AD 2204, 6/5, 6th Hierarchical City of Yabiko – NOL Branch
Carl quietly hums Mozart's 'Der Hölle Rache' as he removes the final bandage from his leg. His repairs have largely been successful, and his legs have mostly healed. There's still a dull ache beneath the skin, but thankfully no scarring.
He narrows his eye at the far wall. The witch, Rachel Alucard, is going to grace him with her 'majestic' presence today. He assumes that her interest lies with him alone and that he must leave his sister Ada behind once more. He's not keen on it.
"…" Ada's chastising remark cuts through his dark mood. He obediently stops humming.
He glances at her cracked silver face, softly frowning. "Sorry, Sis. Guess I'm still on edge." He rolls down his pantlegs and tucks them into his military boots as he takes to his feet. "Shall we be on our way? I doubt that witch will be very patient with us."
"…" Ada's cracked silver face tilts haughtily as she begins to lumber out of the room.
Carl pouts at her. "Aw, come on now, Sis. That was uncalled for."
Ada's silence only deepens his frown as he follows her out of the room, grabbing his hat and cloak from the stand. Ada is tired of his 'childish' grudge against the vampire, it seems.
As the siblings descend once more toward the basement, Carl's thoughts turn to strategies. Alucard has two shapeshifting familiars, several lightning spells, and can seemingly control the wind. Her abilities give her tremendous control over the battlefield, especially on her home turf. The mostly flat fields of roses will give him no viable cover from her elemental onslaughts. He begins to hum the vengeful aria once more as they enter the darker sections of the lower branch.
"My, oh my. That's rather presumptuous of you." Alucard smirks at him with her pale lips and scarlet eyes from the bottom of the stairs.
Carl huffs, narrowing his eye at her. "Pardon me, but you did imply you wanted a fight."
Alucard quirks a thin pale-blonde brow, unimpressed. "I did nothing of the sort. I merely said that I wished to test your resolve. That you assumed it meant a fight speaks far more of you than it does of me, and all of it ill, I'd say."
"Yeah! You shouldn't make assumptions about the Princess!" A plump, pink, batlike creature crows snidely, hovering by Alucard's side. Carl looks at it like one looks at a particularly stubborn hangnail.
"Oh, dear me, what is that look? Don't tell me you think you can fight her as you are now." The massive black cat next to her croons.
Alucard looks as annoyed as Carl feels, and she promptly smacks them both. Hard. "Enough. As I was saying, I'm here to test your resolve. Now hurry up, ere the tea grows cold." Alucard stares at him like one does a yowling cat stuck in a tree, and Carl descends with another haughty huff.
Once they reach the bottom, Ada lumbers to the side, staring at the vampire. Rachel regards her for but a moment before turning back to Carl, who holds out a gloved hand reluctantly. She takes it daintily, and the two soon disappear in a flash of darkness and rose petals.
Ada slumps once they leave, seeming almost… sad.
AD 2204, 6/5, Castle of Alucard
Valkenhayn smiles pleasantly as the sound of rushing wind breaks the silence. He turns to see Madam Rachel's fingers entwined with Clover's, and his smile dims somewhat. He hadn't expected her to be so… forward.
"Milady, the tea is ready, and your scones are freshly baked." He deeply bows at the waist, and his smile widens when Madam Rachel pulls her hand away, smiling at him.
"Thank you, Valkenhayn. Please, enlighten our guest as to the nature of the refreshments." Valkenhayn pulls her seat out, and Rachel sits down elegantly. Clover seats himself, looking warily at the teapot and plate of scones sitting atop the rose-embraided doilies.
Valkenhayn's polite smile is a perfect mask as he addresses the younger man. "Today's tea hails from Shanghai, and as you can see, the scones have been decorated and flavored with freshly picked strawberries."
Carl's eye narrows instantly. He knows exactly where these berries are from if the rumors are credible anyway. Is this part of the test? Should he confront Alucard for her brazenness?
The vampiric princess closes her eyes as she sips her tea, enjoying the metaphorical grind of gears in her guest's head. It's a good sign, that he would even bother to consider the source of her treats. It means he still cares enough to have regrets.
Carl decides not to confront Alucard just yet, and to see where this goes. He elegantly takes a sip of his tea, humming lowly in satisfaction as the flavor fills his palette. Hellsing smiles, delight plain to see for those who know how to look.
Rachel sets down her tea, then brings a scone to her lips. She too hums satisfactorily. "My, but these scones are exquisite. You've truly outdone yourself, Valkenhayn." She cranes her slender neck to smile at her servant.
