Title: Make Me Blind When Your Eyes Close, Tie Me to the Bedpost
Author: bnomiko
Rating: NC-17
Pairing(s): Trevor + Sypha + Alucard, Trevor x Alucard, Dracula + Lisa
Spoilers: post S4
Disclaimer: "Inside Out" is performed and recorded by Eve 6. Castlevania is the creation and property of Konami. Castlevania (animated series) is the creation and property of Netflix. This is a not-for-profit fanwork and I do not own any of these characters.
Summary: Trevor has a lot of little kinks. While Sypha's not interested, Alucard is more than susceptible to Trevor's powers of persuasion. Meanwhile in the coastal town of Whitby, England, a distance mirror is activated at the worst possible time... Mostly PWP prologue to "The Living Years," the multi-chapter sequel to "Under the Milky Way," but posted separately due to content / rating. Post S4 animation canon based.
Archived at: http://www.phenixsol.com/Miko/FF/

* * *

Make Me Blind When Your Eyes Close, Tie Me to the Bedpost

* * *

Sypha sighed heavily as she tried to adjust the pillow under her belly to better support the extra weight there. She knew it was normal, this being her third child in four years, but it was still tiresome to try and find a comfortable position to sleep in once she got to the late stages of pregnancy. At least this pregnancy was following along what she thought of as expected and predictable lines: a bit of digestive troubles and the ever present craving for pickled eggs, the usual aches, swelling, fatigue - all inconvenient, but nothing severe. And Adrian confirmed that the fetus was healthy and growing well, though he did suggest she consider taking a few years off before trying for another baby, just to reduce the stress she was putting her body through. He probably had a point, in more ways than one. Her sex life in the last few months was more hot and cold than the water that ran through the castle's pipes; sometimes her hormones got her all worked up even when she could barely stay awake, other times she didn't even want to be in the room with the guys except to sleep. And that in turn put more pressure on Adrian to "fill in" when Trevor was in the mood, because really... when was Trevor not in the mood?

Sometimes she wondered if Trevor had replaced alcohol with sex, because drinking used to be all he cared about. But then they'd started up a relationship, and his reliance on the bottle lessened; conversely the less he drank - and he was pretty much down to one beer at dinner, if even that, since his battle with Death - the more wound up he got at night. Maybe he'd always need a distraction from his troubled past, something to keep the threat of nightmares at bay... And given how tightly Adrian clung to Trevor some nights and curled up around Sypha on others, maybe the half-vampire did too?

So just because tonight was supposed to be Adrian's night to take care of the kids if they needed anything, that wasn't going to stop Trevor from doing whatever occurred to him, since Sypha was unavailable. And right now, what occurred to Trevor was securing a blindfold over Adrian's eyes.

"That okay? Not too tight?" Trevor asked, tugging a little at the fabric of before tracing his fingers over his lover's cheekbone.

Adrian made a soft grunt of affirmation. He'd never brought up the fact that the blindfold wasn't fully opaque, but he was certain it was either deliberate, or Trevor just didn't care. If Adrian really wanted to, he could simply open his eyes to get a partial view of what was going on around him, but he always went along with the intention and kept his eyes shut. It didn't bother him all that much, given that his other senses more than made up for a temporary lack of sight.

His wrists were already secured, tied together behind his back with a silken cord, with one end terminating in a telltale knot, left in the palm of his hand so he could easily free himself with a single tug if needed. The other end was for Trevor to play with, if he wanted to secure Adrian right up against the bedpost for example, instead of giving him more leeway. It had taken the blond much longer to accept being restrained versus being "blinded" - perhaps two years or so after he and Trevor had started getting intimate - and it began with a strip of fabric loosely wrapped around his limbs, ends undone. He'd come a long way.

