As much as I expected it, suddenly becoming a thousand year old vampire in my sixteen year old body was not something I could get used to in just a few short hours.
Still, I tried my best. I wanted to be able to participate in the plot, and I couldn't do that if I broke every door handle I turned.
Okay, it was only the one, but really, it's still ridiculous, and something I couldn't afford to do again, especially not in front of anyone. I could just compel their memory of it away, but there would still be questions about why it broke, and forward in my day, schools had cameras. I don't know if it's like that here, but I don't want to risk it.
Luckily, for me and door handles everywhere, I got what I considered a good enough handle on my strength and speed. I wouldn't have to worry about going berserk or anything. I like to think it's in part because of my stellar self control and lack of appetite in general, but it was probably more because of the fact that I had fed on a portion of the Blood Packs and that I had Mental Fortitude.
At around four in the morning, I made my way to the old Salvatore Boarding House. After knocking on the door, I waited for a minute, using my newly obtained vamp hearing to listen to any goings-on in the house. I heard only one person shuffling around inside, but I couldn't tell who it was. Their steps were very light, so perhaps it was Stefan? That wouldn't do, I needed Zach to invite me in.
I knocked again, louder this time but taking care not to injure the door at all. I heard someone groan tiredly, then start walking. Their footsteps were heavy. Bingo. They were both coming towards the door, but I knocked again, just because.
I was about to knock yet again when the door swung open showing two tired scowling faces. I give them an excited smile and a wave. "Hello!" I'm not usually this... peppy, but I'm happy to be here, meeting people I never thought I'd meet, as a creature I never thought I'd be.
When they see me, they're no longer scowling, but they do seem surprised at my attitude. Whether it's because of how early it is, or because of the contrast of my personality from the Bad Bad Boy perk, I've no clue. I don't even know if that's how it works.
"What do you want." Zach demands more than asks.
"I heard this used to be a boarding house, so I decided to come ask if you had a room I could stay in." I explain.
While I talked, Stefan had used this chance to examine me. By now, he was staring intensely at my daylight ring. Zach opened his mouth to speak, but Stefan interrupted him. "That ring, where did you get it?" He asks casually, as if he were talking about a regular piece of jewelry.
I hum. "My Daylight Ring?" I raise my hand in front of me to show off the ring, wiggling my fingers. "I made it myself! Do you like it? If you have any friends that need one for themselves, I'd be happy to make one for them as well. For a price, of course."
He looks shocked, but still has the good sense to get in front of Zach. I giggle. It only seems to put them more on edge. It makes me smile to see that I have so much power over the situations. "You don't have to be so wary, I haven't even been invited in yet."
Zach, who was previously looking at Stefan confusedly, has a moment of realization before turning to me again, a defensive look with a bit of fear on his face.
"You can't compel me, I put vervain in my coffee every morning." I smile at him as if he were a child. Which, compared to how old I'm supposed to be, isn't that much of a stretch.
"Thank you for telling me. I wouldn't want to bite into you and get burned." I say mischievously, bouncing my eyebrows at him. He looks at me in horror. Stefan looks vaguely amused but still wary. I give him a disarming smile.
"You really don't need to be so tense, I really am here to ask if I can have a room. I'm starting at the high school here today."
Stefan blinks. He relaxes a bit, caught off guard. "I'll be attending there as well." He says. I gasp, as if I wasn't already aware of this fact and speed forwards, stopping just at the boundary in the doorway. Zach flinches back at the speed, but Stefan barely reacts, following me with his eyes.
Adopting a sheepish look, I rub the back of my head. "Whoops, I'm not quite used to this whole speed thing. Or the strength thing. I crushed several door handles on the way here." I say in a self-deprecating tone.
Stefan looks at me in surprise. "Are you newly turned?" He asks.
"It's not polite to ask a lady her age." I reply with a playful smirk.
"Apologies, then." Stefan says with a huff of laughter.
"No need, I know you meant no harm." I pardon. "However, will I be getting that room? I still have to go get my luggage. I didn't bring it with me because I wanted confirmation first."
He looks back to Zach. "It's your house..." He trails off, the 'You choose.' heavily implied. His face, however, says something entirely different. He wants him to say yes. It seems he already trusts me, at least a little. Thank you, Real Charmer.
Zach's face goes through a variety of expressions as he tries to decide. It's clear he wants to decline, however he also wants to comply to Stefan's wishes. The bonds of family are great, huh.
Eventually he sighs and bows his head in defeat. "Come on in." He says with a hint of despair.
I smile brightly as I cross the threshold. "Thank you kindly, sir."
"You're welcome." He mutters, seemingly out of habit.
I make a face as if something just dawned on me. My fist hits my palm as I say "Oh yeah! I never got your names! Mine's Julia Bane. And yours?"
"I'm Stefan Salvatore, and this is my... Well, I call him my uncle in front of the locals, but truly he's my distant nephew, Zach." Stefan explains.
I hum. "Sounds complicated. So, where's my room going to be?" I ask.
Stefan guides me to a room, explaining how his was nearby for safety, although it was obvious he didn't mean my safety.
I entered the room and took a look around. It looked similar to how Stefan and Damon's rooms looked in the show, but a bit different as well. A big, comfortable looking bed, an unnecessary couch, a desk with a chair, an empty closet, a balcony covered in leaves, and a connected bathroom. The bathroom had a large tub, a shower, and two sinks with a mirror that covered the entire wall.
"So, what do you think?" Stefan asked. He seemed as if he was trying to make a good impression on me. It was kinda cute.
