Catch All

[cryptsleeper]

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[miraclewhip]

That'd- it'd be nice, one day. Once things are calmer and the estate doesn't need defending.

[ Stop trying to make this about things he wants, this was meant to be a good thing for you! ]

I don't really know. What does revealing things mean?

[cryptsleeper]

Somewhere east, maybe. Across the black sea.

[Alucard seems to like the idea as well, but..right.]

Hm. Like this.

[There are a few murmured words. And then something heavy suddenly appears at Alucard's side, bundled tightly in brown leather, attached to his belt. The dhampir unhooks it carefully, then unwraps. Lays the thing in his lap and--

--it's a book.]

The travel version of my family's most important spells and medical information.

[miraclewhip]

Oh. So it’s not revealing things as in making people’s clothes fall off.

[ He looks at the book for a moment. Reaches his hand out to touch it but stops short. ]

Shit. Magic books. [ A pause. ] My sister used spells to find words and passages in her books. Can you do that?

[cryptsleeper]

Fall on, actually.

[Alucard smiles, moving the book closer. Telling him it's okay to touch.]

I could, but I have most of this committed to memory. There's no need.

[miraclewhip]

Well shit. Spells for making people more dressed.

[ He reaches out to touch the book. It feels real, at least to his untrained hands, rather than a magical construct of some sort. ]

How is it made? Did you move the book from somewhere else to here? Or did you create it from magic? Or the information in the book stored in the spell, and the spell gives it form?

[ He almost sounds half-informed on the topic. Especially for a non-mage. So maybe he’s been reading up on this, trying to understand something that means so much to the humans. Don’t tell Sypha he has to keep being tsun at her. ]

[cryptsleeper]

It's written as a normal book. But you make ink according to the first spell in the book, and it indexes and updates the rest of it. To ensure safety though you have to be a blood relation of mine to access it, or I have to write your name in the book.

[Alucard opens the first page. For him, it's a title page. For Trevor? It's blank.]

Flip through. It should be blank for almost every page, save a few dummy pages that are scribbles.

[miraclewhip]

[ He flips through the book. Sure enough, nothing. ]

And that’s where the hiding things comes in, then? Because other people can’t get the secrets out of it. Clever.

How are you feeling? This isn’t draining you, is it?

[ On the contrary, this place should be becoming more bearable with every spell cast. Up until a certain point, having magic passing through a body mades everything easier here. ]

[cryptsleeper]

If I don't reveal it, they don't even know it's on my person.

[That comes with a small, prideful smile.]

It does feel a little better. Just...there is something to be said about having to remind myself where I am, exactly.

[miraclewhip]

Shit, so you’ve had a secret book this whole time and it’s just been hidden away too safely for you to read?

[ He takes a moment to figure out what that means, then nods. ]

Oh, right. Hell has- kind of a bad reputation with humans, doesn’t it?

[cryptsleeper]

Correct. Without access to magic, I can't call it up to reveal itself. It's a good thing I've had it in my head for as long as I have, but it's also what I mean when I speak of how magic connects me back to my family.

[It is so, so literal.

Alucard laughs softly, nudging his shoulder against Trevor's.]

It does. But that you're more focused on magic working here means a lot, Trevor.

[miraclewhip]

I’d thought you meant something a little less literal, to be honest.

[ A warmth rises to his cheeks as Alucard brushes against him. He’s not sure if it ought to. Alucard and Sypha share one of the guest rooms now. He doesn’t object, of course he doesn’t. But it means moments like this are. Maybe not allowed. ]

I- can’t go with the two of you. So I can’t keep you safe the normal way. I figure- you know. You’ll be safer with magic than without it. And it gives me something to work on.

[cryptsleeper]

Oh, it can be less literal as well. Just the easiest thing to explain. We hid a lot of things over Wallachia's countryside too.

[Alucard doesn't miss that look on Trevor's face. He smiles at it, perhaps a little too kind.]

