Chapter Text
"Oh, probably because I'm a vampire."
The small group in the decrepit tower fall silent at Scott's words, all turning to look at him. The pale white beacon in the center of the room glows untouched. Seemingly interrupted by Scott having walked in on everyone kneeling to make it turn golden. And give off creepy lightness vibes. Kind of like intense beams of sunlight, but trapped in glass.
Luckily, it did stutter to stop due to his intimidating presence. Though it immediately made a few people go all suspicious and point fingers at him. Like he knows anything about these weird beacons or whatever.
"HYUH?!" Avid screams, quickly flinching back from the center of the room.
Scott raises an eyebrow, faintly smirking in amusement. Not necessarily opposed to the reaction, but it is a bit loud and dramatic. Even for Scott's taste.
"Oh, heavens' above, don't encourage him," Legundo says, stepping into the room behind him.
"Trust me, I would not encourage anything from a man such as him," Scott says.
Martyn snorts, while everyone else around seems to shake their head or roll their eyes, similar tones to the doctor. More appropriate to if Scott had just said he's a unicorn or something else ridiculous. A sprig of tired annoyance goes through him. Are these humans being purposefully obtuse?
"Not—not funny, dude. It is not a joking matter," Avid says. He is inordinately sweaty and shrill.
"I'm not joking. I'm a vampire," Scott says flatly.
This time, Avid is the only one that laughs. Very nervously. And with his eyes looking around, just about everywhere except at Scott. Maybe it would respectful if not for… the rest of him. Scott places his hand on his hip while an awkward air fills the room.
"Let's just, uh, try this again? Or see what those other people are up to," Drift suggests.
Scott shrugs in disinterest, though some of the eyes remain stuck on him. No one but Martyn makes a move to move on. Hm.
"Vampires aren't real. Is that some sort of play pretend, like Martyn being a rich boy?" Cleo asks, eyes scanning him.
"Hey!" Martyn yells.
"Excuse you. I am actually rich. And actually a vampire," Scott says, an offended hand on his chest.
"Mm," Cleo hums with thin eyes.
"Seriously, cut the supernatural nonsense, everyone. You're going to start a paranoia," Legundo says, massaging his nose bridge.
"Exactly," Abolish agrees quietly.
"You know what? I don't know why I have to prove myself to you all, random strangers. I was just answering your question about why this weird magic thing failed," Scott says, flapping his hand at the beacon. "I came here to get a lay of the land, anyway. Find some food. So…"
With one last flip of his hand, Scott turns and strides out of the broken side of the wall. He passes the doctor by, who scowls at him. Gods forbid Scott is honest for once. Maybe he should have gone to the effort of lying after all. Surely that would have gone over better for him.
It usually does. And it's more fun, when he's not so short on brain width and food.
Right as he steps outside, there's a quick procession of footsteps behind him. Followed swiftly by a guttural yell. Scott turns, just in time for Avid to throw himself physically onto his body.
Scott's weakened legs bend a little beneath the weight of an entire man's body, unimpressive as it may be, which forces him to take another step backwards. While Scott shoves the man away with a violent snarl on his face, Avid claws himself closer. All around, shouts and cries have picked up. Legundo grabs Avid by the arm, trying to pry him away.
It doesn't deter Avid from reaching into his pocket.
And pulling out a wooden stake.
"Oh, for fuc—!"
With a poof of billowing cloth and wings, Scott transforms into a bat. It's quite quick for his first time in six hundred years. Uncomfortable, if not the edge of painful. But as he flies upwards, that mostly fades. The wind is a little nice, as is the downward looking perspective on the scurrying little humans.
Down below, Avid has fallen onto the ground, swinging his hands around at the bats left behind. If anything, the screaming from everyone has actually picked up in tone and volume. Fear and shock instead of outrage.
Kind of offensive, that they would scream louder at some little bats than at Scott's attempted murder. And they call him the cruel one.
"What in the good hell?" Martyn cries.
"Well, this is unexpected," Cleo says, shockingly calm.
It seems that the other crowd of people within the town are drawn closer by the sounds of terror and swift action. Soon, about a dozen people are stood before the ruined tower at the center of town. Looking at bats and a raving lunatic. Somehow, the bat is not the main focus or concern.
"He's a vampire! He's a vampire! I told you!" Avid shrieks.
Not the main focus or concern until everyone gets a good understanding on what the vampire thing is a about, anyway.
With a poof, Scott shifts back into his human form. He gently floats down to the top of the tower, over everyone, legs crossing in the sit. Just barely, he leans forwards to look at the gaping faces better. All turned up towards him.
