š¯•®š¯–†š¯–—š¯–‘š¯–† :blobhajHug_Blahaj: 
tags: #yuri #vampire #transmc #vore #hormones #venom #romance #sliceoflife #fic #goth #gothic #fantasy #lowfantasy #scifi #allegory #selfinsertmc #relatable #eldritchbloodsuckingmonsters #kawaii #yamikawaii #sucking #butnotlikethat #horrortheme #butcute #sonothalalmode #thatskindahawt
Blutengel:
My Vampire Girlfriend is Super Sweet
Chapter 1 - A pretty Goth Sat Next to Me
I was at my usual spot, a sushi bar on 24th street, when a beautiful goth woman with platinum blonde hair, red eyes, and a short stature sat beside me at the counter and ordered a tokkuri of chilled daiginjo top shelf sake.
She sipped it with a look of bliss on her face. I went back to my crisp citrusy Orion beer and otoro sashimi with fresh yuzukosho. I get it, this place is the best in town, even if its a hidden gem. Ahhh.. I hope she asks me out.... I'm too shy.
She suddenly turned towards me, "Hey, that beer smells really nice. What is it?" I got over the shock quickly enough I suppose and began to explain that it was my favorite draft beer, Orion, from Okinawa. How it's a lager style and brewed specifically to go with fish. We chatted back and forth about booze and the like, but whenever the topic came to food, she steered it back to drinks. I said, "I'm sorry, I keep mentioning food, If you'd like another topic..." She quickly course corrected, realizing my apologetic stance, "Oh no, it's nothing much, I just don't know much about food, since I can only have liquids. It sounds good the way you describe it. Uhm... I suppose I should introduce myself, I'm Amelia Blutengel. How about you sir?"
I shifted a bit uncomfortably at the 'sir'. "Um, nice to meet you miss Blutengel. Um, I'm [boyname]. "Ohhh?" she said, "This may be a tad bit presumptuous of me, but did I detect some hesitation?" Crap, she caught me. Oh well, all good things must come to an end. I stuttered a bit, and said, "Well, yes, because I don't really like my name much. Bit of a harsh reminder that I can't have what I want. Can't be myself when the world is as it is." She smiled slyly. "Well, dear, I think I can help with that." She leaned in and whispered in my ear, "I can turn you into a girl if you wanna be a girl. And a hot one too. You'd end up looking similar to your mom actually, but when she was 20." The heck is she saying? I must have had my thoughts written on my face. We sat quietly and finished our drinks. She paid for both of our orders without even asking me. I turned towards her, "Can you really do that?" She said, "Of course, and all I want in return is a friend and a good warm drink." "That's it??" I asked. "That's it." She said.
I followed her out of the shop, after a block, I finally caught up. "So, where are we headed?" I asked. "Somewhere a biiiit more private. That's my house down there, the brownstone with the black curtains. You're gonna be a bit sleepy after the drink, but I have a spare coffin, so no worries." A what now? Oh, she's a goth living in a victorian brownstone and wearing red contact lenses, so i guess that tracks. I felt, I guess, oddly safe doing this super sketchy thing with someone I just met. It was about to get a lot sketchier.
So we get to her house, and she opens the door and invites me in, puts away her things, and takes off her shoes, and I took mine off. And then she shows me to the dining room. It was actually very tastefully decorated and felt lived-in. We sat at the little round table and she said, "Okay, so, turning you into a girl is actually a side effect. It's not the main thing that happens. The main thing is that you turn into a vampire. The thing is, when you turn into a vampire, you end up being a forever young version of the you that is in your head, using the available genetics. Meaning, you wanting to be one and having your mom's genetics and the vampire's genetics to work with end up looking pretty much like your mom, but with blonde hair, and red eyes, and fangs." and she opened her mouth wide for the first time since we'd met and lifted her upper lip to expose her very pointy fangs. She continued, "So, our fangs are like snake fangs, kind of, they are hypodermic, and we inject venom when we bite someone." I stuttered a bit, "V.. Venom? Is it toxic, or like, a mosquito where it just itches real bad?" She chuckled, "No, dear, it's neither of those things. It's a pain reliever and has some other effects that make the experience pleasurable for the one being bitten. Otherwise, we'd starve because our blood partners would avoid us." "Oh" I said, "Can you um, make a little drip out so I can see it?" "Sure", she said. And she pulled up her lip and pressed on the fang and a tiny bit of clear liquid dripped from the tip. "Oh shit, you're really a vampire." "Uh huh. And you followed me all the way to my home. Ordinarily, Vampires would consider that consent to take blood, but I prefer to give people more info. It's my personal habit. So, here's the info. I'm interested in biting you, and having a decent meal out of it. And in exchange, I will give you some of my blood, and let you sleep over. And when you wake up in the morning, you will be a vampire too. You get to be forever 20, and the gender you want. You won't age, or get sick, will be stronger, faster, and be able to see in the dark. The downside, is not being able to eat solid food. It causes nausea. Also, we get gnarly sunburns. You don't have to worry about walking around at night though, because you can kill a polar bear with your bare hands. Oh, and if you get hurt, you heal really fast. Especially if you bite your attacker."
