"I think that however intense you think they are, they're more, even when you take this advice into account."

"... Okay. Noted. That sounds more overwhelming than fun, though."

"Extra brainspace makes it... not as overwhelming. And you get used to it."

"I suppose so, yeah. So it'd be the first couple of years that are the real danger. You said my brother had excellent control for his age?"

"He did, yes. He was carrying a guy when I found him, to bring to his covenmates, but when I agreed to help him kill them he let me eat him without even growling."

Yvette... stops walking.

"I'm sorry, what."

"—oh, he wanted revenge on his covenmates for turning him and forcing him to eat people and become a mass murderer. He was waiting until he could be sure he could take them, I think, but when I showed up I helped him."

"Oh. And he was carrying a guy... Why?"

"He was the coven's designated hunter because his covenmates didn't really enjoy doing it and he had strong opinions about which type of people they should eat so they let him fetch their food."

"Oh. That... makes sense. And he has since been informed that animals are a thing he can eat, and has since switched, probably."

"He did seem interested in the concept, and you'd know him better than I do."

"It... depends on some factors. He'd do it for me if he remembered me properly, I think, but I'm not sure he does. And I don't know how traumatized he was by his turning and how much he needs a hug about it."

"He did not seem traumatized..."

She raises her eyebrows. "He wanted to kill these people? In revenge for forcing him to kill people and turning him into a mass murderer? Thereby cutting him off from his family, his friends, and his life? Yeah, he's traumatized."

"I see." They reach a door... which turns out to be locked. "Hmm. Do you have hair pins or anything like that that you would not mind got destroyed?"

"Do you know how to pick a lock?" she asks, archly. "I have pins I'm willing to sacrifice, but not blindly."

"Yes, I know how to pick a lock. I don't always want to break into places by breaking places."

"Next time I'll bring extra pins," she snorts, carefully unpinning sections of her hair that won't come apart from it. It'll be a bit more flimsy and prone to flyaways, but the structure of her hairstyle will be intact. Because that is Very Important, clearly. She would like to stay as pretty as possible.

"You need two, right?" she confirms, offering two hairpins to James.

"Yeah," he says, accepting them. This is an older lock, which means it's heavier, but also easier to pick. He's done quickly, and opens the door for her. "You first, my lady."

"Thank you, sir," she says, with a little (mostly) sarcastic curtsy. She heads inside. "We lock this door once we're done, yeah? Ideally no one should suspect we've been here."

"Absolutely."

The door leads to some very old, very worn stairs that go down to an area of an armory that's sectioned off by rope. There's a carpet path going from one door to another, and various old weapons on display.

She doesn't touch anything, but she does gaze thoughtfully at old weapons.

"Look, James, you're among your peers!" she teases. "Old, sharp relics."

"Deadly but incredibly well-preserved and rather gorgeous, too," he agrees.

Yvette snorts, but does not disagree.

"I suppose attaching signs to them all would be a bit tacky. I bet their histories are explained in the tour we can't go on."

"Probably. But I've been to the tour here before, after I turned into a vampire," he says, grinning toothily.