He hums victoriously. "Ah, you are too kind, Madam Rachel. I feel that it is the berries themselves that lend the most to the meal. I should thank those girls post-haste for having such keen eyes."
Rachel's smile grows. "See that you do. I think I'd like some time alone with our guest."
Valkenhayn's smile hardens somewhat, but he bows graciously nonetheless. "As you wish, Madam Rachel." He disappears in a shadowy flash, and Carl narrows his eye once more. Her familiars also take the moment to obediently wander away past a nearby hill, disappearing into the roses.
"Won't you try a scone?" Alucard smiles magnanimously at him.
Carl does his best not to scowl at her clearly mocking politeness, and reaches for one of the treats, bringing it to his petal pink lips. He bites down smoothly, and his eye widens with surprise and delight. This scone is delicious, almost as good as his sister's baking from back then.
Rachel raises a brow in amusement as she takes another bite of her own treat. It appears he didn't notice his own lyrical groans of pleasure. He can be so oblivious at times. It really is quite cute.
Carl chews slowly, savoring his morsel. But the pleasure carries an undercurrent of growing guilt. He knows whose hands picked these berries, and his tongue sours at the memories that rush forth to remind him why he's been in seclusion for so long. What he'd done that day…
Rachel decides to cut in when she notices the nostalgic smile become a sorrowful frown. The young man in front of her is so full of emotion, but clearly has no clue how to make use of it. It's almost pitiable really.
"I do think you've done enough wallowing for one lifetime, don't you?" She smirks at the dark scowl he sends her way.
"Now who's being presumptuous? You have no idea what I'm thinking, so stop acting like you do." His scowl deepens at her amused huff.
"Please, if you were any more obvious, you might as well have a control stick replete with buttons. If you don't wish me to predict you so easily, perhaps you should work on understanding yourself." Rachel calmly takes another sip of her tea.
Carl sniffs haughtily, his eye gleaming with irritation. "Again, with these riddles? Can't we speak plainly? What is it you want from me, exactly?"
Rachel quirks a brow. "Who said I want anything from you? Indeed, you're of very little use as you are now. Perhaps with some training, several years, in fact, you'd make a passable valet."
Carl stares at her incredulously. Just who does she think she is? "I don't think I appreciate you talking to me like that. What kind of test is this anyway?"
Rachel looks at him like a Victorian headmistress looks at a complete dunce. "If you cannot figure that out for yourself, then it is one you are failing rather miserably." She finishes her scone with relish, enjoying the warmth of his growing ire. He's very easy to play around with, and despite herself, she's rather enjoying it.
Carl finishes his own scone to cover his angry huff and regain his composure. He's letting her into his head, and that would end rather poorly. Rachel watches him chew with a smile behind her tea cup. His face is still flushing, contrasting the white collar of his shirt rather fetchingly.
Once his scone is gone, Carl sips his tea, determined to win whatever contest this is. He'll just have to keep control of his emotions and figure out what Alucard wants for himself.
Alas, Rachel has no intention of allowing him such an advantageous reprieve in this dance. "You should savor such fine treats, you know. Noel does work ever so hard to pick them at the right time."
The mention of her name causes Carl to jolt, nearly spilling his drink. What a dirty trick, he muses as he glares murderously at the woman across the table.
She merely smirks in response. "Oh? Does her name cause you distress? I suppose that's well enough, considering—"
Carl sets his teacup down harshly, leaving a faint scratch on the saucer below. Rachel frowns at the damage to such fine dining materials, huffing theatrically. "Now, now. That was certainly uncalled for. I do believe you owe me an apology."
Carl glowers, his silver half-mask emitting a faint, but eerie azure hue. "I owe you an apology? Don't be absurd. You witch, who do you think you are? You can't just—!"
Rachel's eyes narrow dangerously. "I don't appreciate your impertinence. I suggest you learn your place, post-haste. Apologize, and I might let you off lightly."
Carl almost gapes at her audacity. This is beyond the pale. He rises from his seat. Alucard needs to learn a lesson in manners. "I refuse. We both know where this is going, so why don't we just cut to the chase and end this farce?"
Rachel scowls, her scarlet eyes darkening. It had been going rather well until she brought up the victim of his sin. Anger is still his crutch, it would seem. How utterly juvenile.
She too rises, her hair and the black bow in it seeming to flair along with her dark dress. She summons Nago and Gii back to her side. "Very well. If you choose to play the child, I shall happily supply you with the rod."
