[Alex/Ravindra] - so i hear you're a vampire now
Who:
Alex
Ravindra
When: Tuesday night, day after their first encounter.
Where: The abandoned house on Willow Street.
Rating & Warnings: PGish, this is my safe bet.
Alex and Ravi meet to discuss, well, why they're even able to meet. 17 years is a long time to catch up on w/your dead friend! God damn this shit got long. 8|
Twenty-four hours was not enough time to come to terms with the knowledge of his wife's death and missing out on his daughter's childhood, let alone think of how to gracefully broach the subject of his nature in a way that wouldn't bring the entire Guard and Citadel on him. Alex had not slept at all since meeting Ravindra and, to be honest, hadn't thought much of his meeting with him tonight at all. He had remembered to eat, though.
Drink, he corrected himself, exhaling in morbid amusement. It was temporary.
He should have known, as he stood on the holey steps in front of the nearly door-less door of the abandoned, so called "haunted" house, that he wouldn't be able to enter it without an invitation. Well, if luck was on his side, as it should have been considering how luckless Alex had been so far, then that alone would tell Ravindra all he needed to know about his best friend.
Ravindra had been out of sorts all day, constantly distracted, forgetting things, accidentally ignoring people, not listening to what was said. It was unlike him, and bad enough that a few of his guards had noticed and asked if he was feeling well. He'd lied, said he was fine, maybe a little ill, nothing serious. It was serious, though, and he was sick with worry.
His apprehension only got worse as night fell. He still wondered if the night before had been just a dream, and almost didn't want to go because he was sure Alex wouldn't be there and he didn't think he could handle the realization that his best friend really was dead and hadn't come back from the grave after all. Losing him once had been hard enough, but to lose him again after one brief point of light? That was worse.
Nonetheless, he set out for his destination at the appropriate time, dressed in warm clothes with a heavy cloak, and carrying one of the self-lighting lanterns Amelia had made for him for light. The house on Willow Street was not difficult to find, though he wondered whether Alex meant to meet him inside or at the door (that was hardly the most important matter to dwell on, but it kept him from going crazy under the weight of his emotions).
When he stepped onto the path up to the house's door, his breath caught and he froze mid-stride. A wave of relief washed over him as he realized Alex was here. Last night hadn't been a dream after all. He wanted to run up and throw his arms around Alex, but he didn't. He approached calmly, trying to get his feelings under control, and stopped in front of his friend on the doorstep.
"You really came," he said, and there was so much in those three words that it was all he needed to say.
The light on the otherwise unlit portion of the street was unwelcomed. Forcing a smile, Alex waved Ravindra up. The other man would notice his cheeks held more color than the previous night, his eyes more blue than grey, and his hair with a stronger hint of orange. His clothes were the same, too, but the dirt stains were more visible against the white in the light. "Hello, Vin. Do you mind putting that out? I'd rather avoid drawing any unwanted attention."
He did mind putting it out, actually, because he wanted to see Alex's face when they spoke, but he killed the light anyway. As such, he got only the briefest look at how Alex's appearance had become more colourful than it had been last night. Maybe he was just imagining it. Maybe it was the light in the first place.
He didn't know what to say, so he waited for Alex to speak. That was something that happened between them quite often, and it felt heartbreakingly familiar.
"Well, then..." He rocked on the heels of his too large shoes, not at all in danger of falling backwards. Even after years in the dirt, Alex still had his impeccable sense of balance.
He took a deep breath, steadying his voice to not betray the nervousness welling up in his throat. Ravindra was a smart man. Surely he would figure it out with this. "If you could let me in."
Ravi's immediate assumption was that the door was locked. He'd always been stronger than Alex and thought nothing of being asked to break the lock.
Not until he shouldered the door open and realized the lock had been broken by thieves ages and ages ago. The door was barely even jammed. Surely Alex could have opened that on his own? He shot a curious glance over his shoulder, but said nothing. Still, though, he was far from jumping to the conclusion Alex seemed to expect.
He walked inside, kicking up dust in the empty, cobweb-filled room, and stopped in the center of the floor to turn back and face his friend. It was too dark in here to see.
Suddenly, for the first time since Alex's reappearance, he wondered if this was a trap. Perhaps Myron's killer was some variety of shapeshifter, or mind-reader, or illusionist. Ravi turned the lantern back on, its switch striking the wick with a pop, and set it on the floor to his side. With one hand on his sword under his cloak, he watched Alex closely.
He had seen, quite clearly, Ravi moving to turn the lantern on again. What a peculiar lantern it was. How had he done without matches?
"You do not trust me," he said, eyes on sword, and there was that touch of amusement in his voice again that did not last long. "Fair enough. But I cannot join you inside, not until you invite me in."
"I trust Alex," he said, firmly. "But how can I know you are really him, and not a trick by some maneating Other?"
Couldn't enter without being invited. Why did that seem familiar? That was important, somehow, but Ravi couldn't place it.
His brows rose, and then he chuckled. "Still as wary as ever, I see. You're on the right track, though." Something to convince Ravi that he was, indeed, Alexander Varista? Alex knew just the thing. "When we had not yet reached twenty, I took you to the farm. You had the misfortune of standing under the roost of a hen who took full advantage of the situation and adorned your hair with crap. When I finally told you, oh, an hour later, you were livid." He rubbed his shoulder, a crooked grin on his face. "It still hurts, you know, where you first punched me. I am still of the belief that you permanently damaged something."
He grimaced at the memory. Not something he wanted dredged up, but that was good enough for him. Anything reading his mind would never have stumbled onto that.
"Get in here so I can punch you again." There was his invitation.
"Oh!" He held his hands up, as if he were reconsidering the invite. "I'm not so sure I want to come in now." But he stepped in through the doorway successfully, that odd invisible wall now gone.
He didn't enter in all the way, though, choosing to remain at the side of the doorway. The lantern made him nervous. What if someone saw the light? He fixed his attention onto Ravi's face, his expression, any subtle hints of change. "Have you really not figured out what I am? Even after that?" Were there other creatures that required an invite to enter a house? Alex didn't know. He hadn't been too knowledgeable or interested in monsters. Well, best get it done and out of the way. He owed Ravindra that much, even if his instincts were screaming at him not to do it.
