[Hector makes a noncommittal hum. Human politics mean little to him; for all of the variations between their practices and policies, most civilizations agree that they won’t suffer a necromancer to live.]
Your father has the right idea, not tying himself down to a single place and having to weather the changing tides.
[Hector steals a piece of baklava for himself, then starts to wipe his fingers clean.]
So is that how you want to spend our time on the boat? I’m not opposed.
[The mental image of Alucard, draped on a couch, accepting morsels from Hector’s fibgertips... um, bath soon? Cold bath soon??]
[Well, Hector will learn about Lisa's politics soon enough. Until then, he can live blissfully unaware that his soon-to-be haven may not be as safely remote as he imagines it.]
I imagine we'll take some breaks. Knowing how sweet you'll taste, I'll need to stop to kiss you.
[Also, you know, sleeping, dog petting. The essentials.
God, Hector can feel his face going red, talking about it so blatantly. He pushes himself up and dusts himself off.]
We should see about that bath, otherwise we won't be presentable enough to get into the libraries.
[OKAY YOU KNOW WHAT HECTOR THAT'S LAYING IT ON THICK too bad Alucard feels himself go a little red anyway. Unfair. So he's going to just. Try and get past that very quickly, and thank God for Hector standing up. Alucard takes a moment to gather up their leftovers (not there there are many), not keen to let them go to waste.]
I believe that there's one a few blocks down? [There's a helpless little shrug.] Unfortunately I don't know the city's geography well.
[You Tried Star. Alucard starts to walk though, hoping his guess is right.]
[Look, Hector's got to lay it on thick or else they're not going to get anywhere. Until Alucard learns to pick up on more subtle hints, Hector's weapon of choice is a metaphorical two-by-four.
For now, though, he's tapped out, and he needs to recover some shame before he does any more flirting. He goes the way Alucard indicated, because Alucard is way smarter than he is and probably did his research, right?]
We'll try it. If we can't find it, you can ask someone for directions.
To perhaps no one's surprise, it does come to that. Alucard's quick to realize that if they walk too far one way or another, they're liable to become lost in the city's layout, and so he makes a choice: goes back to the bookstore and asks the shop keeper there. The man had a few texts in Latin, it stands to reason he might know.
And he does. It's a walk, the man says, but well worth it. A walk that sends the two onward for about half a mile before they get to where they need to be, and then there's reason to pause outside of it.]
[Hector looks up at the towering door of the bathhouse. It is one of the larger ones in the city, one that will accept travelers and outsiders.
Inside is going to be a maze of hallways and steam rooms and closets.
It’s not like Hector has to worry about Alucard’s safety. Intellectually, he knows that Alucard has more power than he does, that he could kill any man that threatened him, or more likely dissolve into mist and remove himself from the situation.
...but he is also a hopelessly sheltered, breathtakingly beautiful man who had never been kissed before Hector, and Hector has concerns about leaving him alone in a building full of naked men.
But it is not his call.]
If you think it best. I won’t deny you your privacy, if that’s what you want.
[That requires clothing, and Alucard knows he'd be comfortable getting a read on the place and understanding the norms better. Easy enough, and Alucard smiles softly at Hector in an attempt to be reassuring.]
[Hector nods, tries to forcibly eject the demons of worry from his brain, and turns down one of the hallways to find a pool.
Turkish baths are always a delight, but Hector can't relax. He scrubs and rinses, and tries to make himself presentable, but there is no lounging and soaking in the heat. There is still too much to show Alucard in the city. No one bothers him, or even gives him much notice, but he's not the one who is ethereally handsome.
With the dirt and funk of travel scrubbed off of him and his hair washed and combed, Hector dresses and returns to find Alucard in one of the lounges with his tea.]
Look, there was a man under that sea spray all this time.
[He wishes he'd thought to bring nicer clothes...or that he owned nicer clothes, so maybe he could impress Alucard. The struggle of life as a hermit.]
