petcromancer | Musebox

[It's a novelty, being so far from home. Being permitted to enter the world properly, because Alucard's presence in the world has always been a thing of debate between his parents. There is the fear of Alucard's nature inspiring harm against him, but it contradicts Lisa's own command to her husband. To travel and see the world as men do. Why should they deny their son the same opportunities to travel?

This is a trial run. To see if Alucard even wants to move beyond the safety of the castle walls and if traveling agrees with him. He's rode horses and wagons, spoken with his countrymen, with the Ottomans, with Greeks, all in service of reaching this isolated place. There have been pleasurable parts and deeply annoying ones, and Alucard is unsure exactly how he feels about the matter.

But he has reached his destination. His father's description of Hector's home is exacting, and Alucard knows that what happens next is up to his hands.

He knocks on the door twice. Then adds, just in case:]

I come on the authority of Vlad Ţepeş.

[It will either open a door or whoever lives there now will have no idea who Alucard is speaking of.]

[Hector can count on his hands how many times visitors have come to his door. Even less, the number of times those visits have been good.

Given the hour, and the work yet to be done, Hector is prepared to ignore the knock, until those words.

The door to the cabin flings open, and Hector is there, in the doorway, eager for whatever news the messenger bears from Vlad.

And immediately, he regrets not having taken a moment to comb back his hair or wash the grime and blood off his hands, because the man in the doorway must be some kind of incubus. The ancient Greek sculptors would weep for such a model.

It is either some sort of trap or he's collapsed in his lab, dreaming.

Behind him, Cesar yips and hobbles past him on three normal paws and one bone limb with faint hints of muscle tissue beginning to develop. The dog paws at the visitor's pants leg, demanding attention.

Hector...should probably say something. Anything.]

Yes? [Even this caught off guard, he has enough presence of mind to not immediately invite the stranger in, at least. Although if he has to die of something, being devoured by this man would certainly be a way to go.]

[Alucard isn't sure what to expect. His father had explained that Hector is a necromancer. A softer soul, and that had been it. So when Hector opens the door, the dhampir's golden eyes take a moment to process everything.

Hector is slender, but that may be from eating poorly. He's in the midle of work, going by the blookd and grime. He...has a dog? Alucard's gaze goes down to Cesar, and oh, yes. That's necromancy. For sure.

Alucard has a single leather travel bag over his shoulder. He reaches into it, pulling out a sealed letter that he offers to Hector. The seal is of a deep, blood red color and the rest is very much that of Vlad Tepes.]

The letter goes into depth, but my father would like to invite you to our home for a time.

[Hector's eyes go wide. If this is a trap set by a demon or one of Vlad's rival vampires to try to press gang him into their service, they are very well informed on how to tempt him.]

Just a moment.

[He ducks back into the house to grab a candle. Whoever the stranger is, he is not entirely human, and has better night vision than he does. Hector doesn't bother closing the door behind him. A vampire or a demon would not be able to cross the threshold without an invitation or a spell to remove his wards.

It is only 'paranoia' if the fear is unjustified.

Hector is at the doorway again, candle in hand, and he takes up the letter from the stranger. A reverent finger traces the seal before he breaks it.

Conscious of the eyes of the visitor, Hector tries to keep a stone face as he reads. By the second line, his jaw has dropped. The letter is undeniably from Vlad, and it is as the stranger...as is Vlad's son says. His lips twitch, and he has to consciously fight to not smile like a fool.]

Right...ok, come in. Sorry. I have to be cautious, you understand.

[He holds the letter in his hands with the care a priest might use for a sacred text, awestruck and a little overwhelmed.]

[Alucard doesn't blink when Hector retreats into the house to get a candle. Instead his attention turns to Cesar, who definitely has the dhampir's attention. He blinks down at the little dog, and once Hector's taken the letter, Alucard crouches down.

He offers out a hand to be sniffed, and once there's approval, Alucard's long, slender fingers begin to scratch Cesar right behind the ear. In the best spot, because Alucard knows where the best spot is. Wolf knowledge skills.

