Chapter Text
There was a strange smell in the air, almost as if someone, no, something was injured. The scent wafts through the air, permeating walls, windows and doors until it reaches Viago. The camera focuses on his face as his nostrils flare, and he turns to face the camera.
“There appears to be an injured animal in that building,” Viago explains, glancing away from the camera toward the building, “and as I have always loved animals, I could not live- eh, I could not 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 myself if I left it alone in its suffering.”
The camera zooms away from Viago and pans in on the building in question.
“The only problem is,” Viago speaks in a voiceover, “I cannot get into the building.”
The camera then shows a montage of Viago asking various people who are entering and leaving the building if he is allowed inside. He is ignored by many and laughed at by a few, and as all hope seems gone, one person stops. They engage in a brief conversation before Viago approaches the camera with a wide smile.
“I have been invited into the apartment complex,” he announces, “and so we will be able to rescue the poor animal. Come,” he insists, walking quickly towards the entrance. He watches the revolving doors for a few moments with a frown before he shudders and pulls open the manual door on its left. The camera follows him inside, panning across the lobby. A small fountain lies in the centre, surrounded by flowers and shrubs.
“We used to have a fountain,” Viago explains to the camera as they walk up the stairs. The camera shows a flashback to moments earlier, when Viago was struggling to understand how to use a lift, before cutting back to the present. “I say used to because Vladislav broke it. It ran out of blood one day and he decided to throw it out of the window.”
Viago sighs as he comes to a stop on the third floor. “The animal is close,” he declares, before striding down the corridor, leaving the camera crew to quickly gather their things and follow him. When the camera reaches him once more, Viago stands outside of an apartment door. His hand is raised and he turns back to face the camera before knocking.
A faint voice replies from inside. “That you, Nathan?” The voice asked. “Come in, the door’s unlocked.”
Viago pouts, looking from the door handle to the camera. “I would not usually enter a property under false pretences, but I am so very concerned about this poor animal.” He flicks his wrist, opening the door with a kind of telekinesis, before entering the apartment. The camera focuses on Viago sniffing ponderously, before holding a manicured hand to his mouth.
“Mein 𝘎𝘰𝘵𝘵, the smell is revolting,” Viago mutters, looking over at the camera. “I cannot quite place it, but you human people are so very lucky that your noses are blind.”
The camera remains in the hallway as Viago walks down the corridor, muttering quietly as he does so. His words are picked up by the microphone clipped onto his jacket.
“Little rabbit, where are you?” Viago asks, making a shot in the dark as to what animal it is that is hurt. “Little…cat? Hamster? Tiger?” He stands before a door at the end of the corridor and pushes it ajar. Viago stares into the room for a few moments, before looking behind him at the camera.
“Wolf,” he mouths, before the camera cuts to black.
-
Viago is sitting on the couch in a yet-to-be-seen room of the apartment.
“It would appear,” he begins, “that the animal I thought that I could smell was in fact not an animal, and was instead a good friend of ours.” He stares at the camera for a few moments, before nodding. “And yes, he is a werewolf.”
The camera cuts back to the corridor, where Viago has pushed open the door a little more. The camera zooms in, focusing on a topless man laying on a bed within the room.
“Viago?” The man frowns, shielding himself from the camera with a blanket. “The fuck are you doing in my apartment? How the fuck did you get in?”
“I see you have abandoned your ‘werewolves-not-swearwolves policy, Anton” Viago says softly, holding his hands in front of him as he stands in front of the door. “I would like to hear what your pack would have to say at your swearing-”
“That’s beside the point.” The man has managed to pull on a pair of jeans and a top and now stands next to Viago, glancing at the camera. “Why are you in my apartment?”
“I was having a lovely early-morning walk nearby and I happened to smell what I believed was an injured animal,” Viago explains, examining the state of Anton’s wrinkled shirt and his muddy jeans. “The smell came from your apartment and so I came to investigate. I had no idea that the smell would come from you.”
“You think I’m an animal?” Anton asks, tilting his head.
“No, not at the moment,” Viago shakes his head, glancing at Anton’s stomach, where a patch of skin is exposed. “You are decidedly very hairless. But you are injured.”
