[Alucard steps away from the machinery, and now his face is firm and grim. He doesn't like this. To be awakened and already deal with impossible choices, he...he can't. Not really.]
For if the fight favors me, then I must restrain you and your absence will attract my father's attention. Should it go for you, then I am most certaintly going to my death. I beg that you consider the fact that in all the time since that inital decision was made, this place was left be.
[He cannot imagine a world where Dracula will have joy in seeing his son again.]
No part of me is surprised that he is ruling over a squabbling armada. Vampires have always been like that, and bad at being a cohesive group.
[Uncertainty flickers across Hector's face. Alucard considers a return to his father a death sentence. Even with that in mind, Alucard would restrain Hector, not kill him. It's...not what Hector excepted of the son of Dracula.]
If you won, you could kill me and leave my ship to be found in pieces. There are rogue pirates or hunters' ships who could be blamed for it.
[Hector doesn't like that option, but he needs to know why Alucard isn't considering it. Does he truly just want to be left alone to keep floating around in his empty ship?]
Your father is the only one who can unite them. If they had no leader, they would kill without restraint.
[Hector has no love for any of the other vampires in Dracula's fleet. It is for Dracula alone he stays with them.]
No. [Alucard shakes his head. Finally, his hand has come to grip the hilt of his sword.] They know which ship you went looking for, don't they? They'll assume that I am returned.
[Death is something he wants to avoid if at all possible right now. Hector's made it inevitable, unless he decides to retreat and at least give Alucard a window to at least acquire a small crew.]
So they would kill for themselves, instead of in my mother's name. The only reason they have ever stayed in line is because of my father's power, and as you have made clear, that is already on the decline. Propping him up just....gives them time to pretend to be clever about rebelling.
[UMMMM. Hector is conspicuously silent in the wake of Alucard's question. It probably would have been smart to let someone know where he was going, if he hadn't been expressly forbidden from going after the Ghost Ship.
He also has little to say in the face of Alucard's frank assessment of the political situation. He's had the same thoughts, privately. Dracula has the tiger by the tail, and he can't let go, and is showing himself less and less inclined to keep a firm hold.]
He... [It's hard to lie to the man's son, who knows him better than Hector could ever hope to. He can't pretend that the situation is not as it is.] ...he has the capacity for greatness. I thought, if I could help him remember that, it might reawaken in him. The rest of the vampires are bloodthirsty sociopaths, but Dracula is different.
[The vampire who had found Hector and mentored him was still there, beneath the depression and ennui. Hector just had not found the catalyst yet to restore him. He had hoped that by removing the Ghost Ship and reaffirming Dracula's complete dominion over the seas, his lord would remember the man he'd once been.]
[A single word, and deep, deep sorrow in it. Alucard has no joy in anything he is about to say, and in truth, every word Hector has uttered has done naught but pain him. His father's grief has swallowed him hole, and madness has worn everything else away.]
Going by everything you have said, he is still consumed by grief and is inclined to continue to sink into it, until the quicksand fully engulfs him and he finally ends himself in whatever stupid blaze of glory he thinks will show the world how wrong they were to murder my mother.
[His father may very well be irrecoverable. But Alucard had thought that far too early on in this disaster.]
And your plan is, what, to just secret yourself away until he destroys himself?
[He's angry on his lord's behalf. Angry that his master's own son has given up on him. It's hypocritical. Hector has wondered, during some of the bloodier battles he's fought on Dracula's behalf, whether it wouldn't be better for Hector to set sail for the sunset with his pets, to find a place beyond Dracula's reach to flee to. But he hasn't. He'd held on to hope that reason will triumph over grief.]
There has to be a way to quell his wrath. I thought it might be this ship, but that's obviously wrong. You will do nothing for him.
[Hector's brain can't fathom an immeasurable grief. There must be an end to it, some marker they will reach when they present him the right prize or kill the right enemy, that will finally fill the depths and let him move on. It's only logical. Everything on this world is finite, and so this must be too. All beings have the innate drive for survival hardwired in, and Dracula cannot take his revenge so far as to actually destroy himself...right?]
[He had a vague hope that his father's destruction might've happened when he woke though. Since that hasn't come to pass, the question of what is the plan? now hangs heavy overhead. Alucard has no answer, and oh, oh he hates that so very much.]
My father died along with my mother in all the ways that could ever matter. Have you seen any sliver of the man you met in all the time you have been serving in his war and carrying out his will?
