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Fandom Castlevania: Night's Dirge [Closed]

Syphas eagerness was nice, this whole thing was just nice for Aveline. It was a warm moment, like the calm before a possible storm. How often would they get moments like this while they were on this mission? Probably not too often, towns would just get fewer and farther between from this point onward as they went deeper into the country side to get to the distant Belmont hold. This warm Inn with these perfect memories would get left behind and replaced by cold nights around a fire trying to stay warm, but Aveline had a feeling that even those moments would be precious like these.

She tossed down another two cards before taking Johanns cup, not need to hold up the game and this time she was actually telling the truth so if someone did call her out then it would be wonderful to watch them have to eat their words.

" A cross and a club, both very close to the rim," She hummed, they were the first thing that really stood out to her, " A cross means trials and suffering and a club means an attack. Both will be coming soon. There's also a snake and waves." she looked a bit more intensely this time, Syphas fortune had been easy to see and read. They all knew of prophesy and Syphas role in it was just proven by her leaves, but Johann wasn't part of the prophesy. Was all these signs of bad things to come because he was traveling with them and that put him in danger, or were these things that he would have to face as his own separate trials?

" A snake means a hidden enemy, but waves means unity during troubled times. Something is coming Johann," she said as she frowned into his cup, " A hidden enemy will put you or the people around you through trials and attacks. But unity will be your friend and help you through it," Finally looking up from the leaves Aveline pushed the cup away from her, which Sypha curiously grabbed up to look into herself. Surely enough the shapes were in there, but to her untrained eye she never would of imagined that just a few shapes in leaves would give them such a fortune.

Sypha handed Johann back his cup, and he looked into it like it was cursed then put it back on the table away from him just a bit.

" I'm sorry there was nothing about romance in your future," Aveline said, breaking the tension.

" I wasn't worried about that!" he insisted.

" At least she didn't see a bear, that's a bright side," Sypha added as she tossed four cards down on the table in a power move. " Liar, no way you have all 4." Johann called out, but Sypha just smiled innocently as she revealed all four 8s. Johann grumbled and took the pile of cards into his hand, he didn't think this night could get much worse for him.
 
A hidden enemy? Well, that was a bit less vague, even if it gave them no names or identifying features. A snake usually meant a liar, though – someone pretending to be something they weren’t, so Lucia doubted this was to be an ambush. Would it be someone in the party? ‘Can’t be Carmilla, that’s not very hidden.’ She told herself that she wouldn’t take these things too seriously…but there she was, already trying to figure out how to make sure Johann didn’t get murdered.

“To be fair…snake does have other references,” Alucard added to further lighten the mood, and annoy Johann more, after he picked up all his new cards. “Though I’ll trust Aveline’s on this one.”

“Thank you.” Johann all but hissed the words as Lucia added another card to the deck, just as flippantly as before. He wasn’t calling that. Not after just gaining a hand. It wasn’t even worth it, even if he thought it might be a lie. Lucia had barely glanced at her hand.

“And what are you hoping to see, hm?” Sypha teased Alucard, since he was likely the next one, even if his cup was still half-full.

Alucard eyed her a moment, “No troubles?” that was too much to hope for, of course, they were all going to be seeing troubles. “Peace and prosperity? The usual things, I suppose.”

Sypha huffed, “That’s boring!” No romance? No adventure? Where was the fun in ‘peace and prosperity’ for a fortune!

“That’s literally the best fortune possible,” Johann pointed out, though didn’t add the thought that ‘especially right now’. They could all use some peace and prosperity, or at least a hint that it was soon to come after Dracula was dealt with. He at least seemed to get some idea that Sypha might be getting out of this okay.

Himself?

He didn’t really want to look back in his cup and wonder.

Alucard added two cards. His hand was getting quite small, but he didn’t want to make it obvious that he didn’t have any of the cards for this suit, as he thought just putting in one would indicate.
 
" After that late fortune I would really like to see something happy like that," Aveline said. " Happy and peaceful doesn't mean boring, Sypha." She took a moment to look at Alucard, her eyes narrowing a bit as she tired to figure out if he was lying. She had 2 cards from the suit he had just tossed down, and the chances that he also had 2 were slim. But then again she had gotten 2 of them right off the bat, and his face was pretty impassive. Though that was just his face most of the time.

" See something you like?" Sypha asked her with a teasing chuckle, and the heat rushing to her face snapped Aveline out of her thoughts for a moment.

" I was trying to find his tells, you said everyone has one," She quickly tried to defend " But his face is stone cold, I can't get a read on it" that got a pout out of her.

" Oh, of course that was what you were doing." But Sypha didn't look like she believed it.

" You're very romance minded tonight, Sypha. First Johann and now innocent little old me." Aveline said as she laid down the only card she had that matched her own suit.

" She also mentioned wanting to meet someone," Johann pointed out, eager to get some revenge for himself. " I think she's projecting her own desires onto us."

" I said I wouldn't mind meeting someone, not that I wanted to. I just wouldn't be opposed." Now Sypha was defending herself. " We are going on something of an adventure that is taking us to new places, it is like something from a story or legend. Plus we aren't you're average group." Sypha didn't point out Alucard and Lucia but it wasn't needed. Plus none of them had forgotten the nightmares in the stable, or the hunter from a legendary hunter family who was baking away for them in the kitchen. " Normally those stories involve romance."

" So you are a fan of love stories?" Aveline asked curiously, she could see Sypha looking through her hand for her own cards, taking a suspicious amount of time in her opinion.

" I have heard enough of them that I enjoy them. Do you not like love stories?" and Aveline shrugged her shoulders a bit. She didn't know that many love stories.

" The only love story my father ever told me was of how he and my mother met," Sypha made a cooing sound at how cute that was, " but he stopped telling that story after they had something of a falling out. Most of his stories were about the missions and adventures he went on with his mercenary friends. There was a lot of fighting, and killing. Sometimes a one night stand, but no true love or anything like that."

" And you were told these as a child?" Sypha looked a bit shocked, even as a speaker she hadn't been told stories like that as a child. It was only after she proved herself mature that speakers started to give her more reality based or darker stories with more mature themes.

" They were no worse than some of the fairytales I've been told since traveling. Have you heard the story of little Briar Rose? Some places talk about a sleeping princess woken up by a kiss , then married to her prince, only to have her orge mother in law try to eat her and her children, and in others she is not woken by a kiss but raped by a passing kind and woken up by her children after giving birth in her sleep." Aveline scoffed slightly, she had been shocked by the story the first time she had heard it. To her the story was about a woman being a pawn to men, something beautiful to look at and use.

" I much prefer my fathers stories," She added with a nod of her head.

" Fairytales like that are always told by men wishing to bend women to their desires," Sypha added as she tossed a single card down onto the pile. " Be beautiful and quiet then bare me children. I would love for a men to try telling me that," and fire looked to dance on her finger tips for a second.

Johann shared a glance with Alucard then gulped slightly. He was suddenly reminded that sitting at this table were three very deadly and educated women. While he and Alucard had nothing to fear, they were still kind of scary at the moment.
 
Lucia was almost amused with what Sypha considered Aveline shouldn’t have known so young. Given child marriage was not uncommon in Rome, children – daughters – knew early of these things, and that it did not matter if they protested. Lucia knew she would have been married by 13 or 14 if she had not escaped into a life of devotion instead. Her father had planned to use her to forge his alliances.

Times had changed, in some ways, for the better. Things like what occurred in Rome still happened, there was still nobility trying to preserve their lines and make alliances – but it did not seem so common, where stories of romance did become so much more popular.

Alucard was the one to note, “I would only hope I got to see what you did to such a man,” after catching Johann’s gaze. Perhaps it was nerve-wracking to Johann, but Alucard had Lisa for a mother. This was…quite normal, actually, to be amidst women who knew their worth. “But not all fairytales seemed so bad, at least, not the ones I heard. There was one, the Twelve Huntsman, that she seemed to find particularly amusing.”

He could still remember his mother laughing about the spinning wheels being a distraction, long and hard. Dracula had seemed equally amused, wondering at how people thought of women, “What is that story?” Sypha asked.

“An engaged couple has to split due to a deathbed promise. The princess dresses up as a huntsmen with eleven other women, so that she can stay near her beloved, and in the end the dunce of a prince realizes who she is.”

“You forgot the best part,” Alucard noted, “the lion that knows everything and keeps trying to tell the prince who they are, so he tells the prince to do asinine things like throw peas on the floor, because a woman’s steps would never be heavy enough to crush a pea, or to set up spinning wheels in the throne room because the women would rush to them.” Alucard noted, as Sypha seemed torn between scowling and amusement.

