* gifted vampire.

“Well you can tell your brain to shut up then, can’t you?” she challenged, good naturedly rolling her eyes at him with that crooked smile of hers. There was no doubt that he felt a lot of responsibility for the situation they were currently in. Which fair enough, it was a bit of a head scratcher, but she did not see why he should allow his doubt to tell him it was grounds for thinking he wasn’t deserving of her friendship. That smug tone of his however told her that he had known she wouldn’t accept his answer. Sometimes Tía did really feel like a big sister despite the fact that Benjamin was older than her both in human and vampire years. Though it made her smile, even at such a moment. 

The words that echoed in the garden made little sense at this very moment. A third party to consider? Why would anyone dare challenge the Volturi? Who were the ancients? Blinking a bit, Tía felt as if it was too much to absorb at this very moment. If anything she really wanted to get out of here so that all could be thought on and discussed in peace. As they ran, she felt some of the fear lessen off her chest the further away from the castle they got. The thought of simply leaving the city altogether, despite what she had said to Aro at the party, was flashing in her mind. Away from it all. Away from the danger. 

“No I have not.. You really think someone would come at us in the streets? Aro had no idea I was here, so he can’t know where I’m staying yet either..” She wasn’t overly keen on roaming the woods with nomadic vampires. Some of them could be hostile.. Finally though she put two and two together. “Benjamin! You’re staying in the woods?” Tía couldn’t help but shake her head. No, that was going to change tonight. “You do know thats the first place Amun will look.” 

😌

benjamin’s  shoulders  shrug  absentmindedly.  he  never  truly  pretended  to  be  human  these  days  but  there  were  some  mannerisms  he  never  truly  skipped  over.  “i  can  try.”  smugness  or  not,  he  promised  her  a  TRY  at  least.  try  means  an  attempt  rather  than  ignoring  it  all  together.  this  also  meant  he’d  have  to  make  the  effort.

--------------------------------------------------  HE  LIKED  BEING  UNDER  THE  STARS.  yes,  he  knew  it  was  a  risk  but  he  always  switched  up  his  spots.  it’s  then  that  he  remembers  the  mask  he  ripped  from  his  face  and  was  probably  still  there,  trapped  in  the  bushes,  but  oh  well.  benjamin  wore  it  because  he  made  sure  it  didn’t  just  mask  his  face  but  his  scent  as  well.  maybe  not  completely  but  in  little  ways.  “the  volturi  might.  this  is  their  city.”  but  in  again  he  hadn’t  expected  anyone  to  attack  the  volturi  in  their  own  home.  with  how  heavy  vampire  and  human  scents  alone  lingered  in  those  hallways,  benjamin  knew  well  enough  the  volturi  inhabited  the  castle  itself.  “i  move  back  and  forth,  taking  different  paths  each  time.  nomads  have  certain...  scents.”  it’s  not  that  they  smelled  terribly  or  anything,  they  simply  smelled  different  compared  to  those  who  remained  in  certain  places  for  too  long.  “contrary  to  popular  belief,  i’m  not  entirely  moronic.”  maybe  childish  and  unpredictable  but  not  moronic.  

“i’ve  been  speaking  with  as  many  vampires  as  i  can  tia.”  there’s  something  in  the  way  he  says  that,  that  almost  sounds  like  a  loaded  statement.  “some  have  been  giving  me  tips.  if  i  were  to  stay  in  a  hotel,  he’d  find  us  quicker.”  at  least  with  the  zig-zagging  movements  he’s  been  doing,  he’d  be  distorting  amun’s  senses.  amun  after  all  was  not  a  tracker,  demetri  was.  “if  you  have  suggestions,  i’m  open  to  hear  them.”

SHE WAS NOT happy with the way that her coven had treated other vampires and species over the years. when she first realized everything her heart broke, since then she vowed that she would do anything to keep the peace. yet apparently that didn’t seem to be working considering the events that took place. how could it happen. it baffled her. “i’m afraid they are not worth much.” she smiled softly. in all honesty her brain continued to come up with plan after plan, trying to find a solution that she knew wouldn’t work in the end. hearing about his concerns she felt her heart break for the boy. it wasn’t fair. no one should have to fear for their lives nor for the one’s they care for. “i truly am sorry for that benjamin.” what more was there that she could offer?

letting out a small sigh she could only shake her head. lifting her hand up she gave his cheek a soft and tenderly pat, affection radiating through her touch, a warm smile gracing her lips. “the best thing that you can do is stick close to those you care for and keep yourself safe, all will be sorted in the end i promise you that.” her tone held truth as she spoke. “don’t worry about me, it will take more than that to take me down.” dora soothed. “but enough about me, please this cousin and friend of yours. tell me about yourself. let us distract ourselves.” she suggested as her hand dropped and she motioned for him to follow her through the halls.

😌

while  she  smiled,  he  frowned.  he  know  he  shouldn’t  because  of  her  ties  to  the  volturi  but  he  trusted  the  woman.  benjamin  knew  better  than  to  just  blabber  to  anyone  but  the  more  he  spoke  to  athenodora  and  spent  time  around  her,  the  more  he  could  see  she  wasn’t  bad  at  all.  the  stories,  perhaps  that’s  where  the  fear  comes  from,  mark  the  volturi  down  as  bad  beings.  they  were  in  a  way  supposed  to  be  the  big  bads  of  the  story  but  benjamin  slowly  came  to  see  they  weren’t  as  bad  as  most  made  them  seem.  sure,  you  can  have  a  few  bad  seeds  but...  he  was  still  cautious  around  them;  none  more  so  than  aro  himself.  “i  think  they  are.”  comes  his  soft  reply.  “i  value  what  you  think.”  and  maybe  that’s  benjamin’s  problem.  

