Who: Alucard and open When: First half of June Where: Free Cities, Norwich, Al’s domain What: Getting up and functioning again, updating one’s domain, taking stock of his new physical change thanks to event 18 Warnings:Added as needed
[Alucard’s domain is absent it’s usual clouds, fog, and gentle rain. Sun shines down on the autumn woods, the colors warmer and more welcoming. Gone are the thick, black vines spiked with thorns that acted as boundary markers, now replaced with fallen trees that make a natural marker. They’re perfectly possible to hop over, although the long and winding path remains.
It eventually leads to the heart of Alucard’s domain, a thing no longer easily described as a sad, depressed hut but now something like a tiny cabin. The dhampir himself is standing outside of it, seeming to trace invisible lines. When he does, the roofline of the cabin changes.
Or perhaps the porch does. Or the color of the wood that makes up the exterior. Rocking chairs switch their backs, and it seems the goal here is a total redesign.
Eventually, he exhales, noticing that there’s another nearby.]
[It's the promise of a quiet walk through the woods that draws him in. The forest here is more temperate and warm-hued than that of his own domain, but it's a pleasant trip all the same. He is not expecting to be asked for advice on colour selection at the end of the path, but the archangel is never without an opinion when asked.]
Brighter, though I've been told I have a joyless taste in decor so you're better off sticking to whatever pleases you most.
[It's his domain, after all.
Michael's current attire doesn't speak one way or the other to his allegedly poor taste, clothed in the usual modern jeans and dark shirt and jacket he usually adopts in the horizon. It's as thoroughly average as the vessel itself.]
Don't let me interrupt. I don't usually get to witness the creative process.
[If Alucard's up for an audience, that is. Typically all he gets to see is the finished piece. The decisions that lead to the final product are most often a mystery.]
[Alucard's aware that his own taste is a study in contrast. He grew up in an impossibly gothic, over the top castle, which he pointedly hasn't created here. It is open and airy, but then he insists that his clothing in the Horizon err towards what he left behind in 1470s Wallachia. He just likes the coat options, if he's being entirely truthful.
The dhampir gives a wave of his hand, the wood stain on the cabin brightening a bit more.]
Pleasing isn't really the point. There's questions of lighting to account for, contrast against the surroundings, and other components. And you're hardly interrupting. If you were, the path wouldn't had let you come down this way. I implemented it to ensure others left me alone when I wished it.
[Michael nods, accepting the point without argument. That the path wasn't barred is exactly the sort of logic he applies when others ask if they're intruding on his domain. They're all perfectly capable of creating high walls and locked doors if they wish it.
Now that he has an explicit invitation, though, he approaches a few steps closer, taking in the cabin's new appearance and then its architect. In general he has few strong opinions when it comes to fashion, but with the right cut a long coat can almost pass for a pair of folded wings. He finds them more pleasing than displeasing.]
If it isn't about making it pleasing to the eye, then what is your goal?
[To make it stand out against the background, or to make it blend in? Something else entirely? Michael may have no creative impulse of his own, but he can work with hard objectives.]
I'll be sure to do so, though I wouldn't worry about that in your place. I've seen far worse taste.
[If Gabriel were still here, he'd probably recommend chartreuse highlights and exterior shag carpeting. Michael tries not to think of him too often but the topic of decor invariably calls him to mind.
Without a percentage attached, he couldn't say if Alucard is meeting his notion of balance. He thinks of Solvunn, all wooded areas and small homes like this one, and what they most often choose.]
If you find the wood isn't blending as you'd like, you might try stone.
[He grew up in a truly over the top gothic castle whose architecture absolutely should not have worked, so the curiosity is genuine.
Still, the suggestion of stone is an intriguing one. Alucard tilts his head one way, and slowly the wood of the cabin begins to be replaced with stone. Some smooth an light grey, others darker and rougher. There's an attempt to vary the size without taking away any structural integrity.]
