Chapter Text
Storms were not the most ideal forms of weather, though Caeli realized long ago that they weren’t so bad. Like their winds, their rain, and their flashes of clapping chaos, they brought opportunities with them, for better or for worse. They were opportunities nonetheless, and Caeli never thought about being picky over what kinds there were.
The long lonely lane he took for his strolls usually held more foot traffic, though as night blanketed the world in cold colors and drowsiness, the people who were usually walking the beaten path were in their beds. That and no one wanted to be in the middle of a storm. Not him, as why would he waste such a time to get lost in the swell?
In his opinion, there was nothing to be afraid of in a storm. Perhaps the rain could be a bit uncomfortable and the wind rather harsh, and he could agree that the warmth of a hearth was much better than the cold outdoors. He didn’t feel like waiting out that storm in the mansion, not when something tugged at him. Something that kept his mind on the alert, making his stomach sink. Maybe he knew what it was.
Then, he got it.
Bad feelings. Someone taught those to him once before but he never experienced them in practice until now. It felt like a nagging hand at the back of his mind, grabbing his hair and trying to yank his head back to see something invisible.
Playing to these new instincts continuing to well up in his body, he enacted on the unsettling tap in his mind. His footfalls quickened on the path, though the gale tearing through the trees and the splatters of droplets against the shrubs around him drowned them out.
Oddly, his heart picked up as if trying to jump into the wind and ride it away, shooting adrenaline through his system. Caeli’s mind couldn’t help but chase after it, trying to keep it tethered away from pointless hopes and fantasies. It couldn’t be the one in trouble, and why would he go chasing after it after what it had done?
However, the back of his mind could only gently coax him back to the present, reminding him that the odd scratching in his brain shouldn’t belong to it. If he only tried to keep his head on straight and actually focus on what it could be, he’d realize that it was something else entirely. The more rational part of his brain, of course, was right. He had to stop thinking about it. Now that he was finally listening to the logical part of his brain, this felt so much different than it had ever been like.
As he progressed down the path, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end as the itch in his mind became a pound. As it did, apprehension and anxiety welled up in him, his mind spinning over the ‘what if’s and what exactly he would see. The life he had been attached to had been laid to rest and the connections in this one were severed the moment he opened his eyes. What on Earth was giving him this bad feeling, because it sure wasn’t centered on him.
Slowly, the pounding became worse and worse before it suddenly vanished, leaving him to nothing but his own devices. Confused, Caeli swept a glance at the world around him, holding his breath. What happened to it? Was he there? Or was he too late and the danger already passed? Anxiety crept its icy claws farther along its limbs and along his head, standing every single strand of hair up on its end. What if it was a trap?
With his paranoia reaching new highs, Caeli took a cautious step forward but only to have the pounding return tenfold in his head, making him double over from the pressure. Again, right when he was trying to figure out what was happening to him, it abruptly ceased as he stared down at the darkened ground in front of him. At the sight, his eyes widened as his entire body froze.
A small dark mass rested on the ground only a few steps away, a small ball of what looked like fur twitching where it lay, either from the wind or an actual motorized moment, Caeli couldn’t be sure. What he was sure of, was that he couldn’t take his eyes off of the tiny creature because try as hard as he might, they were glued into place. A part of him was positive that it wasn’t his instincts or some other form of witchcraft keeping him transfixed.
Caeli inched forward to the tiny thing, stooping down onto one knee once he got close enough. A sense of wonder flooded through him as he reached for the little creature and scooped it up off the ground. The drenched little thing twitched at his touch but didn’t make any kind of attempt to flee, the rainwater keeping its wings limp and its body too heavy to even attempt flying. His heart twisted uncomfortably at the thought as his mind jumped to the worst possible conclusion. Was it dying?
With eyes still unable to leave it, he cupped a hand over the small bat, keeping it sheltered from the thundering storm around them. The weight in his hand translated to a new weight in his chest, slowing his heartbeat and turning the world around him muffled and mute. He never experienced anything like this before… what was happening to him?
Even if he had the answer on him, his mind couldn’t bring it to fruition. Instead, a new need weighed on his shoulders, something far more human than the thoughts and feelings that his new life gifted him. Protection. This tiny little thing in his hands… he had to take it back. There was no rhyme or reason to it— at least not at the moment— but Caeli would be damned if he left it out there in the tumultuous storm.
