Finders Keepers

[all_too_familiar]

Sometimes witches have powers before they turn. But this is rare, uncommon.

More often, a potential witch displays almost nothing out of the ordinary at all. Just, say, a little more skill with people, a little more natural charisma. An extra dose of something that could almost be called luck, if one were paying attention and on the lookout for witches.

There is one such maybe-potential, right over there. He's not from around here, but he is fluent in Italian and French and German and he professes that English is his first language and laughs when people call him a liar because of his perfect accent. He might not be the most powerful, but a polyglot witch could be useful for something. And who knows, maybe there's more to it.

Maybe someone would care to find out.

Comments

[alicornucopia]

"Figured that'd do it," chuckles Biter. Her voice is light, musical; she smells nice; she loves-loves-loves her Special Friend more than anything; she likes frescoes and harpsichords and thunderstorms... "I'm Danuta and this is my mate Gavriel. What's your name?"

[all_too_familiar]

"I," he begins, and he notices the extra to his voice that makes it clearer and musical and perfect, "Blair. You. You wanted me to-?"

And then he is no longer talking because he has realized the implications of this she caused it she caused it, and is launching himself at Danuta.

[alicornucopia]

Gavriel deflects him, snarling. He loveslovesloves Danuta more than anything.

[all_too_familiar]

Two against one, he's new and inexperienced and they're together and likely to kill him if he acts out like an idiot and fuck they love each other -

He is deflected and stays deflected and instead buries his face in his hands and the thing in his head won't shut up it keeps telling him about them he doesn't want to know they're monsters they're monsters -

But so is he.

Whimper.

[alicornucopia]

"It's okay," soothes Danuta, "you're bound to be a little feral for a while. Happens to everyone. So are you a witch?"

[all_too_familiar]

"What's a witch?" he croaks.

[alicornucopia]

"Somebody with a little extra something. A power," says Danuta.

[all_too_familiar]

"I have, I have a lot, of powers now," he says, a hint of dry. "Going to have to narrow it down."

[alicornucopia]

"Something besides the physical perfection," Danuta clarifies dryly.

[all_too_familiar]

Oh you mean like the uncontrollable urge to murder people? he doesn't say.

Right. Okay. So they seem to be of the opinion that they're his friends, but he shouldn't correct them of this fact at the moment. He needs to understand what's going on. Calm. Think about the future. Yes, good, he can almost handle this brain if he keeps paying attention to the thing in his head that keeps giving him information...

"I, I think so. You like thunderstorms and frescoes and - and - there's, they were people, she," he points, "liked the outdoors. He," he points again, "was a good father."

Is that a hint of a sob? That was a hint of a sob. Also a hint of bitter.

[alicornucopia]

"Oh, that's going to give you an eating disorder if you keep aiming it at the food, dear," says Danuta. "That's interesting, though!"

[all_too_familiar]

He growls a little, but keeps himself from leaping because they think he is their friend, he needs them, he is suddenly alone with himself and this is a terrifying prospect what even is he?

"What am I?" he whispers.

[alicornucopia]

"We're vampires," says Danuta.

[all_too_familiar]

"Vampires," he repeats. He was never one for folklore, but he's suddenly become much more of a believer. "Okay. What does this involve besides, besides the. The eating people thing. And the perfect body. And the magic powers. Do I catch fire in sunlight? Sleep in a coffin on dirt from my home? Do I need to be invited inside?"

[alicornucopia]

"No and no and no," laughs Danuta. "Do avoid the sun, though, you'll look all shiny and conspicuous, the Volturi don't like it."

[all_too_familiar]

"And who are they?" And why should I care?

[alicornucopia]

"Vampire royalty, more or less. If you do things they don't like they'll kill you. They mostly only care that you mind your secrecy. Don't do anything in broad daylight, or anything obvious in public."

[all_too_familiar]

"Okay," he says, closing his eyes. He was not planning to be anywhere adjacent to public anytime soon. He's still got their blood on him. It still smells delicious, though - stale and kind of icky now.

"Why did you, the vampire thing, why did you make me one?"

[alicornucopia]

"I thought you might be a witch!" smiles Danuta. "Some humans are, but most often it's only after turning you find out for sure. And I was right and now you get to have magic powers."

[all_too_familiar]

He is going to kill her.

It is an urge completely separate from the 'feral' urges. It is calm. It is certain. It is something close to patient. It can wait, for when he is in a better position in life and less off balance.

"How did you suspect I'd be one?" he wonders. "I didn't - I definitely didn't have anything like this before."

Understand understand understand, most important thing. Murder later. Everything else later. Information, now.

[alicornucopia]

"You seemed - talented. That sort of guess isn't always right, but it was this time." Her grin is so toothy.

[all_too_familiar]

He really wants to rip her teeth out and feed them to her. But he resists.

"Lucky me."

[alicornucopia]

"Yep. Gavriel's a witch too." She kisses him on the cheek. "Not me though."

[all_too_familiar]

"Oh?" he wonders. "What do you do?"

Friendly. Curious. His vampire mind is good for acting, he notes, he just has to feed the curiosity burning in his soul instead of the rage and he can be downright cute and cuddly.

[alicornucopia]

"I hide things," Gavriel says. "It's not the best witch power ever, but if I hide a thing no one can find it if I don't tell them how."