The reality was, Adrian could easily tear apart the cord if needed, cut it with a claw, or snap the bedpost. But he shouldn't ever have been in a position where he'd need to do so. He had done it once before, when Trevor had unfortunately pushed things too far. Sypha had found a book about rope bondage in the Hold (near the box of penis spells of course), and the hunter had decided to try his hand at it, happy that he didn't need to be able to read to figure out the illustrations. Adrian hadn't been enthused but agreed to allow it as long as the redhead supervised and they took things slow; he rarely had nightmares about Taka and Sumi anymore, and he figured if he was all right with the wrists, an obvious trigger point, then going a bit further would be okay? He did fine with a few of the simpler, basic bindings, then Trevor asked if he could try tying a sort of knotted harness around his torso. The brunet had done everything he could to address Adrian's concerns, talking his way through each and every step, confirming as he went that his lover wasn't uncomfortable, but as soon as the straps began tightening over Adrian's chest the half-vampire panicked anyhow and kicked Trevor hard into the wall before breaking both the bedpost and cords, then curling up in an unhappy little pretzel. Unsure of who to turn to first, Sypha had sat dumbfounded for a long moment, horrified; Adrian was even more upset about what he'd done once he'd calmed down. But Trevor waved off their concern... he'd been too pushy and greedy and gotten what he'd deserved: two cracked ribs, and definite confirmation that he was an idiot for pushing his luck in the first place. It wasn't like he'd been dissatisfied with his love life in any way, bondage was appealing to him and he was just too curious for his own good...

To ensure he didn't put more stupid ideas into his own head, Trevor threw the book into the fireplace; it'd at least contribute to keeping them warm. And spending six weeks out of commission in the bedroom helped smooth things over with both his lovers. It gave Sypha and Adrian a little more opportunity to focus on one another, and they all felt more at ease with a bit of a break from Trevor's amorousness.

But that was then and this is now. Trevor considered how he wanted Adrian for the time being, then began backing him up into the corner, just close enough so that he could leash his wrists to the bedpost, leaving the taller man kneeling at the foot of the bed.

Sypha made a small sound of appreciation. Even if she wasn't participating - and she did not share Trevor's enthusiasm for biting, hair pulling, tying up or being tied up - even if she wasn't in the mood for anything sexual at the moment, she could still enjoy the fact that she had two damn attractive men in her life. Adrian, bound, blindfolded, and on his knees, and Trevor, already hard up, blue eyes bright with anticipation... it wasn't a bad sight to fall asleep to.

Trevor ran a hand up Adrian's leg, stroking the inside of one thigh and then down the other, appreciating the smoothness of his skin and the bunching of muscles beneath it. Adrian grunted softly, spreading his legs a bit to make access even easier, which the brunet was happy to take advantage of. Putting both hands on the insides of long, pale legs, he massaged rounds into the muscles there, then pressed outward to encourage Adrian to stay opened up, before centering his attention on a cock that was beginning to twitch and swell in anticipation, begging to be touched.

Trevor stroked the side of a finger along the underside of the shaft, then used his thumb to swipe at the drop of fluid starting to bead at the tip. Even with such little contact, Adrian's head fell back slightly, his hips haltingly jerking forward despite his efforts to stay still. Trevor smirked, liking the tension already steeling his frame.

"You're not shy at all about this anymore, are you?" the hunter purred, licking the slippery drop of precum off his thumb. He stopped short of describing him as "well trained" - Adrian would beat the shit out of him if he'd worded it like that, and he'd deserve it. He didn't want to be laid up again with broken ribs. "I bet you're imagining my fingers coiling around your cock, squeezing and stroking every inch of it, while my other fingers play with your asshole, spreading it open..."

Adrian's dick jumped again, his hips seizing as if he could feel exactly what Trevor had described. His breaths were coming quicker than usual; his fangs glinted as he gasped.

Trevor walked his fingers up the length of Adrian's torso, then placed his right hand flat on Adrian's chest, just below his scar, before slowly running his palm over defined abdominal muscles and down the dip in front of sharp hipbones. The blond reacted by doing his best to arch his back and shift his weight forward, to increase contact between his body and Trevor's touch, as if he could just shove his prick into Trevor's hand to force him to handle it. But he could only go so far without pulling too tightly at his restraints.

"Easy now," Trevor murmured, skipping past the length straining for his attention and wrapping his fingers around the balls dangling underneath instead, juggling them carefully in his palm while idly stroking tiny ovals into the perineum with the tip of his middle finger. Adrian wriggled a bit, then abruptly stilled as his lover fisted a hand in his hair, yanking his head to one side before leaning in to bite him just below the ear.

