(oct and) september catch-all; open

[ancunin]

Who: Astarion and friends
When: Throughout the month
Where: Cadens, Nocwich, Farhill
What: Astarion goes about his daily business, first appearance of BATSTARION
Warnings: General vampire warnings for injury and blood-drinking. Full character content warnings here, I will try to add them to comment subject lines as things appear in threads!

Comments

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard has spent the last few minutes looking at the ceiling. Then the floor. Then at the door. Making a point to listen without really paying attention. Truth be told, he's expecting bad noises.

And they never come. He turns when he hears his friend's voice, and the dhampir smiles approvingly.]

You seem perfectly in tact from the front side. How do you feel?

[ancunin]

Annoyed. [ He scowls at first, patting at his shirt absently. ]

I didn't expect my new form to be so... small...

[ Was he really able to fit in Alucard's palm? That doesn't seem right... ]

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard manages not to laugh, but for god's sake Astarion.]

For what it's worth, I am about the same size when I take that form, and I can't communicate nearly as well as you just did. [Or at all, but never mind....]

This is new though. I thought vampires didn't have a bat form in your world?

[ancunin]

[ Astarion waves his hand, and Alucard might get the sense that through his annoyance he's... grateful, for the effort put in to soothe his wounded pride right now... although he continues to scowl. ]

Spawn cannot take the form of a bat. But a master has the power of transformation...

[ Cazador could transform into a mist, and he'd kept bats around to command, along with his other less intelligent minions...

His expression turns pensive, and he arches an eyebrow. ]

You don't suppose this all might have something to do with our... ascension?

[ Perhaps this isn't such a terrible day after all. ]

[cryptsleeper]

[Out of respect for that pride, Alucard is not going to transform right now to match. Showing off that he's a number of bats instead of just one bat seems in rather poor taste.

But the suggestion he throws out? That gets a thoughtful noise of consideration.]

The awful magic rock has been known to grant abilities that one doesn't naturally come by in the past. It could very well be tied into that. [Based on what Astarion has described of home and Cazador, this seems a stroke of good luck.] This may be one of the few times it has done anything useful.

[ancunin]

[ He does enjoy when Alucard bad mouths the rock with him. ]

Useful is... well... debatable.

[ Turning into a palm-sized puffball is kind of disappointing, actually. He folds his arms over his chest with a pointed look toward his friend. ]

Although I suppose now is when you suggest I try it again?

[cryptsleeper]

[Fuck that rock in particular.]

Believe me, attacking people as a bat is helpful is more helpful in a fight than you'd think.

[He grins, a little smug and a little proud. He's glad Astarion gets to be a bat now.]

Now is when I state that you'll have to practice eventually, but I am in no space to make demands of you. Am I allowed to sit, or are we doomed to stand and debate your current shape?

[ancunin]

[ He gives Alucard a dubious look. He doubts his form is good for attacking anything larger than a field mouse... and even that feels generous.

A long stare follows, and then he sighs. ]

Then I suppose we may as well begin now ...

[ With practice, that is. Since he's standing there looking all proud for some reason. ]

[cryptsleeper]

[Believe in yourself and your bat form, Astarion.]

--Well if you're going to be that put off by it, we could do whatever you'd prefer. I just don't know what that might be.

[This is the least excited anyone has ever been to turn into a bat, in Alucard's experience.]

[ancunin]

[ Alucard! He made his decision and he's sticking to it, stop second-guessing him! He crosses his arms over his chest, before admitting: ]

I've... ah, absolutely no idea how to get started.

[ It did happen by accident, the first time... ]

[cryptsleeper]

Well, the blithe version would be to what you just did in reverse.

[But he wouldn't just do that. Alucard smiles, gesturing for Astarion's hand.]

But using your fingers as a focus, imagine them stretching out. There will be skin between them. That's what makes up your wings. What were you doing the first time when this happened?

[ancunin]

[ He hums, following his friend's gaze and extending one arm experimentally, splaying his fingers. ]

I don't recall... [ his frown deepens ] I - something startled me. A crash from outside. [ He wrinkles his nose at the windows, the chaos continuing to unfold on the streets. ]

And then I was just...