[It's a genuine question. He wants to have an answer of yes. Examples. Anything. Anything that means that his father shouldn't be put out of his misery. His eyes rest on Hector with an intensity that probably is not comforting, but oh, oh he doesn't care.]
[Hector tries to think of a moment he can hold up as evidence for Alucard. He has looked for it desperately each time he boarded Dracula's flagship or met with him at one of his island bases. Hector has the hunger for approval that so many orphans suffer from, and he searched for scraps of approval like a starving man.
None of that curiosity or passion for the supernatural arts, none of the refined grace or the assurance of a better future is there within Dracula anymore. Alucard claimed him a dead man, and Hector can't refute it.]
...
...you think he is truly gone beyond all recall?
[Hector is a necromancer, and he can bring back a semblance of life to the dead. But he can't bring back the vibrancy, the personality, of the human corpses who serve him, not the way he can with a newly dead animal. If Dracula is like that, like one of his undead shell of a crewman...
...then everything Hector has staked his life on is a lie, and he has nothing. He considered escape before, but only in the vaguest sense before putting the thought aside. He doesn't even know if he could leave if he wanted to. Dracula cared for little now but for vengeance, and the defection of a captain would bring down his wrath.
The color is gone from Hector's face, the harsh truths Alucard has forced him to face shaking him to the core.]
No, I need to...
[He makes for the door. He needs to think, to reason with himself without some dhampir whispering in his ear. Who knows what thrall he might be under right now?]
[But oh, Hector's response is telling. Alucard lets out a soft noise that's a muted sigh, aware that his question? That's the answer. His father is far worse off than when Alucard entered his coffin to recover and rest.
The hand wrapped around the hilt of his sword loosens, then falls to Alucard's side. Whatever threat Hector presented physically is gone, dashed against the rocks of horrible thoughts and bitter truths. There is no joy in bringing a person down like this, and from Hector's body language, this must be some time coming.
Hector leaving is good. A relief. But.]
And what shall you say to anyone who asks about your voyage?
[Who was there to trust? Hector isn’t giving to boasting, and he confides to no one human.
The fight is gone out of both of them, so there’s no point in hiding the fact any more.]
When I return, [If I return] I can claim I was seeking out a new specimen. It’s not the first time my work has taken me away suddenly.
[Hector wears the hat and waist sash well, but in all other respects, he’s a terrible pirate. He was considered lost at sea for a week once when he disappeared in a little skiff, chasing after a rare sea bird he’d caught sight of. The other captains had been disgusted, though Dracula had waved it off. At the time, Hector had attributed it to his lord’s tacit approval of his scientific ventures. Now, he sees it was simple indifference.]
[Incredibly stupid, if Alucard's being very honest. But the tension has been diffused, and in the end, isn't that the most important part?]
There are islands east of this area that have unique turtle populations. That should be sufficient.
[How Alucard knows that isn't clear, not if he's been asleep for as long as he has. The dhampir doesn't seem keen to share that, but he is walking towards Hector. Towards and then past, as there is only one set of stairs here.]
If I am found within several days by any of my father's fleet, I will be holding you accountable.
[In the face of Alucard's judgement, Hector grows petulant.]
We are pirates, not school children. I don't make an account of every movement I make. I'd be more likely ambushed by my own allies as helped by them, if they knew my every step.
[Not even the promise of new turtles can distract him, although he does love a good turtle. They are so long lived, little relics of times gone past, with their whole world carried upon their back. Maybe he will sail east...]
I'll not be to blame if they do. If I found you, others could too. It's not as though this ship is inconspicuous, and I wasn't the only one piqued by the rumors.
[Maybe blame yourself for having such an overdramatic ghost ship, Alucard.]
[It just seems like a great way to say, escape, if need be. But Alucard doesn't say any more than that. Hector is an adult who can make his own choices, just as Alucard is free to side eye them with concern.]
Oh? Who else's ears perked?
[Look. Look. Over dramatics is an inherited trait Hector. You've met Dracula. Slowly but surely, Alucard starts his way up the steps.]
[Hector follows with reluctance. A stairwell would be any easy place for a vampire, or even half of one, to swoop down on him and tear out his throat if he chose. Isn't the point that Alucard wants to keep hiding away in this ship? Why does he need to go up?]
What, do you want names? Are you familiar with your father's admirals?
[Hector honestly has no idea what Alucard knows. He was gone before Hector arrived, and nobody is willing to speak plainly about what happened. He hadn't even been certain that Dracula had a son.]
