Chapter Text
Two Years later
The alarm blares out loudly in the dark bedroom, the light blue painted walls now had various posters for some bands and movies tacked to their surface. The shelves that had been built into one of the walls that once held children's books and some toys now held much thicker books. Some of their spines were covered with the odd language of vampires, others had their titles in English.
Most of the toys had since vanished, though a cherished few remained on the shelves. Not meant for further play, only to be a physical memory of childhood.
The shape under the grey covers shift and move, a soft groan escaping the halfling boy as he rolls over. For a moment the boy tries to pull the pillows up around his head to block out the noise, but he gives out and a pale arm reaches out towards the blaringly loud piece of technology.
His fingers fumble about before he finds the off button and hits it. The room falls back into silence again, only for the bed to creak as the halfling boy sits up. He lets out a sleepy groan as he pushes the covers away with one hand and uses the other to rub sleep from his eyes.
It was too early for this.
Vlad slips out of bed and crosses his room to the closet. He pulls open the door and starts rooting through the clothing that was hanging in his closet. Vlad then pulls out a black t-shirt, some and some blue jeans that were ripped at the knees. He tosses him down onto his bed and starts to get changed.
He then plops himself down onto the bed and pulls his socks on, followed by a pair of black converse sneakers. Vlad then hurries out of his bedroom and into the hallways, he’s greeted by the smell of a fresh cooked breakfast and the sound of the local news on the living room Tv. The halfing walks into the kitchen to see Otis plating up a cheese omelet with some toast and cut up fruit.
Otis looks up at Vlad as he places the plate down on the kitchen table “ah, look who’s up. I Thought you’d sleep right through your alarm.” said the blonde vampire with a smile on his face.
Vlad lets out a chuckle as he walks over and takes a seat at the table “common, Otis, it’s not like it went on for that long. ''He'd only ignored it for a minute at most, not like he laid there for twenty minutes ignoring the alarm. Though he'd much prefer to have ignored it and stayed asleep, the bed was warm and comfortable.
Way more than the halfling could say for school.
Vlad picks up the form from the table and stabs it into one of the cut up strawberries before putting it into his mouth. He was always surprised at how willing Otis was to make an actual breakfast for him every morning. it wasn’t really ever anything fancy, but Otis still would always have something put together for Vlad with a few cups of blood.
It wasn’t really common for the average vampire to eat human food. After all, it was blood that kept a vampire going, human food did next to nothing for most vampires.
But Vlad enjoys it, there was something about it that felt normal.
“Even so” Otis says as he sits down across the table from Vlad, a coffee cup in hand. “It’s best not to start slacking off, even with only two weeks of the school year left.” Otis says, taking a sip from his steaming mug.
Vlad just nods, sometimes he really did have a hard time telling if Otis was joking or not. His uncle always had been rather serious about school. Between the fact that Otis has taken up the job of teacher at Bathery's high school and from what Vlad had heard from Otis and other vampires, it had been a job Otis had preferred to work for decades. And Vlad could tell that his uncle enjoyed it greatly.
To the point he would always make sure Vlad had homework done and helped whenever the halfling needed it. And when it came to Vlad learning about Elysia, he’d go out of his way to make lessons for him.
And when it wasn't Vlad, his uncle was focused on doing his best to make the lessons he taught enjoyable for the other students. And with the rumors Vlad had overheard the last few years, it seemed that Otis was more than successful.
Vlad takes a big swig of blood and swallows.
“So, are we gonna start training again this summer?” Vlad asks, there was a little bit of excitement in his voice. While Otis still taught Vlad and helped him practice his abilities regularly, it always ramped up during breaks and vacation. When Vlad had nothing else to worry about.
“Of course.” Otis smiles at the halfling, then he takes a sip from his mug of coffee “I intend to focus on Telepathy, since you still have some trouble with mind reading and mind control.”
Vlad looks away, he really was still on that. Vlad really would much prefer to focus on the cooler abilities, like animorphing.