[Alucard finds a nice corner of the waiting area for himself, and it is there that he curls up with some of the tea on offer and simply sits observing. It's different, being here. Watching old friends embrace, some men fight over a chess game in a low, fussy way that suggests that this is not the first or the last argument, just. All of it. And he understands why his mother wants himself and his father to be out in the world instead of apart from it.
His hands are holding an empty glass when Hector does return. He's refilled twice, and a third is probably ill advised. More than that though, Alucard looks up at Hector with a soft smile on his lips. One that matches the laugh that leaves his throat.]
So there was. [But Alucard takes that as an opportunity to stand.] I'll have to go on a like journey of discovery it seems. I promise to try and make it quick.
[No promises.
On the other hand Hector, you can sit and think about how to ask Dracula for better clothes...]
[God, Hector is pathetic. That small smile, that little chuckle, and Hector feels like he could melt into the floor.]
Take your time. The water's fine. I'll be here when you're done.
[Hector can sit and let a cup of tea grow cold in his hands while he tries to not panic about how Dracula is going to know he's got a hopeless crush on his son the second he crosses the threshold of the castle. Is impaling as painful as they say? He's probably going to find out.]
[Well, mom's there, so there probably won't be impalement.
Either way, Alucard does end up taking his time. It's closer to half an hour, and most of it is the novelty of the heated stones that can be used for lying down on. His own body temperature, running as cool as it does, means that absorbing heat and having something like a normal human's temperature? That's an absolute novelty, and one he rather enjoys.
But there's salt to be rid of and a long journey ahead, so Alucard forces himself upright and scrubs through all the build up. Moreover, he takes advantage of the deep pools to truly wash out his hair, and oh, it feels so much better.
He finds Hector again, hair sodden but looking otherwise immaculate.]
I think that next time, I'm going to have to allocate more time for this place.
[Hector will show Alucard other ways to warm his body up any time he wants.
Even with wet hair, Alucard looks perfect, and Hector has the horrible impulse to muss him up. He resists nobly.]
I hear your castle has some fine baths. You won't suffer too much until you can come back. You did want to go back to the book market, didn't you?
[He's absolutely dangling that carrot on a stick to make sure Alucard doesn't go away feeling too bad that they rushed through this part of their journey.]
[It would be but Hector think about how loud the dhampir probably will be.]
We should focus on the pastries.
[Alucard makes a point to get a few heartier and meatier options in addition to more sweets, aware that they have a voyage ahead and that there may be rats on the boat.
The boat is mostly of luxury goods, and Alucuard has parlayed passage by offering his own sword as a means of protection. Such as it is, their room is a little larger than last, with an uncomfortable mattress of hay or a hammock. Alucard's certain that the hammock will be more comfortable.
They leave in the evening light. Alucard's happy enough to eat some of their own provisions rather than take from the crew, and when all is said and done, he flops backwards, his head on the mattress and the rest of him on the floor.]
You come from a castle. You shouldn't be sleeping on the floor.
[If he thought he could convince Alucard to share the mattress with him, he might try, but that seems even less likely than the two of them in the hammock.
He's pleased that Alucard checked the structure of the hammock before rejecting the idea.]
You just got yourself clean. Take the hammock.
[Hector trusts the dogs to keep the rats off him while he sleeps.]
You did as well, but I won't fight you further about this.
[But he isn't getting up either. There are dogs to pet, but Alucard's eyes meet Hector's, quietly asking why he's still standing when he could be down here, cuddled up against the dhampir.]
[Hector rolls his eyes at Alucard's look, but he absolutely joins Alucard half-on the mattress and in cuddle range. He scoots up against Alucard's side and reaches an arm across him to scratch Cesar's head.]
You know, you still haven't shown me your transformation.
[Hector is weak, Alucard. He needs to pet all the dogs.]
