Even as a human, Seras hadn't cared for parties. She always felt awkward; even if she'd been invited she felt as though she were an interloper, someone who was somewhere they shouldn't be. She never felt as if she'd belonged. She hadn't grown up with the elegant teachings that Sir Integra had; the older woman always knew how to mingle and make small chat with others, while Seras always felt uncomfortable doing the same thing.
And now, as a vampire, she still felt the same. The moon was still full, casting its bright, cool light over the earth and turning night into a shadow-filled parody of day. She had been invited to what the bushy-haired messenger had called a "moon-viewing", which was apparently the vampire equivalent of a social. Jack's coven was throwing it and she'd been invited as a special guest, courtesy of a messenger that had looked very out of place, dirtying Meadow's spotless foyer with his unwashed bare feet.
She walked among the vampires, her dæmon in its defensive cat form. It prowled close to her, not daring to stray more than a few feet away for her anxiety. The party was a strange mixture of a refined garden party and a family reunion of sorts. Some of the vampires who were part of the coven had old masters or good friends in England, and they'd been called out to see them while the coven still held ground in London territory.
More than once she'd heard joyful shouts and found vampires greeting their old creators, who looked either pleased or put-out, depending on the former Childe's reaction. She had to muffle her laughter when Kira, a vampiress she knew only by association as a bubbly, hyperactive girl, screamed and threw her arms around a man dressed in a frock coat with a stern expression. He had looked so surprised and confused that Seras, who had been standing by herself close by, had barely stopped from shrieking with laughter.
"Zacharias! I missed you!" she squealed, the toes of her stilettos barely brushing the dusty ground. The man had frozen, sputtering before picking her up off his shoulders firmly and sitting her on her feet, brushing. He brushed off her sweater before scowling down at her.
"Behave yourself!" he growled, and she wilted slightly in her heels. He sighed, looking around to make sure no one was staring at them (Seras, who had been alerted by her dæmon, tactfully looked the other way). "I have missed you as well, but we're nobility and we must behave as such. Now, tell me about your travels." She perked back up and squeezed his gloved hand in both of her own, dragging him off to the side and launching into a long winded tale.
Seras moved along, listening to snatches of conversation, stopping more than once to be introduced to this one's sire, this one's best friend, this one's former Childe…. Her head swam with names and faces. Finally she managed to get by herself again and sighed, leaning against a tree.
"Overwhelmed, Police Girl?" Squeaking in alarm, she jumped back from the dark shade of the leaves and into the moonlight, her dæmon going on the offensive as a bear before reverting to a fox as she realized it was only Alucard.
Of course it's only Alucard, her dæmon remarked snarkily. No one else here would dare address you as "Police Girl". They don't even dare address you as "Seras". It was true; all night, she'd been introduced as "Lady Victoria," and it was somehow known without being spoken aloud that she was above all of them in terms of blood and nobility. No one crossed her, but they also didn't seem to say too much.
Perhaps they were afraid of saying the wrong things. It didn't matter; if they had said the wrong thing, it was highly unlikely that Seras would have ever noticed it. She wasn't high-bred; she was used to everyone saying whatever they liked without caring whether your feelings were hurt or not. More than likely, they were more afraid of offending Alucard than they were offending her, anyway.
"What are you doing here?!" she yelped, surprised by his attendance. He wasn't one for parties any more than she was. He was antisocial as they came; half the time, she was sure he only talked to her because it was necessary to daily life that they communicate. Well, up until this past few days, anyway.
He stepped into the moonlight as well and looked her over, an amused smile playing at the corners of his mouth. She stared back defiantly, certain that her cheeks were glowing pink in the night with her embarrassment at being caught off guard. Why didn't you tell me he was here? she asked her dæmon in mortification.
Like I knew?! it replied, nearly as shocked but hiding it better. I'm busy trying to keep track of everyone else; his dæmon was just a shadow in the crowd. She scowled and the dæmon sniffed, the fox tail rising ever so slightly as it sat on its haunches and looked away haughtily at the other crowds mingling about, clearing ignoring the intruders to their solitude. She glanced down at his dæmon; it was a nondescript wolf, its ears pricked as it rested disinterestedly at Alucard's feet.
"The same as you," he drawled, tilting his head slightly as he stared down at her. "I was invited. It's bad form not to show up, you know," he added jeeringly. She rolled her eyes before she could think better, and he frowned at her. "You've become very disrespectful lately," he growled under his breath, but she caught it anyway.