“How did he figure it out, then?”

“His new fiancée showed up, and his beloved fainted.” Johann concluded, finally adding his own three cards to the pile, one off from the truth.

He grew up with all of these stories. It was woven into his culture. Briar Rose, the Twelve Huntsmen, Rose Red and Snow White – he was familiar with so many. They were also serving as a distraction from the game, but he didn’t mind so much. “Did you not hear many of these stories, Sypha?” That seemed strange.

“I have heard some, but they are mostly Germanic – I have not been far down that way,” she confessed, “I have other folktales that I know. Also, you’re a liar, Johann.”

“Huh? Oh…oh come on!” He’d just gotten the pile the last time! Still, he took what was there once more into his own hand. “Still…what’s your favorite folktale then? Or fairy tale? There must be some you like. They didn’t all seem so bad to me. Like the one about the Sausage, the Mouse, and the Bird all living together!”

“That one is just…weird.” Lucia finally contributed, shaking her head a bit as she took her turn after Sypha to add a card. Johann had told it to her, and she couldn’t help but wonder if the people who wrote it were on some sort of hallucinogenic drug.

“I don’t think I’ve heard that one before,” Alucard mused, glancing to Aveline to see if she had heard of it before. At least the topic had easily segued away from the love story of her parents, and for now, he was still slowly sipping what remained of his tea. A distraction of favorite tales did not seem so bad with the game.
 
" Oh I've heard that one," Aveline chirped happily, " My travels took me to the Germanic region for a while and I heard a few stories while I was there," she had been eager to put distance between herself and her mother when she had left, even when though the Germanic region was something that reminded her of her mother to a certain degree she had been hopeful that maybe other Haltija were different or better than her mother.

The other clans she had found were pretty much the same, some wanting nothing to do with her because of her halfling heritage but others who welcomed her easily enough. It had left her just as conflicted as when she had first arrived, but she was also certain her mothers bias was deeply rooted in her and was something she would not just easily discard as long as others also held that bias.

" A bird, a mouse, and a sausage all live together happily each with their own jobs, but the bird thinks the others have it too easy. The bird is out all day getting fire wood, while the mouse just gets water and prepares a fire for dinner, and the sausage makes dinner for them. Once day they switch tasks but the sausage is taken by a dog while out looking for wood, the mouse dies while it swims around in the dinner pot like the sausage normally did, and the bird accidentally caught its house on fire in all the commotion. The bird drowned while trying to get water from the well to put out the fire."

" That is weird," was the first thing out of Syphas mouth, she agreed with Lucia that was a weird one. Of course there was a message to everything, even the weirder of these older stories had something like that woven between it's weird strands. Still Sypha was sure she'd end up remembering it, whether or not it ever came in handy she'd never know but the role of speaker did normally leave her remembering things that crossed her path.

" I enjoy stories like that, i'll admit it was weird but stories like the one Alucard mentioned or Brair Rose normally leave me more mad than excited," But with women in those stories normally held to high standards or just waiting around to be rescued she didn't think they were that useful. Now that she was older and had heard some of these stories on her travels she was pretty certain her father had purposely not told her those kinds of stories to not give her any weird standards to conform to. He had certainly taught her that if she wanted something she had to actively go get it, sitting around waiting for someone to save her wouldn't happen.

From back inside the kitchen the smell of something was making its way into the lobby, and sure enough Trevor came out not long after with a plate of something in his hands. His shirt had some flour on the front, but it looked like it was just some stubborn flour that not amount of patting or brushing would get ride of. He'd have to change his shirt before they left or hope this just went away on his own.

" The rolls are resting, they need to sit a bit so they doubt in size, then i can put them in the oven. But the cookies are done," He said as he sat the plate down on the table and took a seat in the empty chair between Sypha and Lucia. " I imagine this is the first time tasting ginger for some of you, so hopefully I didn't destroy my sisters favorite cookies," he didn't want to be the reason why those that could eat the cookies decided to swear off ginger.

" Have you tasted them yet?" Sypha asked as she took a still warm plate from the cookie, then passed the plate around for everyone else to grab a cookie.

" No, my sisters said It was bad luck to taste your food before giving the first piece to someone else," Trevor said with a shake of his head, though maybe if the person who had slaved over what ever they were making tried it first they would dismiss something delicious just because they found a small flaw in it. Now that he was an adult that was probably the reason, but as a child he had accepted it as the reason why he was always given the first piece of anything his sisters had poured their love and hard work into.
 
“The weird stories do not usually have the problem of being unfair to any gender,” Alucard agreed, and while he liked the Twelve Huntsmen, the biases that the Lion exhibited in offering advice to the prince did show some of the issues. That the “Huntsmen” overcame it had always been what his mother emphasized, much as she had in other stories which still had the problem of gendered issues, such as the Springing Lark story.

It at least showed the women as more active than in Briar Rose or Snow White.

Even the Ramayana had one good part to it with its protagonist. Alucard recalled hearing it when Kali had come to visit, and she had shared it with Lisa.

Before the topic could continue on, Trevor returned, flour on his clothing, and cookies in his hands. Johann did brighten up at the smell and sight of the cookies, while Lucia and Alucard exchanged a look at the shift in his demeanor. Johann really did make things too easy. As Sypha took the first one, Johann reached for the plate to take one for himself, passing it along down the line so that everyone would get one, to end the passing at Trevor.

Alucard took one and sniffed it, a bit curious, “I remember my own mother tried to work with ginger…it was for a pumpkin and ginger scone,” he smiled almost sadly at the memory, “unfortunately she made it more of a gingerbread and pumpkin dessert. It was still good, but not a scone,” too moist to be a scone, really.

He’d still enjoyed it.

“Well, I’ve never had it,” Johann stated, and with that, was the first to take the bite out of the cookie. He did note that the base of the cookie was a bit crisper than, perhaps, it should have been – a bit burnt, but no matter, the flavor of it remained good once he crunched through it.

Seeing Johann’s contented expression, Sypha was next, and immediately sung with praise, “Oh, Belmont! You actually can cook! I mean, it’s a bit crispy – but the flavor’s all here!” She said, taking another bite hurriedly, “We’ll have to save some for Danica, she’d hate to miss these.” Sypha took a couple more to make sure to save them for her sleeping roommate, “You think she’d like them?” That was to Lucia.

“Yes, of course,” Danica wasn’t terribly picky, after all.

Alucard hummed a moment in thought, before sighing, “No, I can’t think of anything bad to say,” he said, “These are good.” He wondered how the rolls would turn out now. “I suppose Johann doesn’t have to learn how to cook now.” Johann glowered as Sypha tried to fight back a laugh at how effortlessly Alucard threw that in, “And here I thought he’d be the housewife of you two. I suppose looks aren’t everything.”

“I don’t even know what you mean by that.”

“He means you’re prettier than Trevor, Johann.” Lucia chuckled, stating the obvious if only to annoy Johann a bit more. The cookies did smell good, at least. She’d never had ginger before in her life, so she had nothing to compare it to, taste-wise – but she could imagine she would have liked it.
 
Aveline sniffed the cookie before taking a bit, encouraged by the others content or excited expressions. It smelt a bit spicy, but not in the way that a pepper was spicy. Taking a bite, she enjoyed the way the cookie snapped a bit but crumbled easily in her mouth. There was heat there, but it was all flavor and a warmth that started on the inside. " These are really good Trevor!" she added in her own praise, she hadn't expected that ginger root to actually be good in cookies but he had worked some sort of magic.

" Thanks, it's not the hardest recipe it's pretty forgiving. That's probably one of the reasons why it was a favorite," Trevor said, a bit sheepish about all the praise but encouraged by it. He felt like he had done his sister justice, even as he took a bite of his own cookie and just knew they were a bit different from hers.

The taste of her cookies was something he'd never forget, but the recipe was something that had blurred with age. A lot of what he was doing in the kitchen was educated guesses, the amount of Molasses and ginger was kind of up in the air and even then it depended on what kind of a cookie the baker preferred. Since this was the first time trying ginger for a lot of them he didn't want to overpower the cookie with it, even if his sisters cookies had always packed a punch. Esthels cookies had always been soft, with a hint of chew, and a strong taste of ginger. Maybe he'd get the chance to make them again, and next time he could try to get closer to her recipe.

Trevor was pulled from his reflection hearing the others tease Johann, and he raised a curious eyebrow. " Do I want to know what you're all going on about?"

