[ It's just a little dizziness, she says, but her fingertips are icy cold and that thing in her heart is burning hot. Trevor lays her down in their bed, stroking her hair until she sleeps, and then leaves.
The castle is about day's walk from London proper, far enough out from the city and well enough hidden that the appearance of a new building hasn't brought suspicion yet. But it means that gathering information is a task that takes multiple days. He doesn't like leaving Sypha alone while she's unwell, but- shit, they need to find a building that the castle can inhabit and they need to do it soon. He might not understand the severity of her illness, but he can tell that the castle's heart is fucking with her.
It means that Sypha is alone in the castle when Alucard enters. There's the sensation of the entire castle tensing, preparing to defend her from attack, but then it recognises him. That it took so long is probably a concern in itself.
It's easier to tell the differences seeing them all at once rather than watching her change gradually over a month. She's more gaunt than she was. The glowing red stuff that makes up the edges of her body where it cuts off to reveal the heart is black now, like cooled lava rather than molten. The heart has grown to about a half again its size.
It's consuming her. It's going to eat her to survive, and then there'll be nowhere for it to find shelter and it'll wither away and die. It knows the consequences and yet it can no more stop itself from doing this than a flame can stop itself from burning down a candle. ]
[Alucard addresses it directly. Not Sypha. Just castle.]
You can't use a human as kindling. You know that. You did it as a temporary measure, but you know this isn't sustainable and you know my mother would be furious at you. Rightly so.
[His eyes are not on Sypha. They are on the walls around her.]
I am more infinite than she is. What would a transfer require?
[It's the cold calmness of his father that Alucard focuses on. It's easier than reacting to the state of Sypha right now. He's trying to treat her as a patient, just a body, rather than a person. Easier that way. Harder to care.]
[ It’s an odd sensation, the castle reaching out to touch Alucard. Nothing actually does physically contact him, and yet the sensation is there nonetheless. Then comes the answer, a stream of information. The castle doesn’t speak in words, Alucard just starts knowing things that he didn’t before.
Too small. The bat would be too small to contain it. Even as a man or wolf, he doesn’t have the sheer willpower that Sypha does. Not enough to sustain it for more than a few days. It wouldn’t burn him away the way it’s doing to Sypha, but it would starve after a week or less. It needs a body again. A building. And to be sustained with magic until if can recover. ]
[Alucard sighs. He then sits himself down on the ground, putting both palms on the floor. There's an awful thought there, that perhaps it's best to let the castle go now, and that brings a fresh round of ache.
Too small.
They need another building. They need it now. But if he can buy a week then he'll buy a week and at least Sypha has the time to recover.]
Castle, what do you want after all this time?
[It is a living breathing thing. It must have it's own thoughts on the matter, and it'd be easier to give heed to them.]
[ There's a long silence. It's not something that the castle's ever been asked before, not even by Dracula himself.
A flood of information follows. It wants so many conflicting things. It wants its first master back. It wants whatever monsters were used as its building materials released to terrorise the world of humanity once again. It wants to once more serve something great and feared and powerful, to be a symbol of terror, to command subservience to its master in whatever helpless fool sees it looming above.
But there are other things it wants. Deeper things. Things that can't be heard over the deluge of monstrous things until they repeat so much that they fade into the background and the quieter things can be picked out.
It wants to be something great in this new age, and it doesn't care whether that comes from terrorising humanity or serving it. It wants the books in its libraries to be read and their knowledge used to help people or to destroy them. It wants the equipment in its laboratories at work brewing medicines or poisons. It wants to be a home again, else it wants to be an engine of war again.
Its first master wanted it to be a symbol of terror. Its second, in her brief time with it, wanted it to be a symbol of hope. It doesn't mind which it becomes, so long as it can be one of them. ]
[In all of this, Alucard understands one important point. The most important. The one that makes everything harder. The castle wants to live. To keep existing. To be. And God if it wouldn't be easier if it wanted to rest now, rest like Alucard does. They could both fade away, and trouble the Belmont and the Speaker no more.
Alucard sighs. Runs his hands over the stone floor, and doesn't even pretend to be surprised when silent tears hit the floor.]