"Sue me," she snapped. "Since when do you care about form, anyway?" His dæmon bristled slightly and he made as if to step forward, but seemed to think better of it. Is he concerned about making a scene at a party? she thought incredulously.
More like he's concerned that people will see he can't control his own former childe, the dæmon laughed. Or, maybe it's something else… it added as an afterthought, voice pensive.
"It's a beautiful night," he purred, avoiding her question blatantly. "And I've been meaning to talk to some people, and since they're all gathered together I thought it would be best to hit all the birds with one stone." She hummed mockingly, not believing a word he said.
"Or maybe you just couldn't stand the thought of me being out on my own, surrounded by other men." To her surprise he gave her a scornful glare, nose snarling slightly.
"On the contrary," he replied. "I could care less." She huffed, and her dæmon turned into a hissing cat before deliberately stalking away. She crossed her arms and bit back a reply, not wanting to end the night with a few broken bones. He might let her get away with being a little rude to him, but even she knew that there were limits on what he would and would not take from her.
Perhaps that's why he lets me be like that in the first place; because he knows I know when enough is enough. Her dæmon didn't answer, still off somewhere fuming by itself. She sighed, brushing the slight hurt his comment had caused to the back of her mind. Alucard looked out over the party, his glasses catching the moonlight and blinding her for a moment before he turned his head.
He'll regret ever saying that, her dæmon finally said quietly, and Seras uncrossed her arms, her head unconsciously turning in the direction it had gone. It sounded like it was about to cry. She felt her heart sink and tried to divide her attention between Alucard and the dæmon equally.
Oh, grow up, she finally barked irritably as she turned back to Alucard. It's not like there aren't other options. The dæmon whined and she nearly called it a spoiled brat before deciding to just ignore it completely.
"Well," she said sweetly, smiling flintily at him, "if that's how you feel, how about we walk down together? I'm sure you wouldn't mind introducing me to a few people that you knew before." His eyes flashed angrily, but he didn't argue and instead motioned her ahead of him. She stepped forward and they walked away from the tree and back into the crowds.
People moved out of his way as he brushed through the mingling vampires, Seras matching his stride. A man in a periwig called to him and he stopped, allowing the man to bow deeply before they began to talk about debts that someone owed. It was rather boring and Seras found her mind wandering, looking around for something interesting happening. Even if they were vampires, it was fun to just people-watch. They were as varied as any humans were. '
She inched away before breaking off from their little "group" completely, with the intent of finding her dæmon in the crowd. She was stopped by a girl she had met a few times before and they chatted, Seras trying her best to ignore the murky yellow eyes that were only highlighted by the girl's bright pink hair.
She felt Alucard's eyes on her, but she refused to look his way and instead continued on her path, calling mentally for her dæmon. It wasn't answering, and she felt its frustration that she was not quite as angry with Alucard as it was. She sighed and gave up, deciding that the dæmon would come back whenever it felt ready to. Besides, it might be a good idea to walk around without one for a while. If they saw the bristled fur and spitting cat shadow, the vampires at the party might get the wrong impression.
"Pardon me, but I couldn't help noticing you over there," a voice called out to her, and she turned to find the man she had noticed a few days ago, leaning against the wall of the greenhouse. He was standing alone, looking completely comfortable to let the other vampires swirl by him while he stayed aloof. She paused, wishing her dæmon was there to curl up her legs. It didn't help much, but the position was good if Seras had to go on the defensive and the dæmon had to jump up to protect her vital organs.
But she had never gotten anywhere by playing it safe, not as a human and most certainly not as a vampire. She smiled politely and moved towards the man, watching him carefully for any sign of malicious intent. She had to be on her guard; handsome or not, this was a strange man, and if he was able to overpower her before her dæmon came, then she would be in a bad spot.
"What exactly were you noticing?" she replied with a playful grin, making sure her fangs weren't on full display. She didn't want to seem as defensive as she really was; it might offend this man, who for all purposes seemed like a friendly individual.
He tilted his head, a long jagged scar on the side of his face catching the moonlight while the rest was thrown into shadow. His eyes were a soft orangey-red, which fit in well with his olive skin. He brushed his bangs back behind one ear and shifted slightly.
"I noticed that you were with the King over there, and the two of you seemed to know each other well," he replied, nodding towards where Alucard still stood with the bewigged man. "But you left their conversation rather quickly, and were walking through here all by yourself."