Alucard is just as content to keep showering Cesar in affection as he is to be inside and at journey's end. His eyes meet Hector's once the invitation is given and he nods once in acknowledgement.]

I understand. One doesn't live so far out of the way without due cause.

[So he straightens up and walks in.]

[Oh. Oh no. The gorgeous visitor is playing with his dog. Hector's one ~~of many~~ weakeness. This is absolutely unfair. Did Vlad do this on purpose to ensure Hector would take him up on his offer?]

Have you eaten? Do you eat?

[Hector steps back inside behind his guest and looks around his cabin with fresh eyes. Minimal, because he has little need or want for material possessions. Everything he has is functional, and most of it is for his research. There are a few precious books and scrolls he has managed to obtain throughout the years, tools for taking apart and piecing back together, and, of course, more than the regular amount of animal parts.

His table is mostly covered with his notes on his muscle-regrowth trials, which are a mixture of notes in a Greek chicken scratch and sketch. It is so very apparent that Hector is not set up to entertain.]

You can put your bag...wherever, I guess.

[He shuffles through some cabinets and shelves and comes back with a bottle of wine, half a loaf of bread, and a few odd apples he picked while he was out walking his pets.

Cesar, the friendliest of his little friends, follows Alucard as he walks around. The others are more cautious, and glowing blue eyes stare out from the shadows of the room, gauging the new potential threat.]

[No he's just also a dog Hector.]

I do, yes. A human diet is fine.

[Alucard is careful to clarify that fact, as he knows his father's letter does include the explanation that his son requires no special diet and can manage in the sunlight without any problem at all.

It's such a small place. Functional, and lacking so much of the kind of lab space that Alucard has grown up around. He judges nothing there, and simply settles for putting his bag down and out of the way near the door.]

Thank you.

[The bread looks fine enough, but Alucard doesn't dare to sit down. He doesn't want to get food over Hector's notes.]

Does your friend here have a name of his own?

[There is at least a tiny room set apart for his bed, but yes, this little cottage could probably fit inside some of the larger closets in Dracula's castle. Hector begins to stack his notes up in a pile to make a space for Alucard to sit and eat.]

Yes, his name is Cesar. Unless you cause a ruckus, you'll see his siblings once you sit down and eat.

[Hector could order them to emerge, but he prefers to let them make their own decisions in accordance to his nature. Dracula's son has, thus far, been quiet and polite; their curiosity will not be long in outweighing their fear.]

Did you have to travel far to get here? Your father's castle moves, so I don't know what your starting destination was.

[It is one of the reasons he figured he would never be able to seek Vlad out; no one ever knows where Castlevania will be at any given time.]

[Alucard settles down along side the spot Hector is clearing. He doesn't move to help, but that's only because Hector's notes doubtlessly have a specific order and he knows better than to disturb such an assemblage.]

Cesar. A very good name.

[So the dog gets one more scratch behind the ears, before the full of Alucard's attention settles on Hector.]

I've been on the road for a week. I expect to take that long to return which...am I incorrect in saying that you will be joining me?

[Hector slides the pile of notes away onto a shelf and returns to uncork the bottle.]

Yes, of course. Is there time for me to pack? And I'll need to give my pets an examination before we head out, to make sure they are fit to travel.

[He pauses.]

The invitation extends to them as well, yes?

[God, he hopes so, because the only thing that might shake his resolve to return to his mentor's side is if he would have to abandon his pets to do so.

He pours a glass of wine for Alucard and passes it to him without meeting his eye.]

I did not expect to leave before tomorrow morning, Hector.

[Alucard hides his own weariness from the road well, eyes settling on the wine bottle.]

And as far as I know, yes, the invitation extends to them. But you will need to devise a means to travel with them and not draw attention to us.

[He takes the glass in hand and then sips, proving that at the very least this vampire drinks...wine.]

Thank you.

[Hector nods, relieved.]

I can be ready by the morning.

[It is not the first all-nighter he's pulled, and it won't be his last. Now that his guest is settled and given the meager meal Hector has to offer, Hector ducks into his tiny bedroom and straightens it up.