-------------------  HE  AND  AMUN  FOUGHT  LIKE  CATS  AND  DOGS.  the  last  time  benjamin  saw  him,  his  fists  were  balled  with  anger  he  wasn’t  sure  he  could  forget.  it  was  spite  that  drove  him  away,  not  fear.  longing  for  more.  not  just  for  him  but  for  tia  as  well.  while  she  never  said  anything,  he  felt  bad  for  fact  that  as  long  as  someone  would  want  him  for  his  power,  he’d  always  have  to  be  hidden.  if  he  longed  to  see  the  world  with  her,  wouldn’t  she  feel  the  same?  cairo  would  always  be  home;  he  just  wanted  to  experience  the  world  and  see  all  the  changes  it’s  gone  through  first  hand  not  through  books,  movies,  tvs  and  devices.  what  use  were  eyes  if  you  couldn’t  see?  

in  the  moments  he  left  cairo,  he  wanted  something  more.  wanted  to  trust.  wanted  to  not  have  to  hide.

“it  isn’t  your  fault.  please  do  not  apologize.”  because  if  anything  was  shown  to  him,  it  was  that  the  volturi  weren’t  responsible.  in  fact,  they’d  lost  some  of  their  own  members  as  well.  “i’m  not  sure  how  to  do  that.”  he  admitted  knowing  that  he’d  have  to  find  a  way  to  balance  his  time  between  tia  and  yasmine.  both  were  important  but  one  was  far  more  breakable.  “i  hope  so  athenodora.”  he  couldn’t  tell  you  why  he  realized  he’d  be  sad  if  something  were  to  happen  to  her.  benjamin  takes  the  suggestion  at  least  though  tugs  at  his  shirt  collar.  “well  my  cousin’s  name  is  tia.  i  turned  her;  she’s  the  only  one  i’ve  ever  turned  in  fact.  she’s  my  best  friend.”  it  seemed  to  run  so  much  deeper  than  that.  sometimes  it  was  as  if  they  could  read  each  others  minds.  his  feet  moved,  keeping  beside  her  at  an  easy  pace.  “my  friend’s  name  is  yasmine.  she’s...”  she’s  what  benjamin?  there  seems  to  be  no  true  words  that  explains  it.  “amazing  and  warm,  and  so  unbelievably  human  i  know.  i’m  doomed  aren’t  i?”  benjamin  wasn’t  even  sure  why  he’d  admit  such  a  thing  but  it  was  out  in  the  open  now.  “trying  to  keep  a  human  safe  in  a  city  of  vampires  seems  a  bit  difficult.”

“so,”  benjamin  bounced  a  little.  it  seemed  he  was  always  bouncing  rather  than  actually  walking.  “if  you’ve  been  watching  you  should  be  able  to  tell  where  the  card  is.”  while  card  magic  isn’t  the  actual  MAGIC  he  started  out  doing,  learning  magic  while  hidden  was  just  one  way  to  pass  the  time.  “you  have  to  make  sure  to  do  the  shake.”  and  with  that he  showed  her  again.

“I could be having the worst day ever, and you just being with me would make everything better.” in the past, before she had met him, if she was having a bad day, she would push people away. and sulk in her room.  that or she would refuse to talk to people. those two things alone happened more often than not before she moved to italy.  she would go to work while living in the states, have to deal with people she didn’t even like before going home in a bad mood. but over here, she was happy. she had friends over here. she had a life she loved more than anything. but most of all, she had a fresh start over here. thatg was more than what living in the united states of america could offer.

“a very tall crane to help.  one of my classmates dad was a construction worker and was able to get one to help put the cars on the roof.”  just talking about the prank made her think if anyone else had managed to even top theirs. which the answer to that was probably not.  "sometimes i miss being a teen. i didn’t have to worry about certain things back then. if i did, it was just homework and keeping my grades up.“ but she was sure that most people her age missed those times. of being either a kid or a teen and not having to worry about that much. from if they would make enough money or not. to other things.

"if my mom was here, she’d be telling you story after story about me.” she loved her parents, and even missed them. it was because of them that she would go to visit. but her hometown? she could do without that and a good portion of the people in it.  "speaking of stories, up to hearing another story about me and my younger days?“ she asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked over at him.