"They weren't saying anything I cared about hearing," Seras explained, one eye still on the lookout for her dæmon. She really felt exposed without it by her side. She was surprised that while she'd only known it for a decade or so, she was more dependent on the dæmon than she'd been on anything else in her life. It was astounding.
"A pretty young lady like yourself shouldn't ever be alone," he remarked softly, and Seras couldn't help but blush. She looked down at the ground, willing her cheeks to stop burning. The man laughed at her, but it wasn't unkindly. "Tell me; how did you ever come to know His Majesty?"
"Oh, he's my sire," she answered quickly. "And we work together, but nothing more than that," she added when the man's eyebrows rose in astonishment. The man backed away to a point that was more respectful and gave Seras a deep bow, arm across his waist like Walter used to do, back when he was still around.
"I beg your pardon, milady. I had no idea you belonged to such a class of vampires," he uttered, his eyes cast towards the ground. His dæmon, which up to this point had been a bounding rabbit, sank low to the ground as well in the form of a small dog. Its tail wagged submissively and she shook her head, hands coming up to wave around in the air.
"No, don't!" she insisted, laughing nervously. "You don't have to bow to me; I'm really not the bowing type, I swear!" Her dæmon, sensing her anxiety and nervousness, came running up as a cheetah before sliding around her legs and sniffing curiously at the air. The dog dæmon raised its head and they circled each other inquisitively.
"As you wish," he allowed, straightening up as the two dæmons walked around together. Seras supposed they were speaking, for she felt her dæmon's mind on something other than her. She moved closer to the man, putting the same amount of space between them again as she looked up at him shyly.
"What's your name? I remember you from when I visited Jack last, but I didn't have time to meet you properly."
"I am Yoska of the White Cliffs," he answered with another, smaller bow. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."
"Y-Yoska," Seras repeated, trying to imitate the man. "Yoska," she said again, this time getting it right. "The pleasure is mine," she laughed when he took her hand and kissed it, looking away with another blush. "You-erm, you weren't here last time the coven came through."
"You're correct; I was not." He let her hand go and stared at her, a small smile still on his lips. "I only joined the coven last month. For many centuries, I've stayed alone. But current circumstances…." He trailed off, his eyes growing steely. Seras cleared her throat politely, bringing him back from his thoughts.
"Well, I'm glad you did. Otherwise, I might never have gotten to meet you," she said sweetly. He smiled and her eyes were drawn again to the scar running down his face. "How did you get that?" she asked bluntly, before her eyes widened. "Oh, sorry, that might have been rude to ask—"
"I don't mind," he declared gently, putting her at ease. "I enjoy talking about it, actually. Where I come from, scars are trophies of battles won." He pointed at his face, his finger tracing down the scar. "I was cut with a sword, by my own brother's hand, nonetheless. He was blinded by rage over the death of his daughter, and lashed out when we tried to stop him from going after the murderer and becoming a killer himself."
"Wow," Seras breathed, raising her hand and asking permission with her eyes. He leaned down obligingly and she ran her fingers over the edge of the scar, feeling the old wound carefully. "Did you manage to stop him?"
"If I didn't, it wouldn't be much of a trophy," he laughed gently. "When he came to his senses, he was very grieved for what he'd done. Back in those days, there was no modern medicine, of course. I could have easily died from such a wound. But I lived, for the moment." He rubbed over his neck, and Seras knew he, like many others, was feeling the phantom pain of puncture wounds in his neck.
"Who was your…" she paused, wondering if that was a bit too personal as well. Vampires in general didn't mind speaking about their days as a servant vampire; it was like a human remembering their childhood, with a sense of fondness for bygone days where everything was new and amazing. But, also like humans, sometimes the question was perceived as being rude if you didn't know the person well enough. However, Yoska didn't seem to mind.
"My creator?" he finished her sentence for her, and she nodded dumbly. His smile became wistful and he gazed over her head before sighing deeply. "Her name was Euphrosyne. She was a Greek vampiress, very beautiful. She was like a second mother to me."
"She sounds lovely," Seras remarked. "Do you still see her, sometimes?" It was a question she often asked vampires who had gained their independence and took their own way through the world, leaving their old masters and mistresses behind. It was synonymous to human children leaving the nest, their mothers and fathers waving them goodbye as they sped off to find new worlds.
Many vampires, if they didn't remain with their creators, did stay in touch. They usually spoke of looking up the older vampires whenever they returned to the country, or seeing them at parties like the one tonight. It was indeed the same as seeing old family you hadn't had contact with in many years, although while humans may have only gone five or ten years without a visit, a vampire may go five hundred years. Yoska looked sadly at the ground, shaking his head.