" No!" Johann yelled out, trying to stop the topic here.

" We were just saying that we thought you and Johann would make a good couple. He seems to have taken an liking to you," Sypha almost purred, a coy look on her face.

" I don't like him,"

" Well now that's just mean, I did make you cookies."

" I mean, I like you Trevor just not like they're trying to say- I just. I hate this. So much," Johann signed in defeat.

" I like you too Johann, though you're a bit young for my tastes. I'd feel like I was courting a toddler." Johann hit Trevor with a bit of a sassy but scandalized look. It's one thing for the others to joke about them, it's another to be told he looked too baby faced by Trevor himself.

" That's not a bad thing Johann," Aveline assured him. " You're handsome in a different way than Trevor is. Trevor looks like he'd drag home a bear he just killed and carve wood by the fire, handsome and like he could protect you against anything. You look like what i imagine a prince from one of those fairy tales were just talking about would look like. You'd ride in on a horse then charm a girl with your smile and beautiful blond hair," Aveline said, though Johann wasn't sure if that's what he wanted to hear.

" I used to be a hunter like Trevor, its in my blood like it is his, but I was never good at it. I guess it's not shocking I don't look the part either."

"I think it's the blond hair." Sypha spoke up, " Blond hair does look very dashing."

" I think it can lead to over confidence though," Aveline piped in as Alucard tossed his own cards into the pile." Like right now, I think you're lying Alucard."
 
Alucard couldn’t help the stray look he sent Trevor, assessing him as Aveline spoke praise for his looks – and Johann’s. Trevor was a bit too brutish for Alucard to ever think of offering much praise for his appearance, but was that what Aveline liked? He understood a bit of why he suddenly concerned himself with it, realizing he was left out of the comparison. He wanted Aveline to think of him in these things.

Not blonde Johann.

Nor brutish Trevor.

At least she seemed to like blondes. ‘What are you thinking, Alucard?’ Continuing a line of thought that had started after he found her, and started to think, however briefly, of what it would be like to maintain Aveline in his life. It hadn’t gotten far before they were at the inn again, but it returned now with the spark of jealousy.

“Oh, you’re good at it, Johann,” Lucia dismissed the doubt, “otherwise I’d have you doing something more diplomatic than serving as my guard,” he just happened to be good at staying away from the opponent. Better at the surprise than the actual engagement, but that was handy. It wasn’t smart to engage creatures like her up close. Only suicidal hunters did that – or those like the Belmonts.

“Thanks, Lucia,” Johann sighed, not sure if it was pity or truth right then, as Alucard was called out. His brows raised slightly, before he chuckled.

“You’re right,” he pulled the pile to himself, more surprised he’d been called out after all this time. At least the pile didn’t have much in it right then, so he wasn’t too upset to be taking it. “And so are you, Sypha.” About blonde hair. “Though I hope I’m not so baby-faced as Johann.”

“No, no, your cheekbones are too pronounced for that!” Sypha said, “You’re more like aristocratic villain of those tales!”

Alucard kept one brow arched, “Is that supposed to make me feel better?” Lucia couldn’t help but laugh at that look on his face as he was called a villain, and Johann hid a snicker as he prepared to play a couple of cards, hoping to finally start making his hand smaller again.

“If it helps, Caesar and Octav—Augustus had that same look. Blonde hair – well, Augustus was more strawberry blonde – pronounced cheekbones. Very regal, very aristocratic. It’s a good look…Caesar did have quite the reputation.” Every man’s horse, and every woman’s rider – so long as they had a crown. She didn’t add that.

“But none were baby-faced,” Johann pouted.

“Agrippa was, and Agrippa kicked Marc Antony’s ass.” That seemed to brighten Johann, just a bit, “He was even years younger than him. I wasn’t there for all that, but…I heard.” As everyone heard. But she’d seen them. She never really met Augustus, then Octavius, but she’d seen him around in Caesar’s shadow, and saw him when he returned to Rome with his legions, prepared to storm Rome. He’d…changed then. Immensely. Even she’d been afraid to look upon him, though as she learned the weight on his shoulders, she understood how he grew so cold in so short a time. She was no older than him, after all.
 
Trevor didn't hide his laughter at all when Alucard was compared to a villain, he did have the cheekbones for it. And if Dracula looked anything like Alucard, then Dracula too would look like the perfect villain from legend, but that went without saying. Luckily everyone seemed to realize how rude it was to try to bring up Dracula at all.

" Alucard does not look like a villain," Aveline butted in. " he reminds me more of the distant rival young heroes have to prove themselves against." she saw too noble a heart in Alucard for him to be labeled a villain. No he was helpful, but there was an air about him that was cold and could keep people at a distance if they weren't willing to fight against it. But he was handsome, in that unapproachable way. She could see a young hero from a peasant background having to struggle against Alucard to get anything done and prove himself.

" Is that any better?" Trevor asked, once his laughter had subsided.

" Oh much better," Sypha hummed her agreement as she nodded her head almost sagely. " There are many stories of women melting the heart of cold men and finding the heart of gold underneath."

" His heart is not cold," Aveline argued as she tossed two cards down on the table, very aware of the fact they were not the correct cards at all but this conversation was in full swing and her hand was getting even smaller. " He is just very composed." She had seen how deeply Alucard cared for people, he had been raised very well by his parents. The fact there was some emotional distance was not something that should get him the title of cold hearted. He had run off after her, he had offered her kind words, he had accepted her offer to stand strong by him when everything was said and done. These were not the actions of a cold hearted man.

" I agree, but just going off of looks he has that regel feeling to him," Sypha said. " Also you're lying, Aveline."

" Oh now what ever will I do with all these cards?" Aveline said dryly as she took her two cards back. " Just going off of looks you would be one of those women from stories that go undercover as men, and no one finds out until after they've saved the day."

" What an insult," Sypha laughed, not upset by it in the least. " you would be one of those women from legend that find the hero about to die and save their life, then end up marrying them in the end."

" Oh no, true love." Aveline gasped as Sypha tossed down just one card, with no pile of cards on the table things weren't as tense people could afford to be a little careless or over confident in themselves.

" Lucia," Sypha started, " Would be one of those beautiful women that seduces travelers, whether or not she kills them or helps them I think depends on the type of person and the story."

" Sounds like a win-win to me," Trevor said as he looked between Syphas hand and then Lucias, though after Sypha caught Trevor looking she shoved him a bit. " Don't you come into this in the middle of everything and start looking at cards!"

" I haven't done anything wrong. I'm not playing I, I can look,"

" Yes but what if you start helping someone cheat?"

" If you had been nice I could of cheated for you," Trevor pointed out, but Sypha stuck her nose up in the air with a prideful look on her face. " I don't need help, nor would I accept it."

" Then you've burnt your bridge, want to hear all the cards in Syphas hand, Lucia?" He asked as he grabbed another cookie from the plate, his eyes looking towards the counter where he had left an hourglass going to tell him when he needed to go and put the bread in the oven. It looked only about halfway empty, so he could still sit out here and waste time for a bit longer.
 
Well, Alucard supposed being the ‘rival’ was better, though that probably made Trevor Belmont the hero. Or Johann…Johann had been compared to the princes in the story, after all, but Johann wasn’t part of the prophecy. At least he wasn’t given a cold heart by Aveline, even if Sypha wanted to put it there. By looks alone, he supposed it fit, “Well, I’ll take that over the villain,” Alucard consented.

The others were given their roles, and Lucia couldn’t help but chuckle at Sypha’s. She did have the short hair, and her Speaker robe was identical to the robes that male Speakers wore. Sypha was labeled the hero, Aveline got her true love, “Likely the cold-hearted rival in this case,” Lucia decided to play to Sypha’s game of antagonizing Aveline and Alucard a bit. “I suppose if the rival can be a hero as well, anyways.”

Alucard scoffed, but didn’t add to it – he’d tread dangerously close to suggesting truth to their thoughts, and he hadn’t quite figured it out for himself. Still, he did say, “By default, no, but in a story with many heroes, it could be the case.”

Then apparently Lucia was thrown in, and she rolled her eyes, “I’m every vampiress ever,” she couldn’t help but comment, though she supposed most didn’t ‘help’ travelers. “I suppose I can at least be the villain then if Alucard isn’t going to be.” She tossed two cards as well after Sypha.

Johann called it, “Liar!” Her hand was just getting too small for him not to call it, and she scowled at Johann, before taking the three cards.

