Alright my lovelies...I regret to inform you there is maybe three chapters left. Maybe. Then its off to resume my poorly neglected Inuyasha fanfiction cuz I'm pretty sure my followers are about to kill me for that. 0w0. Apologies for the lateness, I've been sick and handling college stuff. Also, this chapter is REALLY LONG because I kept forgetting how much I wrote and just kept adding more day by day. But it goes a long way towards our conclusion as well! Yay(?)
Yes, I'm getting bad about the lyric thing, but I listen to music as I write this, and some songs just fit. also, I received word that lyrics are, quote, "Illegal" in the FF community? Anybody got more info on that maybe? I is confused. 0.O This particular song just felt right for this. I don't know. I'm strange.
Ok, ONWARDS!
WARNINGS: Shit is heating to a boil. It will probably splatter, so mind your heartstrings. /3 In other words, ANGST. Detailed but probably poorly written lemons lie ahead. You are warned.
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CH XIV
You are the Moon
By The Hush Sound
'''
Shadows all around you as you surface from the dark,
Emerging from the gentle grip of night's unfolding arms;
Darkness, Darkness, everywhere,
Do you feel alone?
The subtle grace of gravity,
The heavy weight of stone;
You don't see what you possess,
A beauty calm and clear,
It floods the sky and blurs the darkness like a chandelier;
All the light that you possess
Is skewed by lakes and seas;
The shattered surface, so imperfect,
Is all that you believe.
...
I will bring a mirror,
So perfect, so exact-
So precise and so pristine,
A perfect pane of glass;
I will turn the mirror up to face the blackened sky-
You will see your beauty every moment that you rise...
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Seras spent the afternoon hanging out with Demitri, telling him stories from her days in the Orphanage, answering his questions about what was going to happen to him to the best of her abilities. After all, she really didn't know- she had a feeling Integra didn't either, all things considered. Demitri was just a boy, how much of a threat could he be? Sure, he was half demon, but he was just a child. He wasn't malicious, didn't like to fight, didn't bother anybody, and rarely left his room- really, what could they do to him? Seras paused her thoughts. She'd rather not think of the answer to that question. But then, what was she going to do with him, assuming Integra would allow her to care for the boy? He had no family, no home to go back to- he had nowhere else to go but here. Surely even Integra would be understanding of that? Seras sighed as she slumped down outside Demitri's door. She was tired after being awoken by Integra midday to soothe the apparently distraught boy. Clearly living with a vampire had made Demitri more trusting of her than of Integra, but she supposed that that was understandable. Seras took a deep breath out of habit. Part of her knew that her real battle taking care of him wouldn't be Integra, but Alucard, who was anything but child friendly. But she had confidence that she could change his mind, that he might come to accept the child over time.
Speaking of which...Her Master had made her an offer earlier that still had her wondering. Sure, sleeping with him sounded nice and all, but what would it do to them? He was like her mentor, like a teacher, and also...well, as much as she denied it, he was kind of like a father to her sometimes. Especially where the men of the manor whom sometimes flirted with her were concerned. Goodness, the man acted like an overprotective father if she even got within reaching distance of certain men, though given that she hadn't yet aquired the ability to read minds completely, she supposed she was right to trust her Master's judgement about them. Still...Her heart was all confused. She loved her Master, sure, but in what way? Would sex answer her questions or just confuse her more about it? She really wasn't sure. Seras replayed a list of things she knew she felt about him in her mind and lined up the feelings in her heart like the victims of a serial killer, but nothing seemed to click. Something had to be consistent between them, but she couldn't yet tell what- and she was scared that sleeping with him might either draw her eye to their similarities, or confuse her with even more differences than before. Still, he raised a point in saying that she'd never know for sure unless she did it...but the 'what if's ' her Master so loathed kept gnawing on her insides like a nasty rat, making her feel ill.
Then there was the matter of their demon company. She needed to interrogate Ciel yet, but hadn't a clue how to go about that- or how much time there'd be. She could sense something in the wind, odd as that sounded, that made the cold January air seem that much more chill. It was a strange feeling, one that made her more paranoid than ever. She could swear she heard the whisper of death, death, die, die, die on the wind as it whipped past the panes of glass on the window even now. The feeling was downright eerie, and gave her a terrible bout of anxiety. Something in her told her someone was going to die soon, someone she knew personally. Not a great feeling to have while dwelling on more material thoughts. After all, she was probably imagining it for all she knew- Alucard didn't seem to be affected in the least, but then death had never phased the vampire before, so...
Seras sighed again as she stood. It was still early into the evening, barely twilight, but she knew Alucard was awake. Something, be it anxiety or determination, drove her to visit him then, her mind prioritizing things in a timely fashion. As Alucard had said, if she wanted to know, she'd just have to try. But could she? Could she will herself to do it? Without the influence of his bite? Was this what she really wanted? If not, would there still be time later to try again, or was this a one shot deal? She kept the questions turning in her mind like a carousel as she walked almost mindlessly to her own door, intent on at least mulling it over for another few sleepless minutes until she was otherwise forced to get up, probably by her Master himself. She really was tired, anyway, she mused with a yawn. But, of course, upon opening her door, she recalled with a sigh that nothing like this ever went her way.
"Where have you been?" Alucard drawled from where he sat on her bed. Perfect. Just peachy.
"Integra said Demitri was upset, and he wanted me. So, I went to see what was the matter and to help her calm him down. You gave the kid quite a fright, killing a demon in front of him."
"Actually, much to my dismay, it was Sebastian who delivered the final blow, per his Master's orders. But I too was ordered to kill him by Integra, and the demon was after the brat to begin with, so..."
"He's not a brat!" Seras snapped. She hadn't meant to, and clearly her Master hadn't been expecting it, but she ultimately regretted it when she seen him scowl at her almost menacingly.
"He's not your child, Seras." Well. That hadn't been what she was expecting him to say.
"I...I know that, but he hasn't gotten anyone! For all we know his mother died protecting him, and he can't very well go back where he came from-"
"Seras." Alucard interjected. He had an almost knowing look on his face. "I realise you lost everything yourself, and as such you are compelled to empathize with him. But he can not stay here. He'll be killed. Integra may not give the order, but one of the men will panic the moment he does anything suspicious. Humans do not trust others easily. Not these ones, anyway." She knew that when he said "others" he meant "Non humans".
"I know you care about the boy, but because of that, you need to see what is best for him. And that is not this place. Not at Hellsing." Seras looked up to her Master in shock. He was rarely this nice to her, or anybody. She felt her heart contract. He made a good point, but still...
"But...we could protect him, couldn't we, Master?" Seras asked quietly, her former mission temporarily forgotten. There was a long silence.
"Not forever, Seras. Not forever." Alucard said, voice quieter than usual. "Just as I will not always be able to protect you, either." He said after a moment, prompting Seras to lift her fallen head to look at him- only to find him right in front of her. She looked up at his face, looking into his exposed eyes (something she realised not many people had the priviledge of doing), or rather trying to look through them. She was so confused. Her heart hurt now on top of it all, and she just didn't know what to do anymore. She was tired, in more ways than one, and still there seemed so much she needed to do. To learn, to explore, to accomplish. And time, it would seem, was not on her side; she might live forever, but forever wasn't going to keep her from having to fight for real against demons she didn't know very soon- both the literal ones and those in her mind. She gasped when her Master's hand touched the crown of her head, smoothing her hair like a kitten. It was his trademark gesture of affection, one she admitted to appreciate. It brought a small, half hearted smile to her lips regardless.