"I was informed about fifty years ago that she was destroyed in an accidental fire, along with a few other vampires who were also unable to escape the great blaze. She was trapped, trying to save a Childe of the one she used to call husband."
"Why didn't they phase out of the fire?" Seras gasped, her eyes wide. Yoska looked at her strangely.
"The Childe was not strong enough for that," he replied in a low tone. "Not many vampires are, unless they are of good blood, or very old."
"Oh…" Seras felt like an idiot. "I just thought that… maybe, she might have also been strong enough for that." Yoska shook his head again.
"I'm afraid not. Being of royal blood, I assume that you can…?" Seras nodded, and he aahed in understanding.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked," she said, turning away. He caught her arm and turned her back, looking gently at her.
"I do not mind," he assured her. "It was a fault unwilling. I have every belief that whatever lies beyond this life, she is there also, and when I finally am able to sleep forevermore I will be reunited with my dear mistress. I believe she is there, waiting with her male, and his Childe that perished with her. One day, I will be there too."
"That's lovely," Seras sighed, a smile on her lips. "That's really lovely." They lapsed into silence, looking out at the party. The people were laughing and smiling, enjoying a night under the moon. She felt eyes on them both, but she wasn't sure who could be watching. Alucard seemed to be deep in conversation, this time with a man and woman dressed like they stepped out of a 19th century portrait. Between them, a young lady was standing politely, most likely the man's Childe.
Who's watching us? She asked her dæmon, who left Yoska's dæmon to come stand by her as a she-wolf. It searched the party, ears alert and tail standing stiff. Can you tell?
No, but I feel eyes on us. The dæmon bristled slightly. His dæmon feels it as well. Seras glanced subtly to the man's dæmon, which had taken on the defensive form of a porcupine, strangely enough. Seras decided that porcupines were defensive; they stung with their quills, she supposed.
You keep watch; I'm going to keep talking like there's nothing going on, to throw them off the scent. Her dæmon conceded silently and she turned back to Yoska, a smile forced onto her face. He looked unsettled, but returned her gaze evenly enough.
"As pretty as you are, I'm surprised you're not surrounded by men," he said suddenly. It caught Seras off guard and she gazed incredulously at him before clearing her throat and looking back towards the crowds.
"Oh? Um, I guess I'm a little too much for them, you think?" she laughed awkwardly. He laughed good-naturedly and shrugged.
"I can't say for them. I don't yet know them all well enough to tell. But…"he gazed at her slyly. "I don't think you're too much for me." He arched a brow and she bit her lip. Oh, so that's what he's after. Her dæmon heard her thought and laughed.
Do it. The sentence, quiet and firm, was in full agreement with Seras' own thoughts. She could see herself passing the years, laughing and growing close to this kind, gentle man with the misleading scars crisscrossing his body and running down his face.
"Well, you can most certainly try and find out." Yoska bent forward, but before Seras could decide if he was trying to kiss her or not another voice rang out to their right.
"Oi! What does she want with a guy like you, you think? You can't handle something that ferocious. You'll get singed, mate." Seras and Yoska turned at the same time and saw another man standing close to them, his dæmon a prowling tiger. He grinned at Seras, his teeth all white and perfectly straight.
"Who are you?" Yoska asked, his muscles tensing. The man ignored him and bowed to Seras, his scarlet eyes never leaving hers. He was built like a Greek god, all tanned muscle and angular face with hair so blonde it looked like it was white.
"How ye do, my lovely girl?" he asked with a wink, flashing another smile. She blushed, unused to someone so… forward singling her out. He didn't come closer, but his dæmon strode up to hers boldly and settled before it.
"I'm fine," Seras said uncertainly, wanting to back away and step forward towards him at the same time. He seemed nice, so far at least, and he was mouthwateringly handsome—that was always a plus.
"Well, you can be wonderful if you chose to let me come along with you for a while. I've been watching you all night," he added, and she realized with a start that it must not have been Alucard's eyes on her after all. Her heart sank, but she pushed the feeling away. Here she had two very handsome men who wanted to try and be with her, and all she could think about was the one man who seemed to disdain everything that had to do with commitment? No way! She may be light-haired, but she wasn't stupid!
"Oh, have you?" she said coyly, as if she hadn't noticed. Her dæmon laughed in her head. I like him, it said. He's plucky. Let's add him to the mix, shall we?
