#borrower!emile

“That’s- it doesn’t work that way.” Virgil shook his head, fangs appearing to bite at his lip. His brothers would never let him live it down if they found he was fostering a borrower again, and Virgil didn’t want to chance them ever finding out. “I am what I am. It’s better to accept that. You’re the one who sees me differently.”

 “Virgil, please, if you really can’t eat me, then wouldn’t it be better to simply let me go? And then we can both move on and forget this ever happened.” Logan pleaded again. He just wanted to go back to his life.

“Hardly.” Virgil leaned against the wall, giving Logan a considering glance. “Where would you go?”

 Logan blinked. “Back home? Where I live and all my stuff resides?” He thought that would be obvious.

“Would you stay there?” Virgil reworked his question. “I know you were trying to move when I found you.”

 “What? No I wasn’t.” Logan frowned, wondering why Virgil would think that. “I was looking for Roman. Moving was the farthest thing from my mind.” After all, if he moved he was less likely to find Roman.

“...oh.” Virgil said. “Well then what about now?”

 Logan paused. He...hadn’t actually thought about that. “Well...borrower rules indicate I should move. Since you know where I reside. But I am...unsure if I would actually do that.” He liked that place and if Virgil were to let him go he shouldn’t have to worry about him coming back...right?

“It’d be suicide to move.” Virgil informed him. “Vampires can only enter homes when they’re invited in. The walls are safe, it’s probably how you guys have survived this long; your ancestors figured out tricks to avoid my kind. If you’re outside you’re fair game.”

 Logan swallowed. “Then yes, I would stay. Moving is a dangerous journey by itself as well, even discluding the vampire threats.” That Logan didn’t know of until now and was very happy he hadn’t run into one before.

Virgil moved his jaw, the cogs in his head beginning to turn. “What about Roman?”

 Logan bit his lip. “Well...if Roman is not yet...dead, then I would ask your help to save him and let him go as well.” A bit of hope was rising up in Logan but he pushed it down. He knew better.

“No. He stays here.” Virgil tilted his chin up. “Say you were back home with that knowledge. Would you leave to save his life, or stay to save your own?”

 “I would leave to try and save him.” Logan said, barely thinking about it. “Whether you think that foolish, I do not care.” Logan thought it was too...but he would physically be unable to stay home safe knowing Roman was here still.

Virgil let out a groan, annoyed at the borrower’s foolishness. “Then I guess you’re staying here too.”

 “Why. Seriously, what is the point in you keeping me-in keeping us-here?” Logan asked. “What is it about us that you think would make a good pet?” Logan was genuinely curious.

“No, it’s...it’s not that.” Virgil cringed, knowing his own motives were not exactly pure. “It’s difficult to explain.”

 “Difficult as it may be, I would find it beneficial if you would try.” Logan said.

“Imagine that.” Virgil muttered. He should have known Logan would not be so easily dissuaded. “Well, on the one hand, I don’t care about you or what you want. On the other… if you were somewhere else, you’d definitely get hurt.”

 Logan blinked. “That...sounds like you care.” Now Logan was just confused. Again.

“I don’t.” Virgil insisted, his tone less biting than he would have liked. “I’m just not letting someone else get their claws on you.”

 “Why?” Logan asked, eyebrows furrowed. “If you really didn’t care about me, you wouldn’t care if some other vampire got a hold of me or I died some other way. Unless, of course, you simply see me as one of your things and are territorial…” Logan muttered the last bit more to himself.

Virgil’s expression twitched. “Only I get to lay claim to your blood. I’m gonna drink it, or no one will.”

 “...And until you do,” if, Virgil ever did which Logan was highly doubting at this point. “I’m forced to stay here, in this cage, acting more or less like a pet.”

“...yeah.” Virgil slumped to the side against his bookshelf.

 “...Right.” Logan sighed, glancing in another direction. Logan was never getting out of here, at least, not alive. “...May I have something to eat now? Or have I not earned it?”

“No, you don’t- you don’t have to earn it.” Virgil winced. He pushed himself off from the wall. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

 Logan just nodded, watching warily as Virgil stood up.

Virgil grabbed the bowl, disappearing in a cloud of smoke. The bat flew out the window, with the bowl clutched in its feet. All was quiet for several minutes, when a human-shaped Virgil walked back in, the bowl filled with berries in his hands. 

“Here.” Virgil announced, putting it inside the cage.