"I believe I am a vampire now."
Ravindra knew about vampires and their needing invitations, but he hadn't put those pieces together until Alex said it. Of course, it was obvious now, but he'd been too preoccupied with the fact that his friend was back to give any real thought to how.
His eyebrows rose and he stared in silence. A vampire. So his friend had returned to him as an Other. But...but that meant that Alex really was here. Undead maybe, but here. Yet again Ravi found his feelings in conflict. He was elated to know that this Alex standing before him was not a figment or something temporary, but a vampire was not exactly a great thing.
...Especially not in the wake of Lord Myron's murder. Ravi's expression changed, from stunned silence to apprehension. That couldn't have been Alex. Could it? "When?" he asked, his voice urgent.
Ah, there it was. Anxiety, suspicion. Alex imagined he would have reacted in a similar fashion if their positions were reversed, but it still stung. It was a good sign that Ravi hadn't unsheathed his sword or yelled at him yet. It comforted him, a bit.
" 'When?' Ah... I awoke a week ago." Alex had very little information on the state of the late Lord Myron case, had only heard little snippets from passing conversations on the fact that he had died at a ball. Something told him that the urgency behind Ravi's question was more important than a simple inquiry, however. "Why?"
A week ago. His heart sank. No, it couldn't have been Alex, and didn't vampires bite at the neck anyway? Still. Still, though. The possibility was there and it terrified him. Not that Alex could do something like that, but that he would have to hand Alex over for execution so soon after getting him back.
"Saturday. Where were you?" he demanded, sounding angry to hide his desperation.
Ravi's sudden change in attitude was mildly surprising and if Alex were a sharper tack, he'd get the implications immediately. Alas, he was not. "I... Well, that depends on what time of day you have in mind. I was asleep during the day and in Tyrol when most were asleep, looking for..." his dead wife. He bit his lower lip, then continued. "Looking for you or Catherine. You've moved out of the barracks, haven't you?"
He let out a slow breath. He wanted to call that good enough. He believed it, at the very least, and Alex's confusion seemed genuine. It made sense to him that the first thing Alex would do after waking from death was try to find his wife or his best friend.
But it wasn't quite good enough. He'd answer Alex's questions once his own were satisfied. "That is all? Did you..." Bite anybody. He gestured vaguely, trying to think of a less...blatant way to say it. "...Feed?"
It hadn't been odd to think of his new diet habits, but it was a little weird to hear Ravi mention it. Especially with the significance behind his questions that Alex couldn't quite grasp. He wasn't sure he wanted to answer unless he knew what was going on, but answered anyway, albeit reluctantly. "Yes. I couldn't embark on a search quest without fir..."
Oh. OH. "But it was an animal!" he said, pitch shooting up in an attempt to clear any misunderstandings that Ravi might have gotten. Of course his best friend's first concern would be whether or not a vampire had murdered a human being. Even more-so since he was part of the Guard. "A sheep, I believe -- an ewe off one of the farms. I haven't fed on anyone in Tyrol."
First horror crossed his face, but it was exchanged for relief when Alex changed tracks. Ravi let out a shaky sigh, glad to know that Alex wasn't the one behind the murder. Alex was a terrible liar. If he said it had only been a sheep, then Ravi believed him.
"I apologize," he said, which was rare enough to tell Alex that this really was serious. "There has been...an unusual murder, recently. I did not think you were behind it, but I had to be sure."
A nod. "Some sort of bloodsucker." A pause, his eyes flashing to Alex's face, looking for a reaction and giving a brief nonverbal apology.
He dismissed the whole thing with a wave, partly out of embarrassment for forgetting himself in light of his friend's new...condition. "I don't want to dwell on it. I am satisfied. Yes, I moved out of the barracks when I was married."
He hadn't taken offense. After all, he was a blood sucker. Besides, even if he had, this brand new information of Ravindra being married completely took first priority.
A surge of excitement flowed through his veins. "Married?! When? You? Grouchy, touchy Ravindra found himself a woman who could tolerate him? No!" Yes! He had already closed some of the distance between them, forgetting why he had put it there in the first place. Though his eyes may not have been as bright as they once were, the emotion in them were as potent as they always were. His best friend had gotten married, felt the same happiness Alex had been fortunate enough to experience with Catherine. A bright spot in an otherwise gloomy situation, in his opinion. "Share, Vin! What's she like? A tough one to have tamed you, no doubt."
He was quite obviously taken aback by the reaction. Really, he should've expected it from Alex. "Ah..." He glanced away, suddenly very uncomfortable, nervously adjusting the collar of his cloak. He didn't let himself fidget normally, only around Alex, and he reminded himself quickly to stop and dropped his hand back to his side. He didn't like how natural it felt to slip back into his old habits after so long.
"She, ah--Sofia. Polish, an artist. It..." A half-wince, a vague wave. "...Political," he finished finally, hoping Alex got the message from that.
He slapped a hand on Ravi's shoulder, eyeing him slyly. "You're embarrassed. You're embarrassed, aren't you! Ah, the mighty Ravindra, to have been conquered by this... Sofia girl. I should like to see if for myself." Alex, of course, did not pick up on the hint at all. In fact, he probably hadn't heard past her name.
Then a sudden thought popped into his head. "Amelia, then! She has siblings?" The idea comforted him.
He frowned. Of course Alex wasn't listening. "Mm...no," he replied, looking at Alex askance, wishing he'd stop asking. He was embarrassed, but it was for entirely different reasons than the ones Alex suspected.
He cocked his head, brows furrowing. For what was supposed to be a joyful thing, Ravindra sure was clammed up about it. Why was he looking at Alex as if this was not something to share? This subject, it was much more preferable to dwell on than his own. "Something amiss with the piping?" He waved his hand, dismissing the question. "You don't have to answer. You never struck me as someone who wanted children." A pause, as that made him think of how Ravi had been saddled with raising Amelia. But no, if Ravi hadn't been willing to do that, he wouldn't have accepted the position of her godfather.
Amelia. He made no effort to suppress the sigh from his mouth, as Alex was wont to let his emotions be known freely. Ravindra would understand.
