[Not hugging it out is probably a good step right now, as Alucard himself can't tell if he'd allow it or actually go feral. This moment, everything, really, has felt like walking along an impossible piano wire, too thin and too sharp, digging into the soles of his feet.

Gideon's right that her commentary is the best call. A good turn of phrase is apparently enough of a distraction in Alucard's head, and while he takes a beat to try and clear his eyes (pointless, they fill up again), he's still able to get a better laugh out.]

Get her a job at the museum then, maybe that's the best way to make her comfortable. I'll pretend I didn't hear the army comment.

[Also Hector isn't allowed to find out about it either, but Hector's not worth mentioning right now. There's a lot to process, and maybe it's wrong to think about the events as going out in style, but it's better than the crushing guilt that's plagued him for months.

The words thank you are horridly inappropriate here, so Alucard doesn't offer them. Silence, dotted with rain on the roof, fills the air for a few moments before he attempts anything further.]

Perhaps that's the better way to frame it going forward. It's...[A soft snort, before Alucard finally, finally walks back over to sit at the table.] It's been a lot to sit with.