Closing both of his hands around the creature, Caeli turned on his heel and hurried back the way he came. Cape billowing around him, he held the bat close to his chest, keeping it as warm as he could with this new fierce determination steering his steps.
Once more, a storm had turned the tides of his life and washed him in a new direction. For better or for worse, only time would tell. While Caeli was far from picky, he hoped that this too, would be a good change.
◆—◈—◇—◈—◆
A fire crackled quietly within its hearth, casting warm, soft shadows against the dimly lit mansion. The sounds of the raging storm outside were muted by the ancient yet sturdy walls, nothing more than a spectacle and noise to fall asleep to. However, sleeping for Caeli was an idea he left behind in the deluge as his new house guest demanded all of his attention, even if said guest liked the idea of a nap even more.
He sat in an ornately carved chair with his legs crossed at the nearby dining table, watching the bat with attentive eyes and piqued interest. The little thing was wrapped up in one of his white dish towels and after a gentle but intense rub-down, left it looking like an even fuzzier version of a brown cotton ball. Caeli wasn’t even sure where fluff ended and the actual body began. Not that it mattered at all, as long as it was warm and on the mend.
The one thing that he wished he could’ve done before sitting down was grabbing his glasses. While he had most of his youth back in his own hands in more recent years, his poor eyesight didn’t exactly go away. Though, to be fair, it had always been a part of him. Well, he had to get used to the little fuzzy creature being a blurry dot.
Leaning forward and propping his elbow up on the table, he reached forward with his other arm and pet the small bat on the head with a finger. At the touch, it flinched as if he had given it an electrical shock, though slowly relaxed as its nose twitched.
Ah, right. Best not to disturb it.
Caeli withdrew his hand as the bat attempted to sleepily worm its way deeper into the soft towel though to not much avail. Not being able to help it, he smiled at its efforts, finding the whole thing absolutely adorable. Who would stick their noses up at little fuzzy critters? Not him.
Still, his musings on the nature of the little bat began to creep into his mind’s eye, questions that he had out in the storm but never had the time or thought to focus on them. But now as he studied it in the comfort of his own home, he could freely wrack his mind over that overpowering feeling of something amiss as well as why this bat was so important. Sure, it was cute, but what was it really?
Maybe another vampire! His heart froze for a second at the thought of it, an odd feeling settling over his shoulders like a pair of hands descending upon him. Maybe… that could be the case. Why else would his instincts scream in his ear over just a normal bat?
Maybe he was just being hopeful. It was hardly ever that vampires stayed together, each and every single one of them fighting amongst themselves, and he too was living proof that it simply didn’t work out that way. Even if there wasn’t any fighting involved, vampires just weren’t meant to stay together.
Besides, this bat— snuggled so peacefully in that white towel and looking as if Heaven itself blessed the world with its presence— was too small to be a vampire. Others were probably five times its size, including him and he was relatively new to the state of life. What kind of thing like him out there could transform into something so small?
Maybe this was the universe’s way of telling him he was lonely. It just dropped a pet bat in front of him and called it a day.
Regardless of what it was, he wasn’t about to toss out such an adorable little critter. It would be rude to have it live in such a comfy mansion just to make it take to the skies once the clouds moved on. No, he wasn’t that cruel.
“Now what am I to do with you?” he asked quietly, continuing to stare down at the sleeping fuzzball, “You’re awfully cute, you know that?”
There was no reply, and it wasn’t as if he expected one anyway. All that he really cared about was it continued to breathe and had a heartbeat, and exactly what he was going to feed it. Oh. He really had nothing to feed it, now did he?
Actually, now that he thought about it, he really didn’t have anything to care for this little thing. Bedding? That towel wouldn’t do in the long run. Food? If there was the slightest chance that bat was a vampire, then that could be solved quickly and if not, he’d have to chance going to stores again. Just when he was beginning to appreciate not getting stuck in lines…
If he wanted to care about this thing, then he was going to do it. He had been alone for seven years after a life full of people that abruptly came to a halt, and he wasn’t about to pass up a new presence in his life.
Maybe he was lonely.
He was lonely.
“You have a new home now,” he said, “It looks like you don’t mind that though…”
Caeli broke himself off with a small laugh before reaching forward again and rubbing the bat’s cheek. Surprisingly, it didn’t flinch away that time, only pausing as if curiosity snagged its attention or the realization that he wasn’t some large predator hoping to make it into some measly snack. Caeli paused at the reaction, wondering if he should keep his finger or move it away for its comfort. The fluffiness of the little bat one and he continued to stroke it gently.