“Lucky bet,” she stated, as Alucard set three down. She absolutely wanted to call him on it, but she couldn’t be certain it was a lie. And she didn’t need more cards in her hand – besides, Trevor offered help. “Absolutely!”

“Lucia!” Alucard sounded disagreeable with the offer. “I thought you were better than that.”

“You thought wrong, I am all about cheating to win.”

Sypha just narrowed her eyes, lips pursing a bit as she realized her hand might, indeed, be revealed, when Lucia leaned towards Trevor, “But let’s not give others the advantage too, hm?”

“This is why you can use shadows, isn’t it? Deceptions…you’ll make a good villain in this story,” he chuckled, and Lucia just shot him a wink to agree. “I suppose this makes Trevor the brutish guard to the villain in the story.”

“I thought he was the hero – or maybe the jaded mentor to the hero?” Apparently Johann hadn’t put himself in that role…and he instantly regretted it.

“Aww.” Sypha was the one to say it, and Johann groaned, “You’re so supportive!”
 
Aveline blushed a bit when It was implied Alucard would be the hero she fell in love with, but this was all banter so there was no reason to let it get to her. This group was able to smell blood in the water easily, if she got too sheepishly they'd probably tease her like they did Johann.

" I like stories with multiple heroes in. A group of strangers coming together to gave a kingdom or the world are nice, they give hope." Aveline commented as she glared at Alucards cards. Would be lie two hands in a row? His hand wasn't a threat at the moment, he still had a few cards to get rid of, but tossing down three cards was so bold. He either had to really have those 3 cards or he was hoping no one would call him on it while they were talking.

" Yes well all of you are part of Gresits prophesy yes?" Johann pointed out, " If you didn't enjoy stories like that but still joined the group I would be shocked."

" Sypha was very persuasive," Aveline said with a small shrug, replaying how they had all come together and agreed to join forces to kill Dracula. " But I suppose you're right, being part of some story people will tell their children about one day is something i'm too selfish to turn down."

She did wonder if one day they would all be stuff of legend. Would grandmothers tell great-grandchildren about the 5 heroes from legend who set out with their friends to save all of Wallachia and the world from Dracula? She suppose she, Alucard, and Lucia would still be around to find out in hundreds of years to find out if that was true, and if so just what people said. But that was so many years away Aveline didn't want to dwell on it.

" Do you think of me as a mentor, Johann?" Trevor asked him with a chuckle. There were worse things to be considered, and honestly there was potential in the kid. He was so young but he had a level of understanding about the supernatural world that Trevor was trying to learn only now. " All this joking aside, if you ever want some tips or to train i'd be more than happy to help," He gave Johann a sincere nod.

Johann made the mistake of being a bit shocked by the request, Trevor didn't seem like a horrible person but he hadn't seen the offer coming. The others must of taken it as him being flustered or something but Sypha cooed from her seat. " So supportive of one another!"

" You offered just to get them going didn't you?" Johann said, his eye twitching slightly.

" No, probably should of thought it through better though," Trevor confessed with a sheepish chuckle. " Now about Syphas hand," Trevor turned to Lucia and whispered a few of the cards he remembered into her ear.

" You two are suddenly thick as thieves, I think villain and guard work perfectly for you." Aveline chuckled, then finally found the courage to call out Alucards hand again. She'd take the risk. " 3 cards at once? No way Alucard liar." But his lips curled into a smirk before he even said anything, she knew she was wrong. She took his cards into her hand with a small pout.

" Go back into the kitchen where you can't help Lucia cheat," Sypha huffed and tried to shoo him away from the table.

" A smart person wouldn't be so mean to the person making them bread. I could do something horrible to your piece." Trevor said playfully.
 
Lucia rolled her eyes a bit at Johann’s words, “Ah yes, because I joined this group due to a story and prophecy.” Large adventuring party stories weren’t bad, but it was such a vague setting and genre that many stories could fall into it. She didn’t like prophecy but she was still involving herself in the group. It was the right thing to do. She’d be doing it without them.

It did make her wonder if she ought to abandon Johann and Danica somewhere, though. If this was a prophecy…it was for five, not seven.

The serious thoughts were easily dispersed by the continued joking around her, at Johann’s expense, and a bit of Trevor’s – though he handled it better than Johann. That, and Alucard being called out by Aveline, though he wasn’t lying this time around.

And Lucia got an advantage with Sypha’s hand whispered to her, or at least, some of it. She couldn’t help but chuckle as Aveline and Sypha seemed so displeased, “Hey, he can stay. In fact he should go sit by Alucard.”

“Ha ha,” Alucard’s laugh was utterly dry. “Like I’d be foolish enough to show my cards to him.” If Trevor moved, obviously he was putting his cards far out of the other man’s sight. “But you can stay, it’ll be all the sweeter to beat Lucia when she’s cheating.” Plus he didn’t want Trevor doing weird things to his bread.

“If you beat me.” Lucia smirked as Sypha’s turn finally came around, and Lucia just shot her that knowing look. Sypha grumbled and just went with it, throwing four of her cards to the pile, knowing full well that Lucia was going to call Liar. “Liar.”

“This isn’t fair.” Sypha pouted, reaching to take the cards from the pile that had collected from the turns of the others. It wasn’t much yet, but still…Lucia’s turn came again, and she only flicked one card to the table.

“Liar.” Alucard tried. It wouldn’t matter much, but….

“Nope.”

Alucard took up the single card. This was probably going to happen every turn for her now…but she’d deal with it. The more she could be honest, the better, though she knew that wasn’t going to be possible as her hand continued to dwindle. He shuffled his deck a bit in his hand, before putting down a card.

Johann thought to call him on it, given the shuffling, but didn’t. The pile should build. They were going to have return all the cards to Lucia. He did say, though, “Anyway, ignoring the others – I could do with learning a few extra tricks, if we get some time on this quest, or after it. I don’t know where you’re going after this, but if we share the same route for a bit, I wouldn’t mind.” Johann knew he’d be heading back to Chernihiv after this, but if Trevor was heading the same way – maybe not to the same place – he could pick up a few things along the way.
 
" I haven't really stopped to think about anything after this," Trevor mused. It was bold to assume they would survive, of course it was nice to hope but making plans that might have to be abandoned seemed painful. Trevor was ready to die for this, and it was very likely that he would. They were going to kick in the doors to Draculas castle, have to fight through vampire generals and an army of loyal vampire soldiers just to get to the most powerful Vampire that had ever lived.

" If I live well i'm not sure what i'll do," Part of him wanted to keep doing this, traveling to help people because this felt right. Having a place in mind and a reason to get up in the morning was nice, he could go back to really being a hunter instead of just hunting to keep ale in his cup and his memories behind him. He suppose that was what Belmonts should do, travel the world and help people even if it was the death of them.

" But i'm sure we can find some time to train, I imagine since you prefer the crossbow and bolts that you're a little rusty up close." Johann needed to be will rounded as a hunter, and that was something he could certainly help with. And a small voice in the back of his head told him that if he did die during this mission that someone needed to benefit from the Belmont knowledge he had. He doubted Johann would leave Lucia and travel the world as a hunter, but hit felt good to have someone who at least understood the lifestyle to pass things onto. If he had children then this was the knowledge he would give them, it was really the only knowledge he had for them. Their inheritance from him would be his whip, his monster hunting knowledge, and a crest that didn't mean much of anything to anyone anymore.

" After this I will have to find my caravan again," Sypha hummed as Aveline put down another card, but no one called her on it. " If we win then the story will certainly be something that needs to be recorded by the speakers, and I imagine my grandfather will want to see that i am safe."

" I'm happy that you have family to return to, Sypha." Aveline said with a soft smile. For some of them there was no family to return to. Her father was her only real family and he was dead, Trevors family was long dead, and the same could certainly be said for Lucias. And for Alucard, if they accomplished their mission he'd be an orphan.

" I am very lucky." Sypha agreed. " and what of you guys?" she asked as she also added a card to the pile.

" I've made a few promises i'm going to make sure to keep," Aveline hadn't forgotten her promise to be there for Alucard when this all ended. She would be there for him as long as he wanted her there. " If i don't overstay my welcome to the point they get sick of me, then 'wanderer' might not be the best way to describe me after this." She felt like she had made friends on this journey.

She had reasons to wander this world now, she did not have to wander aimlessly, and if she wanted she could probably spent years just bouncing between friends. As long as Johann, Trevor, Danica, and Sypha were alive she could visit them for as long as their human life spans would allow. Lucia and Alucard would never be able to get rid of her since she knew only death or some horrible betrayal would break the bonds of comradery they were forming. It was probably too bold of her to assume right now, but Alucard would be going through a hard time after everything was said and done, and if he'd let her then she would gladly spend as much time with him as possible. No one deserved to be alone in this world, and the same went for him.
 
