There
Last rapid fire vampire story in a little while, I promise! Well, until I finish writing 'And since when were we the good guys', but...
So this is a pretty scrappy, quickly written little story in which the Tiny Mya Friend is tiny and helpful, and Henry has angst. Just because you can't have tiny Mya friends without seeing some general improvement in your life, I suppose. They're awesome like that.
There is a Spoken Version, but I warn you, my Raewyn voice is... awful. Gonna have to work on that one.
Title: There
Characters: Henry, Mya, Max, Rae, Wake
Warnings: Computer generated zombies? It's mostly silly fluff.
Summary: When Henry needed to go somewhere, to be quiet and peaceful and not relied on for anything, he went there.
Henry had a habit of simply appearing, whenever he needed a little peace and quiet. A bit of respite. Somewhere where no one expected anything of him. Because he loved his sire - he did love Wake - despite everything the elder vampire had done, did, and would continue to do, he loved Wake - but sometimes he didn't need the pressure of being loved like that. Wake relied on him, and he wasn't good at being relied on.
They appeared, just like he did, the girls (and Draco), just suddenly there, at his side; quiet out of respect for his mood, but still there, comforting and affectionate and requiring nothing of him. So as much as he insisted that he didn't like hugs, Mya, get off, there was a reason that he went there, when he needed somewhere to be quiet, and not somewhere else. They didn't want anything from him.
In truth, he didn't understand why they were so quick to accept him, to comfort him; why Kai would lean against his shoulder while reading a book, or the way that Draco had a fondness for simply curling up on his lap and falling fast asleep. It was as if these people had no idea what he was; no clue how disgusting and worthless he was, as a man, and how pathetic he was, as a vampire. Like they didn't really care what he'd done in the past, or all the things he saw out of the corner of his eyes, or in his nightmares.
On the rare occasions he voiced his confusion, Wake would groan and throw pillows at his head.
“Ask them yourself.” He'd drawl at his glowering fledgling. “Why do you even care?”
Henry didn't want to ask them himself; he had a suspicion that if they thought about it they might realise he was a useless, insane monster with no redeeming qualities. And he cared because, well, if he was being honest, he liked them; Mya and Kai and Draco, and Kitty and Jon, and Sig and Danny and Max. They were good, kind, friendly and caring people, and he wanted to know why such good, kind, friendly and caring people would be so accepting of a crazy vampire who had once wanted, really wanted, to end the world. To kill every sentient being in as creative a way as he could come up with at the time. Including, though the thought made him shudder now, them. His friends. He would have killed them, hurt them, and they... what? Loved him? That was more insane than any passing phantom his mind had ever conjured up.
So he was afraid to ask. Knowing wouldn't be worth anything if he didn't have these friends - his only friends. Even if that was selfish as hell.
“Morning, Henry.” Max stubbed out the last of his cigarette and shut the back door, locking Raewyn outside in the garden.
“Let me in, muse.” The feline demanded, striking her paws against the door and hissing. “Oh, that wretched vampire is back, I can smell it!”
“Ignore her.” Max advised, patting Henry on the shoulder in an almost brotherly gesture. “She's bitchy this morning because Mya caught her tail in the door.”
“I said sorry!” A voice called from the living room. “Hey Henry! Come play video games with me! Draco doesn't have thumbs!” There was a smoky sound that probably signalled agreement. “See? He can't do the controls very well. And he gets slobber on the shoulder triggers.” A sneeze sounded. Henry had no idea what this meant, but Mya didn't say anything further.
Moving from the kitchen to the living room, he easily caught the video game controller thrown in his general direction. He examined the moulded plastic device. One of his fledglings - back when he'd had fledglings, twenty or so years ago - had been a fan of video games. It seemed the things had gotten a lot more complicated since then; for one thing, there seemed to be a great deal more buttons involved. But Henry had seen the girls play a few times, and the concept seemed simple enough.
“Sit here,” Mya ordered, patting the sofa next to her. Henry did so, as the bright young quarter wolf launched into a explanation of the rules and the controls. Draco hopped up from the floor, laying on the sofa with his head on one of Henry's knees. This was apparently comfortable, though it didn't look it. “And then the bad guys die. See?”