"There's my Seras." He murmured, smoothing his hand down the back of her neck. She got the gyst, and reached up on her toes, hand touching his neck softly as she pulled him down effortlessly into a kiss. As she encouraged it to deepen, she took a startled note of how gentle he was being at the moment, which contrasted sharply with the way he'd kissed her before. It wasn't until she put some force into the kiss herself that he began to press harder, pulling her by the arm against him. She made a soft noise as his fingers wound into her hair, and obliged to return the gesture, which he seemed to appreciate before. Once more he made an approving sound as she tugged gently at his mane, liking the way it felt nestled between her fingers. Truly, his hair was the envy of any woman; soft, silky, and surprisingly warm. It felt good.
Once again he led her backwards to the bed, and she didn't resist when he, rather than she, laid back against it, allowing her to climb on top. It was admittedly a much less restrictive position, what with her being so much smaller than him. She felt him slide his hands up and down her sides, the gesture at first soothing, but which ultimately encouraged her to rock her hips a bit. She wasn't really touching him at this point, but that quickly changed when he suddenly gripped her hips and forced her to sit down on his lap once more with a blush. She allowed it, though, feeling a shock of arousal spike through her as she once again found herself straddling him. She resisted the voice in the back of her mind, trying to warn her of where this road was going. She'd never know...she may never know...she forced her mind into silence, focusing on feeling physically instead. He held her hips for a moment longer before using one hand to lift her shirt, letting his gloved fingers work over her abdomen and sides, coming up teasingly to touch just beneath her breasts. He suddenly released their kiss, which at some point had included their tongues, she realised belatedly, in favor of trailing rough, rather damp kisses along her jaw and neck, sucking lightly. She sighed, feeling herself begin to warm between her legs. He suddenly gripped one breast, squeezing harshly, but not overly painfully. She gasped as his other hand found her thigh, rubbing up and down it with a tender touch that made her shudder. He then held her waist, pulling her flush against him, and she felt his own body arch a bit beneath her. She blushed furiously, but hadn't much time to think on it as he sucked on her neck especially hard, nipping it lightly with his teeth. He put pressure on her hip, encouraging her to rock back, before roughly pulling her back up. She blushed maroon when she realised what he was trying to get her to do, but obliged his request out of her own need, grinding her hips down on his, and feeling all too well along the way a particular appendage that was quickly filling with blood in light of their activities. She felt the voice in the back of her head trying to put up a stop sign, to make her carefully question her next move, but frankly, she was tired of thinking. She repeated her action, grinding along that said appendage with her pelvis, teasing him in return. He growled in response, nipping her jaw with sharp teeth.
She sat up a moment, locking their lips once more, noticing that this kiss was far more violent than the last, bringing her hands up to tangle once more in his mane (when had she let go again?) feeling him buck under her as she pulled the strands by the fistfull, feeling his own grip on her waist and chest tighten. Part of her really wanted to move things along, but another part of her held back. Once clothes came off, there was no backing out. Not as far as her Master was concerned- she knew that. Yet, she still yearned for it, for him- and not just out of lust, either. She gasped when his hands found the buttons of her uniform, a bit of anxiety making her tremble. She'd never know, she told herself, if she didn't try.
She began to work on his own coat with shaking hands- she may not have been a virgin, but really, that didn't mean anything with Alucard. She could be a fully fledged whore- unsettling as the thought was- and still feel as nervous and meek as a lamb in front of a lion like Alucard. Her thoughts were accentuated by a rough thrust from under her, followed by a hard nip to her collarbone as he gradually undressed her. Seemed he was having no trouble taking his time.
"Would you prefer I do it faster?" Her Master's voice startled her, but she hid it well behind her other nerves.
"N-no, Master...Just wasn't expecting this."
"Expecting what? Me to take my time with you? As said, I can make it go much faster..." As if to prove his point, his hand suddenly dove for her waistband, pulling it teasingly. She blushed furiously.
"No! No! It's fine! Go whatever pace you like!"
"Hmf. The pace I'd like is one with you beneath me at present." She turned crimson, blocking him from her mind. He only chuckled mischeviously, placing wet kisses on the hollow of her throat as he pulled her shirt down her shoulders. She relaxed, letting him slip it off behind her, and swallowed thickly when he unfastened her bra, letting his tongue trail down to the valley of her breasts before coming back up. Really, she'd always disliked being licked, but his cool tongue on her warming skin wasn't a half bad feeling. He sat up a bit, pushing her back with his hands as he devested himself of his coat, helping her struggling hands unbutton his undershirt before also throwing it off his shoulders. He brought her flush against him again, pressing their bare chests together as he pulled her legs around him. She resisted the nerves threatening to spoil the mood with all her might, gasping when he began sucking on her neck again. She was sure she'd have a hickey come later, but hoped her vampiric healing abilities made it dissappear fast. He once more chuckled against her skin, laving it with his tongue. She shuddered, and nearly jumped out of her skin when his hands once again found the waistband of her pants, tugging at them. She knew what he wanted, but...
Suddenly she found her hands copying him, unbuttoning his trousers. It wasn't fair if she was the only one to lose them, after all. He growled in a pleased manner, scooting her back to make it easier. She shook as she pulled on the zipper, sliding her hand inside almost curiously. She'd done this before, she reminded herself. 'true, but you've never done this with him.' Her mental voice told her. She rolled her mental eyes at it, finding what she intended to and gripping him in her small fist. He was about the size she'd expected someone as tall as him to be, certainly bigger than anything she'd tried taking before. (then again, she'd only done this twice, and would frankly rather not think of either at the moment) but rather than scare her, the thought excited her that much more. She felt it's head through the silky-feeling undergarments he wore, rubbing over it with her thumb. She felt him tug at her waistband much more urgently, and had to take a steadying breath as she released him, pushing off of him a moment to wiggle out of her shorts. She took the underwear with them, figuring they were going to come off at some point anyway. He turned her to the side when she returned, straddling him once more. He wanted to flip positions.
She allowed it, stomach muscles taught with nerves. Clearly he sensed it, for he bent down to whisper in her ear, "Relax. Or it will hurt." She felt herself calm a bit at his reassurance, allowing him to straddle her without yet touching their bodies. He dismounted suddenly, and she was about to ask why when he pulled off what was left of his own clothes. She daren't let her eyes wander to his member, not wishing to make it awkward. Or to scare herself into backing out. There was no way she could, not now. He leaned over to kiss her feircely, grabbing her hips roughly and once more digging his thumbs into her pelvis in a way that excited her strangely. She threw her arms around his neck, not resisting when he gripped her by the crook of the knee and hooked both legs over his own hips, coming down to be flush with her. She pushed wildly against her past memories of this event, finding them far too frought with sadness and heartache.
