Catch All

[cryptsleeper]

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[cryptsleeper]

[Shit. He's possibly miscalculated here but--]

Our agreement: I don't get hurt.

You've broken that. Not entering the den was no formal agreement, only a matter of respect.

[Let giving voice be what breaks this. Please. Please.]

[miraclewhip]

[ Once again, there's no response. Even the snarling has stopped. The vines at Alucard's wrists slowly harden. ]

[cryptsleeper]

[Shit.

He miscalculated.

Shit.]

She's going to be stuck like that forever then.

[To hell with this. Alucard yanks his wrists upward, well aware that vampire strength should give him some leverage.]

You broke the agreement and she's going to suffer.

[miraclewhip]

[ No response. The vines don't stretch and break, they shatter, and tiny peices of stone fall to the ground as Alucard breaks free. ]

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard tries to pull himself up. The shattered vines are a good sign, but they could return. So he floats. Or tries to, with Trevor's weight pressed upon him.]

For your God's--[No terror allowed.]

You deserve better than living like this. All five of you. The three in the ground and Sypha and yourself.

[miraclewhip]

[ There's still no response, and as Alucard rises up the only resistance is Trevor's weight itself. His cold, unmoving weight.

Then the weight falls to one side with a crash, and Alucard can finally turn to see the blood-smeared stone bear behind him. ]

[cryptsleeper]

Belm--

[Alucard gets up to his feet immediately, and once that happens, he brings both of his hands to his mouth. Shit. Shit. He did miscalculate. He didn't account for the stone spell to be turned back on the other party.

Fuck, fuck, fuck.

Immediately Alucard is at the bear's side, fingers moving over Trevor's sides. Trying to find the source of blood. Panicking.

...No.

He already was told how to break the spell. Make a promise. See it through.

Alucard breathes out. Puts his hands over the bear's heart.]

I swear this oath: I will continue to carry out my three year agreement and take care of both Sypha and the Belmont in however they define that offer.

Please.

[miraclewhip]

[ It's Alucard's blood that he's smeared with. And there's no response. No grumbling that this is foolish, that Alucard's already made himself free from one oath only to immediately swear another. And no indication of whether this will work. Only silence, as the stone spreads through all of the roses in the house.

Alucard is alone. ]

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard swears softly. Then gets to his feet.

To hell with this. The origin of all the problems are in the den, and so if he hasn't had his agreement acknowledge, then he'll do this:]

I also swear that after I have examined this den to determine the source of all these spells, I will do what is in my power while confined here to fix what I can.

[So he picks up the trowel. Rubs Trevor behind the ears, and walks over to the fireplace.

Time to excavate properly.]

[miraclewhip]

[ After a while, the knot of roots is uncovered. It was partially under the fireplace, partially within it and simply covered in earth by the sloped sides. It's stone now, as everything else is, but new growth writhes about under the old, breaking through the petrified roots in places like a bird breaking out of an egg. The curse's heart is still alive, and whatever is within it is untouched by the petrification. ]

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard's covered in dirt by the time he's gotten to the knot of roots, using both trowel and his own hands to get there. His long fingernails trace over the heart of the curse, but he doesn't touch it further. Not yet.

Research. He needs to do research and for that he has to go into the house. He covers the excavation up with furs again, and then?

He just casually drags the bear into the house. Takes care of him along with Sypha while devouring page after page from Dracula's library, knowing that the answer must be in there. Surely. It must.]

[miraclewhip]

[ Nothing that concerns curses seems to provide him any answers. Nothing matches this. The Belmonts have enemies who use magic powerful enough to do this, certainly, but nothing that would place a creature like Trevor here as the curse's steward. And any of the Belmonts' enemies that were powerful enough to do this wouldn't have escaped Dracula's notice. He wouldn't have cared before Alucard became involved, but once he did- it's unfathomable that he wouldn't have been able to learn what was happening, had the culprit been anyone under his command.

He wakes. The bear form falls away, and with it, for at least a little while, the stone. Trevor falls to the ground, digging his nails into the wood of the floor and snarling before the confusion sinks in. What happened?

He was furious, he remembers that much. And he struck out at Alucard, and-

-and broke his word, turning all of his curses upon himself. ]

Why? [ He gasps out, for want of anything else to say. Why is Alucard still here? Why is he here, with the two of them? Why all of this? ]

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard's gone through the books so many times over now. It's a scary thing, that there's no suggestion of a creature or creatures that might be able to place a curse over the Belmonts like this. Not a trace. Alucard privately wonders if even Dracula could pull it off, and surely there must something that can.

But in his research - reading out lout to Sypha as he has promised to do - he hears Trevor. Springs up to his feet and races over to Trevor, fur blanket in hand and immediately throwing it around Trevor's shoulders.]

I promised, didn't I?

[miraclewhip]

You could have left.

[ He brings a hand up to the thorns growing through him. Those are still stone, not living.

His shoulders sink, and he looks up at Alucard. ]

Thank you. I'm glad she has you.

[cryptsleeper]

I could have, yes. But it is as I said, you all deserve better.

[Alucard makes sure the blanket around Trevor is secure before guiding the Belmont over to the nearest sofa. Makes sure he sits down, and Alucard settles beside him.

He doesn't dare to touch Trevor more. Not yet. It hasn't been earned.]

Belmont, I found the heart of the curse.

[miraclewhip]

[ He brings his feet up onto the sofa, leaning forward into his knees. Curled up in the same way the body inside the heart was, only larger. He doesn't attack this time, just stares forward. ]

I-

[ His voice sounds choked, like some combination of terror and disgust. ]

-I don't like that thing. It's awful.

[cryptsleeper]

I am trying to find out more about it. Who might have cast it.

[Alucard rests his hand on the small of Trevor's back, delicate and feather light.]

If destroying it removes the curse, but doesn't harm you.

[miraclewhip]

Who might have cast it.

[He repeats it quietly, thoughtfully. Sighs. ]

I- don’t want you to do this. Don’t want to know more about it. I just- it hurts, to think about it to hard. [ But- ] If this means so much to you-

-have you thought about what might have done this, rather than who?

[cryptsleeper]

....

[Alucard's hand moves up. Settles on the top of Treovr's head and starts to stroke through all that hair. It's instinct now.]

I haven't. Which means I've been approaching this all wrong, haven't I?

[miraclewhip]

I don’t know.

[ He sighs and leans into the touch, despite himself. ]

You keep saying that I’m not the curse. And so- you probably haven’t even considered it, have you? That what I am might be the cause of this.

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard just brings Trevor close, so that if the Belmont wants, he can rest his head in the crook of Alucard's neck.]

What, your bear form?

[It doesn't make sense.]

None of this follows logic.

[miraclewhip]

I don’t know. But if you want to know- maybe it’s a place to look for answers.

[ He goes still and silent for a moment, then pushes himself down from the sofa, walking toward the door on all fours, even as a man. ]

Follow me.

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard rises, and...

Trevor what the ever loving fuck.

Nope. Not the point. Alucard follows after Trevor quietly, deciding to just not question why he's walking like that.]

Lead on.

[miraclewhip]

[ Wow rude this is just how he’s used to walking you don’t have to kinkshame.

He leads Alucard out of the room, out of his wing, through the ruins of the house to a stone door set into the ground. He lays a hand on it and it opens, revealing a long stairway, and he sets off down it and into the darkness. ]

[cryptsleeper]

[THIS ISN'T KINK SHAMING IT'S GENTLE CONFUSION

that only grows as he keeps following. The stairway? Oh what the fuck. He's losing Trevor in the darkness, so Alucard declares to hell with it and he floats down after Trevor instead.]

Would you care to explain?!