Freaking Me Out

[Saiketsu]

The idea of binding someone to him the way that he was bound to Mitch made him wrinkle his nose and clench his teeth. So every vampire felt that way? Was that why vampires always felt so attached to their makers? The image of Pierre and Damien came to mind, their friendship and trust in each other so compelling that Pierre would do anything for the elder. The invasive thought of doing Mitch's biddings willingly slid through his awareness briefly before being rejected fiercely.

"So these... abilities," he began cautiously, disliking how interested his tone was immediately, "Why can your clan do these things and other bloodlines can't? What makes your bloodline so special?"

[Idrial]

"There are three castes to the Assamites," he began. "One is the warrior caste, defenders of the clan, the second is the vizier, deep in politics and librarians of sorts and the third is your lineage, the sorcerer caste, we are the Magi of the clan, magic wielders." Giving Nikolai a small and short lesson about his clan without boring the boy with much detail.

"Our caste," hating the word bloodline, "is special because we can practice a form of sorcery that predates most magic from other clans thanks to our founder called Dur-an-Ki."

"You also have a variety of paths to choose from, that Balefire I produced last time you were here is one path to choose. Its called Lure of Flames," stopping their to let Nikolai digest the information he had been fed.

Mitch kept studying Nikolai with calm composure, he wanted Nikolai to feel comfortable, let his guard down enough that his hate might subside for Mitch, he hoped. The game had gone well so far and he was delighted at the progress, even if it was just talking and answering questions.

[Saiketsu]

He snorted in contempt. "You expect me to believe that I can just... produce magic? Just because you choked me out on a hotel room floor and killed me, I can produce fucking magic same as you?"

His research had brought him to quite a few terms he hadn't understood and Nikolai lacked the connections to learn more on his own. Assamites, yeah he had heard that one before. That was Mitch's clan. Vampires from the middle east who were considered a breed of assassins or some shit. But the bloodlines - castes? - had different abilities, wants, ranks? This was all bullshit as far as he was concerned.

Still he had been faced with the undeniable fact that Mitch could have burned him alive with fire that suddenly appeared in his possession, the memory of which still woke him up during the day. At the time he had no possible clue how something like that had happened. Vampires were weakened by fire; the last thing that Nikolai would have ever expected was to face another vampire who wielded it in his bare hand. Unconsciously, Nikolai inched away from the other.

[Idrial]

"For one, what do you remember about that night? And two yes. But I think the air should be cleared on question one before I show you more," it clearly was a sore subject for Nikolai.

Mitchelletto couldn't help but arch an eyebrow at Nikolai's statement, did he really think that was the main goal that night? To kill him? What all did he actually remember in his haze? Is that why Nikolai hated Mitch because he abandoned him? These were all things Mitch could play to his advantage, yes Mitch had abandoned him. That was true, he didn't want Alumut to know he had sired an outsider, much less a westerner, he was deep in the Sabbat at the time, any sort of disturbance and his elders from Alumut would have called him back. So he ignored the bond that appeared, hoped he was a thin-blood, left and never turned back or gave it any more thought.

Now, he was free to leave like his own brothers since they had gone to the Camarilla, however, he was displaced since the Sabbat had been called to fight their elders, but free nonetheless.

[Saiketsu]

Nikolai scoffed at him. Was he serious?

"I remember looking to score and finding you in some shitty dive. You promised me some powder and a good time, so I followed you back to some fleabag motel, where I thought you and I got fucked up. You fucked me and fed from me savagely."

The last clear thing he remembered was the teeth sinking into the flesh of his throat rapturously at first, and then agonizing. From there everything was spotty. The first time he tried to remember, before he realized what the hell he actually was, Nikolai naturally assumed his blacking out was from when Judas had taken over, protecting him as he did from an attack. He remembered pain like nothing he had ever felt before pumping hard through every inch of his body, Mitch's smile above him, the squelch of flesh between his teeth, the delightful taste of blood - and then blackness deeper than sleep. He had no better answers upon waking than he did before he went under. It had taken him years to fully discover what had happened to him, putting fragmented pieces of his own experience together with found bits of information from other vampires or resources. All he truly had were assumptions, educated guesses based on his own behaviors and what must have happened at the time.

