Disclaimer: Vampire Blood is a work of fiction. LadyMaito does not own My Babysitter's a Vampire, however much she may pray for a third season, or second movie. She can only dream. And write.
Author's Note: Happy October! :D
So, to be clear, I realize I've been sorely neglecting my work 'HITB'. I realize this, and it saddens me as well. I AM working on it, just not as quickly or as frequently as some of my other stories. It's not that I've lost interest, it's that I have so many other active stories, and it's refreshing to work on new projects, you know? The latest chapters are in the works. However, this month, I'll mostly be all about Halloween, so some of my stories are going to be pushed to the back burner, unfortunately. Check out my other stories if you like, I'll be updating the Halloween-themed ones frequently this month, or that's the plan, at least. Today, I'm recovering from/still fighting a nasty stomach bug I caught over Columbus Day weekend. Pray for me,
and read on!
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"A bit lavish for my tastes." A broad-shouldered man commented as he entered the greenhouse. "Concerning business, anyway. Then again, I shouldn't complain. This is certainly more interesting than that boring courtyard."
Ethan disagreed. While scratching down notes in a composition journal, the seer thought absently that the courtyard, although void of much color, was quite beautiful– everything on the estate was.
"I don't usually meet with clients outside." Ethan muttered in brief explanation, barely sparing the older man a glance. "Can I help you?"
"Thank you for meeting with me. My name is Terns. Lawrence Terns. I'm a regular business partner of Jesse Black's." The man sat across from Ethan, the table between them small, square, and covered in potting soil. "Normally I would go to him for the occasional favor, but since he's turned me down for this particular request-"
"I don't act independently." Ethan interrupted flatly. He'd avoided looking at the older man directly since he'd walked in, but the seer now looked up with some mild disdain, taking in the man's physical features.
In addition to the broad shoulders, the man had salt and pepper hair, a slightly aged face (Ethan suspected late forties) and a pristine gray suit. He also had an eggplant tie with bright violet polka dots that looked very out of place on his chest. A bowler hat was held in the grip of one hand; Ethan had seen him take it off upon entering the green house. His eyes were dark, bore some slight age lines, and they were watching Ethan very carefully.
"If you've already asked Jesse, and he's already turned you down, then I can't help you." Ethan continued, looking the man in the eye for a few moments as he spoke, for good measure. Then the seer looked away to pack up the things he'd left in the greenhouse; the odd couple of notebooks, and some pens with special ink. It looked like this meeting was going to be short.
"I see..." The man looked regretful, and Ethan knew he was disappointed. "Then, could you perhaps try and press an idea onto Mr. Black? I wouldn't be asking if it weren't of the utmost importance."
"I can try, but I doubt he'll listen." Ethan snorted, sitting back in his chair and eyeing the older man wearily. "Jesse very rarely takes on any sort of challenge or responsibility that doesn't directly benefit him."
"Exactly why I've been trying to appeal to him with this request for so long!" The man looked rueful now, almost slighted, his face twisting up in a grimace. "This is the fourth time! I thought by now he would have caught onto how prudent it is that..." The man cleared his throat, seeming to have surprised himself with his outburst. Shaking his head, he took a moment to gather himself. "I...would appreciate it very much if he would only listen to what I have to say. I don't know how much knowledge you have on the object, Mr. Morgan, but...the Lucifractor..."
Lawrence appeared to be trying to calm himself down. "I can wait no longer. Even without the assistance of Mr. Black-"
"I thought I heard someone drive up earlier." Jesse said from somewhere above, startling both the stranger and Ethan.
Looking up, Ethan spotted the vampire leaning in from a revolving glass panel on the roof of the greenhouse. "Lawrence, why are you pestering my charge?"
"I wouldn't have to bother this young boy if you'd just lend me a hand." Lawrence stood up, meeting Jesse's eyes not angrily, but evidently frustrated. "Things are getting worse, and if we don't get a move on, someone else could well snatch it up from right under us! I am so close!" He paused. "You told me Mr. Morgan was a seer– if he would be willing..."
"That's sensitive information. Don't make me regret sharing it with you." Jesse answered, a warning in his tone. "Even if Ethan was willing, he would never act without my permission. The boy understands better than you, even after all these years."