Hm. You're right, that does look much nicer. The contrast is certainly natural.
A man once tried to convince me carpeted bathrooms were both 'fun' and 'practical', and wanted to paint a building along the coast a fluorescent colour for 'visibility'. It doesn't matter which, he tried to sell me on all of them. I don't have a word for his taste in sculptural art.
['Horrifying', maybe.
His tone is disapproving, but in that long-suffering way that says they'd been close associates regardless. Gabriel had been the only one daring enough to challenge his notions of order and aesthetics.
If Alucard's opinion is anything to go by, though, his brother had been the one with offbeat taste. Nothing much changes on the outside but inside, Michael puffs up like a proud little robin at the compliment.]
I suppose there's a reason stone houses are a popular choice. Are you planning to add anything else?
I'm sorry, carpet in the bathroom? [There is no hiding the utter mortification in his voice.] Are you sure that this was serious decor discussion and not someone just trying to provoke others to anger and/or complete bewilderment?
[Because look. Alucard smells at least a little bit of trolling here.]
Most likely not. I don't need much space, and the structure is only really there to house the kitchen.
[Alucard isn't wrong. Being a jokester and an irritant were central to Gabriel's personality. He's just underestimating the degree to which he was willing to commit to the bit.
Michael's own expression remains neutral. It wasn't the strangest thing he'd ever done.]
It might well have been both. My brother was always at his happiest when he could shock others with his most authentic self. I can assure you he was serious about the carpet, if nothing else. I was the one who had to rip it up.
[Among undoing many other questionable decorating decisions.]
Is cooking a hobby of yours?
[It's not always clear at a glance why people add what they do to their domains. For some it's places they miss, for others it's room to do what they can't out in the real world.]
[Alucard's face is one of genuine horror upon learning that someone did, in fact, commit to the bit. It is the worst bit he's ever heard of. It is also one of the grossest, and he is not shy in scrunching up his nose in absolute disapproval.]
I regret knowing that he took the idea and made it into the reality. You have my sympathy for whatever lurked under that rug. How big was the bathroom?
[please let it be small, please let it be small.]
It is, yes. And a means of addressing stress, both here and in the waking world. I can transmute stress into a loaf of bread and all other various metaphors. I just can't have a quiet wooded area to do it in.
[Michael lifts a hand and waves as if to dismiss the concern. No need to worry for his well-being—or to live the horror through his mind's eye. Either way, it's unnecessary.]
Small, and this was long before it ever saw any use.
[Otherwise, you can bet his brother would have been the one ripping up carpet and grumbling about it while Michael stood in the doorway with his arms crossed.]
I understand the appeal of peace and quiet. I suppose that's partly why I've never come up with much to do with my own domain. There's plenty of silent forest where I am already.
[It is still going to haunt his thoughts. Bathroom carpet. No.]
I've never been good at living around large groups of humanity, which makes the Free Cities an interesting challenge. At least here, I can have the space, peace, and moodiness. You're in Solvunn, I take it?
Solvunn's technological limitations would make it hard for me to be a resident long term. Among other things.
[But mostly that.]
People? Yes, absolutely. My mother's village was manageable, but anything beyond that...
[There's a simple shake of his head no.]
Truth be told, I've not really noticed it. But then, I'm mostly focused on my architectural work, the arts scene in Libertas, and then disappearing into the desert when I feel overwhelmed. The cities are vast and avoiding things is a shockingly easy task most days.
[It's not an entirely serious remark, though there's little to give it away except the slightest lift in his tone. All he really knows about Alucard is that he likes baking and cabins in the countryside. Seems like the man would fit right in in Solvunn.
Michael gives another nod, agreeing to villages being more manageable than cities and then simply accepting his opinion on the Free Cities. Different people, different perspectives.]
That would be the city Thorne attacked, isn't it? I'd heard it's home to a number of artists as well. The people remarking on the cultural scene usually aren't the same ones complaining about the military.
