[He said brides. Plural. Meaning more than one. Did that mean he had married more than once? Or did it mean he had many brides all at once? Hm...interesting.
It makes her think of her own marriageless state and the way she'd been told year after year that she needed a bridegroom, that Solomon or Amshel would find one for her. They had, to their credit, and she'd been pleased, but that never came to fruition since she ended up here. As her eyes run over Alucard as he sits she can't help but think of little Alexei who had wanted to make her his queen. More than just a Chiropteran queen, but an actual one.
But Saya had put an end to that rather quickly as well.]
Yes please.
[Her voice holds a little less cheer to it as she brushes her hair out of the way to make it easier to get at the back zipper.]
You're lucky to have had many. I haven't even had one bridegroom yet.
[ well... both. he's had five, after all--six, if you count lucy. seven, if you count his platonic partnership with integra. still, he's so old, it's fine.
alucard shifts behind her, deftly unzipping her dress and letting his fingers lightly trace along her spine. it's affectionate, gentle, and he hums softly in response to her comment. ]
They're all dead, now.
[ softly. but then: ]
I've been lucky, but I'm also far older than you. Six hundred is a big number.
[ his fingers toy with the ends of her hair, idle. ]
[There's no shyness out of her as he undresses her, nor does she mind the touch to her spine or the way he toys with her hair. It's nice to feel him in such a small, simple way, as she focuses on what he tells her.
They're all dead. Tragic. Who knows whether they had been turned and killed off later on or if he'd kept them human (she's honestly assuming the former) but in the end it doesn't matter. They died. That's what she needs to take away from this.]
I'm nearly two hundred though. I'm supposed to have one.
[ he's gentle with her, as he slips it off her shoulders. he'll let her step out of it herself, but he'll hold onto her hand as well so she keeps her balance as she does. no tripping over dresses here, anyway.
both, really: his two wives when he was human died human, his three brides as dracula died turned. lucy died turned. now he's alone, but he deserves it for his selfishness.
he smiles. ]
Says who? Other people don't define you. You do. Be yourself first, be beholden to someone else after and only if you want it. You have forever, after all. You're also barely into your second century, don't inflate your age.
[ it's gentle, but he means it. leaning forward, he presses a kiss to the jut of her shoulder blade. ]
[Says her Chevalier, she's going to say, but she stays quiet for a moment instead, letting her eyes close briefly at the kiss she's given. Other people don't define her, no, but they do ultimately control her. She needs others to survive, quite literally. While Diva may be incredibly powerful, she's well aware of her weaknesses and flaws.]
But I want someone to be beholden to me.
[Even she can wish for a happily ever after and while that may not be the immediate goal of obtaining a bridegroom (making a baby was, thanks Amshel) that didn't mean it couldn't be what followed.]
You have to find the right person, first. When I was human, I grew to love my wives eventually, but it started out political. With the rest, I took them selfishly and loved them later. Find that emotion first. Don't make my same mistakes.
[ he strokes her hair in earnest now, soothing: he understands not wanting to be alone, but he also deeply understands the ramifications of only being with someone to not be lonely. ]
[It sounds complicated. Way harder than she expected it might be...but even Diva isn't that daft. She knows love isn't easy to come by - she's never had anyone truly love her in all the years she's been alive.
[ he turns her to face him, drawing her close and pressing another kiss to her shoulder. ]
You're charming, and inventive, and passionate. People are drawn to that. All different sorts of people. What you need is to find someone that will treat you how you deserve. It's difficult, but possible. You've had a hard life, and now things are different. You can't base your future off your past.
[Is she really all these things or is it just lip service she's being paid right now? Then again does it really matter? She'll take what she can get, just like she has all these years. He kisses her now bare shoulder and she lets him, fingers rising to curl into the fabric of his shirt. She wants to believe it's possible even if her brain is screaming at her that it's foolish to think it's true.
Anyway, she shouldn't worry herself over such things right now. Not when she's more or less undressed in a dressing room, waiting to be stuck in a new garment for the man now cradling her.]
[ alucard doesn't pay lip service. he speaks honestly, always, and will never lie to her. he presses a kiss to the crown of her head too, with a soft hum. he'll keep telling her so too, as necessary, because he knows what it's like to feel unlovable.
his mouth quirks slightly at her comment, and he speaks truthfully: ]
It doesn't matter what's on the outside. Today's meant to be fun, though, so let's have a little.