Ethan remained sitting and took this chance to sketch out the simple outline of the newcomer in a page he'd ripped out from the back of his notebook. Half-heartedly, he listened to the conversation at hand; no, he wouldn't see for anyone other than Jesse. Not without direct permission, as was part of their agreement. Of course he wouldn't do anything to mess that up. But the seer couldn't deny...he was a little curious about this Luci-whatever the older man was talking about.
"In case I wasn't clear in our last meeting, I have no interest in the matter. At all. As far as I'm concerned, whoever hid or destroyed it has done us all a favor. If it ever existed to begin with." Jesse sounded quite tired with the subject. "There's nothing more to be discussed."
"I see...I saw last time, your minimal concern for the weapon, but..." The man looked down at his large hands. One held his black bowler hat, the other was clenched into a fist. "I must ask. For the last time...will you help me retrieve it? The object exists, Jesse. It could help us, I know it could."
"You've been a trustworthy ally." Jesse stated. "Thanks for that, but my answer is no. I'll not be wasting valuable time chasing imaginary weapons, and I won't allow Ethan to waste his sight on such things."
"That's it then." The man cleared his throat, looking stricken under his sudden poker face, which really wasn't well put-together. "I shall not ask again. Thank you for your time– a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Morgan."
Ethan only nodded and waited for the man to show himself out before throwing a curious glance towards Jesse. "What was all that about?"
"It's always been sort of a gable having Lawrence as a contact." Jesse shook his raven-haired head. "He's a decent wizard...but only decent, and he concerns himself with too many trivial matters."
"Hm. If only he weren't necessary, right?" Ethan hummed and eyed the vampire from the corner of his eye. The man MUST have been of good use to Jesse in the past, otherwise...
"You catch on quick."
"What was that thing he was talking about?" Ethan asked, gathering his things together from the dirt-covered table. "That weapon."
"Old wives tales." The vampire smirked. "In any case, it's none of our concern. If it becomes relevant in the future, I'll let you know."
Nodding, Ethan let the matter go– or so it seemed.
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"I need you to go to Ireland." Jesse threw down the local newspaper on his mahogany desk and sat back in his chair. Feet propped up, raven hair reflecting barely any sunlight, seeming to draw it in instead. Looking dangerously normal and human-like.
"A little town called Balorsbrooke is having a midsummer festival to celebrate the coming of good fortune." The vampire shrugged. "Word is, a pagan god or two swing by every year to bestow some kind of blessing upon the town."
"I don't know where your word is coming from, but I know the festival your talking about. I've already looked into it. The town is just outside Carrigeen, right?" Ethan shrugged. "Seems like a long-shot to me, we don't see very many pagan spirits manifesting themselves outside their forests. It's most likely a no-name demigod." The seer paused. "Not that it would make much of a difference. Even the minor gods are notoriously hard to capture."
"Then I'll be that much more impressed when you detain him and bring him in." Jesse dismissed, making and Ethan nodded, lips set in a thin line. "For questioning, of course. You leave tomorrow with Luc."
"The festival isn't until this weekend and it's only Tuesday." Ethan protested, sticking his hands in front of him in a helpless gesture. "I already have a meeting tomorrow with someone else– you set it up, remember?"
"Oh, right. Well, you have until Thursday then." Jesse replied, just as there was another knock on the door, and Ethan growled. "Two days. No one said-"
"Yeah, yeah, no one said it was easy working with you, got it." Ethan waved his hand impatiently as he tore the door of the room open. Just outside was one of Jesse's flock members, a foreman Ethan recognized as someone who often helped Gord with outside chores. Ethan didn't acknowledge the vampire, just stepped past him and made for the carpeted staircase that led upstairs to his bedroom.
"Heard we're going to Dublin." Luc said from somewhere above, and Ethan glanced up half-heartedly to eye the vampire sitting on one of the window sills, high above his head. Luc closed a book he'd been reading and jumped down to land next to Ethan, joining him in his walk up the stairs.
"Not Dublin. Carrigeen." Ethan replied, shaking his head. "We'll probably still get sent to Dublin, but in case you haven't noticed, we've been a little pressed for time lately. Jesse'll probably want to stick to closer locations."
"I get it." Luc nodded. "Thursday, huh? I'll plan ahead for the the trip."