And it wasn’t like Vlad didn’t want to learn those abilities and master them, he did. But it honestly didn’t feel right… to be in people's minds without them knowing. It felt like eavesdropping if Vlad was being honest with himself. Like he was some
In fact, at times it was really uncomfortable. During his attempts, he’d learned a lot about the other people in Bathery. A lot of which he could have gone his whole life without knowing.
Like how one of the neighbors down the street was having an affair with a teacher at the highschool. Or how Old Mrs. Buford had kicked the ladder out from under her first husband for the life insurance payout.
Yeah… some things just didn’t need to be known.
“The other thing that I Find important for you to learn to hunt.” Otis says.
Vlad’s body goes rigid, his hand shaking around the fork.
“You need to start feeding from the source.” Otis continues, taking another sip from his mug. “You are growing, and at your age you need all the nutrients that you can get. While bagged blood and blood wine can sustain you, it’s not as nutritious as fresh blood.”
“No” Vlad says, looking down at his plate of food and the half empty glass of blood.
The blonde vampire frowns, the look of concern written across his face “I do understand that you have reservations, but this is not something that can be pushed back forever.” Otis says. “You will need to hunt eventually, it’s not something you can keep running from.”
“You don’t know that.” he didn’t, after all, Vlad’s dad hadn’t fed off other people. He’d drank bagged blood just like Vlad had, Vlad had seen him.
“I do” the vampire states as if this was a matter of fact. “Please, just trust me, Vladimir, this is for the best.”
“No, my answer is no.” Vlad says, slamming his fork down and standing from the table.
“Vladimir, please-”
“No,” Vlad says
Vlad storms out of the kitchen and starts to walk towards the front door, grabbing his backpack along the way “I Need to get to school, I'll see you this afternoon.”
Vlad walks through the hallway of the middle school, he glances over at one of the posters on the wall for a moment. Freedom Fest was coming up, and the PTA was excitedly advertising all the little booths and games they had managed to hire for the event.
He has noticed that over the last few years, the end of school year festival had seemed to get better and better in terms of the booths and small attractions that would be rented out.
Vlad approaches the wall of lockers and easily finds his own, quickly spinning the lock in the right combination. He then pulls open the door of his locker and tosses his backpack inside. Then he goes to grab his English text book and the notebook for the class. Honestly, it wouldn’t be all that long before they would be cleaning their lockers out like always at the end of the year.
It was basically required for any of the students to attend the end of school year festival of sorts.
Vlad knew he’d have a fairly easy time cleaning his locker out, it wasn’t like he kept it messy. A few crumpled papers and assignments he didn't care to take home, sure, but it wasn’t bad.
But Henry, on the other hand…
Vlad glances over at his best friend’s locker as Henry pulls his own math text book out. It was a much bigger mess in there. In fact, it could probably do with a big ' BioHazard' label.
He'd actually considered buying one he'd seen online and slapping it on his friend's locker. But, he figured Principal Snailgroove would give him detention.
Henry looks over at Vlad as he closes the door to his own locker. “So, what’s up?” he asks, tucking his text book under his arm as he looks at Vlad. “You kinda seem like you’re in space or something.” the human looks over the halfling.
Vlad closes the locker door and looks down “I Had an argument with Otis about some stuff this morning.” he says, he couldn’t really admit what it was about. He knew Henry had always been a little bit skeeved out over the fact that Vlad drank human blood. But it would probably be worse if he got the idea that Vlad would go running around hunting innocent people and ripping their necks open for a meal.
Henry leans in “seriously?” questions the human boy.
Vlad nods.
Henry takes a quick glance around, as if to make sure no one was listening in or something.
“He’s not gonna make you move schools, is he?” the blonde boy questions.
Vlad blinks and looks over at his friend in confusion “what? No, it’s got nothing to do with that.” he shakes his head. “It was just over the plans for training and stuff over the summer.” Otis hadn’t said a word about moving Vlad to another school anyways. Vlad was under the impression that he’d just go to Bathery High School next year.
“What made you think I'd move schools or whatever?” the halfling boy asks. Seriously, of all the conclusions Henry would jump to?
“I mean, I heard from Mom that your uncle used to like, be a teacher in Stokerton at that big university.” Henry says.