"Hmmm... Okay, let's say I believe you. What about my identity documents and my apartment and stuff? My ID wouldn't match." "Oh, that's no biggie. Here on the west coast, we have the Vampire Bund, the Kyuketsuki Kyoukai, The Rocky Mountain Vampire Alliance, and the Aswangs United Front, so there's several Vampire specific orgs that do stuff like take care of documents, housing, and resources for new vampires."
"Hmmm... Okay. Phew, no pain no gain I guess. Getting bitten with fangs is a little scary though." She smiled softly, "Don't worry, I'll be gentle. Let's go into the parlor." I followed her into the sitting room. She hugged me and sat me down on the edge of the couch. As she leaned down, I could feel her warm breath on my neck, and she bit me. Just above the collarbone. It was a sharp pain, followed by a flowing warmth spreading through my body as the pain ebbed away. She began to suck my blood. It was the most pleasurable thing I'd ever felt. I felt so heavy and warm, and safe, and comfortable, and as she went there was a strong pleasure that sent shockwaves through me, blanking my brain. I lay back and she was laying on top of me, still gently sucking on my wound. She sat up, licking the blood from her lips. "That was delicious dear. Thank you for the warm drink. Here's yours." She bit her own arm, and let it leak into my mouth. I swallowed the warm golden ichor. I reached up, and pulled it closer, lapping it up. It tasted sweet and rich. Overcome with a wave of tiredness, I fell asleep.
Chapter 2 - Good Evening, What's for Breakfast?
I woke up in the late afternoon laying in a coffin with the door propped openā€¦ As I licked my lips, I noticed something different. I hadā€¦ Fangs? Hm. Body check time. I felt myself, up and down. Boobs. I had boobs. I sat up. I feltā€¦ light. Light as a feather. But, strong. And, kinda hungry. I decided to get up. I climbed out of the coffin and looked around. I think I must be in an upstairs bedroom of an older house. I tried to remember what I was doing the previous night, and that's when the memories came flooding back. That wasn't a dream! I really got turned into a vampire girl. I spun around, perhaps a bit too fast, and felt a bit faint. Steadying myself on the coffin lid, I made my way out of the bedroom, to the end of the hall and went down a flight of stairs to the main level. I walked back to the kitchen, hoping to find something to eat. A slice of cake would be awesome right about now. As I came into the dining room, there she was, with a cup of tea, sitting at the little round table reading a magazine titled GOREVORE, it seemed to be a cooking zine, in a slightly macabre way.
I approached, and she looked up, "Oh, good morning, did you sleep well dear?" she asked. I replied, "Um, yes, but I feel a bit woozy and was wondering if there might be a snack down here..?" She got up and went to the kitchen and I heard her open the fridge, and pour another cup of tea. She returned a moment later with a blood donation bag with a straw in it, and a cup of hot tea with milk and sugar in it. I sat down at the table and she put it in front of me. The blood bag said "O+ (Caucasian Male, Organic Fed)" on it in bold white lettering. She said, "I hope you like European food, I wasn't sure. Naturally, I don't have any food for humans here, but you can't eat human food anymore anyways. Bon Apetit." I looked at it, and decided to start with the tea. It was nearly hot, but very soothing, creamy, and sweet. It reminded me of her Ichor. Welp, if I was able to drink her ichor, I should be able to handle some blood. So I picked it up, put the straw in my mouth, and sucked on it. It was delicious. Like wild boar potroast with chestnuts and brown gravy. I held it away and looked at it. Then tasted it again. Same delicious gourmet flavor. Huh. So when you are geared to eat something, I guess it tastes amazing. Amelia was watching me over the rims of her reading glasses. She said, "You're so fun to watch." I asked "Why is that?" She replied, "You just found out what blood tastes like to a vampire. Your reaction is cute." I finished the bag, and then returned to the tea. I said, "Thank you miss Blutengel, that was delicious. and the tea, it reminds me of how you tasted." She blushed a bit and changed the subject, "So, little miss vampire turnee, what is your new name?" Hmmmā€¦ I hadn't thought of that. "I think, I would like to pick something really poetic. But also kinda cute." "Well," she replied, "because I turned you, the surname typically comes from the person whose ichor you drank. So you'd be whatever name you choose, plus Blutengel. It's German, it means Blood Angel. I was turned when I was about 30, when I was in New Amsterdam, a Hessian vampire had come over to escape persecution, and I took on his surname. I had smallpox, and he turned me to save my life. Though I was British myself. I had been traveling to visit relatives in the New Hampshire colony. He was staying at the same inn as our party, and granted me some of his ichor as an act of mercy as I was delirious with fever." "Wow, that's incredible." I replied, "I didn't realize it at first, but you're actually older than me, huh?" "Yes, dear, I'm over 300 years old. I was born in 1724. But, back to the subject at hand. You really must choose a name, because tonight we're going to get you registered with Kyuketsuki Kyoukai, where I'm registered. And get your documents sorted out. I made an appointment last night while you were sleeping." "Why are we going to the Japanese one?" I asked. "Well," she said, "I used to be in the American Vampire Bund, because Hans Blutengel founded it, but after the War of 1812, where he took a cannonball to the face, he was never quite the same after that, and started to really hate humans. And even now, the Bund is kind of militant and vampire supremacist. He did survive the witch hunts and inquisitions though. So, he has his reasons. It seems that was the last straw though." Ah. Vampires really must have complex societies in parallel.
