[ CLOSED ] here in this garden of bones

[gynvael]

Who: Geralt + Various
When: May
Where: Cadens; Horizon
What: Catch-all for May
Warnings: basic witcher canon stuff, adding as we go



(( starters below. discontinued or at Noa#1979 to plot. ))

Comments

[gynvael]

[ Should have realized Alucard had dessert prepared. Geralt chews thoughtfully, then leans forward to sniff it. Hm. Delicate. ]

You mean it doesn't look like yours.

[ Unreasonably and inexplicably glossy. Now that the cake has arrived, Geralt does not hesitate to take a curious bite out of it. Whether he's meant to or not. Alucard should know by now he doesn't give a shit about the rules of dining unless he's a good reason to bother. ]

New experiment or a recipe from home?

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard really didn't expect anything less. He'll wait to finish his meat first though, as meat-cake-more-meat is not his preference.]

--Mmm.

[Fuck it, Geralt should know this just in case.]

The former. And I began to realize I did not know the abilities my own blood had, given that vampire blood can create other vampires. Anything mine does is temporary except for improve one's hair.

[Alucard also knows Geralt isn't an idiot. If he puts two and two together with VIiktor, so be it.]

[gynvael]

[ A beat. Then: ] I was talking about the cake.

[ Considering the sheer deadpan, that's probably a joke, but it's difficult to tell with Geralt. He absorbs the information. Blood experiments are nothing new. (Look at Ciri.) It's a powerful ingredient, whether in magic or science.

Wait—

He peers at Alucard. Is he putting it together? Somewhat. Geralt does not speak to Viktor frequently enough to fully notice the state of the man's hair, but. Likely, the next time he sees Viktor and looks, he'll realize. ]

And its other properties?

[cryptsleeper]

You're correct. Everything about my appearance is perfection itself, and it extends to cake.

[Alucard can't beat Jaskier in the vain category, but by god he can try.

There's a small shrug.]

Healing, mostly. Good for injuries that might be hard to triage otherwise. Little bursts of other things. No one's going to be biting necks or in want of blood.

[gynvael]

[ The quiet chuckle escapes him. Geralt leans back in his seat, watching the flickering candles for a moment. He's known Alucard for a while now; it's safe to say Alucard seems better than he has been compared to their early days together.

It's gladdening to see. There will, he thinks, always be some conflict over being torn from their homes into a new world. But it isn't the worst. He doesn't know if he could claim he'd be any better off at home. Few of them left behind a comfortable, easy life. ]

Good to know. [ Makes him wonder if Alucard's come across the only other vampire he knows of in this sphere. Louis. ] And don't worry. Your secret's safe with me.

[cryptsleeper]

[It'd be hard for the dhampir to be worse than he was at first.

There's a faint nod of his head. Alucard can believe that Geralt won't share the information. He's reliable when it comes to keeping personal details personal.]

Thank you. The circle that knows is small as to not compromise my safety. [Because that's the nightmare. Someone captures him and keeps him just alive enough to sell his blood as some miracle cure-all.]

--Does Roach need anything?

[He forgot his third guest!]

[gynvael]

[ He glances outside the window where Roach is tethered. She's in a shaded little spot with a trough of water, which is plenty for her. Geralt might be fond of his horse, but she's still a working, travelling animal. Minimal maintenance is vital. ]

She can have an apple.

[ They're not going far, anyhow. Geralt came to visit Alucard, not to work. A leisurely sort of trip. He'll be returning to Cadens after this. Perhaps a short detour to the gather a few ingredients in the desert outback. Though, given he's been riding for almost a full day: ]

You've room for an overnight guest?

[cryptsleeper]

[Geralt you're the worst horse girl.]

I'll indulge that and make sure her water's topped off.

[Everyone is a guest, everyone deserves good treatment.]

Sure, if you don't mind sleeping about five inches from where you're sitting now. I'll be out here for a few days more. [Sleeping, mostly.] It's only a matter of me grabbing blankets from one of the niches.

[The blankets are light, really there just because Alucard enjoys making a blanket nest for himself no matter the situation. That his yes is instant also says a lot about how far his trust has developed.

He lets out a soft huff of amusement at that revelation, then takes another bit of food. Honestly, this isn't a bad evening. It's quiet. Just enough other people in it. Ideal, really.]