Vlad wasn’t exactly sure what that had to do with anything.
“Also, you guys have been doing a lot of traveling over the last few years, ya know. Like, if it’s not Stokerton, it’s some place like New York. Hell, you guys took that trip to London over spring break. I Just figured, Otis was looking at some of those big, fancy schools that rich people send their kids to.”
“Dude, those trips were council and vampire stuff, I Didn't even set foot in any fancy school.” Vlad says, well, there was some sightseeing and other stuff. But like, at no point did Otis drag him to any schools for some tour or whatever.
Honestly, Vlad still wasn’t entirely sure why they were so intent on having Otis there as well. After all, his uncle didn’t really seem to be a politician like the council members.
Vlad had tried to ask Otis once, but his uncle had just told him that there were duties they had to the blood line and it was at Em's behest that they attended.
“But like, still, are you sure?” Henry questions.
Vlad looks away, really, he hadn’t ever thought about it. Sure, he’d stayed here in the town and the same school. But… was that supposed to be permanent?
He'd heard from vampires about Elysian run schools specifically for fledglings. The type of places that were meant to educate fledglings about Elysia and give vampires knowledge and training to one day participate in Elysia's governments and society.
What if Otis just wanted to give Vlad some time to adjust to the world of vampires, all the while planning for something else.
Vlad walks up the steps and pushes the front door of the house open. Otis’s car was already parked back in the driveway, sitting beside it was Nelly’s car. Otis had made it home before Vlad, which wasn’t all that uncommon when the halfling had debate club after school.
Although, there were some days where Otis would stay for hours after school to help any students who needed it. Otis was just like that, it didn’t really matter what the subject was. If Otis could help, he would. Just like he would do whenever Vlad had trouble with his own homework or studies.
They halfling walked into the house, pulling his backpack down. He looks at it for a moment, the things Henry had said still on his mind. They had been for the better part of the day.
Was Otis really planning to send him off to some other school? Some place far away like New York or London? It wasn’t like Otis wouldn’t have the money for it, seeing as he bought Vlad’s childhood home and fixed it up without a concern or complaint.
In fact, it seemed like most of the vampires Vlad had come into contact with seemed to be extremely wealthy. Like, buy a personal island and set up a secret super villain style volcano base, wealthy.
Though, even Vlad could guess that living for hundreds of years made saving up fortunes a breeze.
“Well, it has been lovely, Otis, but I Do need to go. I Can't be late for my shift at the hospital.” Vlad‘s ears perk up at the sound of Nelly’s voice.
His aunt comes walking out of the kitchen “and I think Vladimir will be home soon, so make sure there’s at least a few left for him.” Nelly smiles at Otis before turning her head to look towards Vlad.
“Oh, well, speak of the little devil.” She walks over and wraps Vlad in a tight hug. The halfling returned it, there was the familiar feeling he used to get during his childhood. When it would be his mom waiting behind the front door for him to get home.
Nelly kisses the top of Vlad’s head “welcome home.”
Vlad feels his heart squeeze in his chest and he pushes back the tears that prick at his eyes.
Otis pokes his head out from the kitchen, a little bit of icing on the side of his cheek “ah, Vladimir, welcome home.” he says with a smile “how was your debate club?”
Vlad pulls back from Nelly’s hug “yeah, it’s going just fine. Things are just winding down with the end of the school year and everything.” After regionals earlier in the school year, there wasn’t much left to do in terms of competitions.
And even though they made it pretty far into the regional competitions, they’d still ended up being knocked out by the group from Stokerton’s most prestigious private school, who then went on to take first.
But, regardless, Otis and Nelly had seemed proud of Vlad for them making it so far.
“Mr. Craig says he wants to throw us a party next week for the end of the year.” Vlad says. It would probably be a pizza party, that was the favorite go to for teachers. Something the halfling had pretty much missed out on every time.
After all, pizza had garlic. And vampires could not eat garlic.
“Oh, that sounds lovely” Nelly says, reaching over to push Vlad’s hair from his eyes. “Tell me when, I'll bake you some treats to take in for the party.”
