The Clear Blue Riverside

A Private Multi-Muse blog For Friends Only.

[toccata-la-noctis]

Joan prayed her brother and nephew wouldn’t open their mouths. They were already in territory where the timeline could be impacted. After all, this wasn’t the same situation as when the time-watchers put her father into a time rift. She tried to set a mental reminder to explain the risks further with Joshua since she knew he’d black mail her into more travels.

“If it’s not too much trouble. A bite of food may help calm some nerves.” Joan forced a smile. “I’d like to pay my respects to Lady Sara, too, if someone could show me to her grave.” “We are distantly related.” Joshua answered Clarence. “I’m curious…why exactly did Leon agree to this pact?”

[melancholynobleman]

With his proposal taken, Clarence seemed to visibly calm down, as if his nerves had been soothed over. He glanced behind to the shivering Skeleton and said harshly, "Stephano, go to Ulrick and tell him to prepare a light meal for our guests."

Without a grumble, the skeleton in a tuxedo went off to do as the young Belmont had asked, bones crackling and clacking as he walked away.

At Joshua's question, Clarence shrugged before he answered, "I don't know. My father is a fool and a half to put his trust in a vampire. Especially with what they did to Lady Sara. But he has his reasons, and the vampire hasn't broken his pact yet. Follow me. I will take you to Sara's grave."

Then Clarence left the room. The dove above them was still quiet, keeping its eyes on the trio.

Juste didn't say a word until Clarence left the room. Cautiously, after he finished reading the book that was on the floor, he walked over to Joan and asked softly, "Are you sure about this?"

Don't get him wrong, he was a little hungry... but he also didn't want to cross paths with the founding father of the Belmont Clan...! Wouldn't Leon see right through their bluff of them being distantly related to the Belmonts of this era (I mean... it wasn't wrong, but it was 'distantly' in timeline wise... not like offshoot cousins or whatever.)

[toccata-la-noctis]

#Joachim at Joan at the moment: “oh you bitch-”

[This is, in fact, a common phrase he will have in her regard for centuries to come.] @melancholynobleman

[melancholynobleman]

FOR FUCKIN' REAL!! Especially when Walter gets dropped off at Joachim's doorstep LOL

[toccata-la-noctis]

Finally, Joan eyed the dove. It had been the only creature inside the library at the time of their arrival and it had flown off briefly. It acted strangely for a bird…which was saying something considering Joan was familiar with the odd behavior of her mother’s owl familiar.

“It seems you are still not as beloved by the night as him.” She kept her voice low, barely a whisper, as she addressed the bird. It was a dangerous test but at least it would confirm her suspicions, as well as give her associate in the future more credibility.  

Joshua nodded a thanks to Juste. He picked up the book and began to leaf through it, frowning at what he read.

Joan sighed. How was this kid able to make Joshua’s personality more bearable? And he already knew they were Belmonts. No use hiding that…or introducing herself as Joan D’Gandolfi as she normally would.

“You know we hail from House Belmont. My name is Joan. These two are Joshua and Juste.” It was painful to realize how often her family seemed to like names that started with the letter J. “Rinaldo is one of two alchemists who know about a powerful artifact that I’m looking for. I protect these artifacts from falling into the wrong hands…among those who tend to serve Dra…Mathias Cronqvist. If Rinaldo isn’t expected back soon, then it’s best we be on our way.”  

[melancholynobleman]

At Joan's words, the dove suddenly stilled and quieted -- its head turning to the woman with a dangerous shine in its red eyes. Although the distance between it and her barely spoken words was great, the mysterious white dove still heard them. But it ceased to make a bigger fuss, sitting quietly in the rafters above, staring unblinkingly at Joan.

Clarence nodded when his question was finally answered, yet he furrowed his brows as he seemed to think intensely. "Joan, Joshua, and Juste... You are Belmonts, there is no doubt, but you... Are you cousins of mine? For father hasn't had any bastard children..."

The young boy frowned at the woman's words. Concern was alighting in his blue eyes, shining through the suspicion, yet he moved his lips slightly in thought. Then, Clarence turned to the side, as if giving them permission to exit the Library, saying, "Mister Rinaldo is here within the Eternal Night. They should be returning to the manor not too long from now with tonight's supper. Perhaps you would wish to eat lightly before then?"