[ he sits back, carefully taking the dress off the hanger and working at the layers so that he can help her into it. ]
[But it does matter, or so she thinks, if only a little bit. People judged based on appearances, after all, and if those fangs of hers made people not want to be around her, then it mattered. Not that she'd ever change what she was for anyone but still.]
Mm, you're right.
[So she'll just take the opportunity to move to step into the new dress once it's held out for her to get into, enjoying the contrast of light blue against her pale, milky skin already.]
[ alucard hold her steady as she steps into the dress before he pulls it up to allow her arms to go in the sleeves, settling it on her properly so that he can slowly fasten up the back of it. his fingertips brush her skin as he does, trailing her spine.
once that's done he makes sure her hair isn't stuck in any of it, gently pulling it out of the way before leaning over to grab the petticoat too, holding it level for her to step into so he can help her finish up and get the full effect of the skirt. ]
[The touch of his fingertips tickle but it's a pleasant sort of sensation. She likes the contact, likes to have other people's hands on her. It's that desire to be coveted that she has, after all, to be made to feel like a precious treasure. Stepping into the petticoat and having the skirt smoothed down atop it, she's left standing for Alucard to take in the full effect of the put together outfit.
There's a bit of a hum out of her as she swishes her hips, patting at the skirt to appreciate the full volume of it.]
[ and alucard is good at being covetous, isn't he? it's one of his vices, his bad habits, to want to possess all that he cares for. and he does care for her, in his own way. emotions are strange and tremulous for him but he wants her to be comfortable, wants her to be happy. let this be a happy thing: he sits back when she's dressed, looking her over before he leans close with one of those sickle-smiles he's so good at. ]
I'm glad. You look just as lovely as always.
[ he turns his head to steal a swift little kiss from her mouth: it's the first time he'll have kissed her like that, in any way other than doting parental affection. but here he is, letting his lips brush across hers in a way that allows her to take it as she pleases. ]
[Is she always lovely? She'd like to think so, but even she has moments where she doubts it. She's been called angelic just as often as she's been seen as a demon - who was to say both couldn't be lovely in their own right?
She's not expecting a kiss, not on the lips anyway, but even though she's caught off guard she's not bothered by it. Instead she's following the contact, trying to lean up into it, pushing forward on her tiptoes. If this is the affection he wants to give her she's not going to turn away from it.]
[ alucard smiles into the kiss, hands fluttering to rest at her waist and lift her a bit so she's closer to him as he lets the affection deepen slightly. he's ravenous at heart and she's given him an excuse to take more so he does, nipping at her lower lip before shifting to idle a kiss to her jaw with a hum. ]
I'd apologize, but you don't seem to mind.
[ for the kiss, he means. to emphasize, he kisses her again, deeper, searching. a bit of give and take. one hand shifts, pressing to the small of her back. ]
[She doesn't mind, not at all, and while his advances were unexpected they're not unwanted. She finds herself melting in his grasp, back arching as he presses his broad palm against her. It's easy to fall into the kiss, to push back with an equal amount of desire. She's still a little sloppy when it comes to kissing, her fangs get in the way more often than she'd like them to, and so they graze lips as she tilts her head and opens her mouth wider, welcoming him.]
[ he doesn't mind sloppy, not in the least. he also doesn't mind fangs, and he tilts into the kiss a little more, nipping again before he pulls back with a sly grin. he's still sitting, so it's easy enough to pull her onto him, make her rest atop his lap. the dress is a bit cumbersome, but it's cute enough that he doesn't mind it.
his mouth drops to her neck, teeth grazing playfully but not biting down. ]
You're very sweet, Diva. Don't let anyone make you think differently.
[It's true she has a sweet side and can be quite darling, but even she's aware of how sadistic she can be. It's that side of her that has her being labeled a monster, a demon, a creature that should've never been born.
It's hard to think otherwise sometimes, at least when that's all you were told from birth for half a century.
She hums with delight as she feels his teeth scrape, letting her head flop to the side. His lap is broad enough and she's petite enough that despite her frills being hefty she fits well enough. Dainty arms slide over his shoulders, resting lightly atop.]
[ alucard doesn't mind either side of her, but he's biased. he has his own sadism, and likes to think it's charming even when it's cruel. maybe it is, in a way.
he nips properly after her head tips, long drag of sharp incisor following after. he does want to bite down, because he always does, but he's behaving. ]
On top of that, no matter what anyone might say, you always have the right to exist. Don't let people dictate what space you take up. It's yours, so exist in it.