Carl huffs snidely, readying his puppets for the hellish encounter coming his way. "I don't think so. I'm going to teach you how to behave."
Rachel chuckles, contempt lacing viciously into her tone. "You? Teach me to behave? How utterly ludicrous. But enough talk, have at you."
Rachel rushes forth in a burst of wind, sending Carl stumbling back. He barely raises Rook in time to block a blow from Nago, now transforming into a pair of large scissors to stab at his flank. He sends out a jab from Bishop, but Gii intercepts, easily absorbing the blow with a yowl.
Carl scowls as Rachel easily jumps over his defensive wall, aiming another stab at his head. He intercepts with Pawn, but the scissor blades deeply gouge the puppet's hand as it attempts to catch them. Carl's eye widens. She really is serious then. His eye narrows with dark determination. Looks like he won't be holding back either.
He sends out a vicious stab with Knight's lance, freeing the puppet so he can mount it. He needs the mobility if he's going to win this fight. Nago blocks the blow, hissing in pain.
Rachel scoffs. "Exactly how well has playing with your little horsy gone for you as of late?"
Carl glowers even darker and rides away, breaking off their engagement to attack from a new vector. Rachel chuckles sinisterly and commands the wind to rip and tear at the young man, who has foolishly exposed himself to such an assault from his new perch.
Carl grits his teeth as he grabs his hat to anchor it to his blonde locks. The lower bow in his hair comes free under the onslaught of wind, and his hair flares out, some of it blowing into his face. "Wonderful."
He charges in, aiming Knight's lance low as Bishop prepares to swing high. His gambit pays off, and he nails Nago squarely in the eye with the flagpole's tip, causing him to scream. The sound is almost like music to his ears.
Rachel frowns darkly at the faintly sadistic smirk adorning Carl's face. It doesn't suit him well at all, she decides as she sends a frog flying toward his face. "George, the Thirteenth."
Carl blinks, then wills Knight to jump away, but it's too late. George lands on Knight's helmet and electrocutes it mercilessly, the shocks traveling into Carl's own body, causing him to hiss lowly and grit his teeth. Damn this witch.
Rachel follows up by transfiguring Nago into a closed umbrella, catching Carl squarely in the stomach. He falls from his panicking mount with a pained grunt, slamming hard onto the ground and rolling through sharp thorns, which snag, and tear at his clothes.
He comes to a stop some meters away, and Knight falls limp onto the ground, its mystical strings severed for the time being. Rachel uses her wind to rush forward slightly, throwing down a pole just in front of Carl.
She follows up by landing gracefully and transfiguring Nago into a cannon, launching a hardened and comically large hairball at Carl, who blindly rolls out of the way. As soon as his back touches the pole, Rachel springs her trap. "Sword Iris."
Carl screams as electricity flows through his body unobstructed. His hair frizzes, and his higher bow snaps under the pressure and current, fully freeing his hair to drape over his shoulder blades. He grits his teeth and manifests a lone gear, flinging it desperately at the vampire.
Rachel dodges easily with an amused chuckle. She fails to notice it strike Knight, who springs to its hooves and gallops towards her, striking her fully in the back with its lance before falling limp once more.
The electricity stops, and Carl concentrates, summoning his gears to grind the vampire to dust. "Laetabilis Cantata!"
Rachel's familiars try to intercept the gears as best they can, but the mechanical manifestations still take their toll, scratching her delicate skin and leaving tears in her fine dress.
Carl smirks as she hisses in pain. He rises to his feet quickly, twirling around her to land a sharp swing to the side of her head with Bishop. It lands true as the gears begin to dissipate, sending Rachel flying away several meters.
Using her wind, she slows and lands elegantly, glaring murderously at the brat before her. It seems she should stop playing around. "Tempest Dahlia."
Carl's eye widens and he summons Rook to defend as giant pumpkins appear from nowhere to slam into his defenses, along with the strongest gusts of wind yet. They tear at his hat, which he barely holds onto, and his hair whips painfully and distractingly into his still tender face, irritating him severely.
Rachel uses the opportunity to twirl to his flank, throwing a giant frog as the last blow of her barrage. It bowls over Carl, who yelps in confusion and pain as his hat finally flies free, taking Pawn with it.
Down half his arsenal and in pain, Carl begins to feel panic claw at him. He has no idea what the witch will do with him should he lose here, but he's not willing to find out. As she comes forward to finish him off, he throws Bishop out, unarmed. The puppet slams into Gii, and locks itself around him firmly before falling into inactivity, taking him out of the equation.
