Sometimes witches have powers before they turn. But this is rare, uncommon.
More often, a potential witch displays almost nothing out of the ordinary at all. Just, say, a little more skill with people, a little more natural charisma. An extra dose of something that could almost be called luck, if one were paying attention and on the lookout for witches.
There is one such maybe-potential, right over there. He's not from around here, but he is fluent in Italian and French and German and he professes that English is his first language and laughs when people call him a liar because of his perfect accent. He might not be the most powerful, but a polyglot witch could be useful for something. And who knows, maybe there's more to it.
Maybe someone would care to find out.
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Finders Keepers
Blair Lowell
Someone would! Someone plucks him out of bed at night, punctures his windpipe so he can't wake the neighbors, and spirits him away and bites him. This is much more unpleasant than the windpipe part.
Blair Lowell
He can't scream, at first, but later he finds that he can. In the meantime, he wonders if he's died and found that he should have visited the church a bit more often due to being thrown straight into Hell. Also, he wants to die.
"Kill me," he hisses, when his windpipe repairs itself and he finds he has air. He can scream later, dying as quickly as possible is more important.
"Oh, you'll get over it," says his biter. She's doing something with some other people there. They don't have crushed windpipes, just gags.
Blair Lowell
"Fuck you, I want to die."
"You'll get over that too."
Blair Lowell
He can't think of a witty retort to this while in this much agony.
...
Well, okay. One. He goes with it.
It is along the lines of 'screaming like a banshee.'
...
Well, okay. One. He goes with it.
It is along the lines of 'screaming like a banshee.'
Bitey lady ignores him.
Eventually it turns out she has a special friend. They whisper to each other, then ignore his screaming as a couples' bonding activity together while making out.
Eventually it turns out she has a special friend. They whisper to each other, then ignore his screaming as a couples' bonding activity together while making out.
Blair Lowell
What a lovely couple. Brings a tear to his eye. Oh wait, no, that's the magma in his fucking veins.
He'll stick with screaming. Maybe he can piss them off. It's not really accomplishing anything else, but it's something to do.
He'll stick with screaming. Maybe he can piss them off. It's not really accomplishing anything else, but it's something to do.
They continue ignoring him. They do go off a little ways later, but this seems likely to do more with their couply activities than his screaming being annoying.
Blair Lowell
Well.
Now that he's started it's rather hard to stop.
He'll just keep screaming, he guesses.
Now that he's started it's rather hard to stop.
He'll just keep screaming, he guesses.
That is the usual way of things.
The sun rises, and sets. And rises, and sets. And rises. And sets.
The sun rises, and sets. And rises, and sets. And rises. And sets.
Blair Lowell
He does not get tired of screaming, in the meantime.
But he doesn't quite give in to mindless agony. He notices the pain slowly shrinking away from his limbs and the fire collecting in his heart. He notices the way his body's changed and his mind has expanded. He notices his ears gaining sensitivity. A thousand little changes to go along with the burning agony.
He's long figured out that he's being turned into something. Whatever it is, he doesn't know.
It's not like he can stop it, either.
His heart speeds up, and he finds that he suddenly has tired of screaming, and can only manage a low whimpery keening sound to replace it. Let it end soon -
The couple is paying attention to him again at this point.
Blair Lowell
Good for them.
They get to be present when his heart stops.
But the pain in his throat hasn't gone away and he can smell potential relief -
The purpose of the other people becomes apparent to him when he is biting into one of their necks and drinking the delicious wonderful amazing perfectly soothing blood from their veins...
And then the person is drained dry, a lifeless corpse.
More, this is not enough, the pain in his throat isn't gone, it should be gone, the pain's gone everywhere else, even his heart. He doesn't have the presence of mind to stop himself from drinking the second.
Halfway through the third he feels - something. Niggling, in the back of his mind. It belongs to the person he's drinking. He is a person, it pronounces. And it feels like he's a good father and kind of a coward and well meaning despite this and caring and -
He flings the person away from him, too quickly. The good father was probably already doomed from the blood loss anyway, but the crack his body makes when he hits the wall says he's a goner for sure.
The potential witch stares, shivering.
And then can't manage to stop himself from finishing off the good father's blood.
They get to be present when his heart stops.
But the pain in his throat hasn't gone away and he can smell potential relief -
The purpose of the other people becomes apparent to him when he is biting into one of their necks and drinking the delicious wonderful amazing perfectly soothing blood from their veins...
And then the person is drained dry, a lifeless corpse.
More, this is not enough, the pain in his throat isn't gone, it should be gone, the pain's gone everywhere else, even his heart. He doesn't have the presence of mind to stop himself from drinking the second.
Halfway through the third he feels - something. Niggling, in the back of his mind. It belongs to the person he's drinking. He is a person, it pronounces. And it feels like he's a good father and kind of a coward and well meaning despite this and caring and -
He flings the person away from him, too quickly. The good father was probably already doomed from the blood loss anyway, but the crack his body makes when he hits the wall says he's a goner for sure.
The potential witch stares, shivering.
And then can't manage to stop himself from finishing off the good father's blood.
They brought him five.
Blair Lowell
That one's got an artistic side to her, and she likes being outdoors and is tired and overworked and despite this terribly bored and -
The other one smells of desperation, of need, of being quietly resigned to too-long hours and an underfed family and -
And they smell so good, so good, he hasn't had enough, there's still room in him, maybe he can make the burning stop, maybe just one more and -
And it's too late, his teeth are already buried in her jugular. Stop stop stop stop, something in him screams, but he can't, he can't, and it's much too late anyway, isn't it, she's already dead, let's not waste the blood, it's good and warm and fresh.
By some miracle he stops himself from the last. Some mix of being nearly-full and the thing in his head informing him that the final survivor of his thirsty rampage likes cooking and hates walking in the rain and -
He remains in the corner, coiled to spring and paying attention only to thing in his head and how utterly delicious the remaining victim looks, but no no no don't think about the taste don't think about the taste he still has a bit of it in his mouth it's so good don't think about the taste don't kill this person don't do it don't do it. They're probably screwed anyway, they were taken here, probably screwed, there's nothing he can do, no no no no he can do something, he doesn't, they're a person they're a person they're a person -
He lets out a little whimper, but can't manage to sob.
The other one smells of desperation, of need, of being quietly resigned to too-long hours and an underfed family and -
And they smell so good, so good, he hasn't had enough, there's still room in him, maybe he can make the burning stop, maybe just one more and -
And it's too late, his teeth are already buried in her jugular. Stop stop stop stop, something in him screams, but he can't, he can't, and it's much too late anyway, isn't it, she's already dead, let's not waste the blood, it's good and warm and fresh.
By some miracle he stops himself from the last. Some mix of being nearly-full and the thing in his head informing him that the final survivor of his thirsty rampage likes cooking and hates walking in the rain and -
He remains in the corner, coiled to spring and paying attention only to thing in his head and how utterly delicious the remaining victim looks, but no no no don't think about the taste don't think about the taste he still has a bit of it in his mouth it's so good don't think about the taste don't kill this person don't do it don't do it. They're probably screwed anyway, they were taken here, probably screwed, there's nothing he can do, no no no no he can do something, he doesn't, they're a person they're a person they're a person -
He lets out a little whimper, but can't manage to sob.
"Not thirsty anymore?" comments Biter.
"I had six when I was new," remarks Biter's Special Friend.
"I had six when I was new," remarks Biter's Special Friend.
Blair Lowell
He can't manage words. Only a faint whimper. Person person person person -
"If you're not going to eat her I can," Biter says.
Blair Lowell
He snarls. His food, his blood, his -
Person person person don't eat her don't eat her don't eat her you don't need it you don't need it look at the thing, look at the thing, the thing keeps you from eating her by telling you about -
It's run out of information.
...
And suddenly someone has run out of life.
Fuck.
Person person person don't eat her don't eat her don't eat her you don't need it you don't need it look at the thing, look at the thing, the thing keeps you from eating her by telling you about -
It's run out of information.
...
And suddenly someone has run out of life.
Fuck.
"Figured that'd do it," chuckles Biter. Her voice is light, musical; she smells nice; she loves-loves-loves her Special Friend more than anything; she likes frescoes and harpsichords and thunderstorms... "I'm Danuta and this is my mate Gavriel. What's your name?"
Blair Lowell
"I," he begins, and he notices the extra to his voice that makes it clearer and musical and perfect, "Blair. You. You wanted me to-?"
And then he is no longer talking because he has realized the implications of this she caused it she caused it, and is launching himself at Danuta.
And then he is no longer talking because he has realized the implications of this she caused it she caused it, and is launching himself at Danuta.
Gavriel deflects him, snarling. He loveslovesloves Danuta more than anything.
Blair Lowell
Two against one, he's new and inexperienced and they're together and likely to kill him if he acts out like an idiot and fuck they love each other -
He is deflected and stays deflected and instead buries his face in his hands and the thing in his head won't shut up it keeps telling him about them he doesn't want to know they're monsters they're monsters -
But so is he.
Whimper.
He is deflected and stays deflected and instead buries his face in his hands and the thing in his head won't shut up it keeps telling him about them he doesn't want to know they're monsters they're monsters -
But so is he.
Whimper.
"It's okay," soothes Danuta, "you're bound to be a little feral for a while. Happens to everyone. So are you a witch?"
Blair Lowell
"What's a witch?" he croaks.
"Somebody with a little extra something. A power," says Danuta.
Blair Lowell
"I have, I have a lot, of powers now," he says, a hint of dry. "Going to have to narrow it down."
"Something besides the physical perfection," Danuta clarifies dryly.
Blair Lowell
Oh you mean like the uncontrollable urge to murder people? he doesn't say.
Right. Okay. So they seem to be of the opinion that they're his friends, but he shouldn't correct them of this fact at the moment. He needs to understand what's going on. Calm. Think about the future. Yes, good, he can almost handle this brain if he keeps paying attention to the thing in his head that keeps giving him information...
"I, I think so. You like thunderstorms and frescoes and - and - there's, they were people, she," he points, "liked the outdoors. He," he points again, "was a good father."
Is that a hint of a sob? That was a hint of a sob. Also a hint of bitter.
Right. Okay. So they seem to be of the opinion that they're his friends, but he shouldn't correct them of this fact at the moment. He needs to understand what's going on. Calm. Think about the future. Yes, good, he can almost handle this brain if he keeps paying attention to the thing in his head that keeps giving him information...
"I, I think so. You like thunderstorms and frescoes and - and - there's, they were people, she," he points, "liked the outdoors. He," he points again, "was a good father."
Is that a hint of a sob? That was a hint of a sob. Also a hint of bitter.
"Oh, that's going to give you an eating disorder if you keep aiming it at the food, dear," says Danuta. "That's interesting, though!"
Blair Lowell
He growls a little, but keeps himself from leaping because they think he is their friend, he needs them, he is suddenly alone with himself and this is a terrifying prospect what even is he?
"What am I?" he whispers.
"What am I?" he whispers.
"We're vampires," says Danuta.
Blair Lowell
"Vampires," he repeats. He was never one for folklore, but he's suddenly become much more of a believer. "Okay. What does this involve besides, besides the. The eating people thing. And the perfect body. And the magic powers. Do I catch fire in sunlight? Sleep in a coffin on dirt from my home? Do I need to be invited inside?"
"No and no and no," laughs Danuta. "Do avoid the sun, though, you'll look all shiny and conspicuous, the Volturi don't like it."
Blair Lowell
"And who are they?" And why should I care?
"Vampire royalty, more or less. If you do things they don't like they'll kill you. They mostly only care that you mind your secrecy. Don't do anything in broad daylight, or anything obvious in public."
Blair Lowell
"Okay," he says, closing his eyes. He was not planning to be anywhere adjacent to public anytime soon. He's still got their blood on him. It still smells delicious, though - stale and kind of icky now.
"Why did you make me a vampire?"
"Why did you make me a vampire?"
"I thought you might be a witch!" smiles Danuta. "Some humans are, but most often it's only after turning you find out for sure. And I was right and now you get to have magic powers."
Blair Lowell
He is going to kill her.
It is an urge completely separate from the 'feral' urges. It is calm. It is certain. It is something close to patient. It can wait, for when he is in a better position in life and less off balance.
"How did you suspect I'd be one?" he wonders. "I didn't - I definitely didn't have anything like this before."
Understand understand understand, most important thing. Murder later. Everything else later. Information, now.
"You seemed - talented. That sort of guess isn't always right, but it was this time." Her grin is so toothy.
Blair Lowell
He really wants to rip her teeth out and feed them to her. But he resists.
"Lucky me."
"Lucky me."
"Yep. Gavriel's a witch too." She kisses him on the cheek. "Not me though."
Blair Lowell
"Oh?" he wonders. "What do you do?"
Friendly. Curious. His vampire mind is good for acting, he notes, he just has to feed the curiosity burning in his soul instead of the rage and he can be downright cute and cuddly.
Friendly. Curious. His vampire mind is good for acting, he notes, he just has to feed the curiosity burning in his soul instead of the rage and he can be downright cute and cuddly.
"I hide things," Gavriel says. "It's not the best witch power ever, but if I hide a thing no one can find it if I don't tell them how."
Blair Lowell
"Huh. Sounds useful, anyway. Does it work for people, or just things?"
Curious curious curious! So curious. So innocent. So not plotting how to kill the both of you.
Curious curious curious! So curious. So innocent. So not plotting how to kill the both of you.
"Just things," Gavriel says. "Well, maybe people. I've never tried to hide a baby. I can't hide big stuff."
Blair Lowell
Good to know.
Blair nods.
"I don't know what mine does besides, uh. Invasion of privacy." Pause. "Might just be invasion of privacy."
...
No that's not right.
There's a something else here. It's hard to pick out and so very quiet in this spacious new head of his, but there's a - thing. Niggling. It doesn't belong to Gavriel or Danuta, and it's so far away -
Brave and cautious and loyal and good and she likes eating vegetables like a freak and she's often more dry than he is and likes nurses on principle and thinks they're necessary but thinks they are too small scale for her taste she always wants larger scale it's not big enough until the whole world's safe -
What the hell?
He frowns.
Blair nods.
"I don't know what mine does besides, uh. Invasion of privacy." Pause. "Might just be invasion of privacy."
...
No that's not right.
There's a something else here. It's hard to pick out and so very quiet in this spacious new head of his, but there's a - thing. Niggling. It doesn't belong to Gavriel or Danuta, and it's so far away -
Brave and cautious and loyal and good and she likes eating vegetables like a freak and she's often more dry than he is and likes nurses on principle and thinks they're necessary but thinks they are too small scale for her taste she always wants larger scale it's not big enough until the whole world's safe -
What the hell?
He frowns.
"You'll figure it out," says Danuta.
Blair Lowell
"I hope so," he agrees.
That direction? The person is in that direction. And it feels familiar. More familiar than anyone else present. It's so hard to remember things that aren't perfect vampire memories or pain, but if he focuses...
...
He had a sister. Has. Has a sister. She exists, and is thataway. Feels pretty far, too. He vaguely remembers something about travelling? Seeing the world? That feels foolish now. But she's alive, she's fine, she's far far away and her little signature quietly sits there. Being itself. Helping him to remember who he was when he was human.
He feels no need to mention this to his 'friends.' Let them think it's just an invasion of privacy power, not - whatever it is. Let it be a cute trick. Let them think it's quaint.
Maybe it can help him kill them.
"So, what now?"
That direction? The person is in that direction. And it feels familiar. More familiar than anyone else present. It's so hard to remember things that aren't perfect vampire memories or pain, but if he focuses...
...
He had a sister. Has. Has a sister. She exists, and is thataway. Feels pretty far, too. He vaguely remembers something about travelling? Seeing the world? That feels foolish now. But she's alive, she's fine, she's far far away and her little signature quietly sits there. Being itself. Helping him to remember who he was when he was human.
He feels no need to mention this to his 'friends.' Let them think it's just an invasion of privacy power, not - whatever it is. Let it be a cute trick. Let them think it's quaint.
Maybe it can help him kill them.
"So, what now?"
"Well, you're all fed, so we go to another city and amuse ourselves and then get something to eat and leave again. We move around a lot, we don't keep a stable territory. Let me do the talking if we meet any other vampires."
Blair Lowell
He has the urge to challenge her, say, No I have the better information I have the privacy invasion power, I can know what they're like, I do the talking, you've bumbled over a thousand little things that piss me off, just what will you do with other people -
He resists. Murder. Focus on the murder that will occur in the future. He can't murder her if she's expecting it, expecting him to act out. ... Well, he could, probably, but it'd be more chancy and less certain. He'd like to make it as certain as possible that she and her mate die.
"Okay. Fine by me. I like travelling, anyway. That's what I was doing, before."
He resists. Murder. Focus on the murder that will occur in the future. He can't murder her if she's expecting it, expecting him to act out. ... Well, he could, probably, but it'd be more chancy and less certain. He'd like to make it as certain as possible that she and her mate die.
"Okay. Fine by me. I like travelling, anyway. That's what I was doing, before."
"Great!" beams Danuta. "Let's go to Venice."
"Ooh," says Gavriel.
"Ooh," says Gavriel.
Blair Lowell
"I haven't been to Venice," he agrees. "I think becoming a vampire got my Italian a bit rusty, it's harder to remember. I'll be fun to practice it."
"Everything you pick up now you'll remember forever," Danuta beams at him, "it's lovely."
So they go to Venice.
So they go to Venice.
Blair Lowell
Venice is lovely!
Blair learns quickly that he can hold his breath to avoid smelling people, and through this and beating himself with his power and person person person becomes surprisingly good at resisting tasty humans.
He is also very docile, for a newborn. Also friendly, though occasionally he displays a wicked sense of humor.
Blair learns quickly that he can hold his breath to avoid smelling people, and through this and beating himself with his power and person person person becomes surprisingly good at resisting tasty humans.
He is also very docile, for a newborn. Also friendly, though occasionally he displays a wicked sense of humor.
His new coven is so pleased to have him! They Made A Good Decision. They take him all over Europe and into Asia and then back through Europe and then down through the Middle East and North Africa.
Blair Lowell
Blair quietly offers to lead them to good people to eat. Ironically, they are very bad people to eat, but that makes them good food. He refuses to eat non terrible people.
He asks his innocuous questions intermittently. Is there anything that he should look out for that can kill him? Are there characteristics the Volturi have besides killing people that break the Masquerade? Are there lots of witches, and if so, do they know any ones of note? Does he have to eat people, are there alternatives? (His quirky diet is one of the most inconvenient things about him, but he doesn't make it very inconvenient.) Are there any other things about being a vampire that he should know? Are there other assorted fantasy creatures that exist?
He asks his innocuous questions intermittently. Is there anything that he should look out for that can kill him? Are there characteristics the Volturi have besides killing people that break the Masquerade? Are there lots of witches, and if so, do they know any ones of note? Does he have to eat people, are there alternatives? (His quirky diet is one of the most inconvenient things about him, but he doesn't make it very inconvenient.) Are there any other things about being a vampire that he should know? Are there other assorted fantasy creatures that exist?
His covenmates don't mind indulging his picky eating habits, although he has to make sure to find enough for everybody if he doesn't want them eating whoever's convenient, and he has to do this under secrecy constraints.
They don't mind telling him all about these things. As far as they know they do have to eat people. They... can drink water? It doesn't help or anything but they can. There used to be werewolves; not anymore. They have met the following witches...
They don't mind telling him all about these things. As far as they know they do have to eat people. They... can drink water? It doesn't help or anything but they can. There used to be werewolves; not anymore. They have met the following witches...
Blair Lowell
... And vampires are vulnerable to fire.
Well. This was starting to get annoying. Finding enough terrible people for three hungry vampires was - difficult. He didn't always manage it. Sometimes Danuta and Gavriel ate people that were not terrible. That's enough deaths on his conscience. He has newborn strength, and a much calmer more focused mind than an ordinary newborn. He can, after spending enough time with them, track them wherever they go. He can fix this, and he doesn't need anything else from them. They don't suspect him.
And so they don't see it coming when he rips Danuta's head off and turns Gavriel to a pile of Graviel with a mixture of surprise and newborn strength. They were expecting to fight him together, if he ever got 'feral' and tried to kill them. Of course, since he's not feral, he avoided this problem.
He reattaches his arm and the foot he lost in combat, humming. Then he retrieves his packet of matches, and checks Danuta's head for facial expressions. Any of note before he sets them both on fire, or is it stuck on surprise?
Well. This was starting to get annoying. Finding enough terrible people for three hungry vampires was - difficult. He didn't always manage it. Sometimes Danuta and Gavriel ate people that were not terrible. That's enough deaths on his conscience. He has newborn strength, and a much calmer more focused mind than an ordinary newborn. He can, after spending enough time with them, track them wherever they go. He can fix this, and he doesn't need anything else from them. They don't suspect him.
And so they don't see it coming when he rips Danuta's head off and turns Gavriel to a pile of Graviel with a mixture of surprise and newborn strength. They were expecting to fight him together, if he ever got 'feral' and tried to kill them. Of course, since he's not feral, he avoided this problem.
He reattaches his arm and the foot he lost in combat, humming. Then he retrieves his packet of matches, and checks Danuta's head for facial expressions. Any of note before he sets them both on fire, or is it stuck on surprise?
She looks hurt. She is hurt. She liked him. She was proud of him.
Blair Lowell
Well, she made him kill five people, and she was going to kill more, and more, and more, and in order to stop her peacefully he'd have to chase around and get them terrible people and what if they saw another potential witch, what then? A fourth vampire to feed.
She and her mate get to burn.
Their signatures disappear from his head.
There are others besides his sister, now - humans he happened to talk to, the person who sold him the matches. But his sister is the clearest. His sister is Definitely Thataway instead of - existing somewhere in the world, maybe able to be found if he focuses. But always, he can find his sister.
He - doesn't think he wants to see her. He barely remembers anything more than the signature of personality. Is this signature of someone who would - think of him as a monster? Hate him for the people he's killed?
Would she be safe around him?
He's pretty safe around humans, but he doesn't like the risk. Not with the one single person he remembers from his human life. He's still new to this, still leaning on his power to recall how not to eat people. He wants something better.
I want someone who will understand this and can help, he thinks, and -
It's almost like when he was looking for terrible people for his coven to eat. Almost. It's fainter, but more specific. It's thataway. If he pays attention and follows it...
It turns out to lead to America.
That's okay, though, he can swim.
He winds up in Wisconsin, eyes still newborn-red but looking very non-threatening.
She and her mate get to burn.
Their signatures disappear from his head.
There are others besides his sister, now - humans he happened to talk to, the person who sold him the matches. But his sister is the clearest. His sister is Definitely Thataway instead of - existing somewhere in the world, maybe able to be found if he focuses. But always, he can find his sister.
He - doesn't think he wants to see her. He barely remembers anything more than the signature of personality. Is this signature of someone who would - think of him as a monster? Hate him for the people he's killed?
Would she be safe around him?
He's pretty safe around humans, but he doesn't like the risk. Not with the one single person he remembers from his human life. He's still new to this, still leaning on his power to recall how not to eat people. He wants something better.
I want someone who will understand this and can help, he thinks, and -
It's almost like when he was looking for terrible people for his coven to eat. Almost. It's fainter, but more specific. It's thataway. If he pays attention and follows it...
It turns out to lead to America.
That's okay, though, he can swim.
He winds up in Wisconsin, eyes still newborn-red but looking very non-threatening.
His signature belongs to a vampire. Who is, impossibly enough, working as a doctor.
Blair Lowell
Blair thinks this is several things, but the most prominent of which is promising. It is promising.
Well, he doesn't have an identity anymore to make an appointment, so - he waits outside of the hospital with a book to pass the time. He can be patient.
Well, he doesn't have an identity anymore to make an appointment, so - he waits outside of the hospital with a book to pass the time. He can be patient.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
The doctor notices him.
Another vampire, this one bronze-haired and with his own privacy-invasion power, approaches slowly.
