Chapter Text
“I still don’t know why you’re not going to the dance, Claudia. I, personally, would not miss it for the world,” Daniel smirked in her direction as he mindlessly flipped through a book sitting on top of one of the many stacks around them.
“Of course you wouldn’t, Mister ‘my boyfriend is the most popular guy in school.’ Who, by the way, still refuses to even acknowledge the rest of us because he is “too good” to even – what were his words again? Oh yeah, “be caught hanging with freaks like us.” How nice of him,” Claudia retorted, laughing.
Daniel just looked at her before glancing over to Madeline, who sat at Claudia’s side, holding her hand. “Mads, are you sure you can’t convince her?” he asked, knowing that he was fighting a losing battle.
“You know what? I think its commendable that she’s putting her duties as slayer first,” her Watcher Louis calls from his office next to the library check out desk
Louis De Pointe Du Lac was a tall man in his mid 30’s who liked to wear stuffy suits and rant about the end times. Well, maybe not that last one, but you get the picture. His main job was to make sure Claudia didn’t die while she was fighting the vamps, short for vampires. He trained her, and keeps her informed on the latest happenings in the world of the undead. He is also the closest thing to a father that she has ever had.
“Thank you, Louis! See? At least he’s on my side,” Claudia snarked back.
“I always am,” Louis shot back, grinning.
“Oh god, no. We’ve lost her to the monster that is responsibility,” Daniel shuddered, “Mads, once again I ask: is there anything you can do?”
“I have tried Danny, but she is an immovable force,” Madeline responds.
“Well, this immovable force had to get a move on so she’s not late for geometry,” Claudia stated as she got up to leave the library. Before she was out the door, she paused. “Oh, and someone tell Louis that I need to cut my patrol short tonight. I have an actual boat load of homework.”
“I can hear you, you know,” he drawled, his Louisiana accent becoming more pronounced.
“Oh, I know,” she smiled, “It's just more fun to pretend you didn't!”
The halls of Azalea High were bustling with students as Claudia made her way to class. She couldn’t help but envy their carefree lives, only having to worry about the day to day dramas of being a teenager.
Something she would never get to be.
Just a teenager. No, she had the weight of the world on her shoulders as the Slayer. It’s her job to make sure all the vampires and demons and forces of darkness don’t have a party atop the hellmouth that is New Orleans.
“My god, watch where you’re going, you imbecile!” a voice in front of her spat. Claudia looked up from her musings and sighed.
“Oh. It’s you.” Armand rolled his eyes. “I’m expecting an apology, by the way. You walked into me, not the other way around,” he finished with a bright, but unfriendly smile.
“Armand. What a joy it is to see you, as always,” she huffed sarcastically, “If you are looking for Daniel he’s in the library with Madeline. Probably trying to find a way to get me to the dance next weekend.”
“I was already headed that way. I actually needed a book for one of my classes. So if you don’t mind, please get out of my way. People are starting to stare,” and with that, he was off, leaving Claudia in the middle of the hallway trying to understand what just happened.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of classes and murmurs in the hallway.
“Louis!” She called walking into the library, calling for her mentor, “Mr. Du Lac, I have a stack of homework I need to get done! Where are you?” She called again.
“Sorry Claudia, didn't hear you. I was in the office reading up on this Santiago creep. Nasty piece of work,” Louis called as he walked out of the office.
“Do I have to worry about him now?” Claudia questions as she reaches up to fix her hair.
“Not yet, but one of my sources mentioned that he might be planning something. Just be on the lookout, yeah?” he replied, looking up from his book and giving her a quick glance.
“Well, I wasn't lying when I said I had a mountain of homework. Where do you want me tonight?” she asked, face in her hands as she stared at him.
“I was thinking you should hit up Storyville and the French Quarter tonight. And make sure you keep a lookout for our little friend Lelio. He’s been up to no good over there,” he smiled down at his book as she rolled her eyes.
“What's that smile for? You like him or something?” she teased as she walked away.
“If I did,“ he laughed, “I wouldn’t tell you.”
Patrol was the same as it always was. Wait for them to rise, say a witty pun, then poof – dust. At least, it was the same. Until she got to Royal Street, home of the notorious Lestat “WolfKiller” De Lioncourt, aka Lelio – a name he earned due to his affinity for Commedia dell'arte. Wolfkiller, on the other hand, was said to have killed a whole pack of wolves on his own as a young man before he was turned.
“We have to stop meeting like this, Lelio,” she sighed, walking up behind him as he is about to attack a young man stumbling back to his hotel after a long night.
“Ah! Ma petite cher! How lovely it is to see you. How is that sinfully handsome watcher of yours?” his eyes glinted.
“Please don’t call him ‘sinfully handsome.’ That's so gross on so many levels,” she complained. He reached a hand out to brush a stray curl out of her face only for her to slap it away hard. “Do not touch me,” she growled, pinning him against the gate outside his house and pressing her stake to his chest.
“As you wish, little slayer,” he raised his hands in surrender. She stepped away, glaring at him and he bit back a smile. “What brings you to the Rue Royale on this fine night? Surely it is not just to check in on little old me?” The smile he gave her was sharp, a disarming brightness on his face that didn’t quite reach his grey eyes. Suddenly, he was behind her, leaning down to whisper into her ear. “You better mind that pretty head of yours, Claudia. Something is coming, slayer. Something big. Trust no one, ma petite beauté.”
Then he was gone, leaving her standing in the middle of the street, confused and unsettled.