"Don't tease him too much," Sypha commented from her vantage point as the half-vampire cried out.

"I won't," Trevor promised as he left small kisses around the bite mark. But Adrian wasn't in distress so a bit more wouldn't hurt... Trevor had to figure by this point, he was pretty good at translating Adrian's various growls and hisses and grunts, since the taller man rarely spoke once things got started.

He nipped and nibbled his way down the side of his husband's neck, his scruff tickling along sensitive skin, then trailed his tongue over the edge of the scar that climbed over the collarbone, tracing it down to the sternum before taking a hard right and making his presence felt on a nipple that had already begun tightening with desire. He took the porcelain pink bud into his mouth and started sucking in earnest, flicking at it with his tongue, carefully scraping his teeth over it on occasion. The fingers of his left hand mirrored much of the same on the opposing nub, thumbing it before twisting it in between the pads of his fingertips.

At the same time, his right hand had slipped further in, no longer prodding at the skin behind the scrotum but now actively seeking entrance, testing the puckered flesh to see how receptive it was to penetration, spreading it open with his thumb and forefinger...

Adrian gave a loud whimper, muscles tensing and a bit of a sheen starting to gloss his skin, and Trevor paused, knowing now he was overdoing it. He stopped sucking and tweaking at the blond's nipples and moved his right arm so it lay over Adrian's hip instead of pressing into his balls, then he lifted his head to place a careful kiss on his lover's lips as a sort of apology. Their torsos pressed together; their hard ons rubbed against one another like swords against a whetstone. Adrian made a rumbling sound deep in his throat, calmer and happier with this level of contact.

For a few moments they just mindlessly rutted, leaving thin trails of moisture across one another's bodies. Trevor locked lips with Adrian again, mouth massaging against mouth, tongues flicking together. Adrian's groan was lost between their lips as the brunet reached down again and slipped a finger in dry, knowing that the half-vampire would accept it without issue. It gave him something to hang on to as he began grinding against Adrian's groin in earnest, not really caring what he was humping on as long as there was friction.

Eventually Trevor slowed and then fully stopped himself; he didn't make the effort of getting Adrian tied up just to squirt all over him a minute in. He pulled away and withdrew his right hand, groping for the towels, oil flask and extra cord that he'd brought along, wanting to make sure everything was close by for quick access; for now, he needed only to slick his fingers. The blond wasn't so happy about the loss of body heat and contact, writhing in place a little, but Trevor made up for it when he began squeezing an asscheek with one hand while sliding in two fingers that immediately began stretching and stroking inside.

Sighing, Adrian pressed against the hunter's large hands, rocking against them a bit despite the cords tightening and digging into his wrists, desperate to get things moving now that they were this far along. He loved the fullness and pressure and the sense of connection he got from Trevor being inside him, whether it was his dexterous digits or his meatier manhood.

Trevor added another thick finger, thrusting into the waiting hole with increasing force and enthusiasm until he was sure Adrian was ready to take him. There was just one more detail... Withdrawing his hands, Trevor picked up the spare rope and let it drag over Adrian's thighs as he told him, "I'm going to tie up your legs as well, all right? Just to keep you nice and open. Remember you can free yourself if you need it, okay?"

Adrian considered it, then made a sound in affirmation.

Trevor grinned, though Adrian couldn't see it. "Sit back on your butt, legs open," and when his partner was in place, he looped the cord under the crook of Adrian's knee, crossing it and looping the length of it behind his neck, and then securing the other end around the opposing knee, forcing the taller man to present himself with his groin tilted upward and his legs half bent. Adrian's breathing grew a little more labored from his positioning.

"Still okay?" Trevor asked, keeping a hand on Adrian so he'd know for certain that he hadn't been trussed up and abandoned as he took a moment to sit back and admire his handy work.

Adrian tested his range of movement carefully, flushing at the way each tug pulled at his neck, back and shoulders. It was all slightly uncomfortable but not quite painful, and from what he could gather from Trevor's heart rate, it was very arousing for the brunet, so he saw no reason he couldn't endure it. Trevor's excitement made him anticipate what was coming next as well. "Okay."

