Turnling

The recent revelation still held me in complete and utter shock, I couldn't do much more than stare at him. I was sitting across a real live vampire. REAL live VAMPIRE. That was... well, it clearly meant that my perception of reality had just been altered, forever even.

It was one thing, really, to believe vampires were fictional and mock goths and other loonies who pretended to be such. Knowing now that vamps were, indeed, real, made me realise that I could have passed them on the street. Talked to them, even. And maybe some of those “loonies” weren't so crazy after all, just pretending to be to hide their true natures.

As I pondered these possibilities, Viktor watched me intensely, gauging my reaction. I guess he hadn't been expecting me to freeze but I really didn't know how to react. What could one do or, rather, say, when confronted with a revelation like that?

“Gareth... are you alright, lo-- ?” His voice was gentle and calming, but enough to bring me out of my reverie. I focused on him, examining his face as if I were seeing it for the very first time. What had he asked? If I was alright? No... I wasn't alright. I was shocked, afraid and deeply disturbed.

Now that he had been able to fully reveal himself, I had to wonder: what did he truly want of me? What were his plans? Was I just food to him? Would he kill me, eventually? If so, why hadn't he, already?

I couldn't find it in me to ask these questions out loud, my voice and courage all lost in a vacuum of my own mind. I could only continue on staring at him, watch as he moved from his chair only to come kneel besides me, taking my hand in his.

“Gareth, stop shaking. I'm not here to hurt you, I wish you no harm, quite the contrary. Please, eat.” Again with the gentle tone that brought some calm, some peace to my racing thoughts. I slowly stopped shaking. His hands were warm around mine, and I felt the difference in temperature when he moved one of his so acutely it might as well have been the only thing I could feel.

I turned to my breakfast then, a delayed obedience, mind now a blank, the questions gone. Eating sounded tremendously good.

While I did so, I was faintly aware of Viktor moving on the floor next to me. I only looked back at him once my eggs were gone and a small box with an optometrist's logo on it sat on the table. I faced Viktor again.

I hadn't imagined his red eyes from the night before my father's funeral. That was exactly the colour that now stared back at me. I laughed, but without mirth, a nervous laugh. I was... ridiculous, that a vampire would wear contact lenses. He smiled at me.

“Feel better?” I nodded without conviction... just before shaking my head no. I didn't fight when Viktor got up and hoisted me up in his arms, though my body tensed immediately in fright. I might have faintly asked him to let go of me. He didn't, of course, and instead carried me over to the living room where he deposited me on the couch and left me, choosing one of the arm chairs for himself.

“I understand your shock, Gareth, you're not the first human to react that way... or worse. But I am telling you the truth when I say I don't want to harm you.” He sounded frustrated, I began noting. I couldn't see him from my position and, for some reason, that made me feel better.

My thoughts slowly began working again, and so did my body, I slowly regained control of my faculties, as well as a sense of shame for reacting so... cowardly.

“W-what do you want from me?” That was my first question, asked when I had managed to turn myself on the couch to be able to face him again. This seemed to encourage him, a smile appearing on his lips.

“Nothing you can't easily provide, Gareth. For now, perhaps it would be best if you had time to digest this information.” he made as if to get up, but I interjected.

“No. You tell me now.” My voice lacked the confidence my words might have otherwise suggested, but I couldn't help it, neither the way I was attempting to hide behind the arm rest.

“Alright,” he conceded, “I would be grateful to you if you could give me shelter and food.” FOOD?! No fucking way in HELL I was gonn-- “The normal kind, mind. I can find my blood elsewhere.” Oh.

“And you promise not to kill me?” I had my eyes narrowed at him in distrust. I was still frightened, acutely aware that he could probably break me in half if he wanted. It was best not to get on his bad side.

“i promise not to kill you, even if you say no.” His tone was slightly amused. Was he lying? Did he mean it? How could I be certain? He wasn't human, the normal clues wouldn't apply, right? … What if he could read my mind?! Viktor, are you reading my mind?!

“... Well?” Apparently not. Well, that was a relief, at least. I calmed down, a sigh I didn't know I had been holding escaping me. Viktor continued to stare, waiting his answer.

“No. Hell no. I want you gone. Leave me alone.” I tried to put as much anger as possible behind my words, but even to my ears I sounded deeply frightened. I couldn't be sure if he would hold his word.

Viktor, however, looked for a moment like a kicked puppy at me, before hiding it all. His throat moved, presumably clenching at my rejection. I couldn't feel sorry for him. He wasn't human. He had stalked me, drank my blood, made me have horrible nightmares and broke into my house several times. If he was capable of these things, who knew how further he would go if I let him. This was my best bet to get rid of him.

I merely watched when he got up, finally getting the hint that I wasn't going to change my mind.

“I'll... leave, then.” I sat up properly on the couch and watched him do so. Once he reached the end of the living room, however, I couldn't help but get up and follow him, not to stop him, but merely to make sure that he picked up his things and left.

And he did. I watched from the living room window his journey down the path to the gates and out of them, where he continued on foot on the road towards town. I guessed he didn't have a car. Perhaps not even a home here in England. What kind of idiot was he, anyway?