😌

he  isn’t  sure  when  it  happened.  humans,  to  amun  at  least,  were  food  not  friends.  then  again  no  one  was  friends  with  amun;  not  even  the  friends  he  spoke  of.  the  cullens?  the  denalis  (though  if  he  remembers  correctly,  they’re  merely  an  extension  to  the  cullens)  and  a  few  others  he  hadn’t  met  yet.  he’s  sure  they’re  there.  it  seems  no  one  is  allowed  to  pass  on  an  invitation  to  volterra  much  less  leave  until  they’re  allowed.  how  amun  thought  he’d  ever  be  an  exception  was  beyond  benjamin  but  he’d  stopped  trying  to  understand  him  years  ago.   “i’m  not  so  homesick  anymore.”  benjamin  admitted  with  a  small  pang  of  guilt.  the  one  thing  he  would’ve  changed  was  having  tia  here.  he  knew  she’d  never  be  comfortable  around  the  volturi  but  at  least  she  would  be  away  from  amun  and  they’d  be  together.  “laqad wajadat manzil jadidin.”  I  FOUND  A  NEW  HOME.  he  knew  the  english  translation,  sure,  which  is  exactly  the  reason  he  didn’t  make  much  of  an  effort  to  translate  it.  if  he  blushed,  he  would  surely  be  burning.

a  crane?  for  a  moment  he  has  to  remember  the  fact  that  there  are  two  meanings  to  the  word.  “it  sounds  like  a  lovely  adventure.”  one  that  he  would’ve  loved  to  see  play  out.  something  in  benjamin  ached  when  she  mentioned  her  teen  years.  there  weren’t  many  things  he  remembered  of  his  human  life  and  most  things  he  knew,  he  knew  because  tia  remembered  them.  he  remembered  her  because  she’d  been  so  important  to  him  that  he  couldn’t  forget  her,  and  had  she  decided  to  grow  old,  it  would’ve  destroyed  him  to  leave  her  behind.  “i  don’t  remember  those  days.  i  feel  old  now.”  and  compared  to  her,  it  wasn’t  like  he  was  lying.  he  just  never  felt  it  catch  up  to  him  before.  

benjamin  grinned.  “i  think  i’d  like  your  mother.”  he  hoped  that  it  simply  meant  she  was  out  there  somewhere,  back  where  yasmine  had  come  from,  rather  than  gone.  mothers  were  special  even  if  he  hadn’t  remembered  his,  or  the  fact  that  he  knew  he’d  been  a  street  rat  when  amun  found  him.  “i  want  to  hear  anything  you  have  to  say  ya  eazizaa.”  MY  DARLING.  it’s  not  easy  to  keep  in  but  as  the  night  went  on,  he’d  come  to  find  it  wasn’t  just  with  that  but  the  laughs  and  chuckles,  and  the  delight  he’d  feel  when  she  told  him  story  after  story.  ------------  AND  HE  ALMOST  FORGOT  HE  WAS  IN  VOLTERRA  AT  ALL  UNTIL  HE  LOST  TRACK  OF  HER.

ATHENODORA FELT HER world slowly fall apart. an event like this never should of ended with such terror and confusion. humans never should of been killed so close to their home, the only one’s that were killed were the meals not for sport. she had met with the brothers, sulpicia was safe and sound, anastasia was safe and sound. she only wished that she had of spotted benjamin. she didn’t know where he was and she hoped that nothing terrible had happened to him. she had been so lost in thought, the information swirling in her mind, that she didn’t even hear anyone coming up behind her. she didn’t notice anyone standing near her. at least that was until they spoke.

hearing benjamin’s voice she felt a small, affectionate, smile cross her lips as she turned. “hello there benjami.” she replied softly moving forward she rested a hand against his shoulder. “oh goodness no, you’re not interrupting i was simply lost in thought.” she mused. “though i do have to say that i am happy to hear that you’re safe and well. i hope tonight’s events didn’t worry you too much.” dora desperately wanted to know what was going to happen after this but even she didn’t know the unknown. perhaps she’d have to find carlisle’s daugher alice and question the clairvoyant vampire.

😌

he  wouldn’t  of  come  back,  not  willingly,  had  he  not  come  to  care  for  the  other.  perhaps  if  he’d  been  truly  desperate  he  would’ve  come  to  ask  aro  for  the  truth.  maybe  if  he  was  honest,  benjamin  would’ve  considered  the  idea  of  joining  the  volturi.  it  seems  a  threeway  test  of  loyalty  was  on  the  table  and  his  head  swam  with  every  possibility  and  it’s  not  even  scratching  the  surface  of  what’s  to  come.  benjamin  doesn’t  move  away  from  her  touch  and  even  moves  a  hand  to  rub  her  elbow  perhaps  of  a  way  to  show  comfort  or  assurance.  “penny  for  those  thoughts?”  maybe  a  couple  of  pennies.  in  this  moment  it  seems  thoughts  are  far  more  valuable.

benjamin’s  jaw  tensed.  did  they  worry  him?  he  found  it  easy  to  be  truthful  with  her.  “a  bit,  yes.  my  cousin  was  in  attendance  and  my...”  he’d  tell  her  if  he  knew  what  yasmine  was  to  him.  “my  friend.  both  are  important  to  me  and  either,”  or  even  both,  “could’ve  been  hurt.”  dealing  with  aro  didn’t  seem  so  bad  when  the  volturi  weren’t  the  ones  responsible  for  the  terror  yet.  “i  worry  nowhere  is  safe.  not  for  us  and  certainly  not  for  you.”  she  was  after  all  a  volturi.  if  the  threat  was  against  them,  it  was  against  her.  “i  don’t  know  what  to  do,  athenodora.”  she  had  told  him  to  call  her  dora  once  but  he  was  respectful  and  wanted  to  show  that  the  way  he  had  been  taught.  