Trevor chuckled under his breath, then quickly oiled himself up before positioning himself behind his partner's buttocks. Grabbing onto lean hips, Trevor tugged the taller man towards himself until Adrian grunted, his arms starting to strain slightly behind his back, his spine curved awkwardly from having to balance his weight between the bedpost and his tailbone. The hunter immediately began pressing in, his weight and forward pressure reducing some of the strain while adding pleasant distraction to the mix. Adrian gave a breathy hiss as he felt himself open up like a flower unfurling, allowing his husband entry, suffusing his insides with firm, pulsing heat.

"Jesus, Adrian," Trevor choked out as he pushed in. No matter how many times they did this, it always felt wonderful, that slow, gradual glide into the confines of Adrian's snug chamber, feeling the stretch and give as his lover's body embraced his.

When they were fully joined, Trevor halted his movement in order to catch his breath and to let Adrian adjust to the intrusion as well. The blond took the opportunity to correct Trevor on his earlier statement, breathing, "... 'Floating vampire Jesus.'"

"Huh? Oh..." Trevor grinned, tossing his head to dislodge the beads of sweat already starting to trickle down before resting his forehead against Adrian's, his perspiration darkened hair sticking to longer moonlight strands. "Heh. Yeah." He kissed the tip of his nose, then said, "Ready, Doctor Floating Vampire Jesus?"

The half-vampire made a noise that sounded like a hum swirling around a snort of amusement, then curled his head against Trevor's shoulder a bit as he felt the hunter's muscles bunch up, his fingers tightening around sharp hip bones and the underside of straining thighs. Trevor slid out a little, exhaling, then immediately drove forward with a satisfied grunt. He took a breath, and did it again, harder, grinding a bit against Adrian's butt as if he'd somehow found the tiniest sliver of space between them and wanted to crush it out of existence. Shifting his weight backwards slightly and pulling Adrian with him, Trevor made a small adjustment before thrusting in again, and was rewarded with Adrian's gasp and bared fangs, confirmation that he'd gotten the angle just right to send sparks of pleasure racing from Adrian's groin all the way up his spine and back.

Soon Adrian's hisses mingled with soft muttered oaths falling from Trevor's lips, the slap of their bodies adding a rhythmic backdrop that filled the room. The various sounds drew another pleased noise from Sypha as she sleepily approved of what she was witnessing.

Pressed down by the weight of the heavier man, all Adrian could do was concentrate on breathing, on feeling, on the scents and sounds flowing around him... it wasn't like he could move much with all his limbs tied down and his ass getting pounded.

Trevor changed angles every handful of strokes, deliberately impacting the core of Adrian's pleasure, pushing him towards the promised land, then depriving him, leaving him lying breathlessly on a plateau until the next push. Adrian tossed his head, feeling hypersensitive from all the teasing, his neglected member leaking desperately. Tilting his chin in consideration, the brunet finally took pity on it, wrapping his fingers around Adrian's arousal and stroking strongly just as he thrust against the perfect spot yet again. Adrian arched fiercely into his touch, howling loudly as he nearly lost control.

The blond was so gorgeous like that, brows drawn, body bound and straining, mewling in pleasure as he shook and struggled against the erotic assault... it was almost enough to drive Trevor off the cliff as well, but he hung on, determined to see his lover pushed to completion first.

But just as Trevor thought he'd won the race, the half-vampire's head twisted and jerked up slightly, and he hoarsely murmured, "Frediric..."

Huh? Oh... shit. Trevor stuttered to a stop, though it didn't make a difference since he was fully buried inside Adrian, his dick throbbing like mad and his fingers still clenching bruisingly tight on the left side of Adrian's hip, his other hand sweaty and gripping onto Adrian's cock like his life depended on it. He turned and looked behind him in a panic as the door started opening beyond the minimal crack they'd left it at. "Sypha!" he hissed.

She yawned, not nearly as perturbed as the brunet. There was no way she was going to manage to get up before the little boy burst in, so she simply froze the hinges in place with a quick gesture before pushing herself upright, groaning. "You owe me, Trevor," Sypha sighed, rubbing at her eyes as she got up and began waddling towards the door.

