lord_alucard (lord_alucard) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2015-01-23 10:14:00 |
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Entry tags: | !complete, alucard, teddy altman (hulkling) |
Who: Theodore Altman and Alucard
What: Shapeshifting talk
When: Mid January
Where: A Coffeehouse on Mission
Rating: Low/None
Status: Complete
Theodore was glad that the guy--Alucard, he’d said his name was--had agreed to meet him in public to talk about shapeshifting. Although he and Billy were still working on his control whenever he wasn’t needed on set, he really wanted to talk to someone who knew what it was like to change forms.
He was nervous, and not just because he was meeting someone he didn’t know from off the internet. He was worried that Alucard would recognize him, and thus, was hiding behind dark sunglasses and a knit cap while he waited.
Alucard wasn’t nervous, but then he had no need to be. He was more than capable of taking care of himself. In fact god help whoever decided to take him on more so since the dreams and he’d been pretty lethal before them.
He hadn’t a clue who Theodore was before he’d looked him up, no wonder the poor kid was worried. Entering the arranged meeting point he spotted him immediately, “You know you stand out more than you would have had you not bothered Theodore,” he drawled as he came over.
Theodore jumped a little when addressed and regarded Alucard warily. “I’m not sure I know what you mean,” he replied, honestly.
“The glasses and the hat, you look like a celebrity trying to hide,” he pointed out not unkindly, “I’m Alucard,” he added.
Theodore wasn’t sure if that was a dry remark because Alucard had figured out who he was, or an honest observation. Either way, he grimaced, slightly, and pulled the sunglasses off, at least. “I figured,” he replied, and gestured to the seat across from him. “This okay?”
For once it was an honest observation. He really did stand out, the poor thing he was obviously worried. “Perfectly fine. Don’t worry about people noticing you, not many people have the courage to actually approach people and then convince themselves later it wasn’t really that person anyway.”
That comment intrigued Theodore, and he frowned a little as he studied Alucard. “You sound as if you speak from experience, but you’re not familiar to me.”
“I wouldn’t expect to be. It’s not from personal experience. Just a knowledge of people and many years of observing behaviour,” Alucard replied with a smile.
Curiouser and curiouser. Not a celebrity himself, but knew that Teddy was. “So you know who I am,” he hazarded. He tapped his fingers lightly on the table. “Is it going to be an issue?” He hoped that he didn’t seem too desperate, but he hadn’t met any other shapeshifters willing to talk to him. He needed Alucard.
“I know who you are,” he confirmed, “Why would it be an issue? If you’re worried about what I may say I assure you I know how to be discreet. More than most actually,” he added with a smile. Theodore had nothing to worry about with Alucard.
Theodore shifted, slightly uncomfortable, but tried to hide it by taking a sip from his drink. “Discretion is necessary in pretty much all aspects of my life,” he said, ruefully. But right now, at least, the dangers of Alucard not being discreet despite his assurances outweighed the risks. “But...I need to talk to someone about this. Someone who knows what it’s like.”
He sat back with a sigh and dragged his fingers through his hair. “Did you...were you always like this, or did your abilities come through Dreams?”
Alucard could see the younger man was uncomfortable so he leaned in a little, “You can talk to me, I’ve kept secrets for governments so yours are safe with me. I can withstand torture if it comes to it,” then he sat back, hoping that would be enough assurance.
“They came from the dreams. I’ve always been good at certain things but never to the extent I am now thanks to the dreams. And I could definitely never shapeshift before.”
The reassurances would have to be good enough. Theodore nodded and took another sip from his mug. “Are you...please forgive me if this sounds rude, because I don’t know how to ask this, but...are you human?” he asked, curiously. “I only ask because...I’m not.”
“I was once. But I’m currently a vampire, a very powerful one, which is where the abilities come from. You’ll be glad to know I have no blood sucking cravings here yet,” Alucard added.
Theodore’s eyes widened in surprise, but it wasn’t as though he’d never heard of vampires before. He pursed his lips and smiled, a little wry. “Well...that’s a relief,” he agreed. “So...the shapeshifting is...magical? Or…” he laughed a little, nervously. “I don’t know how to word my questions. With me...I can change my body, but it’s always my body that changes. It can grow larger, or get more compact, or change shape, but it’s...organic? I guess?”
“Isn’t it just.” Alucard chuckled a little before considering the question. “I suppose it may appear magical but it feels organic to me too. If I wish to change my shape to become a hellhound I can, or a colony of bats, or even darkness itself. I only have to think about it and I can make it happen,” he tried to explain.
“And that’s amazing.” Theodore couldn’t help but grin, slightly awed. “I guess I wondered if...when you say you can change into a hellhound...are you still you? I mean, can you think and feel, and that body is your own? Like--with the bats, are you every bat or just one bat? Can you feel every individual bat or is it like you are one bat and that bat is multiplied copies of you? And the darkness thing I still don’t understand--are you sentient in that form?” He stopped, mid-breath, and laughed again, self-consciously. “I’m sorry if that’s a lot of questions.”