 Logan took a step back as Virgil’s hand came in the cage but then came forward to the bowl, grabbing a berry. It seemed Virgil knew which ones to take now, as all of these were safe to eat. “Thank you.” He said, before sitting down near the bowl and going about eating.

“Don’t thank me.” Virgil muttered, letting the door stay swung open as he slumped into an armchair that looked very over-worn.

 Logan hummed but continued to eat. “You are getting better at choosing which berries to pick.” Logan noted, saying aloud his previous thought.

“They’re easier to catch than squirrels.” Virgil gave a half-hearted snort, remembering his first attempt to feed the borrower.

 “I...can imagine.” Logan felt his lips twitch up ever so slightly. “Also, I’m not at risk at contracting rabies from fruit.”

“That’s a thing?” Virgil raised an eyebrow. It seemed new diseases popped up to hurt the living every day. “So...is there anything you eat besides berries?”

 “I’ve actually hardly ever eaten berries. If you remember, I do not go outside often. Or ever, really. The time you caught me was an exception. I usually eat anything a human does. Usually scraps or leftovers that humans leave out or drop.” Logan explained.

“And… what exactly is it that humans eat nowadays?” Virgil tugged at his sleeve, a bit embarrassed not to know the answer.

 It was certainly strange that Virgil didn’t know that but he supposed he couldn’t blame the vampire for not knowing. “Well...they eat a number of things. Certain kinds of meat and protein, vegetables, fruits, and then things like junk food, like candy or chips.” Logan listed. “Could you not just go into a grocery store and see for yourself?”

“I don’t exactly ‘blend in’.” Virgil deadpanned, purposefully letting his fangs hang over his lip.

 “Maybe...not. But from my experience, humans are willing to believe anything. Or, in some cases, believe that they didn’t actually see anything. Humans are stupid. I have not doubt if you go in with some sunglasses, the humans will think nothing of you. In fact, you could probably go in as you are and they will probably think you a simply ‘dressing up’.” Humans were indeed dumb like that. Although it was thanks to that that Logan hadn’t been caught before this.

Virgil blinked, surprised by this idea. “You seriously think that’d work?”

 “I’d say it has a very high chance of success from my own experience with humans.” Logan nodded.

“Maybe I’ll test that out.” Virgil seemed to be seriously considering it. “Just, one question… what are sunglasses?”

 Logan actually found himself chuckling at that. “Ah, they are...well, these are glasses.” Logan said, taking off his own pair. “Sunglasses are like these, but have a darker tint that blocks out the sun.”

“Oh.” Virgil leaned forwards, trying to picture a pair for himself. “I wonder if that’s what Patton does…”

 Logan frowned. “Does...Patton go out a lot?” That was certainly interesting.

“A fair amount.” Virgil shrugged. “Mostly just with one human, that uh...the one you lived with. And not during the day, because he’s not stupid, but he still likes to have actual friends instead of being stuck with just... me.”

 Logan eyebrows furrowed. “And you are...okay with this?” It didn't sound like it.

“Patton can do what he wants.” Virgil shrugged. “I don’t- I don’t own him.” 

 “That’s not really what I meant but good to see someone of your own species does not have the same fate as me.” Logan said, a bit bitter. “No, I meant more like, you don’t really sound happy about it. Almost...jealous, I would say. Or sad. Maybe a mix of both.”

“I’m not jealous.” Virgil seemed to cringe at the idea. “I mean, yeah, I like Patton’s company, but he’d be miserable trapped here. And yeah, it’s frustrating being alone, but-” Virgil abruptly cut himself off, coming to a sudden conclusion. Was that why it had become all but impossible to eat Logan? Virgil had grown attached to the company he gained while Patton was out? It was entirely possible, and also worrying, because a trapped borrower was hardly decent company. It was downright depressing.

“I...manage enough on my own.” Virgil lamely finished.

 Logan frowned, searching Virgil’s eyes. It was obviously a lie but should Logan bring it up? He might make Virgil angry again and he didn’t really want that right now. So, he just nodded, deciding to ask something else. “Has it always just been you and Patton?”

Virgil stiffened. “That’s not even possible, if I’m the one who turned him. Bit of a chicken and the egg scenario, genius.”

 Logan sighed. “Let me rephrase then. Before you turned Patton, were you alone? And after you turned Patton, was it just the two of you?”

“...yes.” Virgil answered carefully, trying to decide how much to share. “When I found Patton, I was alone.”

 “Interesting.” Logan murmured. “So, you did not have parents? Or any family at all?”

“I did, but I left.” Virgil gripped his arm tightly.

