[open November catch all]

[cryptsleeper]

Who: Alucard + Open, some closed threads
When: November
Where: The Free Cities; Ikorr; Luna; Horizon
What: Super normal November things
Warnings: Marked on individual threads

Comments

OPEN | Ikorr (start of November)

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard found one of Ikorr’s night gardens by accident. He overheard it being discussed at a gallery opening (something about the head groundskeeper made a terrible mistake with where he planted the glowing lavender) and politely showed his ignorance in an attempt to learn the location.

It wasn’t a surprise to learn that the gardens open to the public were few and far between. But the one he’s found that is is a remarkable place. For the most part, it is marked by glowing plants in dedicated beds surrounded by statues and precise walkways - some linear and obvious, others winding and meant to move in strange ways. There is a meadow where it all runs wild, benches placed at certain locations for the best view.

And there is the maze, a place punctuated by stone walls and statues where glowing plants climb just a little too much. It’s small. Doable. A little disconcerting the first time one goes through it, but Alucard has figured out the path out as well as the paths he likes to walk.

Today, (tonight?) he’s on one of the paths he likes to walk,fingers brushing over a cluster of blossoming hedges that give off a faint pink glow. He perks his head as noise comes from just a little bit further down. He can see a turn coming up, and it aligns with where the noise seems to come from.]

Hello?

OPEN | the Free Cities (after November 10)

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard knows he is simply Having a Day of it. There is a meeting in Aquila that he is probably going to be late to, and while it would be easy to run through the streets at full vampire speed with a number of oversized architecture drawings rolled up and shoved under his arms, he can’t without risking hurting other people.

So he has had to settle for walking very quickly and there being a deeply inconvenient crowd of people along the fastest route to get to the portal to the city. And now, additional indignity upon frustrations, a few of the drawings have escaped and rolled under foot.

The dhampir likes to have a level of professionalism for these sorts of meetings. Dirt on the back of them and potentially stepped on are very unprofessional.]

[preyed]

[ Sebille is in the city for the moment as well, freshly back from her own scouting and just finishing at a market stall. It's a bit of an old habit to just blend into the crowd and people watch, though she spends less time doing that and more looking for trouble - not the kind to get into but the kind to observe and catch information from.

The sort of trouble she finds is someone quite harried in the crowd, whom she doesn't immediately clock as Alucard until she gets a better look. And he's moving like a man on a mission, with plenty to carry. And she sees some slip out of his arms.

She's quick and nimble, slipping through the people to snatch up the rolled papers that have fallen. It's a flicker of movement, from not existing to suddenly being there, and she pulls the few that have fallen into her arms and heads after him. A few strides gets her quickly back to him, uncaring of the crowd as she nudges through. ]

In a rush?

[ No, she's not really capable of saying 'hello'. It's the best she can give. ]

[cryptsleeper]

--Slightly. It'd be helpful if my material didn't keep trying to escape.

[Alucard can hear Sebille but he does not turn towards her immediately. There are rolls that went this way and--

--Oh. She's gotten a few, hasn't she?]

How many did you grab?

[preyed]

I've gotten two. I didn't see--

[ As she's getting closer, she realizes just how many he has. It earns a quirk of her brow but as he's still trying to gather them up, it's probably not prudent to address the why just yet. ]

How many did you lose?

[ She's scanning the feet of the crowd again, looking quickly. ]

[cryptsleeper]

Two?

[Alucard takes a beat to calculate what's left.]

Three rolls then, some of them have smaller drawings tucked in. They wouldn't have escaped, at least--

[He needs to find better storage as well, but that is a problem for later Alucard.]

[preyed]

Three?

[ It's enough to go on. She takes another sweeping look and then moves, spotting one not far, though it hasn't gone so very far because part of the edge has been trampled on. And when picking it up, she spots the second, so that's easy enough to grab. Unfortunate, though, that this one is just as dusty, but it doesn't seem like anything inside the roll has gotten damaged.

Small mercies, she supposes. ]

Here, two others-- Where's the third, now?

[cryptsleeper]

[Her eyes are good. Better than Alucard's right now, the sheer annoyance of this happening overriding his usual skills.