Asking to join him had never been a truly selfless act. Sometimes Tía was reminded that Benjamin could have a tendency to view it like that, and she immediately felt guilty as well as in need of reminding him that by turning her he had given her a lot. A completely different life, freedom, independence, challenges to grow and change as more than a human being, but an immortal one. Her human life was only really recalled in terms of the value that their friendship had had during that time. And how she really had needed him just as much as he’d needed her. Their co-dependency as some would call it was mutual. And their friendship was constantly made stronger as they spent their lives tied to each other, leaning on one another, being each others family. 

What might come next was partly in shadows. The conflict that would no doubt arise between Benjamin and Amun was only hers to weigh in on in terms of supporting Benjamin and standing up for his motives, needs and wants. Whether it would result in nothing, or prompt him to want to leave Amun for good, was entirely up to him. He knew she would support whatever he did decide and no matter what neither one of them would leave the other behind. “Thats not true and you know it.” she smilingly shook her head at him, never about to accept such words. He wasn’t as sure of himself, but that in no way made him undeserving of her loyalty and friendship. The strong scene in front of them has Tía cringe inwardly, wondering who is responsible and what the consequences might be. Not just for the Volturi who must be the ones its aimed at, but for anyone in contact with them or living in the city. But its aboundantly clear to her that its not safe to stay. Certainly not on the castle grounds, possibly within Volterra itself. As a reflex to it all, Tía can feel her gift unfolding, without her really needing to think about it consciously. Most of the time its become a defense mechanism to her when she is startled or feels panic or fear. With their clasped hands she knows she has Benjamin covered too, which despite the thoughts running trough her mind gives her a brief moment of comfort. “Yes. We should leave without being seen.” She said, her voice quiet but of course perfectly easy for him to hear no matter her volume. Feeling his fingers tighten and return pressure to her own, she nodded before she began to run. Only when they were a good ways away from the castle did she pause. “Where are you holding up?” 

😌

maybe  he  did,  maybe  he  didn’t.  even  if  he  did  know  he  deserved  her,  the  last  thing  he  wished  was  to  risk  her  existence  through  amun’s  rage  ------------  OR  THE  VOLTURI’S  DESIRE.  two  evils  just  one  being  the  lesser  of  the  options.  “my  heart  and  my  brain  say  two  completely  different  things.”  benjamin  says  smuggly.  he  knows  she’ll  challenge  him;  she  always  does  which  perhaps  is  just  another  reason  he  appreciates  the  fact  that  she  stuck  with  him  for  so  long.  

two  threats  multiplied  before  their  eyes.  amun’s  arrival  hung  heavy  in  the  air,  the  threat  of  the  volturi  was  closing  in,  and  now  there’s  another  threat  with  little  arms  that  could  sway  the  scale.   ❝ 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠 . 𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑖𝑔𝑛 𝑖𝑠 𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟, 𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑢𝑛𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑎 𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒 …  𝐹𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒 𝑢𝑠 , 𝑜𝑟 𝐼 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑘𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑦𝑜𝑢 . ❞  needless  to  say,  there’s  a  lot  to  be  regretful  in  that  moment  but  he  needed  to  make  sure  tia  was  safe  before  he  panicked.  it’s  easy  to  agree  with  her.  leaving  without  being  seen  lessens  the  risk  of  the  volturi  stopping  them.  it’s  easy  to  run,  keeping  beside  her  even  when  they  finally  reached  ((  A  SEEMINGLY  ))  good  distance  from  the  castle.

benjamin  turned  to  look  at  her.  “have  you  been  to  the  woods  yet?  there  are  a  few  nomads  there  that  aren’t  linked  to  the  volturi.”  and  while  it’s  a  risk,  he  trusted  sticking  to  the  shadows  with  them  compared  to  roaming  the  volterra  streets  alone  at  night.  “for  tonight  we  should  be  safe.  tomorrow,  if  possible,  i’ll  need  to  come  back.”  not  to  the  castle,  though  he’d  visit  athenodora  surely,  but  to  make  sure  yasmine  was  okay.  “i’ll  explain  but  we  should  go.”

“just,”  benjamin  spoke  through  clenched  teeth.  “give  me  a  minute.”  while  he  could  generate  fire,  he  wondered  what  he  could  do  with  it.  how  far  could  he  stretch  it?  how  big  could  he  make  it?  the  person  that  neared  him,  despite  being  tucked  away  from  onlookers,  nearly  got  a  fistful  of  fire  before  he’d  realized  they  were  there.  instead  his  fingers  drew  the  fire  up;  up  and  up,  growing  toward  the  sky.  “you’re  going  to  make  me  lose  my  concentration.”  but  in  again  maybe  that  would  be  a  good  thing.  maybe  it  would  help  him  focus  in  a  time  of  need.

the  ball  had  been  eventful  to  say  the  least,  and  while  benjamin  wanted  to  leave  volterra  with  tia  he  also  wanted  to  see  two  particular  people.  he  had  waited  a  few  days  unsure  of  what  the  state  of  the  castle  would  be  like  in  the  aftermath.  benjamin  almost  expected  someone  to  turn  him  away  but  instead  it  seemed  they  gave  him  permission  to  go  in  when  he  told  them  he  was  there  to  see  athenodora.  for  people  so  feared,  their  security  wasn’t  all  that  great  it  seemed,  especially  after  an  attack.

never  the  less,  he  found  her  all  by  her  lonesome  in  a  long  marble  corridor  with  windows  as  tall  as  the  ceiling  and  the  occasional  candle  here  and  there.  “hello,  athenodora,”  benjamin  greeted  respectfully,  hands  clasped  in  front  of  him.  “i  hope  i’m  not  interrupting.”