We should switch you out at some point. Travel with Sypha or myself, just for a little while.

[miraclewhip]

Hidden like caches? Or hidden like the estate?

[ Both make sense. He's pretty sure it was Mathias' power that made the estate as it is, rather than Leon's. Leon had gained an understanding of magic over his long years, one that allowed him to work with the gates, but was hardly a natural.

He shakes his head. ]

S'fine. I'm best equipped if anything decides to try to come through the gate. And- I Wouldn't want to separate you.

[cryptsleeper]

Like caches. If we could hide things like the estate...

[They'd never be in this situation to begin with. Alucard sighs and--

--oh.]

We miss you, you know. When we're away.

[miraclewhip]

You do?

[ He knew they were always glad to return to the estate, to warmth and food and safety. He’d thought of himself as an extension of that. Maybe Sypha needed him, in that she needed anyone around and who it was didn’t really matter. Alucard always seemed determined not to need to be around anyone. ]

I miss the both of you, too. Aurelius isn’t bad company, but he’s- you know.

[ A dog, and not the kind that’s actually really a vampire. ]

[cryptsleeper]

He's not a person. He's a dog.

[He understands. But then Alucard stops, letting out a very shaky breath.]

You know we both love you, right?

[miraclewhip]

You- what?

[ He can’t have heard that right. It’s- too easy. Surely it’s too easy. Leon said that they were monsters. Part monsters, at least. That if humanity were to tolerate them, it would be the result of a lifetime of work. He’s just- just been here. Just done what seemed right. It can’t work like that, that people just-

-just love him. ]

...why?

[ He hasn’t done anything. ]

[cryptsleeper]

You take care of us. [He says it as if this is all obvious. Which to him, it is.]

How can we not?

[miraclewhip]

Of course I do. It’s- what I’m meant to do. Protect humans.

[ Just. You know. Two specific humans. Who he just happens to adore. ]

You don’t have to, you know. Love me. Things won’t change if you don’t. I’ll still- I’ll still be happy to have you both.

[cryptsleeper]

[...This is it. This is really where it's going to happen, huh?]

Look at me for a moment.

[miraclewhip]

[ He does, and he wants to look happy but he doesn’t quite. He just seems confused, like his entire understanding of the world has been shaken. He wants to be happy, but he suddenly doesn’t know his place anymore. He didn’t realise until just now that knowing what he was and what he ought to do about it was one of the few things holding him together.

But maybe he doesn’t need that to hold him together anymore. Maybe the humans can do that from now on. ]

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard leans in and kisses the Belmont.

That's all it is. A soft kiss on the lips, easy to break, easy to push away from. But it is a kiss all the same, one delivered gently and with great affection, and Alucard cannot believe his first kiss with the Belmont is in Hell. Of all the things he'd anticipate? Not this. Never this.]

[miraclewhip]

[ Oh. That’s what it’s like.

He didn’t realise until now that he’d been wondering. That he’d been staring at Alucard’s lips every now and then, thinking about what it might be like to kiss them. Nice. Nice is what it’s like. He doesn’t pull away, but doesn’t press forward either. Just moves enough to let Alucard know he hasn’t frozen and no more. And then he breaks the kiss and lifts the book, pushing it into his hands. ]

We have our answers. We- don’t really need to be here anymore. Let me take you home?

[ home. ]

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard's laugh is a little nervous, but it relaxes. He did the right thing. He needed to do this some time ago, he supposes.]

Hmm, I think I owe you slightly more elaborate magic first.

[miraclewhip]

You'll show me?

[ His own voice is a little unsteady. He's happy. He's so happy. But he's- a lot of other things, too. Things that have gone ignored since this began. He wants to kiss Alucard again. But more than that, he wants to pull him close and bury his face in his chest and maybe, maybe, just cry for a while.

But Alucard wants to show him something. And if it's something Alucard thinks is impressive, then he wants to see it. ]

What is it?