“Says who?” Anton frowns.
“Says my nose.” Viago taps the appendage. “You werewolves smell differently when you are injured.” He then rests his hands behind him and nods politely. “Seeing as I have entered your apartment without permission, I think it would be polite of me to help you with your injury. Where are you hurting?”
“I really don’t see how-” Anton goes to step away but Viago rests a hand on his arm.
“Full moon?” Viago asks quietly. Anton nodded. “Well, I suppose that figures,” he smiles softly, before letting go of Anton’s arm. “Where is your injury?”
“On my stomach-” Anton’s gaze lands back on the camera and he shifts uncomfortably. “Are the camera crew going to watch?”
“Nein, nein,” Viago shakes his head. “I will deal with it.” He turns to face the camera and politely glares at the man standing behind it. “Please give my werewolf friend and me some privacy. Thank you very much.”
Viago and Anton enter the bedroom and close the door behind them. The camera fades to black.
-
The camera focuses on Anton, who is sitting on the same coach from where Viago gave his address. He rests his hand upon his stomach and breathes out slowly.
“Yeah, uh…well, the full moon didn’t go as planned,” he admits.
The camera cuts to a clip from a vintage werewolf film showing a highly inaccurate werewolf transformation.
“Turns out there was some wolfsbane growing near the tree I chained myself to,” Anton speaks in a voiceover, “and some of the pollen or something must have gotten onto my…fur?”
The camera cuts back to Anton, who shakes his head.
“The wolf got scared and tried to get rid of it,” he says.
“And,” Viago appears besides Anton, smiling sweetly at the camera, “left some very nasty claw marks on his poor stomach.”
Anton jumps a little at Viago’s sudden appearance, however, he looks up at him while he is speaking. When he finishes, Anton nods, crossing his legs.
“Luckily, we heal pretty fast. I can already feel the wound closing,” Anton adds. “But without cleaning wounds, they can leave a bit of a scar, or, worse, spread an infection to the rest of your body. Not very pleasant.”
Viago shakes his head in agreement. “Very much not pleasant.” Viago then comes to sit beside Anton on the couch and politely crosses his knees, resting his hands on his lap. “I have something to ask of you,” he says to Anton, ignoring the camera.
“Yeah?” Anton peels his gaze from the camera and looks over at Viago. “Go ahead.”
Viago glances over at the window, which has no light coming through it - the curtains are closed - however, he seems very concerned. “Our little first-aid session took a lot longer than anticipated, and in that time, the sun has risen.”
It takes Anton a few seconds to realise. “Ohh…” he nods slowly. “So, were you going to ask to stay here until the sun sets?”
“If convenient, yes please,” Viago nods, smiling at the werewolf.
“That’s good with me,” Anton returns the smile a little nervously, “but don’t you need that…that dirt stuff to be able to rest?”
“Our ancestral dirt,” Viago corrects, producing a small bag from his pocket. “I always carry a little on me, just in case.”
“Huh,” Anton breathes out, staring at Viago for a few moments. “I guess we’ve got no problems then. Of course you can sleep here, as long as you don’t mind the horrifying stench of a werewolf.”
Viago giggles and shakes his head. “Nein, you are not so bad-smelling.” He gets up from the couch, hovering near the doorway, just in the shot. “It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a bath, though. Maybe a visit to the local laundromat is in order?” He teased.
“Oh, shush,” Anton huffs, getting up from the couch. He joins Viago by the doorway. “Right, let’s get you ready for bed and tucked in.”
The two walk through the doorway and out of shot.
“I don’t need tucking in,” Viago can be heard muttering.
-
The camera focuses on Anton, who quietly shuts his bedroom door, resting his finger on his lips. When he and the camera crew have moved away from his bedroom, he speaks.
“Never thought I’d be putting a vampire to bed,” he smiles. “But he’s not too bad, I suppose.”
The camera pans to Anton’s bedroom door, where muffled, quiet snoring can be heard.
“Oh, god,” Anton mutters. The camera focuses back on him as he rests his head in his hands. “What are the guys going to say?”