I grew up in my father's shadow, did I not? I know the vampires of the seas and of Europe.
[The vampires of the Americas? Now those are strangers, especially as more seem to enter those ranks every year. Alucard doesn't say that though, and he's careful as he hits the boat's middle deck. Now, now he can truly smell the salty air thanks to grates that also let the moon shine down in. Alucard passes directly underneath one of them, then stands there, soaking in the little light there is.
He is awake. That is worth taking a moment to acknowledge.]
[Hector has no loyalty to the other vampires, so he rattles off their names without qualm.]
....Godbrand would only find you with blind luck, but Carmilla, you should keep an eye out for....
[Hope Alucard woke up from his slumber ready for some vampire court gossip. He pauses when they reach the deck and Alucard hears the yipping of his dog.]
Fuck. If Cesar's awake, he's going to whine endlessly tomorrow.
[He loves the little dog, but it's hard to sail with him underfoot, begging for attention the way he's wont to do when he stays up too late.]
Ignore him. If he catches wind of someone new, you'll rile him up even more.
I'd be surprised about him letting Godbrand into this nonsense, but few men are better agents of chaos than he is.
[Also, Godbrand Love Boats. It was inevitable that he join the madness, even if he wasn't invited.
Alucard clicks his tongue at Carmilla's name. He's never met her in person, only by reputation, and that has been more than enough. She'd see Alucard for the threat he is, and that means he must move faster. He'd ask additional questions, but it seems that a tiny dog has killed all hope in that department.]
I'm afraid I can't quite control the wind and thus if he's likely to catch my scent. Or if he'll recognize it as vampire or something else....
[Sure enough, with the direction of the sea breeze, there’s no preventing it. Soon enough, Hector can hear the yipping as well, and catch site of a tiny dark shape moving in the shadows on the deck of his ship.]
Damn it. It won’t matter what you are. So long as you have a hand to scratch, he’ll beg. He’s even tried to jump into your father’s lap before.
[He waves a hand and the lumbering crew make their way from the stairs to the rail where their rope still hangs. It’s always an awkward process, ferrying from one ship to another. Vampires bypass it with flight, but Hector is stuck doing it the mortal way.]
I’ve got to go calm him or there will be no peace for anyone. Good night.
[He says it as a farewell as he heads to the railing after his men. Because of course Alucard will be satisfied with that and won’t have any desire to see the dog, right? Hector is used to having to shoo Cesar away from vampires who would ignore him at best and kick at him at worst.]
[Alucard pauses, then...okay, sure. One of his father's top men apparently has a small, yappy, needy dog. That's the least of all eccentric things that one could ever have, and it suggests one thing: perhaps Hector is better off outside of such employ.
Those are thoughts best left unsaid, save for the mental image of a dog attempting to leap into Dracula's lap. There's a soft noise that might be a laugh at such an attempt, and...
...he wants to see the dog, God help him.]
Would it help calm him down if he saw who it was and then there's no more fussing to be had?
[Hector turns to eye Alucard, suspicious after that sound of his. It looks like he has a needy dog on one side and a curious dhampir on the other.
Well, he can't actually judge, because if he heard a dog, he would also insist on seeing it. That is the life he lives.]
It won't work like that, but at this point, you may as well come and see him.
[He hops over the rail and starts the climb down to the boat. With his focus on reaching his anchored vessel, he pays no attention to the fog-covered horizon.]
Alucard actually follows Hector down like a human, rather than just floating. It seems fair, and he doesn't want to scare the dog. Who--
--well, once Alucard sees the dog, he understands entirely. Not just what Hector really is in his father'e estimation, but why a dog might be so needy. He's a tiny thing, and they have tendencies at that size.]
Does he have a certain approach that's preferred when meeting strangers?
[The undead sailors paddle them back to the ship, and when they climb aboard, Cesar is already there, hopping to see them. Each time he lands, there is a clinking of nails and one bony paw on the wooden deck. He is dressed in a tiny pirate hat with a little eye patch over his missing eye, because Hector is used to being the only live thing on his ship and he has no self-control.]
It's always like this. Very few of my associates are willing to indulge him.
[So Hector keeps him close. The little pug snorts in Hector's direction, but spins around and waits for the newcomer to reach him and stoop to pet him. Hector sighs.]
[Oh goodness that's...endearing. And so Alucard does the only thing one can ever do in this situation: kneel down and extend a hand out to Cesar, both to be sniffed and more importantly, to administer pets.]