Another vampire, this one bronze-haired and with his own privacy-invasion power, approaches slowly.
Blair Lowell
Blair looks up from his book when he notices the new vampire.
And the new vampire's eyes.
He closes his book.
"Hello," he says, when the vampire can hear him and humans can't. "Sorry for being in your territory, I won't eat anyone while here, I - find myself in need of some assistance."
(He is trying to think of how to word his explanation of his past. This involves thinking about his past.)
And the new vampire's eyes.
He closes his book.
"Hello," he says, when the vampire can hear him and humans can't. "Sorry for being in your territory, I won't eat anyone while here, I - find myself in need of some assistance."
(He is trying to think of how to word his explanation of his past. This involves thinking about his past.)
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"It's no trouble about the territory," the new vampire says. "You're here to see Carlisle?" He points at the hospital.
Blair Lowell
"Is that who's in there? Yes, please."
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"What about? Where'd you hear of him?"
Blair Lowell
He's getting a sense of the vampire, even from this distance. What is that, feeling like a voyeur a lot? Hm.
"I'm a witch. Part of my power lets me find people. The other part - will not let me just see humans as food. I have been eating only horrible people that deserve it," except for the ones when he first turned, except for the ones his covenmates ate when he couldn't find them suitable food, weighing on his conscience like little anvils strapped to his feet, "but I want to know if there are alternatives, or if there's a way I can be safe around humans. My power led me here."
"I'm a witch. Part of my power lets me find people. The other part - will not let me just see humans as food. I have been eating only horrible people that deserve it," except for the ones when he first turned, except for the ones his covenmates ate when he couldn't find them suitable food, weighing on his conscience like little anvils strapped to his feet, "but I want to know if there are alternatives, or if there's a way I can be safe around humans. My power led me here."
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"We can survive on animals. Not everyone knows that, but we can."
Blair Lowell
"Oh," says Blair, blinking. "And no harmful effects?"
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"Cosmetic ones. It tastes terrible. You'll be a little weaker. Nothing else."
Blair Lowell
He suspects he won't mind the taste, but the weaker... he bets he will. He likes being strong. But it might be worth it. He'll have to try it, otherwise how will he know?
"Okay. That's good to know, thank you. Did it cause the eyes?"
"Okay. That's good to know, thank you. Did it cause the eyes?"
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"Yes."
Blair Lowell
"Cool. I'd still like to meet Carlisle, if that's okay," says Blair. "If he can work as a doctor - I want to learn something like that control."
He is not exactly against killing people (obviously) but he really really really hates the idea of killing people he doesn't mean to kill. He has not slipped up once, since - since. He never wants to slip up again. Ever. Especially not with his sister.
He is not exactly against killing people (obviously) but he really really really hates the idea of killing people he doesn't mean to kill. He has not slipped up once, since - since. He never wants to slip up again. Ever. Especially not with his sister.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"It's exceptional. I'm not sure it can be learned. But he'll be off work in a half hour."
Blair Lowell
"I can wait."
He tilts his head.
".... Are you a witch?" He wonders, on a hunch.
He tilts his head.
".... Are you a witch?" He wonders, on a hunch.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"Yes."
Blair Lowell
He suspects that prying beyond that is a bit - well, he recalls the last time he pried beyond that was because it was the prologue to murder. He does not want to murder this vampire. Or imply that he would in any way like to murder this vampire. He doesn't. Nor invade his privacy, despite his privacy invasion power of tracky goodness.
He nods, instead.
He decides not to bring up his potential as a witch being why he was turned. That just seems - broody and angsty. Pass on both.
He nods, instead.
He decides not to bring up his potential as a witch being why he was turned. That just seems - broody and angsty. Pass on both.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"It's not why Carlisle turned me," Edward mentions of his own accord.
Blair Lowell
Mindreader.
He is not really offended by this, just taking in the new information.
"Glad to hear it. I hope he also skipped the, treatment I got as well?"
He is not really offended by this, just taking in the new information.
"Glad to hear it. I hope he also skipped the, treatment I got as well?"
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"Yes."
Blair Lowell
Hm, what is that, self-flagellation? Someone has also killed people. Blair is deeply sympathetic.
He nods, unwilling to actually ask the question he's thinking of How did it happen for you? because it's exceptionally rude and really private information and he actually thinks an apology for thinking it, he's really quite sorry, curious head, he can't help it.
"If it's possible to have a perfect record my sister might want to become a vampire," he says, instead. "I'm - not quite sure. It's hard to know." And of course, the vampire knows why. Blair's going almost entirely off of his power, just a signature of what she's like and all of the human memories are basically gone.
He nods, unwilling to actually ask the question he's thinking of How did it happen for you? because it's exceptionally rude and really private information and he actually thinks an apology for thinking it, he's really quite sorry, curious head, he can't help it.
"If it's possible to have a perfect record my sister might want to become a vampire," he says, instead. "I'm - not quite sure. It's hard to know." And of course, the vampire knows why. Blair's going almost entirely off of his power, just a signature of what she's like and all of the human memories are basically gone.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"I'm not sure it's replicable. For long, anyway. Carlisle's the only one I've ever heard of. His mate's only killed one, but still."
Blair Lowell
"I mean. How many vampires have tried?" he wonders. Because he thinks the answer is 'not very many.' Or possibly 'four.'
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"Tried from day one? Three."
Blair Lowell
Blair feels that he did try from day one, just - he was given a nasty hand and, yeah, he was weak, fine, fair enough. He'd managed to stop himself from killing the fifth, then... Failed at that.
"Are there others that haven't tried from day one?"
"Are there others that haven't tried from day one?"
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"We have - we call them our cousins. A coven of three, who picked up the habit of eating animals later, independently of us."
Blair Lowell
"Ah. So it's a ridiculously tiny sample size."
That is incredibly depressing to him. Why don't more vampires try not to kill people? Oh right. Because they're delicious. And also probably some psychological distancing, un-personing them instead of admitting you kill people and that is wrong. Which his power didn't let him do. Thank you power, he loves you.
That is incredibly depressing to him. Why don't more vampires try not to kill people? Oh right. Because they're delicious. And also probably some psychological distancing, un-personing them instead of admitting you kill people and that is wrong. Which his power didn't let him do. Thank you power, he loves you.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"Carlisle managed on his own with no witchcraft, Esme and I picked it up from him. Our cousins fumbled their way there via... getting to know... humans and redeveloping empathy for them."
Blair Lowell
...
Getting to 'know' humans. He briefly wonders how the fuck anyone could possibly manage that when humans are squishy before he shuts down this line of thought. He refuses to have sex with someone he could - break. That just seems like a great way to kill someone he would like to have sex with. If this means he doesn't have sex, fine. This is an acceptable loss if it means not killing people he would like to have sex with.
"Carlisle is ridiculously impressive," says Blair, because he is not the type to voice his musings on this topic out loud and will instead pretend he did not think about it at all. "How'd he manage it?" Did he get complimentary (ha ha) people for eating upon finishing turning, because if he did Blair is just going to call the man a witch whose power is people eating resistance because holy shit.
Getting to 'know' humans. He briefly wonders how the fuck anyone could possibly manage that when humans are squishy before he shuts down this line of thought. He refuses to have sex with someone he could - break. That just seems like a great way to kill someone he would like to have sex with. If this means he doesn't have sex, fine. This is an acceptable loss if it means not killing people he would like to have sex with.
"Carlisle is ridiculously impressive," says Blair, because he is not the type to voice his musings on this topic out loud and will instead pretend he did not think about it at all. "How'd he manage it?" Did he get complimentary (ha ha) people for eating upon finishing turning, because if he did Blair is just going to call the man a witch whose power is people eating resistance because holy shit.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"He wasn't offered any humans. He came out of the turning alone," Edward says. "He starved, for a while, avoiding people. Eventually tried chasing down deer and didn't find them poisonous, just noxious."
Blair Lowell
Blair nods. This makes sense to him. Also damn it he should have tried that. Instead he ate terrible people. ... Terrible people were delicious, mind, and he's not exactly sorry, but still. People eating. Probably bad, even if the people he ate were all (with five exceptions...) terrible.
"Good to know."
"Good to know."
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"...Eating anyone makes it harder to avoid eating other people," Edward mentions. "Even if you're exercising unique judgment in picking targets."
Blair Lowell
Oh. He supposes it does, doesn't it. He knows what it tastes like, now, and is becoming used to drinking delicious blood. He wouldn't have if he'd lived in an alternate reality where he did not get offered humans right out of turning, and then managed to not eat people.
That is an excellent point in favor of not eating terrible people, the vampire gets a point on the little mental tally board Blair invented just now.
"I'm Blair, by the way, I don't think I mentioned out loud."
He does not recall his last name anymore, it didn't really matter to him and he often went without anyway.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"I'm Edward."
Blair Lowell
"Nice to meet you."
And it is! He wouldn't mind becoming another 'cousin,' actually, if he manages the not eating people thing, which it seems like he will because he does not like it being easier to accidentally eat more people at all.
And it is! He wouldn't mind becoming another 'cousin,' actually, if he manages the not eating people thing, which it seems like he will because he does not like it being easier to accidentally eat more people at all.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"Likewise."
And here comes Carlisle. He has been listening to their conversation, apparently, and nods to Blair. "Hello, Blair. It's good to meet you."
And here comes Carlisle. He has been listening to their conversation, apparently, and nods to Blair. "Hello, Blair. It's good to meet you."
Blair Lowell
"Hello. It's good to meet you, too." He's not surprised that Carlisle was listening. He bets Edward was quietly called because aaa newborn vampire.
"I am extremely impressed with you," says Blair, sincerely.
"I am extremely impressed with you," says Blair, sincerely.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"Thank you," says Carlisle, "although of course there's no way to know what would have happened if I'd turned under more intentional circumstances -"
Edward quietly snorts.
"- or with covenmates attempting to steer my development. I'm quite as impressed with you."
Edward quietly snorts.
"- or with covenmates attempting to steer my development. I'm quite as impressed with you."
Blair Lowell
"Thank you," says Blair, pleased and smiling. He feels somewhat like he has just met and been complimented by his hero. That he gained about ten minutes ago. It's still a valid feeling.
He's not going to tell Carlisle 'by the way I killed my covenmates because they made me kill people.' That seems like it would earn disappointment from his hero and that would be terrible.
"Is there a guidebook on how not to eat people?" he wonders lightly.
He's not going to tell Carlisle 'by the way I killed my covenmates because they made me kill people.' That seems like it would earn disappointment from his hero and that would be terrible.
"Is there a guidebook on how not to eat people?" he wonders lightly.
"No," says Carlisle, "it would be a little difficult to publish - but there are six people's worth of experiences working on it, and we can give you advice, to the extent advice helps."
Blair Lowell
He nods. It's a thousand times better than what he had, oh, twenty minutes ago.
"I'd love to hear any and all advice on the subject."
"I'd love to hear any and all advice on the subject."
"Would you like to come home with us? We have a house a short jog from here."
Blair Lowell
"Sure," he agrees.
He is making vampire friends! They try not to eat people! He's very excited about this.
He is making vampire friends! They try not to eat people! He's very excited about this.
"A short jog" turns out to mean "we walk over that hill, then when nobody's looking we run for about a minute and a half".
The house is adorable. A vampire who is obviously Carlisle's mate is putting shingles up on the roof when they arrive. "Welcome home! Who's this?"
"Esme, this is Blair," Edward says. "He came for Carlisle's advice on revising his diet. Blair, Esme."
The house is adorable. A vampire who is obviously Carlisle's mate is putting shingles up on the roof when they arrive. "Welcome home! Who's this?"
"Esme, this is Blair," Edward says. "He came for Carlisle's advice on revising his diet. Blair, Esme."
Blair Lowell
"Hello!" says Blair, brightly. "You have a lovely home."
"Oh, I'm not half done restoring it," Esme says. "But I'm glad someone else can see the beauty it'll be when it's fixed up. Welcome."
Blair Lowell
"Thank you, it's a pleasure to meet you."
These people are adorable. So adorable. Yes, coven of three, he will be a cousin of yours, you are all so great.
These people are adorable. So adorable. Yes, coven of three, he will be a cousin of yours, you are all so great.
The adorable coven of three gives him tips, and directions to Denali, and the title of cousin.
Blair Lowell
Hooray!
He goes to Denali, because that is the thing to do, collecting more tips.
On the way there, he eats a deer. It is completely disgusting, but he's fine with that. No hint of losing strength, yet, but he's still a newborn so that's to be expected. He'll deal with eating animals on this basis alone, he guesses. Slowly losing his ability to resist delicious humans sounds like it is one of the worst things ever, so he'll suck it up. ... Not literally. He will do the opposite of sucking it up.
(Throwing up? No, no, that's all wrong...)
He arrives at Denali! He gets tips on how not to eat people. ... He gets a proposition from Irina. After clarification that they are both vampires and can mate and there won't be any heartache or hard feelings if this happens is cleared away, he accepts this proposition. And then after some more clarification of what is and is not okay, her sister's. And then her other sister's. Yep! He has no regrets about his lack of desire to fuck squishy humans!
He stays up there while getting a better handle on not eating people. He does not eat any people, though he keeps in the habit of eating animals regularly to avoid slipping. His eyes fade from red to amber and then to gold. He notices the loss in strength but deems it worth it, and decides to just stick with an all animal diet.
And then he feels comfortable enough as he's ever going to about seeing his sister. She's still there, little pointer pointing across the ocean. He's not going to forget about her. He bids the Denali a fond farewell (with a promise to return) and off he goes, back to Europe. He has six little pointers in his head pointing back. Denali, thataway, Cullens, thataway. This is neat and convenient for visiting. They'll have a bit of trouble finding him, but he quietly makes plans to visit reasonably regularly so they can avoid that. And not just because the Denali coven's fantastic and great. He likes them, they are nice people.
He arrives in England. He follows the pointer. He knocks on the door.
He goes to Denali, because that is the thing to do, collecting more tips.
On the way there, he eats a deer. It is completely disgusting, but he's fine with that. No hint of losing strength, yet, but he's still a newborn so that's to be expected. He'll deal with eating animals on this basis alone, he guesses. Slowly losing his ability to resist delicious humans sounds like it is one of the worst things ever, so he'll suck it up. ... Not literally. He will do the opposite of sucking it up.
(Throwing up? No, no, that's all wrong...)
He arrives at Denali! He gets tips on how not to eat people. ... He gets a proposition from Irina. After clarification that they are both vampires and can mate and there won't be any heartache or hard feelings if this happens is cleared away, he accepts this proposition. And then after some more clarification of what is and is not okay, her sister's. And then her other sister's. Yep! He has no regrets about his lack of desire to fuck squishy humans!
He stays up there while getting a better handle on not eating people. He does not eat any people, though he keeps in the habit of eating animals regularly to avoid slipping. His eyes fade from red to amber and then to gold. He notices the loss in strength but deems it worth it, and decides to just stick with an all animal diet.
And then he feels comfortable enough as he's ever going to about seeing his sister. She's still there, little pointer pointing across the ocean. He's not going to forget about her. He bids the Denali a fond farewell (with a promise to return) and off he goes, back to Europe. He has six little pointers in his head pointing back. Denali, thataway, Cullens, thataway. This is neat and convenient for visiting. They'll have a bit of trouble finding him, but he quietly makes plans to visit reasonably regularly so they can avoid that. And not just because the Denali coven's fantastic and great. He likes them, they are nice people.
He arrives in England. He follows the pointer. He knocks on the door.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
A pretty redhead he only vaguely recognizes opens the door. She blinks at him.
"Blair!" she says, and then she hugs him. "Where have you been, it's been ages, I thought you were d- what the...?"
She pokes his arm. It behaves exactly as a vampire's arm should, that is to say, it does not at all act like a human's arm. She peers at him.
"... Explain."
"Blair!" she says, and then she hugs him. "Where have you been, it's been ages, I thought you were d- what the...?"
She pokes his arm. It behaves exactly as a vampire's arm should, that is to say, it does not at all act like a human's arm. She peers at him.
"... Explain."
Blair Lowell
"Well," he says, "first off, vampires are real, second off, I am one, and that was why I was away."
Will this sentence work? He hopes it will, it's hard to tell.
Will this sentence work? He hopes it will, it's hard to tell.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"And you're not joking or crazy?"
Blair Lowell
"No and no. Would you like something heavy lifted as demonstration?"
She would! He lifts something heavy of her choice, and then puts it back, unharmed.
She would! He lifts something heavy of her choice, and then puts it back, unharmed.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Okay then," she squeaks. "Storytime?"
Blair Lowell
Storytime!
He does not leave out the murder.
He does not leave out the murder.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Well," says his sister, "thank you for not coming over while you were, potentially dangerous. No memory of the address for a letter?"
Blair Lowell
Shit, that would have been a good idea.
"... No, and also I forgot that was a thing I could do."
"... No, and also I forgot that was a thing I could do."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Snort.
"That far into vampire life, huh?"
"That far into vampire life, huh?"
Blair Lowell
"I don't sleep! There are friendly vampires that I made friends with! ... I am somewhat entrenched in vampire life now, yeah."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Another snort. "How much have you forgotten of the human one?"
She doesn't sound like she holds this against him.
She doesn't sound like she holds this against him.
Blair Lowell
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Yvette Lowell," she provides, because that seems like the thing to tell him when he's making that exact awkward face. "And our mother's name was Corinne Lowell. Father's is Franklin, he's upstairs." Pause. "I'm a nurse, unmarried so far because I've been picky and no one's been good enough for me, something something I'll end up as a spinster if I'm not careful, um, do you have questions I don't know what to explain."
Blair Lowell
"... I thought nurse was too small scale for you?"
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Oh, it is, but I didn't have better options available and it is a helpful and necessary field and - yeah."
Blair Lowell
"Well. I am a vampire who can comfortably be immortal if no one rips me to pieces and sets me on fire. I have a list of benefits and downsides because it seemed like a thing that might be relevant."
He produces a list.
He produces a list.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Good brother," she says magnanimously, and then: reading.
"Okay so the murder is kind of a problem, but it looks like it might be able to be avoided. The mating thing is, um, frankly kind of horrifying. ... And vampires can't have kids."
"Okay so the murder is kind of a problem, but it looks like it might be able to be avoided. The mating thing is, um, frankly kind of horrifying. ... And vampires can't have kids."
Blair Lowell
"Being a spinster is not a serious concern?"
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"I mean. It's - one thing to look at my prospects and laugh and then go back to changing bandages, it is another to decide to never ever be able to have kids."
Blair Lowell
"True." He peers at her. "That outranks the murder? And the mate thing? Really?"
(Reading her is becoming easier. It's almost like she's familiar to him.)
(Reading her is becoming easier. It's almost like she's familiar to him.)
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"The murder I can actively stop. It's concerning and if I killed someone accidentally I don't think I'd forgive myself, but it's in my control. I can account for it and handle it. The mate thing is - I'm still going with horrifying, but I have the strong belief that anyone I could hopelessly fall in love with is not going to be a twit about it, which - assuages my concerns somewhat. They're not gone but I'd put up with it for immortality." Pause. "So yes, it does outrank both, it's just. No kids. Ever. I'm not desperate to be a mother, exactly, but I don't want to forever lose the chance to bear children if I can help it."
Blair Lowell
"Adoption?"
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Is definitely an option on the table, but it's still lessening my available options. And I might discover I want to experience the miracle of childbirth."
Blair Lowell
Yes but instead you will be experiencing the miracle of death.
"Okay. .... One of the vampires is a doctor. That might be relevant. I don't know if that's at all possible to, to mess with, but he is a vampire doctor who's probably a bit ahead of traditional doctors on account of the sheer amount of experience. And how he doesn't need to sleep." Pause. "Or, uh, you could have a kid before you turn?"
"Okay. .... One of the vampires is a doctor. That might be relevant. I don't know if that's at all possible to, to mess with, but he is a vampire doctor who's probably a bit ahead of traditional doctors on account of the sheer amount of experience. And how he doesn't need to sleep." Pause. "Or, uh, you could have a kid before you turn?"
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
She makes a face.
"Not anytime soon." Pause, consideration. "... I might talk to the doctor."
"Not anytime soon." Pause, consideration. "... I might talk to the doctor."
Blair Lowell
"And if we cannot bend the human body to our will with the powers of science?"
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"... I embrace my future liquid diet from animals only," she pronounces, after a pause. "On consideration I don't find adoption objectionable, just. The option thing."
Blair Lowell
"Okay. No pressure, and uh, you can change your mind at any time, so on, so forth."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Blair Lowell
"Good news," he says. "I heard that 'you could try' loud and clear, sibling telepathy is in working condition."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Technically you could forcibly turn me at any time!"
Blair Lowell
"If I want to have an angry newborn on my hands, sure I could."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
She snorts.
"Let's not. I could kill someone." Pause. "Actually, from what it sounds like, one vampire dealing with a newborn is not enough for safety."
"Let's not. I could kill someone." Pause. "Actually, from what it sounds like, one vampire dealing with a newborn is not enough for safety."
Blair Lowell
"Mm. Yeah. I was thinking along those lines already, though we could go find some extremely out of the way place of the world if that falls through. I'll ask vampire friends about it when I go to visit."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Okay. ... How soon are you going to go visit?"
Blair Lowell
"Vague later, I just got here, and have a shiny new sister. And, I don't know, need anything heavy lifted?"
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"If I find something," she says dryly, "I will let you know."
Blair Lowell
So it turns out that Blair actually likes his sister. He is gently re-informed of relevant forgotten history, kept away from the neighbors for fear of being recognized, and is informed that he needs to be very careful about watching when he breathes, because his sister is in fact a nurse. Blood is occasionally involved with this.
Despite this hurdle, he does not eat her, or any of the neighbors, or anyone else. He eats a lot of deer, a bit more often than is really necessary. He is a safe vampire. Well. Okay, maybe not safe, but not randomly murderous. He will choose to be dangerous. In certain conditions. And then when he chooses not to be dangerous he will not be dangerous. This is a good system.
Weeks pass; Yvette foresees leaving England eventually, if not immediately, and has to prepare for the eventuality. This involves selling things that she had but won't need when travelling, saving up money, informing her landlord, so on.
Blair takes the time to introduce himself to the nearby covens - they find him sort of quaint on account of his diet and unobjectionable. He asks that they not eat people in the town Yvette lives in, because he is planning to spirit his sister away (not in England, he clarifies, they won't have to worry about a newborn) to be turned and it would be upsetting to have her be eaten before that. They are a bit nervous about the potential newborn, but if he is not going to turn her in England it's really not their problem, and avoiding one little town is easy enough.
In his admittedly large downtime, he pokes at his power. He gets a better feel for how to find certain types of people, and gets a feel for how long it takes for him to reliably track a person, and what way's best to get a good signature in his little person database. Smell is awful for anything but finding the specifics of where the person is. Sight's better, but not if he just studies physical appearance; he needs to watch for their mannerisms, their quirks, their body language. Listening to them is definitely on the right track, but just stalking them and hearing them speak isn't the best option. His most natural instinct of 'walk up and talk to them' is, by a long shot. Regardless, he definitely needs to pay attention to them as people, not just - targets to be hunted. This is fine by him, actually.
And then he's grown a bit restless and all of Yvette's things that can be taken care of without a date that she sets sail are taken care of, and he bids his sister goodbye and goes back to America to find and talk to the Cullens.
They're no longer in Wisconsin. This isn't a problem, he's a tracker, but it is noteworthy. He follows their signatures to the state of New York, and then to Rochester.
They probably already know he's there before he knocks on their door, but it seems polite.
Esme answers. "Welcome back! How have you been?"
Blair Lowell
"Excellent! I visited the Denali and then my sister in England; she was very understanding and did not try to set me on fire even once." He smiles. "And you, Esme?"
"We've been settling in here, and I'm waiting on a shipment of some marble before I can fix up the fireplace but everything else on the house is well underway, and I could recommend you the loveliest books..." She ushers him in. "Carlisle will be home in a few hours, Edward in four or five - he's hunting."