“See? I’m not going to hurt you. You’re safe.”
The first life-changing storm that he experienced had him feeling the exact opposite as this little bundle of fluff. It was right in this very mansion too… That unforgettable night felt like a lifetime away— which it technically was— but it felt nice that he could make something’s night a little nicer with his place. Not only that, but he made a secret promise to himself and the bat that he’d never let it experience that same kind of fear.
“You have a name, fuzzball?” he asked. Now, he brought up his thumb and lightly patted it on the head. “Or I can keep calling you that.”
Still, no response. Only a snuggled bat giving quiet but unmistakably content sniffles.
“So neither. Alright, then, giving me all the hard work, aren’t you?” He grinned down at it. “I still need to know what to call you. Let’s do… ah, how about Vyomi for now? And if you hate it, you can bite me.”
The bat didn’t bite him and instead tried to huddle closer to his hand. That could only lead him to believe that the thing liked the name. Well then, if it liked the name, then so did he. After all, he did put a moderate amount of brainpower. Who wouldn’t name the little gift after the night and energy of the storm? It fit perfectly to him.
“Vyomi it is,” he hummed, “Hello, little Vyomi.”
The bat— Vyomi— made the smallest of squeaks that sounded something akin to a mouse in reaction to his voice. Upon hearing it, Caeli’s heart melted in his chest, dripping through his ribs and feeling warmer than the coziest of hearths. Never before had he heard something so cute, his ears had been blessed.
Silence fell back over the two, only broken by the gentle and steady crackles of the nearby fireplace as Caeli continued to cradle Vyomi in his hand. He couldn’t wrap his head around the new emotions slowly bubbling inside his system. In the past, he had his fair share of pets but none touched his heart more than the thing in his hand. How strange, maybe Vyomi was more special than it was letting on.
As the minutes ticked by into hours with the melodious dings of the grandfather clock passing by the time, the world outside of the mansion slowly began to brighten and pale. Even with all of the curtains drawn, the atmosphere shifted within the dining room as exhaustion began to beckon Caeli to submit to it. No kidding, as he already has a vigilant night of his own.
Rubbing one of his eyes as he finally gave a stretch from that seated position, he finally rose to his feet.
“Okay, Vyomi,” he said, getting to his feet. Leaning forward, he went to take the bat from the table, “It looks like it’s bed time for me, and I think you should catch up on some sleep too. You’ve had quite the hectic night.”
Trying to talk to the bat with simpler words came naturally to him, as if he was talking to a small child or to a dog. Or maybe his more domestic form of chatter had become rusty and he had to get used to this kind of thing again. Using less harsher words when speaking to another living creature sure felt strange.
As he scooped up the towel to take it with him, he nearly dropped in quick succession as Vyomi shot forward like a bullet. With an energy that he never saw before from something so small, he let out a small gasp of surprise as it clawed its way up his arm. If he hadn’t had such a bonding moment with it, he might’ve had the same reaction of a rat trying to get on top of him.
The burst of energy ended as abruptly as it started the moment Vyomi’s claws latched themselves on his shirt, right in the dead center of his chest. The adrenaline rush faded away, yet Caeli still struggled to take hold over his breathing again. What was it doing up there? What if he shook it off by accident.
He gave a nervous laugh, cupping a gloved hand underneath Vyomi as he tried to peer down at her. No luck, as the blurry blob from before was even worse to look at now. Still, even if he couldn’t see it properly, a part of his mind told him that Vyomi was comfortable right where she was.
“Did I become the mother goose that fast?” he mused to no response or acknowledgment. Ah, was it already asleep?
If that was the case, then he wouldn’t have the chance to change into his sleeping wear which did make his heart sink and his skin crawl, as he was still damp from that fiasco out in the storm. Hopefully, he could avoid a cold but trying to rest with sticky clothing was one of the most uncomfortable experiences anyone could have. That and…
He shoved the thought out of his head and at the same time, Caeli pushed his feet into motion, tiredly making his way up the curving stairs onto the second floor. He passed through a hall of doors, ignoring the one with the open door and the gaping darkness within. Instead, he walked farther down the hall and opened the door to a room with slightly more air.
Shedding his cloak and gently laying down as to not disturb Vyomi, he prepared himself to rest.