"Just relax, Seras. I'll take the pain away for a while."
She arched off the bed with a start as his cool fingers began to play with the folds of her nethers, thumb circling her clit in a way that made her one hundred percent positive he'd had a long time to get good at this. He chuckled in response to that thought, rubbing her harder, encouraging her to throw back her head with a groan. He seemed to know exactly how to rub her, a welcome change, and as soon as she felt her core begin to leak from the anticipation, he withdrew from her clit in favor of pressing at her entrance. She willed herself to stay relaxed as he slipped his finger inside, moving it in a tell-tale "hither to" motion, stimulating her nerves most pleasantly, enticing a moan as he wiggled faster. She gasped when he started adding fingers, feeling strange as he "scissored" her. It then occured to her to ask a question.
"Why are you being so gentle with me? It's not that I don't like it, I just...didn't take you for the type."
"I can be many types of man should I wish to be. And true, I don't normally prefer this type of behavior. But it's been a long time since I had any, and I want to make it last. Just in case this turns out not to be a repeat thing." The way he said it made it seem like he knew, somehow, it would be. He was probably right, Seras thought. But that didn't matter now.
Seras laid back more completely as he once more bent over her, covering her body with his as he removed his fingers smoothly. He repositioned her legs around his waist before reaching between them for his own self, rubbing the head over her clit a few times for good measure before positioning himself where he aught be. Seras squirmed a little bit as he pushed in, the pressure still not really comfortable. The pressure became mild pain as she stretched to accomodate his larger member, a distinct pin-prick like sensation forming around the outside of her entrance as he pushed in. In his defense, he did go pretty slowly, though she was positive his shaking frame was from restraint. He gave her maybe twenty seconds to adjust before pulling back, causing her to shudder at the sensation, before swiftly but shallowly thrusting back in. There was a sore kind of pain, but also a burst of numbing pleasure. He did it again, and again, the pleasure mounting. He began to thrust much harder after the first few rounds, inserting much deeper each time. Seras threw back her head with a nearly involuntary moan as he struck an especially sweet spot in her, and gasped as he raked his gloved nails hown her sides almost animalistically. This is what she'd expected him to be like. Primal, agressive, rough. As though in reply to her thoughts, he bit her collarbone hard enough to draw blood, but didn't let his fangs linger long enough to feel the rush from the bite. Her dissappintment was quickly forgotten though as he began to thrust faster, grabbing her hips roughly to hold her still. Her hands tugged at his hair before finding their way to his back, clawing him as she arched off the bed when he hit on an especially good thrust. She felt him go faster, harder, and encouraged it with a sharp nip of her own to his jaw.
The pace hit a brutal note, and she felt herself lost in the sensations. She felt him shift to hit her at a slightly different angle, and felt the blinding pleasure as he struck just the right pose with his brutal thrusting, driving her to a pleasure she was confident she'd never had before at a fast rate. She felt herself climb, thrusting her own hips back to meet his before her body shook, and an indescribable but extremely stimulating pleasure shot like electricity from her nether regions up her abdomen. She felt herself jerk involuntarily for each rapid thrust after that, nerves overstimulated after what she assumed was a climax. It didn't stop until he thrust especially deep, almost painfully so, an she felt a sudden wet heat from deep within her. He thrust one or two more times, his...stuff, making for extra lubrication that led to more spine-tingling pleasure on her part. He didn't pull out right away, resting for a moment atop her, though he wasn't out of breath in the slightest. If Seras thought she was tired before, she was plain exhausted now, she realised. Sex had never been so much work before- but then, he was the same species she was this time, so it made sense.
He pulled out of her with a distinctive, almost sucking-like sensation, making her shudder. She could feel as he dismounted and lay beside her his "stuff" as she acknolwedged it by, oozing from her body and beginning to cool into the sticky, slimy goo it usually did after this happened. But she wasn't complaining just yet. She was far too tired for that.
"Rest for now. We can talk if you want when you wake. For now, try to sleep a bit."
"But Master-"
"I'll stay here to be sure you aren't disturbed. Now sleep." His voice was roughish, but she supposed he was probably at least a little tired after that, too.
"Lay with me. Then I'll do what you say." Seras murmured as she climbed up onto her pillow, lying face down. Sleep sounded nice. She felt his weight settle beside her, and scooted to keep skin-contact with him, as though if she didn't literally keep in touch with him that he'd vanish without warning.
"Go to sleep, Seras." He comanded. She yawned, nuzzling the pillow.
"Goodnight, Master."
"...Goodnight, Seras."
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Alistar sighed when he felt the presence of the former reaper his Master's had employed. Well, if you could call them 'Masters'. They largely left him in particular alone, as did most people, though he'd never really defied either of them. He could, if he wanted to, but where was the benefit? At least here, he had shelter to keep him out of the rain, and someone to fall back on if he got himself stuck. Which was a rare thing to happen, but maybe it was precisely because of that that the pickles he usually got himself into happened to be really big, ugly, messy ones. It paid then, to stay in the good graces of Sebastian and Ciel. If worse came to worse, he could turn around and pin the blame on them- which wouldn't be a lie, depending on the kind of situation he was in.
"What do you want now, creep?" He addressed the Undertaker as he entered the now mostly barren room, which had once been a guest room. Alistar lie where he usually was- on the windowsil, resting without really sleeping in the moonlight, which made his pale countenance seem to glow ethereally.
"Ciel sent me a letter just this morning, telling me to fetch you. Apparently, your area of expertise is needed, though for what he wouldn't say." Alistar turned one red, hazy eye to the creepy man, regarding him with mild interest.
"So, Felix did betray us. I sort of figured, what with how he dissappeared that night. Hasn't come back since, either. Serves 'im right." Alistar said with a light huff. "So, who got it?"
"One of the vampires, methinks, but I can't say for sure. If a human were hit though, your help wouldn't do too much for 'em now, would it?"
"No. Felix's venom is too strong. Vampires, eh? Not something I've worked with before..." Alistar sat up then, stretching his back like a cat. "But I suppose even I need a challange from time to time." The demon turned to look at Undertaker then, studying the old man. He was missing his tophat, and seemed to have a strange air around him. But then, he always did smell a little odd to him. Still, something else was missing...
"Well, where are they?"
"Still at Hellsing Manor. Haven't left but once, to feed- and that was the night Felix attacked."
"Who was he going after?"
"Actually, there's something odd about that." Alistar quirked a delicate brow at this, urging the man to continue. He had to admit that though he found the former reaper quite annoying, what with the way he liked to interrupt his rest, the man was a good conversationalist, one that sometimes (much to his frustration) sought out the demon purely for what seemed the sake of company with which to babble his senseless, mostly human, jargon; Ciel did the same thing on rare nights- Alistar supposed it was his own quiet repose that made him a popular victim for the talkative ones.
"But, of course-"
"Yes, I know, you don't give away information for free." Alistar rolled his eyes slightly at the man's ridiculous quirks. Then again, he supposed he was not much better, not among demon-kind anyway.