"There will be reports, I think," he started, releasing Ravi's shoulder and taking a step back, shoving his hands into his pockets. There was a definite change in atmosphere. "Of livestock going missing, if the Guard hasn't heard of them already. In the wake of this murder, they probably already have. The first night, I killed a cow. Didn't think to dispose of the body until it had already been discovered. I know this is much to ask, but if you get word that they might investigate the village..." He trailed off, finishing the thought in his mind. Even if Ravindra would inform him of any investigations in Blomgren, what could Alex do about it? If they suspected vampire activity, and surely they would, it was only a matter of time before they stumbled upon his own grave. He could make sure his face wasn't covered in blood, but he wasn't so sure he could fake being dead. For real.
He opened his mouth to protest, but quickly closed it again when Alex couldn't shut up for five seconds to let him get a word in. All he could do when Alex got like this was wait out the verbal tidal wave.
He was only too happy to jump subjects, even considering what the new topic was. "I would let you know, of course." He didn't even have to think twice about it. Even if it was essentially letting somebody circumvent the law, that somebody was Alex. They could always blame it on a different Other, besides. "But, perhaps, try not to kill things if you can avoid it. It would be safer for you."
So strange, to discuss a subject like this as if it were normal. Truthfully, he was just so glad to have Alex back that everything else was taking a back seat to it.
He tossed Ravindra a grateful smile, even though he wasn't sure how much good it would do. "A good idea. I'll try it next time."
For better or worse, Alex had woken to accept his newly discovered vampiric nature with ease. It wasn't something he could change, nor was it something he thought of changing. It simply was.
"Mm." Hopefully that would work out. As distasteful as the whole thing was, non-lethal feeding was far preferable to the kind that could get him investigated and killed.
"And as for my wife," Ravi said, adjusting the topic back to where it had been--this was the sort of thing you had to do to have a conversation with Alex, "the marriage was a political one." Maybe spelling it out like that would get it through his thick skull.
"... Oh." His expression was crestfallen, like a kid who was promised a puppy for their birthday, only to get a goldfish instead. It wasn't bad news, per say, but it certainly wasn't good news, either. "Why?" he asked, although the answer had already been given to him. Political reasons. How...sad. "Do you love her?"
"Why" was a complicated question. Ravi made a noise that was somewhere in between a sigh and a groan as he lowered his face into his hand, rubbing at the corners of his eyes. There was so much to explain, and the most important part of the situation was the part he least wanted to talk about.
He shook his head before looking up again, letting his hand fall. That was all the answer Alex would get to his second question.
As for why... "Iravati felt it would be best for our family if I married up. It is...not the situation I would have preferred. But it has been fifteen years and I have adjusted to it."
It would be a lie to say he wasn't disappointed -- and it was pretty obvious that he was -- but Alex didn't voice it (for once.) Instead, he simply shrugged his shoulders, an action accompanied by a wistful smile, as if asking "what can you do?" What can you do -- about the situation encompassing all of them? If only vampires had the ability to turn back time.
Time to change the subject! "You'll no doubt want to sock me, but I've got another request."
Ravi was content to let the subject drop, and he was glad Alex decided not to press.
That subject-change, though. Had a bad feeling about that one. Anything that Alex was willing to preface like that had to be bad news. "Hm?"
"I'd like a hat."
He arched an eyebrow. Not quite what he'd expected. "...Only that?"
He rolled his eyes up to the ceiling, lips scrunching in thought, rocking on his heels. Alex was bad at staying still. He wouldn't be able to feign death if -- no, when, he was sure -- the Guards came investigating. "And a coat?" he said, supplying the request with a hopeful, dashing smile.
Ravi could never resist that dashing smile. But he folded his arms and cocked his head and tried to look exasperated about it. "I thought you were going to ask for something serious."
"It is serious!" he insisted, brows rising. "I feel like a target for the blind like this." He ran his hands parallel to the dirty clothes he was wearing as emphasis. "And this!" Now he pointed to his blonde curls. Blonde.
With an amused half-smile, Ravi said, "I will get you new clothes, then. And a hat. I did not realize becoming a vampire meant becoming a blond."
Oh, Ravi, you hit the nail on the head. "Exactly!" Alex exclaimed, as if Ravi had made an excellent point on a very serious matter. "Why has my hair color suffered for my new self? I have never heard of hair being affected when one becomes a vampire. Does one lose his color when he's kept from the sun for so long? It's horrid."
How could he show himself like this? Wait, he wasn't supposed to be showing himself to anyone anyway. But still!
"You could dye it back to red," he pointed out. "Or does being a vampire even mean that dye does not take?" Ah, joking around with Alex about minutae while ignoring the incredibly serious underlying issues. Nostalgic!
He gave Ravi an incredulous look. "Dead men aren't made of money!"
This was an incredibly serious issue.
Ravi held his hands up in a gesture that was half shrug, half surrender. "A hat, then," he relented. "But how would I deliver it?" Couldn't exactly waltz up to a dude's grave to hand him some new clothes, man. And, even though his tone was mirthful and casual, this was a question that had been gnawing at him: how do I see you again?
"Mmmm..." He rocked on his heels again. "You could leave it here, outside of the house. Coming to check is a simple matter."
Thinking about how he and Ravi could meet face to face? Nope. Unlike his best friend, Alex didn't feel like it had been seventeen years since seeing Ravi or anyone. It felt like A While, but certainly not as long as it actually had been.
He didn't try to hide his disappointment. He wanted to call Alex an insensitive idiot, accuse him of not wanting to see Ravi again, etc etc. Getting upset was a bad plan though, so he didn't say any of that. Instead, he said, "But I want to see you again."
It came out calm and nonchalant, but to him it sounded needy and desperate. He regretted it immediately and wished he'd kept to the good-humoured joking of their prior conversation.
A long "ah" crept from his throat as he leaned backwards, arms folded across his chest as he peered at the ceiling. He could see the clouds from it, so damaged from the elements it was. As far as he was concerned, the light from the moon was more than enough for the both of them, but he would eventually realize that it was his vision that altered, not Ravindra's.
"I don't know how that's possible," he finally said, still focusing on the night sky. "It would be a bad idea for you to come to me, or for me to come to you," and he meant where they slept, respectively, "but you can't really send me a letter, either."