We don't even know what his personality is like, other than that he's a very self-assured bloke with a good-looking body. He might be a total jerk. The dæmon huffed.
Do you think I'd let you be with a jerk? You should know me better than that, silly girl. Seras felt like rolling her eyes, but didn't want to send a message to the man. Instead she smiled and motioned him closer, while inside she was still chiding her dæmon.
Does the name "Alucard" ring a bell? she growled, and the dæmon groaned.
Alucard isn't a complete jerk. Even he has his redeeming points. And this guy is just really confident. He thinks it might be the best way to pique your interest. It worked, didn't it?
Redeeming points my ass. You're lucky I have to like you, she snapped, pushing the dæmon out of her head as the blonde guy knelt at her feet and took one of her hands in his.
"I have, my darling. My name is Jet, and I am in every way your humble servant." He pressed her hand to his forehead, and she pulled it away after a moment, laughter bubbling behind her lips.
"Jet?" she giggled, wondering if that was really his name. She'd heard of people naming their kids silly things like that, but this guy…did he give himself that name? The man lifted his head and nodded solemnly, trying to stand and nearly falling backwards before steadying himself on the knoll.
"My full name is Jeffrey Norton, but when I was a human my baby sister couldn't say "Jeffrey". It came out "Jet-ty", and so Jet's what I've been ever since I was five." Everything he said rang of truth, and Seras couldn't help but smile at the story.
"That's so cute," she remarked. "You and your sister must have been very close." Jet's smile faded a little and he nodded, looking depressed.
"Yes, we were very close until I…"he paused, motioning to his neck. "In fact, I know it's against the rules, but when she was on her deathbed, I snuck in there." Seras didn't know there were rules to that sort of thing, but she didn't remark on it.
She could understand why maybe it was a bad idea to let any family you had know that you were still on the earth, and living as a vampire nonetheless. Still, it seemed a rather unfair rule. She tried to imagine living as she was now, and her mother and father still alive in the world. If it was against the rules to speak with them, what could she do? Watch them from afar, no matter how much it broke her heart? She was sure that if they had been alive, she'd have done something similar to what Jet had done.
"You did?" This was from Yoska, who had a deep frown on his face. "Do you understand how risky it was?" Jet glared at him presumptuously, but nodded.
"Of course I do. This was over a half-century ago, you know. I was young then. She had dementia—I was careful with it. I waited until visiting hours were over before I snuck in there, to see her. She remembered me," he admitted with a sad smile. "She said my name… you know, never before being a vampire did I imagine someone old being beautiful. But they are, and my sister, lying there with her wrinkled skin and white hair…she looked like an angel."
"I don't blame you," Seras said hastily. "I think that you were acting out of love for your sister. I can't imagine watching my family grow old and not being able to share that part of life with them anymore. I mean, my parents died when I was a child, so I had no one when I was turned. No one but my master." Maybe I grew too dependent on him; because he was all I had.
Maybe he grew too dependent on you, because you're all he has, her dæmon murmured philosophically. The other men nodded and murmured sympathetically, patting her arms with condolences.
"in the end, because we live so long, we all end up alone," Yoska pointed out. "But it's better for us to not go back to our old lives. We must learn to live without them," he growled, looking down at Jet like the boy was nothing but a whelp to him. The younger man didn't seem to notice, or care.
"Yeah, that's what my mistress said too. She beat the hell out of me for going. You see," he began, and Seras realized quickly that he was the type to launch into long-winded stories. "She was one of those ones who were supposed to be burned as a witch, in Salem? Well, I don't know how the hell they pegged her as a witch, because she's one of the most pious people I know. And that's saying something, for a vampire."
"Indeed," Seras agreed. Most vampires were not affiliated to any set religion, although a few did believe in God and many believed in an afterlife. Even Alucard believed in God and the Devil—he just didn't care about whether he was going to Heaven, or Hell, or somewhere else entirely.
"And besides, she's the kind that doesn't breathe before deciding if it's against the rules or not. So she's always ragging me about something or another." He paused thoughtfully. "I should go and see her soon. I kinda miss her. But…" he stepped closer, looming over Seras. "I don't want to go there empty-handed. I'd like to bring back a pretty wife to show her."
"Well," Seras chuckled uncomfortably, not knowing what to say.