Juste was silent, still reading the page of Eternal Night Manor. Upon the youth's proposal, he glanced up at Joan. Although he wanted to go home as quick as possible, if what Joan said was true, then he was more than willing to stay and make sure that the artifact was safe from Dracula's henchmen.

[maighdean-ailceimic]

She doubted that Juste knew the affect those words had on her. How often had she heard Simon…or one of her children…utter the same sentence? Still, it warmed her heart that Juste still respected and cared enough not to dictate her presence here. She wouldn’t blame him if he had, but she’d preferred to avoid negative conversations with her kin.

“I will be careful.” Sabriel replied. “I shall face whatever is fated upon me like any other challenge of my long-lived life.”

Sabriel wouldn’t deny the danger. Only a fool would. However, she’d rather face potential death than hide and do nothing when her family was at risk. The vampires would likely prioritize her as a target, should they confirm she returned to the Old World. If she had stayed in the New World, they would’ve eventually come for her if they succeeded in whatever their messiah planned.

There was a commotion at the inn’s door. Sabriel looked over to see Yves had returned, the youth following behind a man who bore a strong resemblance to him…a man whose eyes glinted red in the firelight.

[melancholynobleman]

'I will be careful'.

Those four words honestly could mean nothing, in the end. An empty promise at best with how everything is turning more sour by the passing of days. He knew that his grandmother was well-equipped to defend herself. After all, she's lived this long... Yet he couldn't help the feeling of wanting to protect her, even though he knew that his protection was riddled with holes.

He sat in contemplative silence for a moment, running his tongue over his teeth behind pressed lips... After he gathered his thoughts, the old man parted his lips to say--

At the sudden ruckus at the entrance of the inn, Juste's pale eyes darted over. He saw that youth, Yves, seeming more drunk and angry than when he was chased out from the place. Behind him was another stranger. It was easy to tell the similarities between the two, alluding to them being blood-related.

Juste tensed. His knuckles formed into fists for a moment over the wooden table, and he readjusted his body in his seat -- ready to leap up at any given second. Pale eyes didn't move from the newcomer, for it wasn't a trick of the firelight when he saw the gleam of red within those dark eyes.

"Grandmother..." He wanted to tell her to move close to him, as he suspected that a vampire was Yves' trump card. However, his voice was barely a whisper. His eyes never left the pale newcomer.

[toccata-la-noctis]

“Suggest that again and I’ll feed you to the nearest canine creature.” Joan muttered under her breath regarding the skeleton’s comment.

She couldn’t wait. Their presence already caused too much attention. Enough that she feared Saint Germain or another of his kin would arrive if things didn’t settle soon. The time-watchers were the main reason she insisted on finding Rinaldo first. His relation to them was distant compared to Tuomas.

“Joan.” Joshua gave up on trying to be logical with Juste. His attention shifted to the dove. Once again, he felt there was something off about it. Joshua didn’t think it was a familiar, like his mother’s was, but it wasn’t a normal animal. “What are you?” He asked with a frown.

“Juste,” Joan grimaced, not meaning to mimic her mother’s sharp tone. “Calm down. I promise that I’ll get you back to your time and place. However, there’s something more important that I have to do first.”

 “This is why I said we should’ve gone to Tuomas first. I know you didn’t want to risk it because of Mother but…” Joshua shook his head and fell silent when the other boy spoke.

Joan ignored the boy’s attitude. Rather than answer him, she replied with a question. “Why does Eternal Night still exist? Walter Bernhard and the Ebony stone were destroyed years ago.”

[melancholynobleman]

Stephano had had the decency to look rattled (no pun intended) when Joan threatened him with the canines. As soon as the young Belmont boy appeared, the short skeleton gave an 'eep!' and rushed behind the boy for protection. "Young master Belmont! She just threatened me! Ya gonna let her get away with yappin' at your babysitter?"

The little boy rolled his eyes but didn't seem overly defensive of the skeleton. At Joan's question, the young Belmont furrowed his brows and frowned.

"Aren't you a Belmont as well? He told me the library was drenched in the smell of Belmont..."

Juste closed the magic book carefully, nodding almost mechanically at Joan's sharp 'grandmother' tone. He knew he needed to approach this all with a leveled head... He knew he needed to trust the process and freak out later. "Right... Yes," Juste said as he slowly returned the tome to its rightful place, then drew his hand back to trace along the groves of his bracelet.