◆—◈—◇—◈—◆
“I never realized how lonely I was before I met you.”
“Well, I’m here now. Best to make the most of it and focus on the present. This is your new life now.”
“I know… I must admit I’m terrified. It’s been so long without change.”
“Then we’ll take it slow. We have decades ahead of us to figure things out, after all.”
◆—◈—◇—◈—◆
While Caeli thought he was going to become a mother goose at first, he would never believe that would quickly devolve into being a mother penguin. He stood in front of the dining table with deep shadows under his eyes from the evening earlier where he had to discretely try obtaining human food to test the age-old question: was Vyomi a vampire or just an ordinary bat? After that venture out into town, he couldn’t help but wonder how it managed to obtain human food so regularly and easily back then. He didn’t understand at all in the slightest.
However, that was a thing of the past and he had something else demanding more of his attention and mental strength. In front of him sat two bowls; the first was an assortment of cut fruits that his stomach now roiled at and the second was a bowl full of blood from his most recent hunt. While he felt disappointed that he couldn’t exactly finish his food, he had to make sure that he could be the best host and caretaker he could.
On the new day, Vyomi acted a lot more livelier than she did the previous night. Regrettably, he had to leave her behind when he went out to hunt, as he wasn’t letting her get thrust into harm’s way so soon. When he returned, the brown blur of a tiny creature shot at him and made her home right on his chest again.
Now sat at the dining table again, it was time to put her identity to the test. Hooking her with his finger, he gingerly placed her down on the table in front of the two bowls.
She landed on the table with a soft thump as her small nose began to twitch at the new smells coming her way. Moving forward in a waddle with her wings slapping against the table, she made her way over to the fruit first.
Some part of Caeli’s heart sank at the sight. Ah, perhaps he was too hopeful then. Just his luck, he had picked up a normal bat, though he couldn’t let that change his opinion of her. She was still a cute little thing and a companion his heart already melted at. All it meant was he just had to—
He stared at Vyomi, blinking as his mind had screeched to a halt. In the mere seconds he was lost in thought for, she had decimated half of the fruits in the bowl. Not only that, but she completely abandoned the fruit bowl and had her face shoved into the one with blood.
Caeli had no idea what to make of the sight with his mouth hanging open and his eyes the size of saucers. How long had he been lost in thought? Why was she drinking that when she went through the fruit already?! Was she an actual vampire or not?! Vampire bat, maybe?
But vampire bats didn’t look like that!
“What are you even supposed to eat?” he asked Vyomi in exasperation, running his fingers through his black and silver hair.
The bat paused and raised her tiny head and he swore she wore a smile. Vyomi tapped the claws of her wings along the bowl’s rim while stomping her feet, giving a squealing chirp. What that meant, he had no idea, but she sure sounded content.
“So…” he said, trying to organize his thoughts from the sheer disbelief of this, “I’ll just continue getting all of that, then.”
Those words sparked something within Vyomi, as she flopped off the bowl with a soft thump. As Caeli tried to stifle his laughter from the sheer cuteness of the thrashing wings, Vyomi figured out how to sit upright again. When she figured it out, her wings were once more a flapping mess as her chirps returned in full force.
That meant yes? It had to be because he still had the impression that she looked and acted like a happy little bat.
“Then those cursed stores are going to get a new regular,” he teased.
More squeaks erupted from Vyomi as she stomped her feet again. He couldn’t help but be amused yet also surprised at the amount of excitement radiating off of her. It felt… too human for just a simple bat to have.
Still, perhaps vampires just had a special connection with bats and could truly understand them. For being relatively new to it himself, he never experimented with that factor. Ah, that might be his goal for the night if Vyomi wasn’t going to cling to him.
Having a conversation with a certified bat! Didn’t he sound crazy? But wasn’t he already crazy for all of this?
Ah well, he was used to being crazy.
Once Vyomi had her fill, the two— rather Caeli with her tagging along— decided to relax for the night. He settled down in a worn leather chair with a book in hand as the bat crawled up to his shoulder and settled down beside his neck. She settled in rather fast, which inadvertently gave him the reward of having a very comfortable shoulder.
It felt nice to have her company beside him, even if she couldn’t talk or even was just an ordinary bat. A new chapter of his life began the night before, he couldn’t deny that, and he once more had to thank a storm for turning his life in yet another unpredictable direction.
Now he had to figure out how exactly Vyomi would steer his life.