"Me? It's supposed to be Adrian's night."

"And whose fault is it that he's tied up and completely unavailable? So you get to make up for it," she huffed quietly, more awake now as she caught the sound of a small hand smacking the door.

"Mama..." Frediric called out plaintively. He was already trying to peek through the sliver of an opening. "Can't open the door."

The Speaker smoothed down her nightshirt and positioned herself so that she'd block as much of Frediric's view of the bed as possible, then unfroze the hinges and opened the door a few inches more. "What is it, sweetie?"

"I can't sleep," the child complained. He tried to look past Sypha, but couldn't, especially since she shifted to compensate for each attempt to crane his head past her. "Mama, was Papa screaming?"

Sypha stiffened. "Well... Papa had a nightmare, that's all."

"I'd hardly call this a nightmare," Trevor commented, just loud enough to put a frown on Sypha's face as her eyebrow twitched in irritation.

"Does Papa want a hug? Maybe he will feel better," the little boy suggested.

"Daddy's hugging Papa already!" Trevor called out from the bed.

Sypha whipped her head around and glared a thousand daggers at him, then turned back to their son. Internally she groaned - Trevor was stupid and she really wanted to go to sleep at this point - but she put a smile on her face and pulled the door far back enough to let her slip herself through. "You'll be very tired tomorrow if you don't sleep. How about I tell you a story...?"

Trevor watched as the door latched shut behind Sypha, gave an additional slow count to ten, then shifted back slightly to resume rocking against his partner, albeit a bit more carefully, as Adrian had tensed up considerably upon hearing their son stirring outside.

"Sypha's got it. Relax," he murmured, easing his grip on Adrian to encourage him to do just that. He even let go of Adrian's hip in order to caress and massage his ass as he continued his slow, shallow thrusts.

The blond exhaled, slumping a bit on the mattress since he had enough slack now to do so. It was a little frustrating, having been pretty close to the finish line, only to hit the brakes and bite back his moans, to still any movement when all he'd wanted to do was find relief. No reason to take more risks... if he came first, so be it. Despite the restrictions on his movement, he did his best to push up against Trevor's hand, a soft whine picking up in the back of his throat as he begged to be finished off.

His husband took the hint and began jacking him off in earnest, slightly off rhythm from the strokes that continued to fill his back channel, making him hot inside and out. Adrian began thrashing in his bindings, toes curling as he drew desperately close again, and then finally he inhaled sharply as a swell of intense pleasure rose within, erupting like lava to stream and splatter Trevor's hand and wrist with molten pearls as his hole clenched with each violent tremor. Having also been on edge Trevor was quick to follow, his body shaking as he painted Adrian's insides with splashes of warm cream, gasping his lover's name between grunts of satisfaction.

Adrian's chest heaved as he resumed sucking in deep breaths, muscles uncoiling as he came down from his high. He could barely find enough air to groan as the hunter slid his softening unit out from inside him. Trevor took a beat to catch his breath as well, then quickly began to undo the ties rather than making Adrian do it himself, as there was no reason to leave him restrained for even a moment longer than he had to. He helped Adrian lower limp legs onto the mattress, then freed his wrists, quickly checking around the faint scars for any signs of chafing. Satisfied that all was well, he undid the blindfold and let it slip to the side as he quickly wiped himself down, then got up to wash his hands in the small washbasin they kept in the room for that very purpose. Returning to the bed, Trevor carefully cleaned Adrian up with a fresh towel and a bit of water, knowing just how fastidious his lover was, then washed his hands again, before finally gathering him into his arms and scooting them both back to the head of the bed.

The half-vampire really didn't care one way or another about Trevor's fascination with restraining him; as long as he didn't take it too far, he could tolerate it. He only cared that it made Trevor happy. But despite the fact that he didn't share in Trevor's fetishes, Adrian did immensely enjoy the aftermath. The hunter was already beginning to gently brush out Adrian's hair with the fancy enameled hairbrush he'd chosen for him, all while murmuring words of affection into the shell of his ear, interlacing them with surprisingly soft kisses. Once the golden tresses were smooth and shiny, Trevor would massage Adrian all over to ensure there were no kinks or knots from his time spent immobilized, his hands big and pleasantly rough as they kneaded over and around each muscle. It took some time, but he would start at the shoulders and arms, then gradually make his way down over back and legs, all the way to Adrian's feet... and even if Trevor was tired or Adrian fell asleep halfway through he always finished the job. Adrian would wake up warm all over with his limbs feeling marvelously loose, and Trevor tightly wrapped around him like a vine on a trellis. Calling it pleasant was an understatement; waking up after a restful night's sleep, feeling like the whole world was made anew, made agreeing to Trevor's requests well worth it.

