Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The moon was blood red, just like other nights.

And he’s so very hungry.

While it won’t kill him not eat for a bit, it will turn him to a lower grade vampire.

And that, amongst other things, will irritate him.

So that’s what leads him to go into the forest to collect more animals and materials for the rebuilding of the manor, primarily the former.

Owen searched the bare forest, only the remnants of what was once sheep caught in the branches of trees and bushes.

Damn humans hunting food.

He dug around his bag pulling out a vile of blood.

He tapped the glass and swirled it around. He’d have to ask Scott for some more bottles, this was his last.

He drank the bottle of blood, it satisfied his hunger a bit, enough to keep him over it till he finds food.

That was what he’d say if he didn’t find himself in a dumpyard with no light instead of the forest illuminated in red that he was just in a moment ago.

He flicked his wrist dropping the now empty bottle into his bag. He didn’t teleport. He knew he didn’t and there wasn’t a beacon in sight.

He tapped his foot and glanced around while twirling his hair, the white was definitely pretty but it was so long.

It’d get in the way of his feeding.

Right, the issue at hand.

The stench reeked. It stung at his nose and lingered.

There was nobody around…

He flexed his fingers. Looking at the lack of food, he scowled.

Whatever deity did to him while he’s staving thinks he’s a stain in his world that needs cleansing.

He narrowed his eyes, the fog was intense, a dark red.

He scooped up a doll that had lost an eye.

“Aren’t we all lost.”

Owen sighed, looking at the doll, then his eyes widened.

“You…look like louis–I think.”

He doesn’t remember his kind eyes very well. He had long hair…maybe he was taller than himself. It’s been a while.

“I’ll keep you, save you from being lost.” His grip tightened, “I’ll never lose you again.”

“Oh, you’re definitely creepy.” A man with an umbrella hovered above him. “That doll is yours? Didn’t think a boy like yourself likes them. Well, I should've known with the long hair.”

He couldn’t see him behind the mask but he can smell how amused this man is.

“Shut up.” He didn’t really look at him, maybe a glance. Maybe his hair was long, far from what he'd call feminine though, sure it’s long—reaches his waist—and curly but…oh. He sighed, “What do you want?” His red eyes looked away from the doll.

“Oh you have red eyes like him, white hair too…you a sphereite?”

Owen looked at him properly. A human, better yet an alone human.

He thought for a moment. He'd just drink, he still wants answers so might as well.

He put the doll in his bag and approached the human.

“Woah, Is that a yes? A no? I can’t tell!”

The air is poisoned, and the fact he’s here means he isn’t weak so just grabbing isn’t in the books. That is, if he couldn’t just become invisible.

The human immediately went on the defense, but he grabbed his arm before he even knew what was happening.

“Little–get off me.”

After a quick drink—when his invisibility wore off—he stepped back to where he found the doll.

“Sorry, I was hungry.” He stared at the humans, finding their balance and wobble. “I’m no Sphereite, though.”

“Oh…I realize.”

After a while another human appeared behind him.

Owen shrugged, “Are you looking for a fight? I’m sure you are.” He licked the blood dripping from his lip.

“Listen, I didn’t want to attack you, but you know. Can’t go on an empty stomach.”

The human had blue earrings, and was pointing a stick at him. “So you bite Enjin?”

“That’s his name? He’s fine.” He poked around his bag, “Oh pig.” He said pulling out the single pork slab he had.

The human watched him eat the raw meat. “You eat that?” He shook his head. “No, you don’t need a mask here in the dead zone. Why?”

“The what?” He covered his nose, “Oh this place? No it’s gross, 0/10, no food and it reeks.”

They tilt their head, “Then why?”

“Oh, I never came here. I just appeared.”

“Did you fall?” A white haired boy jumped from behind him.

Owen clenched his fist to keep from swinging at him, “Fall? Well I saw the moon and now it’s gone. Humans are always causing issues for us so maybe I did.”

“You keep going on about hunger now humans? What are you a vampire?” The first human—Enjin—spoke.

Owen froze, right, people that aren’t from Oakhurst don’t know.

“I come from this place called Oakhurst. A red moon stays in the sky, never seeing day, there’s beings called vampires among the humans. Ya know, folktale stuff but real.”

The boy’s eyes widened, “That’s a thing?”

Enjin’s smell shifted, “So you literally are.”

“Yeah, your blood was good by the way.” He stood on the heel of his boots, “I won’t hurt you, got my fill, I'm content.”

“You seem to like that doll.”

“Huh? What doll?” The one with blue earrings said, lowering his guard.

Enjin pointed at Owen, “He picked up his doll from the trash and pocketed it.”

“Reminds me of someone, that’s all.” He turned his head, he wasn’t embarrassed. Though he does know humans don’t deserve to know Louis by name. He covered his nose again, “Can you show me the way out? This stings my nose like an unpleasant bug.”

“Right follow us.”

“Oh, what can I call you?”

“I’m…Zanka, you know Enjin.” He said, waving his hand towards him.

“And I'm Rudo.” The white haired boy hummed.

“Kay.”
—---------

Owen sat in an empty dining room as everyone left to deal with something, trash beasts or whatever they said.

He stared at the doll, it reminded him so much of louis it was sickening.

He tapped the head, it wasn’t that badly maintained, like almost new.

The eye was sewn with red string.

He looked at his sleeve cuff, He actually got this from Louis.

He missed Louis.

—-------

“Vampire? Sounds fake.”

“Riyo.”

‘What? Blood sucking being that can’t die? That can’t exist.”

“I mean, he bit Enjin.”

“He’s odd, he attacked and while seeming innocent.”

“He’s a monster, he might have done nothing now but if he’s from somewhere like the sphere there has to be something he did to get here.”