"I fought back and took your blood," he assumed boldly, passing it to Mitchelletto as the truth he had accepted. "I'm only here today because of your stupidity in taking too much blood from me."

[Idrial]

"You are right," he began. "You did come to me looking to score, we did get fucked up and we did have a good time," assuring Nikolai that part of the story was true.

"And I did not savagely feed from you, it was to satisfy you. We were so high I wanted to have a taste, knowing you wouldn't notice anything but pleasure," Nikolai was old enough and aware a vampires bite could be pleasurable or painful.

"But I overfed," not commenting on Nikolai's stupidity remark, "and you started to overdose and quiver from lack of blood. I gave you some of my blood to bring you back, I think I was smiling, encouraging you... but then you started to puke, hard, and you started to choke. I pushed on your stomach to force more up to clear your throat. When that didn't work I tried to stick my fingers down your throat to clear your airway, still choking on your vomit and my blood and then you just relaxed like you were gone," it was a simple fact. Nothing more.

"I left the room and when I felt the connection I panicked and left the area, left you alone," some of that was true. He left the room but he did not feel bad leaving Nikolai alone and presumably dead, but he did panic when he felt the bond, that was true.

This was one of the rare times Mitch told the truth, present in the back of his mind that Nikolai could make Mitch show him the memory, to verify his story. Yet Mitch was not sure if Nikolai knew they could share memories of the past with one another, chess not checkers was the game. He needed his trust and if he had to tell the truth this would be the right moment to do it. To gain his trust so the experiment could begin.

[Saiketsu]

The more he listened, the more he wanted to lash out at him, those words washing through him like acid.

"No."

There was no debate, Nikolai decided. Mitchelletto was lying and there was nothing else to it. This was just one more stupid game of his, another step towards controlling him. The last thing he would let the older vampire do is take away the base of his hatred for him.

"You're lying," he hissed and spat at Mitch's feet, stepping away from the wall and daring to walk by him, though cutting him a margin to avoid him as he did so. Sire bond be damned. They were done and Nikolai was trying to contain the shaking of his arms.

[Idrial]

Mitch allowed Nikolai to throw his tantrum when he was hit with the truth, not a bald-faced lie but the frustrating truth, letting the boy pass him without moving at all. Mitch felt pride swell up inside in as Nikolai came to terms with the truth, that was hidden from Nikolai, a neutral look on his face. He wasn't going to say anything about sharing memories, but he had Nikolai on the ropes. This would be perfect to solidify what had truly gone on that night.

"Do you want me to show you? I can share memories with you, and no I can't do it all the time. It is taxing on my mind," that was a lie. He could share whatever he wanted from the past but it was apparent Nikolai did not know, and Mitch wanted to keep him in the dark.

[Saiketsu]

Without meaning to, Nikolai paused after Mitch spoke about sharing memories, a ball of hatred so hot in his chest it made his skin prickle. He shot him a disgusted grimace. "What's your angle? Why are you telling me this, huh? Haven't you dragged me down far enough with this shit? What, you have no one else to play with so you have to be the repentant father figure?" What could that possibly matter now? He was supposed to believe that Mitch had tried to save him from death? What next, he had searched for him, but couldn't find him? He wanted nothing more than to kick the shit out of him, to give him a taste of his own medicine, but he remembered the last time he had tried such things easily.

But what if everything that Nikolai knew about what happened that night was wrong?

Nikolai's head twitched to the side as the first chain strapping Judas down wrenched free. White noise sounded in his head, building slowly with terrifying power. He didn't even care if Mitch saw at this point, confident that his sire knew about his insanity already.

"It doesn't matter either way." Nikolai tried to walk out the door, doing his best to ignore the immediate discomfort of parting from Mitch's presence.