And so it went, for the good remainder of the night, with more men coming every minute. She turned a few of them down, but mostly she accepted, just for some variety. There was even a woman who's hoped Seras had to dash, although she did it as cordially as possible. By the time dawn was nearly ready to break, she had at least a dozen hopefuls swarming around her, speaking and squabbling with each other over who got her attention more.
Seras had never had this many men fighting over her before, and didn't know what to think. Her dæmon was a pleased as punch, but before she could really begin to enjoy it, it all went wrong.
She had been laughing at Jet, who was having his palm read by another man who had just finished reading Seras'. It was all for fun, but Jet and the man were both trying to outdo each other in dramatics, which made for a hilarious display. She was laughing so hard that she was snorting, her hands over her face to try and muffle the unladylike sounds, when a shadow loomed over the entire party.
"Police Girl, what are you doing?" Still trying to catch her breath, she turned and came face to face with Alucard, who was bent down over her with an angry frown on his face. "I thought you were staying with me, in order to meet some people."
Did he honestly just notice that I was missing?! Seras thought, completely baffled.
I doubt it, her dæmon replied. He just wanted an excuse to come break up the band. You were having too much fun, it seems. Seras scowled and stood up from where they were all seated around the palm reader, who suddenly looked like he'd seen a ghost. Jet stared over his shoulder, mouth hanging open slightly. Yoska, and a few other ones who were clearly the most ancient out of the group, stood and bowed to the king. The others just stared, their faces mingled with terror and bewilderment.
"I was laughing, obviously," she replied, voice cold. "And I got bored of being ignored, so I went and found someone to talk to. Lots of people to talk to, actually." There were a few gasps, and Yoska looked as if he'd just seen her grow a second head. Jet nearly laughed, but one harsh glare from Alucard made the sound die on his lips.
"Yes, you've seemed to gather quite a fan base." He looked around at the men surrounding her. "I had no idea that your standards were so low, Police Girl." She couldn't help the gasp that escaped her. His words stabbed her heart like a knife.
So low, so low; it echoed in her ears. Her dæmon was trembling with rage, wanting to attack his dæmon and rip it to shreds. She clenched her fists, feeling claws biting into her palms. She could gouge his eyes out. She felt her fangs pinching her lower lip. She could bite his neck and rip out his throat. She felt a lump in her own throat, the precursor to hot tears. Her dæmon purred soothingly, but it didn't help. That was about as cruel as he could be.
"Well," she choked, swallowing back the sob threatening to claw its way out, "you better get as far away as possible so you don't have to be associated with us, Your Highness." This ripped a snarl from his throat, a sound that made every hair she had stand on end. A few of the men took a step back.
"You will always be associated with me. You were once mine, and mine alone. I refuse to let these pathetic worms have any connection with you, and through you with me." So he was embarrassed to be seen with her if she chose one of these men, was that it!? She felt her sorrow turn to a burning rage and she cried out in frustration.
"I haven't even chosen anyone yet!" she hissed, realizing that the entire party had gone deathly silent. Her cheeks burned in mortification as she looked around him, seeing everyone in the party staring in her direction. They all looked as if they'd never seen anything like it—they probably hadn't, considering that she was openly defying the King himself.
"You will not choose from these worthless vampires," he commanded, and when there was a tiny murmur from the men he glared at them full force, his glasses missing. "Get out of here!" he roared, and the men immediately turned and ran. Seras' mouth dropped and she grabbed his arm, jerking him towards her.
"Don't yell at them! You can't tell them what to do, I do!" she howled, unsure of where the words even came from. It was her dæmon's thoughts, and she saw it as a bear again, bellowing silently as a shadow and swiping at the wolf, which was hunkered low to the ground, ears back as it prepared to strike and fangs bared.
"I am the King!" he shouted back. "They will obey me, and they will leave you be!"
"N-n-no." Seras gasped again as Alucard's eyes turned deadly and flat. He pivoted slowly, showing that Jet was still standing there. Trembling, but standing nonetheless. His eyes showed his absolute terror, but he still raised one finger and pointed to Seras. "Y-you can't t-tell her w-what to do a-a-anymore. S-she's n-not y-your s-s-s-servant! S-she can c-chose who s-she wants."
"No," Seras whimpered, shaking her head frantically. Did Jet not realize who her former master was!? He was going to be impaled on a tree limb and left for the sun! His words had just sealed his fate!
"What did you say, little boy?" Alucard's tone was quiet, friendly almost. A slow smile was spreading over his face. The people in the main party had begun to lean away, women clutching their males, masters pushing their female Children behind them protectively, mistresses being "protected" by their foolhardy male Children. They all knew, whether instinctively or from past experience, what was coming next.