"You know I'm terrible with jokes, even more so with the undignified poses you sometimes require of folk. Couldn't you just ask for something else? Something that, oh, I don't know, maybe is a little less embarrassing?" Undertaker chuckled at Alistar as he whined, working on memorizing this strange white demon's "pouting face", which was quite entertaining unto itself.
"I won't make any guaruntees about that if it's an exchange you're offering. I can think of a good many things I could exchange my typical methods for- none of which are any less shameful, I assure you. But then, as you are a demon..."
"Oh, never mind it then. You're annoying me." Alistar huffed, crossing his arms behind his head and settling back into the windowsil. "I don't suppose you have a time scheduled for my arrival?"
"No, but I imagine sooner be better than later." Undertaker said with his usual grin, chuckling lightly at the demon before him. An interesting creature, Alistar was. Not like most demons in any type of regard- he healed more than he hurt, seemed to prefer the truth to the lies that shrouded most of his kin, and though he was really a lazy lump on a log most the time, he was much wiser and far more knowledgeble of what was occuring where, when, and how, than most people might be inclined to give the introverted creature credit for.
"Fine." Alistar said with a sigh, once more sitting up from his comfy position in the sil. He actually stepped out of it this time, something Undertaker had rarely seen him do. "Then I guess I shouldn't waste too much time. Who knows how long a vampire will last with poison like that in him? Still, I hate to go in unprepared." He gave Undertaker a sidelong glance.
"You know my price, demon." Undertaker grinned mischeiviously.
"Well, then how about we go about this from a different angle, shall we?" Undertaker's grin faltered swiftly as a too-obviously fake one graced Alistar's own fine, porcelin features. He really did look almost like a doll, though his features were a bit too pointed for that. Still, he was a beautiful creature, almost faerie or maybe even elven-like, the latter of which was further accentuated by his pointed ears, one of which Undertaker noticed for the first time, had a ring pierced into the shell of it from the top of his ear- a small little thing, it was gold, much like so many other minor highlights of the demon's attire. Undertaker had to wonder why that was- demon's colors were typically black, red, blue and silver, from what he'd seen. But then he hadn't seen much; still, it seemed strange to even Sebastian that this silver and white demon chose such a bright color scheme. A, dare he think it, angelic, color scheme. It was certainly suspicious.
"Before you go about that, might I make a proposition?" Undertaker said as Alistar began to encroach on his space, fake smile telling of most unfortunate things for him, if he were to guess. His words managed to stop him though, causing the odd demon to look at him expectantly.
"And that might be?"
"Well, I'll tell you one thing if you tell me another, so to speak." Alistar's ruby eyes hardened apprehensively before he closed them with a sigh. "Fine. What is it that's got you so curious?"
"Why, your choice of attire, as it were." Alistar's eyes opened abruptly at this, and he gazed at Undertaker with a piercing stare. He eventually sighed again, though, closing his eyes in thought.
"My attire, huh? I admit, you're the first to ask about that, despite the fact that I know Sebastian holds me in quite the suspicious light for it. Maybe rightly so." He turned then, back to the window, looking to the evening sky as if searching for answers himself.
"I was given this attire by someone who was precious to me. He died long ago, I'm afraid, but he left this behind in his will. Told me before his untimely end that It would suit me well. So far he hasn't been wrong." Undertaker nodded in understanding.
"Was this person human?" Undertaker asked. A long silence followed his question before Alistar replied in a vacant tone, "Yes. He was." Undertaker processed the information for a moment before replying.
"I once loved a human as well. She was the Grandmother of the very young demon you follow, actually." He offered quietly, causing Alistar to at least turn to look at him. "I'm not tryin' to be all sentimental and such, understand, just voicin' me thoughts." Undertaker clarified after a moment. Another long silence followed before Alistar turned back to Undertaker, eyes cool, but not frigid.
"Thank you." He said, offering a shallow bow at the shoulder. The action, seeming so genuine for once, startled Undertaker. He'd never been personally, sincerely thanked by a demon before. While strange, it made him smile more genuinely than he had in a long while.
"Yer quite welcome. Now, I suppose it be my turn to divy out the dividends, neh?"
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Alistar arrived towards midnight, greeted at the gates of Hellsing by Sebastian himself, likely to prevent the guard from mistaking him for an intruder. Sebastian nodded his head in acknowledgment as he walked up to the gate, waving a dismissive hand at the guard, who were...well, on guard. Alistar bowed at the waist before the tall, black demon, neither saying a word. There came a point where words were not needed, and like animals, demons were perfectly capable of understanding each other through little more than body language. After all, talk was both cheap and mostly a human invention (though make no mistake, there were some... vocal, demons out there...).
Alistar said nothing as he was lead through the gate, silently observing the blotches of white that still held against the daytime weather, now refreezing back into ice where it'd melted before in the chill of the night. They weren't stopped, though a few humans turned from a gun drill to the side of the path to regard Alistar warily. The impassive demon ignored them, hoping to be ignored in kind, and followed Sebastian through the large, wooden doors. On the other side was a dim and really rather dull foyer, though the woman standing at the center of it was anything but.
"I presume this is the demon Alistar?" The woman asked in an authorative tone. 'Ah, she must be the Hellsing woman.'
"Yes, pleasure to aquaint." Alistar replied, offering a shallow bow. She seemed to regard him skeptically, but he was well and truly used to it by now.
"Indeed. I'm not sure how much you've been filled in on what's happened, but Alucard seems to have healed on his own- at any rate, he's not going to let you give him medicine. Still, a check-up might be in order; he has a prepensity to lie when he is unwell." Alistar nodded.
"I see. Well, if I'd of been told that much, I'd of stayed in my windowsil." He murmured before clearing his throat. "Well, in any case, it's as you say- better to be safe than sorry with something like this. I didn't bring any major supplies with me anyhow, so I suppose it's good that he's not on his deathbed...or, whatever you'd call that." Alistar stated boredly, sighing.
"Alright. I'll show you to his quarters."
The Hellsing woman led him downstairs to the basement, showing him to a steel plated door.
"For fututre reference, you should always knock on his door. Alucard does not usually like to be disturbed, and I won't pity you for losing your head if you waltz in unannounced." She said, ragarding him sternly.
"That makes two of us." He muttered. She eyed him icicly. "About not liking to be disturbed, that is. I'm only here because I was asked to be and because I respect those above me." Alistar clarified, gaze never leaving the door. He heard the woman sigh beside him before lifting her small hand to knock on the door with three hollow booms. There was a long pause at the door, but before the woman lost her patience it suddenly opened, swinging in slightly but not opening completely.
"Watch yourself." Was all she said to him, silently gesturing to the open door. He supposed he aught let himself inside, pushing the heavy door aside with a creaking noise that echoed in the dark room.
"Alucard, this is Alistar. Ciel sent for him after you were poisoned. Even though you're mostly healed now, I still want him to take a look at you. We've never had any experiences with this kind of weapon, so I am being cautious. You are not to give him any trouble, and to do as you are asked. Am I understood?" The woman commanded into the dark, and Alistar had to resist a smirk at the thought that she likely could not actually see the figure presiding upon his throne-like chair at the back of the small room.
"Hm." The figure, likely Alucard, hummed in dissaproval.
"Do I need to make it an order?" She threatened.