I don't know if I can give you any of those things. I doubt I can give anything at all now.
[ The speaker's eyes are still closed when she stands, placing a hand softly on Alucard's head. The castle can try to offer comfort, right now. It has the capacity. It has the speaker's memories and knows what comfort is. ]
I wish to be what I was. [ It's using Sypha's voice, but Sypha would never have such difficulties with words. It pauses between each one, struggling to speak in a human tongue. ] At your side or at your father's.
She would. But she is not here. She will not return.
[ The castle's tone doesn't change - that's a human subtlety that it can't even begin to manage. But the energy of the building swells with some sort of feeling.
The castle does sit, at least, even if it struggles a little with the concept. Butt on bed, it manages. It can't quite figure out what one does with the legs. Eventually it gathers them up against its chest, using them to shield its spinning heart. That is probably what one uses legs for. ]
I refuse to die. Should the speaker be the price of that, so be it.
[Alucard at least walks over and gets Sypha's legs lying down. Tucks her back in again. She's warm and cold in all the worst ways and it needs to stop.]
No. Nor will he. But I would have you honor her wishes, above mine or his.
It's expanded itself since Alucard was here last, but it's still nowhere as large as it was. It takes a minute or so to reach the door, and by this time Trevor is hammering on the thing. ]
Sypha! Sypha, open up! Shit, what's wrong?
[ The doors have never kept him out before. This has to mean that Sypha's got sicker, right? ]
[ Trevor looks exhausted. He is exhausted. Even as close as they can safely manage the journey's a long one, and he tries to make it back after his work without rest so as to not leave Sypha alone too long while she's ill.
He's also splattered with blood and ash, though he doesn't seem to be injured enough for it to be his own. ]
You're back.
[ For a single, unguarded moment he sounds happy about that, reaching out to touch Alucard's shoulder for a few seconds before he remembers how fucking furious he is with this vampire. He repeats himself, more businesslike. ]
[Alucard is nothing but business. The ice well that another Sypha in another time described him as. Wanting to move through this and then be done. Done with these two at least. The castle too, although that thought adds a new level of guilt. Done with everything. He can go be a wolf in the woods and forget he was ever anything but.]
I will leave when that is concluded, presuming the circumstances do not destroy me first. I have a plan if you are willing to listen.
[ Is he 'the circumstances'? There is a 90% chance he is the circumstances. ]
I'm listening.
[ He's listening while working, at least, tossing a heavy bag down in the entrance way and fishing through it to retrieve a tiny bundle of wax cloth. He stands again, gesturing to a doorway that wasn't there when Alucard was here last. A laboratory, the castle helpfully provides. ]
[Alucard ignores the blood and ash. Ignores everything about Trevor, about the bag. Why there's wax cloth. All of it isn't important.
Moreover, and this is the important part: he doesn't care.}
Fine.
[He doesn't like that doorway. Doesn't like that it means using Sypha's energy.]
The castle needs energy to endure until it exist on it's own. The buildings were fine, but the circumstances changed and it moved to Sypha as a host because of her strong will. But even that is limited, and that is why we are in the current situation now.
If a location in London can be found on or atop a leyline, then all will be well. In the mean time, I can take the castle from her.
[As almost an afterthought, he adds:] I'll have a week at most before that kills me. I'll find a coffin and rest for that week.
Then do it. I'm renting a room from a bunch of spiritualists in the city. That's ungodly enough for the castle, right?
[ He finishes mounting whatever it was he took out of that cloth to a microscope slide and putting it alongside the other thing he was looking at. There's no particular order to it. ]
I'm getting the feeling you're upset about the killing you thing.
I'll have her look at it once she's well enough. I've always had a shitty eye for those things.
[ Okay, that hurts a little. Enough to actually look at Alucard for a moment. He's furious and betrayed, yes, but he'd cared about Alucard before that. Cared about what he'd thought was Alucard, at least. It's stupid, but it's a little shitty to think that that didn't matter. ]
Nothing. Right.
[ He looks away, in the direction of Sypha's room. ]
Go- do whatever you have to do with the heart, then. I've missed dragging a coffin around. Did wonders for my arms.