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[
How did Hector ever become a general? He’s The Worst at this.Hector shrugs, but passes the cloth containing the rest of the desserts over to Alucard.]
I don’t mind it. It’s kind of nice.
[Not the sticky fingers part, but the getting to touch Alucard’s lips in public part. But Alucard’s probably right.]
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[
Hector, at least we know you're terrible at it.Alucard takes another piece from the cloth, and he chews very thoughtfully.]
There will be other opportunities, I'm sure. The current estimation for our time to port is five days.
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Your father has the right idea, not tying himself down to a single place and having to weather the changing tides.
[Hector steals a piece of baklava for himself, then starts to wipe his fingers clean.]
So is that how you want to spend our time on the boat? I’m not opposed.
[The mental image of Alucard, draped on a couch, accepting morsels from Hector’s fibgertips... um, bath soon? Cold bath soon??]
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Thankfully, Alucard is oblivious to Hector's train of thought. Is there a term for a twink who doesn't realize he's a twink?]
Not all of it, obviously, I expect that we will run out of food. I'd also rather not risk bringing that much honey, lest it invite rats.
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I imagine we'll take some breaks. Knowing how sweet you'll taste, I'll need to stop to kiss you.
[Also, you know, sleeping, dog petting. The essentials.
God, Hector can feel his face going red, talking about it so blatantly. He pushes himself up and dusts himself off.]
We should see about that bath, otherwise we won't be presentable enough to get into the libraries.
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I believe that there's one a few blocks down? [There's a helpless little shrug.] Unfortunately I don't know the city's geography well.
[You Tried Star. Alucard starts to walk though, hoping his guess is right.]
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For now, though, he's tapped out, and he needs to recover some shame before he does any more flirting. He goes the way Alucard indicated, because Alucard is way smarter than he is and probably did his research, right?]
We'll try it. If we can't find it, you can ask someone for directions.
[But surely it won't come to that.]
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To perhaps no one's surprise, it does come to that. Alucard's quick to realize that if they walk too far one way or another, they're liable to become lost in the city's layout, and so he makes a choice: goes back to the bookstore and asks the shop keeper there. The man had a few texts in Latin, it stands to reason he might know.
And he does. It's a walk, the man says, but well worth it. A walk that sends the two onward for about half a mile before they get to where they need to be, and then there's reason to pause outside of it.]
We did want to time this apart, correct?
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Inside is going to be a maze of hallways and steam rooms and closets.
It’s not like Hector has to worry about Alucard’s safety. Intellectually, he knows that Alucard has more power than he does, that he could kill any man that threatened him, or more likely dissolve into mist and remove himself from the situation.
...but he is also a hopelessly sheltered, breathtakingly beautiful man who had never been kissed before Hector, and Hector has concerns about leaving him alone in a building full of naked men.
But it is not his call.]
If you think it best. I won’t deny you your privacy, if that’s what you want.
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[That requires clothing, and Alucard knows he'd be comfortable getting a read on the place and understanding the norms better. Easy enough, and Alucard smiles softly at Hector in an attempt to be reassuring.]
I don't mind. Come find me when you're done.
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Turkish baths are always a delight, but Hector can't relax. He scrubs and rinses, and tries to make himself presentable, but there is no lounging and soaking in the heat. There is still too much to show Alucard in the city. No one bothers him, or even gives him much notice, but he's not the one who is ethereally handsome.
With the dirt and funk of travel scrubbed off of him and his hair washed and combed, Hector dresses and returns to find Alucard in one of the lounges with his tea.]
Look, there was a man under that sea spray all this time.
[He wishes he'd thought to bring nicer clothes...or that he owned nicer clothes, so maybe he could impress Alucard. The struggle of life as a hermit.]
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His hands are holding an empty glass when Hector does return. He's refilled twice, and a third is probably ill advised. More than that though, Alucard looks up at Hector with a soft smile on his lips. One that matches the laugh that leaves his throat.]