Blair Lowell
Blair actually was aware they were both away, but pegged Esme as the one most likely to be at home and therefore the best option for polite entrance. Besides, Esme's adorable, he has no problem talking to her for a few hours. He nods, smiling.
"This house has got such a different style from the last one. I like it though, cute in a different way. More regal, though I don't really know houses. What are your plans for it?"
"This house has got such a different style from the last one. I like it though, cute in a different way. More regal, though I don't really know houses. What are your plans for it?"
Esme describes her plans for it. They as she are adorable.
Blair Lowell
So adorable! Blair thinks that listening to Esme describing plans for the house is an excellent use of his time. He does so with no regrets. Carlisle and Edward can take their time, Blair adores listening to people talk about things they love.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
Carlisle and Edward wind up coming home at about the same time; apparently there was good eating nearer by than Esme's estimate. They are also pleased to see Blair. Well, more Carlisle than Edward.
Blair Lowell
Blair is pleased to see them too! He updates them on his life: has not eaten people since learning that he can in fact eat animals. Admittedly it's more out of a practicality of it becoming harder to not eat people than actually valuing the lives of the terrible people he would be eating if he had not gone vegetarian, but he doesn't regret it. He sometimes gets thirsty and starts trying to convince himself that he can just eat another terrible person and it would be okay, but that is a sign that he should go eat another deer, not rethink his life choices.
Then he tells them about his sister, clarifying that he is aware of the Volturi's policy and is keeping the whole thing very quiet and she's not going to mention it to anyone else. Nor is she going to attempt to burn him at the stake, think he's a monster, or planning to pretend that her brother is dead. In fact, after getting the whole story and the benefits and downsides of vampirism she would like to know more about the problem with vampires not being able to have kids, and wondering if a medical solution to that problem (possibly when the patient is still human) is possible. Because she would like to become a vampire, but finds some parts of vampirism... objectionable.
Then he tells them about his sister, clarifying that he is aware of the Volturi's policy and is keeping the whole thing very quiet and she's not going to mention it to anyone else. Nor is she going to attempt to burn him at the stake, think he's a monster, or planning to pretend that her brother is dead. In fact, after getting the whole story and the benefits and downsides of vampirism she would like to know more about the problem with vampires not being able to have kids, and wondering if a medical solution to that problem (possibly when the patient is still human) is possible. Because she would like to become a vampire, but finds some parts of vampirism... objectionable.
Carlisle is not aware of any way around vampire sterility. It seems absolute; vampire bodies simply don't change in the ways they would need to. And... while they are not planning to sell Blair and his sister out to the Volturi... this was still a very dangerous thing to do. Concern.
Blair Lowell
Well, yes. It is. He will accept full responsibility for it and definitely doesn't plan to make a habit of this sort of thing at all, she's a special case. He could not just leave her, could not just - never talk to her, forget all about her, let her die of old age thinking he's dead. And turning her without her permission is - some mix of morally repugnant to the highest degree, unthinkable, and somewhat suicidal, considering this is his sister he's talking about. He knew what he was doing, he's not being reckless.
The bit about vampire bodies not changing does make it seem rather absolute, yes. Hm. Carlisle's the doctor, can he think of any potential alternate solutions to this?
The bit about vampire bodies not changing does make it seem rather absolute, yes. Hm. Carlisle's the doctor, can he think of any potential alternate solutions to this?
Well, things removed from a vampire do not turn into vampire bits; but medical science does not really know how to make children from removed bits.
Blair Lowell
Not yet, no. It might just be impossible. But hey, why not try.
Are there any parts that are essential to the child making process that can be removed, and kept from rotting away? They potentially have eternity, they don't need to know how to make a child from it now, but if they can leave it open for themselves later, well, that's nearly the ideal.
Are there any parts that are essential to the child making process that can be removed, and kept from rotting away? They potentially have eternity, they don't need to know how to make a child from it now, but if they can leave it open for themselves later, well, that's nearly the ideal.
Well, Carlisle knows his anatomy, and there's plenty he could theoretically remove. It would be major abdominal surgery, but nothing compared to turning. And, well, they might preserve in the same way any meat might, freezing - they'd have to get a freezer and hope it lasted as long as it takes medical science to catch up - there's various methods of pickling, although considering how inimical the substances are to human biology in live subjects... then again, cold isn't so good for them either...
Blair Lowell
Blair does not think he can help with the best methods of preservation, but he does like this line of thinking. Maybe Carlisle can test preserving various types of, er, meat? To see if there is a way to preserve the - Blair does not know his anatomy - the whatever-it-is-they-would-be-surgically-removing.
...
Maybe Blair can find someone that could help with this line of thinking.
...
Maybe Blair can find someone that could help with this line of thinking.
Carlisle is happy to read up to see if there's anything he's overlooked, meanwhile, but they've only advanced so far from where they were in his own youth.
Blair Lowell
Yeah. Blair will try to use his power to maybe find a helpful person.
Turns out: his power is pretty terrible at finding him people with specific skill-sets. He finds two people that habitually store fruit preservatives, one that preserves leaves in books, and one taxidermist before he manages to wrestle his power into maybe aiming in a medical direction.
Funerary workers. Hospice workers. A dentist that thinks it is really important to preserve your teeth by brushing them.
Oh, come on. People that like being on the cutting edge of preservation? Is that a character trait?
It is not a character trait.
He can find experts in the medical field, that's not hard, but he's having trouble with specifics beyond that, and this is kind of an inexplicable problem to explain, now isn't it? 'Hey so my sister would like to preserve the ability to have kids for in the future even though she will soon lose the ability to have them herself'? Ugh. He'd get told that she should just have kids now, it is Her Responsibility.
After a lot of searching he returns to Carlisle and pronounces that, well. He didn't find anything of use. Unless Carlisle would like a good dentist.
Turns out: his power is pretty terrible at finding him people with specific skill-sets. He finds two people that habitually store fruit preservatives, one that preserves leaves in books, and one taxidermist before he manages to wrestle his power into maybe aiming in a medical direction.
Funerary workers. Hospice workers. A dentist that thinks it is really important to preserve your teeth by brushing them.
Oh, come on. People that like being on the cutting edge of preservation? Is that a character trait?
It is not a character trait.
He can find experts in the medical field, that's not hard, but he's having trouble with specifics beyond that, and this is kind of an inexplicable problem to explain, now isn't it? 'Hey so my sister would like to preserve the ability to have kids for in the future even though she will soon lose the ability to have them herself'? Ugh. He'd get told that she should just have kids now, it is Her Responsibility.
After a lot of searching he returns to Carlisle and pronounces that, well. He didn't find anything of use. Unless Carlisle would like a good dentist.
Carlisle's teeth are fine, thanks.
Blair Lowell
Yeah, nothing of use, then.
Well. Did Carlisle make any progress while he was beating his head against the proverbial wall trying to solve this with his power?
(He really needs to see if there's a way to refine his power, it feels very - inexact. Sort of like being out of shape, a concept he vaguely remembers that he loathed while he was human and worked to correct.)
Well. Did Carlisle make any progress while he was beating his head against the proverbial wall trying to solve this with his power?
(He really needs to see if there's a way to refine his power, it feels very - inexact. Sort of like being out of shape, a concept he vaguely remembers that he loathed while he was human and worked to correct.)
Apparently some theoretical research has been done into freezing organs for transplant, but that doesn't seem like quite what Yvette was looking for.
Blair Lowell
Well, that depends, can they just freeze the whole reproductive organ-thing (he has not looked up anatomy in the meantime, he sort of regrets this decision) and then use that later?
The odds are good that being an early adopter here would result in irreparable freezing damage to delicate organs, and furthermore any children she wanted to have with them, even if they survived intact, would have to incubate in someone else. Carlisle's willing to try it, but on the whole it doesn't look promising.
Blair Lowell
He'll leave the decision to her, but - yeah, not very promising. Is it likely to have any large leaps in science in the next few years?
It is advancing faster than ever before, but nobody looks like they're probably going to have a breakthrough in the next decade.
Blair Lowell
That is probably too long for her taste! Just from his guess-backed-up-by-magic. He could be wrong. (He probably isn't.)
Right, next relevant topic: ways to reduce the pain of turning.
Right, next relevant topic: ways to reduce the pain of turning.
Carlisle didn't have the luxury of waiting either time he's turned a person, but in this case he's happy to mix strong painkillers and see if any of them help. A vampire will be at no risk of addiction to drugs that prey on humans, and turning itself is certainly proof against side effects usually mitigated by using only single substances and limiting dosage.
Blair Lowell
Well okay then, that sounds promising. He bets she'll give that a go when she decides to turn. (His estimation puts it soonish but not immediately.)
No rush. Carlisle would be the last person to actively encourage someone with the chance to live out a full human life to choose otherwise, Volturi or no.
Blair Lowell
Yes, Carlisle is pretty great like that. Blair seriously doubts that she'll change her mind on this subject, but if she does, he will accept that and also leave her to live a full human life.
Well! While he's here, can he help out in any way before he goes to report to his sister? Renovations with the house, maybe?
Well! While he's here, can he help out in any way before he goes to report to his sister? Renovations with the house, maybe?
Esme is happy to have his assistance if he'd like to render it!
Blair Lowell
He does! It will be a cute house, he's happy to help with it.
Soon enough, though, be bids the Cullens a fond farewell, and swims across the ocean back to his sister to report on progress.
Soon enough, though, be bids the Cullens a fond farewell, and swims across the ocean back to his sister to report on progress.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
His sister is not thrilled, but also not particularly surprised. She requests an address to send Carlisle mail with, gets it, and then Carlisle gets a letter.
She identifies herself as Blair's sister, and mentions that he's spoken a lot about Carlisle and his family and she's heard only good things about them. She dutifully does not mention vampires in it at all, but what she does do is ask if anything helpful could be learned from a willing human subject that would theoretically be losing the option anyway, and therefore can afford to be a test subject. To potentially save someone else from this particular issue.
She identifies herself as Blair's sister, and mentions that he's spoken a lot about Carlisle and his family and she's heard only good things about them. She dutifully does not mention vampires in it at all, but what she does do is ask if anything helpful could be learned from a willing human subject that would theoretically be losing the option anyway, and therefore can afford to be a test subject. To potentially save someone else from this particular issue.
Carlisle's letter replies that deriving reliably usable information would certainly require test subjects eventually; the actual results might have to wait decades for the technology to catch up, but it's not impossible that careful experiments performed sooner than later could help. But she should certainly consider the possibility of simply - well, it's a letter, euphemism is the order of the day - keeping her options open in the traditional way.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
She assures him that she has certainly considered this possibility and is not in any way taking the decision lightly, but she does sincerely think this is the best way to go after all of the information provided. Careful experiments to the benefit of human knowledge is just a nice bonus.
Though, of course, she would need to know the specifics of the experiments in question before actually agreeing to them. Does he have an idea of what those experiments would involve, if he's willing to actually perform them?
(She assures him that she'll understand if the answer is 'no.')
Though, of course, she would need to know the specifics of the experiments in question before actually agreeing to them. Does he have an idea of what those experiments would involve, if he's willing to actually perform them?
(She assures him that she'll understand if the answer is 'no.')
Well, some diagnostics could be performed without, but ultimately assessing the viability of reproductive tissue involves attempts at using it to reproduce, so that would have to wait until she wanted a child and had a father picked out.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
She understands and will keep this in mind, and then asks if the diagnostics on their own would still potentially be useful, should she decide to not attempt to use reproductive tissue in this way.
Yes, he should be able to tell things like 'has everything in here been ruptured by ice crystals' without that.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Then she believes that it would be worth her time. Is he willing to conduct careful experiments?
If he can't talk her out of her plan altogether, yes.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
She is perfectly happy to listen to his arguments, and in fact actively welcomes them, but believes that they would be better conducted in person. Would he mind if she and her brother visited?
That would be entirely welcome, of course.
Blair Lowell
And soon enough: there they are!
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Yvette has already been informed of the mind reader and is thinking thoughts along the lines of, "Yes I am okay with you reading my mind, at least for right now," while also sincerely trying to figure out potential arguments against becoming a vampire that could sway her, and coming up empty. And idly picking between places to be an isolated newborn in. She's a bit of a multitasker.
Blair Lowell
Regardless: knock knock!
Carlisle opens the door and ushers them in. There is, uncharacteristically, some food around today. For the human.
Blair Lowell
"Yvette, meet Carlisle, Esme, and Edward," says Blair. "Carlisle, Esme, and Edward, this is my sister, Yvette."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Nice to meet you," says the aforementioned sister.
"And we're so pleased to meet you, too," Esme says. "Please make yourself at home."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Thank you. Blair was right, it is a lovely home."
Blair Lowell
"Told you. And they even have food for you."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Aw. That's very nice. Thank you."
She thinks that they are very nice people, and also somewhat wryly thinks, Darn, there goes my dream to join you on a hunt and kill something with my bare hands to drink its blood.
She thinks that they are very nice people, and also somewhat wryly thinks, Darn, there goes my dream to join you on a hunt and kill something with my bare hands to drink its blood.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
Edward doesn't even raise an eyebrow. He's so polite.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
She wasn't actually thinking that at Edward, this seems to just be the ordinary state of her mind. Commentary comes naturally.
Yvette finds a chair and sits. "I actually ate before coming here, though, because uh. It seemed the obvious thing to do," she admits.
Yvette finds a chair and sits. "I actually ate before coming here, though, because uh. It seemed the obvious thing to do," she admits.
"That's all right. We didn't know when you were coming enough to get anything that will spoil, we just wanted to make sure you wouldn't go hungry if you were here for a while," says Esme.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
She nods. "Thanks. It's very kind."
Yep. Her brother was right. They are all very cute. ... But also she's wondering what their anti-vampire arguments are, she doesn't at all doubt that Blair told her everything he knew, but maybe there is something that he overlooked? Are they going to get to that? She'll wait, but it's going to bug her.
Yep. Her brother was right. They are all very cute. ... But also she's wondering what their anti-vampire arguments are, she doesn't at all doubt that Blair told her everything he knew, but maybe there is something that he overlooked? Are they going to get to that? She'll wait, but it's going to bug her.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
This, Edward reacts to. "Hospitality aside," he says. "I'm sure Blair has already gone over the obvious discomforts and losses associated with turning. Why aren't those enough?"
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Because immortality with superpowers?" she says, dry.
...
This is an understatement, she realizes that they might take this answer as shallow or overly flippant or uncaring. She moves to correct it.
"Sorry, I realize that sounded like I was being flippant, I'm not. The single most - non-personal compelling reason not to become a vampire is so that I don't kill someone else. And if that were unable to be - mitigated, at all, if there were no alternatives, I would not be willing to become a vampire at all. But, that can be avoided, and I will sincerely try very hard to do so." Including 'Blair has standing permission to turn me to gravel.' That is on the table, she seems to find the prospect that her brother will turn her to gravel over letting her kill some innocent person very soothing.
"I find mate bonds frankly a bit disturbing, and the prospect of losing the ability to bear children very personally and very viscerally bothers me. I know about the constant throat pain and relegating myself to eating things that - he described it to me - tastes rotten and horrible and like every swallow of blood is vile, while there's something a thousand times better within easy reach if I just let myself have it. I know that there will be a natural inclination to violence buried in my skull and that if I want to not act violent I have to fight it, every minute of every day. I know that breaking things will come so easily to me that I'll have trouble not, and that animals will hate me. I know I'll be isolated from humanity, because I will no longer be human. I know that my peers will be seven vegetarians and then a ton of vampires that casually kill people because they're delicious. I know I'll be under the jurisdiction of a government that is partially run by a witch whose power is to see every moment of my life, every thought I've ever had, and that they can and will kill me if I step out of line," she says, calmly. Blair was very thorough.
"But I'm - forgive me, this is a little hard to explain - I'm not done yet. With life, with the things I want to do, with things I've learned, ways I've grown and changed and made the world a little bit better as best I can. I have not read all of the books in the world, I have not seen all of the interesting places there are to visit, the various diseases of the world are not yet gone. Vampires exist, and they eat people. Things are not okay, I don't want to - proverbially clock out before the job is done. And that would be what death is. That would be what staying human is, when I know that death's what happens to humans, no matter what.
"And I don't expect I'll ever be done. And that's okay, that's not - I'm not damned for that. I don't consider this a fate I am resigned to, I consider it a bright future with a thousand possibilities that could be at my fingertips. I don't expect I'll ever want to stop being alive, I look at the possible things I could do if I had forever, whether they're for myself or for the world at large, and they dwarf whatever I could manage in the span of an ordinary life. Technology gets better every year, I want to see what happens with it, what it does, where it goes, what I can do with it. I want to learn how to play every instrument, learn chemistry and anatomy and engineering and astronomy and whatever other things humanity discovers, because the universe is such a big place and we know only so much. I want the perfect memory and the extra space in my head and the comfortable safety and the time. I won't have to sleep, eating will become bi-weekly instead of thrice-daily, I won't get sick or tired and if I get hurt I can be easily fixed, and I won't die unless someone kills me. I am the only window to the world that I have, why wouldn't I want to keep it in the best condition for as long as possible? I am precious, if I want to do anything else, I need to live. And I have so much I haven't done."
...
This is an understatement, she realizes that they might take this answer as shallow or overly flippant or uncaring. She moves to correct it.
"Sorry, I realize that sounded like I was being flippant, I'm not. The single most - non-personal compelling reason not to become a vampire is so that I don't kill someone else. And if that were unable to be - mitigated, at all, if there were no alternatives, I would not be willing to become a vampire at all. But, that can be avoided, and I will sincerely try very hard to do so." Including 'Blair has standing permission to turn me to gravel.' That is on the table, she seems to find the prospect that her brother will turn her to gravel over letting her kill some innocent person very soothing.
"I find mate bonds frankly a bit disturbing, and the prospect of losing the ability to bear children very personally and very viscerally bothers me. I know about the constant throat pain and relegating myself to eating things that - he described it to me - tastes rotten and horrible and like every swallow of blood is vile, while there's something a thousand times better within easy reach if I just let myself have it. I know that there will be a natural inclination to violence buried in my skull and that if I want to not act violent I have to fight it, every minute of every day. I know that breaking things will come so easily to me that I'll have trouble not, and that animals will hate me. I know I'll be isolated from humanity, because I will no longer be human. I know that my peers will be seven vegetarians and then a ton of vampires that casually kill people because they're delicious. I know I'll be under the jurisdiction of a government that is partially run by a witch whose power is to see every moment of my life, every thought I've ever had, and that they can and will kill me if I step out of line," she says, calmly. Blair was very thorough.
"But I'm - forgive me, this is a little hard to explain - I'm not done yet. With life, with the things I want to do, with things I've learned, ways I've grown and changed and made the world a little bit better as best I can. I have not read all of the books in the world, I have not seen all of the interesting places there are to visit, the various diseases of the world are not yet gone. Vampires exist, and they eat people. Things are not okay, I don't want to - proverbially clock out before the job is done. And that would be what death is. That would be what staying human is, when I know that death's what happens to humans, no matter what.
"And I don't expect I'll ever be done. And that's okay, that's not - I'm not damned for that. I don't consider this a fate I am resigned to, I consider it a bright future with a thousand possibilities that could be at my fingertips. I don't expect I'll ever want to stop being alive, I look at the possible things I could do if I had forever, whether they're for myself or for the world at large, and they dwarf whatever I could manage in the span of an ordinary life. Technology gets better every year, I want to see what happens with it, what it does, where it goes, what I can do with it. I want to learn how to play every instrument, learn chemistry and anatomy and engineering and astronomy and whatever other things humanity discovers, because the universe is such a big place and we know only so much. I want the perfect memory and the extra space in my head and the comfortable safety and the time. I won't have to sleep, eating will become bi-weekly instead of thrice-daily, I won't get sick or tired and if I get hurt I can be easily fixed, and I won't die unless someone kills me. I am the only window to the world that I have, why wouldn't I want to keep it in the best condition for as long as possible? I am precious, if I want to do anything else, I need to live. And I have so much I haven't done."
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"You might find your zest for life isn't as bottomless as you think," Edward says. "Or that your tolerance for the thirst isn't, or that your commitment to vegetarianism won't be as ironclad as you hope."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"If I find that it's not bottomless, then I suppose I will figure out how to die. Similarly for the thirst, if I find that it's unbearable. If the commitment to vegetarianism isn't as ironclad as I hope, if I consciously decide that killing people's worth it..."
She trails off. She looks at Blair.
Blair will kill me.
She trails off. She looks at Blair.
Blair will kill me.
Blair Lowell
He does not look happy with this prospect, but, yep. He will do that thing. He really really thinks he won't ever need to, though.
But he would.
But he would.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Though I think he'd slack a bit if he could steer me towards terrible people," she does admit. "Which, honestly, isn't so bad. It's not ideal, I would really prefer not, but."
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"I can't really recommend it. And if you find that you don't like being a vampire, you will have lost healthy decades of life you could have spent doing all the things you want to do."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Like I said, would really prefer not to eat anyone, ever. A few decades," she says, "versus potentially forever. It is admittedly risky if I decide I want to die, but I think the odds are highly in my favor. I value those decades highly and I still think it's worth the risk. This isn't a lottery, this is me, and how I think and how I work."
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"Witchcraft can run in families. It doesn't always, but it can. If you have a power the Volturi want, they'll pay attention to you. You can't adopt children, not young ones anyway - unless you want to lie to them their whole lives, somehow pretend to be human. If you turn a child that's the death penalty for you and anyone who shelters you, so you'd have to be ready to have the immortality you want so much held in your mouth and not give it to any children you were ever near. You might also have some concern for the state of your soul."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"I would not want to turn them when they were children," she says primly, "because they would then be children for the rest of eternity and that is a really terrible idea. If I draw the Volturi's attention I will handle that accordingly, but the mere possibility's not enough to scare me off. And..." She peers at Edward, a little confused. "The state of my soul?"
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"Well," Edward sighs. "Most of us couldn't help it, but the bargain's a little classical, isn't it?"
"Edward believes we've lost our souls," Carlisle murmurs. "I don't think it can be as simple as that, but it might be worth considering if you're giving up more than just your human lifetime."
"Edward believes we've lost our souls," Carlisle murmurs. "I don't think it can be as simple as that, but it might be worth considering if you're giving up more than just your human lifetime."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Ah," she says, after a pause. "Yes, I suppose that's worth considering. Hm."
She considers.
She is of the opinion that if a god kept innocent vampires out of eternal paradise, even when they were turned unwillingly, even if they didn't kill anyone, she doesn't want to be in that god's paradise anyway. Also maybe wants to commit some blasphemy. ... Also probably wants to commit some blasphemy. Killing deities is viable, right? Right. Just give her time and maybe a pocketknife, she'll be good to go.
Besides, this is a thing she can't really know or account for, is it? She was never a fan of churches that talked about what God needs you to do in order to be Saved. Because no god has shown up to actively demand anything of anyone in particular, at least as far as she can tell. Just a lot of people with a lot of conflicting stories all saying that their way is the right way. While in the meantime, they commit very real, very living atrocities, and say it is in the name of the soul...
Yeah, no, she can't account for that. She'd go mad. If there is a god, and if he or she is upset with her decisions, he or she will have to understand that she lacked information to work with while trying her sincerest to make the world a better place, and being blamed for making the wrong decision with the weight of eternity while trying to do the right thing is - well. See her thoughts on wanting to commit some blasphemy.
She's not sure how to word this politely.
"The more than just my human lifetime is not actually proven to me. As far as I know, I have just this one life to live, I can't rely on the ideal that I have another in a better place while living this one, or account for the second with proof that I just don't have. Building my life around hearsay is not the way I want to live. And if God does exist, and He has opinions on my conduct, I imagine he will take into account more than just my pedigree when choosing whether I get damnation or not." Or the system is flawed and should cease to be.