"Yes, like I quite said," Scott says. "And you're an unhinged murderer. Which I think is far more frightening and life threatening for all of yous."
"A vampire…?" Legundo murmurs, looking down at his own hands. Grabbing his forehead slowly, in search of questioned sanity.
"A vampire!" Shelby and Sausage cry at the same time.
Everyone seems in a similar state. Looking around, pinching themselves, asking obvious questions like did I really just see that? Scott laughs in amusement.
There's a few faces in the crowd which are not so pure and baffled. Or at least that have changed quicker.
Cleo, Pearl, Abolish, Owen. Hm.
"Again, I did say," Scott says, raising his voice.
"You—you monster! I'm going to slay you!" Avid yells, tripping into a stand.
"Is anyone else hearing this? That's definitely threatening on top of attempted murder. Not a good look," Scott says, placing his chin on the top of his hand.
"Shut up, monster! I told you all!" Avid says, laughing a bit again.
"Monster is mean too…" Scott says, bouncing his crossed leg. "I'm just a vampire. As I have said. Repeatedly."
"Trying to hide yourself among the town to feed off of us in thee night?" Ren asks, stepping forwards and drawing out his axe.
"No! Are you all speaking a different language? I said that I was a vampire immediately! I don't think I could have been quicker!" Scott places his face in his hand. "Humans have gotten so dense in the last few hundred years…"
"He did come out and say it before Avid even accused him," Martyn says, holding a rock to his chest for some reason. Like that will help him. "Which is inordinately quick."
"He did…" Drift agrees weakly.
"So what? He's a monster, we need to kill him before he kills us! Guys, come on!" Avid yells.
"The only one trying to kill anyone around here is you, last I checked. You all woke me up and then instantly attacked me. I don't even know what's happening," Scott says.
"You just said that you were going to eat!" Avid points at Scott. Rude.
"Uh, yeah? I'm, like, starving to death right now. Hence why I was going to get some food," Scott says.
"Us?!" Sausage asks, hands clutched before him strangely.
"No? Animals? You all never had a steak before?" Scott says, huffing.
"Oh, yeah? Then why are you up there?" Avid asks.
"Because you tried to kill me!" Scott yells back down. "And are actively trying to encourage the group of way more competent looking people to join you."
"I don't think you have a lot to worry about in that last regard," Cleo calls up to him.
"Martyn is aiming a rock at my head," Scott says, pointing.
Cleo slaps Martyn's lifted hand, making his ammo fall back to the ground. The man pouts.
"Nobody is going to kill anybody," Legundo says, spreading his arms out. "Let's all just be rational."
"Rational like you said vampires don't exist?" Avid asks sharply.
"Even if they do, that's not an excuse to jump to killing or mobbing anyone. No one has been hurt, right?" Legundo says firmly.
"Well, that dirty one stained my jacket," Scott says, brushing off the tail of it slightly. "Oh, and tried to stake me through the heart."
"Cause you're a vampire!" Avid yells.
"So? I'm just trying to live my life, undisturbed. Commoners are so violent, sheesh," Scott says, crossing his arms.
"That's a bit of an over-generalization," Drift says.
The woman slides up beside Avid, setting a hand on his stabbing elbow. He practically jumps into the air, like a spooked cat.
Scott purposefully keeps a smile off of his face.
"No one is going to do anything violent," Legundo repeats like a mantra, facing Avid a bit more. Though he keeps his eyes on a flicker up to Scott.
"I really can't have anyone dying here on my watch. I don't know if vampires count as that, but…" Apo agrees. Sort of. And she seems to be the only one with a proper sword on them as of yet.
Good? Maybe?
"Hey, I'm a someone," Scott says, laying a hand on his chest. Then, softly enough to probably not be heard: "More someone than a lot of you…"
"We cannot kill the first vampire I have ever met! I have so much to ask him!" Shelby pipes up.
"That is a good point," Sausage says. Pyro nods too: "It is."
The nerdy ones seem the most boldly on his side. Interesting. They aren't exactly threatening, but numbers are numbers.
And humans are human.
"Also, the murder thing seems pretty bad," Abolish speaks up calmly from the the side.
"Agreed!" Scott sings, swinging his legs. "Glad that has been decided! I really am oh-so tired, flying away for my life again would be so straining."
"No, no, you can come down," Avid says, practically seething.
"Okay, no," Legundo says.
Legundo walks over to pry the stake out of Avid's hands. It seems momentarily like it will be a fight, almost becoming interesting—who is Scott to beloath two men fighting over him?—but Drift steps in before it does. And firmly helps the stake end up in Legundo's hands.
Notably, said stake remains within the doctor's clutches, out and not put away. A violence only restrained, then.
