Chapter Text
Daniel’s mind was not silent per say, but his thoughts were like a gentle tide, slowly easing their way into his mind and then slowly ebbing away. When Marius told him to sit on the porch swing, he did so with little thought about it. Even still, Marius could hardly call it obedience. He knocked on the door and swiftly stepped back towards Daniel. He placed a single kiss on Daniel's forehead, an allowance on Daniel's part, before he took his leave. He was gone before Louis opened the door.
Louis spotted Daniel immediately and cautiously stepped outside the house.
“Daniel? What are you doing here?”
Daniel blinked up at him from his spot on the porch swing, gently swinging himself with his foot. His violet eyes narrowed at his old friend, at least Louis would consider them friends. Louis saw a faint glimmer of recognition behind his eyes. Louis knelt down in front him. He had known that Daniel had lost his mind after being turned but he hadn't seen the other man in over ten years.
“It's me, Louis.”
Another glimmer of recognition. He reached out his hand, Louis saw that his nails were filed and clipped to the quick, and gently placed his hand on Louis’ cheek. Louis could feel one of his fingers tracing something along his cheek. It took him a moment to realize that he was spelling out ‘Louis.’ Louis nodded.
“Yes Daniel, that's right.”
Daniel withdrew his hand and reached into his pocket. He handed Louis an envelope with ‘Louis’ written in elegant script on it. Inside was a thick letter.
Mr de Pointe du Lac,
It has been over a decade since my fledgling brought me his first (and possibly only) fledgling. I have cared for him since. Daniel has lost most of his mind, although something remains. It has also been over a decade since his maker has graced us with his presence. I have heard nothing of Armand in that time. Wherever he is, he does not wish to be found. I know you're not on the best of terms with him, he told me that much when he dropped Daniel off, but it is my hope that he will return if you call for him. He certainly hasn't answered anyone else that I've asked to help.
Daniel is relatively easy to care for, at least now that he has stopped repeating Armand’s name in his mind, calling out to the one vampire who cannot hear him. Fortunately that only lasted a mere 2 years, 5 months, 2 weeks and 4 days. Of course he still thinks of him constantly and will probably flood your mind(s) with it. Sometimes its quite unfortunate that young Daniel is so gifted when it comes to the Mind Gift, but more on that later.
He hunts when prompted (I would recommend leaving that to your companion, assuming you are still together) although you will find he has a habit of gravitating towards those who remind him of Armand in some way. Judging from how he eases those he kills into their deaths, it is not a malicious act. You need not upset your delicate sensibilities about his feeding, he rarely kills as it is. He is quite skilled at only taking what he needs, with hardly any lasting effects on his victims. You will find that he is usually early to go to his coffin, shutting himself in sometimes hours before the sun even begins to set, I've heard it suggested that it could be due to the age at which he was turned, others have said it could just be an escape for him, an easy way to pass hours by.
Do make sure you keep his nails short. This is for his own safety - he has a habit of scratching himself viciously if his nails remain sharp, even when you think he's having a good day, or series of good days. He will sometimes do it himself, occasionally without any prompting. Other times you will need to do it yourself, forcibly. His mind as it is makes it difficult to predict his moods.
As mentioned above, Daniel’s mind gift is quite powerful, although I and many others have found it nearly impossible to gauge just how much control he has over it. Sometimes his actions seem purposeful, like with his victims, other times, less so. His mind is like water, it will slowly seep into yours without you even noticing until you're flooded by it. Armand said he was always a curious thing, perhaps it is merely a byproduct. Don't bother trying to block him out, it doesn't stop him. Not even I could prevent him from breaching my mind. It merely slows him down. If there's things in your mind you do not wish him to find, simply make it clear to him and he will stay away from them. It is also best not to block him as he has not spoken a word since Armand left. His thoughts, now that they are no longer the endless chant of his maker's name that they were for over two years after he came to me, are rarely ever words, unless spoken by another or written. They are mostly images (I'm sure you can guess of whom by now and if not, perhaps you should send Daniel back), or feelings.
As of writing this I have already sent Daniel's things ahead, so they should be arriving a day or so after him, along with a familiar face to you, who acts as his caretaker, he wanted to be there with him but I insisted he make sure Daniel's things, namely the models he has so carefully created (did I forget to mention he has taken to creating model cities?), arrive safely so as to not upset Daniel.
Take care of him, I have grown rather fond of him and do contact me if you hear from Armand, or if there's any problems with Daniel and you feel the need to move him. Or if you are planning on moving entirely.