She continued, "The KyuKyo is different. They publish media favorable to vampires for human audiences to help to humanize us and make us relatable to humans. And they encourage ethical blood harvesting and make body mods for humans to kind of look like us so that stigma decreases in society. So, I think it's a much healthier group to be a part of. The Filipino group, Aswangs United, is similar, but instead of trying through public opinion, they support various causes with money, and they do actually make a lot of money with their restaurants and bars that serve humans. I should take you out to the Aswang bar, it has a "party room" where they seat vampires and we have a secret menu. The Adobo ng Dugo is quite good there. It's fresh blood mixed with a sweet and savory sauce made of soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and spices which is strained and very. mmm, you'll find out. It's pretty tasty." I said, "I think I'd like that very much." I thought for a minute while she was sipping her tea, and said, "I think I'd like my first name to be Emily, and my middle to be Lynne." "Oh, shoot, that cute." she interjected. "But, how about Emiliana Lynne Blutengel for the full name? And you can shorten the first name to Emily as a nickname, since, some day, you're gonna be 1000 years old, and Emily is gonna sound too childish for an eldritch blood sucking monster." "Good point, good point. Okay, I see what you mean. But your name is Amelia." "Yes, well, that was my human name too. My sex didn't change when I turned. It just got better." There was an awkward pause, and then I asked, "Are all vampires this pervy, or is it just you?" She shyly turned and said, "Well, we are all a bit like this, because we often hunt through sex appeal and pheromones, but I'm specialā€¦ and also a bit gay."
Did.. did she just say she was gay? Wait, she said she wanted a friend. Ohhhhā€¦ Maybe she wanted to turn me becauseā€¦ Wait. Can she read my mind? How did she know I wanted to be a girl and how did she know I wanted to talk to her? Ehhhhā€¦ "Hey, Emily, since we're done with breakfast, let's go see if anything I have around the house will fit you." I looked up. "Uh, sure, but I might need a shower first." "Oh," she said, "You can smell the garlic and fenugreek you ate a few days ago? You like curry, I'd guess. The fact you can smell that is a good sign. You should have no trouble hunting your own food soon." "Wow" I said, "You can smell that? And Hunting, I don't know, I've never shot a gun before." She looked at me oddly like it had never occurred to her that one might use a gun to hunt. "No, not that kind of hunting, silly girl. What I just did yesterday afternoon, when I walked into the sushi bar and sat next to you. I could smell your feelings, and tell more or less what you were thinking and feeling in real time because of the way you smelled. That, my friend, is how a civilized vampire hunts. I was looking for dinner. You ended up being delicious. No regrets. Five star dining experience. Delivery to my place was speedy. I like to think my blood was a decent tip." "Wait, you hunted me?" "Yep. But you came on your own two feet. I didn't make you follow me home. And I didn't lie to you about what I was offering either." "Okay, that's fair." "You are taking this very well too. Must have really wanted it."
Chapter 3 - Moonlit Errands
She found a cute outfit to fit me. A frilly Gothic dress with a hoop skirt and flowwy bell sleeves in black and violet, a parasol with lace trim, and some doc marvin combat boots to round it out. And some violet leggings for warmth. We were going out at night afterall. Catching the sight of myself in the mirror, I looked like an awfully cute vampire with my little toofers poking out and the glowy red eyesā€¦ Hmmmā€¦ I'm cute. Wow. I twirled in the mirror. Yup. I'm super cute.