"I really couldn't be more excited." Ethan deadpanned, and pushed the vampire's hand away when it went to ruffle his hair. "Hey...can I ask you something?"
"Anything."
"Do you..." Ethan hesitated. What had been the name of that object? He'd only heard it a few times. "Can you tell me what a Lucifactor is?"
"'The' not 'a.' There's only one, as far as I know." Luc answered, an odd look on his face as he looked at the human next to him. They'd come to a stop just outside Ethan's bedroom. "It's called the Lucifractor...and it's really more of a legend than anything. It was a device crafted by a sorcerer that, supposedly, was able to draw in and capture dark magic in astounding quantities."
Ethan said nothing, running through the information in his mind. There were dozens, no, probably hundreds of stories about mythical objects that could wipe out entire legions of enemies. What was so special about this one? Jesse had sounded like he too, believed it could be a possibility.
'It's none of our concern. If it becomes a problem in the future, I'll let you know.' Is what the vampire had said.
"Do you think it's real?" Ethan asked, seeming to surprise Luc. The vampire gave a small chuckle.
"Hmm..." The man leant against the frame of his door, rubbing his jaw with a thumb and forefinger in a show of deep thought. "You know, I've never actually given it much thought, but...maybe. As your teacher and mentor, I'll say that it's best to take every possibility into consideration. Is it possible that the Lucifractor exists? Yes, of course...actually, it's quite a strong possibility– objects as such, with the ability to draw in energy by force do exist, even today."
"What do you mean 'even today'?"
"Well, most of the magic-users powerful enough to create such objects have long died off." Luc shrugged. "Come to think of it, if the Lucifrator does exist, it probably isn't all that powerful. Name sounds too modern, if you ask me, and modern wizards just aren't as talented as the ones back in the day."
"Witches too." Ethan reminded him, smirking slightly. The vampire had never before failed to correct him on his gender biases in the past. "Sorceress'. Swamp hags."
"Women too, of course." Luc responded, smiling as well. "Can't forget about the swamp hags. Anyhow, ask Jesse about the Cubile Animus if you get the chance." Ethan knew that was Latin for something, and his obvious curiosity must've been obvious on his face, because Luc made immediately to clarify. "Kyew-blee-ay an-ee-moose. Get that one right next time, will you? Don't go making us look like fools."
The vampire turned and swept away across the hall and down the stairs while Ethan struggled not to smile. His growing fondness for the blonde-haired vampire was probably going to pose a problem for him one day. The seer wanted to call down to the retreating vampire (who knew by now that Ethan valued privacy, and was probably trying to respect that) and ask him to wait up a minute, but held himself back.
"I'll do that." Ethan answered quietly instead, and turned to enter his bedroom-slash-study. Slash...lab.
Most people wouldn't have wanted their workplace and bedroom to be in the same general area; but just because Ethan was now more accepting and active in his new lifestyle, that didn't mean he allowed himself every comfort. He had a job to finish while he was here, that was the entire point of remaining at the manor, and he couldn't spend time on luxuries such as friends and comfort.
His lab would remain in the same room as his bed. A lot of things had changed about the room. Just a few weeks ago, there had been a small fire due to a misjudgment on his part, that had burned the canopy and curtains surrounding his four-poster bed and a bit of the bedpost. The walls and ceiling now had a bit of smoke damage, and the room now smelled deeply of burned (expensive) material.
All the books previously lining the shelves were gone...that was to say, the books Ethan took joy in reading, like 'The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe' and 'A Tale of Two Cities'...books that had brought him moments of vague comfort in his first few months at the manor.
Just as he'd said...he wasn't here for fun. He'd accepted that sometimes he needed a bit of comfort, so he hadn't, say, burned them, but even after all this time, it felt like it just wasn't acceptable for him to experience joy. Ethan was no longer the mourning, sulky, distraught mess he'd been at first, but one thing remained clear in his mind: his happiness was owed to his family...and Benny. Rory. Whitechapel. Home. He couldn't find it here. He wouldn't.
Ethan was fine with contentment while he was away. That didn't make his heart wrench with guilt anymore...