Yoska was also still standing there, but he had remained quiet throughout the whole encounter. He stared at Seras, seemingly waiting for her reaction. She was hyperventilating, not wanting to see the charismatic, clownish young man be tortured to death by the man she used to call her master.
"Stop!" she screamed when his fist came up. It froze in the air and Jet's eyes focused on it, his face all color. Seras felt her body move forward, pushed more by her fear than any will she had. She pushed Jet out of the way, hearing his grunt as he stumbled and rolled on the ground, and put herself in his place. Once she was there, she had no idea what she was going to do next. Her mouth opened and closed, her mind searching for words.
"If you kill them, I—" She wracked her brain, trying to think of something that would be a threat to him. He was nearly impossible to beat; what did she have that she could use as leverage? Then, as she panicked, the answer came to her mind, along with a dreadful peace that made her want to cry.
"I'll leave and never come back." It was all she had. She hoped to anyone that would listen that it would be the one thing he would not allow. He stared at her, his smile faltering, before he laughed scornfully.
"And what makes you think you can run away from me? I could follow you to the ends of the earth and drag you back." She shook her head.
"No. I mean, I'll go home and kill people until Sir Integra strikes me dead with a bullet in my heart. It would hurt less than what you just said to me," she added spitefully. "Or I'll go jump into a fire and be gone in ten minutes, or I'll stand here and wait for the sun to burn me to a crisp."
The real implication of what she meant dawned on him, and he looked lost. His hand lowered and he continued to stare into her eyes, and she shivered as his gaze took on a strange light. He looked insane; grieved and insane! She backed away a step, but his hand shot out and he grabbed her upper arm, crushing it tightly in his fingers. She yelped as the pain blossomed up her arm, and then screamed as she was picked up and thrown.
She was thrown into darkness, and her dæmon shot lightning-fast beneath her body. She heard it grunt as it took the brunt of her fall; Seras felt like she landed on a soft mat, instead of breaking her bones on the cold floor.
Looking around and scrambling to her feet, she realized Alucard had thrown her back into his bedroom. She turned in a circle, eyes on the lookout for danger as her dæmon delved beneath her clothes and covered her body like armor. If he was to come after her with a killing blow, the shadows would stop it long enough for her to move out of the way (theoretically, at least).
"All you women are alike," he hissed, and she bumped into him and immediately threw her body in the opposite direction. He lurked after her, his eyes like coals burning in the dark. She couldn't see his dæmon for the shadows, and her own was shouting at her to face him head on, but unlike the other day it was clearly afraid as well. They'd managed to push him beyond his limits.
"How so?" she managed to squeak, trying to reach his chair. If she could just put it between them, it might slow him down long enough for her to make a break for the hallway, and Sir Integra. She thought about the Captain—he was weakened as it was; would he be able to stop an assault on her?
"The minute another man comes, you're running off to him. You'd rather kill yourself than stay here." Seras reached behind her for the arm of the chair, but he rushed her and she screamed, running around it and backing the other way as he followed, death in his eyes.
"No!" she protested, looking every way for an escape. There was none. The door was behind him, and she couldn't reach the window in time. She was afraid to turn her back to him. "I didn't want to leave you; you don't want me!"
"Don't try to turn this around, Seras Victoria," he snarled, his eyes flashing as he said her full name. "You are in the wrong here, not I." She sputtered, trying to find something to use as a weapon. She was on full defensive, but her mind was clouded with both her panic and her dæmon's fear.
"You said you didn't care if I talked to other men!" she accused, finally finding her voice. "You said, and here you are doing the opposite of what you said, again! It's….hypocritical!" Contradictory is the better word, her dæmon advised, too late.
"So I am a hypocrite?" he asked, voice low. She reached the stone wall and her hands splayed on it, her eyes widening in dread at what was to come. The Captain, nor her dæmon, could stop him now. He was a madman, a sociopath…he was beyond furious with her, and if she was going to kill herself, he must have decided to do it for her. She closed her eyes, drawing up against the wall and hoping that the pain would quickly overwhelm her so that she could fall unconscious and die.
"You said you didn't care…"she whispered, feeling tears beneath her lashes. She wouldn't cry—she'd try not to, anyway. It wouldn't do to have his last memory of her one of weakness. She waited for the first blow to come. And waited, and waited. There was a choking sound, and she opened one eye curiously, before opening the other, a new panic now in her eyes.