When he returns to the living area, his pets have begun to emerge, watching Alucard with glowing eyes. Two dogs, a cat, a fox, and a hawk, all with marks of their undead nature somewhere on their bodies.]

I trust your father would not have sent you if you had any allergies to dander, but if any of them make pests of themselves, just shoo them away. It's not much, but there's a bed through that doorway. You can sleep there tonight.

[He nods to another door set in the back of the cabin.]

There's a well out back. I'll bring in some water so you can wash up.

[That is one thing he remembers from his own time spent traveling in his younger days- the grime of the road.]

[Alucard's finished the wine that has been offered, and his attention? That's back to Cesar, who he's scooped up and just plopped in his lap. It is much more comfortable like this, and now he's scritching under Cesar's chin.]

I promise you, I'll be fine. And you don't need to give up your bed for me. I'm sure you are aware of my father's abilities to transform, and I can do much the same.

[However, at the offer of water, a little bit of light does flicker and catch in Alucard's eyes.]

That would be quite welcome. Thank you.

You can transform?

[Is it too soon to propose marriage? Being stunningly handsome is one thing, but being able to transform into a giant wolf or a bat is so much better. Hector steps toward Alucard, then forcibly stops himself.]

No, don't show me now, I'll get nothing done.

[Tomorrow, tomorrow for sure. Hector steps out of the back door and comes back with a bucket of clean water and a cloth, which he sits down on the floor beside Alucard's chair. On his way back up, he gives Cesar a quick ruffle behind the ears.]

I don't mind if you take the bed. I'll be up packing anyways.

[Alucard's smile is small and fleeting at Hector's enthusiasm, but oh, it's there.]

I'll wait until we are closer to the castle.

[Closer to the castle means far safer. And so Alucard keeps showering attention on Cesar, until clean water arrives. He considers the stuff for a moment, then nods.]

Well, if you insist.

[Hand on the bucket handle, Alucard stands slowly.]

You don't mind if I close the door for a few moments?

[He's clearly doing a lot of washing up from the road.]

[Hector sighs, but that is for the best. He isn't a patient man, but having to wait will motivate him to get his affairs in order quickly and get moving.]

Go ahead. You can treat this house as your own.

[Hector just...is not going to think about the state of undress the dhampir will be behind that door. This is fine. Um. Pet inspections. He should do that.

While Alucard is getting himself cleaned up, Hector begins to rotate through the pets, lifting them one at a time to stand on the table so he can inspect their pelts, paws, extremities. There is some minor repair work to be done, accompanied by the sound of a hammer strike and glowing blue light.]

You're ready as you'll ever be to go back into the wild. [He tells the fox, stroking its long coppery back. He's done some patchwork on it to get it whole again, and the grafts have taken well.]

I appreciate your hospitality, truly.

[And with that, Alucard takes the bucket of water into Hector's room and closes the door. It's not the luxury of heated water through pipes like he has at home, but it's more than enough for Alucard to scrub off all the grit and grime of the road. He takes his time, starting with his face, then arms and legs, and then shedding his shirt and trousers for just long enough to clean off the worst of what has accumulated there.

It takes him fifteen minutes or so to be cleaned to his level of satisfaction, and when Alucard does re-emerge, it is with his hair lightly and messily braided back so that sleep can be an option for the evening.

But he is careful not to disturb Hector's work. He instead walks the bucket of water outside and discards it, knowing full well it's too dirty to have a second life. When that errand is done, he returns with the empty bucket.]

Where would you like me to place this?

[Hector looks up from his work.]

By the door is fine. I'll need to fetch more water in the morning.

[Alucard is being polite. Hector's hospitality is nothing to write home to Daddy Dracula about; he is too caught up in his work to prepare for hypothetical guests. Now that one such guest is here, he is scrambling to do what he can.]

How are we going to be traveling, once we reach the mainland? I have a cart I can use to get the animals to the nearest port. If we're going to be traveling by foot from there, I may need to invest in a beast of burden.

[Does 'invest' mean buying or making? Who can say?]