[Idrial]

"It does matter, you have a right to know about your lineage, a right to learn. Has no one told you you have a right to something?" Postioning himself between the door to exit and Nikolai, his gaze was serious but his voice was soft towards the young boy, feeling that other entity close to coming to the surface, not yet. He needed more time with Nikolai.

"I did not search for you because I had hoped you had been a thin-blood. I'm not looking for your forgiveness or for you to let go of your hate," its actually what Mitch wanted and he felt he was close to his goal.

"You have a right to hate me, I did abandon you, but as I said in Alumut you would have died. But I am willing to teach you now and you won't have to face death for failure as I did," just some extreme corporal punishment. Killing him would be no fun at all, all that was kept from Nikolai.

[Saiketsu]

He tossed his head back and laughed heartily without the mirth to accompany it. "Out of the kindness of your heart, is that it? Because I deserve it?" Nikolai dug in his pockets for his cigarettes, pulled one out and lit it with a plastic lighter, blowing the smoke in Mitch's face. He stared hard into the other's face while he took another drag.

"You gonna let me go if I say 'no' to your offer," Nikolai blew another mouthful of smoke into the elder's face and added cynically, "Dad?" He knew what the answer was already and waited for Mitch to show his true goal. He wasn't letting Nikolai go until he got what he wanted. Whatever it was.

[Idrial]

Mitch did nothing as the little shit kept pushing buttons, he did not lose his composer, a neutral expression still on his face; once Mitch had a goal in mind he did not waiver from it. Nikolai gave Mitch valuable practice with his own skills tonight, he wanted to beat the shit of the boy, but he had reframed from doing just that, proud that he was still able to weasel himself into the lives of others. His insides were doing happy little summersaults, hidden all from Nikolai.

"It is your right," he repeated. "Yes you do deserve it. And how can I let you go when you are unwilling to try?" Throwing a question back at him with ease.

"You try and actually try then I'll let you go," that was a lie. He would never let Nikolai go, but if he could instill some false hope then perhaps Nikolai would stop fighting him, at least a little, the boy seemed curious and he had not walked out which was a bonus for Mitch.

[Saiketsu]

He sucked on his teeth, making an audible sound like a tsk. Here it was at last. Nikolai glared at him, rocking back on his heels, fighting with his own anger. There was no point to it, nothing he could do as long as Mitch wanted him there - that bit he understood all too perfectly by now.

"Guess I don't have a fucking choice then, do I?" He shoved his free hand in his jeans pocket and flicked the ashes of his cigarette onto the floor.

"Well, what are you gonna teach me today, Dad?" There was a cold smirk on his face as he gestured generally to the middle of the room. "Or was that as far as your little plan had gone?" There was a bit of satisfaction at being able to push his buttons even in his subservience. What he wouldn't give to sink his nails into Mitch's neck and tear that charming face from his body.

[Idrial]

"Well I was going to teach you A Taste for Blood son. But I have something better," he jested back. Narrowing his eyes at Nikolai signalling that he needed to get serious, blood sorcery was not a game.

"First," retreating away from Nikolai and dipping briefly into his room, blunt in his lips, a pack of smokes and a lighter. Plopping himself down on the couch, now lighting the blunt. "Blood sorcery or Dur-An-Ki as we Assamites call it. Is being able to twist your own blood into submission and no mortal can wield magic this way."

"I am going to teach you Corrosive Vitae today, you can alter your own blood and make it highly corrosive to dead objects, making them into sludge. You can even weaken alloys and steel," puffing on the joint and rolling it in his fingers as he spoke to Nikolai.

[Saiketsu]

He ignored the clapback, though being referred to as his 'son' did make him lick the backs of his teeth and clamp his jaw shut. Nikolai watched him from where he stood, refusing to follow him unless forced to. Mitch's words were becoming mildly confusing - Dur-An-Ki, twisting blood into submission, dead objects, Vitae - and he tried to pick up the context clues and not get caught up in the details.

"How can blood chew through metal?" He was becoming annoyed at how many ridiculous skills this fucking bloodline could have. He knew better than to doubt that it would happen, but the idea of blood rotting a ipe was utterly ludicrous.