"No." He replied simply after a moment that seemed to say that she might.
"Very good. Then I leave him to you- and Alucard," She turned to the door, keeping her eyes over her shoulder as she did so. "If I hear either of your guns going off, you had better have a damn good reason for it." She glared at the darkness intimidatingly before turning and stalking away back up the stairs they'd come down. Alistar turned back to the room, sighing. This might prove more trouble than it was worth.
"You're a tad late, aren't you?" Alucard drawled sarcastically. Alistar tried to get a read of his character as quickly as possible, thinking of how best to interact with this thing in case it proved dangerous.
"Only fashionably. Besides, no one told me it was urgent. I figured you'd be fine."
"What sort of doctor makes those kinds of assumptions?"
"I'm not a doctor, only a healer. Doctors use technology and tools; healers use auras, magic, and herbs. I can use medical technology if I must, but I prefer the old fashioned way. It typically works better on demons anyway."
"I'm going to guess you've never had a vampire clientel?"
"No, this would be my first. Though I'm really not that interested in your kind, as it were; I am doing this as a favor to my superiors."
"I rather assumed demons weren't the kind to do favors." Alucard grinned, mocking him.
"They aren't." Was all he said, and all he would say. The response did not seem to please the vampire, for his grin faltered.
"You're no fun." Alucard pouted, slumping on his throne.
"I don't try to be. Not my job to entertain you, in any case." Alistar sassed as he came further into the room. Alucard seemed to be the bully type, he mused. Not much of a threat, but an annoyance nonetheless.
"I won't have to do much, just check the wound site and make sure you can still move normally. The neurotoxic effects of Felix's venom can linger a time."
"I noticed that the other day, but it seems to have worn off by now. I feel perfectly fine." Alistar studied the vampire a moment, trying to sense a lie.
"If that is what you will say, who am I to argue?" Alistar said after a moment, shrugging. He stopped just before the throne, keeping a few meters distance out of consideration more than anything.
"I'll need you to show me the wound, unmodified, if you will. If there's a scar, I'll need to see it."
"Tsk. Fine."
Alucard begrudgingly did as asked, removing his coat and shirts. There was a dark, purplish mark, akin to a bruise, where he'd been struck, a few odd threads of blackish blood vessels extending from the wound here and there, but all in all it didn't appear too bad, Alistar mused to himself.
"Not too bad, considering what his venom can do." Alistar commented, reaching into his coat pocket for a small vial. "I must admit, I wasn't expecting you to be in this good of shape. But then, I suppose I don't know much about vampires." He said with a shrug, approaching the vampire where he sat at the edge of his throne, handing him the vial.
"Put that on the wound; I don't know how well it will work, since you aren't a demon, but it should make all the bruising dissappear."
"It doesn't hurt- the bruises."
"Even so, the damage remains. Whether you feel the pain or not is irrelevant- your body is still injured. Place the contents of the vial on the wound, a few drops at a time. Within an hour, all marks should vanish." Alistar said frankly, gesturing to the wound. "Now, I have been informed you are able to shape-shift. I would like to see how well you are able to do that before you apply the serum. Felix's venom interfere's with the energy channels in the body, rendering his victims unable to change forms or use their energy against him once bitten."
"Use their energy?" Alucard inquired.
"Yes. All things possess energy, though in different forms. This energy circulates your body like blood, and in fact your blood vessels are an important part of your energy system. Destroy one's blood, and you detroy crucial parts of the energy circulatory system. This isn't all of it, though."
"What exactly is this 'energy?'"
"Hm...I guess you could explain it as the electrical impulses in your muscles and brain, but its more complicated than that. Much more."
"I see...so, what does demon energy do?" Alucard asked. Alistar eyed him warily.
"You're going to make me explain it, aren't you?" Alistar huffed. Alucard's grin said it all.
"Fine. But it's just because I'm bored." Alistar stated with a sigh. "Demon energy is a little different from other kinds of are two forms of energy- physical and spiritual. Physical energy is as I described- comprised of electrical impulses. Spiritual energy, though, is different."
"Spiritual energy is something only humans and celestial beings possess, theoretically, as this is energy produced by the soul. You could call it the 'substance of the soul', but this wouldn't be entirely accurate, because you can siphon someone's energy without damaging their soul, and consequently can extract a person's soul without ever touching their spirit energy."
"So, demon's don't have souls?" Alucard asked, wicked smile gracing his long face.
"Not so. Demons do have souls- just in a more primative sense. The soul doesn't fully form until you are X years of age, and experienced certain things. Call them 'checkpoints' if you will. A soul that has not experienced these things is not considered a complete or full soul. Its funny, actually, that these things are as simple as they are, yet demons can not experience them. Well, not all demons can. Soul-eating demons, no- flesh-eating demons, sometimes."
"And what are these 'ingredients of the soul', as it were?"
"'ingredients', huh? Never really thought of it that way, but I guess that's right. To fully form a soul, a person has to have experienced love, loss, peace, charity, unsettlement or change, and sorrow. A human who's never experienced these things can't really be called human- at least, that's how I view it. However, I should duly note that you do not have to necessarily have felt these things in order for it to work. As long as you can acknowledge and deeply recognise that someone else loves you, needs you, grieves your absence, finds peace among your presence, is changed by or is sorrowful as a result of your actions, your soul may become passable. After all, not all humans can feel things like the above stated for vairious reasons. But, neither can demons." Alistar rambled. It wasn't often he spoke so much. "Demons lack the ability to recognise other's needs and to place them above their own. Even human psychopaths can do this if they are prompted to*, but demons have no way of being 'charitable' as it were. Soul-eaters can not feel compassion or love, and while they can feel something akin to greif, they can never experience sorrow on the same emotional level as a human can. Peace is also not something demons even have a conscientious awareness of, and changing the understanding of a demon is extremely difficult. They are hardwired to develop souls to a point, but once that point is reached, they stop, and can not go on."
"You sound like you are a human, for a demon." Alucard remarked skeptically. Alistar shrugged. "You also seem to know a lot about souls- I've never taken that much interest in my food before, personally."
"Well, we all have our hobbies, don't we?" Alistar said with a small smile.
"So...out of curiousity, what happens to humans with incomplete souls?"
"You mean when they die? Hm...Good question. I heard that some of them get turned into angels, depending on the circumstances. Some are also turned into demons. Others become reapers, if they died by suicide. Others I hear are placed in a dream-like world where there soul can mature before it leaves them- hence the purpose of some comas." Alistar shrugged again. "But I don't know for sure. After all, I'm not an angel or a reaper. I don't determine the fate of a soul."
"But you certainly seem to know a lot about them. Seems quite strange, to me." Alucard stated, skepticism lacing his tone as he smiled like a fox.
"Well, I've been around a long time. Not quite as long as Sebastian, but plently long enough."
"I see."
"Enough questions. I still need to see you transform." Alucard 'tsk'-ed, but did as asked, forming his energy around him in a dark, swirling mass before transforming himself into his female form.
"Not bad. Any trouble?"
"No." Alucard replied, and Alistar had to admit it was a bit creepy to hear such a masculine voice come out of such a feminine character.