To Tía there wasn’t much of a choice left to her in regards to becoming a vampire. Of course Benjamin had given her one, said he would go away by himself, that she could stay with the husband she didn’t love and the life she’d been pressured into because her mother needed money. Though those years without him close had been cold and empty for her. Like the sun was missing. The warmth, the easy relaxation, the laughter and sense that life was easy and worry free. That was how having her best friend by her side had always made her feel, whether she was seven like when they first met, or past two hundred like she was today. The stark difference between how she saw Benjamin, and how his controlling creator saw him, was that she actually cared about him. What he dreamt of, what he needed, what made him happy. Amun only cared about being in control of Ben so he could use him. If it was the last thing Tía did, she would make sure that no one controlled Benjamins life, no one but himself. “fi ‘ayi waqt.” Anytime. She replied, a small smile on her lips despite the situation. “We can, if thats what you want. It makes me a bit uncomfortable, being in such close proximity of the Volturi.” she admitted, pursing her lips a bit. There seemed to be a mounting wall of threats starting to form around them. One being Amun, the other being Aro and the rest of the italian clan. And the harsh truth was she couldn’t protect her friend from the latter. Amun she could stand up to, but the Volturi were a great force when they decided to be. And if Aro thought he could use Tía to get Benjamin, she knew he would. About to step back out from the bushes, she halted when he spoke again. “la daei lilaietidhar Benji.” There’s no need to apologize. Her tone was gentle, reaching out to cup his cheek. “All I care about is your happiness. You needed more freedom, so I covered for you. Its really simple. I’m always here for you. And we’ll deal with whatever comes together shamsi.” my sun. He was scared, she could tell. Perhaps getting out of here would making him feel a little bit better. Lowering her hand, glancing over the bushes, she then turned back to him. “Do you think we should sneak out or just use the main entrance?” She’d just asked when she heard screams, and could smell flames. Grabbing Benjamins hand, Tía couldn’t help but step out from the bushes and a bit closer to what had been a lively party not many seconds ago. The sight of burning bodies.. vampires by the smell of it though, had her stare openly and hold onto her best friends hand even tighter. “'aghniat..” Dear god. she mumbled, stunned by the display.

😌

of  the  earlier  days  he  remembered  what  he  thought  was  important  to.  most  vampires  move  on  or  come  to  without  ties  to  their  history  as  humans  but  he  never  forgot  tia,  or  the  time  they  shared  before  they  found  themselves  on  completely  different  paths.  she  had  been  the  only  one  he  truly  cared  for  as  a  human;  whether  as  a  cousin  or  a  best  friend.  she  was  the  only  one  who  knew  him  inside  and  out,  and  had  amun  known  what  benjamin  knows,  he  would’ve  gotten  his  wish  sooner  than  he  thought.  tia  encouraged  him  with  love  and  affection  while  amun. . .  didn’t  exactly  encourage  him.  amun  believed  benjamin  owed  him  something  even  though  he  didn’t  quite  say  so  out loud.  he’s  childish  not  stupid.  he  knew  what  amun  wanted.  if  tia,  however,  asked  him  to  use  his  ability  as  a  weapon,  he  wouldn’t  second  guess  her.  in  fact,  he  wouldn’t  think  twice  about  it.  sometimes  benjamin  didn’t  remember  amun  wasn’t  actually  his  uncle  but  rather  a  vampire  who  sunk  his  fangs  into  him  and  never  let  go.

benjamin’s  expression  was  soft  in  that  moment.  the  only  reason,  he  always  knew,  he  tolerated  amun  was  because  tia  was  there.  if  she  wanted  to  keep  going,  benjamin  realized  he  would  be  okay  with  that  --  but  that  also  meant  dealing  with  amun  so  they’d  never  have  to  look  over  their  shoulder  because  of  him.  one  thing  at  a  time,  right?  it’s  easy  to  be  brave  when  she’s  near.  “i  don’t  deserve  you,  ya  kamar.”  MY  MOON;  two  halves  of  a  whole.  he  realized  that  if  tia  was  the  moon,  yasmine  was  the  stars.  if  he  could  breathe,  he’d  probably  not  be  even  then.  at  least  he  had  been  right  about  one  thing. . .  not  being  able  to  do  this  without  her.  his  only  regret  was  leaving  her  behind  even  if  she  had  encouraged  him.  even  if  someone  had  to  distract  amun.  at  least  in  volterra,  with  so  many  bodies,  amun  would  be  slowed  down  and  distracted.  he’d  have  to  talk  to . . .  maybe  not.  favors  from  the  volturi  don’t  come  so  easy.  before  he  can  answer  her  as  to  how  to  make  their  escape,  benjamin  watches  the  scene  from  beside  her,  wide  eyed  for  a  moment.  strange  how  this  time  he  panics  but  only  internally.  this  time  he  blinks  through  the  chaos  and  looks  at  tia,  “are  you  dark?”  invisible  if  you  will.  sometimes  he’s  not  even  aware  she  did  it  but  in  this  moment  of  fear,  he  wasn’t  sure  if  she  was  or  if  he  needed  to  calm  her  down  just  enough  for  her  to  focus.  his  nose  didn’t  smell  yasmine  and  whatever  hearts  that  beat  seemed  to  be  slipping  away  into  the  night.  benjamin’s  worry  was  now  on  tia.  “let’s  go.”  he  said,  squeezing  her  hand  as  tightly  as  he  could  against  her  own  pressure.