"No, Alex, no." He couldn't stop himself from sounding desperate this time; he hated it, and he'd spend hours going over how stupid it sounded once this conversation was over, but for now it got the point across. "You cannot come back from the dead and then tell me I cannot see you. Don't do this to me. It was hard enough to lose you once. Don't ask me to do it again."
When he lowered his head to look at Ravindra, it was with an addition of mild annoyance. "Do you think it's wise for you to see me? A member of the Guard, with a vampire? No one will care that I'm your friend, or that I haven't killed anyone, you know."
Alex's annoyance only garnered the same from Ravi. "It is not the same now as it was when you died!" (Uh oh, exclamation points, that's how you know it's serious.) "The Golden Hour keeps non-humans; people are not all terrified of them. There is acceptance. I don't think your return will be received as badly as you think. I would even talk to the Magus about it for you and get you protection."
He hated talking to people, got nervous around strangers, let everyone else talk for him so he wouldn't have to open his mouth. That had always been true, and it was a quirk of his personality that Alex would know well. So Ravindra offering to talk to a stranger on somebody else's behalf? That was huge.
Truthfully, Alex had forgotten about the Golden Hour. He had not been fond of the Vanjalists and their fascination with Others, had not appreciated the unnecessary danger they invited into the city and her inhabitants. His reaction to Ravindra's offer was a mixture of surprise, appreciation and increased irritation, the latter of which was fueled by a combination of a lack of sleep, the idea of staying with the Hour, and concern for Ravindra's reputation and the safety of his daughter. If he were being completely honest, his irritation was also a product of habit -- when things got testy, they had always risen to each other's challenge until it, more often than not, resulted in someone throwing the first blow.
"And the timing? You yourself suspected me of killing a noble. How much more so the rest of them? Unless you've been promoted to a Constable, I find it hard to believe that you could vouch for my innocence." He was no longer rocking on his heels, though his arms were still crossed together. To an outsider, they might have looked like a father scolding his petulant son.
He was upset and not thinking as straight as he could have been. If he'd calmed down and thought it through, maybe he would've come up with an answer before speaking. As it was, he just wanted to punch Alex and shout, "SHUT UP, I'M RIGHT." And, you know, 17 years ago that's pretty much how it would've gone.
Thankfully, his temper was not so short anymore, and he was better now at controlling his anger. "I don't know! I don't know, but at least let me ask if the Magus can protect you!"
"You don't get it," Alex replied, voice low, tone more stable than Ravindra's. Then that all went to hell. "Making your connection to me known to anyone is dangerous! I am a vampire, for fuck's sake -- I drink blood and turn into a flying rat. When has that ever been acceptable? The Vanjalists may offer shelter, but if anyone else finds out, finds out what I am, the city will not be satisfied until I am dead. For good. They would not protect me from that." He sneered at the idea of that -- the Golden Hour, protecting him. How insulting. He was the one who was supposed to do the protecting.
Ravi snapped. Alex got a fist to the face, followed by Ravindra grabbing the front of his shirt and hauling him face-to-face. "You come back from death to have a second chance at life and all you can think is tragedy?" he shouted. "There are worse monsters than you staying at the Hour and still the Magus protects them. Why did you even come to Tyrol, why even try to find me or your wife or your daughter if you only intended to run away after you did? You are an idiot, Alex, and I am not going to stand here and listen to you giving up before you even try!"
If Alex were thinking clearly, his response would have been worse because he'd realize Ravi had a point. As it was, his reaction was based on anger, habit and the blossoming pain in his cheek instead. He ripped Ravi's hands away from him and took a half-step forward, not at all intimidated by the Sergeant's actions. His own had caused part of his shirt to tear, but Alex paid it no mind. "I don't intend to run away, but neither do I intend to put you or Amelia in unnecessary danger!" he snarled, canines bared. "If your Magus protects monsters worse than me, then he is a fanatical idiot like the rest before him! You think I can trust that? Have you lost your mind to age?" His fingers were balled into fists and it was easy to read him. If Ravi said even one thing in response that he disagreed with, he'd strike.
Oh man he was ready to punch Alex again just for that age comment. His fingers tightened into a fist, but he kept himself from throwing it, just glaring up at Alex through narrowed eyes. "Then what do you intend, Alex?" His tone was still obviously angry, but it was hidden under a cold calm.
His glaring continued for a few seconds before the features of his face relaxed into troubled expression. What had he intended to do?
"I don't know. I haven't thought that far yet."
"Idiot." This time a harsh shove, at least, and not a punch. Alex's response calmed him somewhat. "Then at least let me ask the Magus what your options would be."
He stumbled back a step, but quickly stepped forward to shove Ravindra back. It was with one hand only, though, and not as harsh -- more of a last attempt to put up a fight. Now that the regular routine of prodding Ravi and arguing with him was finished, Alex felt all of the weariness prior to entering the house return to him, doubly.
"You know I can't stop you," he said with a frown, not looking at Ravi but fixing a weak glare at the busted window on the wall, "but I won't like it."
No stumbling, there. Ravi was a wall, there was barely even any give. "You don't have to like it," he said. "Meet me here tomorrow and I will have your hat for you." And, hopefully, some answers.
And the coat, he added mentally, sulking. He deserved as much after the stress Ravi was causing!
"Is that your only order?" he asked, a combination of sarcasm and sullenness.
Don't whine, Alex, he intended to bring by a full set of clothes. Just because he only mentioned the hat!
"No," he answered sternly. "Also stop being an ass."
If this were any other time, Alex probably would have rolled his eyes and told Ravi to shut the fuck up in good spirits. Tonight, he simply drawled, "Yes, sir," and walked out of the house, shoving his hands in his pockets as he did so. It was callous, but he was still operating on the mindset that they would see each other tomorrow and the problem would be forgotten, just like it always had been.
Ravindra let out a long sigh once Alex was gone, sinking to a crouch with his head in hand. He'd forgotten how infuriating his friend could be, just how easy it was to let himself get riled up by him. And yet he would much rather be angry with Alex than not have him at all.
Hopefully the Magus could offer some help. The sooner they could move past this vampire thing, the happier he would be.