Above them, it seemed like the dove caught Joshua's words. It stopped crowing agitatedly and turned its head to look directly at the time-traveling Belmont. Its ruby eyes flashed for just a moment -- then a heavy book, as if pulled by an invisible hand, flung out from its place on the shelf and flew right to Joshua's head!

Within a second, Juste stretched out his hand to magically conjure an icy barrier to protect his uncle. The thick tome smacked against the short-lived ice wall, and fell to the floor open. Juste spared a glance at it, reading only the title 'Eternal Night', accompanied with a drawing of a grand manor. Juste craned his neck curiously at it, reading its contents slowly.

The Belmont boy didn't seem surprised or startled at the book magically flying. He calmly continued, "Walter Bernhard and the Eternal Night Forest do not exist anymore. But this is Eternal Night Manor. A hideaway for us, as Father loves to simplify it. This protected acreage is Belmont land, cared for by these... loathsome and defective beasts."

The boy pouted a bit, his chin rising higher as he continued to stare coldly at Joan. "Since you didn't answer my question, I suppose I started off rudely. I am Clarence Belmont, and I want to know why you are looking for Rinaldo."

[toccata-la-noctis]

Joan had at least 99 problems and she hoped dealing with this skeleton and its master wasn’t one of them.

“With all do respect to Lady Sara’s memory,” she addressed the skeleton. “Her resting place is not where I intended my spell to bring us to. I’m looking for an alchemist by the name of Rinaldo Gandolfi.”

She hated being this direct. However, with the mention of another Belmont nearby and the unknown master, Joan figured it was best to try and not to cause a scene and draw more attention to them. Especially with Juste here. Things were going chaotic enough that she was beginning to fear the tome they were looking for was in the possession of another Gandolfi instead of Rinaldo.

Joshua sighed upon hearing Juste’s question. “To put it simply, we are in the forest of Eternal Night. At least…what’s left of it. Did Gideon or Father really not share Leon’s tale with you? They should’ve, given the burden it placed on our blood.”

[melancholynobleman]

The skeleton, Stephano, could have raised a brow at Joan if it had brows. Instead, after a brief moment of silence, he hummed and hawed as if in deep thought before saying, "Gandolfi, huh? Hadn't seen him since I came here to Eternal Night. Only Leon and the Lord take him in when he visits. If you want to wait for him, I'm sure the Lord don' mind having an extra cleaner. Ya' could look good in a maid's dress, little lady."

Juste frowned at Joshua's words, not paying much attention to Stephano and Joan's conversation. With his eyes still on the pages of this tome, he shook his head at Joshua's question. "It's not that they haven't. We have books detailing Leon's life. It's just... Eternal Night was vanquished with the Lord of the castle at that time. There is no 'Eternal Night' anymore... But we shouldn't... I shouldn't be here... How do I go back...?"

He should be with Lydie and Maxim, not here... Not here. Heck, he shouldn't even be seeing Joshua and Joan... They disappeared and should have been age-ravaged like father...

Feathers fluttered above them as the white dove few back into the library. It's cooed nonstop, agitated by something. Its commotion caused Juste to finally tear his eyes from his books. But he glanced a little too quickly when someone else caught his eye.

At the library doorway just behind the skeleton Stephano, a young boy with dirty-blond hair stood there with judgment in his eyes and arms crossed over his chest. He wore a white ruffled-collared shirt and dark-colored trousers. Etched onto the breast pocket of his shirt was the crest of the Belmont clan.

His thin brows were narrowed as he scrutinized the strangers in the library. The Belmont youth, too childish to appropriately show intimidation, stated with his eyes locked on Joan and cynicism dripping from his mouth, "Rinaldo isn't here at the moment. He's out with father and brother. Why are you looking for him?"

[toccata-la-noctis]

Jousha pushed at his glasses, adjusting them on the bridge of his nose.

“Joan may correct me if I’m wrong. Her ability to travel through time requires her to use objects as anchors to help re-enter the timeline at the proper era and place she desires. Magical or holy relics tend to work best because their unique properties allow a stronger tether to follow. This isn’t the most reliable method,” the boy ignored his sister’s scoff. “Because different factors can interfere and cause unexpected outcomes. Like how she intended to find Rinaldo Gandolfi with his necklace but you happened to join us, bringing the Vampire Killer with you.”  