[Maybe artists don't really interest the military, which makes sense to him.]
Probably not with the level of control I'm used to, or ovens with precise temperature gauges. Or blenders.
[Viktor figuring out how to make a blender in the Free Cities has, frankly, been life changing. And it's why Solvunn would never suit, the quiet life aside.
Alucard tries not to laugh at not the same ones complaining about the military. He mostly manages, and it comes out as a cough.]
Not quite. Libertas is the artistic hub, but that also means theatres, art galleries, and other venues were impacted. The idea of military control or order imposed on a group of people who focus on creativity and testing limits, however, means that those are the exact people who would complain about military control or restrictions being imposed.
[Is that so important a kitchen appliance? All of his past vessels had been perfectly happy to eat whatever could be fried in a pan, but even Michael would admit their taste in food hadn't been very refined. He learns something new with every discussion of food preparation.
The cough-laugh earns Alucard a sharp look, though Michael doesn't say anything about it.]
I don't disagree with your point. Mine was that the very nature of artists might make them an unappealing population to recruit from, so they may not face the same pressures as the average civilian.
Is your overall opinion of the Free Cities that they're much like any other, then?
I've not had them before now and between them and the stand mixers, there's a number of culinary possibilities that have been opened to me.
[The stand mixer is an upgrade more in the fact that it means he doesn't need to use stupid dhampir speed tricks for things like whipping eggwhites.]
I'd say these days they face different ones. But I take your point about recruitment and remain relieved that there's been nothing enforced over the past few years I've been here. Then again, that may lead to riots.
[Not ideal.]
Having not lived many other places, I can't say one way or another. But it's a pleasant enough space and it's easy enough to blend in with the crowd. That's enough for me.
I can't say I'm familiar with any of it. I didn't spend much time on Earth prior to this, and I don't eat.
[It's all funny little gadgets the humans have cobbled together to make life easier, to him. Their impulse to create is second only to his Father's.]
Like the risk of being firebombed. I doubt that inspired much goodwill or faith in the military's capabilities, did it?
I'd say the same of Solvunn. Pleasant enough outside of the religious aspects they won't let you avoid, though with enough dedication you can get away from even that. I hear life in the woods is quiet.
[Don't eat? Alucard raises an eyebrow slowly.] Is that so?
[He'll wait for an explanation.]
Really it came back to the government itself, so far as I can recall. But I may have been too focused on the immediate reconstruction efforts, such as it was and as it continues with some performance venues.
[Construction isn't an instant thing, after all.]
I go into the desert if I need complete quiet. It's nice out there, and I can see how the woods would let you get away from the gods. We've had far too much of that lately, and I've enough of it from home.
[There's not much to explain. Not eating is as normal to Michael as eating is to those that do.]
I don't need food to survive. It's simply my nature. If you're asking what I am: an archangel.
[Michael cocks his head to the side, implying curiosity though not much on his expression speaks to it. He'd care to have that question answered in kind. Creatures from outside of his world never quite fit between the lines he's used to.]
That's one way of forcing the modernization of a structure. Do you find it balances its surroundings now, or was it better before?
[They don't have anything comparable in Solvunn, and his last few vessels weren't really men of the arts.
He gives an affirmative hum. He understands entirely. Being surrounded by religious zealots wears on his nerves, and he's had enough personal experience with at least one god to last him all of his abnormally-long lifespan.]
I'd be happy to never hear speak of gods again, but I doubt I'll be so fortunate.
[Alucard's demeanor changes instantly with the word archangel. His entire posture stiffens. His face hardens into something that's bitter. The dhampir has not had the best of experiences with faith back home, and it is only the comment never hear speak of gods again that pulls him back from asking Michael to leave immediately.
Still, there's no warmth as Alucard turns, crossing his arms over his chest. His tone is ice cold, like a January wind.]
Is that so? Does it only apply to gods in the plural?