“Thanks Nelly, I think it will be on Wednesday.” Vlad responds, that was also supposed to be their last meeting for the year. So it made sense.
“Wonderful, I'll have something ready for you by then.” Nelly kissed the top of Vlad’s forehead “but I Really do need to be off, take care.” she starts for the door “and I'll see you boys tomorrow night for dinner.” Nelly shuts the front door behind her as she leaves.
Vlad looks back to Otis, who’s holding a half eaten cupcake. The vampire tilts his head back towards the kitchen “Your aunt brought some cupcakes, if you want to go on and have one. If not, I'll put them up for later.”
“Yeah, one sounds good.” Vlad says “do we have an O negative?” he then asks.
“I think so” Otis glances back towards the fridge as he takes another bite from his cup cake.
Vlad walks into the kitchen, a container of five cupcakes on the counter, there was an empty space for one. Vlad wagered that it was the one Otis was currently finishing off.
Vlad walks over to the fridge and he pulls a blood pack out, it was ice cold to the touch from being in the freezer. Normally, he’d warm it up before drinking, but there were times where cold blood was actually kinda refreshing. Namely when it was getting as hot as it was. Summer really was right around the corner and it seems like it would be a hot one.
Vlad fills a glass cup and grabs one of the cupcakes from the container before he takes a seat at the kitchen table.
A sweet little treat before he got started on homework wouldn’t hurt.
Otis finishes off his own cupcake, his blue eyes looking back to Vlad as he disposes of the paper wrapper in the trash can.
Vlad looks up at Otis as he comes over and pulls the chair across from Vlad out and he takes a seat “shall I Offer you a penny for your thoughts, Vladimir?” the vampire asks.
Vlad stops midchew “huh?” he questions around a mouthful of cake.
“I Can tell by now, Vladimir, there’s something bothering you. And if you’d like to talk, then I'll listen.” Otis says.
Vlad figured he can’t really be surprised, Otis always did seem like he could pick up on things Vlad was trying to hide. Honestly, the halfling wasn’t sure if it was a vampire thing or if it was a teacher thing.
Vlad looks down at the glass of blood, beads of condensation running down the side of the cup.
“Where am I going to school next year?” the halfling questions, he might as well come out and ask it.
Otis tilts his head to the side and his brow furrowed in confusion “well, Bathery High, I assume.” Otis says “unless you’ve found some place else you’d like to go.”
“No, no, I want to go to the high school here in Bathery.” Vlad says.
Otis nods.
“Is there a reason you’re asking, though?” Otis questions. “If you’re comfortable staying in this school system, then I See no issue. But if there’s something you’re considering, you can tell me. I have many connections across the world, if a different school has caught your attention. Chances are high that I Can get you in.”
“It’s not that, I just… I figured you’d like to have me go to one of those fancy private schools for vampires or whatever.” Vlad says, shrinking back.
“I think Bathery’s schools are just fine, though if you were to ask, it’s not an issue for you to go someplace else.” Otis says.
“Well… that’s why I kinda thought you wanted to move me eventually.” Vlad admits, after all, Otis had once told him he’d moved to many places around the world to teach and live.
“I figured since you said you moved a lot, that you wouldn’t want to stay in Bathery for very long…”
Otis lets out a long sigh and he straightens up.
“I Suppose that I Shouldn't be surprised” Otis says “it’s actually typical for many vampires to not stay in one location for more than a decade, potentially three decades at most before relocating.”
“But… the council stays in the city, D’Ablo’s been in power for centuries, right?” Vlad questions.
“When it comes to cities, it’s actually easy for vampires to blend in and not be noticed. Unfortunately, smaller towns like this just aren’t the same. They don’t provide the same cover for us that cities do.” Otis explains.
“In fact, I'd give myself about twenty or so years before I'd need to leave this town. I look like I'm in my thirties, so it’s easy to blend in for a while, but at some point the fact I Don't age will stick out.” Otis then gestures towards Vlad “you may have a bit longer, technically. Given the fact you are still quite young and are still growing. Though, the fact remains that we don’t know when or if you’ll stop aging. So that could also affect how long you will be able to stay here.”