Joan took that moment to take over the conversation. “The Vampire Killer likely became the new anchor in my spell, changing the destination but still getting us to the correct time period. That’s why it’s concerning, Juste. The soul within your whip would have two tethers here. One tether connected to the Vampire Killer that belonged to the Belmont of the 1100s and…another tether to Lady Sara’s grave. I just don’t know which tether the spell followed.”

“Her burial would’ve been 16 years ago. Her body wouldn’t have decomposed as fast as a normal human’s. Not when she was that close to turning before-!” Jousha fell silent when they all heard the voice beyond the doorway.

Both siblings tensed. Joan reached for her whip of alchemy. Joshua’s fingers curled towards his palms, energy drawing to them as he prepared a couple marks to assist in battle. Like Juste, they weren’t expecting a creature of the night that didn’t seem bothered by how it spoke to Belmonts.

Joshua cleared his throat. “Eternal Night? Hmm. So, we’re near Lady Sara’s grave.”  

[melancholynobleman]

Silenced filled the room after the skeleton spoke so casually to the trio. It was turning into awkwardness until Joshua spoke up.

The tuxedo-wearing skeleton clicked his jaw two times before he scoffed and replied snarkily, "Lady Sara's grave is here, yeh. What makes ya so interested in 'er? Ulrick should be cleanin' it by now, mat'a' o' fact... I'm Stephano, by the ways. The Lord's been grumpy since the Belmont brat was dropped off, so I'll be showing ya where you wanna go."

Juste blinked at the skeleton, still shocked at a creature of the night that wasn't cowering in fear of the Belmonts. But he took another glance around the library that they had teleported into, taking careful observations around him. If he really was in the past, then Dracula should have been recently 'born', in a sense. Although the library here in this manor wasn't anything close to what the current Belmont Manor held within its vaults, it was still a starting collection. Perhaps the current vampire hunters found something effective that had been lost to the ages? Or perhaps there are more magic tomes to be read that hadn't survived to Juste's era.

The silver-haired vampire hunter in red walked over to one shelf, a slender hand running along the spines of fresh leather. When he stopped at a magic tome that seemed interesting, he pulled it out of its spot and flipped through some pages. Although it wasn't something coherently put together (in Juste's eyes), it detailed some accounts of Alchemy--specifically alchemy that could enshroud selected land into obscurity.

"Where... Are we?" Juste furrowed his brows. His words were soft and uncertain -- as if he were asking himself such an impossible question.

He had no idea what this place was... aside from the fact that they were in the past, where did he get sent to....? and how can he go back?

[melancholynobleman]

Starter for @eternalstarlights | Phantasos & Caleb

♚—

It was a long walk... at least longer than his usual journeys, Caleb judged. Although he was accustomed to traveling long distances in his many forms, the shapeshifter had exhausted his stamina for all of his different morphs. With trembling legs and panting heavily, the man dragged himself into some sort of shelter. It was hard to tell what it was with the sudden and harsh downpour that fell upon him. Sane living creatures seek shelter to avoid a rainstorm. So, Caleb followed his instincts.

Upon his retreat into the old, stone temple, the man leaned against the offering shrine. It's been days since he's gotten a proper rest... It's been days since he's felt safe enough to do so.

"What a load of shit..."

With a sigh, the scarred man closed his tired eyes, hoping to catch just a bit of sleep before the next leg of his long journey.

...

...

When He opened his eyes again, He found Himself in a forest. A forest covered in ever-burning flames. The smell of familiar ash, soot, and burned skin lingered in the air, as well as the heavy, musky scent of marked territory. Around Him, emerging from some of the trees, bits of familiar masonry caught His eyes, until Forest and Harbor City became one. His Subjects came to Him, greeting Him warmly with small trills and the beating of their wings -- yet some were human. Coming up to Him and revering Him with the respect He and His Ancestors were entitled to.

A firey snort was His response. Oh, He was fully aware of what this was.

He remained laid upon the flattened earth that served as his rest bed. With eyes darting to and fro, the Dragon raised His head and parted maw alighted with the color of red-hot burning coal.

"What fool dares to infringe upon a Beast's slumber?"

Falak growled deep in His throat. Although the slowly spoken words were coated with cynicism, there was no Malice. Knowing that His body was asleep, he can only try to invite the intruders to show themselves. After all, only the brave would dare to chance a private conversation with a Divine.

[maighdean-ailceimic]

“Seeing you again was a major reason for my return.”