What did you expect me to do? You could wipe out entire towns if you wanted to, and the only things I can do about that are to kill you or trust that you won't. You've proven that you don't mind hurting people. How the fuck am I supposed to trust you after that?
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The castle is about day's walk from London proper, far enough out from the city and well enough hidden that the appearance of a new building hasn't brought suspicion yet. But it means that gathering information is a task that takes multiple days. He doesn't like leaving Sypha alone while she's unwell, but- shit, they need to find a building that the castle can inhabit and they need to do it soon. He might not understand the severity of her illness, but he can tell that the castle's heart is fucking with her.
It means that Sypha is alone in the castle when Alucard enters. There's the sensation of the entire castle tensing, preparing to defend her from attack, but then it recognises him. That it took so long is probably a concern in itself.
It's easier to tell the differences seeing them all at once rather than watching her change gradually over a month. She's more gaunt than she was. The glowing red stuff that makes up the edges of her body where it cuts off to reveal the heart is black now, like cooled lava rather than molten. The heart has grown to about a half again its size.
It's consuming her. It's going to eat her to survive, and then there'll be nowhere for it to find shelter and it'll wither away and die. It knows the consequences and yet it can no more stop itself from doing this than a flame can stop itself from burning down a candle. ]
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[Alucard addresses it directly. Not Sypha. Just castle.]
You can't use a human as kindling. You know that. You did it as a temporary measure, but you know this isn't sustainable and you know my mother would be furious at you. Rightly so.
[His eyes are not on Sypha. They are on the walls around her.]
I am more infinite than she is. What would a transfer require?
[It's the cold calmness of his father that Alucard focuses on. It's easier than reacting to the state of Sypha right now. He's trying to treat her as a patient, just a body, rather than a person. Easier that way. Harder to care.]
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Too small. The bat would be too small to contain it. Even as a man or wolf, he doesn’t have the sheer willpower that Sypha does. Not enough to sustain it for more than a few days. It wouldn’t burn him away the way it’s doing to Sypha, but it would starve after a week or less. It needs a body again. A building. And to be sustained with magic until if can recover. ]
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Too small.
They need another building. They need it now. But if he can buy a week then he'll buy a week and at least Sypha has the time to recover.]
Castle, what do you want after all this time?
[It is a living breathing thing. It must have it's own thoughts on the matter, and it'd be easier to give heed to them.]
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A flood of information follows. It wants so many conflicting things. It wants its first master back. It wants whatever monsters were used as its building materials released to terrorise the world of humanity once again. It wants to once more serve something great and feared and powerful, to be a symbol of terror, to command subservience to its master in whatever helpless fool sees it looming above.
But there are other things it wants. Deeper things. Things that can't be heard over the deluge of monstrous things until they repeat so much that they fade into the background and the quieter things can be picked out.
It wants to be something great in this new age, and it doesn't care whether that comes from terrorising humanity or serving it. It wants the books in its libraries to be read and their knowledge used to help people or to destroy them. It wants the equipment in its laboratories at work brewing medicines or poisons. It wants to be a home again, else it wants to be an engine of war again.
Its first master wanted it to be a symbol of terror. Its second, in her brief time with it, wanted it to be a symbol of hope. It doesn't mind which it becomes, so long as it can be one of them. ]
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Alucard sighs. Runs his hands over the stone floor, and doesn't even pretend to be surprised when silent tears hit the floor.]
I don't know if I can give you any of those things. I doubt I can give anything at all now.
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I wish to be what I was. [ It's using Sypha's voice, but Sypha would never have such difficulties with words. It pauses between each one, struggling to speak in a human tongue. ] At your side or at your father's.
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[He doesn't want comfort. That much Alucard knows, because why does he deserve any of it? He's a patricide. Among so many other errors.]
I can't have you take a life. You know my mother would be furious.
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[ The castle's tone doesn't change - that's a human subtlety that it can't even begin to manage. But the energy of the building swells with some sort of feeling.
