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]

"True." He peers at her. "That outranks the murder? And the mate thing? Really?"

(Reading her is becoming easier. It's almost like she's familiar to him.)

[poll_the_stars]

"The murder I can actively stop. It's concerning and if I killed someone accidentally I don't think I'd forgive myself, but it's in my control. I can account for it and handle it. The mate thing is - I'm still going with horrifying, but I have the strong belief that anyone I could hopelessly fall in love with is not going to be a twit about it, which - assuages my beliefs somewhat. They're not gone but I'd put up with it for immortality." Pause. "So yes, it does outrank both, it's just. No kids. Ever. I'm not desperate to be a mother, exactly, but I don't want to forever lose the chance to bear children if I can help it."

[all_too_familiar]

"Adoption?"

[poll_the_stars]

"Is definitely an option on the table, but it's still lessening my available options. And I might discover I want to experience the miracle of childbirth."

[all_too_familiar]

Yes but instead you will be experiencing the miracle of death.

"Okay. .... One of the vampires is a doctor. That might be relevant. I don't know if that's at all possible to, to mess with, but he is a vampire doctor who's probably a bit ahead of traditional doctors on account of the sheer amount of experience. And how he doesn't need to sleep." Pause. "Or, uh, you could have a kid before you turn?"

[poll_the_stars]

She makes a face.

"Not anytime soon." Pause, consideration. "... I might talk to the doctor."

[all_too_familiar]

"And if we cannot bend the human body to our will with the powers of science?"

[poll_the_stars]

"... I embrace my future liquid diet from animals only," she pronounces, after a pause. "On consideration I don't find adoption objectionable, just. The option thing."

[all_too_familiar]

"Okay. No pressure, and uh, you can change your mind at any time, so on, so forth."

[poll_the_stars]

[all_too_familiar]

"Good news," he says. "I heard that 'you could try' loud and clear, sibling telepathy is in working condition."

[poll_the_stars]

"Technically you could forcibly turn me at any time!"

[all_too_familiar]

"If I want to have an angry newborn on my hands, sure I could."

[poll_the_stars]

She snorts.

"Let's not. I could kill someone." Pause. "Actually, from what it sounds like, one vampire dealing with a newborn is not enough for safety."

[all_too_familiar]

"Mm. Yeah. I was thinking along those lines already, though we could go find some extremely out of the way place of the world if that falls through. I'll ask vampire friends about it when I go to visit."

[poll_the_stars]

"Okay. ... How soon are you going to go visit?"

[all_too_familiar]

"Vague later, I just got here, and have a shiny new sister. And, I don't know, need anything heavy lifted?"

[poll_the_stars]

"If I find something," she says dryly, "I will let you know."

[all_too_familiar]

So it turns out that Blair actually likes his sister. He is gently re-informed of relevant forgotten history, kept away from the neighbors for fear of being recognized, and is informed that he needs to be very careful about watching when he breathes, because his sister is in fact a nurse. Blood is occasionally involved with this.

Despite this hurdle, he does not eat her, or any of the neighbors, or anyone else. He eats a lot of deer, a bit more often than is really necessary. He is a safe vampire. Well. Okay, maybe not safe, but not randomly murderous. He will choose to be dangerous. In certain conditions. And then when he chooses not to be dangerous he will not be dangerous. This is a good system.

Weeks pass; Yvette foresees leaving England eventually, if not immediately, and has to prepare for the eventuality. This involves selling things that she had but won't need when travelling, saving up money, informing her landlord, so on.

Blair takes the time to introduce himself to the nearby covens - they find him sort of quaint on account of his diet and unobjectionable. He asks that they not eat people in the town Yvette lives in, because he is planning to spirit his sister away (not in England, he clarifies, they won't have to worry about a newborn) to be turned and it would be upsetting to have her be eaten before that. They are a bit nervous about the potential newborn, but if he is not going to turn her in England it's really not their problem, and avoiding one little town is easy enough.

In his admittedly large downtime, he pokes at his power. He gets a better feel for how to find certain types of people, and gets a feel for how long it takes for him to reliably track a person, and what way's best to get a good signature in his little person database. Smell is awful for anything but finding the specifics of where the person is. Sight's better, but not if he just studies physical appearance; he needs to watch for their mannerisms, their quirks, their body language. Listening to them is definitely on the right track, but just stalking them and hearing them speak isn't the best option. His most natural instinct of 'walk up and talk to them' is, by a long shot. Regardless, he definitely needs to pay attention to them as people, not just - targets to be hunted. This is fine by him, actually.

And then he's grown a bit restless and all of Yvette's things that can be taken care of without a date that she sets sail are taken care of, and he bids his sister goodbye and goes back to America to find and talk to the Cullens.

They're no longer in Wisconsin. This isn't a problem, he's a tracker, but it is noteworthy. He follows their signatures to the state of New York, and then to Rochester.

They probably already know he's there before he knocks on their door, but it seems polite.

[alicornucopia]

Esme answers. "Welcome back! How have you been?"

[all_too_familiar]

"Excellent! I visited the Denali and then my sister in England; she was very understanding and did not try to set me on fire even once." He smiles. "And you, Esme?"

[alicornucopia]

"We've been settling in here, and I'm waiting on a shipment of some marble before I can fix up the fireplace but everything else on the house is well underway, and I could recommend you the loveliest books..." She ushers him in. "Carlisle will be home in a few hours, Edward in four or five - he's hunting."

[all_too_familiar]

Blair actually was aware they were both away, but pegged Esme as the one most likely to be at home and therefore the best option for polite entrance. Besides, Esme's adorable, he has no problem talking to her for a few hours. He nods, smiling.

"This house has got such a different style from the last one. I like it though, cute in a different way. More regal, though I don't really know houses. What are your plans for it?"

[alicornucopia]

Esme describes her plans for it. They as she are adorable.

[all_too_familiar]

So adorable! Blair thinks that listening to Esme describing plans for the house is an excellent use of his time. He does so with no regrets. Carlisle and Edward can take their time, Blair adores listening to people talk about things they love.