There's an audible sigh of relief at finding two. And then from the corner of his eye--

--dangling over the gutter is a third drawing. Alucard swears softly and then gestures.]

There--!

[preyed]

[ There's no hesitation; the second he points it out, Sebille practically pounces, though it's...a very large leap, actually. Unnatural. It does cause a minor stir of people walking nearby as she just appears to them, she doesn't give them a moment of her time.

The page is caught, and she busies herself with trying to make sure it's not torn or too dirty as she heads back to Alucard. ]

There's the last.

[ And now he's really going to have his hands full. ]

I can carry some if you need. You looked in a hurry. [ And if he still has to get somewhere, well, she doesn't mind going along to aid him. Four hands are better than two, and all that. ] And you can tell me what they're for.

OPEN | Horizon (throughout November)

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard’s Horizon remains as it always has been, lost in November. There’s low sunlight coming through the clouds and mist swirls at the feet of those who enter. Frost clings to the colorful leaves that remain on the trees, and his recent experiments with crows have, thankfully, been replaced by gentle winds rustling.

The dhampir himself is not at the small cabin in the center, but instead squatting down beside a brook, eyes focused on what seems to be a small school of fish.]

I don’t recall adding you.

CLOSED | Thancred (start of November)

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard likes the galleries in Ikorr and has spent his time in the city of vampires focusing on their art and culture. He’s found a few he likes, and one or two he’s bought from over the past few months. And while he might offer to meet Thancred at one of those galleries, Alucard has instead opted for one of Ikorr’s night gardens.

They’re immaculate things, all glowing plants made to bend to the will of the gardener in certain areas and left fully wild in others. There is a glowing hedge maze with statues scattered throughout, and while Alucard has been through it a few times before (there are misty parts that gave him pause the first time he ventures through), he’s settled for meeting his friend near the wild meadow, where the plants are free to grow where they please.

It’s nice, looking out over it. One of them (Alucard isn’t sure who at this point) brought drinks in some enchanted vessel to keep liquids hot, and there’s an instinct to close his hands around the smaller mugs he brought along for this occasion.

Somehow, they’ve gotten to this topic. And while Alucard has been more than a little perturbed about the topic given the recent event of Eifstide and what Astarion had to pull him out of, well. Maybe articulating it all with more feeling and not a sad fact that he’s distanced himself from isn’t a bad idea.]

I think I said I owe you my own poor encounters with faith and religion last time I saw you, yes?

[funbreaker]

[ While Thancred would not be opposed to meeting in one of the art galleries — it is such a place where he and Alucard first met, after all — he does enjoy the night gardens. There is a peaceful quiet about them that affords them some more privacy. While the Night's Blessed did not have gardens quite like this, he finds the scenery and particularly this meadow still reminds him of them — of those who worshipped the night and the dark.

And perhaps that's precisely how the topic came up. Thancred described the Night's Blessed to Alucard, more to make conversation than anything else as they nursed their warm drinks, and that led them neatly back to where they left off in a different conversation.

Yes, he's been curious about Alucard's connection to faith and how it's burned him, but he's never been one to push or pry. If Alucard is willing to share now, then he would be honored to listen. ]

Aye, I remember. If you're willing to weave the tale for me, I certainly have the time to listen.

[ He watches as the glowing flowers sway gently in the breeze. The cold is starting to set it in and that's double for Nocwich, where there is never any sun, but he's come with a warm coat, insulated with animal fur. ]

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard appreciates the time they spend about the Night's Blessed. It makes this entire conversation easier, knowing that they are not simply drilling right down into it. And he likes the name. It's a kinder thing than the general term night world he applies as a short hand for the complex reality where his father's people and all manner of other things live.

He pauses to adjust the blanket he's brought along. There's a smaller joy in simply using one of the blankets he has bought from the Square ages ago. They get so little use in Cadens.

Weave. That gets a laugh.]

Unfortunately for you, I'm no born story teller. I can only recite facts as they happen, and in many cases, they're sad ones. [The opposite of a fun fact, really.] But to begin for context: on my home sphere, one faith is dominant above others at the time. The particulars of the theology are irrelevant right now, save for this point: they believe that those their faith identifies as witches should be killed. This church holds great sway with leaders, for kings believe in their divine right to rule is granted by the monotheistic God himself. A ruler needs the support of the church to maintain their crown, in many cases.