Pause.
"Sorry," she says to Edward, she is vaguely aware that he did just get her going, 'Yep, I'd commit some blasphemy.'
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
Edward endures her thought process without further comment, although he doesn't make eye contact.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
She does not want to linger on this topic that causes him distress, she thinks apologetic thoughts in his direction and then attempts to change her thoughts to something that is less, uh, that. She is not interested in attacking his beliefs, just - thinking it through honestly while in her own head. Sorry.
"So, are there any other illegal vampire things that I don't know about? I hadn't known about the children, is there a reason besides it being kind of cruel...?"
"So, are there any other illegal vampire things that I don't know about? I hadn't known about the children, is there a reason besides it being kind of cruel...?"
"They don't grow up," murmurs Carlisle. "Their memories are as good as any vampire's, but they can't improve their impulse control, they never mature. And they are still vampires, and they are - very compelling, very appealing, covens used to die to protect them before the Volturi stamped them out, even as the little ones slaughtered entire villages. For a while the Volturi kept a few, they had the resources to control them - but they never found a way to make them capable of secrecy."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Ah. Yes. That's a good reason for immortal children to be outlawed," says Yvette faintly. "Also terrifying."
"I met them. The ones the Volturi were keeping. When I visited the coven, years ago. But even the friendlier among the children, the older ones - the least upset would send them into unrestrained rages. Tantrums with vampire strength behind it."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Wince.
Those poor children, stuck forever in limbo...
Those poor children, stuck forever in limbo...
Blair Lowell
Right, now his sister is sort of distressed, topic change.
"To go in a completely different direction, I'm curious, do vampires just mate to other vampires? If she kept to places with just humans, would she be fine?"
"To go in a completely different direction, I'm curious, do vampires just mate to other vampires? If she kept to places with just humans, would she be fine?"
Carlisle looks at Esme.
"No," he says. "It's no less common for it to happen with humans."
"No," he says. "It's no less common for it to happen with humans."
Blair Lowell
And the typical response to that is the obvious.
...
And judging from his opinion of the importance of being human, and that - that face... Carlisle had not taken the easy path of 'bite and then true love.' Willingly. He's not quite clear on the details after, because Carlisle's only turned people in emergencies, but there is definitely some 'My mate was human and I let her be so she could live a normal human life' in that gaze.
He's seen mates being mates at each other. That would take a tremendous amount of willpower.
He smiles at Carlisle faintly, but doesn't comment out loud.
...
And judging from his opinion of the importance of being human, and that - that face... Carlisle had not taken the easy path of 'bite and then true love.' Willingly. He's not quite clear on the details after, because Carlisle's only turned people in emergencies, but there is definitely some 'My mate was human and I let her be so she could live a normal human life' in that gaze.
He's seen mates being mates at each other. That would take a tremendous amount of willpower.
He smiles at Carlisle faintly, but doesn't comment out loud.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
His sister completely misses the nuance present.
"Good to know," she says, because she completely missed the nuance.
She's still not thrilled about the mate bond, but. Knowledge is power.
"Good to know," she says, because she completely missed the nuance.
She's still not thrilled about the mate bond, but. Knowledge is power.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"Another unique distinction Carlisle holds is that he is the only person who's ever managed to meet his mate and leave her," murmurs Edward. "Vampires, in general, cannot do that."
"He did," nods Esme. "It was pure coincidence that he found me again before I died. He wasn't looking."
"He did," nods Esme. "It was pure coincidence that he found me again before I died. He wasn't looking."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Yvette blinks.
"Oh," she says. "I mean, I knew the mate thing was permanent, but um. I continue to be impressed with your willpower."
"Oh," she says. "I mean, I knew the mate thing was permanent, but um. I continue to be impressed with your willpower."
Blair Lowell
Maybe he can convince his sister to join a Carlisle fanclub. Does Edward want to join? They could make t-shirts.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
Edward smiles only very slightly. But then says, "So that's another consideration for you."
Blair Lowell
(Blair is very proud of himself, he earned a smile from Edward, that is damn hard to do, ha!)
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Yeah. But it's still based on compatibility?"
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"That's the usual guess, but no one knows for sure how it works."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"So, magic." Sigh. "Well. I hope my magic mate does not have a high body count."
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"There's no way to guarantee that. Vampires do mate to other vampires fairly often, and the vampires whose counts are 'zero' and 'one' are already taken."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
What, we can't work out an arrangement with three people, I'm crushed, she thinks, then immediately clarifies that she did not at all mean that and that she's very sorry that Edward has to hear her commentary when it's not at all appropriate for the conversation.
"Noted."
She notes that if Edward were her mate he probably would have noticed by now, which means her viable vampire options are down to three, and they have the highest body counts. (Them being female doesn't seem to matter very much to her.) That's exciting. And by exciting she means augh.
"Still doesn't change anything," she says, and it doesn't. It just bothers her. A lot. New topic, please?
"Noted."
She notes that if Edward were her mate he probably would have noticed by now, which means her viable vampire options are down to three, and they have the highest body counts. (Them being female doesn't seem to matter very much to her.) That's exciting. And by exciting she means augh.
"Still doesn't change anything," she says, and it doesn't. It just bothers her. A lot. New topic, please?
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
Edward shrugs. He does not indicate a sudden burning desire to vampire marry her. "The Denali sisters prefer men," he mentions.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
She's pretty okay with the lack of burning desire to vampire marry her. He can just keep on not being that thing, that is fine by her.
To the Denali sisters: damn.
...
She looks slooooowly at Blair. She notes that he spent quite a while in Denali.
To the Denali sisters: damn.
...
She looks slooooowly at Blair. She notes that he spent quite a while in Denali.
Blair Lowell
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
What, all of them?
Blair Lowell
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Yvette rolls her eyes.
"So I suppose I'll be hoping for a human if I mate at all, which, might not."
"So I suppose I'll be hoping for a human if I mate at all, which, might not."
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"And the human is not necessarily hoping for you. Standard operating procedure is kidnap and turn and then say hello."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"I," she says, "will not be doing that."
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"You're gambling a lot on being a second Carlisle, Yvette."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
No, she's gambling a lot on acting like herself.
"It is also possible that I will just not have a mate," she repeats. It's not like she isn't highly picky anyway, if she were single for the rest of eternity she wouldn't really mind.
"It is also possible that I will just not have a mate," she repeats. It's not like she isn't highly picky anyway, if she were single for the rest of eternity she wouldn't really mind.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
Edward sighs.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Does turning affect personality very much?" she asks, because if she is gambling a lot on acting like herself she would like to make sure she'll be herself. "Blair is mostly unchanged, but I imagine he's not the rule."
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"No, the opposite. We don't change in personality at all, except for things like rationalizations about our diets. It's not as - disastrous for adults, but it's still a noticeable stagnation."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Oh goodie, I get to keep my temper and mouth forever and ever...
But no, seriously, that's really useful. If - potentially stagnating for herself in the future, but she's okay personality-wise right now. ... She thinks.
Well. She doesn't spit fire, so. Victory, she guesses.
"Okay. Glad to hear it."
But no, seriously, that's really useful. If - potentially stagnating for herself in the future, but she's okay personality-wise right now. ... She thinks.
Well. She doesn't spit fire, so. Victory, she guesses.
"Okay. Glad to hear it."
Blair Lowell
"'Mostly unchanged'?" asks a Blair that is attempting to keep the peace and sort of having trouble coming up with ways to do that. Edward, she's really quite competent, if that helps?
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"You're a bit more low-key," she informs him. "Not exactly calmer. More self assured. You were before but now you're." She waves a hand. "More so."
Also a bit more murderous, she notes but doesn't say. It's not that she thought that killing people was impossible for him, just that he's got it more available as an option now. And has used it. Which is a little creepy, but she's rolling with it.
Also a bit more murderous, she notes but doesn't say. It's not that she thought that killing people was impossible for him, just that he's got it more available as an option now. And has used it. Which is a little creepy, but she's rolling with it.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"I'm not so sure it's an advantage."
For example, Edward gets to be a depressive lump forever.
"There are sometimes noticeable changes upon mating, but that's the only time."
For example, Edward gets to be a depressive lump forever.
"There are sometimes noticeable changes upon mating, but that's the only time."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
She meant more for herself, because it means she will care a lot about morality, but okay, fair.
She nods.
Yvette is kind of bemused that the Cullens think becoming a vampire is a huge mistake. She double checks to make sure she hasn't missed any important information, finds she hasn't, and then is politely confused about why they think she's making a huge mistake.
But since they seem to just be thinking along different wavelengths and have stopped talking about things of value, she moves on from this and on to planning. What experiments are planned, do they have an experiment plan, what is involved with aforementioned experiment plan? Do they have recommendations for comfortable newborn vampire locations besides 'lots of wilderness and no people'? She is not naturally inclined to live in America, but acknowledges that it's the smart option because the Cullens are present. She agreed to experiments, and it would be highly impractical to get her across the ocean while she's in the middle of turning. So location recommendations would be appreciated.
She nods.
Yvette is kind of bemused that the Cullens think becoming a vampire is a huge mistake. She double checks to make sure she hasn't missed any important information, finds she hasn't, and then is politely confused about why they think she's making a huge mistake.
But since they seem to just be thinking along different wavelengths and have stopped talking about things of value, she moves on from this and on to planning. What experiments are planned, do they have an experiment plan, what is involved with aforementioned experiment plan? Do they have recommendations for comfortable newborn vampire locations besides 'lots of wilderness and no people'? She is not naturally inclined to live in America, but acknowledges that it's the smart option because the Cullens are present. She agreed to experiments, and it would be highly impractical to get her across the ocean while she's in the middle of turning. So location recommendations would be appreciated.
The Cullens are willing to look after her but their current house is a little close to town. She could go to Denali, if she prefers, or Esme and Edward (who do not have day jobs to hold down - well, Edward has actually been taking classes, but he can skip them) can bring her somewhere in the middle of nowhere to look after her while she adjusts.
Blair Lowell
Blair thinks that while she'd definitely like to visit Denali, it should not be the first port of call. He actually prefers, say, Australia and a lot of time over Denali, though he doesn't mention this out loud.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Yvette peers at him confusedly in lieu of asking why.
Blair Lowell
"... Kate's a sweetheart, but I think that if you at all acted like a newborn around her, she would shut you down with her witch power. Which would end badly."
He's not exactly sure how it would end badly, but he's quite sure it would end badly for someone involved, and likely multiple someones.
He's not exactly sure how it would end badly, but he's quite sure it would end badly for someone involved, and likely multiple someones.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Wince.
"... Yeah, let's not."
Is there a middle of nowhere that is in the middle of enough nowhere that she doesn't potentially monopolize Edward and Esme's time? She would not like to monopolize their time.
"... Yeah, let's not."
Is there a middle of nowhere that is in the middle of enough nowhere that she doesn't potentially monopolize Edward and Esme's time? She would not like to monopolize their time.
She could find an uninhabited island and count on not having a lapse of judgment bad enough that she actually swims away from it. Or she could just borrow one of them and have Blair be her other minder, but it is a good idea to have two if possible.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
While she's willing to admit that her major sin is in fact pride, she's not actually self destructive enough to not want the Cullens as potential minders at all. An uninhabited island near enough to Rochester to be a relatively fast travel time seems the best bet. Luckily, they have the great lakes nearby, and those have islands in them. Does stashing her on one sound agreeable?
They won't say boo about it. Assuming she's still set on turning.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Yep. She's thinking practicalities, now. But she does admit she might change her mind, and if they think of any additional arguments they're free to present them to her.
She and Carlisle work out an experiment plan. Blair is sent to find a suitable island that is far away from humans and has appropriately sized animals, and does so. Yvette notes that she'll go through a lot of clothes while she's a newborn, and gets two suitcases and fills them with suitable, cheap, and expendable clothes. Instead of staying at the Cullen's house, she has a hotel room - she is of the opinion that there's really nothing stopping her from blowing most of her savings now, and she would really rather not impose more than she already is by existing and wanting to become sparkly but non-murderous.
Preparation is neat and orderly and thorough, though Yvette frets a bit over not having planned enough. But then she's out of things she can prepare for on this side of the three days of agony.
And then - well. She's ready for experimental surgery, and subsequent turning.
She and Carlisle work out an experiment plan. Blair is sent to find a suitable island that is far away from humans and has appropriately sized animals, and does so. Yvette notes that she'll go through a lot of clothes while she's a newborn, and gets two suitcases and fills them with suitable, cheap, and expendable clothes. Instead of staying at the Cullen's house, she has a hotel room - she is of the opinion that there's really nothing stopping her from blowing most of her savings now, and she would really rather not impose more than she already is by existing and wanting to become sparkly but non-murderous.
Preparation is neat and orderly and thorough, though Yvette frets a bit over not having planned enough. But then she's out of things she can prepare for on this side of the three days of agony.
And then - well. She's ready for experimental surgery, and subsequent turning.
So Carlisle dopes her up heavily, extracts some organs -
- and gently, carefully, with infinite control, bites.
Because if he doesn't do it Blair might kill her trying.
- and gently, carefully, with infinite control, bites.
Because if he doesn't do it Blair might kill her trying.
Blair Lowell
(Blair's first idea was actually 'use a needle,' but the needles of the 20th century are not up to vampire venom standards. So, Carlisle gets to do it.)
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Well, maybe the drugs are helping, because Yvette doesn't start screaming.
(Externally.)
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
So Edward (who is very fast and will be able to chase her down and deflect her tactics the most easily, if she's very newborny) and Blair can bring her to the island.
Edward sees no reason Blair needs to know about the contents of his sister's head just yet.
Edward sees no reason Blair needs to know about the contents of his sister's head just yet.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
His sister fucking does!
She attempts to compose an eloquent argument for why, doesn't manage it with the pain, and instead goes with Because he deserves to know and I need a distraction!
She attempts to compose an eloquent argument for why, doesn't manage it with the pain, and instead goes with Because he deserves to know and I need a distraction!
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
Well, if she says so.
"The painkillers aren't working. Just immobilizing her. She wants to be distracted."
"The painkillers aren't working. Just immobilizing her. She wants to be distracted."
Blair Lowell
Blair has read novels, since becoming a vampire, and can thus recite them all by memory. He picks one that he liked and begins reciting, stonefaced.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Yvette thanks Edward for this. Next time: do not willingly withhold information from her brother. Bad idea.
The reading helps. A little. As much as anything could help. She attempts to pay attention to the plots of the novels she's being read and add commentary. This seems to be soothing.
The reading helps. A little. As much as anything could help. She attempts to pay attention to the plots of the novels she's being read and add commentary. This seems to be soothing.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
If Blair needs a break, Edward has read books in the last decade and a half too.
Blair Lowell
Blair doesn't need a break. Actually, a break is the opposite of what he needs right now, he needs to keep being here, reading her books. She needs him to distract her, he'd go a little crazy if he stopped helping her while she's hurting, so this works out for everyone involved. Except maybe Edward.
When he runs out of books he switches to Fun Vampire Facts, then a terrifyingly detailed psychological evaluation of his former coven, then his thoughts on how it feels like his power can grow more and brainstorming ideas for how he can help train it to be better, then describing some of the places he's visited in his relatively short time as a vampire, then...
On and on and on.
When he runs out of books he switches to Fun Vampire Facts, then a terrifyingly detailed psychological evaluation of his former coven, then his thoughts on how it feels like his power can grow more and brainstorming ideas for how he can help train it to be better, then describing some of the places he's visited in his relatively short time as a vampire, then...
On and on and on.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
So Edward just sort of... hangs out.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
After what feels like a lifetime to at least one member of the trio, someone's heart speeds up. And then it stops.
She rockets to her feet with a slightly strangled gasp.
Blair Lowell
Blair finishes his sentence, holds up a hand to Edward and thinks, Give her a minute.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
Edward gives her a minute.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Aaaauuuughhhhhh," she enunciates.
Blair Lowell
"You good?"
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
She considers this. Deep breath.
"Aaaaaaugh," she elaborates.
"Aaaaaaugh," she elaborates.
Blair Lowell
"Use your words."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"I'm thinking of two in particular right now."
Blair Lowell
"'Fuck you,' 'thank you,' or 'worth it'?"
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
She takes half a second to marvel at the beauty of the world, at the strength in her limbs and the smoothness of her own voice, the magnificently precise control over her own body. Then she turns to Blair and smiles.
"Yes."
Blair Lowell
Now you're good, pronounces Blair.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"So you're not having belated second thoughts?"
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Not yet, no," she says. "But the real test comes later, I think." With people.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"Well. Hunting lesson?"
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Hunting lesson. Let's go murder some innocent wildlife."
Blair Lowell
Snort.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
They go find some innocent wildlife. It is easily located, easily caught, easily killed. It is not easily table mannersed, but that will come with practice.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Isn't she glad she brought extra clothes!
After her third she pronounces that this has been enough innocent wildlife for today for her taste.
"... Unfortunately now I don't have much to do immediately," she observes. "Hm. This may have been a flaw in my plan."
After her third she pronounces that this has been enough innocent wildlife for today for her taste.
"... Unfortunately now I don't have much to do immediately," she observes. "Hm. This may have been a flaw in my plan."
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"Well, Blair ran out of books, but I didn't, if you haven't lost your taste for reading aloud. One of us could also nip out and bring you something to read. You don't seem imminently about to require subdual by two people, although if you require it by one I'd be better at it than him."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"No books for now, but later, probably. Thank you, though." She looks contemplative. "What I would really like to know is if I'm a witch or not. Because, kind of important. If I am one, it's not immediately obvious."
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"Well, you may not be. If you are it will manifest one way or another eventually."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Hm."
Yvette looks up at the sky.
"Magic powers, magic powers, become known to me, something something, poetry?"
Yvette looks up at the sky.
"Magic powers, magic powers, become known to me, something something, poetry?"
Blair Lowell
"For that to work you have to sacrifice a goat at midnight. That's how I got mine."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Ah. Damn."
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"Are you also allowed to eat the goat or does that invalidate the sacrifice?"
Blair Lowell
"Actually, as I understand it, eating the goat is traditional. The Greeks did that, then burned some of the nonedible parts so the pleasant smell would waft up to the gods."
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"Lovely."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
".... I think I have something," observes Yvette. "But I have no idea what it is."
Blair Lowell
"Describe the something?"
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Like a... tiny intangible thing that I can. Stretch out? From myself?" Pause. "Really tiny, though." She holds her fingers apart about an inch. "That tiny."
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
Edward listens in. "It's not familiar, but then no two powers are quite alike anyway."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Clearly I should poke a tree with it."
She pokes a tree with a finger, then frowns and tries to poke it with the intangible thing.
She pokes a tree with a finger, then frowns and tries to poke it with the intangible thing.
Blair Lowell
"Well it didn't explode."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Always nice," she says dryly. "And I'd be disturbed if my personality based magic power made things I touched explode."
Blair Lowell
"But think of the party tricks!"
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"And it would have been messy with the deer."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Like I wasn't messy enough."
She hums thoughtfully. She attempts to do more with the intangible thing, feeling very much like someone flailing about in the dark, if that someone were not a vampire, and were in fact in danger of tripping over a stray shoe and having an unexpected introduction between their face and the ground.
...
It feels very much like pulling something. Or - no, the thing is unchanged. She's not pulling. Copying, maybe? Copying a blueprint of, maybe.
She switches from a tree to the ground, and repeats this thing.
She now has two sort-of-blueprints. One for grass and some dirt, one for tree bark.
"I am definitely copying something but I have no idea what it's for."
She hums thoughtfully. She attempts to do more with the intangible thing, feeling very much like someone flailing about in the dark, if that someone were not a vampire, and were in fact in danger of tripping over a stray shoe and having an unexpected introduction between their face and the ground.
...
It feels very much like pulling something. Or - no, the thing is unchanged. She's not pulling. Copying, maybe? Copying a blueprint of, maybe.
She switches from a tree to the ground, and repeats this thing.
She now has two sort-of-blueprints. One for grass and some dirt, one for tree bark.
"I am definitely copying something but I have no idea what it's for."
Blair Lowell
"Describe it?"
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"It's kind of like I am pulling a ghost image of things? And I just store it in my perfect memory. What is this, figuring out the structure of things...?"
That doesn't feel right, though. This feels - active. Sort of. Can she do anything with the copies? ... No, not without the intangible thing, anyway. She picks up a rock and extends the intangible thing into it, and attempts to do something with the copies. ... She pulled for the copies, maybe she can push?
She pushes.
The rock now has a bit of it that is made of bark.
"I have transmutation," she says, softly and slightly triumphant.
That doesn't feel right, though. This feels - active. Sort of. Can she do anything with the copies? ... No, not without the intangible thing, anyway. She picks up a rock and extends the intangible thing into it, and attempts to do something with the copies. ... She pulled for the copies, maybe she can push?
She pushes.
The rock now has a bit of it that is made of bark.
"I have transmutation," she says, softly and slightly triumphant.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"I've never heard of a power that did that, before," Edward says. "You like it, I take it."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Yes! I haven't even planned out what to do with it yet but I have transmutation ahahahahahahahahaha!"
Blair Lowell
"Are the Volturi likely to be interested in transmutation...?" wonders Blair, a hint of concerned.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"If it's that small? Probably not. They have enough money to buy any materials they want in any quantity they like, shaped however's convenient. I don't think they're lacking for anything that's genuinely too rare for them to get."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Yvette thinks she can do way better than what arbitrary money can buy, actually, because there are some things that arbitrary money can't get you, but the ability to transmute stuff into other stuff can. Not that she wants to go tell the Volturi that if they don't want her they're stupid. But she thinks they're stupid if they overlook transmutation. Even very tiny transmutation.
She needs chemistry books. Also a degree in, in - everything, she would like a degree in everything. Biology and geology and chemistry and anatomy and a thousand other things that she could use this fantastic power for. Can she do stuff that belongs to vampires? Let's test it, for science. She pulls her transmutation zone into her pinky finger, copies the material of the nail, and pushes it at the poor abused rock.
... This is harder than transmuting bark. She frowns, and pushes harder.
It goes, but slowly, and then part of the rock is made out of vampire fingernail.
"... I am kind of too excited to think of legitimate ways to exploit this right now, I mostly just want to run around cackling," she observes, looking at the newly transmuted rock. She bounces a bit, grinning.
She needs chemistry books. Also a degree in, in - everything, she would like a degree in everything. Biology and geology and chemistry and anatomy and a thousand other things that she could use this fantastic power for. Can she do stuff that belongs to vampires? Let's test it, for science. She pulls her transmutation zone into her pinky finger, copies the material of the nail, and pushes it at the poor abused rock.
... This is harder than transmuting bark. She frowns, and pushes harder.
It goes, but slowly, and then part of the rock is made out of vampire fingernail.
"... I am kind of too excited to think of legitimate ways to exploit this right now, I mostly just want to run around cackling," she observes, looking at the newly transmuted rock. She bounces a bit, grinning.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"Well, you have this uninhabited island on which to do that, if you like."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
...
Yeah, okay. She won't resist. She cackles, and zips over and hugs her brother.
"I have transmutation," she stage-whispers.
Yeah, okay. She won't resist. She cackles, and zips over and hugs her brother.
"I have transmutation," she stage-whispers.
Blair Lowell
"You do!" he laughs, returning the hug.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"What can I even copy, I need to practice using it, gah I can't think of anything good to use it o-" She pauses. "..... Hey, the main sticking point for the, experiments was keeping them from decaying."
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"They're already frozen by now," Edward says.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"True. Mm."
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"You can still try copying them, but it may be that they're no longer usable."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"I am aware."
She takes to being a vampire very well. She noticeably has a temper, but she's usually more angered by the urge to rip something's head off than whatever caused her to want to rip something's head off. This translates to occasional growling and stomping off to brood instead of ripping off limbs or attacking anyone. Her power becomes a good port of call when she's upset: even when she's not trying to figure out the lengths of her power, she seems to find it very soothing to push transmutation at objects.
