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The book tour is the perfect excuse Daniel needs to seek out other vampires. He moves town by town, putting his mental feelers out for anyone in the vicinity.
He should have known that he'd find Armand again in San Francisco.
He drops his bags in his hotel room, extending his senses out to search for others like him.
Theres only one vampire around for miles. Normally, Daniel can instantly access their minds to extend an invitation, but this time their mind is completely closed off to him. Which means that either something weird is happening, or it's Armand. From what he's been told, his makers mind should be completely shut off to him. Honestly he's pretty grateful that's the case, the last thing he needs is Armand messing with his memories again.
Daniel isn't surprised that Armand seems to be the only vampire in town. He's probably chased the others out.
In the past few months, Daniel has found vampires to be incredibly territorial, but they'll defer ownership to anyone older or stronger than them.
He can't extend an invite like he normally would, but he assumes he won't need to. Armand will know he's here. All Daniel has to do it wait.
It takes almost an hour. Daniel is making notes on his upcoming interview with Lestat when Armand walks through the door, despite not having been given a key.
'You shouldn't have come looking for me.' Armand says, brooding in the hallway. 'It's foolish.'
'Who said I was looking for you?' Daniel retorts, arching an eyebrow. 'I'm on a book tour.'
Armand blinks, taking in the information. 'Book tour?'
Daniel gets a copy of Interview With The Vampire out of his suitcase and tosses it to Armand. 'I can sign it for ya if you want.' He says, falling back onto the chair at the desk. He gestures to the armchair, feeling somewhat more relaxed when Armand sits.
'You finished it...' Armand says thoughtfully, turning the book over in his hands to scan the blurb. 'I thought Louis destroyed your work?'
'Just the laptop. The recordings were all saved in the cloud.'
'... Ah. So this is why every vampire I come across if thinking of you.' He says stiffly, putting the book down.
Daniel laughs. 'You jealous?'
Armand actually pouts. Daniel has to admit, it's kind of endearing.
'It's probably more the fact that I've been searching for vampires every city I visit.'
'Why would you do that?'
'I've been setting up a network.' Daniel explains. 'I go state to state, find the vampires there and add them to the discord.'
'Discord?'
Daniel opens his laptop to show Armand the app. 'It's like a group chat but more organised.'
'....You're teaching the most ancient beings of the world how to use a computer?'
'It's a good thing. We need an idea of how many of us there are. And it means we can help each other out. I've been conducting interviews to work on making the book a series. Lestat demanded to be first though. He wants my next book to be his side of the story.'
Armand's eyes narrow at the mention of Lestat. 'It's dangerous to seek the others out.'
'Not wth your blood. They can smell you on me, that's all it takes.' He closes the laptop. 'Speaking of your blood... You should know I found your maker.'
'My maker is dead.' Armand says, tone flat and expressionless.
'Nah, Bianca told me he faked his death. He's living in Naples right now.'
'My Bianca?'
'Well now I'm jealous.' Daniel fake pouts.
'Tell me.' Armand growls.
'Alright, alright.' He says, taking pity on the guy. He grabs the file he's labelled "Vampire Census", very aware that he has to tread carefully.
Armand's past is a ticking time bomb of a conversation.
From what Bianca has told him, they were incredibly close during Armand's mortal life. She spent the whole interview calling him Amadeo.
Flicking through the file, he looks for her entry and spins the folder around when he finds the page for Bianca Solderini.
'That her?' He asks, tapping the photo he discreetly took on his phone when they met.
'Yes...' Armand exhales, eyes soft and face fallen.
'Bianca is in Maine. She's good at hiding. I couldn't sense her when I first got there, I think she only let herself be found because I smell like you.' Daniel explains. He takes a small pause, choosing his next words carefully. 'Armand... I need you to know that Bianca said she and Marius chose to stay hidden from you. They saw you in Paris, she said you were too... tainted. Whatever the hell that means.'
'Ah...'
'Tell me you're not going to go back to them.'
'No.' Armand thinks for a moment. 'I may kill Marius though.'
Daniel smile. 'That's the spirit.'
Armand leans back into the chair and flicks through the files. Daniel suspects he needs a moment of silence to sit with his thoughts.
A small frown crosses his face when he recognises one of the vampire. 'This is Bruce. I saw him in Claudia's mind...' He says, showing Daniel one of the entries.
'Yup.'
'Why is there an X over his face?' He says tapping the picture.
'He confessed what he did. Boasted about it actually. So I let Louis know where he was.'
'Ah.' Armand says with a small smile. 'Justice.'
Daniel nods. 'Think it was good for Louis. Therapeutic.'
'Do you see him often?'
'Nah. We just-' He taps his temple. 'Chat every now and then.'
'Hm.' Armand hums concomitant.
'So... How are you handling the single lifestyle?'
Armands silence it all the answer he needs.
Daniel knows exactly how he feels.
As much as he hates to admit it, these past few months there's been a gnawing ache in his chest that's only eased now that he's in the room with Armand.
'I'm here for two weeks. Then I'm moving on to Portland. You can come if you want. Or not. Either works.'
Armand looks at him, a small confused expression on his face. 'What?'
'You can come with me.' Daniel says, more direct.
'Daniel. I killed you.'
He shrugs. 'I wasn't exactly going to live much longer.'
'I tortured you.'
Daniel sighs. 'Armand. Do you want someone to be around or not?'
'...Yes.' Armand replies reluctantly.
'Alright.' Daniel lets a genuine smile cross his face. 'Lets do that then.'