Any questions so far?

[funbreaker]

[ While Thancred may not have lived amongst the Night's Blessed in the way that Y'shtola did, he does find them fascinating all the same. To meet a people who looked at the darkness and saw something comforting had certainly challenged his own perceptions, but it made sense for a world where it was the light that had almost consumed them, and where constant daylight had been an oppressive force.

But that's neither here nor there. Thancred only shrugs when Alucard remarks on his inability as a storyteller. This doesn't need to be a pretty thing, especially when Thancred knows that they're digging into some unpleasant parts of Alucard's background. He can tell it however he wishes.

The explanation that follows might be little more than dry facts, but Thancred finds it interesting all the same, particularly how familiar it all sounds.

At the question, he shakes his head. ]

There is a place where I'm from called Ishgard, run by the Holy See as they call it, and historically their approach to their faith is quite similar to what you've described, up to and including labeling certain people heretics and hunting them down.

[ He briefly shuts his eyes and heaves out a sigh. It's always strange to realize how such specifics can persist across the stars.

He gestures toward Alucard with one hand as his eyes flick open. ] Go on.

[cryptsleeper]

Then you have a sense of what the environment is like.

[Alucard continues, hands adjusting their grip on his beverage.]

Wallachia, where I hail from, is similar to Solvunn in terms of advancements in technology. For contrast, the Free Cities are roughly what I grew up with in regards to technology. My father, long lived and inclined to invent, spent a few centuries innovating across any number of fields and was advanced in his knowledge.

My mother's eye was towards the future, even if where she lived was not. She sought my father out and demanded to learn science and technology, with an emphasis on medicine. It took some effort [no it didn't], but he agreed.

How would your Holy See interpret someone practicing medicine so advanced that it might seem like magic, where magic is a sign of heresy?

[funbreaker]

[ Thankfully Thancred isn't from Ishgard (he would be far, far more uptight if he was), but he's spent enough time there and heard enough stories from Himeka, Alphinaud, and Tataru to have a decent idea of what it would be like to live there. Namely, stuffy and unpleasant. While Aymeric may be doing his best to reform the church and improvements have already been pushed through, an entire culture doesn't change overnight.

That's all neither here nor there, however. Thancred continues to listen to the context Alucard provides. While he grew up somewhere that could be considered technologically primitive, his own situation had been different due to his father.

With the little that Thancred knows about dhampirs, he can fill in the blanks. His father the vampire, his mother the human, but brought together by their shared desire to improve the world.

At the question, Thancred's back straightens to attention, though he doesn't need to think long about the answer as he lets out a scoff. ]

Exile them at best, execute them at worst.

[ He sends Alucard a careful yet inquiring look. What had it been, for his mother? ]

[cryptsleeper]

[He nods in approval at the logical conclusions.]

Death by being burned alive at the stake, specifically.

[Which provides all of the answer needed. Alucard exhales very slowly, eyes focused on the landscape rather than Thancred.]

I don't know if the bishop that ordered her death genuinely believed in witchcraft or if he thought rooting out heretics would get him some personal advantage in his position in the church. It doesn't matter. She died alone with a crowd watching, believing this was what their god wanted. A god whose scripture focuses on compassion, justice, and reform.

[Finally, he takes a long, long sip of tea.]

So now we're even. And you know why I'd like to claw out of my own skin at the prospect of becoming some sort of deity.

[funbreaker]

[ Thancred's face twitches in sympathetic pain as he glances away for a moment. That's a hell of a way to go. It's unclear what age Alucard had been when this happened, but it didn't really matter, did it? It would be a traumatizing thing regardless.

It does give some context to why Alucard so strongly opposes the idea of slowly becoming a god. Granted, he would have good reason even without all the personal trauma to pull from, but this knowledge certainly explains just how much he reviles the idea. ]

... So it seems. And while I imagine it was some time ago now, I'm sorry for your loss, and for the fact that it was so senseless.