Sabriel didn’t dwell on how Juste had aged from the young lad he had been when she left. His eyes, though darkened by experience, were the same. His voice sounded older but the familiarity of it remained.

Her expression turned more somber. She wouldn’t lie to Juste. She never did before and he didn’t deserve it now. The crowd became louder with a drinking song, allowing her more freedom to be direct.

“I’ve received word that many alchemists have been murdered within the last year. At first, I believed it to be the work of Magnum Opus. The guide has a habit of killing off alchemists who refuse to join it…which is how I lost Papa.” Sabriel sighed. “However, it appears that the vampires are behind it. I believe you can guess what they might be after if they are targeting alchemists.”

“I know it’s dangerous for me to be here. However, I cannot bear the thought of living if I did nothing to help you and Richter during these times.”

[melancholynobleman]

Juste was flattered that his grandmother would spare the time to come and see him. However, he knew that his grandmother had to return to Europe for a serious reason.

Upon hearing the news of alchemists being murdered, Juste's lips tilted into a pensive frown. He had a vague understanding of what Magnum Opus was. However, listening to her more, it wasn't long for the old man to come to the same conclusion Sabriel might have had after discovering that vampires were behind the disappearance of many alchemists.

The age-old vampire hunter tapped his fingers against the tankard as he thought. As much as he wanted to force his grandmother away again with how the vampires had gradually become bolder over the years, he didn't know if anything he would do or say would sway the woman. He knew that Sabriel was strong enough to protect herself, but a part of him from long ago still wished to guard her -- even if he knew it was an ineffective endeavor. It's not like his wrinkled hands can protect anyone anymore.

Juste lifted his eyes to her and asked softly, "Will you be okay?" The question was weighed down by many said words.

[melancholynobleman]

"Hmph."

Joachim stuffed his hands into his pockets, his head hanging low despite the current celestial phenomena.

The sun was completely devoured by the moon.

"What a fucking shame," the vampire growled under his breath. His disappointment was far too great for a being that benefited from everlasting night. He could already feel his muted power surge beneath its invisible shackles... Far weaker than his un-handicapped brothers and sisters of the Night, but still concerning enough if he met paths with amateur vampire hunters. Fuck, he didn't even know if he could retain a level head if he came across a human now...

...The pangs of his hunger started prickling at the corners of his mind, like water trickling through the smallest cracks of a Water Prison...

Báthory had actually triumphed.

Joachim was so pissed he could have laughed.

[toccata-la-noctis]

“Mother’s going to kill me.” Joan pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Maybe this is enough encouragement to start locking doors before you spell yourself back or forth into time?” Joshua ignored his sister’s obvious distress. He adjusted his glasses, briefly glancing up with a frown at the dove upon hearing it, before surveying their new surroundings. “Greetings, Juste. I’ll leave it to my sister to explain our situation.”

Joan would’ve immediately sent both boys back to Juste’s time if she had the energy to. Instead, she focused on addressing Juste’s questions. “Where we are to be determined. It’s more important that we find out what year it is, first.”

“1110 anno domini.” Joshua answered. He tapped at a book he had been inspecting. “The ink is dry but still fresh.”

“Anything about our location?” Joan inquired, not meaning to ignore her nephew. “I felt something throw the spell off. Like the anchor switched to something else and pulled us to another place than I intended.”

“I felt that, too.” Joshua glanced at Juste and noted the whip attached to his nephew’s hip.  “Hmm. Mayhap the spell changed physical location within the correct era due to Lady Sara?”

“Sara? You meant Sara Trantoul?” Joan paled. “Right, Juste wields the whip now. It’s a stronger relic than the necklace that belonged to Rinaldo.”

They both knew that likely meant two possibilities. Either they were close to Sara’s grave or close to whomever possessed with Vampire Killer in 1100. Joan couldn’t remember which Belmont that would be.

Joshua glanced up at the dove again. He narrowed his eyes. It somehow reminded him of Athena.  

[melancholynobleman]

Juste was quiet when Joshua revealed the era that they were sent back to... a bit too quiet. The young man was naturally pale as a side-effect of his innate ability to cast magic, but his widened eyes told the silent horror that ran through his body like lightning.

He was sent... to the past?? The far past?? Holy shit!