[ it's a pep talk he could use himself really, but it's good that he's making it clear for her.
one of his hands drops to rest at her leg, starting at her knee and lightly sliding upward beneath the fabric encasing her. ]
[She can't help but shudder at the feeling of teeth, the sharp caress leaving her feeling tingly. They're words she wants to hear, words part of her needs to hear, even if her own convictions about her right to live in the world are quite strong. If they weren't she wouldn't have survived and endured this long.]
You know...it's funny...
[She starts, a small smile on her lips as her eyelids flutter shut, a pleased hum slipping her as she feels his hand on her leg.]
They say that we're all God's creatures, but then act as if Chiropterans don't deserve to live at all. Humans are hypocrites.
[And she hates them for it, truly, even if she's begun to see them slowly in a different light, more than just dinner and warm bodies to fuck.]
Things like that are often a little funny. Humans are hypocrites, but everyone is to an extent. No one is perfect, and we all make decisions for our own benefit before that of others. There's a reason that people that act otherwise become martyrs or saints.
[ his mouth dips to her throat as his hand drifts higher, fingertips squeezing down on pale skin as he runs his tongue along the hollow of her throat. ]
Humans act through fear. They fear you, so they don't want you near. It's simple.
[Her own fingers curl and squeeze what they can grab as she wriggles a bit in place, unable to help but giggle at the sensation of his tongue ghosting against her throat.]
I'm not so scary. [Actually Diva, you're fucking horrifying when you want to be.] They make me scary.
[ he nips again to emphasize before sealing his mouth over the skin to give a lazy suck. not enough to mar or bruise, but enough to leave a little pleasant soreness behind. ]
They fear what you are most of all. Humans in particular fear what they don't understand.
[Even if he tried to leave a mark it'd fade right before his eyes. Her ability to heal and regenerate is obnoxiously quick. Sadly no lasting hickeys for Diva.]
Well they never tried to understand me...not even my own twin tried to.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[He said brides. Plural. Meaning more than one. Did that mean he had married more than once? Or did it mean he had many brides all at once? Hm...interesting.
It makes her think of her own marriageless state and the way she'd been told year after year that she needed a bridegroom, that Solomon or Amshel would find one for her. They had, to their credit, and she'd been pleased, but that never came to fruition since she ended up here. As her eyes run over Alucard as he sits she can't help but think of little Alexei who had wanted to make her his queen. More than just a Chiropteran queen, but an actual one.
But Saya had put an end to that rather quickly as well.]
Yes please.
[Her voice holds a little less cheer to it as she brushes her hair out of the way to make it easier to get at the back zipper.]
You're lucky to have had many. I haven't even had one bridegroom yet.
no subject
alucard shifts behind her, deftly unzipping her dress and letting his fingers lightly trace along her spine. it's affectionate, gentle, and he hums softly in response to her comment. ]
They're all dead, now.
[ softly. but then: ]
I've been lucky, but I'm also far older than you. Six hundred is a big number.
[ his fingers toy with the ends of her hair, idle. ]
no subject
They're all dead. Tragic. Who knows whether they had been turned and killed off later on or if he'd kept them human (she's honestly assuming the former) but in the end it doesn't matter. They died. That's what she needs to take away from this.]
I'm nearly two hundred though. I'm supposed to have one.
[Because it's been drilled into her.]
no subject
both, really: his two wives when he was human died human, his three brides as dracula died turned. lucy died turned. now he's alone, but he deserves it for his selfishness.
he smiles. ]
Says who? Other people don't define you. You do. Be yourself first, be beholden to someone else after and only if you want it. You have forever, after all. You're also barely into your second century, don't inflate your age.
[ it's gentle, but he means it. leaning forward, he presses a kiss to the jut of her shoulder blade. ]
no subject
But I want someone to be beholden to me.
[Even she can wish for a happily ever after and while that may not be the immediate goal of obtaining a bridegroom (making a baby was, thanks Amshel) that didn't mean it couldn't be what followed.]
no subject
[ he strokes her hair in earnest now, soothing: he understands not wanting to be alone, but he also deeply understands the ramifications of only being with someone to not be lonely. ]
no subject
She's really souring the mood here, isn't she?]