Blair is very good at dealing with her, and avoids her wrath almost entirely. Edward is not so lucky, but Blair thinks helpful instructions at him and this helps. They manage to keep everyone's limbs where they belong, though lots of trees get some very passive aggressive makeovers. (Yvette conscientiously puts them back when she's done, otherwise a human might notice eventually.)
Books are fetched for bored vampires to read, along with interesting materials for Yvette to copy; newspaper, glass, cotton, things that he can easily get without stealing.
(Blair's highly tempted to steal something made of, say, gold, but he gets the impression that his companions would find this objectionable, even if he put it back after Yvette copied it. So he doesn't.)
She plays with her power most of the time. There's a lot of nuance to it, once she gets to playing with it. At first it's simply pushing copies of other materials she's made at the entire transmutation area, but then she figures out how to push the material at part of it, and then claws her way to two different materials at once. Then, she works at fine-detail manipulation. Stretching out the area that she can work with is hard - it does not want to work over a large area. It wants to be a small amorphous blob. She growls at it, and then starts figuring out how to shape the blob. If she keeps it as thin as she can get it she can stretch it out further into something to get at it for transmutation. This is tricky. Also not very fun.
She'd like to have a larger library of potential materials, but for that she needs to get off the island. And to get off the island, she needs to be safe.
... She wonders what the plan is for getting her to not be a murderer. Waft things smelling of humans in front of her, test her control without any actual person in danger?
She takes to being a vampire very well. She noticeably has a temper, but she's usually more angered by the urge to rip something's head off than whatever caused her to want to rip something's head off. This translates to occasional growling and stomping off to brood instead of ripping off limbs or attacking anyone. Her power becomes a good port of call when she's upset: even when she's not trying to figure out the lengths of her power, she seems to find it very soothing to push transmutation at objects.
Blair is very good at dealing with her, and avoids her wrath almost entirely. Edward is not so lucky, but Blair thinks helpful instructions at him and this helps. They manage to keep everyone's limbs where they belong, though lots of trees get some very passive aggressive makeovers. (Yvette conscientiously puts them back when she's done, otherwise a human might notice eventually.)
Books are fetched for bored vampires to read, along with interesting materials for Yvette to copy; newspaper, glass, cotton, things that he can easily get without stealing.
(Blair's highly tempted to steal something made of, say, gold, but he gets the impression that his companions would find this objectionable, even if he put it back after Yvette copied it. So he doesn't.)
She plays with her power most of the time. There's a lot of nuance to it, once she gets to playing with it. At first it's simply pushing copies of other materials she's made at the entire transmutation area, but then she figures out how to push the material at part of it, and then claws her way to two different materials at once. Then, she works at fine-detail manipulation. Stretching out the area that she can work with is hard - it does not want to work over a large area. It wants to be a small amorphous blob. She growls at it, and then starts figuring out how to shape the blob. If she keeps it as thin as she can get it she can stretch it out further into something to get at it for transmutation. This is tricky. Also not very fun.
She'd like to have a larger library of potential materials, but for that she needs to get off the island. And to get off the island, she needs to be safe.
... She wonders what the plan is for getting her to not be a murderer. Waft things smelling of humans in front of her, test her control without any actual person in danger?
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
The plan is to have her near an actual human, ideally one who can't see her, with her minders by to decapitate her if necessary. Things that smell of humans might be useful preliminaries but will not actually test her control. They can't duplicate the sound of a heartbeat or the warmth of the real scent.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Okay. She gives herself a few preliminaries, though, because she doesn't see how that would hurt.
And then - time to test her self control.
(She's incredibly nervous.)
And then - time to test her self control.
(She's incredibly nervous.)
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
Edward goes to tell Esme and Carlisle.
And they find someone to invite on a canoe ride, and go by the island, while Edward and Blair are standing by Yvette. If she lunges, the human will never know.
And they find someone to invite on a canoe ride, and go by the island, while Edward and Blair are standing by Yvette. If she lunges, the human will never know.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
She does not lunge.
It's unpleasant (she wonders how the hell Blair managed to casually hold conversations with her while she was human, how any of them managed it), but she keeps herself very still and breathes in and out evenly and runs through her 'I will not eat people' litany over and over in her head at lightning speed. She will not eat people, here are her reasons why, she refuses to be something she does not choose to be and she does not choose to be a killer.
And then the human drifts out of her range of scent. They probably just had a pleasant canoe ride.
Blair Lowell
Blair hugs her. It seems like the thing to do.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Yvette giggles a bit.
"I'm not up to interacting with them yet, I think," she pronounces. "But! You did not need to rip my head off!"
"I'm not up to interacting with them yet, I think," she pronounces. "But! You did not need to rip my head off!"
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"That was very impressive," Edward comments.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
She grins at him.
"Thank you." Pause. "I do think I'm going to go eat a deer, though."
Inhaling flames is not fun.
"Thank you." Pause. "I do think I'm going to go eat a deer, though."
Inhaling flames is not fun.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
It's entirely reasonable that she eat a deer. (Edward stays within range of her, in case she decides to go for a swim abruptly.)
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
She eats a deer! It does not cross her mind to go for an abrupt swim; she's busy in some mix of happy excitement and trying to better her methods for not killing people.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
That's good then.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
She is very proud of herself.
But (possibly to Edward's surprise) she does not get cocky. She does not want to leave the island just yet. She'll have a few more unknowing humans sent past her before she's even willing to be visible to them. So a few more humans are sent past her, and she doesn't lunge.
And then, tentatively, she thinks she's ready to be put in front of an actual human, and maybe try talking to one.
But (possibly to Edward's surprise) she does not get cocky. She does not want to leave the island just yet. She'll have a few more unknowing humans sent past her before she's even willing to be visible to them. So a few more humans are sent past her, and she doesn't lunge.
And then, tentatively, she thinks she's ready to be put in front of an actual human, and maybe try talking to one.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
Well, they don't have any knowledgeable humans handy, so this means interacting with them in normal human contexts, which means going back to Rochester.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Eep.
Well.
That'll work. Tentatively. Because that's where the vampires are that could stop her, and because she's managed self control several times without fail.
(Such eep.)
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
Edward will stay right by her and react if she lunges at someone. But maybe she'd like to stick to going out at night, so there will be fewer witnesses and they won't have such good line of sight.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
She would like to stick to going out at night.
She is very, very careful about this, though. There are lots of people! People are very breakable. Some people bleed monthly, and while this wouldn't send her into a frenzy on account of the hormones in the blood, it still makes it a bit uncomfortable. So she's going to mostly stay indoors and keep away from the squishy humans. She is worried for their safety.
(But she joyously copies all of the materials, look at all of these materials she can copy, there are so many, look at them all! Gold and silver and brick and iron and steel and every single material she can walk up and touch.)
She is very, very careful about this, though. There are lots of people! People are very breakable. Some people bleed monthly, and while this wouldn't send her into a frenzy on account of the hormones in the blood, it still makes it a bit uncomfortable. So she's going to mostly stay indoors and keep away from the squishy humans. She is worried for their safety.
(But she joyously copies all of the materials, look at all of these materials she can copy, there are so many, look at them all! Gold and silver and brick and iron and steel and every single material she can walk up and touch.)
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
The coven has accumulated a reasonable quantity of more or less useless possessions over the years, many of which are made of unusual materials.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Excellent. She will be an inspiration for pokemon: gotta catch 'em all. All of the materials will be hers.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
Meanwhile, except for mostly-Edward, sometimes-Carlisle-or-Esme keeping an eye on her, they go about their lives as normal.
Rosalie Hale
teleia
But not for that long.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"Yvette, you might want to leave," Edward says suddenly, one late night, interrupting himself at the piano.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
She looks up from her latest attempt to refine her power.
"Okay? Why?"
"Okay? Why?"
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"Because Carlisle is on his way home with a bleeding woman he's decided to turn."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"That," she says faintly, "is a very good reason."
She pockets her half-transmuted current project and zips away to pack a suitcase so she can be elsewhere for a while and runs over the things another newborn would want to know and what she'll have to deal with and -
It occurs to her that the bleeding woman might have a similar reservation about vampirism that Yvette might, and that Yvette personally has a way to maybe copy and remake the important parts before vampirism makes it impossible.
"Edward, can you tell if she cares?" she asks, freezing mid-pack.
She pockets her half-transmuted current project and zips away to pack a suitcase so she can be elsewhere for a while and runs over the things another newborn would want to know and what she'll have to deal with and -
It occurs to her that the bleeding woman might have a similar reservation about vampirism that Yvette might, and that Yvette personally has a way to maybe copy and remake the important parts before vampirism makes it impossible.
"Edward, can you tell if she cares?" she asks, freezing mid-pack.
Blair Lowell
(Blair has absolutely no idea what she's talking about, but he continues packing for her, because of course he's going with her. He doesn't ask.)
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"I - she's not exactly thinking about that right now - but - if I had to guess, yes?" Edward says. "If you hold your breath I'll ask her."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Okay."
She takes a deep breath, and then stops breathing. She helps Blair finish packing, and then, to stop herself from anxiously pacing at vampire speed, sits resolutely on the ground. She fidgets.
She takes a deep breath, and then stops breathing. She helps Blair finish packing, and then, to stop herself from anxiously pacing at vampire speed, sits resolutely on the ground. She fidgets.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
Carlisle is home in another two minutes. She's already bitten, whimpering more than screaming, only half-conscious.
Edward whispers in her ear; Carlisle looks at him and then Yvette, startled.
Edward looks at Yvette, and nods.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Well, now she has a job to do.
That actually makes this much, much easier. It makes it very simple.
She zips to the woman's side, and focuses on doing her job. Her knowledge of anatomy is not as fantastic as Carlisle's, but she was a fucking nurse, and she knows the general area she's aiming for. Besides, she can just copy it all. The problem is that to do it she needs to touch the bleeding woman's abdomen, and that is currently covered in blood and stop hesitating you idiot every second you waste is putting her potential children at risk and she touches it anyway and copies and moves the transmutation area and copies again and again in an efficient grid system until she's definitely gotten everything she possibly can in the relevant area.
Yvette flinches away and zips to the sink because fucking hell her hand is now covered in blood fuck fuck fuck fuck. She doesn't bother with soap, just getting most of it off will help - shit she can just transmute it to water can't she, she's an idiot, she does that. Water.
She actually belatedly notes she dented the sink's handles a bit in her very justified desperation but doesn't care and retrieves her suitcase from Blair and then runs.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
Edward chases her. "Don't go to the island. We may have to put her there."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
...
Yeah she was actually going to go to the island, it's a really good thing he mentioned this. Of course they might need it.
"Right. Yes. Blair -"
Yeah she was actually going to go to the island, it's a really good thing he mentioned this. Of course they might need it.
"Right. Yes. Blair -"
Blair Lowell
"Zero people central, follow me," he agrees. "Edward, you're not coming, right -?"
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"Do you need me? She might."
Blair Lowell
He glances at his sister.
"No, stick with her," he says, because after that he thinks they're good.
"No, stick with her," he says, because after that he thinks they're good.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
Edward nods and turns and runs home.
Blair Lowell
And the duo turn and run off to a very isolated part of the forest, to not be around people and eat some wildlife.
If someone doesn't come to find them, they'll be back in four days.
If someone doesn't come to find them, they'll be back in four days.
Esme is home alone. The blood is all scoured away. "Hello. Rosalie is - fine."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Hello. Is she adjusting okay?" asks Yvette, a little anxiously.
"Well. Sort of. She finished turning on the island. She's not quite as even-keeled as you were and she doesn't like being a vampire as much as you do," Esme says. "And she made a... clear-headed decision, not an impulse, to go after the men who attacked her. I can't say we're happy about it but to stop her we'd have to... well. She isn't acting irrationally, so we are... not intercepting her."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Oh," says Yvette, blinking. ... She can't say she blames her for this decision.
Blair Lowell
Blair does not think Esme would approve of the sentence 'Does she want help?' so he doesn't ask it.
"And she's keeping herself under enough control...?" he asks instead.
"And she's keeping herself under enough control...?" he asks instead.
"She thinks she can. We're less sure, but Edward couldn't contradict her outright on it, at least," sighs Esme.
Blair Lowell
"I can check on her, if you'd think it'd be worth it."
"Edward's keeping an eye on her."
Blair Lowell
Blair nods.
She's probably got it covered. It's pretty easy to kill humans.
She's probably got it covered. It's pretty easy to kill humans.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Do you mind if we stay for a little while longer?" asks Yvette, because of course they have talked about this. She's probably safe to leave, but they'd both like to meet the new vampire. "Probably until you move elsewhere."
"We're going to have to move. Rosalie would be recognized," Esme explains gently. "You're welcome to follow us, although it can be especially difficult for newborns to be around one another, so it might turn out to work better if you hung back until you were past your first year."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Yvette nods. "It should be all right to meet her, before we split up, right?"
"As long as we're with you."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Of course," she agrees.
And then they both offer to help Esme pack, if she'd like help.
And then they both offer to help Esme pack, if she'd like help.
That would be nice.
And she'd like to finish the tile on the patio -
- but she wants to be ready to leave when Carlisle's notice at work takes effect, and that means wrapping things in paper and putting them in boxes.
And she'd like to finish the tile on the patio -
- but she wants to be ready to leave when Carlisle's notice at work takes effect, and that means wrapping things in paper and putting them in boxes.
Blair Lowell
The two of them could wrap things in paper and put them in boxes while she does the tile, this is the benefit of having three instead of one. Multitasking.
They're too kind, she's sure.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
The Cullens put up with Yvette being a newborn and needing to be babysat, helping to pack is nothing in comparison.
Packing! Paper! Boxes!
Packing! Paper! Boxes!
Rosalie Hale
teleia
Rosalie draws out her revenge.
She comes to the Cullen home after several days of stalking and bloodless killing.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
By then, everything is all packed up and the tile on the patio is complete and Yvette is absently reading. It's a chemistry textbook, not a novel. She has ideas.
She glances up when she hears Rosalie coming and closes the book.
"Hello," she says, because she's not sure what else to say. She'll let Rosalie take the lead, here.
She glances up when she hears Rosalie coming and closes the book.
"Hello," she says, because she's not sure what else to say. She'll let Rosalie take the lead, here.
Rosalie Hale
teleia
"Hello," says Rosalie. She's very pretty. She's wearing a white wedding dress; she picks at the sleeve idly. "...Edward told me you have a power you used on me somehow. I didn't quite understand."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
How very thematic. Yvette kind of approves.
"I have a transmutation power," she explains, "that lets me copy things and then remake them. I realized it might matter to you that you couldn't have kids as a vampire, I know it mattered to me. So I had Edward check to see if you cared, and according to him you did, so I copied everything biologically relevant to letting you have kids and can remake it later. It can't be used, yet, but I think technology might eventually catch up and then you'll have the option available to you, instead of not."
"I have a transmutation power," she explains, "that lets me copy things and then remake them. I realized it might matter to you that you couldn't have kids as a vampire, I know it mattered to me. So I had Edward check to see if you cared, and according to him you did, so I copied everything biologically relevant to letting you have kids and can remake it later. It can't be used, yet, but I think technology might eventually catch up and then you'll have the option available to you, instead of not."
Rosalie Hale
teleia
Rosalie hugs her.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Yvette is surprised by this!
But she returns the hug.
Rosalie Hale
teleia
Rosalie is newborn-strong, but so is Yvette, still, so nothing breaks.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Yep, it all works out.
"... Do you want me to prioritize figuring out how to do that?" she asks. "Because I can. Chemistry can wait, I have eternity."
"... Do you want me to prioritize figuring out how to do that?" she asks. "Because I can. Chemistry can wait, I have eternity."
Rosalie Hale
teleia
"I don't want children now," Rosalie says, letting her go. "What would I do with them, being like this? Who would be their father? But - someday. Maybe someday."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
This makes perfect sense to her, she's in a similar situation.
"Fair," she agrees, nodding. "Just wanted to make sure."
"Fair," she agrees, nodding. "Just wanted to make sure."
Rosalie Hale
teleia
"Thank you."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"You're quite welcome."
Rosalie Hale
teleia
"I think you're closer to my size than Esme, and Carlisle thinks it would be risky to go take my own clothes out of my house, even if I wait until my funeral when everyone would be out," she murmurs. "Can I borrow something to wear?"
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Yes, of course," says Yvette, and off she zips to her suitcase. "Do you want more than one set of clothes? I don't mind buying more, I can transmute gold."
Rosalie Hale
teleia
"One will do long enough for me to drive somewhere no one will know me and buy more. I just can't do it in this. I guess it was a little theatrical."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Nod.
... Slight smile.
"I mean if you're going to do something, might as well be theatrical about it."
She opens her suitcase and offers the contents to Rosalie. "Pick what you'd like."
... Slight smile.
"I mean if you're going to do something, might as well be theatrical about it."
She opens her suitcase and offers the contents to Rosalie. "Pick what you'd like."
Rosalie Hale
teleia
Rosalie picks through the options with practiced aesthetics and comes up with a blouse and a skirt to change into. "Thank you."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"You're welcome," says Yvette, and she zips the suitcase back up for travelling.
"Blair and I are heading up to Denali, get my introductions out of the way while we're on this side of the water. I don't know if they told you?"
"Blair and I are heading up to Denali, get my introductions out of the way while we're on this side of the water. I don't know if they told you?"
Rosalie Hale
teleia
"Didn't come up. I suppose I'll meet them later. Having been adopted, and all."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"... We can also stick around for a little while and then you could come with us, if you'd rather."
Rosalie Hale
teleia
"...I'll think about it."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Okay. We'll be here for a few more days, anyway."
Rosalie Hale
teleia
"Yeah."
Rosalie ultimately decides to stick with Carlisle and Esme and Edward.
Rosalie ultimately decides to stick with Carlisle and Esme and Edward.
Blair Lowell
That's fine with Yvette and Blair, they just want to make sure Rosalie doesn't feel trapped. When it's time for everyone to go their separate ways, they wish the Cullens a fond farewell, and then it's off to Denali.
They don't stay there for very long; Yvette is a little antsy to get back to the correct side of the Atlantic, and doesn't find the Denali coven very interesting, though she's perfectly friendly. Blair is, quite predictably, very charming to all three of them.
But then Yvette would like to stalk a college's science department and several libraries and she can't do that as well in Alaska as she could elsewhere, so away they go. To the correct side of the Atlantic.
They go to England, because Yvette's missed it. She's introduced to the nearby covens, with Blair clarifying that she's under control now. They find her mildly novel, just like Blair, though she's a bit more so because she's also a newborn, but ultimately don't really care about her. This is fine by her. She parks near Oxford and stalks their science department. Who needs to enroll when you're a vampire with superpowers? Not her. She learns all of the best spots to listen to lectures, and listen she does.
Blair stays around her for a while, making sure that she's not going to eat anyone, but soon he gets a bit bored. His sister doesn't need a constant babysitter anymore. And his power's still not developed, it feels like he is out of shape. It's annoying. Niggling in his head that he's got a thing to work on to be better and isn't taking it. Now there aren't any emergencies to take care of, and everyone he cares about is safe. Time to go refine it.
He pokes at it on his own in London some more; there are enough people there to make it a pretty good place to practice finding people. He figures out how to set it to the equivalent of 'find all' and from there claws himself something that tells him where people are in a certain radius of himself. Woefully smaller than he'd like, but whatever. It's easier to use his vampire senses, but any minor power expansion is a victory, here.
From there - he's not sure how to get it better. Trying to speed up how quickly he gets a proper signature from people doesn't really work. He tries to get it to tell the difference between vampires and humans, but the power doesn't lend itself to that type of sorting.
Eventually, he gets a bit frustrated. He tries asking his power to lead him to someone that can help him fucking figure out his power.
They don't stay there for very long; Yvette is a little antsy to get back to the correct side of the Atlantic, and doesn't find the Denali coven very interesting, though she's perfectly friendly. Blair is, quite predictably, very charming to all three of them.
But then Yvette would like to stalk a college's science department and several libraries and she can't do that as well in Alaska as she could elsewhere, so away they go. To the correct side of the Atlantic.
They go to England, because Yvette's missed it. She's introduced to the nearby covens, with Blair clarifying that she's under control now. They find her mildly novel, just like Blair, though she's a bit more so because she's also a newborn, but ultimately don't really care about her. This is fine by her. She parks near Oxford and stalks their science department. Who needs to enroll when you're a vampire with superpowers? Not her. She learns all of the best spots to listen to lectures, and listen she does.
Blair stays around her for a while, making sure that she's not going to eat anyone, but soon he gets a bit bored. His sister doesn't need a constant babysitter anymore. And his power's still not developed, it feels like he is out of shape. It's annoying. Niggling in his head that he's got a thing to work on to be better and isn't taking it. Now there aren't any emergencies to take care of, and everyone he cares about is safe. Time to go refine it.
He pokes at it on his own in London some more; there are enough people there to make it a pretty good place to practice finding people. He figures out how to set it to the equivalent of 'find all' and from there claws himself something that tells him where people are in a certain radius of himself. Woefully smaller than he'd like, but whatever. It's easier to use his vampire senses, but any minor power expansion is a victory, here.
From there - he's not sure how to get it better. Trying to speed up how quickly he gets a proper signature from people doesn't really work. He tries to get it to tell the difference between vampires and humans, but the power doesn't lend itself to that type of sorting.
Eventually, he gets a bit frustrated. He tries asking his power to lead him to someone that can help him fucking figure out his power.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
Hiiiii.
Blair Lowell
Well. The person is a vampire. That - simplifies things, he guesses.
He goes to say hello.
He goes to say hello.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
His teacher is sitting in a café in Narbonne under a broad-brimmed sun hat with a characteristically picked-at croissant, people-watching.
She starts watching him in particular as soon as he comes within a block of her.
She starts watching him in particular as soon as he comes within a block of her.
Blair Lowell
...
Why does he feel like he's an entrée at a restaurant?
She's unsettling, in a way that doesn't exactly make him want to run, but makes him want to have an ally present, some witness to make sure he's not about to be picked up and shipped off to who knows where to be eaten. Despite how vampires aren't very edible.
Well, he's not one for backing down when he's decided something, and she already knows he exists. Might as well be bold.
He walks up to her like he's meeting a friend, and then says, for the benefit of the humans nearby, "Hey! I wasn't expecting to see you here. Mind if I join you?"
Why does he feel like he's an entrée at a restaurant?
She's unsettling, in a way that doesn't exactly make him want to run, but makes him want to have an ally present, some witness to make sure he's not about to be picked up and shipped off to who knows where to be eaten. Despite how vampires aren't very edible.
Well, he's not one for backing down when he's decided something, and she already knows he exists. Might as well be bold.
He walks up to her like he's meeting a friend, and then says, for the benefit of the humans nearby, "Hey! I wasn't expecting to see you here. Mind if I join you?"
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Oh, no, not at all," she replies fluidly, also in French. "It's so good to see you, how have you been?"
Blair Lowell
Oh, this'll be fun.
"Can't complain," he says, "I finally got back into travelling; I've missed it. The people you meet are so interesting."
"Can't complain," he says, "I finally got back into travelling; I've missed it. The people you meet are so interesting."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"I find the same thing!" she agrees. "Been in France long?"
Blair Lowell
"Not very. My education in London was getting a bit dull, I thought it might help to have a change in scenery."
He's getting a lot from this conversation, at least from his power. Talking's the best way to let it do its privacy invasion thing, after all, even if the conversation's mostly bullshit.
He's getting a lot from this conversation, at least from his power. Talking's the best way to let it do its privacy invasion thing, after all, even if the conversation's mostly bullshit.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Oh, I haven't been in London for years. I find it a little crowded even for my tastes, do you know what I mean?"
England has a higher concentration of vampires than most places, for some reason...
England has a higher concentration of vampires than most places, for some reason...
Blair Lowell
But that's not really a problem if you eat animals. No competition for prey.
