A/N: Hello again! It's been a loooong time since I've posted anything, I know, but I couldn't resist Amela333's Summer Quote Contest! There were so many awesome quotes to choose from, but I finally managed to make a decision and pick one. My quote is:
'We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love' - Dr. Seuss.
I'll admit, it took FOREVER to actually come up with a story to fit that quote, and I still don't think I've managed to make it fit completely, but whatever. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: You can go read someone else's. The same applies to me.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
"Everybody likes it!"
"Apparently, you aren't a proper vampire if you don't like it."
"All right, all right." Larten Crepsley looked down into the steaming bowl of broth in front of him and swallowed loudly, "I will try it then."
Gavner Purl and Arra Sails – both sat opposite Larten – grinned at each other: though everyone in the vampire clan ate bat broth, it was something of an acquired taste, something that took time to get used to. All young vampires first had trouble with it, but soon got over it when presented with the fact that it was the only decent hot meal they could get whilst staying in the mountain.
And now it was Larten's turn to try the mountain's most infamous dish, something he wasn't looking forward to as memories of Gavner's horrific first time flashed through his mind.
Slowly, Larten lifted the wooden spoon. Thick, slimy broth dripped over the sides, a piece of bat wing stuck up through the dark liquid. Larten's face drained of all colour.
"Remember, mate," Gavner said, trying to keep his voice straight as laughs threatened to break through, "if you can just get through this bowl, you'll be fine for the rest of your life."
With some effort, Larten tore his horrified gaze away from the spoon and up to his so-called friend: Gavner was laughing now, not even trying to hold them back as he motioned with his hands for Larten to just get on with it. Arra was being a little bit more sensitive, at least half managing to hold her laughter back and giving Larten something of a reassuring smile.
Larten looked back down at the spoon still held in his hands and scowled at it. And then he sighed, said a silent prayer to the vampire Gods, and shoved the spoon into his mouth without a second thought.
Gavner whooped his delight, clapping his hands and somehow managing to laugh even more. Larten held the so-called food in his mouth for a few seconds, and then began to chew up the bat wing, an expression of pain slowly creeping onto his face.
"How is it?" Arra asked, still grinning.
Larten swallowed the sharp little pieces of bat wing, shivered and coughed, and then opened his mouth to reply. Before he could get a word out, his hands had clapped themselves over his mouth and he shot up, running out of the hall in a blur.
Gavner and Arra looked at each other, and then collapsed into fits of laughter.
Bat broth had claimed another victim.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
"Larten? Oh, Larten?" Gavner called in a sing-song voice, a smile plastered to his face as he shook his friend's shoulder. Larten groaned and knocked the large hand away. "Now, now, that's no way to behave." Gavner chided, grabbing Larten's arm and hauling him to his feet.
Larten swayed dangerously, but was caught by Gavner, who swung an arm around his shoulders, laughing again. On Larten's other side, Arra gently took a hold of his arm, "How do you feel?" She asked.
"How do you think I feel?" Larten groaned again, clutching his free arm around his middle, "I think I have been poisoned."
Gavner laughed heartily, and pushed his friend forward, "You won't be thinking that after your second bowl. I'm telling you, when you have it again you'll realise that it's the best thing you've ever tasted!"
Larten stumbled and shook his head, "No, never again. There is no way I am ever eating that, that monstrosity again!"
"Oh, come on!" Gavner exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air and freeing Larten from his grip. Larten staggered at suddenly being left to stand on his own, but was quickly steadied by Arra.
"Gavner, that was the worst thing I have ever tasted. I am not eating it again."
Gavner snorted, "You two are no fun."
"'You two'?" Larten asked.
"Yeah, Arra won't eat it either." Gavner strolled ahead of his friends, his hands behind his head.
Larten lifted his head up a little more, and gave Arra a sideways look, "You do not like it either?"
Arra laughed, "No way! I can't understand how everyone manages to eat it on a daily basis." She leaned in closer to Larten and whispered, "I think he's weird for liking it."
As Larten laughed, Gavner spun around, "I heard that, Sails," Arra grinned up at him. "And it's not me, or even anyone else, who's weird. It's you two for not eating it!"
They had a friendly argument all the way back up to Larten's room, the three of them laughing and joking, even Larten who had recovered considerably from being in the presence of his friend's good nature. But it was Gavner who finally won the argument, simply by saying, "You two are the only vampires in the clan who refuse to eat bat broth. It's obviously meant to be!"
They both froze, Larten blushing furiously, Arra laughing awkwardly, "What are you talking about?" She asked, voice a little higher than usual.
"Guys!" Gavner laughed at their expressions. He broke them apart (for Arra was still clutching Larten's arm) and put his arms around their shoulders, "I was joking!"
He laughed again, and so did Arra and Larten, albeit a little uncomfortably. Gavner let them go and let himself into Larten's room, and while his back was turned, they shared a sheepish smile.
Strangely enough, it was years later - when the subject of bat broth once again arose - that Arra and Larten were finally brought together.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
A/N: So there you have it. I know it gets a bit crappy at the end, but I just could not for the life of me figure out how to finish it off nicely. But hey, at least I actually managed to finish it!
Let me know what you thought of it, and thanks so much for reading!