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[draculabutbackwards]

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[draculabutbackwards]

[Adrian doesn't watch the network all that closely, the habit too dependent on an urge to know what other people are up to that he sort of lacks. He's only just noticed and is considering his options when there's a knock at the door. Given the only people likely to come here normally would just barge in, he's not surprised to open it and find Hunter. Was hoping for a bit more leeway. But fine.

The door is next to Dracula's in space and in silly ornate nonsense, but the room beyond isn't a cozy study but an enormous stone vault, mostly empty and rather grim.]

Well, no one would ever doubt your efficiency. I'd invite you in, but there's really just the coffin to sit on. Common room, library, your choice.

[He'd rather Hunter not feel like his territory's being invaded or his choices limited right from the get-go.]

[badbutsad]

The common room's fine. [But he's not particularly subtle about glancing past Adrian into his room, before he steps back to give his warden space to leave.] Just a coffin, seriously?

[draculabutbackwards]

Evidence of the admiral's sense of humor? It's functional, and I don't think Belmont notices whether he's sleeping on a floor or not, so no harm done.

[Keep telling yourself that, Adrian.]

[badbutsad]

[Hunter looks unimpressed.]

Even pets have actual beds. Beasts of burden have stables and bedding.

[draculabutbackwards]

He generally comes dragging something along. He spent a few weeks in my dead father's looted clothes, so.

[Here, Adrian is not trying to be obtuse. He shifted the subject to Trevor, so obviously that's who Hunter was talking about. It doesn't help that Lucy does indeed sleep in the coffin with Adrian sometimes.]

[badbutsad]

[He'd definitely wondered about that, so now he was just curious about Adrian.]

So it's just you who's sleeping worse than a ratworm.

[draculabutbackwards]

I actually sleep rather better in the coffin than a bed.

[badbutsad]

[His eyes narrow, just a little and entirely from curiosity.]

Is that, like. A vampire thing?

[draculabutbackwards]

Not unheard of, but not common. And I'm not really a vampire, anyway.

[badbutsad]

Oh.

[Huh.]

What are you, then?

[draculabutbackwards]

[And we have dismissed the subject of why the fuck the coffin is there, and why he'd be sleeping in it. Success.]

Approximately half, though there's a good bit of alchemical experimentation in my makeup, too. Mother was a perfectly ordinary human, and I don't do the blood thing.

[badbutsad]

So humans and vampires aren't normally able to breed?

[Is this really the better deflection, Adrian? Because now he's wondering about the specifics of your parentage.]

Dracula's humanoid, I would've assumed there wouldn't be any difficulties in that regard.

[draculabutbackwards]

Vampires are just magically altered humans, actually. The trouble is they're also dead.

[Adrian's conception: Awkward but of some mild scientific and magic interest. The reasons he ever slept in a coffin in the first place and the reason he'd rather stay that way than not: Horrifying and his problem, not his inmate's.]

[badbutsad]

[Yeah the fact that he came here to discuss his wardenship expectations has been completely forgotten in the thrill of new and exciting information.]

Would they be altered before or after their deaths? There's not a lot of magic performed with dead people, it's been considered taboo for as long as witches have been able to use magic.

[draculabutbackwards]

[Adrian is no better. He'll remember eventually, but here? Here is a chance to be pedantic.]

In the process, is my understanding, though I think there's more than one tradition. It's certainly not considered pleasant by human magicians, either, but they're not a set of people vampires are terribly interested in consulting.

[badbutsad]

Trevor mentioned you guys had a human magician travelling with you. [And he hates the phrase, it just feels weird.] He was asking loads of questions about magic in my world in case she ever showed up.

[draculabutbackwards]

Fuck, I hope she does. No one else can keep Trevor in line.

[He's kidding. Only not.]

But yes, should she, you'll probably be interrogated at length. Sypha's a proper magician. I know the basics, but my approach has been unavoidably confined to the practical lately.

[badbutsad]

Most of my knowledge is theoretical at this point, anyway. It's not like I can use magic here without the staff your dad gave me.

[Because inmates can't use magic. Obviously. Not because he doesn't have any.]

[draculabutbackwards]

[Which Adrian is entirely willing to believe--he's simply not very good at duplicity--but which also tells him to immediately go diving for a solution.]

Not innately, perhaps, but most proper magic from where I'm from is a matter of skill, not power.

[He'd be surprised if Father hadn't at least touched on this.]

It really is a pity we don't have Sypha. She'd probably be a better teacher than I would. But we can give some basics a look.

[badbutsad]

For my realm it's both. You need to have the innate capacity, the right organs, and actual training. Most prestigious schools require that you know a few spell circles already before you're allowed to apply.

[And despite himself there's a faint smile, almost nervous on his face. He likes talking about magical theory.]

Your dad's been teaching me magic from your world.

[draculabutbackwards]

[Figured.]

In most respects he's a better teacher than me. And my teacher, for the most part. I will say he's so absolutely removed from... the possibility of difficulty? That I'm glad to be on tap if you get a bit stuck. And he's a purist about funny things.

[badbutsad]

I've been able to keep on top of everything with him so far. Seems like he's starting off with some pretty simple spells. [Yeah there he goes, there's something almost animated to him as he continues:] It's... actually kind of fascinating to compare them to the spells witches use back home, the somatic components especially. Nearly all witches cast using circles, the physical act of casting is what activates our magic, but for the stuff Dracula's been teaching me it's more like a single component.

[draculabutbackwards]

[Oh, good, definitely want to encourage this.]

One method among many at home, yes. To shamelessly lift from Sypha, magic in its fundamental form is just intent. Ritual language, ingredients, and sigils are just ways to manage that.

[badbutsad]

There aren't many spells circles that require ingredients, largely that's more reserved for the Potions coven, stuff where they have to actually make things. I'm- not actually familiar with other languages, but there's supposed to be some kinds of glyphic language from the Savage Ages, I've read a little about wild magic that could--

[But his eyes suddenly widen, and he glances briefly up at Adrian like he's done something wrong before he looks away quickly, and that energy is locked back down.]

-- um-- never mind...

[draculabutbackwards]

[He's improved his technique at this point. Can't come at Hunter directly. Can't even make emotional appeals. But.]

You can't go neglecting the value of responsible scholarship. Ask Belmont about his family library sometime. Tomes and tomes of horrors, some that would be devastating in the wrong hands. But if the right people can't access it when needed, things get worse, not better.

[A little slimy. But. Baby steps, here.]