[By the door it is. Alucard places the bucket there, then retreats to the bedroom. He does understand the need for logistics, but now that he has seen a bed? Oh, oh the desire to sleep has overtaken him.]

We'll travel by wagon along regular routes, and then walk for a time. The castle will meet us at an appropriate spot.

[Meaning that there's no need for a cart, but there is a need for transportation.]

How many companions will be joining us?

[Hector hums. No cart, so he'll need to only pack what he can reasonably expect to carry with him. Good thing he doesn't have much.

He points to Cesar and then to the second dog, a black Cretan Hound that has curled up beside him.]

Two. Cesar and Antonius. The others came from the wild, and are fit to return to it.

[Antonius is a useful companion. A hunting dog and a guard dog, which Hector would likely need more if his traveling companion was not a dhampir. Cesar, on the other hand, is coming because only Hector loves him, and because the silly little thing could never survive on his own. He will need to be carried for basically the entire journey, and Hector will not go without him.]

Don't let me keep you up. I'll try to pack quietly.

[In terms of physical possessions that need to come along with them, he has only a few sets of clothes, his necromancer's tools, and a few odd and ends for the dogs; the rest of Hector's night is going to spent trying to sort through years of notes to wrangle it down to what will fit into his bag.]

[Alucard understands that Cesar's issues can be hidden with careful bandaging, and that the little pug's endurance is going to be a problem. They can carry him in one of the packs, and he'll probably enjoy it a little too much. Antonius draws the dhampir's attenton, and he looks the hound over carefully.]

I'll defer to your judgement on all these matters.

[And that's all he'll say on that. A yawn escapes, and Alucard knows better than to fight exhasution.]

Thank you. I'll see you in the morning.

[Alucard retreats into the bedroom. Perhaps it isn't surprising that the son of Dracula's sleeping form doesn't move at all. He's more statue than man. Easy to mistake for a corpse. But he does get himself well tangled and settled in what blankets are in the bed first, and his hair seems to trail after him.]

[Hector is surprised that Alucard leaves the door open as he sleeps. He tries not to look, though he does sneak into the little room once during the night to collect his extra clothes to pack. Alucard is doing his sleep of the dead in a hopelessly rumpled bed with an undead cat curled up beside his pillow.

It’s hard to breathe, and Hector sneaks back out, silently scolding himself that Lord Vlad’s son would absolutely be off limits. There is no point in even looking.

Morning finds Hector asleep on the floor in front of the little fire place, wrapped up in a spare blanket and surrounded by his pets.

Hector had had all the best intentions of only napping for an hour once he’d finished sorting his notes. He’d planned on being up at dawn to prepare for their departure, but here he is, still asleep.]

[Alucard sleeps like the dead, but he also wakes up all at once. He's up in the morning without blinking, and when he walks out the door, he...

...he can't say he's surprised to find Hector curled up in front of the fire place. He does nothing to disturb the man. Instead Alucard focuses on remembering where Hector pulled food from last night, and scrounges up a little bit of cheese, more wine, and staleing bread that he knows probably has only a day left until mold kicks in.

Only once the table is laid out and water is brought in from outside that Alucard dares to disturb Hector. Crouches down and places a soft hand on Hector's shoulder.]

Good morning.

[Hector is accustomed to movement when he sleeps- his pets come and go as they please- and even to falling asleep in the lab area when his work outweighs his common sense.

It is hearing a voice as he is shaken that jolts Hector out of his sleep in confusion.]

Wha?

[He sees Alucard, angelic in the morning light, and his mind races to catch up with his startled heartbeat.]

Right. Fuck. Sorry, I overslept. Let me get you...

[He looks past Alucard and sees breakfast already arranged on the table, because Vlad's son is infuriatingly perfect and Hector is The Worst Host Ever.]

...never mind.

You clearly needed the rest.

[Alucard takes a few steps back, and his eyes move to Cesar.]

Forgive me, I wasn't sure what your friends needed in the morning.

Re: For Crypysleeper- Vlad never accounts for anyone's horniness for his son, we know this.

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