Juste was so caught up in how he ended up in the past that he didn't realize that the other two were talking about the Vampire Killer strapped to his hip. When he finally caught up to the conversation, the young nobleman immediately placed a hand on his whip as if reassuring himself that it was still there on its holster.

"Sara Trantoul?" Juste wasn't stupid. He knew of his family's history and of the whip's history. He narrowed his pale blue eyes before questioning, "What are you saying? The whip threw you guys off your destination? How is that possible? Wouldn't the Vampire Killer be here in this time as well?"

By all logical sense, the whip should have brought them to the current Belmont Successor. Not to a random library.

At that time, the white dove cooed and flew off, swooping low enough from its place on the ceiling beams to fly out the door. Juste stared off at where the strange bird made its departure, confused and thinking.

Then, from beyond the opened door, "Ahh yeah whatever, shut your yappin'. Da Lord o' da Manor is such an ass-tight."

A short while later, just as Juste was thinking of investigating the library, a skeleton dressed in only a tuxedo wobbled into the room. The Skeleton was shorter than what Juste was used to fighting - the collection of bones perhaps not even reaching past his waists, the vampire hunter judged from the distance between the group of three and the door.

Upon seeing the three, the Skeleton didn't seem too bothered oddly. Instead, he placed a hand on his hip bone and said impatiently, "What brings ya ta Eternal Night? Waitin' for someone or somein'?"

Juste could only gawk at the skeleton, in awe of how a creature of the night held no fear talking to them, unmistakable children of the Belmonts.

[toccata-la-noctis]

|| Berceuse of lament ||

“Pacing won’t encourage me to read faster.” Joshua turned another page. “If you insist on doing it, move away from the windows. Anyone outside will take notice.”

He picked up his quill, dipping it swiftly in the ink he brought, and added notes to his own leather-bound journal. It was best to include anything that could help their approaching journey. What were the regions like in that era? What languages were spoken most? Did they trade or have currency?

“Just hurry up.” Joan insisted.

Her younger bother did have a point. She stepped away from the windows, moving toward the other table that contained their traveling satchels. Joan distracted herself by checking both, ensuring they had everything ready that couldn’t be obtained easily after reaching their destination.

“If you didn’t misplace us in time, we wouldn’t have to worry.”

“There was never supposed to be ‘we’. You couldn’t mind your own business.”

Joan was still mad that he dared to intrude when she performed the spell to phase through time. His sudden appearance startled her, causing Joan to miscalculate the marks meant to send her into the past. This resulted in her sending them to the future instead, where their future nephew had become head of the Belmont clan.

Joshua snapped the book closed. He faced his sister, eyes narrowed. “I’m not the bloody idiot who thought it was a good idea to mettle with things she shouldn’t! However, I will make the most out of this. I always wanted to meet Grandfather.”

Joan scoffed. “We don’t even know if he possessed the tome. It’s more likely that Rinaldo has it.”

Joshua returned everything to its proper place. “Mother once mentioned seeing part of the book. You’re just afraid of seeing her.”

“Of course, I am. Meeting Rinaldo is completely different than…” Joan paused, inhaling to calm herself. Someone might find them if they argued. She waited until Joshua collected his satchel before weaving forth the marks she needed for her spell. “Are you ready?”

“Yes. Also, your mark casting is horrid.”

“Shut it or I’m leaving you here.”   [Closed starter for @melancholynobleman ]

[melancholynobleman]

Juste quietly walked the corridor leading to the library. It was quiet. Probably didn't help that twilight was approaching. Maxim and Lydie already went to their respective bedchambers -- something Juste was all too eager to gift them after he inherited the Belmont estate not too long after the disappearance of Dracula's Castle. After all, those two were very precious to him, and he wanted them close by after everything they went through.

But he felt restless. Reading books has always been a relaxing pass time, and nothing in his bedchambers sparked any desire. So, to the library, he went.

Juste had just pushed the door ajar and paused when he heard voices. Voices he didn't recognize, but ticked the back of his mind with a faint familiarity.

It's not every day someone is bold enough to break into the Belmont Manor, Juste thought to himself. It piqued his interest when the Rinaldo. After all, it has been recorded in ancient, well-preserved tomes that Rinaldo helped the Belmont Clan in the 11th century. He waited until there was a considerable pause in their conversation before he opened the door wider. He peered inside, expecting to see a bunch of rookie thieves looking around for valuables.

