Inherited Hunger (cookie run)

peculiar

Vampire hadn't moved from his spot on the counter the whole time Alchemist saw to her friends. He felt wrong.
That fuzzy look to everything hadn't gone away either. His head hurt. More than usual.
He glanced around, wondering if anything would focus his gaze. So far he was out of luck. To be brutally honest, maybe it was just from having such a clear mind? This was the longest he'd been sober since he started to enjoy the more.. finer drinks. He didn't enjoy having so many thoughts.
Alchemist returned, looking at him with concern.
"You've gone pretty pale, you feeling okay?"
Vampire shrugged, attempting to meet her gaze.
"Vampire? You look like you're about to pass out-" she stepped closer, only to be waved off by Vampire, as he shuffled off the counter.
"I'm fine- I've just not been in the sun- like at all."

Alchemist sighed, "we're getting you checked out, and now."

"..checked out?" Vampire frozen. "..what do you mean?"

"We'll just- we'll just go to Herb or someone else close by." She walked over to him, giving him a gentle pat on the shoulder. "Now get your.. hm. One moment"

She wandered off, leaving a rather.. uncomfortable Vampire to wonder what she was doing. So he stood there, waiting for her, listening to the random shuffles and crashes from the room near him. Eventually he heard a triumphant little noise, and footsteps as Alchemist returned.

"You get extra sun sensitive now, right? I managed to find one of mo- our old cloaks, it's got a hood so you can cover your face!" She tossed a rather aged dark red cloak over to her brother, watching him figure out which end was the hooded end.

"I'll see you at the door. While you put that on, finish your food. I told you to have it eaten."

He sighed, picking up some of the food to snack on while he fought the rather long fabric. It.. smelled familiar. Not a bad familiar, a good one. A slightly sweet yet tangy scent.

Suddenly it clicked. It smelled like his father.

He stood there, frozen in place, as the scent both comforted him, and shocked him. He'd not smelled this for a good while. It was so.. strong. He must have been the last one to hold it, or wear it.

He didn't realize until Alchemist came back in to check on him, that he'd been standing still for a pretty long time, or that there had been a consistent flow of tears down his face for probably the same amount of time.

".. Vampire?"

"I'm okay. I swear. I'll be out in a second."

Alchemist gave him a strange look, but for the first time since before this whole mess, he sounded like himself.
He pulled the fabric around his shoulders, adjusting the hood to cover the top half of his face. Eventually he made it to the door, and to his delight, the sun made the scent stronger.

Alchemist noticed his sudden mood shift. She was oddly relieved, wondering what it was. But at least he was calm. Eventually she too noticed the smell, and it all made sense.

Vampire was happy again, for how long who knows, but he was happy for now.

Now just to get him to Herb.