Of course, just my luck, I couldn't shake the feeling of guilt that creeped up on me now knowing these things. Viktor was homeless here. At least he was not broke, he had paid for our snack the day before and the groceries he had left me with. Or at least I hoped he had.

That afternoon I took refuge from that morning's events in my games, playing DAO*, the tactical aspect of it keeping my mind busy as I guided my party, my human noble warrior, Alistair, Wynne and Zevran through the tower of the Circle of Magi. The blood mages and abominations present there, however, kept giving me thoughts of vampires and, by connection, Viktor.

I knew I shouldn't feel guilty. In fact, I was certain I should feel angry, disgusted, betrayed, used, anything but GUILTY. It wasn't my damned fault he had decided to come to England without a place to stay, now was it?! He couldn't have possibly thought I would ever agree to housing him.

The sound of the doorbell brought me out of my thoughts and my focus, making me cuss when my character fell in battle, just when I should have given him a potion instead. I paused the game, determined not to lose that battle. I was in control HERE at least.

I wasn't surprised when I answered the door to see a face I didn't want to see. At least, it wasn't Viktor's. No, the middle aged woman standing there, trying her best to give a friendly smile to my murderous glare, was none other than my mother's sister, Mathilde.

She hadn't come alone, however, to the bane of my existence. By her left side was standing a young man, whom I recognised as my cousin, who had opened the door for me that first day and considerately given me my space. In gratitude I dropped my glare for him and greeted him with a nod. This, unfortunately, didn't escape my aunt.

“Oh, you know each other? Wonderful! Gareth, may we come in?” She asked in that high pitched voice of hers. Well, at least it sounded high pitched to me. Women's voices tended to sound that way. I never could play Leliana for that reason.

“Sure.” I replied without much emotion, but rather detachment. She better have a good reason for invading my house at this time. I needed my gaming right now, where all problems were fictional and had simple answers.

My aunt and cousin made their way into the house and directly to the living room while I closed the door and cursed fictional entities, imagining Cthulhu coming down from the depths to swallow them whole. Ah, yes.

“Oh dear! What happened?” My aunt's voice raised from the hall and I leisurely made my way to them. My cousin was bent over, picking up the pieces of the vase Viktor had accidentally broken. Shit, I'd forgotten all about that.

“I broke it on my way to the door.” I wasn't aiming to be a pleasant person during their visit. Not even a little bit.

“Oh Gareth, I'm sorry... We have to talk.” She left my unnamed cousin to clean up the vase. I proceeded to the living room to find her making herself comfortable on the same armchair Viktor had recently occupied. I sat on the other armchair, not wanting my cousin to sit next to me when he returned from the kitchen and took the couch.

“Well,” she started, rummaging through her purse. From within she produced a document that I recognised as a copy of my father's will, as it had been read to me the morning before the funeral. I leaned back and crossed my arms. Obviously, I didn't like where this was going. She had probably come to ask for property.

“You see, Gareth dear,” I wished she would stop wearing down my name, “Your father, kind man that he was, wrote his will little after your mother and he divorced.” She paused, probably to let it sink in, or because she thought I was stupid and needed the time. I didn't like her.

“He signed off all his property to your name, should anything have happened to him. But Gareth, he was so angry at your mother that he didn't think of how she helped him maintain his properties, during their initial years. You see, when your father inherited the family's «fortune», it was merely in the form of property and an enormous debt! Surely you agree that your mother was crucial in settling deals.”

Figures. She probably wanted to guilt trip me into signing off some of the property to them, so they could live oh so comfortably even after what my mother had done. Never mind that it was her marriage to my father that took them off their low-middle class living standards. I didn't voice this opinion though and let her continue.

“I think, dear, it would only be fair to show your mother some love and let her have some of the properties she helped maintain, don't you agree?” I smiled coldly at her. I saw this coming a mile away.

“No, I don't think. Your sister should have thought of that when she divorced my father. Besides, the lawyers agreed that she wasn't entitled to any of it. My degree is in Computer Engineering, not Law, so I don't see why I would disagree with them.”

I felt smug as soon as her smile dropped. Suddenly she looked less like a poodle and more like a bitch, anger flashing in her eyes.

“Well, Gareth, lets hope you never come to regret that decision.” I tensed. Her tone was charged with menace and anger, but with an undertone that made me afraid that she was being quite serious in her threat. Suddenly I didn't feel so brave.

“I'll stand by my decision,” I managed not to stammer, even as my whole body tightened “You may leave now.” And she did, nodding rigidly at me before she went, son in tow. They showed themselves out and it was only then that I was able to breathe.

I could only wonder now if she had indeed threatened me. I didn't know much of that side of the family, except that they seemed to revel in their fine clothes, cars and houses, living entirely for a fortune fed partially by my father. Now that he was gone, they probably would do everything not to lose that lifestyle.

The question now was if they would resort to harming me for it.

*Dragon Age: Origins

Author's Notes: Sorry for any mistakes. Due to bad planning on my part I wasn't able to proofread this. let us all hope the spellchecker caught everything.
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