No. But a wrinkly old lady who believes herself an altruist thought it would make the children in the park happy if they were given a chance to play with a live animal.
I told her that you could not pay me enough to have little hands tugging at my fur and pulling at my tail. More to the point: children should not be taught to play with wolves.
I mean I agree with the fact that kids shouldn't be taught to play with wolves, but the wrinkly old lady has a point. It'd be nice for them to get a little hands-on time with an animal.
Can you only turn into a wolf? There's no adorable little puppy option?
( Just gonna ignore the part about hands in his fur and tail, Mr. Cranky. )
[No, it isn't. But it's difficult to toss himself into the hands of complete strangers, kids or no, humoring them for their sake alone, just jaded enough to see it as an inconvenience; all the while, the other half of him knows that it is really no inconvenience at all, just a few minutes of his time. Some mote of happiness wrought from his presence.
Come on, I don't think you'll bite them. I do think that a little rough handling might make you cranky, though, and if I'm there I can help them to be gentle.
( Much as he enjoys their bickering, that seems like the perfect moment to leave Alucard on 'read'. He pockets his device, tosses a sleek military-style jacket over his shoulders, and steps out into the streets of Sumarlok to head for the park.
It's not somewhere he's visited before — Yuri has a soft spot for kids, but he generally has more important things to do with his time than humour them — but the location map makes the journey a breeze, and he arrives with his eyes peeled for some kind of cuddly blonde ...
Creature?
He doesn't doubt that Alucard is petty enough to ignore his request for a sweet little puppy, but he did say that he was going to play nicely enough with the kids. Fingers crossed none of them accidentally pull or poke at something sensitive — not that the idea isn't kind of funny, of course, but he really doesn't fancy being on the receiving end of one of Alucard's glares and a pointed 'I told you so'. )
[He’s taken the form of a creature, indeed, but there’s nothing blonde about him. He’s all dark brown fur and leathery wings, come flapping in like a leaf on the wind, and having clung to the branch of an overhead tree with is little taloned feet. As it stands, he spots the blurry shape of Yuri just below, dangling upside-down as he is, more through sound than sight. Pointed ears prick up (down) when he hears the tempo of that gait, the rustle of clothing’s fabric, perhaps even the timbre of his breathing below.
Alucard, having taken the form of a fuzzy little bat, squeaks at him.
Yes, he was waiting for Yuri before he decided to fling himself into the grasping hands of children. If he was so keen on seeing it, Alucard is almost certain he’s going to force him to participate in the activity itself — is it petty? Well, his mileage may vary, given the other’s eagerness to aid these children in the first place.]
[Usually, she wouldn't follow a customer out through their entrance, not without the golem, but in this case, Iona couldn't leave the old ailing woman behind and Oren wasn't there to advise her against it. With a basket of food and drink for her, she accompanied the old lady out the door and through the woods before stopping at the edge of where her village was. And when Iona turned back to the cafe, the door was gone which is NOt a thing that should happen.
Sure she panicked a little bit at first (okay, not just a little). Not even her clear card that helped locate the door seemed to pick up a sign of it in the immediate area. Now, the only step of action Iona could think up of was to magic herself up a cloak and cast an invisibility spell around herself; it's time for some recon.
Wandering through the village unseen, Iona is able to pick up some choice pieces of information from the chattering residents such as a church in disarray, monsters of all sorts that would terrorize the helpless populace (what's this about a vampire??). By the looks of things, this world's timeline was similar to a medieval period. More importantly, there was idle talk about a mysterious castle...
❂❂❂
A castle may not be subtle, but maybe she'd have better luck finding the Grind door around the exterior walls or some obscure corner. So she heads off in the general direction of the castle after discreetly asking about it at the local pub and disappearing before any of them picked up on her presence. The invisibility spell is lifted once she's away from the village.
It takes until late afternoon for her to finally see the looming architecture in the distance. But you know what else she sees in the distance right at the entrance? Iona's breath hitches and she feels her crystal arm tingle as it syncs up with her heartbeat.]
... Uh oh.
[Sure, if you wanted to keep people off your property you could have a sign or two. But whoever was living here really overdid it with the two impaled bodies of a man and woman on tall stakes planted to the ground. The blood on their bodies has dried out and their gored faces made the witch flinch and look away.]
Shit... Better just look around the sides then.
[And so the cloaked figure veers away from the dangerous-looking entrance quite set on not staying for long...]
[It’s hard to say how long the bodies have been there at this point, or what they even looked like, their faces long deteriorated from rot. But in the disgust and dread wrought by that uncertainty, they fulfill their purpose: they act as signposts, as warnings, as he had told himself — beware, turn away.