By the time Sypha returned, Adrian was face down on the bed, dead to the world. Trevor had pulled the covers over his lover's torso but was still resolutely rubbing down Adrian's feet regardless; he gave Sypha a smile as she did her best to settle quietly onto the bed, not wanting to wake their sleeping partner. She couldn't help but smile back, her heart fluttering at the soft affection in the brunet's face, then eyed the repetitive motion of Trevor's hands. Subtly flexing her swollen ankles, she muttered, "I could do with some of that myself."

"If you give me a minute, I'll be available," he told her, his tired voice rough and low and rumbly.

"Hmm, all right. But you still owe me," she decided, snuggling under her side of the rumpled blankets with her feet sticking out as well.

He couldn't help but chuckle, though he tried his best to keep it down. "Yeah, I know. I'll take the next three nights if you'll cover the rest of this one," he said as he pulled the sheets over Adrian's legs before shifting over a bit to begin on Sypha's.

She didn't even need to stop and think it over. It was unlikely that Frediric would wake up again, and Ann had so far been sleeping through the night without issue since she was five months old. And if Trevor took the next three nights that would give Adrian an extra night off as well, plus a little relief from Trevor's enthusiastic affections. She wriggled her toes, pleased. "Deal."

* * *

Lisa Tepes could almost feel her husband's excitement from the moment the door opened and he hurried in, a medium sized box tucked securely under one arm.

"Finally, it arrived! And to think, it was nearly lost at sea on the way over, and then delivered to the wrong county..." Vlad said as he carefully cleared aside some of Lisa's books and papers in order to place the box on her small desk. He pulled out the chair for her, then fetched another one from the kitchen table.

"Is this really a distance mirror?" she asked, studying the chest before sitting down. With its ornate lid it more resembled a jewelry box, but the magical item it supposedly contained was more valuable than gold.

"Yes. Smaller ones are often carried in this fashion," he explained with a light wave of his hand, before he popped the latch and opened it. "They're fairly rare now; I don't know how long it would've taken to find and purchase another if this had truly gotten lost. But thankfully, here it is at long last."

Glass shards and slivers flew up, flowing together in a small cloud above the box. It really was a miniaturized version of the ones Lisa had gotten used to seeing inside the castle, like the one in Vlad's study or the larger one in the library that floated about through magical means.

Vlad reached forward with a claw and lightly tapped a diamond shaped shard. With a faint tinkling sound the others converged around it, resolving into a single glass pane similar in shape to a four-leaf clover. Lisa stared at her reflection staring back, still amazed after all these years that something as deceivingly simple as this assembly of glass pieces could show them something half a world away.

"Mirror, where is my son, Adrian?" Vlad commanded, and their reflections vanished as the image warped and reformed to a familiar sight. Even in the darkness of night, both Lisa and Vlad immediately recognized the imposing spires of their former home.

"He's at the castle," Lisa breathed, somewhat relieved, though she didn't immediately recognize the surrounding lands. There appeared to be some ruins nearby, a bit of forest, and... lights, a little further out?

Vlad nodded. "Mirror, what is my son doing at this very moment?"

The mirror shifted focus again, this time to a bedroom aglow from a fire in the hearth. Their eyes were immediately drawn towards some jerky movement near the center of the plane.

"... Oh my!" Lisa gasped, quickly averting her eyes as soon as she realized what she was seeing. She was momentarily grateful that sound couldn't pass through a lone mirror, but even the visual had been overwhelming enough: her son, tied up and pinned down, engaged in intercourse with another man.