Sypha would find her caravan again. The others would see to it, no doubt, and Lucia supposed she might even lend a hand. It depended heavily on how things shook out when Dracula was dead, and whether or not Carmilla was among the casualties.

Johann’s expression did falter a bit as Trevor confessed to having no certain idea of what to do. He thought to invite him along with them – but he bit his tongue on it. Besides the ongoing joke, it wasn’t his place. Lucia decided who stayed, or who went. He was certain that Trevor would have a place if he ever visited, but he knew he couldn’t offer more. That was on Lucia.

Alucard’s gaze faltered a bit as the conversation turned to what would happen after this. “I…am not certain,” he answered quite honestly. “I had presumed I would return to Gresit once Dracula’s castle was put somewhere…safe.” Like the bottom of the ocean safe. “And sleep. But,” especially with Aveline’s words now in mind, and that thought she might stay awhile. Until she ‘overstayed her welcome’ – he knew she was speaking of him –, “I may have slept enough. I am not sure what comes next. Perhaps just making sure no one bothers Dracula’s castle.”

“Is it really such a thing to protect?”

“It is a castle that moves on its own,” Alucard reminded, “the knowledge inside it, in the wrong hands, would be devastating. Though perhaps it would be good to begin dispersing some of the knowledge,” as his mother wanted, to help educate people in general, “I…hardly know where I’d begin with it. When all is said and done…,” he sighed, “It’s still too hard to think of.”

Sypha seemed to realize then what she’d asked. “Oh. Oh, I—I’m sorry, I didn’t consider what…what we’re doing,” to him. His decision, certainly, but as she played a card, on a number Lucia knew she had cards for, she did reach a hand across. She couldn’t touch him from where she was, but the gesture of openness, she thought, might go a ways. “If you need us – any of us – to help you, just let us know. We’ll be here.”

Alucard managed a light smile, “Thank you, Sypha – and Lucia, Liar.” He snapped before Lucia could get away with tossing out two cards on the pile.

“Fuck you, Alucard.” She snatched up the pile.

“This is what you get for cheating,” Sypha said, matter-of-factly. “And what are you doing when this is all done?” Alucard definitely didn’t need to dwell anymore.

“Politics and murder.”

Johann stared at her. “W-what? We’re not just going home?” Why weren’t they just going home?

“When Dracula dies, the so-called King of my society dies.” Not everyone cared, but when he was dead…everyone would care. “There’s going to be a power vacuum, someone, or some group, has to fill it quick and keep things in line. Not to mention that, depending on how long this takes, there’s still going to be many demons on Earth that need to be dealt with.”

Johann wanted to pout. The demons weren’t their problem – but even he couldn’t deny it’d be better to deal with than not to. And the power vacuum, he couldn’t really begin to understand, he hadn’t gotten so deep in vampire politics or rules to know how much sway Dracula had on them. “So are you going to be taking over?” Johann asked.

“I’m honestly hoping I can put in a puppet, but I really should know better than that.” She was going to have to take up some leadership position, no doubt, as one of those who slew Dracula. She’d have the influence then, her age would help, even if she wasn’t the oldest, she was still old.

“Why wouldn’t Alucard just take it over?” Sypha asked.

The question was met with blank stares from both Lucia and Alucard, before Lucia said plainly, “He’s a dhampir.” No vampire, in today’s age, was going to heed a dhampir. “No offense.”

“No, no, I know how it works,” he waved it off, “I don’t want to lead, anyway.” He had thought of just going back to sleep, after all. He did not want to be King of the Vampires.
 
Was that truly what Alucard had decided on before all of this? Before they had gotten to know one another he had expected to just sleep after this? But with no family left that must of seemed like the best option to him, in dreams his family would be there and he would not have to face the reality of the situation. Still to Aveline that sounded horrible, and she was happy that he was changing his mind.

" I agree with Sypha, you'll have a lot to do when everything is said and done," mourning his family and figuring out what to do with what was left would be hard, " but you have our help," she rested a gentle and understanding hand on his forearm, her thumb stroking him through his shirt in a reassuring manner. If Sypha wouldn't reach him, then Aveline would. Aveline would always reach out to Alucard, because sometimes it seemed like only she could.

Even with the bond Lucia and Alucard had or the growing bond with the rest of the group, only she and Alucard got close to understanding one anothers situation. But both being half breeds wasn't the only thing that seemed to pull them together, though that certainly was what make her curious in the beginning. Sypha was bright, there was something about him that seemed cold or indifferent. However Aveline had no problems with it, what ever cold wall was keeping Sypha and the others away from him it did not bother her.

Pulling her hand back Aveline tossed down another card, the pile was gone but Alucard calling out Lucia proved that even their conversations weren't distracting from the game so she had to be careful.

" Wait so the fact your father is Dracula doesn't change anything? If he is the king of vampires that must make you some type of prince, that does not count for anything?" Aveline asked, confused.

" Not to butt into a topic that I don't totally understand," Trevor said as he tried to peak at Syphas hand again to remember the cards he had forgotten, " but to most vampires humans are cattle for feeding. The king of vampires falling in love with a human woman, then having a Dhampir son is a pretty big scandal. But you're not going to laugh in the face of the most powerful vampire ever and disrespect his family. But once Dracula is dead there won't be anyone to keep them in line, loyalties will be forged and tested. It'll be pretty chaotic, but if there is anything that holds true to who ever or what ever you apply it to, it's that different is bad."

Vampires liked to think they were better than humans, but many of them were humans at one point. They had biases like humans did, and like humans thought some races were below them because of their skin color, vampires thought humans were animals basically. Which meant to most vampires Alucard, elegant regel Alucard, was some sort of half vampire half animal creature, and none would follow him.

" Alucard isn't a full vampire, no one would follow him unless they had a stake to their heart, and even If they did they probably wouldn't be very loyal." Though, Trevor though, finding loyal people when you were in a place of power was pretty hard. He had thought his family had loyal friends, and look where that left them.

" That's horrible," Sypha said with a deep frown. It gave the group just a taste of the fact that prejudice was alive and well no matter who or what they fought.

" It is their loss then," Aveline said, feeling the useless urge to try and preach to any full vampires they met Alucards merits. But she knew she only felt that way because she had been through the same thing, no amount of logic was ever able to convince the stubborn people in her mothers clan that she was just as good as the rest of them. They had basically driven her away, and it seemed vampiric society had done the same to Alucard. " No amazing Dhampir for them, we'll keep him to ourselves where we appreciate him."

" You will always be welcome with the speakers, Alucard." Sypha promised him. " I'll spread the word to the other caravans, i'm sure they'd love to meet you and share knowledge with you sometime." If Alucard did not have a people to really call his own, then maybe the speakers could try and fill that void a bit.

" Also, Trevor, if you like your eyes you'll keep them away from my cards," Sypha snapped. She whipped her head towards him, and despite how quickly Trevor looked away he was hit by a cold burst of air from their sorceress. It was a silent promise that he'd have two icicles where his eyes were if he didn't stop cheating.
 
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Alucard shook his head sadly at the question turned to him, the gesture from Aveline welcome, but it did little to remove the sad truth. He may find a place among vampires, but never fully, and certainly never as their ‘leader’. He didn’t know how that would shake out, but it was also not his problem. Not unless another genocidal maniac rose up, but somehow he doubted that would occur so soon.

There would be plenty more deaths in the aftermath, though – a civil war that most humans would never know of, with any luck. It would be more assassinations than open warfare, or that was what he imagined. Not all vampires had the resources for war like Carmilla or Lucia, though he could not imagine Lucia taking her forces from Chernihiv, given she left them to go after Dracula. He was also fairly certain most of her forces were human soldiers – that could be problematic, as well, given that others preferred armies of vampires they’d turned or were otherwise loyal to them.

No, the fact his father was Dracula did not matter. There were already people who didn’t quite accept that Dracula was ‘king’, anyways – and those would be the vampires that stepped up then. Not to mention, all of those loyal to Dracula would despise him. No one was going to be accepting any blood claims for leadership, even if he had been full-blooded…though he might have stood a better chance if he was.

He wondered then if he’d be opposed by Lucia, but wouldn’t ask it. He hadn’t known her as someone highly ambitious, but to be fair – her focus had always remained Chernihiv. If she had been nursing other ambitions, she kept them quiet, unlike others.