But he would only know happiness when he returned home. He swore it to himself every day. It was why he had to resist getting closer to easy-going Luc, the kind maid Aria, or even the hot-tempered groundskeeper, Gord. Jesse made that harder on him than anyone.
Anyway, those books had been shoved under the bed, and had been replaced with note-ridden instructional manuals, biology, physiology and chemistry texts as well as old, handwritten journals he'd borrowed from the library. Quite a few history books lined the shelves as well, marked and annotated at periods in time where vampires had allegedly played huge parts in human history. All of the books had little note reminders sticking out with page numbers, and each had an index personally written by Ethan, as a guide for him in case he needed to brush up on something.
Ethan had asked Jesse some time ago for blank notebooks so he could write down he things he saw in his visions, as well as record the data he collected throughout several of his experiments. He'd already filled eleven notebooks over the last five months, and he expected the count to go up to twelve by the end of the month. Three quarters of another composition journal had been filled with notes on his experiences with the people Jesse worked with, as well as personal speculations on things he's heard mentioned in conversation. He often asked Jesse afterwards, and almost every time, Jesse would explain to him at length about the things in which he was most curious.
Ethan jotted down a few notes as he pondered his meeting with the strange bowler-hatted man and his conversation with Luc.
(Date)
Lawrence Terns...Mid fourties, early fifties
Met with him
After a second, Ethan jotted down something else. He hadn't registered the difference in accent before, but thinking back on it...
American. Wanted specifically to discuss a device called the Lucifractor. Wanted my assistance in retrieving the device, after being rejected by Jesse (what sounded like several times).
Possible to search for the object through visions without a correlating item or person?
What he'd learned from Luc was also quickly written down, as well as a bit of speculation on his part. He planned to research the object at some point, maybe see if it was mentioned in any old journals or even myths. It definitely didn't sound as though it were taken from some old legend.
'Lucifrator...' Ethan wrote, underlining the word twice. Then he added,
' Lucifer— Could refer to evil / darkness.'
'Retract / Retractor— To draw out or away, or a device that removes.
'Equals...the Lucifrator?'
"Hm..." Ethan thought for a moment, and placed his pen down, not needing to mark his place as he placed the book back on the shelf. Glancing at the clock, he noted that Aria would probably have dinner ready soon.
He had another meeting with someone tomorrow. Tomorrow, Ethan would be expected to go into some town, miles away (with Luc following closeby) and see if one of Jesse's vampire trackers had been keeping tabs on someone useful for the last few months. It was a woman, in her mid-thirties and Ethan had already looked at her chart. A potential sorceress, maybe the descendant of a nature sprite.
A simple test, a brush of Ethan's skin against their skin, and he'd know if she was valuable to Jesse or not. Three times now, the seer had been sent with Luc, and only once had they brought anyone back. The man had turned out to be an incubus, and it was Ethan who had to awkwardly drag both the creature and a briefly comatose Luc back to their hotel in Portugal.
How Jesse's flock managed to track these things, Ethan didn't know, but he expected it had something to do with people like Lawrence Terns, who worked for Jesse. Sorcerers capable of locating the creatures.
Ethan hated going out on these pointless expeditions...he wished he hadn't reminded Jesse of his meeting with the woman. The meetings never brought more than a headache for Ethan, and he knew that Jesse had other people doing this type of work, specifically. Ethan thought the assignments more of a way to keep him feeling like he was contributing something more than anything else, if that made sense. It was just Jesse trying to keep him quiet.
The incubus was more of a novelty capture than a real accomplishment, and he'd given Ethan a wound like a burn mark when he'd licked his wrist with a long, forked tongue like a snake. It had made him so physically and mentally sick that he could hardly force himself to move through the vertigo, mental fuzziness and fever.
Ugh. Just thinking about it made him sick.
Ethan skipped dinner, and had forgone the vocal part of the meeting altogether, in favor of kissing the woman's cheek briefly and receiving a vision of her ancestry. She had been completely normal.
"I'm not doing this anymore." Ethan sighed, now sat uncomfortably in a plane with Luc sitting next to him. They'd been in the air an hour already but Balorsbrooke was still hours away. "It's pointless."
"Not entirely."
"Entirely." Ethan insisted. "I've done other things, haven't I? I'm tired of traveling far and wide to be met with nothing but more civilians."