                           the man was no fool when it came to reading other’s emotions and thoughts. even when he hadn’t initiated contact to pry in one’s mind, over the years he hardly needed a touch to read between the lines. most people whether they were human or vampire were ultimately pretty easy to read for him. he caught on the smallest of hints. the smallest of gestures. “ is everything alright, benjamin ? i sense some discomfort on your part.” he hoped his efforts hadn’t caused him to feel this way. he truly did try to contain himself– at times, aro could be quite temperamental and come off too strong in general when he wanted something. he did his best to conceal that side of him.

“ beautiful, yes. i have a fondness for beauty and all things artistic.” this was known as most sculptures in the castle belonged to the vampire. interior decoration was another small joy of his. “ sure. we can go to the throne room or my own chambers. that is if you wish me to accompany you at all.”

😌

he  braced  himself  against  an  invisible  pillar,  expression  as  neutral  as  he  could  manage  but  he  knew  how  he  must  look.  “a  little,”  benjamin  admits.  discomfort  he  means,  unsure  of  which  words  to  use  but  in  this  case,  it  seems  less  is  both  better  and  easier.  “i’m  not  sure  how  to  explain  it  best,  i’m  sorry.”  sure,  aro  can  be  off  putting  when  you  know  who  he  is  but  the  truth  is,  benjamin  wasn’t  entirely  afraid  of  him.  it’s  more  so  the  notion  that  at  any  point  he  would  be  trapped,  unable  to  flee.  outside  it  was  easier  to  feel  calm  about  it.  the  streets  were  bigger.  here,  the  world  seemed  to  be  growing  smaller  and  smaller.  “english  isn’t  the  easiest  language  for  me.”  benjamin  admits,  not  wanting  to  assume  aro  would  know  specific  languages  despite  the  fact  that  he  knew  he  was  one  of  the  oldest  vampires.

his  mind  briefly  flashes  to  the  things  he’s  collected  over  the  years.  the  mask  on  his  face  was  one  of  them.  he  moves  to  take  the  mask  off,  needing  a  moment  without  it.  it’s  just  a  reminder  of  everything  amun’s  kept  him  from.  “i’m  pleased  to  of  seen  them,”  benjamin  smiles  before  lowering  his  head  just  enough  in  a  show  of  appreciation.  “whichever  is  better.  i  wouldn’t  mind  the  company.”  famous  last  words?  perhaps  it  would  give  them  a  chance  to  speak  better.  “thank  you,  aro.”

from all the people she had been around, benjamin was different from them. she actually enjoyed being around him. and even more, she loved it when he was with her.  she felt safe when she was with him. as if nothing would harm her. but more than that, almost like she had found her home. that alone made her think to what her mother had said once.  'home isn’t always a house. rather a person instead’.“ as crazy as it sounds, yasmine was sure she found hers.

"you’re not though, okay?  i love spending time with you. when you’re around, it’s like everything is better.” she could have had the worst day ever, and benjamin would change that.  he could make that day so much better. “to start off, it was my senior year of high school. and my classmates and i pulled off the best prank ever.” the class prank they had pulled was truly epic. “we managed to get not only our principles car on the roof of the school but the vice principles too. we all got in trouble too but it was worth it.” the smile on her lips only grew as she told the story. one of just many she had. if her parents had been there, she knew they would have been telling any and all stories they had on yasmine. 

😌

if  benjamin  could  dream,  he’d  dream  of  the  placed  he’d  never  seen  or  faces  he’d  never  know.  if  he  could  dream,  he’d  dream  of  lifetimes  that  try  as  he  might,  would  never  be  his.  benjamin  can’t  dream,  can’t  sleep,  can  only  have  a  mind  plagued  with  well  everything  really.  before  most  were  doing,  benjamin  was  thinking.  waiting,  watching,  panicking. . .  that  is  when  he  wasn’t  with  someone  who  calmed  him;  soothed  this  wildfire  he  held  inside.  heck,  maybe  they  encouraged  it.  in  this  moment  his  mind  didn’t  flash  to  amun  or  kebi,  or  even  aro,  but  to  tia  and  athenodora,  and  the  woman  in  front  of  him.  if  his  heart  beat,  it  would  race  or  surely  flutter  the  way  hers  seemed  to  in  his  ear  drums.

“it’s  a  habit  i’m  trying  to  break.”  he  admitted.  it  seemed  strange  surely,  needing  the  reminder  that  people  wanted  to  be  around  him  𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑡  𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑜𝑛  other  than  to  be  around  him.  she  didn’t  know  what  he  could  do.  there  were  no  expectations  between  them  other  than  maybe,  if  he  thought  about  it,  the  desire  to  just  be  near  each  other.  “i  enjoy  spending  time  with  you  as  well.  i’m  so  happy  i  met  you.”  the  truth  is,  it  kind  of  terrifies  him  to  know  he  had  grown  so  fond  of  a  human  in  such  a  short  time.  while  he  had  never  truly  gone  to  school,  he  knew  it  was  a  thing  these  days.  in  his  days  and  long  before  that,  egyptian  schooling  and  tutors  were  meant  for  those  of  a  higher  status;  something  that  he’d  never  been.   it  seemed  worth  it  to  be  taken  under  his  pseudo  uncle’s  wing  since  he  learned  things  he’d  never  dreamt  of  but  eventually  that  stopped  being  the  case.  he  wondered  what  she  was  like  at  that  age.  