“Trevor is, unfortunately, right – and much as I like Alucard, I don’t have the time to deal with changing an entire society’s views first. First is settling things, then we can work on integrating him into the society, if he still desires to be a part of it.” Lucia would use her influence once things settled. She would make sure to work on changing things, but it would be slow.

Vampires had all the time in the world, though. So long as the pressure was constant, there would be changes. Alucard might not find his father’s place – but he’d have a place. Him, and other dhampirs.

“We’ll see,” Alucard said, “It seems I have some invitations to other societies, too,” he nodded to Sypha, “and that sounds vastly more interesting right now, but I suppose in a few centuries I may be willing to see how the vampire one is doing.” But, it was…nice to know he wouldn’t be wholly abandoned, and he didn’t think the Speakers would be all that judgmental. In truth, they’d probably enjoy both him and Aveline around. “Either way, these are problems for later.”

None of them knew how it was going to end just yet. Or what was going to be waiting for them.

Sypha’s little act against Trevor earned some laughter that helped to break up the tension, thankfully. “No more cheating for you, Lucia.” Johann stated.

“I suppose Trevor’s been bested by the tiny sorceress.”

“Hey!” Sypha protested, “Just because you’re freakishly tall doesn’t mean I’m tiny!" At least for a woman, Lucia seemed rather tall, and she couldn't imagine that had even been normal in Rome. "…Aveline is!”

Alucard couldn’t help the sudden snort, if only because he wasn’t expecting that from Sypha, as Johann added two cards to the deck. Sypha followed, “Liar.” Lucia casually said, and Sypha grumbled, imagining she still had a good idea of her deck from last time, as she took the deck into her hand once again. Still, she then reached out for a cookie, to help sweeten the sour mood.
 
Aveline gasped slightly at how easily Sypha had thrown her to the lions just to save her own pride. Of course it was true, if everyone in their little caravan was arranged by height Aveline was at the end of the line with Danica and Sypha just slightly ahead of her, still it was the ease that Sypha said everything. " I see i'm just a stepping stone for you Sypha," she said, pretending to be hurt.

" You're really going to eat one of the cookies I slaved over right after promising to gouge my eyes out?" Trevor asked with an unimpressed eyebrow.

" yes I am. I'd say I deserve it after all the trouble you've caused me." Sypha said proudly, then bite into the cookie which broke with a satisfying snap.

Trevor chuckled a bit and glanced at Lucias hand, her hand was getting smaller and she had a chance of winning. And if Sypha wasn't going to let him look at her cards any more, then he suppose he'd have to have his fun with this game some other way.

Lucia threw down her cards for this round, and Trevor locked eye with Aveline. ' liar' he mouthed to her silently, and after a moment Aveline realized what was happening. " You're lying Lucia." though the moment the words left her mouth she realized that taking Trevors word might not of been the best idea. Especially when she saw the hint of a smirk on Lucias lips. Lucia flipped over the cards to show she had in fact been telling the truth, and Aveline groaned as she took Lucias cards. It was just the cards Lucia had tossed down but It was still adding to her hand when things were getting to the end.

" I shouldn't of trusted you Trevor."

" You really shouldn't have."

" I guess I had hoped you would still feel bad about hitting me with your whip," Aveline said, fluttering her lashes and trying to make him feel guilty.

" I hit Lucia too, and last time I checked you're not a vampire." Trevor might not 100% know what Aveline was, even if she was supernatural, but he'd eat his whip If she was any part vampire. She clearly wasn't, and his whip was made for killing vampires so he figured Lucia got the shitty end of the deal there." and besides I've been giving you my vegetables."

" I doubt that was very hard for you to do, you probably hadn't eaten a vegetable in years before the other day." Sypha snorted at Avelines comeback, yeah it wasn't that hard to believe.

" not all of us can live off of green leafy things. Plus I ate tons of fruit, and ale has to fall in there somewhere. It's a grain, that's pretty healthy."

" I have no idea how you are as physically fit as you are given your meals consisted of ale and jerky." Sypha said as her turn came again and she put down some cards, but as she looked around the table Lucia, Alucard, or Aveline would be winning the game soon.

" I don't have to take this, I have bread to put in the oven." Trevor said, pretending to be offended as he stood up and headed back into the kitchen. He was happy to see the size of the bread, it had risen well even with the filling in it, and he put it into the oven with the hopes he had kept the temperature in the right place this time around. The cookies were a bit harder than he preferred, hopefully the bread wouldn't come out too dark.
 
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Lucia was pleased with Trevor’s bit of ‘help’ in misleading Aveline. He was still able to cheat on her behalf without seeing Sypha’s hand. Perhaps it shouldn’t be encouraged, but…Lucia really hadn’t been lying when she claimed she would cheat to win. Perhaps it was why even Carmilla’s idea held some water. She was fairly used to underhanded tactics to get ahead – and when there was nothing at stake but pride?

Well, clearly, she took pride in this.

“You could do with eating a bit better,” Lucia couldn’t even keep that comment back when the topic shifted to his diet. Of course, he determined then to leave them to put the bread in the oven – though the hourglass on the table might have determined that more than their comments, and Alucard waved him off. “I suppose maybe now you all stand a chance,” Lucia gave an overly dramatic sigh as Johann took his turn.

“How did you get him to be so helpful to you all of a sudden?” Alucard asked, trying to add two cards.

“Liar!” Sypha declared, more because his hand was so small. It would be better to keep them on their toes.

Alucard tsked, but reached back for his cards, and what had been added. It was strange. Everything about the pair of them was strange now, given Lucia was allowed to drink human blood now. Actually…, “If I bite him, do you think he’ll be that generous?”

“Try it and I’ll rip your throat out.” Lucia said flatly, and Alucard realized he wasn’t sure if she was kidding or not, as Sypha put three cards on the table in one go. Lucia was more reserved this time, but just as effortlessly as before, added one card.

Alucard was trying to keep his hand low so he didn’t call her on it. “Seriously, Lucia. I’m fairly certain he wanted to kill you when we all met. This is a rather sudden shift. You haven’t done anything?”

“Mind fuckery isn’t my forte, Alucard, you’re confusing me with others.” If she thought about it, she’d realized she’d never actually seen Carmilla exhibit any particular supernatural talent. She idly wondered if it was all mind fuckery. She didn’t know what moon Carmilla was ‘born’ under, nor was she certain how much influence it really had. Carmilla had been the one to tell her about it. That could have been lies.

“It’s a good thing, though,” Sypha noted, then, “You’re just jealous because Trevor still just tolerates you.” Sypha teased, before adding, “Maybe you two should spend more time together, too. It might do you both good. If he can come around for a full vampire, I’m sure he could like you, too!”

“Or maybe I just need to dye my hair black.” Alucard shrugged.

“You’d actually be rather pretty with dark hair and golden eyes,” Lucia agreed, “We should do this.”

“I wasn’t being serious!”
 
" I think some quality time between you two would be good." Aveline jumped in, agreeing with Sypha.

As much as the Belmonts were known as being vampire hunters specifically they were known for wanting to kill Dracula. It was the family goal and it was probably the reason for the Belmont hold existing, Trevor did say his family had wanted to narrow down a way to find Dracuals castle but never could. Still in that hold there was very possibly a way to take the fight to Dracula and end this genocide, so even if Alucard was working with them to stop his father there was some bad blood between them. Aveline didn't doubt that Alucard had grown up hearing horror stories and warning about the Belmonts, who specifically wanted his fathers head on a stake.

" I think even with you two agreeing to work together, there is some tension. As vampire hunters they probably all raised their children with the dream of killing Dracula, and being the son of Dracula you were probably raised to hate the Belmonts." Aveline pointed out. " Even if you two are working together it's possible you still think of each other as the ultimate enemy."

" Or it's possible that Trevor thinks Lucia is pretty so is giving her an easier time." Sypha added.

" That's possible, he warmed up to you and me pretty easily." Aveline hummed as she put down three cards as well.

" yes but Speakers and the Belmonts have worked together for years, we know we can rely on one another. For Trevor seeing me in these robes was probably like seeing his first ally in years, and you're not very threating Aveline, no offense." Sypha pointed out. Avelines oversized cloak and small form was the farthest thing from threatening.

" Liar!" Johann said, seeing Avelines hand much too small after laying down those 3 cards.

" Look into the face of my three queens and see that your intuition has failed you, Johann." Avelien said as she flipped over her cards, she had been telling the truth. She stuck her tongue out at him in a teasing manner and he returned the gesture before taking the small pile of cards.