Biting down on her lip, she risked a peek over at her husband. Vlad's eyes had also widened in shock, but he hadn't ended the transmission. In fact, once he'd gotten over the initial surprise he had leaned in a bit closer, scrutinizing the scene, initial bewilderment being overwritten by... disapproval?

"I'm fairly certain that's the Belmont, the hunter that Adrian brought along to confront me," Vlad said darkly, taking in the details. His hair was longer than before, long enough to spill between his shoulder blades, but he remembered the distinct bisected scar over the man's left eye. What he couldn't fathom was why the Belmont had Adrian at his mercy like that. Was it some sort of punishment, because of who Adrian was? No, that didn't make sense. No hunter worth his salt wasted time teasing at his prey; four years was far too long even if he did want to draw things out with some sort of twisted game. And Adrian appeared to be tied up with plain, ordinary rope, not blessed silver or warded magical cords; he could easily break free of those restraints if he wanted to. He wasn't gagged either; even blindfolded, he should be able to simply lunge and bite if the need arose. So did that mean... he was permitting this?

As Vlad watched, Adrian's jaw fell open as he silently cried out, his assailant grinding against him even harder than before, until Adrian suddenly jerked his head towards one side, his mouth moving once again. The Belmont froze, his head turning as well, and then another figure stirred in the bottom left corner of viewing portal, making an arcane gesture before getting out of bed, conversing with the hunter the whole while. Going by the short reddish hair made even brighter by the firelight, Vlad was pretty sure the third person was the female Speaker-magician that had accompanied the pair; from her gait, the sway of her posture, the volume of her nightgown, he surmised she was fairly far along in pregnancy. She went to the door that was barely visible in the upper left corner of the mirror, spent a few moments talking to someone there, then disappeared through the door.

Whatever the situation was, it was all apparently consensual, despite the nature of the parties involved. Vlad finally cut the mirror's connection, much to his wife's relief, and sat back to consider their next step. If Adrian was living in the castle with a hunter and a magic user, they couldn't just show up unannounced, and thought it had been hard to see, there'd been evidence of a town near the edge of the castle grounds as well, so that was another complication. Their best bet would be to try and reconnect via distance mirror, to speak to Adrian before taking any action, but first... a little more research was needed. They had to figure out their son's habits, the hours he was keeping and where he was going, to best find an opportunity to contact him.

"Well, I think I've had enough surprises for now," Lisa said, still slightly shaken. Adrian was an adult, of course he could do adult things, but... he was still her little boy, no matter how quickly he'd grown or how old he was now. "Maybe we should avoid activating this at night, for the time being?" she suggested.

"Perhaps that would be prudent, yes." He gave her an understanding smile. "It may be best if I work on gathering notes myself, and we can revisit this matter in a few days when I have a better understanding of his schedule. If we're fortunate, he may stop to spend time in my old study or the library; we can try contacting him then."

Lisa sighed. She was a patient woman, but it had taken over a year to procure a distance mirror, and she'd last glimpsed her son three years before that, though that memory was blurred and tattered, as if she hadn't been looking at him through her own eyes. It was hard to continue being patient when so much time had already been lost, but... "All right, let's do that. But if you see anything else... questionable, I don't mind if you just keep it to yourself."

He chuckled despite the situation. "I will keep that in mind." Then, noting the way she was starting to sag beside him, he asked, "Tired?" She gave a small nod. "Shall we go to bed, then? Will you be able to sleep?"

"I will try," she said. But how was one supposed to get the image of one's son, naked and trussed up like a roast bird that was being violently stuffed by a brutish looking man, out of one's mind? She wasn't sure if she could. Four years didn't seem all that long - it had taken time for them to move here, to get settled, to make it their home - but here was proof of how quickly things could change, and now she wondered... had they waited too long to reconnect with their son?

* * *

Author's Notes:

- Poor Lisa... unfortunately I have a thing for people finding out that their loved ones are in a relationship in the most awkward of ways : p

- For the narrative I'm using Vlad, reason of course being Lisa's "I can't be introducing you as Dracula Tepes, honestly no relation, don't look too closely at his teeth."

- The last section of this prologue will also serve as the beginning of chapter 1 of "The Living Years," just FYI. So expect to see it again, verbatim.

November 5, 2023