Alex
Ravindra
When: Tuesday night, day after their first encounter.
Where: The abandoned house on Willow Street.
Rating & Warnings: PGish, this is my safe bet.
Alex and Ravi meet to discuss, well, why they're even able to meet. 17 years is a long time to catch up on w/your dead friend! God damn this shit got long. 8|
Twenty-four hours was not enough time to come to terms with the knowledge of his wife's death and missing out on his daughter's childhood, let alone think of how to gracefully broach the subject of his nature in a way that wouldn't bring the entire Guard and Citadel on him. Alex had not slept at all since meeting Ravindra and, to be honest, hadn't thought much of his meeting with him tonight at all. He had remembered to eat, though.
Drink, he corrected himself, exhaling in morbid amusement. It was temporary.
He should have known, as he stood on the holey steps in front of the nearly door-less door of the abandoned, so called "haunted" house, that he wouldn't be able to enter it without an invitation. Well, if luck was on his side, as it should have been considering how luckless Alex had been so far, then that alone would tell Ravindra all he needed to know about his best friend.
Ravindra had been out of sorts all day, constantly distracted, forgetting things, accidentally ignoring people, not listening to what was said. It was unlike him, and bad enough that a few of his guards had noticed and asked if he was feeling well. He'd lied, said he was fine, maybe a little ill, nothing serious. It was serious, though, and he was sick with worry.
His apprehension only got worse as night fell. He still wondered if the night before had been just a dream, and almost didn't want to go because he was sure Alex wouldn't be there and he didn't think he could handle the realization that his best friend really was dead and hadn't come back from the grave after all. Losing him once had been hard enough, but to lose him again after one brief point of light? That was worse.
Nonetheless, he set out for his destination at the appropriate time, dressed in warm clothes with a heavy cloak, and carrying one of the self-lighting lanterns Amelia had made for him for light. The house on Willow Street was not difficult to find, though he wondered whether Alex meant to meet him inside or at the door (that was hardly the most important matter to dwell on, but it kept him from going crazy under the weight of his emotions).
When he stepped onto the path up to the house's door, his breath caught and he froze mid-stride. A wave of relief washed over him as he realized Alex was here. Last night hadn't been a dream after all. He wanted to run up and throw his arms around Alex, but he didn't. He approached calmly, trying to get his feelings under control, and stopped in front of his friend on the doorstep.
"You really came," he said, and there was so much in those three words that it was all he needed to say.
The light on the otherwise unlit portion of the street was unwelcomed. Forcing a smile, Alex waved Ravindra up. The other man would notice his cheeks held more color than the previous night, his eyes more blue than grey, and his hair with a stronger hint of orange. His clothes were the same, too, but the dirt stains were more visible against the white in the light. "Hello, Vin. Do you mind putting that out? I'd rather avoid drawing any unwanted attention."
He did mind putting it out, actually, because he wanted to see Alex's face when they spoke, but he killed the light anyway. As such, he got only the briefest look at how Alex's appearance had become more colourful than it had been last night. Maybe he was just imagining it. Maybe it was the light in the first place.
He didn't know what to say, so he waited for Alex to speak. That was something that happened between them quite often, and it felt heartbreakingly familiar.
"Well, then..." He rocked on the heels of his too large shoes, not at all in danger of falling backwards. Even after years in the dirt, Alex still had his impeccable sense of balance.
He took a deep breath, steadying his voice to not betray the nervousness welling up in his throat. Ravindra was a smart man. Surely he would figure it out with this. "If you could let me in."
Ravi's immediate assumption was that the door was locked. He'd always been stronger than Alex and thought nothing of being asked to break the lock.
Not until he shouldered the door open and realized the lock had been broken by thieves ages and ages ago. The door was barely even jammed. Surely Alex could have opened that on his own? He shot a curious glance over his shoulder, but said nothing. Still, though, he was far from jumping to the conclusion Alex seemed to expect.
He walked inside, kicking up dust in the empty, cobweb-filled room, and stopped in the center of the floor to turn back and face his friend. It was too dark in here to see.
Suddenly, for the first time since Alex's reappearance, he wondered if this was a trap. Perhaps Myron's killer was some variety of shapeshifter, or mind-reader, or illusionist. Ravi turned the lantern back on, its switch striking the wick with a pop, and set it on the floor to his side. With one hand on his sword under his cloak, he watched Alex closely.
He had seen, quite clearly, Ravi moving to turn the lantern on again. What a peculiar lantern it was. How had he done without matches?
"You do not trust me," he said, eyes on sword, and there was that touch of amusement in his voice again that did not last long. "Fair enough. But I cannot join you inside, not until you invite me in."
"I trust Alex," he said, firmly. "But how can I know you are really him, and not a trick by some maneating Other?"
Couldn't enter without being invited. Why did that seem familiar? That was important, somehow, but Ravi couldn't place it.
His brows rose, and then he chuckled. "Still as wary as ever, I see. You're on the right track, though." Something to convince Ravi that he was, indeed, Alexander Varista? Alex knew just the thing. "When we had not yet reached twenty, I took you to the farm. You had the misfortune of standing under the roost of a hen who took full advantage of the situation and adorned your hair with crap. When I finally told you, oh, an hour later, you were livid." He rubbed his shoulder, a crooked grin on his face. "It still hurts, you know, where you first punched me. I am still of the belief that you permanently damaged something."
He grimaced at the memory. Not something he wanted dredged up, but that was good enough for him. Anything reading his mind would never have stumbled onto that.
"Get in here so I can punch you again." There was his invitation.
"Oh!" He held his hands up, as if he were reconsidering the invite. "I'm not so sure I want to come in now." But he stepped in through the doorway successfully, that odd invisible wall now gone.
He didn't enter in all the way, though, choosing to remain at the side of the doorway. The lantern made him nervous. What if someone saw the light? He fixed his attention onto Ravi's face, his expression, any subtle hints of change. "Have you really not figured out what I am? Even after that?" Were there other creatures that required an invite to enter a house? Alex didn't know. He hadn't been too knowledgeable or interested in monsters. Well, best get it done and out of the way. He owed Ravindra that much, even if his instincts were screaming at him not to do it.