"If I didn't know better, Ethan..." Luc smiled and then shook his head as though shaking off a thought. "Nevermind. Point is, it's more important than you think."
"Maybe I would know better if you guys actually told me anything." Ethan knew he sounded sulky. "I've proven myself, haven't I? You know I'm not running away. You know I can keep secrets."
"It's not about any of that." Ethan shot the vampire a dubious look, and the blonde shrugged. "It was about some of that, but...I think...maybe...Jesse just doesn't..." The blonde struggled for a moment. "Maybe he just doesn't want to put any more pressure on your shoulders." The vampire sighed as though deeply discontented, shaking his head.
"Pressure? Jesse's told me about the pressure! I just can't stand-"
"You've told me." Luc interjected, and Ethan got an uncomfortable feeling in his chest because the vampire actually sounded concerned. Well-meaning. Ethan had never remotely paired those two things with any vampire previously.
"I know." Luc went on quietly. "You don't think I understand? I do. You and Maîtriser Noir both have spoken to me on the matter in the past. I know you feel as though you have some kind of...obligation to fulfil. I know you're circumstances are ...unfortunate." Luc looked deeply regretful. "Most tragic, mon cher. I see that. I acknowledge it...but the fact remains; Master Jesse just doesn't feel it necessary or wise to reveal the grand scheme, as it were."
"You can't tell me." Luc shook his head at this.
"In many ways, my freedom is as limited as yours, mon amie. I can evade my fate no more than you can escape yours. It's not the grand manor, not the beautiful land, the adventures, or even the will of Maîtriser Noir that binds me. One day...you'll understand."
'He's troubled' Ethan thought, feeling his chest tighten for his mentor. Luc was pale suddenly, appearing rather depressed, and Ethan resolved not to press the matter further with him. Only with Jesse, then. Even if he and Luc had only met through Ethan's circumstances – and maybe Luc was involved in that misfortune as well – he had been nothing short of helpful and kind to the seer.
'Maybe not all vampires are evil.' Ethan thought, now a little depressed as well. After all he'd done to force himself to remain hateful toward vampires, it wasn't as pleasant a thought as it should have been. The typical 'vampire' complex could be described as: arrogant, possessive, cold, unfeeling and cruel.
'Most tragic, mon cher. I see that. I acknowledge it.'
Luc had his moments, Ethan was sure. He couldn't have been all good, could he? Ethan had done some not-so-compassionate things himself in the past few months. All vampires were forced to bow to their need for blood, had to regularly feed, so Luc had to have killed before. But could Luc be described as cold? Unfeeling? Cruel?
No.
Maybe some vampires were...more than that.
"This blows." Luc pipped up after they'd landed and travelled by taxi to Carigreen, where they now sat on a stone bench in a park. "That bastard sent us too early...what are we supposed to do until the festivities start? We could try a pub, but I know you'll just spend the entire time researching or something of the like."
"For my mentor, you sure have a lax way of looking at things."
"I have the utmost confidence in your abilities, my young friend." Luc stared just beyond Ethan as he turned to look his way, to a crowd of what appeared to be college girls. "However, it does the mind and body good to loosen up every once in a while, hm?"
"You know what?" Ethan stood up abruptly, shoving his phone deep in his pocket and turning to look at the vampire over his shoulder. "You're right. I'm taking a walk by the gardens."
"I'm sure that'll do wonders for the tension." The blonde vampire muttered, and then sighed largely, eyeing a pretty redhead walking on the path. His eyes flashed yellow for a brief second and he licked his fangs, menacingly (however intentional). "Just give me a ring if you need me."
Ethan scrolled through some selective social media (all anonymous and well-thought over) while he walked. The stone path would give him a straight shot to the nearby gardens, which were colorful, but rather small.
'Benny...' Ethan thought as he eyed his friend's social media account, one through which he used to be active at least once or twice a day. That was when Ethan had still been in Whitechapel. Now, it appeared as though Benny rarely, if ever, thought to check the account– his last like and post (a llama meme) had been shared over three weeks ago.
It was troubling. More than troubling, and Ethan wished desperately he could regain any actual contact with his friend to let him know not to worry so much. The same with his parents, except he didn't know if they would go to the extremes Benny might; not that they didn't love him enough to go to extremes, but they just weren't as tech-savvy as his best friend. Frankly, very few people could match Benny's resourcefulness at the worst of times.