"Alucard?!" He was coughing like he was choking, and shivering like he had a fever. He looked like he might be having a seizure, or something. She gaped and reached out for him before pulling back, unsure of how to help him. Her shadows pooled at her collar and her dæmon whispered in her mind.
He's fighting for control with his dæmon, it said, sounding impressed. But he's losing, apparently. Watch. Seras did watch; she couldn't do much else. Her astonishment was too great. Finally, the trembling stopped, and the coughing increased to wheezing before stopping as well.
Alucard's body, which had been doubled over with the hacking, raised back up slowly. Seras tried to close her mouth, at least—it was hanging to her knees, she was sure. He shook his head, staring around for a moment before zeroing in on her. She couldn't help but gawk at him; his eyes were softer somehow, almost childlike as he gazed at her through the curtain of dark bangs.
He blinked a few times, clearing his throat before closing his eyes and brushing his bangs back behind his ears. It cleared up a lot of his face, with only the shortest ones still hanging over his eyes when they opened again. Seras was frozen in place, unable to do more than watch as he cleaned himself up quickly. Then his mouth opened, and she strained to hear what the dæmon (for it had to be the dæmon; Alucard wasn't acting like himself at all) would say.
"We—he—we," he began, trying out the words aloud. Seras wondered how long it had been since the dæmon had last used Alucard's physical body. Surely a century or more, since she couldn't imagine him using it while Alucard had been alone at Hellsing. "We did not mean it."
She blinked, trying to figure out what that meant. He means, her dæmon clarified, that they didn't mean it when Alucard said he didn't care for you talking to other males. You should have known that to begin with. I'm sure he only said it in order to keep from admitting the truth.
Shut up, Seras ordered, and for once the dæmon lapsed into obedient silence. She looked back at Alucard, who was still staring at her face. His eyes were boring into her and she looked away, her cheeks coloring.
"Seras?" It had to be his dæmon. He'd never said her name like that before; warm and gentle, with the barest hint of an accent to it. "Seras, don't—"
It paused, fidgeting, and then the next thing she knew she was wrapped in a tight embrace. Her cheek was smushed against the silky smoothness of his vest, the edge of his collarbone digging into her jaw. His arms were like bands around her shoulders and her waist, his face buried in her neck. She wiggled her arms free and tentatively wrapped them around his back, squeezing softly in contrast to his arms fiercely pressing her to him.
"Don't leave us, my darling," he whispered against her skin. Oh, darling…Seras thought, cheeks on fire from the endearment. Darling? Her dæmon laughed knowingly, spilling out from her clothing onto the floor like water from a bucket. Did that mean she was out of danger now? Well, save for being crushed by his overenthusiastic hug.
"You—you don't want me," she replied uncertainly, feeling that damn lump in her throat returning. He squeezed even tighter, and she heard something weird in her ear. She tried to figure out what it was when it hit her like a brick: he was purring, just like her dæmon did when it wanted to ease her worry or comfort her. It just sounded strange because it was out in the open instead of in her mind, and it was a lot deeper than her dæmon's gentle, rhythmic sounds.
"Don't think that," he said, pulling back to stare into her eyes. She was a little unnerved by the ferocity in his gaze, and tried to look away. His hands wound themselves in her hair and gently tugged her back. "Don't think it; we do. I—" He stopped, a strange look crossing his face and he shook himself again, scowling. "I cannot keep him away for much longer, unfortunately," he pouted.
"Oh," Seras replied, confused. It was like two different Alucards, saying two different things. Weren't they supposed to be one and the same soul? Her dæmon snorted. The soul can feel the same, but pride usually details what goes out of the mouth. Alucard is prideful; his dæmon, not so much so. That's why it can say things that Alucard would never bend and say himself. She looked up at him, but he wasn't paying attention to her anymore.
"I must fix this… I must," he muttered, biting his lip before seeing Seras' eyes watching him warily. He smiled distractedly and ran his gloved fingers along her cheekbone before his expression became serious. He looked at her and an idea dawned on his face.
She didn't even have time to say a word before her chin was tilted up and her lips were pressed firmly against his.
Author's Note: Yay for a new chapter, am I right? :D
So… Hellsing: Ultimate IX and X were released in North America this week. I was very excited when my copy arrived in the mail. I watched it on Monday. Has anyone else seen the new English dubbed episodes?
How 'bout dat sexy "dark" Walter voice, though? "DO NOT USE THAT NAME!" OwO