We walked out together in the cool dusk air as the glowing orb of doom was dipping below the horizon. First things first, we went to the Kyuketsuki Kyoukai office, and got my paperwork sorted out. I got my special ID, which had my speed-painted portrait because Vampires are not accurately photographed or reflected in mirrors. And it had my species: Vampire, lineage: Blutengel, DOB Dec 8, 1988, and new name, Emilia Lynne Blutengel. At the bottom of the card it had a notice for Law Enforcement: "Notice, this ID belongs to a supernatural entity, protected under the supernatural entities act of 1946, and as such, ought to be regarded as a natural disaster or act of God in the event of an incident." I asked Amelia about it, and she said, "Oh, yeah. We're immortal, strong enough to punch the largest land predator to death, and agile enough to dodge bullets, so when authorities have tried to interfere in our affairs in the past, they just died. In 1946, we got a treaty and secretive recognition, to manage our own affairs and be citizens, but only so long as we don't disturb the peace and reveal our existences broadly to the public. Police get briefed, and I think they mostly don't believe it until there is actual contact. And any cop or official who does try to sound the alarm is swiftly carted off to an asylum to be gaslit into thinking they imagined it. Basically, the government doesn't want to admit there's a segment of the population they can't control or scare. At best, they can offer us luxuries and safety from witch hunts, and in exchange, we choose to make it easy for them to keep their inadequacy a secret. For example, by vampires not drinking blood in public, or by werewolves transforming in private spaces, or catfolk going to anime conventions." "Oh, I see. Thanks for the explanation." "No problem. Let's go grocery shopping. I have to show you the Vampire Market. Hunting is best, but sometimes you come up empty. Gotta eat anyways."
We walked down a dark alley though we could see perfectly well, and arrived at the Vampire Market, Amelia knocked on the door with 3 swift taps, and an open palm slap. The door opened and we went in. It closed behind us. Arrayed on shelves were a variety of spice extracts, juices, canned dairy, and boxes of instant soup powders, and bottles of sauces. Along the back wall was a freezer/ refrigerator section with bags, cartons, and jugs of various bloods of all types. Categorized by race, gender, bloodtype, organic fed, or other particular diets or national origins. At the end, there was a beer and wine section that had a sign over it saying "Sulphate Free Beer and Wine". And when I turned around, there was the tea and coffee. There were about 100 different types of coffee. Over by the register was a sign that said they accepted Food Stamps and Supernatural Entity Ration Cards. The clerk who had let us in was a gentlemanly vampire in a tattered Revolutionary War Frock, its blue wool fabric faded and worn through in places, and the bottom edge was fraying. Though the buttons remained polished bright. "Hello Miss Blutengel" he said in a cheery colonial accent. "Hello Bartholomew, how is the wife?" she replied. "Oh, lovely as always. Who is your friend?" "This is Emily Blutengel, the newest member of my Household." He turned to me and said, "It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance young lady. I do hope you are able to find what you seek in my humble shop. My name is Batholomew Alwin. I'm about 100 years the elder of your Miss there." My eyes must have been wide as saucers. Here was a fellow who was over 400. We really must live long lives. "Oh, don't fret dear, one day you will be as old as me, and still feel young and sprightly. And I'll be twice as old then." I chuckled, he was kind of funny in a sly old man kind of way, and still looked no older than 25.
Amelia grabbed a basket and led me to the various shelves, showing me what to look for as marks of quality. I picked out some coffee and a pourover set so I could make it at Amelia's house. And some spice extracts like cardamom and cinnamon so I could doctor it up how I liked. And we got some vampire-friendly creamer and then went and picked out some Blood. She explained how the diet of the human it came from affected the flavor as did the blood type and age and sex. And then showed me the healthfood options you have to shake first, but that she preferred the homogenized pasteurized blood because the texture was nicer and it stayed fresh longer in the fridge. There was also a ready to eat section in the fridge, where you just warm it to body temp by putting it in a water bath in a yogurt maker and it had flavorings and milk added. She explained that they were really convenient for when you were going camping or would be traveling. We got 6 blood packs in 2 different flavors and 2 ready to eat packs. She said, "I was reading in GOREVORE that there's a recipe for a rather scrumptious blood drink with these two types, and some vegetable juice." So we grabbed some vegetable juice and Worcestershire sauce. And on approaching the counter, we paid for our groceries, and picked up the next issue of GOREVORE, it was a variety zine with lifestyle tips, fashion, seasonal recipes, garden advice, media reviews, how to keep a blood partner happy, and so on. Packing our groceries into paper bags, we exited the shop and walked home through the moonlit night.
