We both know it can't be Trevor. [Their Belmont is a great many things, but a magician has never been one of them. Alucard is skilled enough, even if he pales beside Sypha.] By default, it is always me.
[That's how it'll always be, won't it? Trevor and Alucard can't be trusted together. Trevor can't be left alone lest he turn terribly self destructive. Alucard can, until recently at least, be trusted to function like a relatively normal human being.
There's a miserable noise that leaves him, and it happens just as Sypha smacks her hands on the table.]
[Yes, that configuration does make the most sense, creates the best odds of success. But Alucard drips resigned misery, so Sypha grinds her teeth and thinks to hell with the odds anyway.]
It can absolutely be me, if you'll help me figure out how to reconstruct the enchantment. [The ebb and flow of power comes naturally to Sypha, it's true, but she lacks Alucard's academic grasp of theory. Without his help, it could take her weeks or even months to acquire the knowledge necessary to rebuild a sending mirror. There's a reason they're relatively rare, after all. After her experience with the limited version in the Belmont trove, she dares say she could operate even a much larger and complex one without a hitch.
And maybe, in the meantime, try to repair some of the other magical mechanisms within the Castle...] That is, if it's what you want?
[Sypha's fine with theory, once she has the access to the information. He can pull those books and sit down to walk her through whatever is needed. But he doesn't know if this is a good idea.
He and Trevor work better with her there. It's a fact of life at this point, one that really hasn't been disproved by time. Worse, the thought of going out into the world makes the dhampir sick. He can't trust himself not to overreact right now, it's just--
Honesty. Sypha respects that.]
I don't know what I want right now, Sypha. Or what is safe.
You're always safe with us. [She slides her hands across the worksurface until her fingertips bump his elbow. Careful, careful.] But I understand if you feel safer here, right now.
[It feels like a retreat, but if Lindenfeld taught her anything, it's that few situations can be made better all at once. Even if she'd caught on to the runes and the night creatures' plan sooner, even if the sacrifice had been averted, she still would have walked away ignorant to the Judge's true nature. Only by slowing down and stepping back can she hope to understand the scope of the problem.]
If you'd rather operate the mirror, that's good, too. What matters is we're a team again.
[Safer here. Yes, that's right, isn't it? So long as no one is allowed into the building, he's safe.
Alucard barely notices the fingertips against his elbow. He doesn't startle, which is doubtlessly a good thing. One never gets far by acting like a skittish horse.]
I'd have to think about it, if there's any time to allow for it.
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no subject
[That's how it'll always be, won't it? Trevor and Alucard can't be trusted together. Trevor can't be left alone lest he turn terribly self destructive. Alucard can, until recently at least, be trusted to function like a relatively normal human being.
There's a miserable noise that leaves him, and it happens just as Sypha smacks her hands on the table.]
When have any of us ever gotten what we wanted?
no subject
It can absolutely be me, if you'll help me figure out how to reconstruct the enchantment. [The ebb and flow of power comes naturally to Sypha, it's true, but she lacks Alucard's academic grasp of theory. Without his help, it could take her weeks or even months to acquire the knowledge necessary to rebuild a sending mirror. There's a reason they're relatively rare, after all. After her experience with the limited version in the Belmont trove, she dares say she could operate even a much larger and complex one without a hitch.
And maybe, in the meantime, try to repair some of the other magical mechanisms within the Castle...] That is, if it's what you want?
no subject
[Sypha's fine with theory, once she has the access to the information. He can pull those books and sit down to walk her through whatever is needed. But he doesn't know if this is a good idea.
He and Trevor work better with her there. It's a fact of life at this point, one that really hasn't been disproved by time. Worse, the thought of going out into the world makes the dhampir sick. He can't trust himself not to overreact right now, it's just--
Honesty. Sypha respects that.]
I don't know what I want right now, Sypha. Or what is safe.
no subject
[It feels like a retreat, but if Lindenfeld taught her anything, it's that few situations can be made better all at once. Even if she'd caught on to the runes and the night creatures' plan sooner, even if the sacrifice had been averted, she still would have walked away ignorant to the Judge's true nature. Only by slowing down and stepping back can she hope to understand the scope of the problem.]
If you'd rather operate the mirror, that's good, too. What matters is we're a team again.
no subject
Alucard barely notices the fingertips against his elbow. He doesn't startle, which is doubtlessly a good thing. One never gets far by acting like a skittish horse.]
I'd have to think about it, if there's any time to allow for it.