Ethan had put up a hell of a fight to win Jessie's trust and build a reputation for himself in the vampire's eyes. It hadn't just included the monster-hunting. It included learning as much about vampires as he could, auditing and sometimes even participating in a few of Jesse's meetings with other vampires. It included learning to call forth his second sight at a moment's notice, finding ways to deal with the pain without the use of Jesse's blood. Forcing himself to learn new ways to handle physical pain, mental anguish...and a lot more. One thing he learned rather quickly was that Jesse didn't like repeating himself...but he let Ethan complain all he wanted as long as he acted without question.
The worst thing Ethan had done so far on an order was brand a werewolf's arm with a magical elixir of wolfsbane on a silver poker. Ethan had been inconsolable with guilt and self-hatred afterward...luckily for him, Jesse hadn't made him do anything like that since, and let him keep to himself for those few days afterward without comment. Ethan thought Jesse had just wanted to see how far he could push Ethan before he broke. How far Ethan would go to keep his word.
The seer hadn't failed yet. This time, his 'assignment' (for lack of better word) was to capture a pagan god-like deity and bring him back to France in three days. Today was the first day, and the festival in the town would begin soon. It had begun two days prior, and would go on for another three days, giving him plenty of time to discover the god's (or goddess') whereabouts.
It was times like this, as Ethan sat on the edge of a slowly tricking fountain, in the middle of a labyrinth-like gardens, that he both loved and hated his new life.
Even hated and loved the words 'new life'. It excited him and saddened him, filled his heart with wonder and contempt. Just as he could feel new pieces of himself come alive with each passing day, he could also...feel pieces dying. It was something he thought about often.
Ethan opened his eyes. He'd just been meditating, a little. Even after months and months of attempting the practice, he could never seem to hold those periods of relaxation and complete thoughtlessness for more than fifteen to thirty seconds at a time. Once, he'd been able to meditate without interruption from rogue thoughts for a little over a minute, but it had only been once, about a month ago. According to Luc, Jesse, and even Aria, he should've been able to go for minutes by this time in the practice. It was one of very few things Ethan actually struggled with, without making much progress. Concentration and meditation were nearly two completely different things, at least to Ethan and his ever-racing, logical mind. It was difficult in that respect, because to empty his mind, Ethan had to concentrate, in a way. It made him tense.
However...the reason Ethan had opened his eyes wasn't because his concentration had been broken. It was because, just as he was trying to empty his mind, he'd felt...something else.
Deciding he wasn't going to relax by forcing himself, he got up from the fountain's edge and began to pace. Doubting he'd find a more relaxing place than a peaceful, beautiful garden, and assaulted by courious thoughts, he simply meandered around the garden for a minute. Then, he decided to take a walk, and found himself entering another section of the labyrinth-like hedges. There weren't any white roses, and he had no pails of red paint...but at that moment, Ethan felt no less out of place than Alice had in Wonderland. Still being pummeled by that strange, disconcerting feeling, Ethan wandered throughout the maze and tried to locate where it was coming from.
There it was...there. Again.
The only reason he noticed it was because it felt almost the exact same way that Jesse's invasive telepathy did. Something was at the forefront of his consciousness, as scary as the notion was. Brushing against the gates to his thoughts, as it were. He thought he'd felt something like it upon arriving in town, but had brushed it off as nerves or a fluke of some kind. It was very faint, but if there was anything Ethan had become particularly sensitive to, it was disturbances on the astral level. As a seer, and one who practices frequently, at that, it was becoming second nature.
Someone, or something, was trying to penetrate his mind.
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Guide Francais – French Guide
Maîtriser Noir – Master Black
Mon cher – My dear
Mon ami – My friend (I think this one was included in this chapter (?))
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AN: Drop me a line, if you're feeling kind. :) It helps with the whole motivation thing. This chapter was so, so short and filler-ish, so I apologize for that. As always, do please point out mistakes, plot holes, grammatical errors, etc.
Uploaded: Wednesday, October 10th, 2018, 12:45 AM
(Also, it's Naruto's birthday today, yaaasssss, :D just had to add that in! Xx)