Chapter 4 - New Vampire Education
As we were putting away our groceries I asked her about how the word "Blvd" should be pronounced, since I had seen it at the market on several glass bottles in the refrigerator. She answered, "Oh, those are pronounced as 'Blued', they are the vegetarian alternative to regular blood. I don't think the trend will last though, as we are obligate sanguivores. We must consume blood to be healthy. And those that consume the alternative more often than once in a while tend to go into hibernation from malnutrition and have to be revived. Vegetable juices and stuff aren't really bad for us, but they are somewhat lacking in digestible nutrition. It's mainly there to broaden the available flavors. In some areas, it's more common to consume animal blood, but that tends to be something those vampires are particularly adapted to in a particular region, in a rural area." "Oh," I replied, "I see. That's interesting though."
She put the snack packs in the warmer for our lunch and set the temperature to 98.6 F. I sat at the table and she got a book from the parlour shelf and sat across from me. The book had the KyuKyo emblem on the cover in embossed gilding and the title page said "The Vampire's Guide to American Life" and was subtitled, "Hunting, Housing, and Dealing with Humans". Under that it read: "Published by the Kyuketsuki Kyoukai Amerika Branch HQ, San Francisco CA. For Questions or comments, please contact your local office. There are locations in Tacoma, Portland, San Francisco, Sacramento, San Diego, and Lana'i. Organizational Headquarters is in Gion, Kyoto, JP."
She turned the page to the table of contents, looked, and quickly turned to the chapter on hunting, titled "To Bite or Not to Bite, a Guide to Ethical Hematophagy". She began, "Okay, I'm gonna read you some of this chapter, because they said it better than I could do, and then if you have any questions, just ask. Okay?" "Okay." I replied. She continued, "Okayā€¦ na na na, here we go. Ahem. <We all know that fresh human blood is the best in both flavor and nutrition, but the world has come a long way in the last few hundred years, from the era where we simply took what we wanted to the modern more polite era we now find ourselves in. While in dire circumstances of an emergency, one may still have need of earlier methods; this should be avoided, both to abide by our people's agreements with local authorities, and simply because humans have feelings just like we do and causing them undue suffering would be immoral at best. Thus this guide was created to teach a shared norm of conduct when hunting for fresh blood, obtaining a regular supply through human domestication, or shopping for blood at your local markets. We hope that through our efforts, vampires and humans might coexist peacefully and be of mutual benefit.>" "Um," I interjected, "What do they mean by human domestication?" She looked thoughtful a moment then said, "You kind of keep one or two humans around, like pets, and drink from them regularly. Our venom can become addictive, so humans who are bitten multiple times sometimes begin to live with us to specifically use our venom as a drug. And it just sort of stands to reason, that with a regular blood supply we become protective, and next thing you know, you're keeping a human as a pet in your house and keeping them healthy with a good diet and taking them for walks at night. It's actually a good way to go for a beginner so we can explore it more if you like?" "Is it ethical?" I asked. "Yes, actually, it's the most ethical way to consume blood since you are providing them with a regular benefit by caring for them and protecting them. It's sort of like milking a cow, but it has feelings and you can play with your food and dress it up. But also, some vampires develop romantic feelings for their human, and end up turning them in order to be together romantically. Though, vampire relationships don't work the same as human ones, owing to there being very different relationship dynamics when you have until the heat death of the universe to get to know someone, and the only way to reproduce is to have someone drink your ichor." "So wait," I asked, "What is our relationship?" She said, "Henry LeRouge told me I should make more friends. He didn't say how. So I made a new friend, my way." She cackled like an old witch, then the timer went off for our lunch and she put the book down and went to get the snack packs. I wasn't really sure she was being serious, and I was getting a feel for her hidden feelings. Like, a particular scent when she was lying, but I didn't say anything at the time.
Chapter 5 - The Midnight Mall
After we ateā€¦ well, "ate" is a strong word for sucking milky blood with blueberry flavoring out of a pouch, and I can see why this is considered fast food to vamps. Anyways, after we slurped our junkfood down, we went back out for the next errand, and it was just after midnight then, but we were going to a clothier called Devil Kat's Cauldron. They had a department store for Supernatural Entities on the ground floor, and the upper floor was a clothing store, and this was in the Midnight Mall, which, from the outside looked like an abandoned hospital, but once you went past the door guard, it turned into quite a nice mall inside with about 60 shops and a foodcourt.