Henry nodded. It didn't seem too hard.
“Mya,” he began, speaking slowly, as she manipulated the buttons on her controller to start the game; looking up, she blinked wide green eyes at the vampire curiously. He was struck with how innocent and sweet she was, how vulnerable. He could rip her heart out before she even knew what was happening. Why did she trust him? “Why do you trust me?” It slipped out before he could drag it back; he'd intended to ask something else.
“Huh?” She blinked again.
“I'm a monster.” Henry explained, like it should be obvious. “I tried to kill everyone.”
“Well, yeah...” Mya shrugged, turning back to the game and hitting play. “But you didn't kill everyone.”
“Kitty stopped me,” he pointed out; it turned out that the game was harder than it looked, since his character was already busy being dead. “Are those zombies?”
“Yup. And, well, yeah, but she didn't have to kill you or anything. She has to do that sometimes. I mean, not to you. But to people who want to kill everyone, and then she tells them not to, but they don't stop, so she kills them. And you ain't really a bad guy bad guy, you were just sad and angry and stuff. I know what that's like, I get sad and angry all the time. And, and...” She bit her bottom lip in concentration as she shot a zombie in the head. “Head shot! Sorry, what was the question?”
His character revived, Henry made for a very twitchy, but fairly successful, gamer.
“Then why do you like me?” If his concentration hadn't all been on the computer generated undead, he would never have dared to ask.
“Don't be silly. Arg, oh noes...” Mya threw down her controller in disgust. “This game cheats. Come save me!” Henry tried to do as told, only to find himself surrounded by zombies on all sides. “Eep! Behind you!” As Mya squeaked and hid behind her hands, the screen was flooded with unrealistic blood as tinny screams echoed out of the speakers. Henry put down his controller with a small smile, patting the girl's shoulder awkwardly. “This game cheats!” She lamented.
Game Over said the screen in smug lettering. Play Again? It read like a challenge.
Henry glanced at the girl sitting beside him, still cowered behind her little hands and giggling. He smiled wider, and picked up the controller.
Don't be silly.
Somehow, he wasn't worried anymore. Even if it was selfish as hell, he'd always have somewhere to go.
So this is a pretty scrappy, quickly written little story in which the Tiny Mya Friend is tiny and helpful, and Henry has angst. Just because you can't have tiny Mya friends without seeing some general improvement in your life, I suppose. They're awesome like that.
There is a Spoken Version, but I warn you, my Raewyn voice is... awful. Gonna have to work on that one.
Title: There
Characters: Henry, Mya, Max, Rae, Wake
Warnings: Computer generated zombies? It's mostly silly fluff.
Summary: When Henry needed to go somewhere, to be quiet and peaceful and not relied on for anything, he went there.
Henry had a habit of simply appearing, whenever he needed a little peace and quiet. A bit of respite. Somewhere where no one expected anything of him. Because he loved his sire - he did love Wake - despite everything the elder vampire had done, did, and would continue to do, he loved Wake - but sometimes he didn't need the pressure of being loved like that. Wake relied on him, and he wasn't good at being relied on.
They appeared, just like he did, the girls (and Draco), just suddenly there, at his side; quiet out of respect for his mood, but still there, comforting and affectionate and requiring nothing of him. So as much as he insisted that he didn't like hugs, Mya, get off, there was a reason that he went there, when he needed somewhere to be quiet, and not somewhere else. They didn't want anything from him.
In truth, he didn't understand why they were so quick to accept him, to comfort him; why Kai would lean against his shoulder while reading a book, or the way that Draco had a fondness for simply curling up on his lap and falling fast asleep. It was as if these people had no idea what he was; no clue how disgusting and worthless he was, as a man, and how pathetic he was, as a vampire. Like they didn't really care what he'd done in the past, or all the things he saw out of the corner of his eyes, or in his nightmares.
On the rare occasions he voiced his confusion, Wake would groan and throw pillows at his head.
“Ask them yourself.” He'd drawl at his glowering fledgling. “Why do you even care?”