Abandon hope ye who enter here.
The meaning, beyond that, is clear. The lord of this castle wants visitors no longer, and he will not tolerate their presence brought upon him, and send them out in violent rejection for their trespass. That, he is certain of; that, he must see through to its end, else he might suffer another instance of betrayal, one that he might not survive for a second time. His heart may never forgive him for it.
He reminds himself of this as he watches a form meander about the perimeter of the castle, having long leapt up into the covered darkness of a tree, crouched silently with a narrowed gaze. An abandoned picnic basket remains seated at the base of the trunk below, forgotten in his haste to learn who this stranger is — it isn’t a woman he recognizes, but that is not surprising. There are few he would know beyond the faces of his friends, long departed, and often those from the villages just beyond the thick barrier of forests know to leave the distant castle, its silhouette biting into the horizon, well enough alone.
Frowning, he watches. He assesses. He assumes that it would simple enough to scare her away, but maybe she’ll garner enough sense on her own, and seek her refuge elsewhere.]
[She's whistling a tune under her breath, trying to get the thought of the long-dead people in the front out of her head (although maybe Twisted Nerve wasn't the best for said nerves). Iona takes a deep gulp and exhales heavily; the sight did affect her more than she realized because it brought about memories from long ago, but... Yeah, no. There's no use dwelling on them, not when she has to focus on taking care of herself and getting back to Oren.
Feeling a bit sweaty and certain that there's no one around to ogle at her, the hood of her cloak is pulled back and she looks at the blank wall on the side she's moved to while running a hand through her hair.]
Alright. First thing's first, let's try the card again. [From her sleeve, she pulls out the clear card, the locater for the cafe's door. Her right arm is giving a prickling sensation once again and she frowns, slapping it with her opposite hand.
There's a brief crystalline glimmer as she does so.]
Yes, yes, I get it, probably something magical or leftovers of magical elements. I wish you'd stop itching!
[And so she focuses on holding out the locater to the wall and then turning in a circle to see if it would appear somewhere else, perhaps at the base of some tree trunk? Oh. Huh. Picnic basket.
Iona blinks and puts the card down to go over and examine it.]
So someone does live here?
[Frowning she squats down to see if there's anything left inside.]
Not sure how anyone can eat near the stunning view at the front, but I've served weirder people I guess...
[But if the basket was here and assuming there was someone around, why would they leave it behind unless...?
Iona puckers her cheeks. She's ready to admit that she's not one with much finesse, but Oren's taught her enough about being cautious when she's by herself and he isn't there to back her up. She glances back and forth and behind her.
[He watches as she mutters to herself, utilizing a card and seeking something that Alucard cannot quite decipher. He hopes that she has sense enough to leave, but proof of his existence is hard to miss when she turns her attention towards the base of that tree. The dhampir frowns.
And then Iona yells.
He doesn’t so much as react, beyond the twisting of his features into a frown, an almost-cringe. Alucard hisses air through his teeth, frustrated at her apparent brazenness, unwilling to trust that she’s up to any good, and with that—
Well, he won’t say “what”. He’ll merely leap down as quiet as a shadow, landing on his feet directly behind her. Reaching out, he extends a hand as though calling forth something hidden.]
You—
[And from behind the tree, a glimmer of silver. A shine of something sharp. A slender sword levitates, twists in the air hilt-first, and flies directly into Alucard’s waiting hand. He angles the blade at the woman’s throat.]
[The sound of metal rings in her ear as Iona leaps up from her squatting position, turns around, and is met with a thin sword at her throat. Her brown eyes are wide at this turn of events and her hands fly up automatically in surrender.]
Whoawhoawhoawhoa...!! H-Hey, you could have gone along with the joke before pointing that at me?
[The first thing that comes to mind is to grab the blade and bend it before it slashes her or impales her in the torso. Depending on who or what she's dealing with here, the sword may not be the only trick up this man's sleeve. The witch tries to register his appearance first, quickly scanning him; pale skin, pale hair and eyes, tall, and looking very menacing.]
Ore—...! Ah. Wait a minute.
[She did it again. Iona takes a deep breath to calm herself even if her heart can be heard thumping against her chest; she is alone and has to deal with this alone. She straightens herself up and puts her arms down by her side to look straight at Alucard.]
[He's certainly caught her off-guard, hopefully sending fear careening through those veins. Might be enough to scare her off, because despite himself, Alucard does not want to use this steel to pierce the soft flesh of her neck. Not unless it is absolutely necessary.
Gold-yellow eyes narrow, his teeth a flash of white as he exhibits his scowl.]