“Oh can he turn into a bat? Vampires do that, don't they?”

Riyo paused, “Actually let’s ask!”

Chapter Text

The clock kept ticking. He’s been fascinated with it for a while. It wasn’t that it was anything new, he’s seen many clocks in this lifetime, no he’s fascinated that it was even here. From what he understands the ground is a place long separated from the sun, so there’s no real way to tell the time.

Semiu was watching him, she looked confused. She was the receptionist for the people, he finds her odd.

“How’s life from up there?” She asked.

Owen glanced over as her tone shifted, “Ever hurt anyone? In self defense or such.”

He kept his face natural, “Not without reason.” She’s suspicious, he has to figure out why.

“What’s a good reason?” He turned to face her properly. She didn’t have anything but hidden suspicion on her face

“Hurting people I care for, endangering my family.” He leaned his head on the couch armrest.

“So anyone who's been hurt by your hands was in self defense? What about Enjin?”

Owen thought his words over, “I felt threatened. I was…somewhere, unfamiliar.” He was going to say he was alone, but nothing's ever changed. Even amongst his found family he’s been alone. He acts alone, no matter what Scott does to keep him close—he’d be foolish to not realize his attempts, he’s pulling away from Scott constantly—no matter how hard he wants to be seen as reasonable, he’s despised by each one of them and seen as broken by Legundo.

“I suppose Enjin is like that.” She taps her glasses, “That doesn’t explain your lack of remorse and why your vital instrument is violent..”

Owen tensed, “My what?”

Semiu sighed, “I can see all your potential, how you feel, and how dangerous you can be. I won’t bother to go too in depth unless you become an issue.” She then pointed at his bag, “The doll is your vital instrument, reacts to you.”

Owen narrowed his eyes, so she is a risk to be around. He then took out the doll, looking it over properly. It dragged the smell of the poisonous air but some type of disquiet among the comfort he got from it. He tapped its head again and sniffed again. Its smell changed, like an instant of peace that didn’t last.

Is he sure he didn’t scoop up a haunted doll?

It was odd, a doll that he immediately found when he wasn’t searching…A doll he quickly learned to like.

A doll that makes him remember.

“And why does that matter? I’ve explained that I'm from a place where it’s an eat or be eaten world. You either struggle amongst the vampires or you die.”

He didn’t get a response, he didn’t bother to look up either. “Oakhurst works like this, it brings people towards the town every 200 years, they quickly lose connection with the outside world and can’t leave.” He realized the more people entered the room, he could smell them. “You’re probably wondering what’s so special about 200. That’s when a vampire gets hungry for a fest.”

He looked at the group for the first time, “You can only sleep for so long till you get hungry.”

Rudo stepped forward, “How many.”

“Before I say this, I will say these people have been dead for 200 years,” He watched their faces and continued, “So far I've killed 2799. Which is a way off from the eldest vampire who’s killed an unknown amount.”

He watched all of them tense up, half stood frozen and the other hand grabbed at random objects but all of them didn't move.

“So, you've hurt so many and you still claim self defense?” Semiu stayed at her desk, she sounded calm but she wasn’t, none of them were.

Owen sat up right, “People who burn others don’t deserve to live.” He glanced at the doll he didn’t realize he was still holding, his grip subconsciously getting tighter. He let go of it and let it beside himself, “I don’t think you’d let your loved ones die in vain because others said so.”

Louis wasn’t evil, Louis never touched him, he looked at him, he looked at all of him. Not the sick man every doctor saw, not the lonely lumberjack the townsfolk saw. But the person who was willing to let go of everything he never had and take this risk to stay with him.

And Owen saw forever with him.

“What did he do, or what did he not do and was accused of?” Rudo seemed to understand, he was able to say something.

Owen chuckled, “I spent every waking moment with him, Days spent in the manor and nights I left. The day I didn’t exit, The town stormed him, not that they ever cared about me. They only care about themselves and fear what could happen. They realized he supported the occult and burnt him.”

He fiddled with his hands for a moment recalling the day. “The town, all of them never thought to look for me. Just to kill the mayor that led them well.”

Enjin crossed his arms, “So you killed the people who killed your boyfriend? Valid honestly.”

A red haired girl smacked him in the back of the head, “Enjin shut the fuck up.”

“What? That’s basically what he said, “The townsfolk killed my boyfriend so I killed them back.” Tell me I'm wrong!”

Owen blinked, “We were never actually together?”

The girl snapped her head towards him, “Bitch, you went on this spiel about this guy you aren’t naming and now you’re saying it wasn’t official?”

“...Well he kinda just turned me into a vampire after knowing each other for a few months–”

“What’s up with this guy not asking to marry him before sinking his teeth into you.” She shakes her head, “I could never commit to that.”

His face might’ve gone red if he had blood. He opened his mouth but didn’t even know what to say.

The guy with blue earrings—Zanka he now knows—sighs, “Riyo that’s not appropriate.”

“This guy is saying he’d spend his life with someone who hasn’t even started dating him!”

Owen stands up, grabbing his stuff as he speaks, “Okay. I’m done here.”

Enjin narrows his eyes. “We still haven’t gotten the boss to say he accepts you.”

He looks up at him—why the hell is this guy so tall—”Are you saying I can’t leave?”

“Well…yes.”

Owen glances at an open window “And what will you do to keep me?”

“Block your path. You can’t pass everyone.”

“Try me.” He tapped his foot and turned into a bat, zipping past them and through the window.

“Holy shit he can turn into a bat.”

—

Owen lands on the roof of the building, changes they’ll get up there are slim.

He sits on the top digging through his bag.

He’s low on food.

Again.

He glances around, the building is pretty in the middle of nowhere but while he was on the way here he saw a town. And that’s where he’ll be going for a while.