"Good. You can change back, if you want."
"Why? Does this form unsettle you?" Alucard grinned like a cheshire cat.
"No, not really. I've seen worse."
"Oh? What of?"
"None of your business, in all honesty." Alistar glared when the vampire laughed.
"Are we done here, or do you have any more annoying questions?"
"Quite the sassy one, aren't you?"
"If I find I must be. You'll find it a common trait of demons."
"So I've noticed." Alucard said with distaste. "But I don't think I have anything left to ask you, no. Not at the time, anyway."
"Then might I take my leave? I am sure your Master will be waiting for an update on your condition."
"And what of your own?" The question threw Alistar off guard.
"I don't really consider Ciel or Sebastian 'Masters'. They can't really control me, since I'm so old, and Sebstian and I have a...mutual understanding, so to speak. We live in the same territory, but mostly ignore one another. He goes his way, I go mine."
"Yet he makes it seem as if he can command you."
"He can ask me to do things, but I am old enough and powerful enough to pose a bit of a challange for him should we have to duel; however, since I dislike conflict, I usually do what he says unless someone else fits the bill better. However, I should note that Sebsatian is the kind of demon to say something like that. He thinks he is practically undefeatable and thusly that all should obey him for his power. But I would disagree."
"Oh?"
"He may have strength, but therein is his fault; once one becomes big enough, all else looks to be smaller than you are, even if, in reality, that small thing packs a deadly punch. A bullet ant looks small to a human, but one sting can send the most macho of men to his knees with pain. An arum berry looks cute, small and bright like a cherry, but one drop of poison will make the most sane of men claw their own throats and tongues out **; a spider is completely helpless against a human shoe, but one bite can kill them within minutes. As a few examples."
"Indeed- in that we are agreed. Humans are defenseless against something like a nosferatu by themselves- but give them a gun with the right bullet, and they can decimate their nemesis."
"The right bullet, neh? Well, I guess that's one way to put it." Alucard's face changed then, as if he suddenly understood something.
"Well, then I'll be taking my leave then." Alistar said, bowing shallowly. He turned then, and was not stopped as he exited the chamber, leaving a thoughtful Alucard alone in the room.
"...The right bullet...Yes, we just haven't found the right bullet yet..."
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A sudden commotion from upstairs woke Seras from her nap. She shot up from her bed, half-aware she'd miraculously dressed, phasing through the floors at top speed, her Master just behind her. She was half-aware of their energies colliding and coiling around each other as they went along, and noticed suddenly something being placed in her hand. As they materialised on the first floor, she looked down to find he'd handed her Harkkonen. She'd forgotten it in her haste. Looking to her Master, she seen he'd been caught unprepared, for he was missing both his glasses and his fedora, and held the Jackal, rather than Casull, in his hand.
"What's going on?" She asked quickly.
"Intruder. Creating quite a mess of things from what I can tell."
"What kind of intruder?"
"Seems like a vampire this time, or rather vampiress, but I'm not entirely sure as yet. Shall we go and determine for ourselves?" Seras nodded.
"Where?"
"Seems they're keeping her at bay outside the manor. Let's go." And with that, Alucard took off for the door, phasing through it as if it weren't there, with Seras on his heels. The target was indeed a woman, with massive blonde curls and a very outdated dress. She held in both hands what appeared to be swords, and was deflecting bullets left and right, leaping about like a gymnast across the front lawn of the manor. She jumped upwards suddenly, coming down upon one of the men with a fatal strike as his cartridge suddenly ran out of ammo. Taking advantage of the proximity, she rapidly struck at any man within reach, felling six more before another rain of bullets drove her back.
Seras wasted no time taking position, as did Alucard, who, in his usual style, ran right into the middle of the conflict, unconcerned about being struck by the hailing fire. He fired several shots at the intruder, but she managed to deflect the bullets with ease, bounding like a rabbit to the side abruptly, eyes looking for something- or someone.
"You know, it's wise to watch where your enemy is, especially when you're outnumbered." Alucard said, catching up to her with ease. She seemed surprised by his speed, turning to regard him with wide, wary eyes, yet she seemed unafraid of him. She struck at him with one sword, aiming for his gun with the other. She managed to sever his arm and pierce his heart at the same time; an impressive feat of swordsmanship if he had to say so. She wasted no time, ducking as he made to strike her with his uninjured arm, flinging the gun away some distance, happening to strike a soldier on the head with the heavy artillery in the process.
"Alucard!" Seras called suddenly, and the vampiress's head snapped in her direction with a look that Alucard decidedly did not like. Nontheless,he moved out of the way as she fired Harkkonnen-
and missed.
Alucard could only recover from his surprise, for Seras was a known expert marksman, for a second before the vampiress darted with shocking speed directly at Seras, effortlessly cutting down anyone in her path, contrary to her dance earlier, which had apparently been just that- a show.
"Seras!" It was Integra's voice calling now as she seemed to understand something Alucard did not at that moment- until Seras once more fired Harkkonnen, by which time the vampiress was too close for anyone to aim accurately, even Seras. The blonde vampiress kicked down hard on the weapon, slashing at Seras visciously with her twin swords***. Seras reacted immediately, abandoning Harkkonnen in favor of defending herself. She held out against the swords fairly well as they both danced their way back toward the entrance of the manor, and Alucard realised with a start that she was playing into the trap.
Or so he thought.
The vampiress suddenly jumped over Seras, landing so close behind her that she could not effectively turn in time to avoid one sword shoved straight through her forearm, elliciting a cry of rage more than pain, as the other came up to pin her back against the other vampiress by the throat, the sharp blade smelling distictly of silver- the little bitch had made a sword she could kill her own kind with. 'Either very smart or very stupid.' Seras thought. She could always phase through it, but a sudden stabbing, burning pain in her back halted all thought. Fuck that hurt.
"Demon blood has an interesting effect on vampires, no?" The vamiress cooed in a too-sweet voice. Seras paled with shock. Had she been injected with something? She suddenly felt woozy, making her relax almost to the point of collapse, forcing her throat onto the sword so it drawed blood. Alucard came before the two, gun ready, but something in the eyes of Seras's captor stopped him. She wanted a negotiation.
"What the devil is going on-" Ciel's voice suddenly bellowed from the entrance, where he appeared suddenly, but all sound, all thought, all facial expression halted abruptly once he seen the intruder. Everything else around them seemed to halt abruptly also as the demon appeared, with Sebastian following close behind. He too, regarded the intruder with surprise.
"L...Lizzy?"
The vampiress whipped her head to look at the demon, a storm of emotions clouding her eyes as soon as they set upon him. 'They know each other?'
"Ciel." The vampiress said softly before clearing her throat, shaking the cloudy emotions from her eyes. "It has been a long time, darling." 'Darling?'
"Lizzy...Elizabeth...You...You're..." Ciel seemed incapable of coherent speech as shock adorned his features as if stuck there.
"I know. I'm...different, now. Guess we both are, huh?" She said with a sad sort of smile, for the time ignoring Alucard. There were a few moments of silence before Alucard heard a gun cock from somewhere. The noise seemed to snap Ciel out of it as he shook his head.