It wasn’t the first time he had been told that last part. Otis and Aura, the Council's Education Affairs Officer and resident Mad scientist, had both made that clear when Vlad was younger. As a half breed, no one really knew what to expect out of him when it came to long term development.
All Vlad could really hope for was that he’d at least stop aging at a point where he didn’t look like either a scrawny teen or a wrinkly old man.
Otis then leans back and runs a hand through his hair before rubbing the back of his neck “and I Won't really lie to you.” Otis says “I Wasn't really all that sure when I'd first taken you in.”
" What do you mean?" Vlad questions.
Otis closes his eyes “listen, the thing is, fledgling vampires are often taken and relocated far away from their original homes and families. It’s basically expected policy for the most part, though not legally required.” Otis opens his eyes, his blue eyes focusing on the halfling “and I'd considered the same, but I did reconsider shortly after, given how young you were and the fact you’d been through so much already. I Thought that it would be better for you to remain in someplace that was familiar to you.”
“It’s… normal to do that? To leave everything behind, friends and family included?” Vlad asks.
“Yes, Vladimir, it is. It’s considered best to get fledglings adjusted away from their original lives. It makes it easier in the long term, given that they’d be expected to leave within a few decades anyways.” Otis sighs “and listen, remember, you will need to leave this town eventually. The town will eventually take notice that you’re not aging and they may start asking questions. It causes suspicion and can draw unwanted attention.”
“But, Nelly and Henry….”
“They change nothing about this, Vladimir.” Otis counters “they are still humans, and while henry is your drudge, he’s still human. Of course, he can be taken with you, but I assume you wouldn’t be willing to do such a thing.”
He was right, Vlad wouldn’t be willing to do that to his friend. They were best friends, closer than brothers. But at that point, Henry would probably have a family of his own and stuff. There was no way Vlad could make him leave that.
“And even if they do leave with you as drudges, you must also accept that humans will die long before you. Their lives are but a fraction of ours.”
“Did… you have to leave anyone behind when you became a vampire?” the question leaves Vlad’s mouth before he can even reconsider it. He’d always been curious about Otis’s human life, but he’d never really worked up the nerve to ask.
And judging by the way Otis’s body tenses, Vlad felt as if he may have crossed some sort of line.
Otis then closes his eyes and lets out a long, tired sigh.
“Yes” he admits “I did, I had a family that I had loved dearly. More than anything else in this world. A wife and children, just as typical as anyone could imagine.” Otis opens his eyes, “sometimes I still think about them. Even all these years later.”
“Why…”
“Why did I become a vampire? Is that what you’re wondering?” Otis looks back to the halfling.
Vlad nods.
Otis shakes his head “it isn’t simple, the situation is incredibly complex, Vladimir. If I Had truly had a choice, I would have chosen to stay right where I Was…. With them.”
There’s a look of grief on Otis’s face, as if he’s thinking back to something from many years before.
Otis then looks back to the halfling “but, then I found out about you, the nephew I Didn't know I Had for a decade. The family I never really expected to have again.” Otis smiles at Vlad, “sometimes I Think that this happened for the best in the end.”
Vlad smiles back at his uncle. Though he couldn’t really imagine what his uncle had gone through, something about his answer told Vlad that Otis hadn’t really wanted to become a vampire. Perhaps he’d had other plans and expectations for his life.
“Hey, Uncle, I'm at least glad you’re here. To teach me all the stuff I need to know, and to be here after the fire.”
Otis looks at the halfling in brief surprise, then a smile crosses his lips as he leans forward and gently pats Vlad on top of his head “you really are a good kid, Vladimir, don’t forget that.” Otis pulls his hand back “and please, remember that everything I try to do is for your best. To make sure that you’re safe and healthy. And that you can adapt to Elysia as a proper vampire.” Otis sits back down.
“I Know I'm not perfect, it’s been so long since I've even been a parent in any form of the word. I’ve never even sired a fledgling before, so doing it like this is still new to me. But I have every intention of helping you flourish in Elysia.”
The halfling smiles at his uncle “Thank you, Otis. I Really am glad to have you as my uncle.”