What he didn't expect was to catch a glimpse of living paintings. Instead of the dull and vintage images of what his father had called his brother and sister, they were full of life, moving, and speaking. it was as if time never moved for them -- an uncanny resemblance to Grandmother.

Reflecting upon the conversation he overheard, Juste bolted -- not really thinking as his legs moved.

He ran toward the duo just in time for his vision to be consumed with white. For a moment, he was lightweight--then gravity pressed against him like a god squishing a bug. Aside from a strangled sound of shocked pain, Juste was rendered mute throughout the entire experience. He thought he heard an echo of ticking, as if a grandfather clock was chiming away in the far reaches of his mind.

Then it all came to a dizzying stop.

"Ugh," was the second sound that bellowed from Juste's lips. He nursed his head with one hand and tried to lift his eyes.

They were in the library, but it looked different. It felt different. Darker. Instead of an array of books that could span twenty or so feet, it felt smaller. While the shelves of the library were full, something felt off about the books stacked against them...

Some of them.. weren't books, were they? No, it wasn't... He can clearly see some shelves with scrolls, and others with... Something else.

A curious coo from above snapped him from his observations. Perched on a high beam near the ceiling sat a pale dove. Its piercing red eyes stared down at the trio with curiosity. Juste could have sworn that he saw a semblance of intelligence in those ruby-colored eyes. But his awareness was, again, nabbed away as he had to face the consequences of his actions.

Juste glanced over his shoulder and stared owlishly at the other two. They looked exactly how he knew them to look... But something wasn't adding up--and even now he was just confused about what had happened...

"Uncle Joshua?" He spoke, uncertain. "Aunt Joan? Are you two really...? Wait, first things first... Where are we?"

Above them, the pale dove cooed again.

[lilium-dragomir]

[melancholynobleman]

♚— Made Joachim straight. Cause I had an epiphany.

Juste is bisexual because of course he is (my Maxim-Juste-Lydie polyamorous bias is showing), so I have 1 bisexual character.

Caleb is Achillean (even if he did have relations with a female character at one point or another, he is still gay. His past is just fucked up), so I have 1 homosexual character.

So it will make sense for me to monopolize the sexuality spectrum by having 1 heterosexual. Which is fine. Joachim, in the past, had always kinda been heterosexual now that I remember it. So, I'm not really changing anything from how I wrote him nine years ago. (Aside from an OCxCanon ship, I don't really have a preferred ship with Joachim. Sorry people who ship him with Walter. I just don't see it.)

The downside is that all three of these characters are demiromantic (Juste only values his two best friends in canon; Caleb has a troubled past and needs to warm up to people; and Joachim lived too long and practiced the art of 'not getting too attached'), so I'm stuck there in the romantic spectrum...

Anyway. I thought that was funny to mention. I have successfully captured most of the points on the sexuality spectrum with my current active muses. With the addition of other muses in the future, please pray that I get them all--

[maighdean-ailceimic]

Athena remained on Sabriel’s shoulder. Her feathers flared out to betray her fear, but she had yet to take flight. The owl did glare at Joachim before pressing herself against Sabriel’s neck as if to reassure her mistress that their friend remained a friend, even when a second sword moved near the alchemist’s throat.

Sabriel kept still while processing the situation. She carefully summoned another symbol for fire in the hand that was behind her back. Not to use against Joachim but to ready herself. Fire distracted vampires. It would give her enough time to summon her bow and assist if the pale vampire wasn’t able to take on both other creatures.

“Oui, you jest! Or mayhap you’re one of those bloody foreign nobles the messiah called to France. Too high and mighty to join the meetings where us common blood are given orders, right? No matter.” The first vampire laughed.

“This woman is Sabriel D’Gandolfi. The messiah learned about her during her interrogations of alchemists throughout Europe. The messiah believes she possesses a magical artifact or can create one that will benefit all vampires.”  

[melancholynobleman]

Joachim did not glance down at what the alchemist's hand was doing. He was well-trained to cover for Belmonts and Speakers when they were up to their sneaky shenanigans. He kept his eyes trained on the other two vampires. He hoped that whatever Sabriel was going to do, it was worth it.

Being called a 'bloody foreign noble' caused the ancient vampire's smile to twitch. While it wasn't untrue at one point in his long lifetime, he certainly wouldn't be called that in this day in age. Yet, he kept his composure under control and listened with intense focus.