"Don't fire!" He said, much to everyone's surprise. He held up his arms for emphasis. "Don't fire yet!"
"What the hell is going on, demon?!" Integra bellowed, coming to stand before all five of them.
"She...well, she was-"
"His Fiance." The vampiress filled in. Stunned looks, Alucard's included, gazed at her for a long moment before she continued. "He was supposed to be my husband..." The vampiress, Lizzy, said, eyes downcast. Alucard looked to Seras, finding her own eyes to be clouded. Something was wrong with her.
"Lizzy, that was-"
"When we were human, I know. But neither of us are anymore, are we?" Lizzy said sadly. She sighed. "I wish things were different. I really do. Why? How? You- you're a demon somehow, right?" Ciel's expression hardened.
"Yes. I am. And you are-"
"A vampire. Yes, I know. As for how I came to be this way- well, I was supposed to die, but then some woman came up to me and bit me. It was only a few years after you...well, after I thought you had died, too. But I guess we both got cheated out of that, didn't we?"
"Elizabeth..."
"No, it's fine now. I've been this way a while. I've come to terms with it. With us." She said, gaze forlorn.
"The question is, how did you know he was a demon?" Sebastian interjected, now eyeing her suspiciously. She looked at him then, a strange expression crossing her features.
"You...you were never human all along, were you, Sebastian?" The older demon closed his eyes, shaking his head slowly. "No. I have been a demon since birth, I'm afraid."
"I see..."
"Lizzy...How did you know-"
"I knew when I seen you passing in france once; that you couldn't be human anymore. I didn't want to scare you, so I left you alone, even though I thought you were what I was then. But after following you around for a day or two, a strange man in red came and told me you'd become a demon, though he wouldn't say how."
"A man in red?" Integra asked. Lizzy turned to regard her coldly, but curiously.
"Mhm. Had a chainsaw with him too, which was weird. Wouldn't tell me what he was either, but he didn't smell human. I think I met him a few times in my human life, since he looked familiar, but its hard to say anymore." Alucard looked up to find Ciel and Sebastian exchanging knowing glances.
"Do you know this man's name?" Integra asked. It was not Lizzy who answered this time, though, but Ciel.
"His name is Grell Sutcliff. He's an...old aquaintance, of ours." Ciel stated with a humorless smirk. Integra looked up at the two with surprise.
"Is he your ally?" Alucard inquired.
"No. Most certainly not, though he can be surprisingly useful sometimes." Sebastain said with clear distaste, gloved hand running over his chin.
"Grell..." Lizzy ran over the name in her mind before turning back to Integra. "Why do you want to know?"
"...Demitri said he was attacked by a man fitting that description."
"Demitri?" Lizzy quirked a brow before an almost annoyed expression crossed her face. "So this is where he's been hiding, huh? Didn't expect that one." She huffed.
"You know Demitri?" Ciel asked incredulously, an expression akin to dread pooling deep in his eye, though there was a film of what looked like foreknowledge floating in his monocular cerulian gaze.
"Sure I do, since he ran away from me. A right brat he is. Not cute at all." Lizzy pouted for a moment, and Ciel was left to recall a foggy memory from his human times of her and him twirling about in some forgotten ballroom, her green eyes shining. Of course, her eyes were no longer green now, but a deep maroon color that betrayed her inhumanity.
"Lizzy...No, Elizabeth." Ciel addressed her with a grave tone now, making her look up to him with a wary expression. "Tell me- who's side are you on here?" The question seemed to shock Sebastian, who looked at his master as if he'd gone mad, more than it did Elizabeth, and after a moment the vampiress closed her pretty red eyes, still so doll-like, sighing.
"I figured you would say something like that," She replied, opening her eyes once more to regard Ciel with a soft, almost pained expression. "And I have no easy answers for you. I...there's no easy way to say this, but I have ties on both sides. On one hand, I have you- oh, my dear Ciel...If I had known we would have met again like this I would have come dressed better." She joked lightly. "You are still a very important person to me, you know? I never forgot about my promise to make you happy...but I guess I sort of failed to deliver on that promise, didn't I? And now you are beyond my reach...It's really kind of tragic, the way we turned out." Ciel listened with an unreadable expression, but watching on, Alucard got a sense that he felt conflicted. He kept his gun pointed stoutly at Elizabeth, but made a mental note to his arm that it may need to change targets if this got out of hand.
"Elizabeth, I...I can't pretend to really understand the way you feel right now; my heart hasn't known those feelings for a very long time now. But I can understand that...for reasons I can't really explain, I don't want you to die here." All eyes looked to Ciel once more, except for the half-conscious Seras, and Alucard felt his body tense as if to react. The situation was becoming more and more unpredictable by the moment; normally, this should have excited him, but with his fledgling lying limp against the vampiress before him, he admittedly found it hard to find it all that thrilling. What he found even less thrilling was that he really wasn't sure why.
"Ciel-"
"However," The demon interjeted, coming down the stairs with his head held high, Sebastian following him without command. "If it comes to that, then you know- we both know, that I will not hesitate. Nor should you expect any one of these men, who's home you have intruded upon and who's figurative brethren you have killed, to hesitate. I can not stop them, and I will not." Elizabeth's eyes widened with surprise briefly before she smirked. "I sort of figured you would say that, too. Always such a cold person; forgive me if it sounds rude, but demon-hood really rather suits you." Her smirk widened inhumanly, and all thoughts of that fragile, innocent girl he knew as a mortal flew out the window for the first time in this conversation, and he regarded her for the first time as what she really was now- a vampire.
"I can't say the same, sadly." Ciel commented. "Regardless, I think it would be in your best interests to tell us why exactly you are here, and why you've sought it fit to presumably poison and hold hostage to poor Miss Victoria." Ciel let on a smirk of his own that swam with mischeif, encouraging Alucard to sport one of a similar sort as he reared his voice from the shrill sound of silence surrounding them like death itself, making the heartbeats of all humans present collide wiith each other to the vampire's ears like a low, yet furious static.
"Yes, indeed, why hold my Childe hostage?" Alucard inquired sardonically. Elizabeth merely turned to him with a smile that had the older vampire losing his.
"That should be obvious enough, Alucard. We both know what can happen to a vampire that watches their Childe die. You may not follow all the same rules as the rest of our kind, but even you would be swayed by the death of that which you so rarely hold precious to you- and she must mean quite a lot, if her smell is any indication." Elizabeth mocked, and Ciel once more found himself pushing the thoughts, however vague, of the woman he once knew from his mind. This was no longer the Elizabeth he had known so long ago. She had been corrupted now, tainted by the night. No, she was not Lizzy anymore. She hadn't been since she was turned, most likely. And yet for reasons unknown, his mind just didn't want to let go of those images of them, twirling and spinning in the ballroom...It was as if there was something missing from those memories, something he'd forgotten in them. Something he almost- dare he think it- longed for. Longed to remember.
"So you are with the enemy- well, that makes figuring out what to do with you fairly easy." Alucard sneered. " However, I don't believe you answered your past-life sweetheart's questions. What do you want now?" Alucard said, a childish sort of annoyance gracing his tone.