"I do," he says, "but I don't mind. If I keep to myself no one sees a reason to bother me."
"I do," he says, "but I don't mind. If I keep to myself no one sees a reason to bother me."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Like the quiet life?"
Blair Lowell
Blair shrugs. He mostly just doesn't want to get his arms ripped off by other vampires.
"Some of the characters in London can get a bit touchy. It's more that I don't want to get into trouble I can't get out of."
"Some of the characters in London can get a bit touchy. It's more that I don't want to get into trouble I can't get out of."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"I'm more of a risk-taker. Hasn't killed me yet."
Blair Lowell
"Well, whatever works for you."
Blair feels pretty justified in his measured and calculated unease. According to his power this woman is scary. Not just in the sense that she could likely kill him - that's not really a surprise, he's still very young, drinks animal blood, and has kept out of fights in general - but in the sense that she's just completely amoral. Very like she's focused on something else, but his power's not telling him just what that is.
... But he could hazard a guess, considering the circumstances. Does she hunt witches? Not to kill, certainly, but for something else. He just can't figure out what.
Blair feels pretty justified in his measured and calculated unease. According to his power this woman is scary. Not just in the sense that she could likely kill him - that's not really a surprise, he's still very young, drinks animal blood, and has kept out of fights in general - but in the sense that she's just completely amoral. Very like she's focused on something else, but his power's not telling him just what that is.
... But he could hazard a guess, considering the circumstances. Does she hunt witches? Not to kill, certainly, but for something else. He just can't figure out what.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
Maybe she will show him. "D'you want to get out of here? This croissant is not as good as I was hoping, you know how I get, we can catch up somewhere else."
Blair Lowell
This is about all he can get from his power on her, there's no point in keeping this up any longer.
"Yeah, sure. I don't know the area very well, you know a good place to go?"
"Yeah, sure. I don't know the area very well, you know a good place to go?"
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Oh yeah. I'm visiting with a friend, but she's going to be at work for hours. You'll try to get along with her if she gets home before you leave, won't you?"
Blair Lowell
Human or vampire? It's hard to tell, from that. Likely human, but it could be a vampire. Either one, he's not out for causing trouble.
"Of course," he assures.
"Of course," he assures.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Good. I couldn't bear it if something happened to her, you know."
She leaves a few francs on the table and gets up and crooks her finger at Blair. "Thisaway."
She leaves a few francs on the table and gets up and crooks her finger at Blair. "Thisaway."
Blair Lowell
Subtle.
Thisaway goes Blair.
Thisaway goes Blair.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
His teacher's friend lives in an apartment above a boulangerie, three floors up.
His teacher lets herself in. The lock doesn't work.
The apartment doesn't smell like any vampires other than her.
"So," she says, rolling her long sleeves back from her hands. "What brings you to me?"
His teacher lets herself in. The lock doesn't work.
The apartment doesn't smell like any vampires other than her.
"So," she says, rolling her long sleeves back from her hands. "What brings you to me?"
Blair Lowell
"I'm a witch. Tracker, personality-based; I get snippets of what the person's like along with where they are. It's not as good as it could be, and I hit a proverbial brick wall with training it alone. So I prodded it for help and it led me to you."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Oh, I'm flattered! Well, hello, my name is Addy, and I will be your witchcraft consultant today. Take off your gloves."
Blair Lowell
"Blair, nice to meet you," he says.
Off go his gloves, along with the scarf and the hat; not like he needs to hide from the sun indoors.
Off go his gloves, along with the scarf and the hat; not like he needs to hide from the sun indoors.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
Handshake?
Blair Lowell
She's getting something from this, he's got a suspicion as to what, but backing out now is just silly and antagonistic. She's not going to hurt him; he's giving her exactly what she wants.
Handshake.
Handshake.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Huh," she says. "Turkey. Oh, I like this, I like it a lot. Any way in particular you were hoping to make it jump?"
Blair Lowell
...
She copied his power.
Okay. That's fine. She's absolutely fucking terrifying, but that's fine.
"It can't tell the difference between vampires and humans at all, I'd like to figure out a way to tell with just my power. That's the major one that bothers me, but otherwise it just feels like it's - not accurate enough. A bit unfocused, maybe."
She copied his power.
Okay. That's fine. She's absolutely fucking terrifying, but that's fine.
"It can't tell the difference between vampires and humans at all, I'd like to figure out a way to tell with just my power. That's the major one that bothers me, but otherwise it just feels like it's - not accurate enough. A bit unfocused, maybe."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"It found you me - it could not have done better, you came to the right place - and you can't make it find 'eidetic memory'?"
Blair Lowell
"Nope. Tried. It doesn't like it, I think it feels too impersonal for it? And a while back I was looking for someone that could help with freezing organs and it got very bizarre on me. I don't know why, or how to have it be accurate instead of bizarre."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Ooh, bizarre how?"
Blair Lowell
"Well, it sent me after people who had fruit preservation as a hobby, one that preserves leaves in books, and then a taxidermist - and then I managed to get it to focus on preserving bodies instead of items and got funerary workers and hospice workers and a dentist."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Hmmm."
She starts trying variants. 'Someone who will never forget it if we meet'? 'Someone potentially dangerous'? 'Someone who really fucking knows what pain feels like'?
She starts trying variants. 'Someone who will never forget it if we meet'? 'Someone potentially dangerous'? 'Someone who really fucking knows what pain feels like'?
Blair Lowell
The first gets nothing, the second gets an answer but it's not vampires only, the third does the same but with different subjects. Blair is included in both the second and third. It might be possible to have multiple 'searches' out at once, but the power doesn't seem to have that ability.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"I think you could find vampires if you could get it to do intersections," she concludes. "I can't make it do something like that until you've managed it. What happens if you try?"
Blair Lowell
"It switches to an entirely new search, though I can get a bit of mileage out of being very specific. I'd like intersections, though."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"What are some things it finds most easily?"
Blair Lowell
"Major personality traits, hobbies. It seems to like doing things that people care about, and only shows me people with certain jobs if they actually care about the job."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
Addy tries to find mated vampires.
Blair Lowell
Bingo. Vampires only.
But then, that's not all vampires, is it.
But then, that's not all vampires, is it.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
No, it's not... but trying to get complete exhaustive assessments out of this power seems like it's not playing to its strengths.
Capacity to be a mated vampire?
Capacity to be a mated vampire?
Blair Lowell
Well that seems similar to a 'search all,' catching humans and vampires both, though Addy herself is not included.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
It didn't reject the search entirely, though. Come on, picky picky, proximal capacity to be a mated vampire. It's okay if it excludes Addy. She knows where she is.
Blair Lowell
That one just gets rejected.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Your witchcraft is an obstinate little beastie," she says. "You might've had better results if I'd got to you earlier on in its development..."
Fear of/respect for the Volturi, how about that?
Fear of/respect for the Volturi, how about that?
Blair Lowell
"I'm a fairly young vampire, just over two years old. How early's best?"
It'll do fear/respect of a government entity, but doesn't seem to understand the Volturi as a concept.
It'll do fear/respect of a government entity, but doesn't seem to understand the Volturi as a concept.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Earlier the better. Although working with newborns isn't anybody's idea of a fun time."
He's got to have already tried this, but: what does she get if she filters for extreme, desperate, high-intensity passion for comestibles?
He's got to have already tried this, but: what does she get if she filters for extreme, desperate, high-intensity passion for comestibles?
Blair Lowell
...
That's interesting. The search goes through, but it definitely doesn't get all vampires, and it picks up humans, too. Addy and Blair are not on the vampire list.
That's interesting. The search goes through, but it definitely doesn't get all vampires, and it picks up humans, too. Addy and Blair are not on the vampire list.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Oh, this silly thing grades on a curve," Addy says.
Blair Lowell
Blair blinks.
"... That explains some things."
"... That explains some things."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Yes. Can you get it to stop? Or at least pick whether you're looking through the remedial or the honors?"
Blair Lowell
"I can try, but I'm not sure how to do that, though. Tips, witch teacher?"
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Well, that depends on how you work, how you think about it, why you have this power instead of someone else or something else. Hmm, I have a process usually but maybe your silly power will let me take a shortcut." She circles him, quizzing her copy about this fellow's style.
Blair Lowell
He cares about people a lot, this fellow. Not exactly in the sense that he would like to save everyone, but in the sense that he doesn't do things for a vague concept of morality, but for the specific people that are benefited by it. He doesn't avoid stealing because stealing is wrong; he avoids stealing because specific people would be hurt by the stealing itself, and he cares about them.
He's highly adaptable and loves exploring, but not for the sights. It's for the people that he meets, and for what he learns about the world. He likes seeing things big-picture style as much as possible, and he likes being as equipped as possible to handle whatever the world throws at him. This mostly seems to be in the sense that he should improve, not that he should get cool toys. He should know as much about a situation as possible, understand as many languages as possible, and be able to handle a given situation physically and mentally, and know who to go to for help. This means well-used witch powers and the ability to fight, but also self control, an open mind, and a good idea of what the world's actually like instead of just vague concepts of it.
Once she looks, it's pretty obvious why the power grades on a curve; he's of the opinion that context is highly important when judging people. Writing off an entire culture for being lesser in comparison to another culture is - not exactly incorrect, but short-sighted, and to properly judge something one has to judge it by the circumstances that surround the something too. So his power is being 'helpful' and accounting for the context on its own, at least for vampires and humans.
Also, he prefers black and dark red as colors, has a strong preference for hand-made objects over factory-made objects, eats animals instead of people because he hates the idea of not having perfect self control, and likes playing chess.
He's highly adaptable and loves exploring, but not for the sights. It's for the people that he meets, and for what he learns about the world. He likes seeing things big-picture style as much as possible, and he likes being as equipped as possible to handle whatever the world throws at him. This mostly seems to be in the sense that he should improve, not that he should get cool toys. He should know as much about a situation as possible, understand as many languages as possible, and be able to handle a given situation physically and mentally, and know who to go to for help. This means well-used witch powers and the ability to fight, but also self control, an open mind, and a good idea of what the world's actually like instead of just vague concepts of it.
Once she looks, it's pretty obvious why the power grades on a curve; he's of the opinion that context is highly important when judging people. Writing off an entire culture for being lesser in comparison to another culture is - not exactly incorrect, but short-sighted, and to properly judge something one has to judge it by the circumstances that surround the something too. So his power is being 'helpful' and accounting for the context on its own, at least for vampires and humans.
Also, he prefers black and dark red as colors, has a strong preference for hand-made objects over factory-made objects, eats animals instead of people because he hates the idea of not having perfect self control, and likes playing chess.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"So," she says, "why do you want your power to find you vampires?"
Blair Lowell
"... Because it's important to know where the people that can kill me are?" he says dryly.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"So you need to find people who are a certain way relative to you," she says. "Not relative to their - category. Have you ever got your power to do anything like that before?"
Blair Lowell
"... Sort of. It's managed to find me two people that were helpful to me specifically, first try. Not relative to their category. The organ freezing one was for someone else."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Sort of? Am I one of these people?"
Blair Lowell
"Yes. The other was Carlisle Cullen, if you've heard of him."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"No; who's he?"
Blair Lowell
"A vampire who can resist the smell of blood so completely he can work as a doctor; he hasn't eaten anyone and his self control is amazing. I went to get help with my eating people problem. I'm as certain as I can be that he was the absolute best person to talk to."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Huh. How'd you find him?"
Blair Lowell
"The exact search I had was for someone that would understand the situation and could help."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Can you broaden 'the situation'? Someone who will understand the condition of being a vampire, say? There are not that many informed humans."
Blair Lowell
"... Not exactly." They are getting into something he considers to be kind of private, but witch powers are very personal, so it makes sense. He won't close up and tell her to bugger off. He thinks back, and disentangles the emotions he had back then. "The exact thoughts I had put into 'the situation' was of more than just the condition of being a vampire, but the condition of being a vampire who could not just see humans as food. On account of my power."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"So what does being a vampire, in general, mean to you?"
Blair Lowell
"As it is now, or as it was then?"
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Both."
Blair Lowell
"Then, I was a newborn who was trying to figure out if I was a monster or not. My choices seemed to be 'be a monster that kills innocent people' and 'be a monster that kills monsters,' and I wasn't even guaranteed to consistently be the latter, because my control had proven to not be perfect.
"Now, I'm a vampire who's pretty firmly of the opinion that I'm just - myself. I have a set of abilities that are different than what they were, and a set of downsides that I need to account for, but I'm whatever I choose to be if I work at it long enough. With superpowers."
"Now, I'm a vampire who's pretty firmly of the opinion that I'm just - myself. I have a set of abilities that are different than what they were, and a set of downsides that I need to account for, but I'm whatever I choose to be if I work at it long enough. With superpowers."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Hmm. Well, vampires in general have all gone through a transition period, and will feel some way about that. What happens if you look for people who have opinions about that sort of thing, like you but not the same?"
Blair Lowell
"Hm."
He looks.
"... I think I just got a vampires only checker," he says, smiling.
He looks.
"... I think I just got a vampires only checker," he says, smiling.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"That'll be ten thousand francs," she deadpans. Briefly. Then she smiles.
Blair Lowell
Snort.
"Do you want to set up a payment plan or should I write a check?"
"Do you want to set up a payment plan or should I write a check?"
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Oh, I only take the equivalent in twenty-four carat gold." She reaches out and boops his nose for a power update. "There's a while before my other witch gets home. Want to see what else you can get this thing to do while it's in a cooperative mood?"
Blair Lowell
Funnily enough, I can actually manage that, he doesn't say, because he is not telling this woman about his sister without his sister's permission.
"Sure. The - me as a comparison point got me thinking, could I use other people as comparison points? 'Find a person who would be helpful to this person in front of me'?"
"Sure. The - me as a comparison point got me thinking, could I use other people as comparison points? 'Find a person who would be helpful to this person in front of me'?"
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Oh, wouldn't that be fun. I haven't wrestled it into finding me witches yet, but if you can find people who I'd find helpful that's what you'd get."
Come on, Blair's power. Witches feel all kinds of ways about their powers, but... "feeling all kinds of ways about being genuinely unique in all the world"? About "being special", for a ludicrously high threshold, she can filter the royalty and narcissists herself...?
Come on, Blair's power. Witches feel all kinds of ways about their powers, but... "feeling all kinds of ways about being genuinely unique in all the world"? About "being special", for a ludicrously high threshold, she can filter the royalty and narcissists herself...?
Blair Lowell
Turns out that lots of people feel that they are genuinely unique in all the world. Being special to a ludicrously high threshold is more promising, but there's no way to see if it's working without actually going and checking.
"Sure. You get updates to my power if I make breakthroughs?"
"Sure. You get updates to my power if I make breakthroughs?"
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Yes. Sometimes I can do things the person I copied from can't, but that's always because I have more of some thing the power draws on. Speed, usually."
Blair Lowell
He nods. It's interesting. No wonder she's being so helpful, if she wants to play with his power properly, she needs his cooperation. Not that she couldn't steal it and go cackling into the night with it, but, still.
Does he actually want to work on this part of his power with her present? Actually want her to get a copy of his power that could possibly be used to find witches?
She doesn't hurt the witches. She might, if she had a reason, but at the moment she doesn't. As far as he can tell, she seems to like the novelty - see a new power, get it as well developed as possible, move on to the next one. Though he could see her showing up to ask to borrow his, as well, if they manage to persuade it to let her find witches.
... Maybe she'd be very casual about hurting witches if it would help them make progress on their power. That's certainly possible. He's not sure what witch powers would require hurting, but considering how psychological witch powers seem to be, it's not impossible for it to occur. This fact is concerning. He doesn't know how to fix it, but it's concerning.
He doesn't think she'd do permanent harm to witches, besides possibly a little bit of trauma. It just doesn't make sense. There are circumstances where it might, but these aren't it. Hell, if anything, she probably wants to befriend as many witches as possible. They mean more resources to draw upon, more trustworthy sources to corroborate for witches she just met that yes, she is nice, and the witch should let her play with their power. Well. 'Nice.' She'll stop being nice when it's convenient to not be nice.
But he gets the impression that violence is not her default, nor is it the first port to turn to in a storm; too prone to chance, too messy. She doesn't have a bunch of scars from vampire bites, and she makes friends with human witches, and she's been downright friendly this entire time.
...
Yeah, okay. Not worth potentially stunting himself forever to keep the power out of her hands. Let's sincerely work on this.
He gets to sincerely working on this!
"... I don't think my power wants to just go with a vague helpful," he says. "It doesn't want to do that with me, let alone other people. I'll have to be specific. Helpful to playing with magic sound about right for finding you witches?"
Does he actually want to work on this part of his power with her present? Actually want her to get a copy of his power that could possibly be used to find witches?
She doesn't hurt the witches. She might, if she had a reason, but at the moment she doesn't. As far as he can tell, she seems to like the novelty - see a new power, get it as well developed as possible, move on to the next one. Though he could see her showing up to ask to borrow his, as well, if they manage to persuade it to let her find witches.
... Maybe she'd be very casual about hurting witches if it would help them make progress on their power. That's certainly possible. He's not sure what witch powers would require hurting, but considering how psychological witch powers seem to be, it's not impossible for it to occur. This fact is concerning. He doesn't know how to fix it, but it's concerning.
He doesn't think she'd do permanent harm to witches, besides possibly a little bit of trauma. It just doesn't make sense. There are circumstances where it might, but these aren't it. Hell, if anything, she probably wants to befriend as many witches as possible. They mean more resources to draw upon, more trustworthy sources to corroborate for witches she just met that yes, she is nice, and the witch should let her play with their power. Well. 'Nice.' She'll stop being nice when it's convenient to not be nice.
But he gets the impression that violence is not her default, nor is it the first port to turn to in a storm; too prone to chance, too messy. She doesn't have a bunch of scars from vampire bites, and she makes friends with human witches, and she's been downright friendly this entire time.
...
Yeah, okay. Not worth potentially stunting himself forever to keep the power out of her hands. Let's sincerely work on this.
He gets to sincerely working on this!
"... I don't think my power wants to just go with a vague helpful," he says. "It doesn't want to do that with me, let alone other people. I'll have to be specific. Helpful to playing with magic sound about right for finding you witches?"
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"It's promising, anyway."
Blair Lowell
"Mhm."
He tries just throwing that search at his power. 'Find me a person Addy would find helpful to playing with magic.' It doesn't go. Ugh, finicky power. Okay. Personality based, personality based, why does it let him find the exact right things for himself but not for other people?
...
No, he's coming at that wrong. He can't wail at his power and expect it to bend, it doesn't work that way. He's got to be flexible. It will let him find things for himself. What is the obvious way to get other people under the blanket of finding things for him, but letting it play to what they want?
Well now the answer's obvious. He has to be the biggest team player the world has ever seen.
He can't, exactly, make himself be a team player with Addy, but he can do something similar. He wants to be able to find witches. She wants to be able to find witches. They Have A Common Goal. They are Working Together Towards This Common Goal. Her goals are his, he wants it, too. We would like to find Addy people to play with magic with.
He smirks. He holds out his hand to Addy.
He tries just throwing that search at his power. 'Find me a person Addy would find helpful to playing with magic.' It doesn't go. Ugh, finicky power. Okay. Personality based, personality based, why does it let him find the exact right things for himself but not for other people?
...
No, he's coming at that wrong. He can't wail at his power and expect it to bend, it doesn't work that way. He's got to be flexible. It will let him find things for himself. What is the obvious way to get other people under the blanket of finding things for him, but letting it play to what they want?
Well now the answer's obvious. He has to be the biggest team player the world has ever seen.
He can't, exactly, make himself be a team player with Addy, but he can do something similar. He wants to be able to find witches. She wants to be able to find witches. They Have A Common Goal. They are Working Together Towards This Common Goal. Her goals are his, he wants it, too. We would like to find Addy people to play with magic with.
He smirks. He holds out his hand to Addy.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
Boop!
Blair Lowell
It updated! ... In a very weird direction, but it did!
It doesn't exactly let the user just look for other people's goals, but it will let them borrow someone else's if they go and rationalize that everyone present has the same goals and are definitely working together towards them.
"I don't know if it'll let you find witches, actually, but it's letting me now, through you."
It doesn't exactly let the user just look for other people's goals, but it will let them borrow someone else's if they go and rationalize that everyone present has the same goals and are definitely working together towards them.
"I don't know if it'll let you find witches, actually, but it's letting me now, through you."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Well, maybe I can nudge it."
C'mon. Nudge.
C'mon. Nudge.
Blair Lowell
It'll accept this nudge. It actually knows how to search for witches now.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
Hooray! Addy notes the locations of many witches so that she can go get them after she puts this power down.
Blair Lowell
It's not the most accurate tracking power ever, just direction and a very vague sense of distance, but it is definitely better than nothing.
"So, got it working?" guesses Blair.
"So, got it working?" guesses Blair.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Yep! This'll keep me busy for ages. There's a concentration in Italy, I bet I know who those are, but there's others I didn't know about."
Blair Lowell
"Happy to help." ... He thinks. Maybe.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Now the obvious thing to try to squish this power into doing is intersections. I wonder why it won't. Does it feel wrong to try it in some way?"
Blair Lowell
He thinks about it, sifting through some searches and trying to get them to intersect.
"... Okay, this is vague hunch and might be wrong, but, what I think is happening is that it doesn't like multitasking and likes being focused on one thing at a time."
"... Okay, this is vague hunch and might be wrong, but, what I think is happening is that it doesn't like multitasking and likes being focused on one thing at a time."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Okay... hm. So, what are some intersection searches that would give you special, clearly interesting-in-themselves results? Like, 'vampire' and 'child', or 'mated' and 'in mourning', or 'witch' and 'skeptical that magic exists'."
Blair Lowell
"I'll try poking at those, yeah. Maybe I can get it to accept an intersection if I try and force two to go at the same time."
He attempts this thing! It is hard. He doesn't make any immediate progress, even as he tries ones that would have very interesting intersections.
"Maybe I'm coming at this wrong," he mutters. "This power of mine seems to think in silly moon logic, I am not thinking enough in silly moon logic..."
He attempts this thing! It is hard. He doesn't make any immediate progress, even as he tries ones that would have very interesting intersections.
"Maybe I'm coming at this wrong," he mutters. "This power of mine seems to think in silly moon logic, I am not thinking enough in silly moon logic..."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"It's your silly moon logic," Addy reminds him. "Do you like multitasking? If you don't, why not?"
Blair Lowell
"I mean, I will multitask if the circumstances call for it, and they often do, but I really don't want to get into a situation where I am juggling so many things I can't give each one the attention it deserves. So I tend to keep it to a minimum if I can, unless it's some kind of emergency."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Quick. Detect the Volturi witches, ignore the rank and file. It's an emergency."
Blair Lowell
... That's sort of not convincing at all as an emergency, but okay, he can attempt to consider it one.
He closes his eyes and attempts to pretend that the Volturi are after him for his power and will rip him away from everyone he cares about. Demetri hasn't seen him yet but he needs to make sure he never does, right this second, the longer it takes him the more likely he'll be screwed. Killing Demetri is impossible, he's guarded by Jane. The best way to win is to run, but run in a way that won't get him spotted by the one that could actually chase him forever, he needs to out-track him, c'mon -
Augh, doesn't go, his search doesn't accept 'Volturi' as a valid concept - vampire witches, he can do that, he got vampires and he got witches, those are doable, combine damn it.
Have personal opinions on vampire transition/good for playing with magic with?
It does one after the other, vampires then witches, he can pay attention to what lights up twice, but that's vague and directional and prone to messing up, he can only really detect them all if it does both at once, c'mon it's an emergency work damn you I need you to work.
He tries again - there's a bit of an overlap period, brief but definitely present, that's almost it, yes, come on, don't even lie and say you can't he knows he can multitask -
Two at once, again, push - and they overlap and both stay. Now detecting vampire witches.
He opens his eyes, blinking.
"... Got it. Couldn't get Volturi specifically, but I got vampire witches."