[ A bat. His gaze returns to Alucard, and he points at him. ]

Do not get any funny ideas...

[ About startling him. ]

[cryptsleeper]

I'd never.

[Buuuuut it does give him a different idea.]

Perhaps I can transform, and watching it done might help?

[ancunin]

[ Ah - hmm. ]

It might?

[ At least it can't hurt. ]

[cryptsleeper]

I'll go for the wolf form. Pay attention to my nose, that's usually the point I focus on. I'm not sure if I'm capable of going slow, but I'll try.

[Alucard knows Astarion has seen this before, but there's never been a real reason to study it.

He does try to keep the process slow. His nose elongates. There's natural fine hairs, then there's fur, then a proper snout, and so it goes with the rest of him. A step and he's crouched down. A second and his arms are on the ground. The third sees his coat now closer to fur, and the fourth reveals an entire wolf looking up at Astarion with big, soft gold eyes.

Easy, see?]

[ancunin]

[ Astarion wrinkles his nose, not entirely the biggest fan of wolves in general, but otherwise makes no catty comments.

The transformation itself... he's never seen it performed this way. The druids he's travelled with merely exploded in a magic flash when they transformed. He thinks he might prefer that to this... and after Alucard is down on all four staring up at him he sighs, giving his canine-formed friend an almost reluctant scratch behind the ears. ]

Yes - alright, I'll try ...

[ It's a lack of confidence, after he bungled it the first time. Taking a step back he holds out one hand, staring at in intently while trying to imagine the fingers elongating -

- it's not a slow transformation. The air shudders around him, and suddenly he is very, very small - and plummeting. He furiously flaps his wings to keep aloft, landing on the furry back of his companion. ]

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard doesn't look away from the transformation, but he is trying his very best to put on a supportive wolf face instead of resting wolf face, which could run the risk of looking bitchy or judgey. That's the last thing he wants his friend to feel.

But it works! In seconds it works, and the wolf moves to make sure that Astarion lands in soft fur rather than on the floor. Flying will be the next lesson, but for now, going from A to B is the priority.

He's careful to lie down on the floor without dislodging the bat. Once he's there, Awoocard angles his head to offer as an approving glance as he can at Astarion, complete with a tail wag.

Guess who can't communicate like this.]

[ancunin]

It worked!

[ Batstarion chitters - but ah, can Awoocard even read the magical script? His little claws cling to his friends back, a big, warm furry pillow. It wouldn't be a bad place for a nap. ]

[cryptsleeper]

[Thankfully, Awoocards can read.

So he wags his tail yes to confirm that it absolutely worked!! And okay, perhaps not the time to fall asleep, but if someone is going to batnap, Awoocard won't stop him.]

[ancunin]

[ This transformation business IS tiring him out quickly, but he has enough energy to ask: ]

Now what?

[cryptsleeper]

[Buddy, you're killing him.

Alucard considers how to express this, and settles for wiggling his ears up and down to suggest flight?]

[ancunin]

[ Eh, he's not a mind reader. ]

Well... help me up onto a table.

[ He'll scurry up the wolf's neck for more height. ]

[cryptsleeper]

[Awoocard waits until his little bat friend is snug, then walks over to what looks like the most level transfer surface. It is indeed a table, and once Astarion's on it, Alucard has the good grace to transform and make the conversation go faster.]

--Unlike you, I can't communicate in my other forms. What I was trying to suggest is that we make an attempt at more controlled flight.

[ancunin]

[ He's quick to hop onto the table, briefly startled when Alucard changes back. ]

Alright. I suppose I'm ready.

[ Just waiting on you to transform. ]

[cryptsleeper]

My transformation is a bit different than yours. Don't ask how drunk I was with Geralt when we made conclusions about how this works, but I become enough bats to equal my body weight, so I'm more of a swarm. I'll have one bat be the primary bat you'll be focused on, and the rest will hang up on the ceiling. Try and do what I do, and I'll try to respond to messages.

[There's no waiting for approval. Only an explosion of bats.

Lots of them, squeaking in a chaotic swarm and moving up, up, up into the rafters in murmurations like starlings, a single bat staying behind and landing next to Batstarion.

That bat looks his paler friend and gives a little wiggle of his own ears to confirm that they're ready to start.]