" But back to you Alucard, you did introduce yourself to us as some type of shirtless floating threat." Aveline pointed out. Alucard had floated out of his coffin in a very vampiric fashion with his floating sword and leather.

" You only get one chance to make a good first impression." Johann agreed. " But we've been traveling together for a couple of days and we've fought together, shouldn't that help things?"

" Surely time is the answer here." Sypha suggested as she tossed down two more cards. " They need time to bond. Maybe make them both drive the carriage tomorrow and if they don't kill each other, then it's progress."
 
It was true that Alucard had heard stories of the Belmonts, though after the house burned, he hadn’t heard much, hadn’t thought of it much. Besides, Lucia had to have known those same stories. The Belmonts might have a goal to kill Dracula, but they weren’t known for discriminating.

“The theory that he goes easy on the pretty people doesn’t work, Alucard’s pretty.” Lucia would say it, though it was quite possible that Trevor didn’t view men like that. He went along easily enough with the jokes of Johann that he was either fairly secure, or he was into both. Lucia hadn’t gotten a read on it.

Alucard just rolled his eyes, but wouldn’t drag that one out. It was a losing argument given their teasing of Johann. “Well, I wasn’t exactly prepared to greet anyone,” Alucard noted. “I was just woken up by all of you coming into my tomb.” It hadn’t exactly been the best way to be introduced, for any of them. “I’m not opposed to working with the Belmont—”

“Trevor,” Lucia said calmly, as if correcting him, and his gaze snapped over to her. She added, “He’s not ‘The Belmont’. The more you think of him that way, the harder you’re going to make this on yourself. Think of him as Trevor. As an individual.” Perhaps Trevor also struggled with that issue, seeing Alucard as, well, ‘son of Dracula’ and not Alucard.

Alucard seemed hesitant a moment, but then nodded, adding a card before realizing he should have called Lucia on it – she was down to literally two cards now. Too late now, he’d thrown his in the pile, though he had worked his own pile down fairly well, he was at five. He almost wished then he’d tried for more – but he only had one that matched and he was trying to be safe.

“Fine. I am not opposed to working with Trevor or getting to know him better. I just found it strange he’s warmed so quickly to you, when you are, as you’ve noted, a literal vampire.” And not a half-blood.

“Well, I’m not Dracula’s kid, either.” Perhaps it went without saying, but based on Alucard’s reaction – the widening of his eyes – perhaps not. It was something he was always present with, as Trevor was always aware he was a Belmont. Alucard wasn’t always thinking of how his status as Dracula’s son might help or hinder relationships, he may not have truly focused on how that, and not just being a dhampir, was impacting his relationship with Trevor.

Finally, he said, “Fair point.” Just as perhaps he did need to work on seeing Trevor as an individual and not the representation of the entire Belmont clan who hounded his father, even after Dracula turned away from his raiding days and stopped being a menace to society.
 
" Though maybe your personalities just don't match." Sypha added, there was no shame in the two just not connecting. It would be a lot to expect the two very different men to be able to just suddenly get along with one another and become friends.

" While that's also an option it's pretty important we all get along and trust one another," Aveline pointed out as she tried to discreetly count her own hand, she had 6 cards. It was a lot less than Sypha and Johann, but Lucias two cards were like beacons just telling her how far she was from winning.

" It's probably not the best idea, but in my family when ever two people didn't get along we let them spar to get all their anger out." Johann said as the smell of baking bread entered the air. Yeasted bread always smelt so wonderful when it got baking, and there was something sweet to the smell as well. Despite just eating cookies a little while ago it left Johanns stomach growling a bit.

Sypha and Aveline immediately pulled faces that said 'probably not the best idea'. Aveline hoped it didn't get to that point, but sometimes words just didn't work. Trevor looked like the type of person to express his feelings and thoughts through actions, and if Alucard wanted to fix the tension between them then he might have to try and do the same.

" Lets hope it doesn't get that far," Sypha suggested.

" We'll try and help you two get along more," Aveline assured Alucard as she laid down two cards, at least the fact she was in third place meant the others weren't as worried about her hand. They were more focused on Lucia and trying to call her on a lie.

The kitchen doors opened and Trevor walked out with another platter, this time piled high were gleaming buns with a dark swirl in them.

" These didn't get too dark in the oven, unlike the cookies." Trevor sounded proud as he sat the platter down on the table and let everyone see his hard work.

Each bun looked well worked and fluffy, there was a golden color to the top and a nice shine to them like he had glazed them with something, and the sides gave away that something dark has been either swirled into the dough or rolled up inside.

Sypha grabbed the first bun from the top of the pile, her eyes shining with curiosity, but Aveline and Johann weren't far behind.

" This is sweet!" Sypha hummed happily around her first bite. " deliciously sweet." She could tell that it was the treat of the rich or noble just because of how sweet it was. Your average person would never be able to afford eating this, and if they did then it wasn't often. But Trevor had made it sound like this was a pretty common food for him growing up, it was a wonder how he hadn't grown fat or lost teeth yet.

" The dark swirl in the middle Is a mixture of sugars, a bit of honey, butter, and normally fruit. My mother would put berries in it but there weren't anywhere. chopped nuts are also good in there." Trevor said as he grabbed his own bun. " and there's a bit of honey butter on top to give it the shine and make it sweet all around"

Unlike the others he pulled his bread apart, looking for something that the rest of them didn't know. He was checking the bake, the texture of the dough, and everything else that went along with making bread. He hadn't made this in a long time, but seeing that he had done it well made him smile a bit. Sometimes the memories of his family were blurry, simple details escaped him sometimes and he hated himself for it. He worried he'd forget their faces one day.

But this. This sweet bread that meant so much to him was just like he remembered and just like it should be. As long as he remembered this, then he was certain he'd remember the faces of his family.
 
While Lucia was not in agreement with the thought that Alucard and Trevor should spar, she couldn’t deny she’d seen it work before. She’d used the tactic before on those who were hard to gain the respect of without showing some sort of physical prowess. Godbrand was definitely one of those men who didn’t get along easily with people he hadn’t fucked or fought, and she’d risen to his challenge after one of his insults to the entirety of Rome.

That had ended in a draw given the circumstances and that they were pulled away from each other, but they had been more civil to each other after that. She still didn’t like Godbrand, but there was something to be said for learning he could back up his words.

Aveline laid down her cards, though, and Trevor returned while Lucia was mentally calculating whether or not she was going to have the right cards for this. ‘Nope.’ Better call someone on a lie. She was going to get the entire deck they built, otherwise.

The buns did look, and smell, delicious, though.

Alucard was quick to grab one, once the others had. He had no interest in examining it, just eating it. “What did you expect from their name, Sypha?” He teased a bit, before biting into it as well.

“I didn’t expect it to be this sweet!” Sypha said, though she wasn’t used to the kind of luxury that Trevor used to enjoy, she could hardly imagine the life he must have once had where these kinds of sweets were not abnormal. Trying to imagine him as both hunter, and spoiled heir, seemed to clash in her mind. “Next time we’ll have to find you some berries,” Sypha said, certain she would not mind a next time at all, “Or pecans!”

Alucard hummed his agreement on the pecans, “We may need to invest in more cooking gear for the carriage,” he chuckled after his own couple of bites.

“If you’re willing to buy it, go ahead.”

“You’re not?”

“It’s frivolous spending.”

“Only because you can’t eat it,” Alucard pointed out, though he was teasing.

“Oh yes, that’s entirely the reason,” Lucia rolled her eyes as Johann played his card, “Liar.”

Johann was momentarily startled to be called out after a while, and he groaned but took the deck back. He hadn’t thought anyone was going to call him on it.

Lucia leaned back as Sypha sorted through her cards a moment before playing, eyes drifting to Trevor’s examination of his own work. He did seem proud of it, reassured in some fashion. She couldn’t help but let a small smile tug onto her lips at his own pride, before she played a card, and Johann noted.

“Hey, Alucard, your tea’s empty.”

Alucard had only just finished it after a few bites of the roll. He’d forgotten a bit about the divination part of this, “Oh.” He glanced down at the remaining leaves, “So it is, I’d nearly forgotten,” he chuckled, and lifted the cup back up to hand over to Aveline.
 
" I love fresh bread," Aveline hummed before taking another bite out of the roll. She was a fan of bread, it was one of the things she couldn't just magically grow on the road so when ever she was in a village she always bought a loaf or two. It was a good way to keep her full but there was just something about a fluffy loaf or roll that was wonderful, she was especially a fan of the yeasty smell. But she had never had such sweet bread before. It had been years since she had last had some cake, and there weren't normally stalls in towns or villages selling sweets unless it was a larger settlement. This bread was nothing like the cakes she had had growing up, it was different but very good.