He closes his eyes and attempts to pretend that the Volturi are after him for his power and will rip him away from everyone he cares about. Demetri hasn't seen him yet but he needs to make sure he never does, right this second, the longer it takes him the more likely he'll be screwed. Killing Demetri is impossible, he's guarded by Jane. The best way to win is to run, but run in a way that won't get him spotted by the one that could actually chase him forever, he needs to out-track him, c'mon -
Augh, doesn't go, his search doesn't accept 'Volturi' as a valid concept - vampire witches, he can do that, he got vampires and he got witches, those are doable, combine damn it.
Have personal opinions on vampire transition/good for playing with magic with?
It does one after the other, vampires then witches, he can pay attention to what lights up twice, but that's vague and directional and prone to messing up, he can only really detect them all if it does both at once, c'mon it's an emergency work damn you I need you to work.
He tries again - there's a bit of an overlap period, brief but definitely present, that's almost it, yes, come on, don't even lie and say you can't he knows he can multitask -
Two at once, again, push - and they overlap and both stay. Now detecting vampire witches.
He opens his eyes, blinking.
"... Got it. Couldn't get Volturi specifically, but I got vampire witches."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
Boop. "Think you can do arbitrary intersections or just the one?"
Blair Lowell
"Let me test it."
Understand mate bond/in heavy mourning?
It's tricky and he has to push, it's not as easy as just looking for one, he slips the first time he tries it and just has a brief overlap, but his second try he gets it to go.
"They're more difficult, I slipped a bit and just had a brief overlap instead of both of them going the first time, but I got it on the second."
Understand mate bond/in heavy mourning?
It's tricky and he has to push, it's not as easy as just looking for one, he slips the first time he tries it and just has a brief overlap, but his second try he gets it to go.
"They're more difficult, I slipped a bit and just had a brief overlap instead of both of them going the first time, but I got it on the second."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
Boop. "Maybe it'll smooth out if you try more things."
Blair Lowell
Nod.
He tries more things.
It's not easy, but he can start consistently not slipping if he keeps pushing at this. ... Clearly he needs to practice at it more, but that's doable, he can practice at it more.
"I can make it stop slipping but it's still difficult to do. I think I'll need to practice at it a lot."
He tries more things.
It's not easy, but he can start consistently not slipping if he keeps pushing at this. ... Clearly he needs to practice at it more, but that's doable, he can practice at it more.
"I can make it stop slipping but it's still difficult to do. I think I'll need to practice at it a lot."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Practice is very important," Addy nods.
Blair Lowell
Nod.
"Yes, magic teacher. Is there an - ideal amount of practice that's best?"
He's thinking specifically of an ideal workout routine, actually. He vaguely recalls that this was a thing.
(Funny, he didn't remember his last name. Or his sister's name. Human memories are so bizarre.)
"Yes, magic teacher. Is there an - ideal amount of practice that's best?"
He's thinking specifically of an ideal workout routine, actually. He vaguely recalls that this was a thing.
(Funny, he didn't remember his last name. Or his sister's name. Human memories are so bizarre.)
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Depends on the person. I am getting a one hour twice a day vibe from you, and my vibes maybe expected to be unusually accurate this afternoon."
Blair Lowell
"I can do one hour twice a day," he says agreeably. "Hell, it'll even be easy, I like my power, it's fun to play with."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Lovely! Are you going to stay local for the time being?"
Blair Lowell
He actually would like to go find his sister and ask if she'd like to have a witchly teacher.
"I can stay a little while longer if you think it'll help, I'd rather not do something that might permanently stunt my magic, but my coven's probably going to start missing me soon."
"I can stay a little while longer if you think it'll help, I'd rather not do something that might permanently stunt my magic, but my coven's probably going to start missing me soon."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Oh, I'm sure you can find me easily whenever you start to plateau. No need to alarm your covenmates. The risk is that you'll start to find the existing avenues of exploration boring and you won't do your hour twice a day."
Blair Lowell
Nod.
"If I get bored and try a different avenue of exploration, would that hurt, too?"
"If I get bored and try a different avenue of exploration, would that hurt, too?"
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Only if it's a poorly chosen one."
Blair Lowell
"Poorly chosen like what?"
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Oh, you're not going to be able to sort anyone by blood type. Probably wouldn't be able to get there even if I'd caught you earlier."
Blair Lowell
Snort.
"Yeah, it's too personality based to ever do anything like that. I see the pattern of logic for getting it to work now, trying to bash it into doing what I want won't work."
"Yeah, it's too personality based to ever do anything like that. I see the pattern of logic for getting it to work now, trying to bash it into doing what I want won't work."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Yes. Although some witches can pivot. They get thing A, and teach it to do thing B, and then stretch all the way to thing C which is like B but not A."
Blair Lowell
He nods.
"Good to know. I'll see if I can pivot."
"Good to know. I'll see if I can pivot."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"You might be able to get more precise location information. And you might be able to sort by absence of feelings - you currently get people who have strong opinions about things, but sometimes it might be expedient to have it the other way 'round. And I think you could definitely learn to pick up more detail faster from a cold start."
Blair Lowell
"Yeah. I think I also want to see if I can talk an 'or' out of the intersecting search function, eventually."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Possible! Might be easier to pivot from the absence-of-feelings thing. Other conjunctions: not both, exclusive or."
Blair Lowell
Nod. "It'll be fun. Playing with powers is fun."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"I know, right?"
Blair Lowell
Smile.
....
Hm.
"I am okay with you occasionally showing up and poking me for my power to follow witches if you use my power to also aim for terrible people to eat," he says, because this is a very reasonable thing to ask of her, he thinks.
....
Hm.
"I am okay with you occasionally showing up and poking me for my power to follow witches if you use my power to also aim for terrible people to eat," he says, because this is a very reasonable thing to ask of her, he thinks.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Suits me fine! Where do you usually hang out? I'll lose your power as soon as I pick up another."
Blair Lowell
"For the foreseeable future it looks like it'll be England, I'll let you know if it changes."
Slightly risky, kind of puts her in the same area his sister will be in, but he thinks Yvette will actually want to get help with her power anyway. And if she doesn't, he will tell Addy to meet him elsewhere for power pokes.
Slightly risky, kind of puts her in the same area his sister will be in, but he thinks Yvette will actually want to get help with her power anyway. And if she doesn't, he will tell Addy to meet him elsewhere for power pokes.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"England's lousy with vampires and my own witchcraft doesn't have the range to sweep the place, do you wander the whole thing?"
Blair Lowell
"London, usually."
He is there often enough for her purposes, he thinks.
He is there often enough for her purposes, he thinks.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"All right. But just as well if you find me when you want to do more studying. Easier for you."
Blair Lowell
Nod.
"A bit, yeah."
"A bit, yeah."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"At least until I get another decent tracking power!"
Blair Lowell
Snort.
"Are all of them terrible?"
"Are all of them terrible?"
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Some of them. But tracking powers are easier to power up than some of the more esoteric things."
Blair Lowell
"Ah-ha. What kinds of esoteric things are there?"
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
Addy has met many witch powers, and loves talking about them and the things she could get them to do!
Blair Lowell
Blair learns some very interesting things about witch powers! This is good, he wanted to know about witch powers. He did not know enough about them before. There's a logic to them, it's fascinating.
But! Eventually Addy's human returns, and Blair would not like to freak the human out with The Second Strange Vampire; he bids Addy farewell and goes back to England.
He finds his sister. He tells her about the witch teacher who's kind of amoral but also really good at her job. ... Yvette is kind of uncomfortable with this but her power does not invade privacy and is highly fiddly. She could use a witch teacher.
She wraps up what things there are to wrap up in Oxford, and then Blair leads her back to Addy. ... And then persuades her to make the equivalent of ten thousand francs in twenty-four carat gold. Because it's funny.
Addy where are you, Blair has got a present. And a sister. He has both of those things!
But! Eventually Addy's human returns, and Blair would not like to freak the human out with The Second Strange Vampire; he bids Addy farewell and goes back to England.
He finds his sister. He tells her about the witch teacher who's kind of amoral but also really good at her job. ... Yvette is kind of uncomfortable with this but her power does not invade privacy and is highly fiddly. She could use a witch teacher.
She wraps up what things there are to wrap up in Oxford, and then Blair leads her back to Addy. ... And then persuades her to make the equivalent of ten thousand francs in twenty-four carat gold. Because it's funny.
Addy where are you, Blair has got a present. And a sister. He has both of those things!
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
Addy is in Estonia with a set of twins who do vocal mimicry and silent movement, respectively.
Blair Lowell
Well, he will wait until she is not immediately with them to go say hello.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
They're humans. They sleep. Addy is currently moving silently but that's no obstacle to Blair.
Blair Lowell
Nope!
"Hi, Addy!" says Blair, lightly. "I got you a present."
He holds up his bag of gold triumphantly.
"Hi, Addy!" says Blair, lightly. "I got you a present."
He holds up his bag of gold triumphantly.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
(Yvette is standing behind him looking faintly amused.)
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"What an appetizing present," Addy says, of Yvette, not the gold. Handshake?
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
... Slightly tentative handshake.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Oooooh. You've been working on this one, I can tell."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"A bit obsessively," she agrees. Her eyes are still newborn red. "It's really cool."
Blair Lowell
"I am heartbroken that you didn't humor my joke," complains Blair.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Well, now I have an idea of where you got the gold."
Blair Lowell
Snort.
"Addy, meet my sister, Yvette. Yvette, meet Addy, the witch teacher."
"Addy, meet my sister, Yvette. Yvette, meet Addy, the witch teacher."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"The latest thing I was working on was trying to transmute while moving the transmutation area," says Yvette, because Yvette is very business focused and a little uncomfortable. "Because the area I can transmute really doesn't want to get bigger. I've managed to claw half a cubic centimeter out of it so far but uh, it's sort of like banging my head against a brick wall."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Can you do several cubic centimeters in very rapid sequence? One per hand in parallel?"
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Copying, yes definitely, transmuting, mostly no, depending on the materials I'm working with. Something simple to something else simple I can manage almost quickly. And no, the transmutation's not attached to my hands, I can transmute with my elbow or something just fine, it's a total area, not a per-hand thing."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Hm. Can you transmute parts of yourself?"
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"I can copy parts of myself, I've transmuted bits of my hair, nails, venom, and teeth, I haven't tried to transmute skin or anything yet though. But it all works from the same transmutation volume, I don't get a free transmute everything ability for my own body."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"You can reshape the volume as you like?"
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Nod.
"I can get some distance if I make a very thin line with the max volume stretching out from me, but it definitely needs to start at some part of my body. ... Haven't tried my hair yet. I should probably try my hair."
"I can get some distance if I make a very thin line with the max volume stretching out from me, but it definitely needs to start at some part of my body. ... Haven't tried my hair yet. I should probably try my hair."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Turn an eyebrow hair into a regular hair," Addy suggests. "Can you join up objects by transmuting the surfaces between them?"
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
She attempts this thing, trying to use the hair itself as the anchor for the transmutation. ... This doesn't work. She has to start from skin to transmute it at all.
"Tried the hair, I could transmute it, but the hair itself doesn't work as an anchor. Just skin. Joining up objects depends on the type of surface between them - I haven't been able to transmute air into anything at all, but I've managed to get liquids, so if I submerge two objects in water I can join them up, or if I connect them with a suitably not-filled-with-air substance. I can make air, the problem's that air feels too mobile for me to grab. I've been working on it. I got some soap to mess with the surface tension of water to practice harder things and maybe see about working my way up to air."
"Tried the hair, I could transmute it, but the hair itself doesn't work as an anchor. Just skin. Joining up objects depends on the type of surface between them - I haven't been able to transmute air into anything at all, but I've managed to get liquids, so if I submerge two objects in water I can join them up, or if I connect them with a suitably not-filled-with-air substance. I can make air, the problem's that air feels too mobile for me to grab. I've been working on it. I got some soap to mess with the surface tension of water to practice harder things and maybe see about working my way up to air."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Hmmm - just skin? What about your eye or your nail?"
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Hmmm! Science.
"Eye, yes. Nail, no."
"Eye, yes. Nail, no."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Underside of your nail, into what would be the pink if we were pink sorts of people?"
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"No, but I can work from the part of the nail that's under the skin, which is interesting."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"That is interesting. Suggests the boundary's fuzzy, and fuzz means you can push it."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
She smiles a bit, and nods.
"I also have been working on some more fine control in transmuting - at first it was just a bland direct dump of whatever copy I made, now I have a bit more ability to pick and choose what I do or don't make."
"I also have been working on some more fine control in transmuting - at first it was just a bland direct dump of whatever copy I made, now I have a bit more ability to pick and choose what I do or don't make."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Do tell."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"When I had just turned, the edge of whatever transmutation I made was one and the same as the edge of the transmutation area - to get fiddly little details I had to fiddle with the shape of the transmutation area itself. Now, I can just make them in whatever shape I want, as long as it's in the transmutation area. This actually makes it significantly easier to have distance, because before it would always have a little trail of whatever it is I was making leading back to my anchor. I could put it back, but now I don't need to waste my time changing it and putting it back at all. Though it's faster to let the transmutation area be my border if I can."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Hmm."
Addy pokes Blair's nose. "Why do you think you have this and not something else?" she asks.
Addy pokes Blair's nose. "Why do you think you have this and not something else?" she asks.
Blair Lowell
(Blair is mildly surprised that Addy remembers he exists. He thought they were both too far into the magic nerd zone.)
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Because I am a highly detail oriented perfectionistic malcontent that wants to make the world better. It sort of, uh, fits."
Blair's power agrees.
Blair's power agrees.
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"The world, not specific cubic centimeters of the world. Why so small, so slow? You've got a vampire brain, it could handle a bigger version of the same thing."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"I'm not sure! It doesn't seem to have anything to do with my ability to handle it. The times that I've worked at getting it bigger it sort of feels like a, a - stretchy kind of hurt? Sort of like I'm overreaching. I don't know what's causing it at all." Pause. "It's annoying."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"That's very irregular. Some witchcrafts cause mental strain, even headaches, but other sorts of pain feedback - well, on the witch, anyway - almost unheard of. Especially a vampire witch. Hm. Go into more detail on your detail-orientation?"
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"I like knowing all of everything about a topic I'm working on, and having - I suppose control over a situation. Thinking out all of my options, making a neat little to-do list, planning everything out and making sure whatever I'm doing is going to go as well as possible. I can sometimes get stuck, moved to inaction because I feel that I don't know everything or that I might mess up." Pause. "... Now that I've said that all out loud the problem with the size of the transmutation area makes sense."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"I thought it might. Do you think you could transmute something you already knew very well faster?"
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Yeah. ... Now I want to see if I can speed up transmutation by studying the copies I made a bit more carefully."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"That sounds promising."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Nod.
She retrieves a bit of gold from her brother, transmutes it to diamond for the sake of seeing how fast she can do it without studying it, and then she transmutes it back. Then she studies her copy of diamond.
The next time she transmutes it, it's definitely faster. Not incredibly fast, but the speed of the transmutation's improved.
Yvette smiles a little, and pronounces, "Studying them looks like a step in the right direction. ... I bet with how I work I can wrestle my power into helping me study what I copy."
She retrieves a bit of gold from her brother, transmutes it to diamond for the sake of seeing how fast she can do it without studying it, and then she transmutes it back. Then she studies her copy of diamond.
The next time she transmutes it, it's definitely faster. Not incredibly fast, but the speed of the transmutation's improved.
Yvette smiles a little, and pronounces, "Studying them looks like a step in the right direction. ... I bet with how I work I can wrestle my power into helping me study what I copy."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Maybe if you get it into the right kind of feedback loop you'll be able to work at the speed of thought."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Maybe!" she sounds delighted by the thought. "It has a lot of room to grow, I think."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Oh, I quite agree. It's one of the most promising I've ever run into, and I make it my business to run into many."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Yvette grins.
"I promise to practice obsessively. Are there more - obvious things that are sticking out to you?"
"I promise to practice obsessively. Are there more - obvious things that are sticking out to you?"
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"I think you can get faster, I think you can get the area larger... I wonder," Addy muses, "if you can get range beyond touch. It doesn't seem to want it, but it's often possible in touch range powers. I also wonder if you could learn higher-level information about the nature of things you copy than just their physical structure - read books by touching them at some normal reading speed, say."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"That'd be nice," she agrees. "I'll see about working my way up to it."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Getting range beyond touch sometimes involves tricking yourself into thinking you might as well be touching things. Your trick to work through water could be a stepping stone."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Nod. "Makes sense. I'm not very good at tricking myself, but - I mean, obviously I'll try."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Mm - not so much tricking yourself, per se, as tricking the parts of your logic that gave rise to the power. If you can think, all the way through yourself, 'this is stupid, it should work like this instead, it would only make sense that way', you're halfway there."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
She considers, then nods. "That's a bit more doable."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Isn't it just? I don't know why more people don't bully their magic into working better."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Yvette shrugs. "Distracted by shiny new vampirism? Just thinking that's how it works and not questioning it? Thinking they have all the time in the world and then never getting around to it?" Pause. "I am not very good at this, I was playing with my power ten minutes after I finished turning."
Blair Lowell
"And after she finished cackling."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"I often work with human witches, who only have the second excuse."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
"Hm. I don't know, then. This is an alien concept to me, flinging myself into magic gleefully just seemed the obvious thing to do."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"I'm so pleased."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Blair Lowell
"Personally, I was a bit busy," says Blair. "I had a coven to plan to kill and then had to figure out how not to murder people randomly and then needed to get you vampirism and my witch power seemed a bit less important in comparison to all of that. I'd poked at it, but hadn't seriously sat down and figured out how to make it better. I imagine that someone could get into a similar situation and then just never pick it up again."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"Incidentally, you'll be pleased to know that for as long as I held on to your power I did restrict myself to meals I doubted you'd get along with very well."
Blair Lowell
"Thank you!"
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"I didn't hold it long, though. Obvious reasons."
Blair Lowell
"Yeah, I figured. Every person counts, though."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
Blair Lowell
"Are you surprised that my witch power comes honestly? I like people."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"No, I'm not surprised at all."
Blair Lowell
Neither is Blair, actually. He already knows Addy doesn't care about people very much. And that she disagrees with his 'every person counts' statement.
"But seriously. Thanks."
"But seriously. Thanks."
Adelaide "Addy" Bauer | Imperial Factotum
taste_tester
"You're welcome."
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Yvette prods at her power a little bit more with Addy's help. She wrestles a better copied-item organization scheme, and this helps her get faster with everything else, but a lot of it's just going to come down to practice. Her power is very stubborn about being touch based, though Yvette is optimistic about persuading it to work from her nails and hair instead of just her skin.
Eventually it is nearing the time that humans will cease sleeping! There's more work to be done on Yvette's power, but she seems to have the right sort of mindset and has already proven to apply herself from the beginning to improving it. She and Blair depart.
Yvette goes back to Oxford, because gosh, she has got some more chemistry to learn while she plays with her power!
Blair Lowell
Blair does not go back to England. There is another witch who might want to improve his power a bit more. Maybe get himself an off switch.
Knock knock, Cullens, guess who's there?
Knock knock, Cullens, guess who's there?
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"I don't think so," Edward says when he opens the door.
"Welcome, Blair," says Esme, with a hint of reproach for Edward.
"Come in," Edward says, "but I don't think I want the copy witch to know I exist, if she's as you're thinking."
"Welcome, Blair," says Esme, with a hint of reproach for Edward.
"Come in," Edward says, "but I don't think I want the copy witch to know I exist, if she's as you're thinking."
Blair Lowell
"Hello, Esme," says Blair, amused.
Inside he goes. "She is exactly how I'm thinking. Not wanting to see her is fair; I haven't mentioned you at all. ... But I do think that if you can you should work on your power a bit, I get the impression that a lot of them can really grow if you put in the effort. And then if you don't, it's stuck like it is forever."
Inside he goes. "She is exactly how I'm thinking. Not wanting to see her is fair; I haven't mentioned you at all. ... But I do think that if you can you should work on your power a bit, I get the impression that a lot of them can really grow if you put in the effort. And then if you don't, it's stuck like it is forever."
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"Is there some particular expansion...? And I've been a vampire longer than you have, anyway. It may already be stuck."
Blair Lowell
"It also might not be. If you have the time I think it's worth the effort. And - I don't know, if you could prod your power into going in a direction, what would you want from it?"
Blair thinks 'the ability to turn it off' is a pretty good idea, because always-on mind reading sounds really obnoxious when you don't want to hear everyone's thoughts.
Blair thinks 'the ability to turn it off' is a pretty good idea, because always-on mind reading sounds really obnoxious when you don't want to hear everyone's thoughts.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"It's not so hard to ignore, unless someone happens to think of someone called Edward. And we've avoided close calls before by having me attentive even when I might not have wanted to be if I had an - off-switch."
"Edward, most covens manage all right without a telepath. You can have a break from looking out for us," Esme says.
"Even so."
"Edward, most covens manage all right without a telepath. You can have a break from looking out for us," Esme says.
"Even so."
Blair Lowell
Blair is mildly disappointed in Edward's creativity. An off switch could be person-dependent but still universally always on for everyone else, such that he could avoid getting, say, Rosalie's thoughts all the time but still pick up everyone else. Or he might be able to persuade it to get his attention when something alarming happens and he won't have to personally pay attention, and just get little alerts. Or more distance faster, or - a number of other things, he hasn't thought a lot about how to upgrade mind reading because his privacy invasion power is of a highly different flavor.
But it is ultimately up to Edward, and he will shoo if Edward doesn't want to try it at all. If he does, though, he's got Blair's help.
"That's not the only thing possible," he points out, for Esme's benefit, "if you don't want an off-switch."
But it is ultimately up to Edward, and he will shoo if Edward doesn't want to try it at all. If he does, though, he's got Blair's help.
"That's not the only thing possible," he points out, for Esme's benefit, "if you don't want an off-switch."
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"I don't think I can get my power to do any filtering for me, and increasing my range would be more curse than blessing."
Blair Lowell
He doesn't know the specifics of how Edward's power works, but it might be possible to have intentions instead of direct thoughts be louder? To tell from a - not a glance, but from the mind reading equivalent of it if a person's thoughts are worth paying attention to, if they might be dangerous or not.
But Blair can't really get a good idea of what direction his powers might go if pushed, what are Edward's thoughts on why this is his witchcraft?
"Stop me if this is getting annoying and you'd like me to stop bugging you about it."
But Blair can't really get a good idea of what direction his powers might go if pushed, what are Edward's thoughts on why this is his witchcraft?
"Stop me if this is getting annoying and you'd like me to stop bugging you about it."
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"I was always very good at reading people. I don't remember it very clearly, but... I could tell if they were lying, distracted, angry, manipulative. And now I get more detail and more distance. It's already a remarkable stretch. I suspect it doesn't go any farther and that it's incompatible with the nature of the power for it to only work when I try, because social reading is so automatic."
Blair Lowell
It's magic. Nothing's a stretch. Sure it's based around personality, but it can grow from there. His started as a vague personality-teller and loved-ones tracker and weird bizarre plot device finder, and now he's pretty sure he's better at tracking than Demetri.
So personalized off-switches got rejected and an ordinary off-switch got rejected and filtering's a bust and range is a bust and extra detail seems to not be a thing Edward wants to aim for, social, social -
(He is getting the impression that Edward seems to want to be a bit tortured by his power, and this seems like a thing that might be mildly unpleasant and like something that Edward might like to stop, Blair is kind of confused.)
Ah-ha. Okay. Hear him out. Social is more than just reading other people. It's not just a thing that happens automatically. The thing about social is that it's communication. Proverbial reading goes hand in hand with proverbial writing. They are literally using this for communication right now. What's stopping Edward from gaining the other side of this social interaction? That is, telepathy. Or if that's too far, figuring out how to word things so that Edward will be easily understood.