I am commonly known on the seas as Alucard. It's...perhaps not wise to name me by my parentage at the moment.
[Because Alucard is so subtle.
But the dhampir is at least gentle with Cesar, not rushing the pup along.]
[If Dracula is a vampirate, Cesar is a puprate. Hector only puts him in his little hat when they are safely away from the court, and Cesar is always very pleased to wear it.]
Your secret is safe with little Cesar.
[They are in the middle of the ocean. Hector doesn't know who Alucard expects will overhear them.
Cesar, for his part, hops and yips and rolls over to present his tummy to the pale hand. Hector watches his pet fondly. Alucard is treating him gently, in spite of the obvious signs of reanimation.]
Do you eat...or drink? [If the dhampir is here petting his dog, Hector might as well be a good host.]
[That dog is wearing a hat. Alucard has...questions, but they mostly boil down to how the hat stays in place.
And while they may be in the middle of the ocean, the wind will always carry. The ship could have it's spies. Alucard doesn't intend to invite more attention than he can manage. What he does intend to invite is Cesar's affection, and he goes for that belly rub with a very full gusto.]
Thank you for the hospitality, but I am satisfied in both areas. [Well, he's good on blood. The rest he'd rather take care of himself.]
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[Alucard steps away from the machinery, and now his face is firm and grim. He doesn't like this. To be awakened and already deal with impossible choices, he...he can't. Not really.]
For if the fight favors me, then I must restrain you and your absence will attract my father's attention. Should it go for you, then I am most certaintly going to my death. I beg that you consider the fact that in all the time since that inital decision was made, this place was left be.
[He cannot imagine a world where Dracula will have joy in seeing his son again.]
No part of me is surprised that he is ruling over a squabbling armada. Vampires have always been like that, and bad at being a cohesive group.
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If you won, you could kill me and leave my ship to be found in pieces. There are rogue pirates or hunters' ships who could be blamed for it.
[Hector doesn't like that option, but he needs to know why Alucard isn't considering it. Does he truly just want to be left alone to keep floating around in his empty ship?]
Your father is the only one who can unite them. If they had no leader, they would kill without restraint.
[Hector has no love for any of the other vampires in Dracula's fleet. It is for Dracula alone he stays with them.]
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[Death is something he wants to avoid if at all possible right now. Hector's made it inevitable, unless he decides to retreat and at least give Alucard a window to at least acquire a small crew.]
So they would kill for themselves, instead of in my mother's name. The only reason they have ever stayed in line is because of my father's power, and as you have made clear, that is already on the decline. Propping him up just....gives them time to pretend to be clever about rebelling.
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He also has little to say in the face of Alucard's frank assessment of the political situation. He's had the same thoughts, privately. Dracula has the tiger by the tail, and he can't let go, and is showing himself less and less inclined to keep a firm hold.]
He... [It's hard to lie to the man's son, who knows him better than Hector could ever hope to. He can't pretend that the situation is not as it is.] ...he has the capacity for greatness. I thought, if I could help him remember that, it might reawaken in him. The rest of the vampires are bloodthirsty sociopaths, but Dracula is different.
[The vampire who had found Hector and mentored him was still there, beneath the depression and ennui. Hector just had not found the catalyst yet to restore him. He had hoped that by removing the Ghost Ship and reaffirming Dracula's complete dominion over the seas, his lord would remember the man he'd once been.]
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[A single word, and deep, deep sorrow in it. Alucard has no joy in anything he is about to say, and in truth, every word Hector has uttered has done naught but pain him. His father's grief has swallowed him hole, and madness has worn everything else away.]
Going by everything you have said, he is still consumed by grief and is inclined to continue to sink into it, until the quicksand fully engulfs him and he finally ends himself in whatever stupid blaze of glory he thinks will show the world how wrong they were to murder my mother.
[His father may very well be irrecoverable. But Alucard had thought that far too early on in this disaster.]
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[He's angry on his lord's behalf. Angry that his master's own son has given up on him. It's hypocritical. Hector has wondered, during some of the bloodier battles he's fought on Dracula's behalf, whether it wouldn't be better for Hector to set sail for the sunset with his pets, to find a place beyond Dracula's reach to flee to. But he hasn't. He'd held on to hope that reason will triumph over grief.]
There has to be a way to quell his wrath. I thought it might be this ship, but that's obviously wrong. You will do nothing for him.