We walked back through the mall until we came to the entrance, having passed a Fae-owned pretzel shop on the way that I realized had the old name of the place that just changed to a different name in the human malls, but the garlic smell really put me off and I wasn't interested. The entrance to Devil Kat's Cauldron had a big spooky looking sign and a cardboard cutout of a cheerful cartoon cat in a witch outfit lifting folded laundry out of a huge cauldron with a pitchfork and the words, "ALL GOTH FASHIONS ON SALE". We walked in, past the cookware, electronics, and toys, and climbed a broken escalator to the clothing department. It was here that Amelia hailed an employee, who like all those working in retail, seemed to be very over it. She was a middle aged nekomusume wearing a blue polo shirt and tan slacks whose nametag read "Margie". Margie asked, "What can I do for you two lovely vampires?" in a tone that sounded like she had 6 kittens at home to feed or she would be literally anywhere else. And Amelia said, "Sorry to bother you miss Margie, but my friend here needs a whole new wardrobe as she recently changed sizes." Margie let out a deep sigh that smelled like defeat and gestured towards the back wall. "Go on over there and talk to Manwitch Marv. He's gay, so he lives for this shit." As we turned and began to walk away I saw Margie's tail flick in what struck me as an agitated gesture akin to the feeling of "fuck this job".
I realized, I don't have a job as a vampire. And also, where does Amelia get her money?
We arrived at the back and asked for Manwitch Marv, he came out from under a clothing rack full of capes and cloaks and stood at his full height of 28 inches. He was a gnome in a green witch hat and wizard's robe. He seemed to treat his section like it was a formal rose garden where the neat and orderly shelves and racks were as much a priority as the perfected grass height in a rose garden. "What can I do for you lovely ladies this fine night?" Marv asked. We explained we were looking for clothes for me as I had recently turned and didn't have appropriate attire. Marv nodded and asked me what I liked. I said I was into a more modern cybergoth and cyberpunk look, noting that I was wearing borrowed clothes. He nodded, found a bunch of things he thought fit the bill in my sizes, and then had me take off Amelia's boots and measured my feet. While I tried on the clothes he'd recommended for me, with the delighted audience of Amelia, Marv custom made a pair of combat boots to fit my aesthetic. Turns out, he was Doc Marvin the famous shoemaker for the west coast Supernatural Entities community. I ended up taking almost everything, Amelia telling me I looked fantastic in all of it so go ahead and get it all. I was really wondering how rich she must be to afford all this, but well, she'd had 300 years to build wealth, so I supposed that was enough time to get absolutely loaded.
We paid at the front and walked out of the mall with 8 bags of clothes at 3 am. I had gotten some good variety: latex leggings, baggy cargo pants, utility belts and pouches, futuristic spandex dresses and tunics, my own Doc Marvin custom boots with fiber-optic stitchings and embroidery, a futuristic-looking techwear demon mask, neon colored socks and stockings, a bright violet windbreaker, bras and a stretchy corset with metal bone-like ribs and spine articulated onto it, a clear acrylic hair stick with a small blinking red light that would be hidden behind your hair that lit the whole thing and made it glow, and so on and so forth. My favorite was a hooded cropped asymmetrical-zipped cloak in grey that I was planning to use the heck out of with my black latex leggings, boots and the spandex violet tunic and utility belt. It looked dope af.
And after we got home, I modeled that exact outfit for Amelia, and she darn near squealed in delight. Afterwards, we ate a late dinner, and went to our respective coffins at about 4:30 am. I myself, wearing my new fluffy black flannel pajamas. And I closed the lid part way. And I slept like I was dead. It had indeed been a full night.
Chapter 6 - Moonlit Hunting Grounds
I got up early. I was surprised at myself for how full the previous night had been. I could see the reflection of the burning orb of death still being well up. I looked at the old clock on the wall and it was only 6 in the afternoon. But I felt full of energy. So I walked to the bathroom and took a shower with the guest toiletries that were there. Mmmm Cherry blossom and strawberry. My favorite scents. Then I shuffled back to my room in a towel and finished drying off before selecting an outfit that said "come get me sailor" and walking down the servant's stairs which led directly to the kitchen in my new bat plush slippers. I went into the kitchen and began to make coffee. I had just sat at the table and opened the new issue of GOREVORE when I heard Amelia get up, so I got up and put on the kettle again for her and then went back to reading. I opened the current events section. Apparently there was a lawsuit because the Blvd product was made for human pets to be able to imitate their vampire masters, but the labeling was so ambiguous, that many vampires thought it was an ethical alternative meant for themselves. That explains a lot. Amelia came down and we greeted each other with "Good evening" and she grabbed the kettle just as it began to whistle, and made herself some tea. She thanked me for putting it on and asked if there was anything interesting that I had read. I told her about the Blvd controversy and she facepalmed and said that made way more sense than trying to make vampires vegetarian. I handed it to her and as she read it, I picked up the guidebook we had been reading the previous night, and I read the entire chapter on ethical hunting practices and how a sense of intrigue and adventure would be the best bet to lure a human for a meal. And that once bitten, they would come to enjoy the experience and no longer fear it. I then read the next chapter while sipping a blood pack