benjamin  laughed  delightfully,  trying  to  imagine  them  as  they  did  it  or  even  how  it  was  possible.  “i  still  don’t  quite  understand  cars,”  he  admitted.  he’d  told  her  his  life  in  cairo  was  secluded  once  if  he  remembered  correctly.  in  some  places  you  didn’t  need  cars  anyway.  it  seemed  like  a  good  excuse.  “how  did  you  ever  manage  such  a  thing?”  there’s  a  word  he  wanted  to  call  her  but  he  wasn’t  sure  of  the  english  translation.  she  was,  and  appeared  to  even  be,  such  a  sweet  being  but  she  had  such  a  playful  side  to  her  that  he  admired.  “the  worst  i’ve  ever  done  was  hide  amun’s  camel.”  more  laughter,  the  kind  you’d  probably  have  to  hold  your  sides  for,  escaped  him.  amun  would  surely  beg  to  differ.  he  was  after  all  the  one  who  had  to  deal  with  the  aftermath  of  not  just  one  but  two  vampires;  tia,  for  standing  up  to  him,  and  benjamin  for  agreeing  to  stay  hidden  but  he  never  agreed  to  anything  else.  if  he  used  his  power,  it’s  because  he  wanted  to  not  because  amun  demanded  it.  

“"you’re not taking up my time.”  she would have stayed by him even if he didn’t ask. being by him, she felt comfortable. at ease in a sense.  it was rare for her to feel such a way too. but it was almost like she had known him for a while. even though they had met not too long ago. “i’m pretty sure if we snuck out, no one would notice.” she pointed out. if he wanted to leave the party, she’d go with him.  and besides, she was sure that no one would notice if they had left early.  a soft smile on her lips, she wrapped her arm around his.  "if you want stories from when i was younger, i have plenty of those.“ she had more than enough stories to tell from when she was younger. some embarrassing, some funny. 

😌

the  smile  on  his  lips  was  so  bone  achingly  genuine.  there  were  moments  of  panic  and  moments  of  absolute  delight;  all  stemming  from  the  fact  that  amun  would  find  him  and  he’d  no  doubt  be  angry.  almost  three  hundred  years  of  hiding,  of  missing  the  chance  to  do  anything  really,  of. . .  almost  missing  the  opportunity  to  meet  such  a  wonderful  being,  human  or  not.  there  was  something  in  the  way  she  smiled  at  him  that  would’ve  swelled  his  heart  could  it  beat  or  flutter  and  despite  the  lack  of  a  beating  heart,  benjamin  found  himself  drawn  to  her  the  way  light  seeks  to  eradicate  darkness  when  someone  turns  on  a  light  in  a  dark  room.  the  way  she  smiled?  and  the  warmth  that  radiated  in  her  expression. . .  benjamin  didn’t  feel  panicky  anymore.

“would  you  tell  me  if  i  were?”  benjamin  asked  almost  singsong.  while  he  knew  she  was  mostly  right,  he  also  suspected  someone  MIGHT  notice.  his  thoughts  would  rather  stay  focused  on  her  face  rather  than  someone  else’s  right  now.  it  seemed  instinctive  when  she  wraps  her  arm  around  his  to  move  the  other  hand  to  give  it  a  light  pat.  benjamin  would  be  a  liar  if  he  say  it  hadn’t  taken  all  of  his  might  to  be  gentle  and  slow  in  the  motion.  “i’ll  keep  that  in  mind.”  he  promised,  tugging  her  gently  away  from  bodies  he  couldn’t  see  red  eyes  in  but  he  knew  were  also  vampires.  “i  wouldn’t  mind  a  story  from  five  minutes  ago,”  as  long  as  it  came  from  her,  he  could  listen  for. . . well,  an  eternity.  “tell  me,  mahbub,”  a  loose  translation  to  english  would  be  DARLING.  “a  dream  or  hope,  or  whatever  your  heart  desires.”

   “Well, my people are suppose to play nice tonight.” unless they were required to quiet a party crasher, she’d almost been hoping for one at this point. “We’ll see how that works out.” she turned her attention to the vampire she conversed with, smiling at his Anubis mask donning his face. Fitting, a lovely piece clearly worth more than the wire and lace most wore tonight.  

   “I’m Jane.” she nodded, in lieu of offering her hand. “I will say, you have the nicest mask I’ve seen this evening.” she offered the compliment sincerely, despite how bored she sounded. “Does it have a story?”   

