Chapter Text
Scott said that this would fix him well… he didn’t say that exactly, but the point still stood. He could be better! But would any of the vampires even agree to help him after how he’d been acting?
Shelby would! Shelby would turn him if he asked! Besides, the cure was going to be finished soon anyways.
At the obelisk he revealed his wound, wincing at the pain it was causing. He wanted the pain to go away, but more than that he didn’t want to turn into something much worse and end up hurting his friends. He wanted to keep his sanity intact.
Avid explained this to Shelby
And so
He took off his armor and turned around
“Do it” he asked, terrified and pleading
This was his out, this was what he had to do to stay him
“Woahhhhh“ Shelby paused and moved away in response to his request
This was it. She was going to tell him no, even Shelby wouldn't save him from this accused fate.
But then she spoke words of warning, that wasn’t a no! She explained the risks, careful not to sugar coat what he was agreeing to. She made him affirm that this is something he’d be okay of regardless of the potential cure. He was willing.
One claw to the back stung
The second wasn’t better maybe this was a bad-
The third killed him, turned him, yeah he wasn’t dead just…different
The pain though, the pain was gone! Well there was the lingering pain from Shelby’s claws but that infernal wound that had plagued him his whole life was gone. Gone just like that. Why had he even been so mean to the other vampires if they could bring such relief.
What was he thinking, he needed to get back to town. That was where he belonged with his friends, with the humans…
Shelby gave him a few parting words of advice warning that the other vampire would sense what had happened and he needed to move if he wanted this to stay a secret
That didn’t last long. Apo and Cleo interrogated him but his mind wasn’t really there. Apo and Cleo were vampires, shoot he was a vampire. But he wouldn’t be for long…he hoped. He really needed to get back to town.
And then he saw Scott. And he ran. He wasn’t going to stay here any longer and test his luck. He’d never felt this good, this healthy, in well forever. Scott had been right though his wounds here healed and felt better. Maybe just a little thirsty though…
Later
Scott asked to speak with him, outside of town. He would be fine, right? What did Scott think of him, he hadn’t exactly been kind to Scott, actively antagonistic was more like it. He reasoned that it would be better to just hear what they felt directly than to guess. Plus, he felt less cornered this close to town.
“A conversation sounds nice”
So he walked outside the walls. They asked him a few questions and seemed to be confused by his reasoning and choice. So he explained his predicament. That he wanted to keep his sanity. That this was his last resort, because his sickness was…had been getting worse and now, now it was okay. And that seemed to do it, that made sense to them. The healing power of vampirism was undeniable. But he made sure to emphasize his own reluctance and current lack of interest in joining up with the castle vampires.
Scott seemed resigned and dismissive of his conviction to stay in town and “play pretend with the humans” making sure to remind him of what happened to Apo.
“They’re not gonna do that to me…for no reason”
Scott and Pyro made their own lack of confidence in words quite apparent. And this was when Pyro spoke words of caution, warning him that vampism would bring out the dark parts of a person, the parts they hide.
“Well the castle doors are open to you for when the humans inevitably kick you out. You could really do for an outfit change though…green is not your color” Scott remarked. Moving to leave, having said what he set out to communicate.
Scott was just leaving after all he’d said and done to vampires. Maybe they were right…
What he’d said felt honest like it was coming from a genuine place. Did he even deserve the olive branch they were extending? Maybe he wanted to take it. But Scott, Scott was always vampire first and Scott second but with that barrier, that distance between them considerably shortened Avid saw Scott. Scott was stunning and maybe he deserved to know how great he looked, as an apology maybe? So he gathered his resolve and blurted out
“You’re very handsome! Okay, bye!” running back to town
That was weird of him, wasn’t it? Scott didn’t seem bothered, so it was probably fine. It’s not like he was lying, Scott looked amazing. And him, not so much, at least according to Scott whom he was inclined to believe on matters of fashion in nothing else. But really, he didn’t deserve their invitation, their lack of judgment, they didn’t even seem that bothered by how terrible he was to them. Maybe…he was still a monster no matter what form he took. Would it be so bad to leave? The town might be better off without him around to screw things up.
At the town meeting
Drift was a vampire too?! He’d failed someone close to him again. Woah woah woah this was not supposed to be happening why were the other vampires revealing themselves to town? He didn’t want to do that, he wasn’t sure how he felt about himself yet, and he wasn’t ready to hear the town’s anger and frustration, they would surely tear him apart after all of his previous bravado. He wasn’t ready to face them, couldn’t bear to see how they might look at him differently. He was still him. Maybe they never needed to know, and he could just take the cure in secret and everything would just go back to the way it was.
And then Cleo knowing full well his current state, threatened to tell everyone what he was, but the threat sounded more like a promise. What would he do then? They would know he had lied to them, what he was, he couldn’t bear the thought of it.
He was a terrible horrible person…vampire. He wasn’t even human and he was still ruining everything. Everything, everyone he held dear was always broken or ruined. He could never seem to do anything right. He didn’t deserve their trust. He didn’t deserve anything from anyone, he was a guilty liar and a liability. So many broken promises…
Then he remembered his pact, the one they made together, not to hurt anyone. The cell. The place he built for himself. He could still keep that promise. He should be locked away, he didn’t even know what he would do at this point, and at this point his track record spoke for itself. He was dangerous and if he was really serious about protecting them he needed to accept that. This was something he could do right. He could protect them whatever he was becoming before it was too late.
The door swung open and he stepped inside * click *
There. It was done now. He would stay here. He was a monster after all, so a cage was where he belonged. This was the right decision. He was were he was supposed to be, right where he should be. It would be better this way.
___
Avid had underestimated how much this would suck.
He should have at least made the cell a little bigger.
He was starting to get hungry for things he wasn’t supposed to
But that was okay, he deserved to feel this way, it was his penance for all he’d done
He wondered who would find him first, what would they say? What would they think?
Only a handful of people knew what the cell was actually meant for…if someone else found him they might let him out…no he couldn’t let that happen, he needed to stay here. Here where everyone was safe from him.
It was Cleo who found him.