[If Michael's had beef with the Christian god, then Alucard is far more likely to be less on his own guard.]
[The change in attitude as Alucard ices over is impossible to miss. It's a wonder Michael hasn't been faced with this kind of reaction more often, really. That religion is a touchy subject for some is no secret to him, but it seems he's always running into devout Catholics instead, the kind who see him as a figure to revere.
He doesn't consider himself the hero of their stories any more than he's the villain in whatever Alucard's been through. Religion's only half-right at the best of times. He's not responsible for what men to do one another.
There's little change in Michael's expression. He wears the same impassive look he did when he arrived.]
Did I sound like I was making exceptions? All gods, plural or singular within their pantheon.
[There's a lot more he could say—about why he never cares to see his God again, about what kind of person his Father is, about what He's done to Michael personally—but he's not getting into it with a stranger. He does dislike having some unknown slight held against him, though.]
If you have something to say, say it. Don't be coy.
It did not, but I felt it wise to check all the same. [Alucard doesn't relax exactly, but he'll take the invitation to be upfront.]
I'm from the 1470s. My mother was burned alive under the auspices of the church as so-called witch when all she was was a woman with advanced scientific knowledge. [The rest of the drama doesn't matter. The point is simple enough.] No small amount of bitterness towards the faith remains.
[It isn't quite a I know you're not personally responsible acknowledgement, but it hedges close.]
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abraxaslogs2024-06-01 02:10 pm
Domain | OTA
It eventually leads to the heart of Alucard’s domain, a thing no longer easily described as a sad, depressed hut but now something like a tiny cabin. The dhampir himself is standing outside of it, seeming to trace invisible lines. When he does, the roofline of the cabin changes.
Or perhaps the porch does. Or the color of the wood that makes up the exterior. Rocking chairs switch their backs, and it seems the goal here is a total redesign.
Eventually, he exhales, noticing that there’s another nearby.]
Brighter or darker on the exterior, do you think?
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Brighter, though I've been told I have a joyless taste in decor so you're better off sticking to whatever pleases you most.
[It's his domain, after all.
Michael's current attire doesn't speak one way or the other to his allegedly poor taste, clothed in the usual modern jeans and dark shirt and jacket he usually adopts in the horizon. It's as thoroughly average as the vessel itself.]
Don't let me interrupt. I don't usually get to witness the creative process.
[If Alucard's up for an audience, that is. Typically all he gets to see is the finished piece. The decisions that lead to the final product are most often a mystery.]
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The dhampir gives a wave of his hand, the wood stain on the cabin brightening a bit more.]
Pleasing isn't really the point. There's questions of lighting to account for, contrast against the surroundings, and other components. And you're hardly interrupting. If you were, the path wouldn't had let you come down this way. I implemented it to ensure others left me alone when I wished it.
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Now that he has an explicit invitation, though, he approaches a few steps closer, taking in the cabin's new appearance and then its architect. In general he has few strong opinions when it comes to fashion, but with the right cut a long coat can almost pass for a pair of folded wings. He finds them more pleasing than displeasing.]
If it isn't about making it pleasing to the eye, then what is your goal?
[To make it stand out against the background, or to make it blend in? Something else entirely? Michael may have no creative impulse of his own, but he can work with hard objectives.]
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[He doesn't quite realize how broad and tall an order that is, if only because Alucard is used to discussing matters of aesthetics with others.]
I'll also accept "that looks terrible, don't."
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[If Gabriel were still here, he'd probably recommend chartreuse highlights and exterior shag carpeting. Michael tries not to think of him too often but the topic of decor invariably calls him to mind.
Without a percentage attached, he couldn't say if Alucard is meeting his notion of balance. He thinks of Solvunn, all wooded areas and small homes like this one, and what they most often choose.]
If you find the wood isn't blending as you'd like, you might try stone.
no subject
[He grew up in a truly over the top gothic castle whose architecture absolutely should not have worked, so the curiosity is genuine.