Marius de Romanus
*Nearly forgot, Daniel is very unpredictable with touch. Sometimes even an accidental brush against him will send him into a violent tantrum, other times he permits or even encourages it. Rarely does he seek it out himself.
**I have also been reminded just before sealing this that Daniel may not entirely remember you. I have made sure that he remembers your name at least, if not your face as I had no way of ensuring he did.
Louis looked up at Daniel, who simply stared back at him, before turning towards Lestat, who had appeared in the doorway.
“Daniel has come to live with us,” Louis summarized quickly.
Lestat raised an eyebrow but did not argue. The pair ushered Daniel inside their home and he went willingly. His eyes flickered around, soaking in the details as they led him upstairs to the guest room nearest to the master.
It was a grand house, with large, albeit tinted, windows, although each window also had blackout curtains or blinds for added protection. It was more cozy and lived in than the Dubai penthouse ever was, with many of the bare walls adorned in bookcases, each filled to overflowing. Most of the furniture was made of dark wood that matched the hardwood floors, though the walls were painted in bright colours and never white. The exception being the bedrooms, which were more neutral shades. The master bedroom was a shade of blue, while the bedroom they took Daniel to was a soft grey. Daniel moved forward on his own, running a hand over the soft, dark green blanket on the bed. He tilted his head and turned towards his new hosts.
“Your coffin should be here in a few days, do you think you'll be okay in a bed until then?” Louis asked. “We have a few spare coffins but they're in the basement currently. We could bring one up for you if you'd prefer, for the time being.”
Daniel blinked at him and then shook his head. Flashes of cemeteries and funeral services filled Louis and Lestat’s mind. Lestat laughed.
“They haven't been used, at least not by the dead you're thinking of.”
Daniel turned to the blond, who he had barely acknowledged before then, and raised an eyebrow in question.
“Oh right, you two have never met. Daniel, this is Lestat de Lioncourt. Do you remember…” Louis trailed off. “Do you remember either of the interviews, Daniel?”
Daniel's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Louis felt the confusion in his mind, as did Lestat, though it was Louis who could feel the gentle push of Daniel's mind as he tried to delve deeper into Louis's. Louis didn't attempt to stop him, instead he focused on the more recent interview, uncertain of how Daniel would react to the failed first. He let Daniel probe through his memories of the first few sessions, gently prompting him when he got caught up by Armand playing Rashid, although he felt Daniel’s recognition upon seeing his maker, the way he would overlay his own memories of Armand in those moments overtop of Louis’s. After some time, just before Claudia entered their lives, Daniel withdrew. He blinked a few times and then an image of a typed word appeared in both Louis and Lestat’s mind. Frenchie. Louis failed to suppress a laugh and Lestat rolled his eyes. Louis didn't need to be able to read his lover’s mind to know he was resisting the urge to mutter insults in French.
“Yes Daniel, that's right.”
Lestat glowered at him and Louis bit back another laugh.
“Oh for…will the bed be alright for now?” Lestat demanded.
Daniel blinked for a moment, clearly trying to remember what had been happening before the brief interruption. His hand was still petting the blanket. He nodded slowly.
While letting Daniel explore their home - with a long list of what not to touch from Lestat - Louis read the letter again, this time aloud so Lestat knew what was going on. Louis had heard about Daniel's transformation and subsequent madness but he hadn't known the extent of his condition. From what little he and Lestat had seen, Daniel was eerily calm. Louis knew that the Daniel he had once known would have hated his circumstances and fought against them, even if only with high levels of sass and witty quips. He would not have taken kindly to anything that had happened to him within the last decade.
“I am surprised Armand left him, I thought you said he was rather attached to him?” Lestat commented from where he lounged on a sofa, watching Daniel as he made his way through the sitting room, surveying the bookshelves, running a hand over the spines of the books.
“He was. As much as he wanted Daniel to live a human life, he was always checking up on him, always from afar. I never expected this, you know that.”
Lestat did know. Both had assumed that Armand and Daniel had been together for the last decade. Louis had been happy for them, once the pain of everything had worn off. To learn that Armand had abandoned Daniel was more of a surprise than perhaps it should have been. Louis closed his eyes, reaching out his mind and called out to his former lover.
Armand, if you can hear this and I hope you can, Daniel is with me and Lestat. He's safe here with us, don't doubt that, Marius dropped him off in hopes it would bring you back. Daniel misses you. Come back to him. Please.