" I could make a simpler version of thing in a pan with a lid," Trevor brought up as he popped a bit of bread in his mouth, " It would be a kind of a steamed sticky bun, but fresh bread on the road Is pretty hard to do. Gotta take what you can get."

" Oh that sounds wonderful Trevor, you definitely should! I want to see how you made this and the cookies anyway, and i'm sure Danica would like to see as well after she tries everything tomorrow." Sypha was very for Trevor baking them more sweet treats on this trip.

" I'll see what I can do," Trevor said, feeling kind of proud that the others enjoyed his baking so much, " but i'm not going to promise to make rolls or cookies every night. We'd get so fat the nightmares wouldn't be able to pull us anymore."

Baking and being a hunter didn't seem like something that would go hand in hand, and the others were surprised every time he brought out something that was actually edible, but he was allowed to have other skills and interests other than killing. Just wait until they found out he could darn socks.

" Oh lets see what the leaves have to say about your future, Alucard." Aveline said eagerly as she took Alucards cup.

" Reading leaves?" Trevor asked, he hadn't been here when Aveline had read the others fortunes and hadn't even know it was something she could do. " That could get you burned as a witch if the church found out, better be careful," Trevor teased. This group was basically full of heretics that the church would love nothing more than to burn, so luckily Aveline and her tea reading was safe.

" The church would have to catch me first," Aveline said with a small grin, " I just had this argument with Alucard outside, i'm faster than I look."

Aveline turned her attention to Alucards leaves then, looking for any symbols that really stood out to her. Reading tea leaves really was mostly about what ever the person saw, and from there and they interpreted it. She was less of a fortune teller and more of someone fluent in a language the others didn't know.

" Theres a horse, which traditionally means a grimm horse or nightmare. It means danger, but we are also literally being carted around by two nightmares." Aveline said with a chuckle. She wasn't sure just what the horse shape meant, it could just reference Marius and Sulla or it could mean danger. " So it could be a refence to either,probably a bit of both." she decided.

" Two vertical half circles, they look really close to joining and being a whole circle, be receptive of what ever is coming to you. There's a anchor on the side of the cup, difficult change is coming-" she paused for a moment not really sure if she wanted to read the last symbol she saw. It would probably cause a bit of an uproar, this group was merciless.

" What is it?" Sypha asked, catching into the hesitation. " Is there something horrible in there?" Though after Johanns reading she couldn't imagine what would make Aveline pause.

" You see this circle with a cross?" Aveline asked showing Sypha, who eagerly nodded. " It means romance."

" Oh!" Syphas eyes were lighting up. " There's romance in you're future Alucard, you lucky Dhampir you."
 
“If the nightmares are allowed to get fat, I don’t see why we can’t,” Johann chuckled, but he understood. And the nightmares weren’t, actually, getting fat. Perhaps walking all day pulling a cart burned off all that extra they ate, or perhaps their weird supernatural nature kept them from getting fat. Johann had never seen a fat nightmare, though to be fair, he also had only seen two.

But he also didn’t know of fat vampires.

He’d seen fat werewolves, at least. Somehow, it did not seem to make them any slower, but at least they were wider targets.

“Speak of the horses…,” Lucia murmured as Alucard’s fortune started to be read, and Johann chuckled.

“Maybe he’s going to steal one,” Johann teased.

“Nope.” Lucia wasn’t allowing that. She liked them too much, but she understood the joke and smiled. It could be danger – no one was really surprised by that showing up in every fortune, after all. The fortunes might be more interesting after Dracula was dead, given they were certainly in danger up to that point.

“Perhaps my next job will be as a carriage driver,” Alucard allowed the joke, if only to keep it steered from the danger they were all involved in, before the other symbols were read. An anchor…yes, he knew difficult changes were ahead. That was no surprise.

The surprise was the last one, which caused both of his eyebrows to raise in shock, before Sypha clapped her hands together after commenting on his luck, “Congratulations, Alucard!”

“I guess you do have a future, after all,” Johann chuckled.

Alucard let his brows knit together, “Well…I suppose that isn’t bad.” With this group he knew that seeming too enthusiastic was only going to get him teased mercilessly. But it wasn’t bad, at all. It did speak to some hope for his future, that there could be love, that he could find ways to move on, and even improve, his future outlook. That meant some hope that he would move on from this situation, too.

It would never truly be anything that wasn’t painful…but there was a future. Hope.

His features relaxed, softened, in spite of it all, “I’m sorry Sypha, it seems I’ve gotten the romance reading.” He said as he added his card to the pile, Lucia's drop not having gone unnoticed, but he was willing to risk building up the pile again to try and make it larger on her last card. So close to the end, only to have it stolen from her.

Sypha laughed a bit at that, “No, no, don’t be!” She said teasingly, “Just so long as you invite me to the wedding, we’re good!”

Alucard chuckled, “I’m afraid I’d have to invite all of you after this – even Trevor.” Assuming it was a romance that would last, and not something short-term.

“Dibs on flower girl!”

“Sypha, usually younger girls do that….” Johann said gently, as if revealing a horrible fact to her and afraid of her reaction.

“Dibs! I always wanted to be one,” she let out a sigh, lips pouting a bit, “but no one ever got married when I was young enough.”
 
" Even Trevor," Trevor mocked the way Alucard had said it, "I'd be a delight at a wedding. As long as it wasn't anything too formal." He thought back to some of the weddings he had been forced to attend as a child.

The Belmonts were a noble family and did have to attend events to keep their standing with other nobles, but noble events were a stuffy affair. Uncomfortable clothes, sitting there for a long time listening to a priest, and then the reception afterwards. Peasant weddings, from what he had seen while passing through towns and happening to find them, involved a small reception at the home of the new couple and then returning to the church very soon after for prayers. Noble weddings were much more than that, anything that involved people of higher status normally were. There was the ceremony, moving into another room for the reception, normally walking to a church that was on the grounds for a group mass, then back at it again for another party.

Though with Alucard being a Dhampir he wasn't sure if all the religious aspects of the modern marriage would be there. Maybe he would just gather a small group of friends and pledge his love to who ever he was marrying in front of them all, like proof. Thats what people generally did before the church decided they needed to stick their noses into everything.

" Sypha you have magic, you would clearly make the best flower girl," Aveline assured her. " and we had a warning, so you have plenty of time to practice for Alucards future wedding."

" To be fair," Trevor pipped in, " He should be the flower girl at your wedding though, Sypha." He laughed at his own joke, and it got a chuckle from a couple of the others.

" What are speaker wedding like, Sypha?" Aveline asked her curiously as she added another two cards to the pile as smoothly as possible. Lucia looked close to laying down her final card this round, but if they were able to prevent that then Aveline felt like she could still be in the running.

" Very inform in terms of the actual wedding, we're always on the road so we don't have the resources to do anything too fancy. However weddings normally involve multiple caravans so a lot of us get together, but since us Speakers are also enemies of god we don't put much or any emphasis on religion unlike you're average wedding," Sypha explained as she layed down two cards as well. " We copy a few things we've seen from other ceremonies, like the flower girl and the ring bearer, but we hold the wedding more as a oath ceremony than a proclamation to god." Speakers did emphasize the importance of the spoken word, so an oath sworn in front of many of their friends and family would be very important to them.

" I've never been to a wedding, let alone a speaker wedding. I hope I get invited to your wedding one day, Sypha."

" Of course you'll be invited. By the end of this, like Alucard said, I imagine you'll all be getting initiations to my wedding." Sypha assured them all. " And Johann, make sure to invite us to you're wedding with Trevor."

Johann groaned, he had a feeling things would go there. They just wouldn't let things go.

" We're not going to get married!"

" So you intend to keep me dishonest?" Trevor asked with a coy look on his face, " I'll have you know i'm not that easy,"

" It sounds like you deserve better, Trevor." Aveline teased. " Maybe someone who will put a ring on your finger."

" Is that an offer, Aveline?" Trevor asked, " because while you're certainly pretty, you're a bit young for me."

Aveline let out a fake gasp, like she was hurt that she and Trevor would never be anything more, and Sypha put a comforting hand on her shoulder. " At least he let you down easily and instead of stringing you along, unlike Johann."

Johann just grumbled, deciding to not even give them the pleasure of trying to defend himself.
 
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