"Waa! Princess!" Gii squirms to no avail, and Carl uses the opening to launch Rook from above.
Nago opens into a full umbrella to protect his mistress, but Rook angles itself in such a way as to tear him from her grasp and flatten him. Rachel scowls and turns to face Carl, who has taken the opportunity to twirl around her flank and swing brutishly at her with a flagpole.
She dashes back with her wind and sends him stumbling forward. She then spreads her arms as he comes within her reach. "Baden-Baden Lily."
Rosey lightning comes crashing down once more, with more intensity than ever. Carl cries out in agony as it flows through him, the flagpole now a lightning rod directing it into his battered body with a vengeance.
Rachel stares on coldly as he spasms. His tenacity is commendable, she supposes. But his attitude is positively atrocious. She wrinkles her nose as he finally falls, his hair flowing out beneath his now unconscious head like an ironic halo, the flagpole rolling away from his limp hold and disappearing into the roses. She lands deftly next to him, then kneels to brush the hair from his face, at which point she notices his monocle is missing. His mask is also loosely hanging onto his flesh, exposing a crack of azure light.
An errant thought comes to her mind, but she dismisses it out of hand. Now is not the time for such mischief. Instead, she raises her head to see Valkenhayn watching on with a look of frustration.
"Valkenhayn, it seems our guest is not quite ready for us. Would you kindly gather his things and take him back to the parlor? I'm afraid I'll need a bath and a fresh dress." Rachel tucks an errant strand of hair behind her ear, smiling softly as her servant bows.
"At once, Madam Rachel. I shall also watch over him, to make sure he doesn't cause any further trouble to you." Valkenhayn swiftly stuffs Carl's puppets back into that cloak of his, and carries the young man into the castle, trailing respectfully behind his mistress.
AD 2204, 6/6, Castle of Alucard
Carl groans as he comes to, his body aching with the aftermath of his earlier suffering. He feels… strangely refreshed. And his clothes don't feel torn at all. He blinks open his eye to a blurry world. His monocle is gone. His eye widens, and he sits up, almost crying out at the sharp shock of agony that shoots down his spine.
He hears a disgruntled hum and looks to see Hellsing snapping shut a book and resting it on the table next to his plush crimson armchair. The mate of the settee that Carl was laying on, no doubt.
The much older man stares at him coolly with those admiral blue eyes. "Are you quite done getting yourself into trouble? Milady is quite unamused."
Carl grits his teeth and shudders with more aftershocks of pain as he looks around for his things, spotting them on the coat rack near the door to what looks like a large gothic parlor. The door opens to reveal a battered Nago, who huffs nastily at him. Gii follows him and sneers at Carl. Neither one speaks, and Carl huffs through clenched teeth at the blatant attempt at shaming.
The lady of the castle enters, looking resplendent as if nothing he did matters to her. Carl narrows his eye, and she rolls hers.
"Oh, that's quite enough. I would think that painful lesson would put you in check quite firmly. Unless you enjoy a good thrashing." She smirks arrogantly, and Carl flushes with emotion.
"Hmph…" He grumbles, feeling anger fight with his better judgement.
Alucard continues to smirk as she comes to a stop less than a meter away, raising her brows in open amusement, belying her servant's earlier claim. "I do believe this is the part when you open your ears and allow me to correct your brutish ways."
Carl glowers silently. Valkenhayn huffs at the naked display of defiance from the thoroughly defeated young man. How childish…
"Now, what I was getting at earlier was that you should embrace your guilt." Rachel's smirk widens with Carl's eye.
"Embrace my guilt? What exactly will that achieve?" He looks at her skeptically, and Alucard chuckles.
"Self-reflection, if you are capable of such advanced thoughts. Now, I do believe you've worn out your welcome quite well. Valkenhayn will return you to your usual nanny. Remember what I've said, and perhaps you may live up to your potential, despite yourself." She pivots and exits with an elegant stride, throwing over her shoulder. "And do let me know if you'd like another thrashing. I quite enjoyed putting you in check."
Carl gasps in offense, feeling his cheeks flare with heat once more. Why that witch… He'd get her back for this…
Hellsing clears his throat, walking towards the door himself, and Carl gingerly takes to his feet again with a hiss of pain. He follows and grabs his things, donning them swiftly as he walks towards the main hall with the werewolf.
Once they come outside the castle, Hellsing seizes his shoulder, and he feels that uncomfortable warping again, then disappears with him.
Rachel watches from an upper window with an exasperated smile. Honestly, she is quite overfond of difficult blondes.