And who says I shall be generous enough to humor questions from trespassers?
[Though he's not cutting out her tongue or anything like that; Iona can decide if she wants to ask away.]
[My what, big teeth you have— Well, as much as she would like to banter back with this gentleman, Iona figures that she better stand up for herself first.
This is why she reaches for the blade, wrapping her hand around the pointed end.]
First of all...
[And she... Gently? Yes, gently pushes the sword downwards so it's away from her throat. Notably, no blood has been drawn from her palm and despite the casualness of her movement, there is way too much physical strength behind it.]
Please don't point this at me.
Second, I'm actually trying to find my way out believe it or not. Know anything about magic doors?
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memoriams) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
finalflight2021-02-10 12:00 pm
dumb noctium stuff
Are you of the baffling opinion that children should play near large predators such as wolves?
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What exactly got you thinking about that, anyway? Is this just what you ponder in your free time?
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I told her that you could not pay me enough to have little hands tugging at my fur and pulling at my tail. More to the point: children should not be taught to play with wolves.
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Can you only turn into a wolf? There's no adorable little puppy option?
( Just gonna ignore the part about hands in his fur and tail, Mr. Cranky. )
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Yes, instead I will choose the option that invites thrice as much manhandling.
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I messaged you so you might agree with me. Not so that you could try to enable me into this inanity. Your bleeding heart is showing.
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He lets five whole minutes pass.]
Fine. No more than a few minutes.
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However, don't doubt that I am opting for something small, soft, and furry, nonetheless.
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Have a little faith, yeah?
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But if you insist.
[A location is sent!]
You, however, are not a child, so if you try to fondle me, I may bite.
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I'll be there soon.
And please, you should be so lucky. It'll take more than you showing up all cute and furry to get me to fondle you.
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But at least he deigns to send a couple more messages or so before he doesn’t have proper thumbs any longer.]
You’re the one who wants to hold me. You said so yourself.
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( Much as he enjoys their bickering, that seems like the perfect moment to leave Alucard on 'read'. He pockets his device, tosses a sleek military-style jacket over his shoulders, and steps out into the streets of Sumarlok to head for the park.
It's not somewhere he's visited before — Yuri has a soft spot for kids, but he generally has more important things to do with his time than humour them — but the location map makes the journey a breeze, and he arrives with his eyes peeled for some kind of cuddly blonde ...
Creature?
He doesn't doubt that Alucard is petty enough to ignore his request for a sweet little puppy, but he did say that he was going to play nicely enough with the kids. Fingers crossed none of them accidentally pull or poke at something sensitive — not that the idea isn't kind of funny, of course, but he really doesn't fancy being on the receiving end of one of Alucard's glares and a pointed 'I told you so'. )
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Alucard, having taken the form of a fuzzy little bat, squeaks at him.
Yes, he was waiting for Yuri before he decided to fling himself into the grasping hands of children. If he was so keen on seeing it, Alucard is almost certain he’s going to force him to participate in the activity itself — is it petty? Well, his mileage may vary, given the other’s eagerness to aid these children in the first place.]
𝕓𝕖𝕗𝕠𝕣𝕖 𝕞𝕚𝕕𝕟𝕚𝕘𝕙𝕥 𝕤𝕥𝕣𝕚𝕜𝕖𝕤
Sure she panicked a little bit at first (okay, not just a little). Not even her clear card that helped locate the door seemed to pick up a sign of it in the immediate area. Now, the only step of action Iona could think up of was to magic herself up a cloak and cast an invisibility spell around herself; it's time for some recon.
Wandering through the village unseen, Iona is able to pick up some choice pieces of information from the chattering residents such as a church in disarray, monsters of all sorts that would terrorize the helpless populace (what's this about a vampire??). By the looks of things, this world's timeline was similar to a medieval period. More importantly, there was idle talk about a mysterious castle...
A castle may not be subtle, but maybe she'd have better luck finding the Grind door around the exterior walls or some obscure corner. So she heads off in the general direction of the castle after discreetly asking about it at the local pub and disappearing before any of them picked up on her presence. The invisibility spell is lifted once she's away from the village.
It takes until late afternoon for her to finally see the looming architecture in the distance. But you know what else she sees in the distance right at the entrance? Iona's breath hitches and she feels her crystal arm tingle as it syncs up with her heartbeat.]
... Uh oh.
[Sure, if you wanted to keep people off your property you could have a sign or two. But whoever was living here really overdid it with the two impaled bodies of a man and woman on tall stakes planted to the ground. The blood on their bodies has dried out and their gored faces made the witch flinch and look away.]