So there was. [But Alucard takes that as an opportunity to stand.] I'll have to go on a like journey of discovery it seems. I promise to try and make it quick.
[No promises.
On the other hand Hector, you can sit and think about how to ask Dracula for better clothes...]
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Take your time. The water's fine. I'll be here when you're done.
[Hector can sit and let a cup of tea grow cold in his hands while he tries to not panic about how Dracula is going to know he's got a hopeless crush on his son the second he crosses the threshold of the castle. Is impaling as painful as they say? He's probably going to find out.]
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Either way, Alucard does end up taking his time. It's closer to half an hour, and most of it is the novelty of the heated stones that can be used for lying down on. His own body temperature, running as cool as it does, means that absorbing heat and having something like a normal human's temperature? That's an absolute novelty, and one he rather enjoys.
But there's salt to be rid of and a long journey ahead, so Alucard forces himself upright and scrubs through all the build up. Moreover, he takes advantage of the deep pools to truly wash out his hair, and oh, it feels so much better.
He finds Hector again, hair sodden but looking otherwise immaculate.]
I think that next time, I'm going to have to allocate more time for this place.
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Hector will show Alucard other ways to warm his body up any time he wants.Even with wet hair, Alucard looks perfect, and Hector has the horrible impulse to muss him up. He resists nobly.]
I hear your castle has some fine baths. You won't suffer too much until you can come back. You did want to go back to the book market, didn't you?
[He's absolutely dangling that carrot on a stick to make sure Alucard doesn't go away feeling too bad that they rushed through this part of their journey.]
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Hector just don't do that in the house....]I did but...
[Alucard pauses, and then considers the time. There's a soft click of his tongue.]
We need to get going so we don't miss our boat. The books will be here another time.
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Sounds like the boat is free game.]So soon? We at least have time to pick up a few more pastries to take with us, right?
[Maybe they should have bathed together after all, if only to give Alucard a little more time for shopping.
He'll go without complaint though, to pick up their dogs, belongings, and snacks so they can be early to their ship like good little passengers.]
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It would be but Hector think about how loud the dhampir probably will be.]We should focus on the pastries.
[Alucard makes a point to get a few heartier and meatier options in addition to more sweets, aware that they have a voyage ahead and that there may be rats on the boat.
The boat is mostly of luxury goods, and Alucuard has parlayed passage by offering his own sword as a means of protection. Such as it is, their room is a little larger than last, with an uncomfortable mattress of hay or a hammock. Alucard's certain that the hammock will be more comfortable.
They leave in the evening light. Alucard's happy enough to eat some of their own provisions rather than take from the crew, and when all is said and done, he flops backwards, his head on the mattress and the rest of him on the floor.]
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Hector watches with a raised eyebrow.]
You're not planning on sleeping on that thing, are you?
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Well, one of us has to.
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Not necessarily. If we keep still, we could probably both fit into the hammock.
[Even on a nicer ship, there will be rats scurrying around when the lights go out.]
If not, I’ll take the mattress. I’ve slept on worse.
[But really, sharing the hammock, Alucard will definitely be kept warm enough.]
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[Alucard's eyes go up to the fixtures the hammock hangs from, and he frowns.]
We may fit, but I suspect it wouldn't support both of our weights.
I don't mind the mattress. I can ignore anything that scurries.
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[If he thought he could convince Alucard to share the mattress with him, he might try, but that seems even less likely than the two of them in the hammock.
He's pleased that Alucard checked the structure of the hammock before rejecting the idea.]
You just got yourself clean. Take the hammock.
[Hector trusts the dogs to keep the rats off him while he sleeps.]
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[But he isn't getting up either. There are dogs to pet, but Alucard's eyes meet Hector's, quietly asking why he's still standing when he could be down here, cuddled up against the dhampir.]
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You know, you still haven't shown me your transformation.
[Hector is weak, Alucard. He needs to pet all the dogs.]
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