back behind his ear.]

Are you...are we finished gathering data?

[cryptsleeper]

[Fun, right. It's always fun until blood gets involved.

Alucard knows that he should back up at this point. The blood's ruined the mood, that much is clear, but fuck. He's far too touch starved right now.]

How deep is the cut?

[petcromancer]

It's not deep. It's already slowing down.

[Maybe if he goes and gargles the offending blood away, Alucard will let him have another trial....

...he has already put their friendship at risk. Why stop here?]

When it stops...I could be more careful.

[cryptsleeper]

Mm, so the opposite of your usual method of operations?

[Reckless tends to be Hector's trademark, after all. Besides, it's a little easier to joke at the moment, rather than try and be serious about this.

This, of course, being everything including the fact he's absolutely kissed someone who isn't Trevor or Sypha.]

[petcromancer]

[Hector draws further back, lets his wet hair form a veil around his face. Here it begins, the rejection that was inevitable from the first tentative press of lips. Alucard is an ethereal, radiant being, and Hector smells of grave dirt. He is a dark, flawed thing. Who would want to kiss that?

Alucard is being gentle with it, at least. That is something.]

You know me too well. It was worth a shot, at least.

[He shrugs, putting on a show of nonchalance he doesn't feel.]

[cryptsleeper]

It helps that neither of us truly are subtle.

[Alucard's not sure how this goes. Just that the way Hector is holding himself is a sign of something far deeper inside, and Alucard knows that he's already caused harm.]

Do we follow the joke that started all of this, or actually talk, Hector?

[petcromancer]

[Hector sighs. He would love to keep joking, but he doesn't think that will actually work.]

I have no expectations for this. You need have no worry of that.

[He knows that Alucard is attached to his two humans. There is no competing with that. He doesn't want Alucard to think he has any illusions about where he ranks in all of this.]

[cryptsleeper]

But you do have feelings, and we have a dog. It'd be cruel of me not to take any of that into account.

[petcromancer]

[Hector flinches at the word ‘feelings’. He doesn’t.... It’s not....

Look, anyone who has seen Alucard is at least a little infatuated with him. Hector is not alone in that. It isn’t a big deal, and Hector tries not to dwell on it.]

You don’t need to treat me gently. I’m not some besotted maiden. This doesn’t have to mean anything. It could just be kissing.

[cryptsleeper]

I'm trying to treat you as a...whatever this is.

[Because they aren't enemies. Or friends. Or even work place associates. They are simply two people in each other's orbits and you know what? He's retreating into the joke for a moment.]

You don't smell like a besotted maiden anyway. You smell like yourself. And your pets. And whatever it was you ate earlier with all the herbs.

[petcromancer]

[Well, that seems to be all the talking they are doing about it. Hector shifts so he can sit up on the couch.]

It's tzatziki. I didn't anticipate the vein our experiment would take when I made my breakfast.

[Not that he does much planning in any aspect of his life other than his forging, so he can't say this particular day's poor decisions are atypical. But they are steering the subject away from that.]

Did Cesar help you get your answers from the Speakers?

[cryptsleeper]

...How precisely do you make it? It's quite good.

[Talking food is one way to pivot, at least. Alucard lets out a soft sigh, but he reaches over to fuss at Hector's hair at least a little. Some of it is out of place.]

Not really. But he did get a lot of attention, so he was happy enough. Turns out Speakers are immune to cute animals. Developed defenses and whatnot.

[petcromancer]

It's yogurt with cucumber, oil, and herbs. Your father's library will have recipe books. You could make it.

[Hector is taking that 'quite good' and burying it very deep down to consider much later. He snorts as Alucard brushes at his hair, but he doesn't duck out of the touch. In his own way, he's just as needy and touch-starved as Alucard is.]

That just means we need to find something they haven't built up a tolerance to. Have you ever seen a baby otter? No one can resist that.

[cryptsleeper]

I could. Or I could make an attempt while you supervise.

[It's an attempt for whatever this is to not be a full out rejection. Just an experiment. Absolutely nothing else.]