"I believe I am a vampire now."
Ravindra knew about vampires and their needing invitations, but he hadn't put those pieces together until Alex said it. Of course, it was obvious now, but he'd been too preoccupied with the fact that his friend was back to give any real thought to how.
His eyebrows rose and he stared in silence. A vampire. So his friend had returned to him as an Other. But...but that meant that Alex really was here. Undead maybe, but here. Yet again Ravi found his feelings in conflict. He was elated to know that this Alex standing before him was not a figment or something temporary, but a vampire was not exactly a great thing.
...Especially not in the wake of Lord Myron's murder. Ravi's expression changed, from stunned silence to apprehension. That couldn't have been Alex. Could it? "When?" he asked, his voice urgent.
Ah, there it was. Anxiety, suspicion. Alex imagined he would have reacted in a similar fashion if their positions were reversed, but it still stung. It was a good sign that Ravi hadn't unsheathed his sword or yelled at him yet. It comforted him, a bit.
" 'When?' Ah... I awoke a week ago." Alex had very little information on the state of the late Lord Myron case, had only heard little snippets from passing conversations on the fact that he had died at a ball. Something told him that the urgency behind Ravi's question was more important than a simple inquiry, however. "Why?"
A week ago. His heart sank. No, it couldn't have been Alex, and didn't vampires bite at the neck anyway? Still. Still, though. The possibility was there and it terrified him. Not that Alex could do something like that, but that he would have to hand Alex over for execution so soon after getting him back.
"Saturday. Where were you?" he demanded, sounding angry to hide his desperation.
Ravi's sudden change in attitude was mildly surprising and if Alex were a sharper tack, he'd get the implications immediately. Alas, he was not. "I... Well, that depends on what time of day you have in mind. I was asleep during the day and in Tyrol when most were asleep, looking for..." his dead wife. He bit his lower lip, then continued. "Looking for you or Catherine. You've moved out of the barracks, haven't you?"
He let out a slow breath. He wanted to call that good enough. He believed it, at the very least, and Alex's confusion seemed genuine. It made sense to him that the first thing Alex would do after waking from death was try to find his wife or his best friend.
But it wasn't quite good enough. He'd answer Alex's questions once his own were satisfied. "That is all? Did you..." Bite anybody. He gestured vaguely, trying to think of a less...blatant way to say it. "...Feed?"
It hadn't been odd to think of his new diet habits, but it was a little weird to hear Ravi mention it. Especially with the significance behind his questions that Alex couldn't quite grasp. He wasn't sure he wanted to answer unless he knew what was going on, but answered anyway, albeit reluctantly. "Yes. I couldn't embark on a search quest without fir..."
Oh. OH. "But it was an animal!" he said, pitch shooting up in an attempt to clear any misunderstandings that Ravi might have gotten. Of course his best friend's first concern would be whether or not a vampire had murdered a human being. Even more-so since he was part of the Guard. "A sheep, I believe -- an ewe off one of the farms. I haven't fed on anyone in Tyrol."
First horror crossed his face, but it was exchanged for relief when Alex changed tracks. Ravi let out a shaky sigh, glad to know that Alex wasn't the one behind the murder. Alex was a terrible liar. If he said it had only been a sheep, then Ravi believed him.
"I apologize," he said, which was rare enough to tell Alex that this really was serious. "There has been...an unusual murder, recently. I did not think you were behind it, but I had to be sure."
A nod. "Some sort of bloodsucker." A pause, his eyes flashing to Alex's face, looking for a reaction and giving a brief nonverbal apology.
He dismissed the whole thing with a wave, partly out of embarrassment for forgetting himself in light of his friend's new...condition. "I don't want to dwell on it. I am satisfied. Yes, I moved out of the barracks when I was married."
He hadn't taken offense. After all, he was a blood sucker. Besides, even if he had, this brand new information of Ravindra being married completely took first priority.
A surge of excitement flowed through his veins. "Married?! When? You? Grouchy, touchy Ravindra found himself a woman who could tolerate him? No!" Yes! He had already closed some of the distance between them, forgetting why he had put it there in the first place. Though his eyes may not have been as bright as they once were, the emotion in them were as potent as they always were. His best friend had gotten married, felt the same happiness Alex had been fortunate enough to experience with Catherine. A bright spot in an otherwise gloomy situation, in his opinion. "Share, Vin! What's she like? A tough one to have tamed you, no doubt."
He was quite obviously taken aback by the reaction. Really, he should've expected it from Alex. "Ah..." He glanced away, suddenly very uncomfortable, nervously adjusting the collar of his cloak. He didn't let himself fidget normally, only around Alex, and he reminded himself quickly to stop and dropped his hand back to his side. He didn't like how natural it felt to slip back into his old habits after so long.
"She, ah--Sofia. Polish, an artist. It..." A half-wince, a vague wave. "...Political," he finished finally, hoping Alex got the message from that.
He slapped a hand on Ravi's shoulder, eyeing him slyly. "You're embarrassed. You're embarrassed, aren't you! Ah, the mighty Ravindra, to have been conquered by this... Sofia girl. I should like to see if for myself." Alex, of course, did not pick up on the hint at all. In fact, he probably hadn't heard past her name.
Then a sudden thought popped into his head. "Amelia, then! She has siblings?" The idea comforted him.
He frowned. Of course Alex wasn't listening. "Mm...no," he replied, looking at Alex askance, wishing he'd stop asking. He was embarrassed, but it was for entirely different reasons than the ones Alex suspected.
He cocked his head, brows furrowing. For what was supposed to be a joyful thing, Ravindra sure was clammed up about it. Why was he looking at Alex as if this was not something to share? This subject, it was much more preferable to dwell on than his own. "Something amiss with the piping?" He waved his hand, dismissing the question. "You don't have to answer. You never struck me as someone who wanted children." A pause, as that made him think of how Ravi had been saddled with raising Amelia. But no, if Ravi hadn't been willing to do that, he wouldn't have accepted the position of her godfather.
Amelia. He made no effort to suppress the sigh from his mouth, as Alex was wont to let his emotions be known freely. Ravindra would understand.