Alucard laughed. “Okay, so hellhound, yes, I’m still me, just in another form. The bats, I can control them individually and it’s like I’m all of them at once. I am sentient when I become darkness. That one is actually the most interesting, I’ve scared my girlfriend a few times with that,” he admitted with a somewhat wicked smile.
“Is that something you could show me here?” Theodore asked eagerly. “The darkness? Or is that too...noticeable?” They were outside in a public coffeehouse in the bright of day, after all.
“It would no doubt draw more attention than either of us wish to,” Alucard told him, “I am more than happy to demonstrate my abilities someone less public once you have confidence that I am not a risk, of course.”
Theodore sighed and sat back, then nodded. “Fair enough,” he agreed. If Alucard invited him to his place, he would accept, so long as he also texted Billy and let him know where he was going. “I guess another question I have is...do you think they’re just dreams?”
“What else would they be?” Alucard asked him curiously, “Do you have a theory?”
“In my dreams...there are people capable of warping reality,” Theodore explained, watching Alucard carefully. “Of changing the reality...the dimension we’re in, I guess...to what they want it to be. People’s identities, memories, even their abilities.”
“And you think that’s what’s happening here? But who? Who would do that? And why?” Alucard asked, not disbelieving but more curious.
Theodore shrugged. “I don’t know. I just know it’s possible. And that dreams don’t give you abilities. Dreams aren’t shared down to the smallest detail. That makes me think it’s something else. Memories. The universe trying to correct itself, maybe.”
“Maybe they are memories of an alternate universe who can say. I know it only happens here though in the OC so I don’t think it’s a reality warping thing,” Alucard offered with a shrug, “Otherwise the whole world would be affected.”
“How do we know it isn’t?” Theodore protested. “Or maybe it’s like the polar ice caps. A hole starts one place and then...spreads. Their magic could be wearing thinnest here, but the problem is worldwide. Otherwise it would just affect people from here and that’s not what’s happening. People come from all over the world--but once they get here, that’s when the dreams start. Maybe it’s a proximity thing.”
“Perhaps. I know it isn’t happening elsewhere though, I have a number of contacts all over the world and nobody has reported anything even remotely similar to this” he said, “So it’s extremely localised.”
“The Dreams--the bleed through, the universe correcting itself--whatever it is.That’s local to here, but I was in New York. I know other people from New York. I’ve seen people post on Valarnet that they grew up in England,” Theodore insisted. “How else would you explain people manifesting powers that they dream about, if they’re not something they already are capable of, but were somehow warped into forgetting?”
“Perhaps there is something in it, but there are too many variables to be as simple as that. In my dreams I am thousands of years old, there are people who dream of completely different worlds, how can we all have been warped into forgetting that? Are you saying we all come from alternate worlds? Alternate timelines? And what would be the purpose of bringing us all here?”
Theodore shrugged. “I don’t know. But after what I’ve dreamed...it still makes more sense than just assuming they’re just dreams that are inexplicably shared with other people, and that somehow, people are manifesting abilities that they dream about. How do you explain that?”
“I don’t explain it, I can’t” Alucard replied simply, “It’s an anomaly. Do I honestly think the vampire in my dreams is the true me? No. But you obviously want the dream version of you to be the real one. It can work both ways Theodore and the truth is nobody knows which is true. And they probably never will.”
“They will if I can break the spell,” Theodore said quietly. But he needed magic for that. Or at the very least Billy.
“What if it isn’t a spell? We have some powerful magic users here already and they’ve sensed nothing.” Alucard told him.
“Unless they know how to sense for reality-warping, they might not.” Theodore shrugged again, and rubbed his forehead. “Anyway. That’s not really important.” He tapped his fingers lightly on the table. “Thanks for meeting me. If you know any other shapeshifters willing to talk....”
“It’s certainly an interesting idea” Alucard said with a shrug, he didn’t really expect answers anymore. “Of course. Anytime Theodore. Sadly the only others I know of are werewolves who don’t really count in my humble opinion.”
“Fair enough,” Theodore replied. “There were others in my Dreamworld...but I don’t think any of them are here.” He sighed, ruefully. “But thank you anyway. It was...nice, to talk to someone who understands, even a little.”
“I fear unless someone from your dreamworld shows up you aren’t going to get what you’re truly seeking,” Alucard told him, “But anytime you wish to talk or see a demonstration please feel free to contact me.”
Alucard was right, but what was the likelihood that someone like Mystique would show up here? “I appreciate it,” he said, and stood. He’d gotten his coffee to go, so he slipped his sunglasses back on and picked up his cup. “I hope you don’t mind if I head out?”
“Not at all. It was good to meet you Theodore. Remember contact me whenever you wish and I hope you find what you’re seeking” Alucard said with a brief nod, watching the boy go. He was either heading towards heartbreak or happiness and Alucard couldn’t quite tell which.