[Oh my god. This impression. The dramaticism. It's really very amusing, but V makes sure to focus on the words spoken, instead, no matter how much they're wreathed in the impression of an unhinged vampire lord.
And the more he listens, the more his lips press into a thin line. Not only does it sound like a man with brother issues, but also one who may just have a tendency to fixate. Wonderful!
I lo— Ahem! Oh, yes, I do! This mind of mine is like a steel trap, you see!
[ He taps a finger to his temple. ]
Which is both a blessing and a curse, sometimes, but it has proven useful more often than not. I know a few other tricks as well. Go on, ask me which way is north!
[Oh. Is this like V reading to some poor audience the endless lines of certain Blake and Shelley poems from memory only? Maybe, maybe not. V's also pored over those books a gazillion times in his youth, and something tells him Strahd's diary might not have gotten quite as many re-reads.
[ He takes a second to think, then... points!!! If V cares to double check using the map app on his phone or something like that, he will find that Declan is spot on. ]
Ta-da!!
Edited (when you typo the one word of dialogue in your whole tag) 2023-05-09 18:27 (UTC)
[ Declan blinks back, then shrugs like, "why the hell not?" and does just that. Eyes closed, he spins, once, twice, again, five times in total. He sways a little on the spot, then, and ultimately opts to just. Sit on the floor.
V watches as he spins, then wobbles a little, then just... sits down. Help.
But the direction he indicates is the exact same as the one prior, which is impressive in its own right. V opts to take his word for it; there's no reason why he'd want to exaggerate this strange little party trick.]
[ The sit turns into a full-on flop, Declan laying back on the rug, long limbs splayed. That pointing finger arcs up to point at the ceiling instead. ]
And lest you wonder, the sun will set in approximately an hour and a half!
[ Oh, it's getting late. That's what happens when you go galivanting in the halls on a panther-scooter and start reciting passages from a depressed vampire's diary. ]
[He cranes his head up to look at the ceiling as though that would somehow give him an estimate on when the sun will set, too. Predictably, he sees only ceiling, and then he looks back down at Declan, who's splayed himself down on the rug properly.
Nudges his shoulder with the tip of his cane, then crouches down so he's not looming.]
That you are.
[He smirks.]
Now that we've established that you're an inventor with a vicious memory and a walking compass, what of the rest of that vampire's diary...?
[ Declan's eyes flick over to V, but he makes no move to get up from the floor. ]
Ah, right. That.
[ This just in, V Devilmaycry revealed to be a fan of the Vampire Diaries. Declan clears his throat and resumes, though with slightly less dramatics now that he's laying on the floor. Anyway, here's the whole spiel. ]
Actually, as Declan recites the rest of that diary entry, he decides he is very much not a fan of this lord. He sounds truly unhinged, having reached that point of no return in a way that settles unwell with V.
He's silent for a moment as Declan finishes, frowning.]
Another who lost his humanity and became something far more terrible without it. Desperation makes a man act in despicable ways, especially when he feels lacking.
[ Declan sits up at last, brushing off his cardigan with a flick of his hand. ]
Most tragic of all, Strahd's hold on the land means that anyone who dies there is trapped in perpetuity. Their souls do not pass on, they simply reincarnate into another Barovian. The soul of his beloved has been trying to escape him ever since.
No, you truly cannot. I've come face-to-face with the man twice now and each time it was... oppressive. I think he sees us as amusements, playthings. A cat toying with the mouse caught in its claws.
[ And the reborn soul of Strahd's beloved is now in the care of Declan's friends, traveling with them as a fledgeling adventurer. They'll be seeing him again. ]
We're going to have to kill him. There's no other recourse.
Then you should, and without hesitation or regret.
[Easy advice to give, the most straightforward solution that V can see. Perhaps not so easy in practice, but it seems the only way to free the land -- at least based on what he's hearing. A man like that won't give up his sense of control, especially to those he feels is lesser than him.]
My city found itself in similarly dire straights. If a man like me- [He splays a hand against his chest. Pale, lanky, weak V.] -can help turn the tide, then I know you and yours can, too.
Well, yes. That is the ultimate goal, but one does not simply walk into castle Ravenloft. We need the means, both to get to the man and to kill him. That sword could very well be our answer, if we only knew where it was.
So...
[ A small shrug, as he glances at V again. ]
I do appreciate your words of encouragement. It's just... a work in progress, that's all. Possibly more of one, now that I'm here, far removed from my party.
[Alas, he cannot give much advice where that sword is concerned, or much consolation in regards to being taken away from familiar faces, either. The uncertainty of a world that carries on, whether or not one happens to be present, weighs on V's shoulders, too.
So he rises back into a stand, angling the grip of his cane next to Declan as a "hand" to help him up.]
[ He takes it with a nod of thanks, unfolding from the floor to his full six feet of gangly height. ]
Of course I am. We're friends. Comrades in arms. We've weathered an awful lot together in that dreadful place, and some of them... [ A pause. ] Some of them have lost far too much already.
Now there's a bit of realism from you. [Ha. Well, besides that-] But yes, it is. Yet true or otherwise, perhaps it is not a goal worth overlooking. Just in case.
What would you wish for? The instant death of that man?
I'm capable of a bit of realism, thank you very much.
[ He's smiling as he says it, though. There's a time and place for optimism, and a time and place for realism. It's not his fault if the majority of time skews toward the former. ]
Oh, without question. The permanent end of Count Strahd von Zarovich, to be precise.
