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

[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."

[all_too_familiar]

"Huh. Sounds useful, anyway. Does it work for people, or just things?"

Curious curious curious! So curious. So innocent. So not plotting how to kill the both of you.

[alicornucopia]

"Just things," Gavriel says. "Well, maybe people. I've never tried to hide a baby. I can't hide big stuff."

[all_too_familiar]

Good to know.

Blair nods.

"I don't know what mine does besides, uh. Invasion of privacy." Pause. "Might just be invasion of privacy."

...

No that's not right.

There's a something else here. It's hard to pick out and so very quiet in this spacious new head of his, but there's a - thing. Niggling. It doesn't belong to Gavriel or Danuta, and it's so far away -

Brave and cautious and loyal and good and she likes eating vegetables like a freak and she's often more dry than he is and likes nurses on principle and thinks they're necessary but thinks they are too small scale for her taste she always wants larger scale it's not big enough until the whole world's safe -

What the hell?

He frowns.

[alicornucopia]

"You'll figure it out," says Danuta.

[all_too_familiar]

"I hope so," he agrees.

That direction? The person is in that direction. And it feels familiar. More familiar than anyone else present. It's so hard to remember things that aren't perfect vampire memories or pain, but if he focuses...

...

He had a sister. Has. Has a sister. She exists, and is thataway. Feels pretty far, too. He vaguely remembers something about travelling? Seeing the world? That feels foolish now. But she's alive, she's fine, she's far far away and her little signature quietly sits there. Being itself. Helping him to remember who he was when he was human.

He feels no need to mention this to his 'friends.' Let them think it's just an invasion of privacy power, not - whatever it is. Let it be a cute trick. Let them think it's quaint.

Maybe it can help him kill them.

"So, what now?"

[alicornucopia]

"Well, you're all fed, so we go to another city and amuse ourselves and then get something to eat and leave again. We move around a lot, we don't keep a stable territory. Let me do the talking if we meet any other vampires."

[all_too_familiar]

He has the urge to challenge her, say, No I have the better information I have the privacy invasion power, I can know what they're like, I do the talking, you've bumbled over a thousand little things that piss me off, just what will you do with other people -

He resists. Murder. Focus on the murder that will occur in the future. He can't murder her if she's expecting it, expecting him to act out. ... Well, he could, probably, but it'd be more chancy and less certain. He'd like to make it as certain as possible that she and her mate die.

"Okay. Fine by me. I like travelling, anyway. That's what I was doing, before."

[alicornucopia]

"Great!" beams Danuta. "Let's go to Venice."

"Ooh," says Gavriel.

[all_too_familiar]

"I haven't been to Venice," he agrees. "I think becoming a vampire got my Italian a bit rusty, it's harder to remember. I'll be fun to practice it."

[alicornucopia]

"Everything you pick up now you'll remember forever," Danuta beams at him, "it's lovely."

So they go to Venice.

[all_too_familiar]

Venice is lovely!

Blair learns quickly that he can hold his breath to avoid smelling people, and through this and beating himself with his power and person person person becomes surprisingly good at resisting tasty humans.

He is also very docile, for a newborn. Also friendly, though occasionally he displays a wicked sense of humor.