"There will be reports, I think," he started, releasing Ravi's shoulder and taking a step back, shoving his hands into his pockets. There was a definite change in atmosphere. "Of livestock going missing, if the Guard hasn't heard of them already. In the wake of this murder, they probably already have. The first night, I killed a cow. Didn't think to dispose of the body until it had already been discovered. I know this is much to ask, but if you get word that they might investigate the village..." He trailed off, finishing the thought in his mind. Even if Ravindra would inform him of any investigations in Blomgren, what could Alex do about it? If they suspected vampire activity, and surely they would, it was only a matter of time before they stumbled upon his own grave. He could make sure his face wasn't covered in blood, but he wasn't so sure he could fake being dead. For real.
He opened his mouth to protest, but quickly closed it again when Alex couldn't shut up for five seconds to let him get a word in. All he could do when Alex got like this was wait out the verbal tidal wave.
He was only too happy to jump subjects, even considering what the new topic was. "I would let you know, of course." He didn't even have to think twice about it. Even if it was essentially letting somebody circumvent the law, that somebody was Alex. They could always blame it on a different Other, besides. "But, perhaps, try not to kill things if you can avoid it. It would be safer for you."
So strange, to discuss a subject like this as if it were normal. Truthfully, he was just so glad to have Alex back that everything else was taking a back seat to it.
He tossed Ravindra a grateful smile, even though he wasn't sure how much good it would do. "A good idea. I'll try it next time."
For better or worse, Alex had woken to accept his newly discovered vampiric nature with ease. It wasn't something he could change, nor was it something he thought of changing. It simply was.
"Mm." Hopefully that would work out. As distasteful as the whole thing was, non-lethal feeding was far preferable to the kind that could get him investigated and killed.
"And as for my wife," Ravi said, adjusting the topic back to where it had been--this was the sort of thing you had to do to have a conversation with Alex, "the marriage was a political one." Maybe spelling it out like that would get it through his thick skull.
"... Oh." His expression was crestfallen, like a kid who was promised a puppy for their birthday, only to get a goldfish instead. It wasn't bad news, per say, but it certainly wasn't good news, either. "Why?" he asked, although the answer had already been given to him. Political reasons. How...sad. "Do you love her?"
"Why" was a complicated question. Ravi made a noise that was somewhere in between a sigh and a groan as he lowered his face into his hand, rubbing at the corners of his eyes. There was so much to explain, and the most important part of the situation was the part he least wanted to talk about.
He shook his head before looking up again, letting his hand fall. That was all the answer Alex would get to his second question.
As for why... "Iravati felt it would be best for our family if I married up. It is...not the situation I would have preferred. But it has been fifteen years and I have adjusted to it."
It would be a lie to say he wasn't disappointed -- and it was pretty obvious that he was -- but Alex didn't voice it (for once.) Instead, he simply shrugged his shoulders, an action accompanied by a wistful smile, as if asking "what can you do?" What can you do -- about the situation encompassing all of them? If only vampires had the ability to turn back time.
Time to change the subject! "You'll no doubt want to sock me, but I've got another request."
Ravi was content to let the subject drop, and he was glad Alex decided not to press.
That subject-change, though. Had a bad feeling about that one. Anything that Alex was willing to preface like that had to be bad news. "Hm?"
"I'd like a hat."
He arched an eyebrow. Not quite what he'd expected. "...Only that?"
He rolled his eyes up to the ceiling, lips scrunching in thought, rocking on his heels. Alex was bad at staying still. He wouldn't be able to feign death if -- no, when, he was sure -- the Guards came investigating. "And a coat?" he said, supplying the request with a hopeful, dashing smile.
Ravi could never resist that dashing smile. But he folded his arms and cocked his head and tried to look exasperated about it. "I thought you were going to ask for something serious."
"It is serious!" he insisted, brows rising. "I feel like a target for the blind like this." He ran his hands parallel to the dirty clothes he was wearing as emphasis. "And this!" Now he pointed to his blonde curls. Blonde.
With an amused half-smile, Ravi said, "I will get you new clothes, then. And a hat. I did not realize becoming a vampire meant becoming a blond."
Oh, Ravi, you hit the nail on the head. "Exactly!" Alex exclaimed, as if Ravi had made an excellent point on a very serious matter. "Why has my hair color suffered for my new self? I have never heard of hair being affected when one becomes a vampire. Does one lose his color when he's kept from the sun for so long? It's horrid."
How could he show himself like this? Wait, he wasn't supposed to be showing himself to anyone anyway. But still!
"You could dye it back to red," he pointed out. "Or does being a vampire even mean that dye does not take?" Ah, joking around with Alex about minutae while ignoring the incredibly serious underlying issues. Nostalgic!
He gave Ravi an incredulous look. "Dead men aren't made of money!"
This was an incredibly serious issue.
Ravi held his hands up in a gesture that was half shrug, half surrender. "A hat, then," he relented. "But how would I deliver it?" Couldn't exactly waltz up to a dude's grave to hand him some new clothes, man. And, even though his tone was mirthful and casual, this was a question that had been gnawing at him: how do I see you again?
"Mmmm..." He rocked on his heels again. "You could leave it here, outside of the house. Coming to check is a simple matter."
Thinking about how he and Ravi could meet face to face? Nope. Unlike his best friend, Alex didn't feel like it had been seventeen years since seeing Ravi or anyone. It felt like A While, but certainly not as long as it actually had been.
He didn't try to hide his disappointment. He wanted to call Alex an insensitive idiot, accuse him of not wanting to see Ravi again, etc etc. Getting upset was a bad plan though, so he didn't say any of that. Instead, he said, "But I want to see you again."
It came out calm and nonchalant, but to him it sounded needy and desperate. He regretted it immediately and wished he'd kept to the good-humoured joking of their prior conversation.
A long "ah" crept from his throat as he leaned backwards, arms folded across his chest as he peered at the ceiling. He could see the clouds from it, so damaged from the elements it was. As far as he was concerned, the light from the moon was more than enough for the both of them, but he would eventually realize that it was his vision that altered, not Ravindra's.
"I don't know how that's possible," he finally said, still focusing on the night sky. "It would be a bad idea for you to come to me, or for me to come to you," and he meant where they slept, respectively, "but you can't really send me a letter, either."