He clarifies that he is brainstorming and that if Edward thinks there is a direction his power can jump, then they should definitely do that.
So personalized off-switches got rejected and an ordinary off-switch got rejected and filtering's a bust and range is a bust and extra detail seems to not be a thing Edward wants to aim for, social, social -
(He is getting the impression that Edward seems to want to be a bit tortured by his power, and this seems like a thing that might be mildly unpleasant and like something that Edward might like to stop, Blair is kind of confused.)
Ah-ha. Okay. Hear him out. Social is more than just reading other people. It's not just a thing that happens automatically. The thing about social is that it's communication. Proverbial reading goes hand in hand with proverbial writing. They are literally using this for communication right now. What's stopping Edward from gaining the other side of this social interaction? That is, telepathy. Or if that's too far, figuring out how to word things so that Edward will be easily understood.
He clarifies that he is brainstorming and that if Edward thinks there is a direction his power can jump, then they should definitely do that.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"Oh, I did try sending messages back, when I was new and didn't know quite what I had. It didn't work."
Blair Lowell
"Okay, what did you try specifically?"
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"You seem very fixated on this," Edward remarks. "I 'hear' thoughts, but it's synaesthetic; I composed messages in the same medium and tried to aim them at people. Nothing happened."
Blair Lowell
Blair doesn't quite understand why Edward isn't fixated on this, but Blair has a way to possibly improve Edward's life permanently, he would like Edward's life improved, why wouldn't he? They're cousins. It's the obvious thing to do. He'll shoo if Edward wants him to shoo but if this doesn't bother him hell yes he's going to stand here for two hours brainstorming how to improve Edward's power. Longer, probably, he's got nowhere to be. Why wouldn't he?
Also, Blair has ideas for why that wouldn't work. Edward's getting thoughts in his synaesthetic format. But thoughts don't work like that, there isn't a universal thought language. Some people think in the color of music or the texture of trees or a number of other things, just shoving what Edward gets at people in the same format doesn't seem like it would work, it seems like Edward might need to know who he's talking to. That just makes sense for social interaction, it's all translation from all of the different ways people think, and language is just the major medium used.
Also, Blair has ideas for why that wouldn't work. Edward's getting thoughts in his synaesthetic format. But thoughts don't work like that, there isn't a universal thought language. Some people think in the color of music or the texture of trees or a number of other things, just shoving what Edward gets at people in the same format doesn't seem like it would work, it seems like Edward might need to know who he's talking to. That just makes sense for social interaction, it's all translation from all of the different ways people think, and language is just the major medium used.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"Yes, believe it or not, I know that people think differently, Blair. It was more complicated than what you're thinking; verbalizing it is simply challenging in a language that was not designed for discussing all the possible flavors of telepathy. It still didn't work."
Blair Lowell
Okay, fair enough. He apologizes for assuming that Edward's simplified explanation was the whole story.
Uhhhhh meta power for guarding his own social equivalent of 'body language'? Protect himself against other mind readers? ... That's damned impossible to test, not the best idea.
Ferrying thoughts he gets to other people? Something to get the general feel of a crowd without having to personally read every single mind present? Not that this is a problem, he's a vampire, nevermind there. Range extension for people he knows? Blair almost thinks 'way to tell if they're vampires or not' and then recalls that Edward wouldn't have the same problem he did, so he quickly skips over that.
... Is he sure he doesn't want to try for the thing that lets him turn it off for certain people of his choice? That seems just useful without the stated downsides he's mentioned so far.
Uhhhhh meta power for guarding his own social equivalent of 'body language'? Protect himself against other mind readers? ... That's damned impossible to test, not the best idea.
Ferrying thoughts he gets to other people? Something to get the general feel of a crowd without having to personally read every single mind present? Not that this is a problem, he's a vampire, nevermind there. Range extension for people he knows? Blair almost thinks 'way to tell if they're vampires or not' and then recalls that Edward wouldn't have the same problem he did, so he quickly skips over that.
... Is he sure he doesn't want to try for the thing that lets him turn it off for certain people of his choice? That seems just useful without the stated downsides he's mentioned so far.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"If my power wanted to orient defensively I could try it against you," Edward points out. "But it might be a drawback if the Volturi visit. Wouldn't want to look like I have something to hide. My range for people I know did grow over time. Though it's hard to disentangle from my knowledge of people growing while the span of possible ranges was fixed, I suppose. And - emergencies are seldom, but if I had been giving Carlisle privacy when he found Rosalie, I would not have been able to warn you and Yvette. As an example."
Blair Lowell
Oh right, he is a test for that, isn't he, with his privacy invasion power. It's easy to forget, it's sort of just part of him now. Even as he practices it at least two hours a day. If Edward wants to test it with him, they can.
Blair gets the implication that the thing to worry about for the Volturi is not them thinking he has something to hide, but them thinking that they would like him to join them. And if he makes a defense, assumingly he could drop it, in which case, they'd see it as a sign of trust. ... Of course, he could always figure out how to just hide certain things, make everything else look ordinary... Bad Blair, don't go thinking of ways to subvert the Volturi, that is how you get set on fire.
Personalized off switches unless a person thinks his name? He doesn't have to use it if he doesn't want to, but there might come a time when he would like to, and it'd be a shame if he couldn't.
Blair gets the implication that the thing to worry about for the Volturi is not them thinking he has something to hide, but them thinking that they would like him to join them. And if he makes a defense, assumingly he could drop it, in which case, they'd see it as a sign of trust. ... Of course, he could always figure out how to just hide certain things, make everything else look ordinary... Bad Blair, don't go thinking of ways to subvert the Volturi, that is how you get set on fire.
Personalized off switches unless a person thinks his name? He doesn't have to use it if he doesn't want to, but there might come a time when he would like to, and it'd be a shame if he couldn't.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"Sounds... finicky. But if it really did work like that I suppose it would do."
Blair Lowell
Okay, he thinks they need to do this in two parts, the getting the name thing down, and getting him an off switch. Once both exist they seem pretty easy to combine. So - it manifests as hearing. And is based around how well Edward can read people.
Well, Blair doesn't know about Edward, but Blair sure notices when people say his name, or occasionally syllables that are close to his name. Just a - psychological thing that's built into one's brain. Recognizing important syllables that coincide with oneself. Since Edward's power manifests as hearing, doesn't it make sense for it to carry over to it?
Well, Blair doesn't know about Edward, but Blair sure notices when people say his name, or occasionally syllables that are close to his name. Just a - psychological thing that's built into one's brain. Recognizing important syllables that coincide with oneself. Since Edward's power manifests as hearing, doesn't it make sense for it to carry over to it?
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"I do wind up paying attention to anyone who thinks of any Edward by name."
Blair Lowell
Good, that's already mostly-there, then. Other part first, he supposes.
How does his tuning out work, what are the specifics of it?
How does his tuning out work, what are the specifics of it?
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"It's just attentional. Like ignoring a mote of dust. A little harder than that, but I've practiced."
Blair Lowell
Well that seems a bit strange - the power is his. It's already doing so much impossible stuff by doing what it's doing, why is turning it off difficult? Or, to be specific, why does Edward think it's difficult?
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"I was very good at reading people, and you don't have to try to do that. It's automatic, all on a lower level. If you can hear someone you know their tone, if you can see them you can read their expression."
Blair Lowell
Yes, but you can choose to look away, or choose to cover your ears, or even - sometimes his sister has had moments where she completely ignores anything anyone says, not even realizing anyone's said anything at all. This is different from ignoring the information one gets after hearing or looking at someone in the form of automatic reading. This is not getting the information to be automatically interpreted at all. Which Edward can't seem to do - that seems incorrect. If this is a secondary effect of a primary sense, he should have the ability to not have to have that primary sense turned towards the person, like any other sense. Does Edward see what he means?
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"You can close your eyes, but covering your ears doesn't work as well. I can't actually hear unfamiliar minds from farther away than I can hear voices, what with vampire senses. Even if I put my hands over my ears."
Blair Lowell
Okay, but it's obviously not actually connected to hearing. He can read people from further than that. And - has Edward tested this, can he read people when he's deaf?
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"Haven't been outright deaf since turning but I doubt it makes a difference."
Blair Lowell
So this is not actually connected to the senses he seems to associate it with. Why does it need to follow the same rules at all?
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"What makes you think I know?"
Blair Lowell
"That was more rhetoric," he says out loud.
It's all about thought processes, letting yourself be constrained by rules that aren't actually rules is a great way to stunt yourself. So if he acknowledges that it doesn't work by any other senses, and admits that it doesn't need to, he's (theoretically) a few steps closer to actually removing the rules.
It's all about thought processes, letting yourself be constrained by rules that aren't actually rules is a great way to stunt yourself. So if he acknowledges that it doesn't work by any other senses, and admits that it doesn't need to, he's (theoretically) a few steps closer to actually removing the rules.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"If you say so," says Edward skeptically.
Blair Lowell
Remember, Edward, this is magic. It works by questionable logic anyway, the trick is harnessing the questionable logic and bending it to your will for convenience.
He has to occasionally stop and think What would Addy do, but with his power and experience working with her, his model of her is fairly accurate. Not quite as good as actually having her available, but decent enough to work for their purposes. Blair is kinder than Addy would be, but he definitely displays a stubborn streak. As long as Edward's willing to humor him, he's going to be trying to improve his power. Because damn it, Edward might need or want its improvements one day, and if he ever does, it should be available to him.
But it's up to Edward to make any real progress.
He has to occasionally stop and think What would Addy do, but with his power and experience working with her, his model of her is fairly accurate. Not quite as good as actually having her available, but decent enough to work for their purposes. Blair is kinder than Addy would be, but he definitely displays a stubborn streak. As long as Edward's willing to humor him, he's going to be trying to improve his power. Because damn it, Edward might need or want its improvements one day, and if he ever does, it should be available to him.
But it's up to Edward to make any real progress.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
Edward mopes his way through the entire process; "humoring him" is definitely the operative motive.
...But one day he manages to stop listening to Blair. And then smiles enigmatically while Blair continues his "not bothering to talk aloud" method of teaching.
...But one day he manages to stop listening to Blair. And then smiles enigmatically while Blair continues his "not bothering to talk aloud" method of teaching.
Blair Lowell
"... Did you just figure out how to stop listening to me," he guesses, after getting no response from Edward about his current train of thought at all.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
"Yes. You have finally badgered me into switching you off. I'm sure this was your plan all along."
Blair Lowell
"Clearly! But we're not done yet, we still need to make sure you'll still catch your name -"
And so it begins again. This time he speaks aloud.
And so it begins again. This time he speaks aloud.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
The next breakthrough is much quicker than the first.
Blair Lowell
Excellent.
(Blair is so happy about this, he keeps resisting the urge to actually dance. Helping out allies! BEST THING!)
That is about the only thing Edward wanted to improve, though, and unlike some other potential magic teachers this actually matters to Blair. So, once they have the second breakthrough, Blair calls it quits and will leave Edward in peace.
Well, after he catches up with the other Cullens. There was some time he spent with them while Edward was away for various reasons, but that's not quite the same as actively focusing on them.
Esme gets help with home improvements; he helps repaint a room and fix siding and then solicits his power to find her a good person to sell the specific type of curtains that go with the style in the bedroom without being too much. Carlisle gets updates on Yvette's progress in learning all of the everything (she is learning a lot of everything, but is keeping away from getting a medical degree until her control's better) and how her control's doing (it hasn't wavered once), and then cheerily talks morality and the value of people and his general philosophy with him. He is not a fan of arbitrary moral constructs, but definitely agrees that people are incredibly important and all deserve the best chance they can get if it doesn't come at the cost of someone else. If it does - well, that gets more complicated. But generally Blair likes to minimize the hurt in the world. Rosalie gets checked on, and then asked if she'd like custom-made jewelry (his sister is planning to practice making jewelry she designs instead of just hunks of metal or endless copies) or anything pretty from foreign places when he inevitably travels around the world. He talks music with Edward, talks about the trends occurring in England and France and promising to get Edward this record while he's over there that's been troublesome to find in the United States.
If he were trying to be manipulative and win them over, this behavior might be annoying, but he's distinctly not. He sincerely likes interacting with them, he likes getting them things they like, likes being friendly. No strings attached.
(Blair is so happy about this, he keeps resisting the urge to actually dance. Helping out allies! BEST THING!)
That is about the only thing Edward wanted to improve, though, and unlike some other potential magic teachers this actually matters to Blair. So, once they have the second breakthrough, Blair calls it quits and will leave Edward in peace.
Well, after he catches up with the other Cullens. There was some time he spent with them while Edward was away for various reasons, but that's not quite the same as actively focusing on them.
Esme gets help with home improvements; he helps repaint a room and fix siding and then solicits his power to find her a good person to sell the specific type of curtains that go with the style in the bedroom without being too much. Carlisle gets updates on Yvette's progress in learning all of the everything (she is learning a lot of everything, but is keeping away from getting a medical degree until her control's better) and how her control's doing (it hasn't wavered once), and then cheerily talks morality and the value of people and his general philosophy with him. He is not a fan of arbitrary moral constructs, but definitely agrees that people are incredibly important and all deserve the best chance they can get if it doesn't come at the cost of someone else. If it does - well, that gets more complicated. But generally Blair likes to minimize the hurt in the world. Rosalie gets checked on, and then asked if she'd like custom-made jewelry (his sister is planning to practice making jewelry she designs instead of just hunks of metal or endless copies) or anything pretty from foreign places when he inevitably travels around the world. He talks music with Edward, talks about the trends occurring in England and France and promising to get Edward this record while he's over there that's been troublesome to find in the United States.
If he were trying to be manipulative and win them over, this behavior might be annoying, but he's distinctly not. He sincerely likes interacting with them, he likes getting them things they like, likes being friendly. No strings attached.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
The Cullens are fond of their cousin.
Blair Lowell
Their cousin is fond of them too.
But eventually, it's time for him to depart. Back to Europe! He gives Yvette descriptions of the jewelry Rosalie would like and buys appropriate records for mailing.
Then, he's got a clear schedule. He finds and pokes Addy (his power is still improving, but more slowly) and informs her that he's probably just going to travel around everywhere and show up periodically to poke her. She's easy to find, anyway. Well, for him. And then he's off again.
He hasn't learned Norwegian yet, and he thinks he can start getting his power to lead him to people he can help. Not in overtly vampiric ways, but helping a troubled family with a bit of well placed money and help finding a job, sitting down and talking to someone that's convinced life is meaningless and no one cares - the right person in the right place can make all the difference to one person. Besides, it's practice with his power. And nice. Efficiency!
Yvette's the one with the regular address. Well - a regular PO box. Same difference. So she's the one that gets mail from the Cullens and hears about news. Not that there's usually much to say.
But eventually, it's time for him to depart. Back to Europe! He gives Yvette descriptions of the jewelry Rosalie would like and buys appropriate records for mailing.
Then, he's got a clear schedule. He finds and pokes Addy (his power is still improving, but more slowly) and informs her that he's probably just going to travel around everywhere and show up periodically to poke her. She's easy to find, anyway. Well, for him. And then he's off again.
He hasn't learned Norwegian yet, and he thinks he can start getting his power to lead him to people he can help. Not in overtly vampiric ways, but helping a troubled family with a bit of well placed money and help finding a job, sitting down and talking to someone that's convinced life is meaningless and no one cares - the right person in the right place can make all the difference to one person. Besides, it's practice with his power. And nice. Efficiency!
Yvette's the one with the regular address. Well - a regular PO box. Same difference. So she's the one that gets mail from the Cullens and hears about news. Not that there's usually much to say.
There is another Cullen, just two years after the last new addition. His name is Emmett and Edward would like to convey his thanks to Blair for the off-switch because he and Rosalie would otherwise be difficult to be near.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
...
Oh.
And Yvette wasn't present to copy anything at all.
She is happy for Rosalie finding her mate (... Well she's happy that Rosalie's happy, anyway) but augh damn it she should have been there! Instead - fuck, and it definitely mattered to Rosalie. Idiot idiot idiot she should have realized -
Augh. Just. Augh.
Well. There's nothing to be done for it now. She asks if it would be okay to visit, noting that Blair will notice her change in location and show up eventually after she does, but until then he doesn't know anything's wrong and is currently somewhere in - China, she thinks.
Oh.
And Yvette wasn't present to copy anything at all.
She is happy for Rosalie finding her mate (... Well she's happy that Rosalie's happy, anyway) but augh damn it she should have been there! Instead - fuck, and it definitely mattered to Rosalie. Idiot idiot idiot she should have realized -
Augh. Just. Augh.
Well. There's nothing to be done for it now. She asks if it would be okay to visit, noting that Blair will notice her change in location and show up eventually after she does, but until then he doesn't know anything's wrong and is currently somewhere in - China, she thinks.
She's fine to visit, although Emmett is pretty newborny compared to other vampires she has met/been.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
How newborny are they talking? She can wait if they'd rather.
(Not like there's a time limit that matters anymore, all of his blood would have been cleaned up by the time the first letter got to her.)
She also notes that she was not close enough to copy anything before Emmett was turned, and is extremely bothered by this. As such, she'd like to know if they know of any good colleges in the United States for her to solicit all of the knowledge from. Something close enough to reach them before turning complete, at least. She didn't learn the country very well while she was there and carefully being a very safe newborn.
(Not like there's a time limit that matters anymore, all of his blood would have been cleaned up by the time the first letter got to her.)
She also notes that she was not close enough to copy anything before Emmett was turned, and is extremely bothered by this. As such, she'd like to know if they know of any good colleges in the United States for her to solicit all of the knowledge from. Something close enough to reach them before turning complete, at least. She didn't learn the country very well while she was there and carefully being a very safe newborn.
There are many fine academic institutions in the US, but she shouldn't feel obliged, of course. Emmett is coherent but short-tempered and very strong.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Obliged is not exactly the right word. She feels responsible. There is a wrong in the world that she could have made right if she'd realized that maybe someone else would be turned before she finished learning a good amount of everything. Rosalie is a little bit hurt because she screwed up, and she can't ever take that back.
She doesn't write that, and instead goes with, 'It's no trouble at all.'
She picks out a suitable college to stalk in the United States, packs up all of her things, and then abroad she goes. Possibly not to meet Emmett immediately, but to be on the side of the water where she won't irrevocably make mistakes just by being far away.
The Cullens get a letter with the address for her new PO box (located in Boston, the university she ended up going with was Harvard) that tells them where they can find her, and opting out of being near the very strong short tempered newborn. She'd really rather avoid getting into fights with any of her cousins.
She doesn't write that, and instead goes with, 'It's no trouble at all.'
She picks out a suitable college to stalk in the United States, packs up all of her things, and then abroad she goes. Possibly not to meet Emmett immediately, but to be on the side of the water where she won't irrevocably make mistakes just by being far away.
The Cullens get a letter with the address for her new PO box (located in Boston, the university she ended up going with was Harvard) that tells them where they can find her, and opting out of being near the very strong short tempered newborn. She'd really rather avoid getting into fights with any of her cousins.
They're currently living in Maine, which she knows.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Yep. It is suitably close by that she could save some unborn children before someone's turning is completed augh.
She is a bit more misery than is customary. Not that anyone she knows is around to notice. She keeps her letters carefully neutral.
She is a bit more misery than is customary. Not that anyone she knows is around to notice. She keeps her letters carefully neutral.
Blair Lowell
And in a few weeks Blair shows up (she moved abruptly, something was obviously up, so here he is) and hears about the situation. Then he hugs her, and reminds her that saving literally everyone is not her responsibility. They will just - not go near while Emmett's still a newborn. Partially because it's easier that way, and partially so Yvette can be a little bit less misery when she meets her new cousin.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Then when he is no longer a newborn:
Lowell siblings, in Maine.
(Yvette is subtly misery. And trying to figure out what to say to Rosalie and failing. So mostly it's just 'I fucked up I fucked up I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry.')
Lowell siblings, in Maine.
(Yvette is subtly misery. And trying to figure out what to say to Rosalie and failing. So mostly it's just 'I fucked up I fucked up I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry.')
Emmett seems pretty cheerful. Rosalie is infatuated and even in moments when she isn't gazing at her mate she doesn't bring it up.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Yvette finds an appropriate time to quietly inform Rosalie that she's going to attempt to figure out how to re-human vampire pieces. She has no idea how she'll do this, but - she has forever to figure it out. So. That's nice.
(She's seriously so sorry augh!)
(She's seriously so sorry augh!)
Blair Lowell
Blair is the cheerful one. He doesn't hover over his sister, exactly, but he does go out of the way to attempt to cheer her up. Sometimes it even works.
Also, you know. Introduce himself to Emmett. Hi Emmett!
(And give Rosalie foreign pretty things.)
Also, you know. Introduce himself to Emmett. Hi Emmett!
(And give Rosalie foreign pretty things.)
Emmett says hi! He is not a complicated person.
Blair Lowell
That's okay, Blair doesn't have a quota for how complicated a person must be for him to like them. And he likes Emmett well enough. He thinks that he and Rosalie are incredibly cute together and he wishes them happiness.
...
And also is maybe considering Emmett for a sparring partner. It would be fun! And educational! But he doesn't want to upset Rosalie.
...
And also is maybe considering Emmett for a sparring partner. It would be fun! And educational! But he doesn't want to upset Rosalie.
Rosalie doesn't mind, if she is asked. Emmett would like a sparring partner.
Blair Lowell
Welp.
Clearly what they must do is rip each other's limbs off.
Clearly what they must do is rip each other's limbs off.
Rawr.
Blair Lowell
Rawr!
It's fun. Their fighting styles are very different - even when he's no longer a newborn, Emmett's definitely stronger than Blair. And he moves faster than one would expect from him. But he's not very subtle. Blair isn't faster or stronger or even really more experienced - after his first two vampire fights (well, one and a half, since it was mostly ambush) he's avoided all conflict since. But he is clever, and often very subtle. And surprisingly ruthless, though he always draws the line at the proper point. It is still sparring, and will never become anything but.
It's fun. Their fighting styles are very different - even when he's no longer a newborn, Emmett's definitely stronger than Blair. And he moves faster than one would expect from him. But he's not very subtle. Blair isn't faster or stronger or even really more experienced - after his first two vampire fights (well, one and a half, since it was mostly ambush) he's avoided all conflict since. But he is clever, and often very subtle. And surprisingly ruthless, though he always draws the line at the proper point. It is still sparring, and will never become anything but.
All in fun! Lots of fun!
Blair Lowell
Yes! Also actual experience fighting for if they ever need to! Useful stuff!
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
... Yvette thinks this is kind of silly, but she would like to not get turned to gravel instantly if she ever gets into a fight and her life's at risk. Um. How does Emmett feel about having another vampire to spar with?
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
Emmett's all for it!
...Edward might be a less injurious tutor because he can identify mistakes for her without having to instantly take advantage of them!
...Edward might be a less injurious tutor because he can identify mistakes for her without having to instantly take advantage of them!
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
That is a much better option. If he's okay with it. Reattaching limbs gets a bit old.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
Edward doesn't love fighting in the way Emmett seems to, but he doesn't mind.
And he's very good at it.
And he's very good at it.
Yvette Lowell
poll-the-stars
Well, good. That means she has more to learn. Though honestly she's not surprised that he's good at it - he can read her mind. And see what she's going to do next. Kinda obvious that he'd be good at it.
In an actual fight for her life she thinks she'd use her witch power, but - this is not an actual fight. And her power is kind of terrifying. So she's not touching it. She'll consider potential combat applications of it and work on speeding up transmutation and this does give her an idea to try transmuting moving objects, and -
She seems to be getting over her misery.
In an actual fight for her life she thinks she'd use her witch power, but - this is not an actual fight. And her power is kind of terrifying. So she's not touching it. She'll consider potential combat applications of it and work on speeding up transmutation and this does give her an idea to try transmuting moving objects, and -
She seems to be getting over her misery.
Edward Anthony Masen Cullen
honey_twining
That's good, then.