"It's wonderful," I praise. "A bit dusty, though."
He beams at my reaction, though he looks a bit sheepish at the state of cleanliness in the room. "Sorry about that," he says. "We haven't exactly had any guests recently."
"No need to apologize, I understand." I say, waving my hand in a dismissive gesture. I look back at him. "I have to go get my luggage. I'll be back soon." I walk past him but pause when he begins to speak.
"Would you like me to help?" He asks.
"I wouldn't want to bother you more than I already have." I say.
"It wouldn't be a bother." He says. I hesitate, but eventually nod.
"Thank you, I don't have much, but it might've been enough to warrant two trips on my own." I really was grateful. I hadn't quite worked out how I was going to carry all that over here in one go.
We leave the boarding house and after a quick glance, I start running at half vamp speed, not knowing how fast he could go. He keeps up with me, and he doesn't seem to be straining himself, so I go faster.
We reach the 'Welcome to Mystic Falls' sign in no time, and I stop, rummaging through the bushes behind the sign.
"Your things are... here?" He asks, hesitation clear in his voice.
"Yes." I answer without preamble, pulling an alcohol cabinet out from the bushes and holding it out to him. The surprised confusion on his face was comical.
He slowly takes it and I continue pulling my items from the bush. A cooler, a chest, and two large briefcases that I stack on one another, a grimoire I tuck under my arm, a potted vervain plant I set on the ground to be picked up later, a ring, a small bottle, and a knife that I put in my pockets.
I stand once more, this time with bulky pockets and a potted plant in hand.
"Alright, that's all of it. Thanks again, I didn't know how I was going to carry all that alone. Let's go, but be careful, I don't want you to drop anything." I smile at him as if I didn't just give him one thing to carry and took the rest.
I take off, running back to the Salvatore Boarding House with the cooler rolling behind me, Stefan following. I made sure that nothing fell, but I did have to slow down to adjust the items' positions once in a while.
Reaching the door, I let go of the cooler handle and open it, having left it unlocked since we wouldn't be gone long.
I bring my luggage into the house, heading for the stairs and carefully dragging the cooler (and company) to the top.
Stefan smiles at how focused I am, amused. "You know you don't have to do that all at once, right?" He asks.
"Yes I do," I say in a serious voice. "It is my duty to bring all the groceries inside at once. This is but a facet of that mission." The corner of my mouth twitches up.
He dons an exaggerated expression of understanding. "Ah, of course. I see now, this duty of yours is sacred, and must be attended to. I have no words for how much I respect what you do."
I crack up, almost dropping the cooler down the stairs. He moves as if to catch it, but his hands are full as well, and the alcohol cabinet slides halfway out of his hands before he catches it and repositions it.
I laugh even harder, and he gives me a playful glare, motioning for me to keep going. I do, reaching the top of the stairs and making my way to my new room.
Setting everything down, I begin to organize the room in vamp speed. I slide the two briefcases under my bed, put the chest of Magic Materials and cooler of Blood Packs on one side of the desk next to one another and take the cabinet of Quality Drinks from Stefan and set it on the other side.
I put the Moonlight Ring, Freya's Tincture, and The Grimoire in separate drawers in the desk, from top to bottom. I put the Vervain Supply on the desk and the Ritual Knife under one of my pillows.
"Alright. Now that I'm all set up, what are the ground rules?" I ask.
Stefan sighs. "Well, I was going to bring it up with a bit more tact, but I guess that works too."
"Basically, no killing, clean up after yourself, try not to draw attention to us, and since I know you haven't got the hang of your strength yet, I know this might be difficult for you, but try not to break anything." He says the last rule in a playful tone.
I nod. "You don't have to worry about me killing anyone, I don't feed from the vein."
He looks confused. "I 'donate' to hospitals and they give me whatever blood they can realistically spare. Nothing rare, nothing that people need at the time, just whatever they have a lot of." I lie. I wasn't about to tell him about my regenerating blood cooler. "Of course, I have to compel them so they don't find anything strange about it and don't talk about it to anyone or anything like that."
"As for the rest of that, it's pretty much common sense. Although you're right, the last one may be a bit difficult for me. You might end up with a few crushed doorknobs." I say playfully.
"By the way," I start. "Do you want rent? And if so, how much?"
Stefan's face is amused. "We don't need it, but thank you for considering us."
"You're kinda cocky, y'know?" I tease.
He chuckles. "It's not cocky, it's just the truth. We're a founding family in this town, and most of the founding families are well off here."
"I see. Good to know. Who are the other founding families?" I ask, even though I already know.
We ease into a conversation as he tells me about the founding families and the history of this town, and I nod along and file the information away in my head.
We talk like two friends who've known one another for years, and I feel the most comfortable I've felt in a long time.
Author's note:
For those who don't know, these Perks and Items come from the Vampire Diaries Jumpchain:
i.
I hope that works, if it doesn't, just Google Vampire Diaries Jumpchain and it's the second option (at least for me). It says Jumpchain CYOA.
In here, even though it isn't expressly mentioned, I've changed a few things. This character has infinite Choice Points across all jumps, and I've also changed some of the items' effects, like the Ritual Knife doesn't work on the Jumper and it comes back to the jumper at the end of the jump or if someone strong enough to destroy it comes along and does just that, it respawns.
Well, whatever. I'm a cheat and that's that. I've never actually done a jumpchain before so this is just moderately based upon it. I hope you enjoy this, but mostly it's just for myself, so don't go bashing me just because you dislike it.
Thank you for reading. I appreciate you.