"'D'Gandolfi'? Joachim pretended to test the name on his lips. With a small tilt of his head, he feigned ignorance as he said, "I wasn't aware. However, I believe you're mistaken. Madam Belmont here was just about to become my meal." As he spoke, he saw the growing mistrust in the other vampire's eyes. Joachim tried to hurry with what he had to say and hoped the two left them alone. "You know about the Belmonts, yes? Well, I have a very long grudge against them. You wouldn't get in my way, now would you?"

However, the larger vampire's face suddenly expanded in recognition, and then he snarled. The ogre-like fiend readied his spiked club and snorted, his words coming out like a bull's lazy bellow, "Corin, he is no ally of ours. There is a vampire who is in alliance with the humans. There was one who did not accept the Messiah's invitation. One from Germany."

Joachim's smile dropped.

The vampire realized he hit the nail on the head and a grin split his disgusting lips, showing his crooked teeth. "The Lord of Eternal Night? The 'Saint', no?"

"What a pain in the ass," Joachim grumbled frustratedly. He released his grip on Sabriel and darted to the side. As he went, he willed all five of his swords at the intruders, three of them going for the bigger vampire while the last two blades made wild swings at the other one. Trusting Sabriel to take care of the first vampire, Joachim focused mostly on the larger vampire.

While he was no fool with his telekinetic powers, Joachim's opponent was experienced. The vampire's large size had no effect on his speed, as Joachim suspected. The undead man batted two of the blades away before the third one got him good on the bicep. But this seemed to have made the bull of a vampire enraged. The large figure dashed right at Joachim with blinding momentum and swung his club down.

Joachim, however, was faster. The ancient vampire dashed out of the way with little more than a small huff and floated in the air. He glanced over at Sabriel to catch how she was faring along.

She may be D'Gandolfi, but she was also a Belmont. If she was in trouble, he was obligated to help.

[maighdean-ailceimic]

“Only a few. She was more interested in hearing about my life throughout the different centuries than how I’ve lived so long. The voyage to the new world took over six weeks, if I recall correctly. Enough to drive anyone to cabin fever if they weren’t prepared. I suspect Julia intentionally took the same ship as the Speakers as means to keep herself entertained while caring for her boy.”

Sabriel pushed aside her empty plate, freeing space for her to fold her arms on top of the table. Again, she chewed at her inner cheek while considering was she was about to say.

“It takes a lot of strength to keep existing, Juste. Especially after you lose those you love in such a brutal and sudden way.” She idly picked at the sleeve of her dress. “I understand why you went silent…in my own way.”

She didn’t mean Simon or any of her children who have passed. Their deaths were natural, from old age or sickness. While their absence from this world hurt, it wasn’t the same as losing someone to murder. Lydie and Maxim came to mind, as she remembered how often they would come to the estate to join Juste in adventures. But what haunted her was her papa, the man who raised her as his own blood.

[melancholynobleman]

Juste huffed a humorless smile from his nose. He wouldn't doubt Julia. With her and the kid's gift for magic, being with Speakers would entertain them enough to not go crazy on such a long and boring trip.

Feeling done with his meal, he pushed it aside. No, he hadn't gotten through half of what was on the plate, but he didn't feel like eating anymore. As his grandmother was speaking to him, the invisible weight in his chest became heavier.

The memory of Lydie dying in his arms... He can still feel her limp body at times. And the mental image of Mixum tore open like some prey animal... But he was never one that asked for help. He knew what he did was wrong, shutting the world away from him so that he could rot away in his pathetic shack. But he really had no motivation to fight to live like he did before. Not even his own grandson sparked any interest.

"I still should have tried," Juste forced himself to say, words so quiet that it nearly came off as a whisper. "But it felt like the world had left me when they were murdered. And I was too weak to save them."

He knew that his grandmother was well experienced with loss. She's lived such a long time, it would be ignorant to assume otherwise. However, a part of him still felt alone in this world. In the end, even his own daughter felt like a stranger.

But the old hunter heaved a heavy sigh and turned his head away from the youthful woman. He had to get away from this conversation. It wasn't something he was ready to touch upon.

"What returns you to Europe after so long?" he feigned ignorance, leaving the conversation open to take whatever path Sabriel wanted to go. "I know it's not just for my handsome, old face. Unless it is. Then I'm very flattered, granddaughter." The last word came out as a tease.

[xemnas178]

boots!!!!