Henry didn't want to ask them himself; he had a suspicion that if they thought about it they might realise he was a useless, insane monster with no redeeming qualities. And he cared because, well, if he was being honest, he liked them; Mya and Kai and Draco, and Kitty and Jon, and Sig and Danny and Max. They were good, kind, friendly and caring people, and he wanted to know why such good, kind, friendly and caring people would be so accepting of a crazy vampire who had once wanted, really wanted, to end the world. To kill every sentient being in as creative a way as he could come up with at the time. Including, though the thought made him shudder now, them. His friends. He would have killed them, hurt them, and they... what? Loved him? That was more insane than any passing phantom his mind had ever conjured up.
So he was afraid to ask. Knowing wouldn't be worth anything if he didn't have these friends - his only friends. Even if that was selfish as hell.
“Morning, Henry.” Max stubbed out the last of his cigarette and shut the back door, locking Raewyn outside in the garden.
“Let me in, muse.” The feline demanded, striking her paws against the door and hissing. “Oh, that wretched vampire is back, I can smell it!”
“Ignore her.” Max advised, patting Henry on the shoulder in an almost brotherly gesture. “She's bitchy this morning because Mya caught her tail in the door.”
“I said sorry!” A voice called from the living room. “Hey Henry! Come play video games with me! Draco doesn't have thumbs!” There was a smoky sound that probably signalled agreement. “See? He can't do the controls very well. And he gets slobber on the shoulder triggers.” A sneeze sounded. Henry had no idea what this meant, but Mya didn't say anything further.
Moving from the kitchen to the living room, he easily caught the video game controller thrown in his general direction. He examined the moulded plastic device. One of his fledglings - back when he'd had fledglings, twenty or so years ago - had been a fan of video games. It seemed the things had gotten a lot more complicated since then; for one thing, there seemed to be a great deal more buttons involved. But Henry had seen the girls play a few times, and the concept seemed simple enough.
“Sit here,” Mya ordered, patting the sofa next to her. Henry did so, as the bright young quarter wolf launched into a explanation of the rules and the controls. Draco hopped up from the floor, laying on the sofa with his head on one of Henry's knees. This was apparently comfortable, though it didn't look it. “And then the bad guys die. See?”
Henry nodded. It didn't seem too hard.
“Mya,” he began, speaking slowly, as she manipulated the buttons on her controller to start the game; looking up, she blinked wide green eyes at the vampire curiously. He was struck with how innocent and sweet she was, how vulnerable. He could rip her heart out before she even knew what was happening. Why did she trust him? “Why do you trust me?” It slipped out before he could drag it back; he'd intended to ask something else.
“Huh?” She blinked again.
“I'm a monster.” Henry explained, like it should be obvious. “I tried to kill everyone.”
“Well, yeah...” Mya shrugged, turning back to the game and hitting play. “But you didn't kill everyone.”
“Kitty stopped me,” he pointed out; it turned out that the game was harder than it looked, since his character was already busy being dead. “Are those zombies?”
“Yup. And, well, yeah, but she didn't have to kill you or anything. She has to do that sometimes. I mean, not to you. But to people who want to kill everyone, and then she tells them not to, but they don't stop, so she kills them. And you ain't really a bad guy bad guy, you were just sad and angry and stuff. I know what that's like, I get sad and angry all the time. And, and...” She bit her bottom lip in concentration as she shot a zombie in the head. “Head shot! Sorry, what was the question?”
His character revived, Henry made for a very twitchy, but fairly successful, gamer.
“Then why do you like me?” If his concentration hadn't all been on the computer generated undead, he would never have dared to ask.
“Don't be silly. Arg, oh noes...” Mya threw down her controller in disgust. “This game cheats. Come save me!” Henry tried to do as told, only to find himself surrounded by zombies on all sides. “Eep! Behind you!” As Mya squeaked and hid behind her hands, the screen was flooded with unrealistic blood as tinny screams echoed out of the speakers. Henry put down his controller with a small smile, patting the girl's shoulder awkwardly. “This game cheats!” She lamented.
Game Over said the screen in smug lettering. Play Again? It read like a challenge.
Henry glanced at the girl sitting beside him, still cowered behind her little hands and giggling. He smiled wider, and picked up the controller.
Don't be silly.
Somehow, he wasn't worried anymore. Even if it was selfish as hell, he'd always have somewhere to go.