from the fridge, this one called "Cowgirl Flavor" which reminded me of steak and eggs with salsa. The next chapter was on the ethical keeping of human pets and the process of how to make sure they were happy with the arrangement, and were properly consenting and so on, including how to register a committed partnership with a human for the purposes of a blood supply with KyuKyo, and recommended treats and toys for your human. I thought, that if I got a human pet, I might get them some Blvd so they can feel included at the dinner tableā€¦ Wait, I was a human 2 days ago. Am I really thinking of keeping one as a pet? Once again seeming to read my thoughts, Amelia said, "If being cared for by someone else was really so bad, you'd have run away last night. Instead, we're having breakfast together again and you're wearing clothes I bought for you without a second thought." "How do you dā€¦" I started, but then I realized that I was beginning to read others' thoughts too, so maybe it is just a vampire thing. I could tell that she could tell what I was going to say and that she knew what I had realized. We didn't strictly need to talk to both understand where the other stood. "Look at you go" she said, "but talking is nice. So let's keep doing it. We're going to go hunting for our lunch and dinner tonight, just as soon as the sun goes down." "You have a place in mind don't you?" "Of course." she said. "Easy for new hunters?" I asked. "Yup. A Goth Club." she replied. I thought we'd fit right in, and she said, "Yes we will." Wow. She actually can read minds. But, "So can you" she finished my thought out loud. "That's how we hunt. We know what they are thinking secretly, so we can sidestep their prejudices and say exactly what they want to hear exactly how they want to hear it. But it's an art." "Oh, like if you are too exact, they catch on, which is why when I hoped you'd ask me out at the sushi bar, you instead asked me about my beer?" She nodded. "You got it Emily. Good Girl." Some might worry about "The ethics?" she finished my thought again. "Yeah." "This is how vampires are evolved to hunt, and it's how we make money. We gamble while knowing everyone's hand."
After receiving a bunch of boxes with my name on them from the KyuKyo movers and realizing it was the stuff from my old apartment being moved to Amelia's house, we set out to the goth club hoping to hunt first, and unpack my stuff later. There was a line out the front of the club and down the block. The place was called "Bats n' Brews Nightclub". The Industrial music was pulsing and I realized why Amelia had chosen it. For starters, we blended into the crowd perfectly. And secondly, if I messed up what I said, I could correct myself and blame it on the DJ. As we came up close to the door, the bouncer recognized Amelia, "Miss Blutengel! Long time no see! Welcome, I'll radio the mezzanine and tell them you're on your way." She gestured to me and said, "This is Emily, we're here together." and the bouncer said, "I'll be sure to include her. Welcome, both of you." and he let us in. We walked around the dance floor skirting the writhing mass of college students in cyber locks, fishnets, and leg warmers and the occasional sketchy tweaker selling molly, tabs, and caps. We went up to the stairs, it was entirely too loud to talk to the bouncer, but he let us go up to the mezzanine and closed the rope behind us. We went up and another bouncer opened the door at the back that went to the VIP lounge. Holy crap, knowing Amelia gets you places. We entered and when the door closed, it was a lot quieter here, though the music was still playing in the background.
[music] <Einsam irrst du durch die kalte Nacht
Auf der Suche nach Unendlichkeit
Getrieben von der Gier, die in dir wƤchst
Und deine Seele StĆ¼ck fĆ¼r StĆ¼ck zerstƶren will
Die Vernunft und dein Verstand, sie schwinden
Du siehst die Welt nur noch in dunklen Farben
FĆ¼r dich hat jetzt und hier die Jagd begonnen...> [/music]
{{if you want to hear it, it's https://youtu.be/UN3sZZLQI5I?si=LgS9K1WjqVbVRgR5 and inspired this story}}
Amelia walked up to a white-haired gentleman seated at the bar nursing a glass of red wine, and said, "Hans! Guess who!" He turned a bit slowly, and nearly shouted, "Amelia!" and jumped up to give her a hug. He seemed to be about 26 but if this was the Hans I'd heard about, then he was probably born before the 12th century. And was effectively my vampire grandpa. He definitely heard my thoughts too, because he turned towards me and asked, "Amelia, won't you introduce me to my grandchild? Who is this?" Amelia said, "This is Emilia Lynne Blutengel. Emily for short. I have brought her here for her first hunt." "Wunderbar!" he shouted. He seemed rather gregarious. Not at all as I had expected. "I'm not usually as people expect dear" he said. "Cannonball injury quite aside, I know I have a reputation among the moderns for my political views. I have those views because humans are awful, not because vampires are special." I replied, "Because they are constantly killing each other and hurting anyone they deem even slightly different?" He smiled and said, "Exactly! You read minds well. I think you will probably have very good luck hunting tonight. Even if we disagree politically, you're still part of my clan, so please feel free to come any time. Gamble with the humans like Amelia. They won't see a mind-reader coming. Those high-rollers make that money as ill-gotten gains to begin with, so relieving them of it is practically a public service. The Blutengel clan's number one rule is that we take care of each other. So any clan member property is a place you can freely come and go. And good luck on your hunt tonight Emily." "Thank you Grandpa Hans." I replied. I thought to myself, I would have to think about him more later and try to figure out a way for humans and vampires to have better relationships in the future. Hans turned to Amelia and said, "She's a good kid, where did you find her?" And Amelia and Hans got to talking, while I wandered out to the Mezzanine.