Still, the suggestion of stone is an intriguing one. Alucard tilts his head one way, and slowly the wood of the cabin begins to be replaced with stone. Some smooth an light grey, others darker and rougher. There's an attempt to vary the size without taking away any structural integrity.]
Hm. You're right, that does look much nicer. The contrast is certainly natural.
no subject
['Horrifying', maybe.
His tone is disapproving, but in that long-suffering way that says they'd been close associates regardless. Gabriel had been the only one daring enough to challenge his notions of order and aesthetics.
If Alucard's opinion is anything to go by, though, his brother had been the one with offbeat taste. Nothing much changes on the outside but inside, Michael puffs up like a proud little robin at the compliment.]
I suppose there's a reason stone houses are a popular choice. Are you planning to add anything else?
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[Because look. Alucard smells at least a little bit of trolling here.]
Most likely not. I don't need much space, and the structure is only really there to house the kitchen.
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Michael's own expression remains neutral. It wasn't the strangest thing he'd ever done.]
It might well have been both. My brother was always at his happiest when he could shock others with his most authentic self. I can assure you he was serious about the carpet, if nothing else. I was the one who had to rip it up.
[Among undoing many other questionable decorating decisions.]
Is cooking a hobby of yours?
[It's not always clear at a glance why people add what they do to their domains. For some it's places they miss, for others it's room to do what they can't out in the real world.]
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I regret knowing that he took the idea and made it into the reality. You have my sympathy for whatever lurked under that rug. How big was the bathroom?
[please let it be small, please let it be small.]
It is, yes. And a means of addressing stress, both here and in the waking world. I can transmute stress into a loaf of bread and all other various metaphors. I just can't have a quiet wooded area to do it in.
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Small, and this was long before it ever saw any use.
[Otherwise, you can bet his brother would have been the one ripping up carpet and grumbling about it while Michael stood in the doorway with his arms crossed.]
I understand the appeal of peace and quiet. I suppose that's partly why I've never come up with much to do with my own domain. There's plenty of silent forest where I am already.
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[It is still going to haunt his thoughts. Bathroom carpet. No.]
I've never been good at living around large groups of humanity, which makes the Free Cities an interesting challenge. At least here, I can have the space, peace, and moodiness. You're in Solvunn, I take it?
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[His brother would be proud to know he'd afflicted someone without ever having met them. Maybe Michael should stop passing along his cursed vision.
Michael nods in understanding. Life among humans has taken some getting used to, and not just because the ones in Solvunn are cultists.]
They're friendly enough on the whole but they can be intrusive, can't they?
You assume correctly. Tell me, is the military in the Free Cities as stifling as I've heard it is?
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[But mostly that.]
People? Yes, absolutely. My mother's village was manageable, but anything beyond that...
[There's a simple shake of his head no.]
Truth be told, I've not really noticed it. But then, I'm mostly focused on my architectural work, the arts scene in Libertas, and then disappearing into the desert when I feel overwhelmed. The cities are vast and avoiding things is a shockingly easy task most days.
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[It's not an entirely serious remark, though there's little to give it away except the slightest lift in his tone. All he really knows about Alucard is that he likes baking and cabins in the countryside. Seems like the man would fit right in in Solvunn.
Michael gives another nod, agreeing to villages being more manageable than cities and then simply accepting his opinion on the Free Cities. Different people, different perspectives.]
That would be the city Thorne attacked, isn't it? I'd heard it's home to a number of artists as well. The people remarking on the cultural scene usually aren't the same ones complaining about the military.
[Maybe artists don't really interest the military, which makes sense to him.]
no subject
[Viktor figuring out how to make a blender in the Free Cities has, frankly, been life changing. And it's why Solvunn would never suit, the quiet life aside.
Alucard tries not to laugh at not the same ones complaining about the military. He mostly manages, and it comes out as a cough.]