[ Loss was loss, mayhap, but knowing that it came about out of foolishness at worst and arrogance at best made it sting that much worse, and made the anger that stirred in one's chest that much more intense.

He lets out a long sigh, his breathing misting in the cold night air. ]

It is truly astounding what people will find ways to justify in the name of a god who preaches the exact opposite, isn't it?

[ Halone was perchance a bit more on the severe side, but nonetheless, so many sins had been carried out unjustly in her name. ]

CLOSED | Geralt (start of November)

[cryptsleeper]

[For all that Alucard loves the architecture and culture of Ikorr, he appreciates the contrast that Luna offers. Ikorr offers a looming sense of formality. Luna is warmer and welcoming, even if they keep some secrets to themselves. The dhampir knows both have their place, and the fact that the Square continues to thrive makes him wonder if full unification might happen one day.

So it made sense to ask Geralt about perhaps sniffing around to get a sense of the thoughts and feelings of each territory. Alucard had no problem lurking gallery openings (so many were now timed for the start of the month) and the fancier blood wine bars that seemed like natural gathering places for Certain Types of vampires. He had gotten everything he could, and now, well.

There is something comfortable about sitting on a log in front of a small fire along the shoreline, Sylvcres Island visible from the shoreline.]

That’s the sum of it, really. Ikorr is worried about the Feywilds taking advantage of the situation and some vampires have noticed more visitors from the Nether recently. More Lunae too. The main concern is economic though, as opening their doors to the world means that they are now more impacted as the world decides to behave as it is.

[gynvael]

[ These are rare circumstances, where Geralt finds himself seeking information in politics, though he can admit it is not as out of his purview as one might think for him to seek information in general. Contracts often take him to small villages and kingdoms with their own rumours and tales, and the answer to the town's monster problem usually lies in the men and women who reside there.

Besides, the wolves enjoy a good drink and a hearty meal, both things Geralt excels at. It's easy for him to talk to them. They remind him of his own people. Or the Skelligans. He gets along well with them, too.

Regardless, he now finds himself with Alucard, yet another drink in hand and a warm fire crackling nearby. ]

Found similar here. Though, the werewolves have been taking issue with Solvunn's reliance on their gods.

[cryptsleeper]

Oh, interesting. Ikorr never did not mention them, even in passing.

[Alucard exhales slowly, having forgone something boozy for tea.]

They do seem to be working together though, economics causing a need for a more aligned approach than they might otherwise require. I can't say I oppose that part.

[gynvael]

[ Geralt hums. ] Ikorr seems disinterested in what goes on in Solvunn.

[ It would make sense. The wolves are the ones who have close ties to Solvunn, no? As much as Geralt dislikes politics, he lives in the world and so his understanding of it is necessary. Besides, he's been curious about the werewolves most of all. They've been helpful and yet...

He wonders what they're getting out of it. Every kingdom wants something. ]

Were you able to speak to Sten again?

[cryptsleeper]

After what happened at their festival, I would have hoped they would take some interest. But if Luna is managing it, perhaps they're relying on the tenuous alliance they've formed to handle the communication instead.

[It is impossible to say.

There's a soft snort at the mention of Sten.]

Your twin? [It will never not be funny.] I'm afraid not, my energy has been entirely focused on Ikorr. At this rate though, I don't think I will find a friendly equivalent in Ikorr. Hardly surprising, but slightly disappointing.

[gynvael]

[ Geralt raises an eyebrow. He should like to think not every man with pale hair is deemed his twin. (The resemblance is there. He won't admit it, though.) ]

Your kind do like to keep to yourselves.

[ They're not precisely the same, but the Ikorran vampires remind Geralt of Alucard's breed, somewhat. Or his own Higher Vampires on the Continent. Far from the undead creatures that Louis claimed to be. ]

Perhaps you could endear them with your cloud of bats trick.

[cryptsleeper]

[It's also the vibes, Geralt. Sten is what you'd be if you didn't have to be a Witcher.]

No, not centuries old blood drinkers who need to invent their own entertainment and play mind games with each other! [The faux gasp ends with a laugh.] The air of mystery is sometimes all we have left. And I think I finally stopped being mysterious this year.

[Or at least way less depressed.]

I feel like it could backfire. Bat-fire?