😌

benjamin  was  curious,  sure,  but  when  you  spend  your  entire  existence  being  a  vampire  hidden  away,  who  would  blame  him?  his  curiosity  was  concerning  to  him  but  he  found  himself  unable  to  contain  it.  “and  if  you  didn’t  have  to  play  nice?”  he  asks  with  amusement  though  from  the  stories  he  had  heard,  he  knew  what  a  party  like  this  might  entail.  “best  of  luck  to  you  should  the  scales  fall  in  that  direction  then.”  benjamin  wasn’t  volturi  nor  did  he  view  some  of  their  practices  with  a  desire  to  ever  follow  them  but  he  would  not  be  the  one  to  say  𝐃𝐎𝐍❜𝐓  𝐃𝐎  𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓.​  

his  lips  moved  into  a  proud  smile.  “benjamin,”  he  nodded  in  response,  hands  moving  to  clasp  behind  his  back.  truthfully  he’s  thankful  she  didn’t  want  to  shake  his  hand.  the  last  thing  he  wished  for  was  to  be  so  excited  or  panick,  and  set  someone  on  fire  accidentally.  “shukraan lak,”  THANK  YOU.  it’s  a  habit  he’s  not  sure  where  he  picked  it  from.  “i  suppose  it’s  ironic  to  dress  of  the  god  who  judge’s  one’s  heart  to  that  of  a  feather.  the  gears  represent  the  scale  though  not  seen  is  most  definitely  there.”  benjamin  points  out,  “or  that’s  the  tale  i  was  told  at  the  time.  i  prefer  the  version  of  anubis  protecting  the  dead.”  he  didn’t  mind  how  bored  she  sounded.  he  had  met  others  with  different  ways  of  speaking  whether  with  romanticism  or  modern  lingo.  it  only  mattered  if  he  could  understand  them.  “truth  is,  it’s  just  a  piece  of  home.”

They’d never really been apart for any longer periods of time. Whenever they did separate, like now, it was to allow the other time and space to do something they really needed to do. In truth that was why Tia had agreed to stay behind when Benjamin told her he wanted to go to Volterra. To keep the ruse and give him as much time as she could. Amun and Kebi might not value her the same way or feel too strong attachment to her, which she was fine with. She wouldn’t have reciprocate that either. The only reason she stayed in the coven was to be close to and protect Benjamin. So she had done all she could to point Amun in the wrong direction when he figured out Ben was gone. And then when she could sense that she too was running out of time, she had bolted, laying a good two days false trail before heading to Italy herself. No matter what was to come, she would be by her best friends side, support him in whatever he might decide, and give what she could based on what he might need. Like she always had. Like he’d done for her a million times before. Family wasn’t only about blood, it was forged in the relationships you built that were stronger than blood. “'ana bikhayr.” she replied evenly. I am fine. His dramatic mask rip of signaled the real emotion prompting the action. It was obvious that Benjamin was panicking just a bit, and she could understand why. Amun could be an unpleasant force to recon with when he disapproved. Even if he shouldn’t have the right to. Taking a deep breath, loath to tell him the truth but well aware that she had no other choice, Tia squared her shoulders. “Yes Benji. I laid a false trail to buy time, but Amun know’s you’re gone and he is looking.” Her voice was apologetic, despite the fact that there really wasn’t anything else she could have done. “la tafqid rasuk alhabi.” Don’t loose your head love. “We’ll figure this out.” 

😌

to  say  he’d  been  prepared  to  go  it  alone,  sans  amun  and  kebi,  wasn’t  exactly  a  far  stretch.  he  had  visited  her  while  human  to  tell  her  he  had  to  go  away...  but  she  didn’t  want  him  to.  she  was  for  the  lack  of  a  better  term,  the  best  part  of  himself.  of  all  things  he  remembered  in  those  days,  it  was  how  quick  tia  had  been  to  tell  him  he  didn’t  have  to  do  it  alone.  if  he’d  live  (MORE  OR  LESS)  forever,  she’d  join  him.  he  didn’t  have  to  be  alone.  benjamin  suspected  she  might’ve  known  then  what’s  even  clearer  now;  amun  wanted  a  weapon  whether  he  was  family  or  not.  she  protected  him  and  he,  her.  she  was  perhaps  the  reason  he  kept  the  compassion  he  held  deep  in  his  heart.  she  was  most  certainly  the  only  reason  staying  hidden  had  been  bearable  even  though  he  hated  asking  that  of  her.  𝑇𝐼𝐴  𝑊𝐴𝑆  𝐹𝐼𝑁𝐸,  he  could  see  that,  but  he  knew  if  she  were  here,  it  wouldn’t  be  too  long  before  amun  was  as  well.  it  wouldn’t  be  too  long  before  he  and  tia  were  cornered,  forced  with  choices  neither  truly  wished  to  make  and  for  what?  a  few  moments  of  rebellion?  yes,  he  panicked  as  guilt  washed  over  him.  benjamin  gnawed  at  his  cheeks  in  silence  for  a  moment  before  speaking,  “shukraan lika,”  THANK  YOU.  he  spoke  softly,  a  hand  giving  her  shoulder  a  firm  squeeze.  “we  should  go.  i’m  not  a  fan  of  the  party.”  there  was  one  particular  reason  to  stay  but  his  concern  now  switched  to  the  fact  that  it  wouldn’t  be  too  long  until  amun  made  an  appearance.  this  is  also  a  silent  nod  to  the  fact  that  benjamin  had  never  been  around  so  many  vampires  and  humans  while  a  vampire,  and  whatever  nerve  he  had  off  preforming  in  front  of  people  in  such  crowds  seemed  fleeting.  there’s  also  the  fact  that  so  many  in  attendance  were  volturi.  “ana  asif,  tia.”  I’M  SORRY  ,  uttered  so  softly  one  might  mistake  it  for  wind.  “i  didn’t  think  this  far  ahead.”  at  least  with  her  there  and  speaking  to  him,  he  was  a  bit  calmer.