"What do I want? What a presumptuous thing to say. I want nothing but for this whole mess to be absolved, but you and your masters are intent on getting in the way of that, and now you've gone and gotten Ciel and Sebastian involved as well, which adds a whole other level of complicated to this whole situation!" Elizabeth ranted dramatically. Alucard quirked an impatient brow.
"And what mess might this be?"
"I'm at no liberty to tell you that, even if you are a king."
"And whyever not? You know what will happen to you if you don't." As if to accentuate his response, he cocked the Jackal, perfecting his aim. "Dodge a bullet you may, but not with dead weight attatched to you."
"And how do you know I wouldn't use her as a shield?" Elizabeth countered.
"I don't." Alucard replied with a shrug, earning a shocked expression from the vampiress.
"You can't expect me to believe you would willingly sacrifice your own Childe just to kill me?" Alucard's grin widened.
"How might you suppose she came to be as she is in the first place?"
Elizabeth's shocked expression grew as Sebastian suddenly appeared behind her, effectively trapping her between the two people she was expressly told to avoid confronting. Shit. "You also seemed to have forgotten, Miss Elizabeth, that he is not the only one trying to kill you here. I can't say I would enjoy the act as much as usual, but I don't need an order from my Master to do as I know he would bid me otherwise." Sebastian said, and she could feel his hand just barely caress the back of her neck, the tender touch threatening. "I do not feel intimidated by the bullet in that chamber, either, so it does not especially phase me to know he would shoot through all three of us. Thus, I shall not move, even if he does fire." Elizabeth felt a chill of genuine fear creep down her spine as she thought of how to best to escape this situation. But, as usual, Sebastian beat her at her own thoughts, despite not being the one able to read minds. "Your only option here is to talk yourself out- and hope that whatever you say does not spell your demise." She knew somehow the demon was smiling behind her, and spared a wary glance at Ciel, who returned her gaze impassively. But this sort of aloofness was different from before. His expression didn't have the human emotion in it anymore, so it looked almost...predatory.
"Well...Chances are likely I am going to die either way, right?" She tore her gaze from Ciel in favor of looking down at the now unconscious Seras in her arms. "I wonder..." She muttered quietly, feeling a horrible pang of both anxiety and heartache simultaneously as she thought of her own Fledgling. She looked back up at Alucard then, looking him dead in the eye. He was surprised by the boldness of the gesture, but didn't let it show outwardly.
"Alucard...I'll make a deal with you." This time he was less inclined to hide his surprise, noticing the way Sebastian's gaze became something unreadable but decidedly intrigued. "If I tell you who's doing this and why...If you wind up killing me as I suspect you might, then you have to promise me something." Alucard's gaze became skeptical and somewhat angry at the same time.
"And why should I do that?"
"Common interest...sort of." She once more looked down at Seras, and her expression softened. "I have a Fledgling of my own, see. If I am gone, she will have no one. She's young- too young to understand any of this, and innocent besides. She has no relation to any of this, excepting the few times I have had to introduce her to the demons...but I only did that to scare her away from interacting with them." Elizabeth's eyes became almost pleading as the once more returned to the vampire before her. "You...You're still technically a king, aren't you? Is there anything you could do for her- when I die?" Integra, silently watching until now, felt something in her heart contract for the vampiress. She sounded so certain of her imminent death...she was probably right, but it wasn't often she seen such resignation from vampires held at the point of one of Alucard's guns. Then again, who was to say Alucard was the only one waiting to kill her? After all, Sebastian was right there, and even if they let her go, she'd likely be killed as a traitor to whoever she worked for, if she were to guess.
"A Fledgling with no Master has little hope of survival in this day and age. I survived Masterless because of the time I grew up in. Information about Nosferatu was much more available back when our kind didn't have to hide as much." Alucard stated. "However, being that she is a very young vampire, there's little hope she would make it on her own, especially if she is still having issues taking blood." Elizabeth nodded as if to confirm his unasked question. "Frankly, she would be better off being euthanized alongside her traitorous Master." Elizabeth's eyes alighted with a brief flash of panic as he said this.
"However...There is one vampiress I know of who could potentially use the company. However, you should know that severing the Master-servant bond this way has repurcussions that go both ways. She will grieve and suffer your loss for a long time, and may refuse a bond with her surrogate. Still...in exchange for information, I suppose I can take that option into consideration. However, I will make no promises, besides which, what makes up my mind here is the quality of information you delegate. So start talking. Unless you'd rather unhand my own Fledgling first so that I can figure out what you've done to her?" Elizabeth smiled softly.
"Not a chance."
"I didn't think so."
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WHOOO! Looooooooong chapter much? Sorry about that! I've been working on it for a few days...in case you can't tell. Okay, so ASTERISKS!
*Psychopaths being able to put others needs before their own: Okay, this is a subject that is very very very very very debatable, and something that is extremely uncommon for them to do from what I understand of it. Psycopathy (loosely explained as the condition of someone born with an inability to feel empathy or remorse) intrigues me, but I am not a psychologist nor do I pretend to know what goes through the minds of people like that, (As if I could know) however, Alistar apparently does. (But then, demons have kind of a psychopathic mindset by design, for this fic' s purposes.) Bear in mind also that I do not necessarily reflect my OC; I got the inspiration for the ingredients of a soul from an outside source,and thereby stake no claim to any offence it may have caused. (I will apologise for it though) If I sounded presumptuous, I apologise; but realise that these are all things being claimed by a character that again does not necessarily reflect my own beliefs or opinions, even if they are a product of my imagination.
**Arum berries/clawing out their own throats: The kind of Arum being discussed here is a nasty little plant commonly known as "Lords and Ladies"; it's leaves, root, and fruit contain a caustic chemical called calcium oxalate that causes blisters and severe chemical burns upon contact with skin. However, the fruit looks kind of like a rasberry to the unawares person (don't know how you could be unaware, since it looks nothing like a rasberry bush in the slightest) and there's an old german tale about two children who mistakenly ate the fruit once and died trying to claw their own throats and tongues out because even one tiny drop of the juice causes an immediate, extreme burning sensation. The progression of the poisioning once ingested then goes to violent vomitting, diharrea and eventually convulsions, leading ultimately to a swift death. This stuff kills you in minutes, sometimes hours, depending on how much you ate and what part, but the point is DON'T EAT SHINY RED BERRIES YOU FIND IN THE WOOD! Trust me, these ones will ruin your day. :3
***Twin Swords: Yay, more manga stuff. Ok, so it turns out Lizzy is a BADASS swordsman. Oh, and her family is descended of knights, and its possible her father or even her mother and father are both knighted (just like Integra is) She can beat Ciel at fencing and is actually pretty good at chess as well. She is seen, for those interested, performing this badassery swordsmanship in the Campania arc, (the same one in which we discover Undertaker is a mad scientist-necromancer of sorts and is also a badass fighter- guess it was just an arc of badassery all the way around! :3) Which immediately follows the Book of Murder arc. (Hopefully that means it will be the next one anime-fied).
Alright, I'm out for the night! Remember to REVIEW for the next chapter! (Sorry for the info bomb as well! ) And Aufweidersehen!