The castle does sit, at least, even if it struggles a little with the concept. Butt on bed, it manages. It can't quite figure out what one does with the legs. Eventually it gathers them up against its chest, using them to shield its spinning heart. That is probably what one uses legs for. ]
I refuse to die. Should the speaker be the price of that, so be it.
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No. Nor will he. But I would have you honor her wishes, above mine or his.
[He's firm on at least that much.]
Castle. What if I no longer live? What then?
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I will find a new master. I will reveal myself to the vampires of the world and allow them to go to war over me. Whoever claims me, I will serve them.
[ It goes silent for a while, and then Sypha's body goes still. Once again it speaks solely in information, not words.
The Belmont approaches, it says. Should it bar the doors? ]
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[He's firm about that much and--
ugh.]
Fine. But let me get to the door first. He and I need to speak.
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It's expanded itself since Alucard was here last, but it's still nowhere as large as it was. It takes a minute or so to reach the door, and by this time Trevor is hammering on the thing. ]
Sypha! Sypha, open up! Shit, what's wrong?
[ The doors have never kept him out before. This has to mean that Sypha's got sicker, right? ]
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And then he says to hell with it, and opens the door himself.]
She is as fine as circumstances allow for.
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He's also splattered with blood and ash, though he doesn't seem to be injured enough for it to be his own. ]
You're back.
[ For a single, unguarded moment he sounds happy about that, reaching out to touch Alucard's shoulder for a few seconds before he remembers how fucking furious he is with this vampire. He repeats himself, more businesslike. ]
You're back.
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[Alucard is nothing but business. The ice well that another Sypha in another time described him as. Wanting to move through this and then be done. Done with these two at least. The castle too, although that thought adds a new level of guilt. Done with everything. He can go be a wolf in the woods and forget he was ever anything but.]
I will leave when that is concluded, presuming the circumstances do not destroy me first. I have a plan if you are willing to listen.
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I'm listening.
[ He's listening while working, at least, tossing a heavy bag down in the entrance way and fishing through it to retrieve a tiny bundle of wax cloth. He stands again, gesturing to a doorway that wasn't there when Alucard was here last. A laboratory, the castle helpfully provides. ]
I can listen while I walk.
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Moreover, and this is the important part: he doesn't care.}
Fine.
[He doesn't like that doorway. Doesn't like that it means using Sypha's energy.]
The castle needs energy to endure until it exist on it's own. The buildings were fine, but the circumstances changed and it moved to Sypha as a host because of her strong will. But even that is limited, and that is why we are in the current situation now.
If a location in London can be found on or atop a leyline, then all will be well. In the mean time, I can take the castle from her.
[As almost an afterthought, he adds:] I'll have a week at most before that kills me. I'll find a coffin and rest for that week.
Saves you the trouble if all fails.
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Well, shit.
[ But he can, in fact, listen while working, and he looks over at Alucard. ]
I just need to find a place to put the castle, and- she'll be okay?
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[Alucard stays at the doorway. Wanting to get away.]
Like I said. It won't matter if it all goes to shit after I do that.
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[ He finishes mounting whatever it was he took out of that cloth to a microscope slide and putting it alongside the other thing he was looking at. There's no particular order to it. ]
I'm getting the feeling you're upset about the killing you thing.
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[Alucard ignores the fact that Trevor's order is awful. Nope. No snide comments.]
Belmont, I don't care at this point. I genuinely don't. There is nothing anchoring me to this world, and there has not been for centuries.
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[ Okay, that hurts a little. Enough to actually look at Alucard for a moment. He's furious and betrayed, yes, but he'd cared about Alucard before that. Cared about what he'd thought was Alucard, at least. It's stupid, but it's a little shitty to think that that didn't matter. ]
Nothing. Right.
[ He looks away, in the direction of Sypha's room. ]
Go- do whatever you have to do with the heart, then. I've missed dragging a coffin around. Did wonders for my arms.
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[It's the most he'll admit to noticing the hurt. After that, he begins to walk away.]
Leave the coffin in the castle. If I'm going to die, I'd rather be here. As the stories said I was.
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[ He's talking at Alucard's back, now. ]
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WAIT SHIT THIS ONE SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIRST
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