Talents

                                      I stared out the office window, watching as snow lightly fluttered to the ground below. The early December weather was finally kicking in. I watched as cars drove through the snow and slush. The once pure white clumps were already starting to turn a dingy gray. As people walked along the sidewalk, the all ignored the first snow of the season. I frowned.

 

“This is no way to watch the snow,” I muttered.

 

“What are you talking about,” Seto asked and turned his chair to look at me.

 

He probably was able to see the sheer boredom on my face.

 

“The city’s nice and all, but the snowfall isn’t all that great.”

 

Darren chuckled behind me. He was sitting in one of the beige chairs with an art pad and pencil in hand.

 

“Don’t move, Scarlett,” he reminded me.

 

I pulled my expression back into a small smile for him.

 

“I hate when you make me the subject of your art. That always means I have to keep the same emotion on my face,” I told him.

 

“Scarlett, you were saying how the view isn’t all that great in the snow. Have you seen a better one,” Mokuba asked.

 

“Much better. It’s the view from our house in the woods. Just imagine watching perfectly white, fluffy clumps ease their way to the forest floor. It’s even better when you’re standing outside because then it’s utterly silent. There’s not a sound, but for the occasional rustling of nature around you. You can hear the heartbeat of every animal within a two or three mile radius. Of course, it’s better if you don’t need to hunt because then you can really take in the serenity of it all. Oh, sorry. I’m getting too vampire-like in my description,” I answered with a quiet chuckle.

 

“It sounds nice,” Mokuba mumbled.

 

I nodded.

 

“Don’t move,” Darren reminded me.

 

“Yes, your highness,” I answered teasingly.

 

My brother looked up at me.

 

“Honestly, Scarlett, how old are you?”

 

“Ten years younger than you.”

 

I stuck my tongue out at him with a grin. Darren rolled his eyes with a quiet chuckle and went back to his drawing. Seto turned back to his work and the room was silent again.

 

“What’s it like where you lived before coming here,” Mokuba asked.

 

“There’s no one around for miles. Serephine lives pretty close to Darren and me, but she usually stays over there. It’s really peaceful out there. Hikers don’t even go that far into the woods. It’s nice. It’s the only place Darren, Serephine and I don’t have to be careful, especially after that whole incident with Mircea. Actually, Darren, I’m surprised how quickly we patched that up,” I answered.

 

“It wouldn’t have worked without Kaiba,” my brother answered.

 

I glanced over to see him drawing quick, short lines. I figured he was working on the finer details of his work. I sighed and stared out the window again, watching the snow fall.

 

“Done. You can move now, Scarlett,” Darren said after a few minutes.

 

I walked over to him and looked at the drawing. It was perfect, down to the last detail. It looked as if I was staring at the snowfall back home, rather than the city-scape.

 

“That’s great, Darren,” I mumbled, my eyes following the lines of his work.

 

Mokuba ran over and looked over Darren’s shoulder.

 

“That’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. It looks exactly like her,” he exclaimed.

 

“One of Darren’s talents. He was very artistic when he was still alive. That not only carried on, but enhanced when he became a vampire,” I explained.

 

“What’s your talent, Scarlett?”

 

“Her voice. She sounds like she’s taken years of vocal lessons,” Darren answered.

 

I shrugged my shoulders shyly.

 

“I’m a musical person, but my voice is what improved,” I said.

 

“Will you sing for us now,” Mokuba asked.

 

“Maybe some other time.”

 

Mokuba nodded and looked back at the drawing in my brother’s hands. He seemed awestruck by Darren’s work. I had to remind myself that he wasn’t used to the near perfection my brother had in art.

 

“Hey, Scarlett, you guys are going to be here for Christmas, right,” Mokuba asked after a while.

 

“I don’t see why we wouldn’t be,” I answered and a smile grew on his face.