But that begs the question of where one acquires a baby otter. Not that I've ever seen one.

[petcromancer]

Is your kitchen stocked for cooking? You'll need yogurt made from goat or sheep's milk. It'll take time to set if we have to start from scratch.

[Hector doesn't know what exactly this is, but Greek food is the best and that is a hill Hector's willing to die on. So he can't refuse Alucard's request to learn to make it.]

I would need to take a trip to the coast, but I am sure I could find one. I could try to describe one, but it wouldn't do it justice.

[cryptsleeper]

Of course it is. I have a half-human diet, and I'm the best cook in the house when the other two are home. Even if they complain I serve too much blood sausage. [Sometimes, you gotta be a cliche.] I'm afraid we will have to start from scratch though.

[Cooking though, that gets Alucard up on his feet with enthusiasm.]

Can you draw it in the mean time?

[petcromancer]

Go prep the kitchen. I am not going to cook dressed like this.

[Their experiment is over, so he can dress again. He has his answer on the initial premise.

He pushes himself up off of the couch and steps back into the bathroom to retrieve his discarded clothes. Through the door, he calls,]

I could draw it. I might. Depends on how well you listen to instructions in the kitchen.

[Hector doesn't know what they are, but they are back to it- orbiting and antagonizing one another.]

[cryptsleeper]

Don't get lost en route.

[Alucard's relieved he doesn't have to be the one to tell Hector to put clothes on. It'd be wrong, coming from him.]

Oh, is that the rule I have to play by to get an otter drawing? [This is in fact much more familiar. A relief in many ways, but also a good sign. They can get past whatever just happened. It's not going to effect anything.]

[petcromancer]

You said you haven't moved things around. I'll be fine.

[Hector dresses. He may not know every corner of this castle the way Alucard must, but the path from his old quarters to the kitchens are familiar and takes no thought.

He joins Alucard in the kitchen, fully dressed and damp hair combed into at least a semblance of order.]

We can start on the yogurt as the base, but it won't be ready until tomorrow. I can leave you instructions...or I can come back to finish it.

[It's not like he has anything pressing going on these days.]

[cryptsleeper]

[While Hector puts clothes on, Alucard goes about fussing in the kitchen. He has the milk out at least, and he's rummaging around for a cucumber when Hector walks in.]

Well, the matter of remaining overnight is answered by asking if Cesar will be okay on his own for the night.

[petcromancer]

[Hector steps in beside Alucard and begins wordlessly measuring our ingredients. Alucard is a genius; he should be able to keep up without Hector coddling him.]

I always make arrangements for my pets when I go out. I never know when I’ll run afoul of an angry mob and be away longer than I planned.

[So Hector is staying the night, he guesses. It’s no more or less bizarre than any of the rest of this.]

[cryptsleeper]

At least I don't need to worry about you getting lost here.

[Trevor and Sypha are going to have to be told about this. But for now, cooking. Which means Alucard's eyes are on Hector as he works, keen and intense and perhaps paying too much attention.]

What acid are you using?

[petcromancer]

[Not getting lost is one benefit of Hector's history of betraying humanity to side with the vampires. Basically the only benefit, in fact.]

Lemon juice, if you have it. Your father used to have a tree in the conservatory.

[He rifles through the jars of herbs and spices on the shelves, pulling down the ones he typically uses. There are exotic plants that he usually doesn't have access to in these stores, but he really wants the mixture to impress Alucard, so he sticks to what he knows. Alucard already said it tasted good, though that was just the aftertaste, sampled a few hours later....]

I tend to go strong on the seasoning, but it might be overwhelming for someone of your physiology. I'll have you sample as we go, and we can adjust as needed.

[cryptsleeper]

[The dog is the other benefit.]

I know the tree, but I don't know if it has fruit at the moment. Do you have a second option if that's the case?

[He catches the spices being used, aware that this is perhaps more access to spices and herbs than Hector may have in his more usual circumstances.]

I'll bow to tasting as we go, at the very least.