Not quite. Libertas is the artistic hub, but that also means theatres, art galleries, and other venues were impacted. The idea of military control or order imposed on a group of people who focus on creativity and testing limits, however, means that those are the exact people who would complain about military control or restrictions being imposed.
no subject
[Is that so important a kitchen appliance? All of his past vessels had been perfectly happy to eat whatever could be fried in a pan, but even Michael would admit their taste in food hadn't been very refined. He learns something new with every discussion of food preparation.
The cough-laugh earns Alucard a sharp look, though Michael doesn't say anything about it.]
I don't disagree with your point. Mine was that the very nature of artists might make them an unappealing population to recruit from, so they may not face the same pressures as the average civilian.
Is your overall opinion of the Free Cities that they're much like any other, then?
no subject
[The stand mixer is an upgrade more in the fact that it means he doesn't need to use stupid dhampir speed tricks for things like whipping eggwhites.]
I'd say these days they face different ones. But I take your point about recruitment and remain relieved that there's been nothing enforced over the past few years I've been here. Then again, that may lead to riots.
[Not ideal.]
Having not lived many other places, I can't say one way or another. But it's a pleasant enough space and it's easy enough to blend in with the crowd. That's enough for me.
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[It's all funny little gadgets the humans have cobbled together to make life easier, to him. Their impulse to create is second only to his Father's.]
Like the risk of being firebombed. I doubt that inspired much goodwill or faith in the military's capabilities, did it?
I'd say the same of Solvunn. Pleasant enough outside of the religious aspects they won't let you avoid, though with enough dedication you can get away from even that. I hear life in the woods is quiet.
no subject
[He'll wait for an explanation.]
Really it came back to the government itself, so far as I can recall. But I may have been too focused on the immediate reconstruction efforts, such as it was and as it continues with some performance venues.
[Construction isn't an instant thing, after all.]
I go into the desert if I need complete quiet. It's nice out there, and I can see how the woods would let you get away from the gods. We've had far too much of that lately, and I've enough of it from home.
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I don't need food to survive. It's simply my nature. If you're asking what I am: an archangel.
[Michael cocks his head to the side, implying curiosity though not much on his expression speaks to it. He'd care to have that question answered in kind. Creatures from outside of his world never quite fit between the lines he's used to.]
That's one way of forcing the modernization of a structure. Do you find it balances its surroundings now, or was it better before?
[They don't have anything comparable in Solvunn, and his last few vessels weren't really men of the arts.
He gives an affirmative hum. He understands entirely. Being surrounded by religious zealots wears on his nerves, and he's had enough personal experience with at least one god to last him all of his abnormally-long lifespan.]
I'd be happy to never hear speak of gods again, but I doubt I'll be so fortunate.
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Still, there's no warmth as Alucard turns, crossing his arms over his chest. His tone is ice cold, like a January wind.]
Is that so? Does it only apply to gods in the plural?
[If Michael's had beef with the Christian god, then Alucard is far more likely to be less on his own guard.]
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He doesn't consider himself the hero of their stories any more than he's the villain in whatever Alucard's been through. Religion's only half-right at the best of times. He's not responsible for what men to do one another.
There's little change in Michael's expression. He wears the same impassive look he did when he arrived.]
Did I sound like I was making exceptions? All gods, plural or singular within their pantheon.
[There's a lot more he could say—about why he never cares to see his God again, about what kind of person his Father is, about what He's done to Michael personally—but he's not getting into it with a stranger. He does dislike having some unknown slight held against him, though.]
If you have something to say, say it. Don't be coy.
no subject
I'm from the 1470s. My mother was burned alive under the auspices of the church as so-called witch when all she was was a woman with advanced scientific knowledge. [The rest of the drama doesn't matter. The point is simple enough.] No small amount of bitterness towards the faith remains.
[It isn't quite a I know you're not personally responsible acknowledgement, but it hedges close.]
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