 “You...left? And why did you do that?” Logan couldn’t help but ask, curiosity piqued. 

“Because they kicked me out.” Virgil thought the line was a bit hazy between who wanted him to leave first. “I told them they were wrong, and cruel, and I got disowned for it.”

 Logan blinked, eyes going wide. “You...thought them to be cruel? You? Do I even want to ask what they did to warrant your disapproval?” Virgil himself was already cruel and encouraged Patton to be the same so...how bad had his parents been?

“I doubt it.” Virgil scoffed, searching Logan’s face to see if the borrower actually wanted answers.

 Logan bit his lip. “I...am curious to know anyway.” He needed to know what his parents could have possibly done. What were Virgil’s limits? This very well could tell him.

Virgil looked off at a spot on his wall, his eyes becoming unfocused as he remembered.

“It was mostly my brothers.” Virgil said, his voice uncharacteristically quiet. “I mean, everybody in my family is a pure-blooded vampire. They’ve trained me in their ways, how to hunt and feed and stay on top of the food chain by shoving anybody who dared oppose us down. That’s the basics, anyways.” Virgil spared Logan the details, of the dungeons and the slaves and the screaming-

“I didn’t care much about all that.” Virgil admitted a bit guiltily. “It’s terrible, but that’s life. I was keeping my head down and doing as I was told. I blocked it out and survived, and in that way I guess I should be grateful for what they taught me.”

 Now Logan was just...confused. “Please do not take offense to this.” He started with, hoping Virgil wouldn’t be mad. “But from what I have seen of you...it seems like you follow in their footsteps? I hardly see why you would have left, anyway.”

“I really am their perfect little spawn, aren’t I?” Virgil muttered bitterly, almost to himself. “Yeah, I probably would have been fine there. Miserable, but fine. But then a borrower-” Virgil paused, knowing that Emile deserved none of the blame for Virgil’s mistake. “But then my brother had to ruin it all.”

Virgil shifted, trying to keep his voice steady as he recounted this story as quickly as possible. “I found a borrower, didn’t know what it was. Got attached. Got hungry. Brothers smelled it on me, got jealous. Took what was mine, and-” Virgil’s breath hitched, a traitorous tear collecting in his eye. He wiped it away furiously. “Circle of life, I guess.”

 Logan’s eyes were blown wide at this new information. “A...borrower. You...left your family because your brother ate a borrower?” That...didn’t make any sense. Since obviously, even if Virgil never ate Logan, he still very much advocated it for Patton.

“...a family of them.” Virgil picked at the edge of his sleeve, his throat tightening. “They decided to take residence in our mansion. Not exactly their smartest move, huh? Living in a vampire’s home. Really they were doomed from the start. It should hardly be a big deal.”

 “Exactly. So...why was it?” Logan asked. “Why did you...leave over it.”

Virgil grimaced, squeezing his eyes tightly as the images flashed through his mind, vivid even centuries later.

“What’re you hiding, runt?”

“Give it back, it’s mine-”

“Aw, lil’ baby tooth is hoarding snacks in his room?”

“You’ll never be a real vamp if you keep waiting around. Open up~”

“NO! Virgil, please, you promised-”

“You gonna listen to the prey the size of your fist or you gonna respect that your older brother knows a few things you don’t?”

“I… I don’t want to eat him. There’s plenty of food downstairs.”

“Oh yes, a few gallons of deoxygenated blood or a lifetime of eternal strength, take your pick.”

“It’s the circle of life, you insolent thorn, now learn your place.”

“Dee, please, he’s- he’s my friend.” 

“You grew attached?”

“Bet it’s gonna hurt then when I do this.”

“NONONONONONOpleasePutMeDownOh-”

Thunder shook the building, all the lights go out as lightning strikes. This is what causes Jazz to shoot upward, her body seizes and she hugs herself.

The little woman covers her ears as thunder shook the house again, and for the briefest moment she wasn't there. She was with Aaron, or more accurate in his house in that old batty cage.

She hated thunder, it was loud but worse of all it shook everything when it sounded. Thus rattling her little cage.

She was so caught up in memories she didn't notice a tiny enter her room, though the hand on her shoulder was quite a warning. Jazz jumped to see a concerned looking Emile crouching down to her.

"Hey kiddo, are you okay? Thomas wants everyone in one room, some of the kids got scared. Jazz?" He was shocked when she hugged him.

He could feel her shaking, holding him like a lifeline. He smiled softly before cleaning her tearful face and scooping her up.