[The way V laughs lowly and unbidden at the idea of permanently ending someone who no doubt deserves it... Well. Should he find Declan's certainty less amusing (in a good way) and heartening than he does? He doesn't.]
Then for both of our sakes, may our wishes come true. Should we find a way to make that happen. [A beat.] And if it's not all a con of the highest degree.
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clockworksoul) wrote2023-04-30 08:50 pm
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And the more he listens, the more his lips press into a thin line. Not only does it sound like a man with brother issues, but also one who may just have a tendency to fixate. Wonderful!
Not to interrupt, but also-]
...You remember what he wrote, word for word?
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[ He taps a finger to his temple. ]
Which is both a blessing and a curse, sometimes, but it has proven useful more often than not. I know a few other tricks as well. Go on, ask me which way is north!
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Brow arching.]
...Which way is north.
[sure why not]
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Ta-da!!
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Close your eyes, spin around five times, then tell me which way is north.
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As he's going down, he points. Same direction. ]
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V watches as he spins, then wobbles a little, then just... sits down. Help.
But the direction he indicates is the exact same as the one prior, which is impressive in its own right. V opts to take his word for it; there's no reason why he'd want to exaggerate this strange little party trick.]
...Useful. If not a strange quirk to have.
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And lest you wonder, the sun will set in approximately an hour and a half!
[ Oh, it's getting late. That's what happens when you go galivanting in the halls on a panther-scooter and start reciting passages from a depressed vampire's diary. ]
I'm full of strange quirks.
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Nudges his shoulder with the tip of his cane, then crouches down so he's not looming.]
That you are.
[He smirks.]
Now that we've established that you're an inventor with a vicious memory and a walking compass, what of the rest of that vampire's diary...?
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Ah, right. That.
[ This just in, V Devilmaycry revealed to be a fan of the Vampire Diaries. Declan clears his throat and resumes, though with slightly less dramatics now that he's laying on the floor. Anyway, here's the whole spiel. ]
no subject
Actually, as Declan recites the rest of that diary entry, he decides he is very much not a fan of this lord. He sounds truly unhinged, having reached that point of no return in a way that settles unwell with V.
He's silent for a moment as Declan finishes, frowning.]
Another who lost his humanity and became something far more terrible without it. Desperation makes a man act in despicable ways, especially when he feels lacking.
That poor girl.
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[ Declan sits up at last, brushing off his cardigan with a flick of his hand. ]
Most tragic of all, Strahd's hold on the land means that anyone who dies there is trapped in perpetuity. Their souls do not pass on, they simply reincarnate into another Barovian. The soul of his beloved has been trying to escape him ever since.
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[What a hellish place, where suffering could not even be escaped via death. Trapped for eternity.]
So how does one loosen the grip of a vampire's wrath over the land? I suspect you can't reason with him.
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[ And the reborn soul of Strahd's beloved is now in the care of Declan's friends, traveling with them as a fledgeling adventurer. They'll be seeing him again. ]
We're going to have to kill him. There's no other recourse.
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[Easy advice to give, the most straightforward solution that V can see. Perhaps not so easy in practice, but it seems the only way to free the land -- at least based on what he's hearing. A man like that won't give up his sense of control, especially to those he feels is lesser than him.]
My city found itself in similarly dire straights. If a man like me- [He splays a hand against his chest. Pale, lanky, weak V.] -can help turn the tide, then I know you and yours can, too.
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So...
[ A small shrug, as he glances at V again. ]
I do appreciate your words of encouragement. It's just... a work in progress, that's all. Possibly more of one, now that I'm here, far removed from my party.
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[Alas, he cannot give much advice where that sword is concerned, or much consolation in regards to being taken away from familiar faces, either. The uncertainty of a world that carries on, whether or not one happens to be present, weighs on V's shoulders, too.
So he rises back into a stand, angling the grip of his cane next to Declan as a "hand" to help him up.]
You're worried about the others.
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Of course I am. We're friends. Comrades in arms. We've weathered an awful lot together in that dreadful place, and some of them... [ A pause. ] Some of them have lost far too much already.
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With any luck, time does not move here the same way it does in our worlds.
[But that's also just wishful thinking. No one can guarantee it one way or another.]
All we can do now is to learn more about the truth of our current circumstances and do our best to return. I've heard talk about "wishes", you know.
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[ Wishful thinking indeed. ]
Oh, yes. I've heard talk of wishes, too. Now that would be nice. Then we wouldn't need some smelly old sword from who-knows-where.
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An easy fix for all of our problems. Almost too good to be true. I wonder.
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[ He taps his chin. ]
It's an awfully convenient reason to make us want to stay here, isn't it?
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Now there's a bit of realism from you. [Ha. Well, besides that-] But yes, it is. Yet true or otherwise, perhaps it is not a goal worth overlooking. Just in case.
What would you wish for? The instant death of that man?
[He thinks that's a safe bet.]
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[ He's smiling as he says it, though. There's a time and place for optimism, and a time and place for realism. It's not his fault if the majority of time skews toward the former. ]
Oh, without question. The permanent end of Count Strahd von Zarovich, to be precise.
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Then for both of our sakes, may our wishes come true. Should we find a way to make that happen. [A beat.] And if it's not all a con of the highest degree.
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