"Thank you, good doctor," Scott says, smiling at him.
The doctor is not so pleased by it, apparently. But he seems set on trying to align himself with the rational crowd, so hopefully he will see to holding back whatever his issues are. Perhaps simply angry that Scott is disproving his world views on the supernatural.
Scott is often world changing for many. He can't help being super.
"Let's all just talk," Legundo says firmly.
"Sure," Scott says, swallowing a sigh. He may be bored back to death, if he doesn't starve first.
"What brings ye here, beastly one?" Ren asks, squinting harshly.
"First of all, rude. My name's Scott. Second of all, I was here first. Like, wayyyyy first. That ruined manor back there is mine," Scott says, throwing a thumb over his shoulder.
"So you were just living in castle ruins all this time?" Apo says, sounding judgmental.
"Gods, no. I have standards," Scott scoffs. "I was asleep in the tomb underneath it. For the past, what? Six hundred years? Everything was much more in one piece back then."
"Six hundred years… How did that happen?" Pyro asks, fingers on his chin and eyes blinking. Like they're talking instead of interrogating. Funny.
"Magic curse, I would think. I hardly know the specifics, I'm not one for the occult arts. I just found myself in a tomb, in a state of unconsciousness, and then randomly: awake now. Must have been you all," Scott says, raising his hands shortly.
"Why would someone curse you?" Martyn asks, squinting hard.
"Why would someone try to stake me with my back turned?" Scott asks sharply. Avid has taken up silently glaring. Without blinking. Spooky. "People get so freaked out about vampires. It's quite rude!"
There's a few shared looks and uncomfortable murmurs. Mulling the words over.
"And what are you planning to do now that you're awake?" Pearl asks, looking at him intently. One of the ones to keep an eye on.
"I don't know. What are you all up to?" Scott says breezily. "Trying to not starve to death. Get my shelter back to an adequate and grand state. Reach out to some old friends to see if they're still around. Classic upkeep."
"With blood? From who?" Pearl asks, very on task with that one.
"Again, animals," Scott says, rolling his eyes. "None of you all seem worth being staked through the heart for, no offense."
"Can you live off of animals alone?" Legundo asks.
"Sure. Though it takes quite a few animals to manage. Hence why I'm out and about, looking," Scott says.
Probably true, though Scott never has tried. Never been much reason—and even more pertinent, much want.
But that won't go over well with this crowd, he doesn't think.
"And you can just keep control of yourself? Not go around attacking people?" Abolish asks.
"I mean, not if I get hungry enough. But I'm pretty freaking starving right now and haven't given anyone a nibble, now have I?" Scott says. "Really, it's no different than a human. You'll bite to stave off a horrid starving death, won't you?"
Mixed responses go through everyone at that. But no one seems to necessarily disagree. Well, except for…
"And let's remember, I'm not the one that attacked anyone!" Scott says, throwing a hand up.
"I didn't attack a person. I attacked a monster," Avid says, face dour while his body shakes minutely.
"Again, rude. I'm just some guy," Scott says. He tosses his hair. "A very handsome, talented, successful guy. Who is a vampire also."
Cleo scoffs loudly at that, while a few others give a laugh of surprise. Scott smiles sweetly. One of his good ones.
"What about revenge? For the people who wronged you?" Owen finally asks, all the way at the back of the crowd.
Scott squints slightly, before smoothing it away.
"Revenge against who? Anyone who cursed me is dead six times over, at least. And frankly, I didn't know any of them well enough to go tracking down great-great-great-great-great-great grandchildren. Did I get that right?" Scott says.
"Well, generations typically last around 20 years, so there's likely been around 30 since you were cursed asleep—" Pyro prattles.
"Oh gods, no! That's way too many," Scott says with a grand huff. "I'm tired again already! I'm petty, but not that petty!"
When a few people seem vaguely amused, though not the deeply frowning and sad looking Owen, or the growling Avid, Scott slides off of the top of the tower. Everyone takes a few steps back and raises their hands a little, while he crouches low to soften his fall. Standing, he brushes his coat straight and dust free. With his hands anyway, he keeps his eyes on the humans before him. Ready to push a bat transformation to fly out of town if he really needs to.
Despite their varying fear, skepticism, and awe, most of the humans don't seem apt to attack him right now. It's almost a pity, because he has no excuse to attack them then. But he truly is too tired to start that himself now.
So Scott just smiles instead.
"Now, it is getting late. Anyone apt to prepare the town before the creatures of the night come in?"
When Cleo laughs, loud and acerbic, Scott gets the feeling that he could grow to respect the human. Unlikely as it may be.