Shit... Better just look around the sides then.
[And so the cloaked figure veers away from the dangerous-looking entrance quite set on not staying for long...]
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Abandon hope ye who enter here.
The meaning, beyond that, is clear. The lord of this castle wants visitors no longer, and he will not tolerate their presence brought upon him, and send them out in violent rejection for their trespass. That, he is certain of; that, he must see through to its end, else he might suffer another instance of betrayal, one that he might not survive for a second time. His heart may never forgive him for it.
He reminds himself of this as he watches a form meander about the perimeter of the castle, having long leapt up into the covered darkness of a tree, crouched silently with a narrowed gaze. An abandoned picnic basket remains seated at the base of the trunk below, forgotten in his haste to learn who this stranger is — it isn’t a woman he recognizes, but that is not surprising. There are few he would know beyond the faces of his friends, long departed, and often those from the villages just beyond the thick barrier of forests know to leave the distant castle, its silhouette biting into the horizon, well enough alone.
Frowning, he watches. He assesses. He assumes that it would simple enough to scare her away, but maybe she’ll garner enough sense on her own, and seek her refuge elsewhere.]
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Feeling a bit sweaty and certain that there's no one around to ogle at her, the hood of her cloak is pulled back and she looks at the blank wall on the side she's moved to while running a hand through her hair.]
Alright. First thing's first, let's try the card again. [From her sleeve, she pulls out the clear card, the locater for the cafe's door. Her right arm is giving a prickling sensation once again and she frowns, slapping it with her opposite hand.
There's a brief crystalline glimmer as she does so.]
Yes, yes, I get it, probably something magical or leftovers of magical elements. I wish you'd stop itching!
[And so she focuses on holding out the locater to the wall and then turning in a circle to see if it would appear somewhere else, perhaps at the base of some tree trunk? Oh. Huh. Picnic basket.
Iona blinks and puts the card down to go over and examine it.]
So someone does live here?
[Frowning she squats down to see if there's anything left inside.]
Not sure how anyone can eat near the stunning view at the front, but I've served weirder people I guess...
[But if the basket was here and assuming there was someone around, why would they leave it behind unless...?
Iona puckers her cheeks. She's ready to admit that she's not one with much finesse, but Oren's taught her enough about being cautious when she's by herself and he isn't there to back her up. She glances back and forth and behind her.
Holding one hand up to her face, suddenly...]
LOSER SAYS, "WHAT!"
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And then Iona yells.
He doesn’t so much as react, beyond the twisting of his features into a frown, an almost-cringe. Alucard hisses air through his teeth, frustrated at her apparent brazenness, unwilling to trust that she’s up to any good, and with that—
Well, he won’t say “what”. He’ll merely leap down as quiet as a shadow, landing on his feet directly behind her. Reaching out, he extends a hand as though calling forth something hidden.]
You—
[And from behind the tree, a glimmer of silver. A shine of something sharp. A slender sword levitates, twists in the air hilt-first, and flies directly into Alucard’s waiting hand. He angles the blade at the woman’s throat.]
—are not welcome here.
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[The sound of metal rings in her ear as Iona leaps up from her squatting position, turns around, and is met with a thin sword at her throat. Her brown eyes are wide at this turn of events and her hands fly up automatically in surrender.]
Whoawhoawhoawhoa...!! H-Hey, you could have gone along with the joke before pointing that at me?
[The first thing that comes to mind is to grab the blade and bend it before it slashes her or impales her in the torso. Depending on who or what she's dealing with here, the sword may not be the only trick up this man's sleeve. The witch tries to register his appearance first, quickly scanning him; pale skin, pale hair and eyes, tall, and looking very menacing.]
Ore—...! Ah. Wait a minute.
[She did it again. Iona takes a deep breath to calm herself even if her heart can be heard thumping against her chest; she is alone and has to deal with this alone. She straightens herself up and puts her arms down by her side to look straight at Alucard.]
Quick question before you try to stab me though?
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Gold-yellow eyes narrow, his teeth a flash of white as he exhibits his scowl.]
And who says I shall be generous enough to humor questions from trespassers?
[Though he's not cutting out her tongue or anything like that; Iona can decide if she wants to ask away.]
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This is why she reaches for the blade, wrapping her hand around the pointed end.]
First of all...
[And she... Gently? Yes, gently pushes the sword downwards so it's away from her throat. Notably, no blood has been drawn from her palm and despite the casualness of her movement, there is way too much physical strength behind it.]
Please don't point this at me.
Second, I'm actually trying to find my way out believe it or not. Know anything about magic doors?