Mm...I don't think I'm lovable.
no subject
[ he turns her to face him, drawing her close and pressing another kiss to her shoulder. ]
You're charming, and inventive, and passionate. People are drawn to that. All different sorts of people. What you need is to find someone that will treat you how you deserve. It's difficult, but possible. You've had a hard life, and now things are different. You can't base your future off your past.
no subject
Anyway, she shouldn't worry herself over such things right now. Not when she's more or less undressed in a dressing room, waiting to be stuck in a new garment for the man now cradling her.]
Maybe I'll be even more lovable in a new dress.
no subject
his mouth quirks slightly at her comment, and he speaks truthfully: ]
It doesn't matter what's on the outside. Today's meant to be fun, though, so let's have a little.
[ he sits back, carefully taking the dress off the hanger and working at the layers so that he can help her into it. ]
no subject
Mm, you're right.
[So she'll just take the opportunity to move to step into the new dress once it's held out for her to get into, enjoying the contrast of light blue against her pale, milky skin already.]
no subject
once that's done he makes sure her hair isn't stuck in any of it, gently pulling it out of the way before leaning over to grab the petticoat too, holding it level for her to step into so he can help her finish up and get the full effect of the skirt. ]
It already looks nice.
no subject
There's a bit of a hum out of her as she swishes her hips, patting at the skirt to appreciate the full volume of it.]
Do you think? It's quite comfy.
no subject
I'm glad. You look just as lovely as always.
[ he turns his head to steal a swift little kiss from her mouth: it's the first time he'll have kissed her like that, in any way other than doting parental affection. but here he is, letting his lips brush across hers in a way that allows her to take it as she pleases. ]
no subject
She's not expecting a kiss, not on the lips anyway, but even though she's caught off guard she's not bothered by it. Instead she's following the contact, trying to lean up into it, pushing forward on her tiptoes. If this is the affection he wants to give her she's not going to turn away from it.]
no subject
I'd apologize, but you don't seem to mind.
[ for the kiss, he means. to emphasize, he kisses her again, deeper, searching. a bit of give and take. one hand shifts, pressing to the small of her back. ]
no subject
[She doesn't mind, not at all, and while his advances were unexpected they're not unwanted. She finds herself melting in his grasp, back arching as he presses his broad palm against her. It's easy to fall into the kiss, to push back with an equal amount of desire. She's still a little sloppy when it comes to kissing, her fangs get in the way more often than she'd like them to, and so they graze lips as she tilts her head and opens her mouth wider, welcoming him.]
no subject
his mouth drops to her neck, teeth grazing playfully but not biting down. ]
You're very sweet, Diva. Don't let anyone make you think differently.
no subject
It's hard to think otherwise sometimes, at least when that's all you were told from birth for half a century.
She hums with delight as she feels his teeth scrape, letting her head flop to the side. His lap is broad enough and she's petite enough that despite her frills being hefty she fits well enough. Dainty arms slide over his shoulders, resting lightly atop.]
Many would say otherwise...but I'll try.
no subject
he nips properly after her head tips, long drag of sharp incisor following after. he does want to bite down, because he always does, but he's behaving. ]
On top of that, no matter what anyone might say, you always have the right to exist. Don't let people dictate what space you take up. It's yours, so exist in it.
[ it's a pep talk he could use himself really, but it's good that he's making it clear for her.
one of his hands drops to rest at her leg, starting at her knee and lightly sliding upward beneath the fabric encasing her. ]
no subject
You know...it's funny...
[She starts, a small smile on her lips as her eyelids flutter shut, a pleased hum slipping her as she feels his hand on her leg.]
They say that we're all God's creatures, but then act as if Chiropterans don't deserve to live at all. Humans are hypocrites.
[And she hates them for it, truly, even if she's begun to see them slowly in a different light, more than just dinner and warm bodies to fuck.]
no subject
[ his mouth dips to her throat as his hand drifts higher, fingertips squeezing down on pale skin as he runs his tongue along the hollow of her throat. ]
Humans act through fear. They fear you, so they don't want you near. It's simple.
no subject
I'm not so scary. [Actually Diva, you're fucking horrifying when you want to be.] They make me scary.
no subject
[ he nips again to emphasize before sealing his mouth over the skin to give a lazy suck. not enough to mar or bruise, but enough to leave a little pleasant soreness behind. ]
They fear what you are most of all. Humans in particular fear what they don't understand.
no subject
[Even if he tried to leave a mark it'd fade right before his eyes. Her ability to heal and regenerate is obnoxiously quick. Sadly no lasting hickeys for Diva.]
Well they never tried to understand me...not even my own twin tried to.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)