"No, Alex, no." He couldn't stop himself from sounding desperate this time; he hated it, and he'd spend hours going over how stupid it sounded once this conversation was over, but for now it got the point across. "You cannot come back from the dead and then tell me I cannot see you. Don't do this to me. It was hard enough to lose you once. Don't ask me to do it again."
When he lowered his head to look at Ravindra, it was with an addition of mild annoyance. "Do you think it's wise for you to see me? A member of the Guard, with a vampire? No one will care that I'm your friend, or that I haven't killed anyone, you know."
Alex's annoyance only garnered the same from Ravi. "It is not the same now as it was when you died!" (Uh oh, exclamation points, that's how you know it's serious.) "The Golden Hour keeps non-humans; people are not all terrified of them. There is acceptance. I don't think your return will be received as badly as you think. I would even talk to the Magus about it for you and get you protection."
He hated talking to people, got nervous around strangers, let everyone else talk for him so he wouldn't have to open his mouth. That had always been true, and it was a quirk of his personality that Alex would know well. So Ravindra offering to talk to a stranger on somebody else's behalf? That was huge.
Truthfully, Alex had forgotten about the Golden Hour. He had not been fond of the Vanjalists and their fascination with Others, had not appreciated the unnecessary danger they invited into the city and her inhabitants. His reaction to Ravindra's offer was a mixture of surprise, appreciation and increased irritation, the latter of which was fueled by a combination of a lack of sleep, the idea of staying with the Hour, and concern for Ravindra's reputation and the safety of his daughter. If he were being completely honest, his irritation was also a product of habit -- when things got testy, they had always risen to each other's challenge until it, more often than not, resulted in someone throwing the first blow.
"And the timing? You yourself suspected me of killing a noble. How much more so the rest of them? Unless you've been promoted to a Constable, I find it hard to believe that you could vouch for my innocence." He was no longer rocking on his heels, though his arms were still crossed together. To an outsider, they might have looked like a father scolding his petulant son.
He was upset and not thinking as straight as he could have been. If he'd calmed down and thought it through, maybe he would've come up with an answer before speaking. As it was, he just wanted to punch Alex and shout, "SHUT UP, I'M RIGHT." And, you know, 17 years ago that's pretty much how it would've gone.
Thankfully, his temper was not so short anymore, and he was better now at controlling his anger. "I don't know! I don't know, but at least let me ask if the Magus can protect you!"
"You don't get it," Alex replied, voice low, tone more stable than Ravindra's. Then that all went to hell. "Making your connection to me known to anyone is dangerous! I am a vampire, for fuck's sake -- I drink blood and turn into a flying rat. When has that ever been acceptable? The Vanjalists may offer shelter, but if anyone else finds out, finds out what I am, the city will not be satisfied until I am dead. For good. They would not protect me from that." He sneered at the idea of that -- the Golden Hour, protecting him. How insulting. He was the one who was supposed to do the protecting.
Ravi snapped. Alex got a fist to the face, followed by Ravindra grabbing the front of his shirt and hauling him face-to-face. "You come back from death to have a second chance at life and all you can think is tragedy?" he shouted. "There are worse monsters than you staying at the Hour and still the Magus protects them. Why did you even come to Tyrol, why even try to find me or your wife or your daughter if you only intended to run away after you did? You are an idiot, Alex, and I am not going to stand here and listen to you giving up before you even try!"
If Alex were thinking clearly, his response would have been worse because he'd realize Ravi had a point. As it was, his reaction was based on anger, habit and the blossoming pain in his cheek instead. He ripped Ravi's hands away from him and took a half-step forward, not at all intimidated by the Sergeant's actions. His own had caused part of his shirt to tear, but Alex paid it no mind. "I don't intend to run away, but neither do I intend to put you or Amelia in unnecessary danger!" he snarled, canines bared. "If your Magus protects monsters worse than me, then he is a fanatical idiot like the rest before him! You think I can trust that? Have you lost your mind to age?" His fingers were balled into fists and it was easy to read him. If Ravi said even one thing in response that he disagreed with, he'd strike.
Oh man he was ready to punch Alex again just for that age comment. His fingers tightened into a fist, but he kept himself from throwing it, just glaring up at Alex through narrowed eyes. "Then what do you intend, Alex?" His tone was still obviously angry, but it was hidden under a cold calm.
His glaring continued for a few seconds before the features of his face relaxed into troubled expression. What had he intended to do?
"I don't know. I haven't thought that far yet."
"Idiot." This time a harsh shove, at least, and not a punch. Alex's response calmed him somewhat. "Then at least let me ask the Magus what your options would be."
He stumbled back a step, but quickly stepped forward to shove Ravindra back. It was with one hand only, though, and not as harsh -- more of a last attempt to put up a fight. Now that the regular routine of prodding Ravi and arguing with him was finished, Alex felt all of the weariness prior to entering the house return to him, doubly.
"You know I can't stop you," he said with a frown, not looking at Ravi but fixing a weak glare at the busted window on the wall, "but I won't like it."
No stumbling, there. Ravi was a wall, there was barely even any give. "You don't have to like it," he said. "Meet me here tomorrow and I will have your hat for you." And, hopefully, some answers.
And the coat, he added mentally, sulking. He deserved as much after the stress Ravi was causing!
"Is that your only order?" he asked, a combination of sarcasm and sullenness.
Don't whine, Alex, he intended to bring by a full set of clothes. Just because he only mentioned the hat!
"No," he answered sternly. "Also stop being an ass."
If this were any other time, Alex probably would have rolled his eyes and told Ravi to shut the fuck up in good spirits. Tonight, he simply drawled, "Yes, sir," and walked out of the house, shoving his hands in his pockets as he did so. It was callous, but he was still operating on the mindset that they would see each other tomorrow and the problem would be forgotten, just like it always had been.
Ravindra let out a long sigh once Alex was gone, sinking to a crouch with his head in hand. He'd forgotten how infuriating his friend could be, just how easy it was to let himself get riled up by him. And yet he would much rather be angry with Alex than not have him at all.
Hopefully the Magus could offer some help. The sooner they could move past this vampire thing, the happier he would be.