[Hector's brain can't fathom an immeasurable grief. There must be an end to it, some marker they will reach when they present him the right prize or kill the right enemy, that will finally fill the depths and let him move on. It's only logical. Everything on this world is finite, and so this must be too. All beings have the innate drive for survival hardwired in, and Dracula cannot take his revenge so far as to actually destroy himself...right?]
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[He had a vague hope that his father's destruction might've happened when he woke though. Since that hasn't come to pass, the question of what is the plan? now hangs heavy overhead. Alucard has no answer, and oh, oh he hates that so very much.]
My father died along with my mother in all the ways that could ever matter. Have you seen any sliver of the man you met in all the time you have been serving in his war and carrying out his will?
[It's a genuine question. He wants to have an answer of yes. Examples. Anything. Anything that means that his father shouldn't be put out of his misery. His eyes rest on Hector with an intensity that probably is not comforting, but oh, oh he doesn't care.]
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None of that curiosity or passion for the supernatural arts, none of the refined grace or the assurance of a better future is there within Dracula anymore. Alucard claimed him a dead man, and Hector can't refute it.]
...
...you think he is truly gone beyond all recall?
[Hector is a necromancer, and he can bring back a semblance of life to the dead. But he can't bring back the vibrancy, the personality, of the human corpses who serve him, not the way he can with a newly dead animal. If Dracula is like that, like one of his undead shell of a crewman...
...then everything Hector has staked his life on is a lie, and he has nothing. He considered escape before, but only in the vaguest sense before putting the thought aside. He doesn't even know if he could leave if he wanted to. Dracula cared for little now but for vengeance, and the defection of a captain would bring down his wrath.
The color is gone from Hector's face, the harsh truths Alucard has forced him to face shaking him to the core.]
No, I need to...
[He makes for the door. He needs to think, to reason with himself without some dhampir whispering in his ear. Who knows what thrall he might be under right now?]
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[But oh, Hector's response is telling. Alucard lets out a soft noise that's a muted sigh, aware that his question? That's the answer. His father is far worse off than when Alucard entered his coffin to recover and rest.
The hand wrapped around the hilt of his sword loosens, then falls to Alucard's side. Whatever threat Hector presented physically is gone, dashed against the rocks of horrible thoughts and bitter truths. There is no joy in bringing a person down like this, and from Hector's body language, this must be some time coming.
Hector leaving is good. A relief. But.]
And what shall you say to anyone who asks about your voyage?
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[Who was there to trust? Hector isn’t giving to boasting, and he confides to no one human.
The fight is gone out of both of them, so there’s no point in hiding the fact any more.]
When I return, [If I return] I can claim I was seeking out a new specimen. It’s not the first time my work has taken me away suddenly.
[Hector wears the hat and waist sash well, but in all other respects, he’s a terrible pirate. He was considered lost at sea for a week once when he disappeared in a little skiff, chasing after a rare sea bird he’d caught sight of. The other captains had been disgusted, though Dracula had waved it off. At the time, Hector had attributed it to his lord’s tacit approval of his scientific ventures. Now, he sees it was simple indifference.]
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[Incredibly stupid, if Alucard's being very honest. But the tension has been diffused, and in the end, isn't that the most important part?]
There are islands east of this area that have unique turtle populations. That should be sufficient.
[How Alucard knows that isn't clear, not if he's been asleep for as long as he has. The dhampir doesn't seem keen to share that, but he is walking towards Hector. Towards and then past, as there is only one set of stairs here.]
If I am found within several days by any of my father's fleet, I will be holding you accountable.
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We are pirates, not school children. I don't make an account of every movement I make. I'd be more likely ambushed by my own allies as helped by them, if they knew my every step.
[Not even the promise of new turtles can distract him, although he does love a good turtle. They are so long lived, little relics of times gone past, with their whole world carried upon their back. Maybe he will sail east...]
I'll not be to blame if they do. If I found you, others could too. It's not as though this ship is inconspicuous, and I wasn't the only one piqued by the rumors.
[Maybe blame yourself for having such an overdramatic ghost ship, Alucard.]
How far east?
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[It just seems like a great way to say, escape, if need be. But Alucard doesn't say any more than that. Hector is an adult who can make his own choices, just as Alucard is free to side eye them with concern.]
Oh? Who else's ears perked?
[Look. Look. Over dramatics is an inherited trait Hector. You've met Dracula. Slowly but surely, Alucard starts his way up the steps.]
Twenty to thirty odd miles.
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What, do you want names? Are you familiar with your father's admirals?
[Hector honestly has no idea what Alucard knows. He was gone before Hector arrived, and nobody is willing to speak plainly about what happened. He hadn't even been certain that Dracula had a son.]
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[The vampires of the Americas? Now those are strangers, especially as more seem to enter those ranks every year. Alucard doesn't say that though, and he's careful as he hits the boat's middle deck. Now, now he can truly smell the salty air thanks to grates that also let the moon shine down in. Alucard passes directly underneath one of them, then stands there, soaking in the little light there is.
He is awake. That is worth taking a moment to acknowledge.]
Why do I hear barking?
[Vampire ears can pick up an awful lot.]
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....Godbrand would only find you with blind luck, but Carmilla, you should keep an eye out for....
[Hope Alucard woke up from his slumber ready for some vampire court gossip. He pauses when they reach the deck and Alucard hears the yipping of his dog.]
Fuck. If Cesar's awake, he's going to whine endlessly tomorrow.
[He loves the little dog, but it's hard to sail with him underfoot, begging for attention the way he's wont to do when he stays up too late.]
Ignore him. If he catches wind of someone new, you'll rile him up even more.
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[Also, Godbrand Love Boats. It was inevitable that he join the madness, even if he wasn't invited.
Alucard clicks his tongue at Carmilla's name. He's never met her in person, only by reputation, and that has been more than enough. She'd see Alucard for the threat he is, and that means he must move faster. He'd ask additional questions, but it seems that a tiny dog has killed all hope in that department.]
I'm afraid I can't quite control the wind and thus if he's likely to catch my scent. Or if he'll recognize it as vampire or something else....
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Damn it. It won’t matter what you are. So long as you have a hand to scratch, he’ll beg. He’s even tried to jump into your father’s lap before.
[He waves a hand and the lumbering crew make their way from the stairs to the rail where their rope still hangs. It’s always an awkward process, ferrying from one ship to another. Vampires bypass it with flight, but Hector is stuck doing it the mortal way.]
I’ve got to go calm him or there will be no peace for anyone. Good night.
[He says it as a farewell as he heads to the railing after his men. Because of course Alucard will be satisfied with that and won’t have any desire to see the dog, right? Hector is used to having to shoo Cesar away from vampires who would ignore him at best and kick at him at worst.]
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Those are thoughts best left unsaid, save for the mental image of a dog attempting to leap into Dracula's lap. There's a soft noise that might be a laugh at such an attempt, and...
...he wants to see the dog, God help him.]
Would it help calm him down if he saw who it was and then there's no more fussing to be had?
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Well, he can't actually judge, because if he heard a dog, he would also insist on seeing it. That is the life he lives.]
It won't work like that, but at this point, you may as well come and see him.
[He hops over the rail and starts the climb down to the boat. With his focus on reaching his anchored vessel, he pays no attention to the fog-covered horizon.]
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Alucard actually follows Hector down like a human, rather than just floating. It seems fair, and he doesn't want to scare the dog. Who--
--well, once Alucard sees the dog, he understands entirely. Not just what Hector really is in his father'e estimation, but why a dog might be so needy. He's a tiny thing, and they have tendencies at that size.]
Does he have a certain approach that's preferred when meeting strangers?
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It's always like this. Very few of my associates are willing to indulge him.
[So Hector keeps him close. The little pug snorts in Hector's direction, but spins around and waits for the newcomer to reach him and stoop to pet him. Hector sighs.]
Cesar, meet the son of Dracula.
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I am commonly known on the seas as Alucard. It's...perhaps not wise to name me by my parentage at the moment.
[Because Alucard is so subtle.
But the dhampir is at least gentle with Cesar, not rushing the pup along.]
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Your secret is safe with little Cesar.
[They are in the middle of the ocean. Hector doesn't know who Alucard expects will overhear them.
Cesar, for his part, hops and yips and rolls over to present his tummy to the pale hand. Hector watches his pet fondly. Alucard is treating him gently, in spite of the obvious signs of reanimation.]
Do you eat...or drink? [If the dhampir is here petting his dog, Hector might as well be a good host.]
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And while they may be in the middle of the ocean, the wind will always carry. The ship could have it's spies. Alucard doesn't intend to invite more attention than he can manage. What he does intend to invite is Cesar's affection, and he goes for that belly rub with a very full gusto.]
Thank you for the hospitality, but I am satisfied in both areas. [Well, he's good on blood. The rest he'd rather take care of himself.]
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