Blutengel:
My Vampire Girlfriend is Super Sweet
Chapter 1 - A pretty Goth Sat Next to Me
I was at my usual spot, a sushi bar on 24th street, when a beautiful goth woman with platinum blonde hair, red eyes, and a short stature sat beside me at the counter and ordered a tokkuri of chilled daiginjo top shelf sake.
She sipped it with a look of bliss on her face. I went back to my crisp citrusy Orion beer and otoro sashimi with fresh yuzukosho. I get it, this place is the best in town, even if its a hidden gem. Ahhh.. I hope she asks me out.... I'm too shy.
She suddenly turned towards me, "Hey, that beer smells really nice. What is it?" I got over the shock quickly enough I suppose and began to explain that it was my favorite draft beer, Orion, from Okinawa. How it's a lager style and brewed specifically to go with fish. We chatted back and forth about booze and the like, but whenever the topic came to food, she steered it back to drinks. I said, "I'm sorry, I keep mentioning food, If you'd like another topic..." She quickly course corrected, realizing my apologetic stance, "Oh no, it's nothing much, I just don't know much about food, since I can only have liquids. It sounds good the way you describe it. Uhm... I suppose I should introduce myself, I'm Amelia Blutengel. How about you sir?"
I shifted a bit uncomfortably at the 'sir'. "Um, nice to meet you miss Blutengel. Um, I'm [boyname]. "Ohhh?" she said, "This may be a tad bit presumptuous of me, but did I detect some hesitation?" Crap, she caught me. Oh well, all good things must come to an end. I stuttered a bit, and said, "Well, yes, because I don't really like my name much. Bit of a harsh reminder that I can't have what I want. Can't be myself when the world is as it is." She smiled slyly. "Well, dear, I think I can help with that." She leaned in and whispered in my ear, "I can turn you into a girl if you wanna be a girl. And a hot one too. You'd end up looking similar to your mom actually, but when she was 20." The heck is she saying? I must have had my thoughts written on my face. We sat quietly and finished our drinks. She paid for both of our orders without even asking me. I turned towards her, "Can you really do that?" She said, "Of course, and all I want in return is a friend and a good warm drink." "That's it??" I asked. "That's it." She said.
I followed her out of the shop, after a block, I finally caught up. "So, where are we headed?" I asked. "Somewhere a biiiit more private. That's my house down there, the brownstone with the black curtains. You're gonna be a bit sleepy after the drink, but I have a spare coffin, so no worries." A what now? Oh, she's a goth living in a victorian brownstone and wearing red contact lenses, so i guess that tracks. I felt, I guess, oddly safe doing this super sketchy thing with someone I just met. It was about to get a lot sketchier.
So we get to her house, and she opens the door and invites me in, puts away her things, and takes off her shoes, and I took mine off. And then she shows me to the dining room. It was actually very tastefully decorated and felt lived-in. We sat at the little round table and she said, "Okay, so, turning you into a girl is actually a side effect. It's not the main thing that happens. The main thing is that you turn into a vampire. The thing is, when you turn into a vampire, you end up being a forever young version of the you that is in your head, using the available genetics. Meaning, you wanting to be one and having your mom's genetics and the vampire's genetics to work with end up looking pretty much like your mom, but with blonde hair, and red eyes, and fangs." and she opened her mouth wide for the first time since we'd met and lifted her upper lip to expose her very pointy fangs. She continued, "So, our fangs are like snake fangs, kind of, they are hypodermic, and we inject venom when we bite someone." I stuttered a bit, "V.. Venom? Is it toxic, or like, a mosquito where it just itches real bad?" She chuckled, "No, dear, it's neither of those things. It's a pain reliever and has some other effects that make the experience pleasurable for the one being bitten. Otherwise, we'd starve because our blood partners would avoid us." "Oh" I said, "Can you um, make a little drip out so I can see it?" "Sure", she said. And she pulled up her lip and pressed on the fang and a tiny bit of clear liquid dripped from the tip. "Oh shit, you're really a vampire." "Uh huh. And you followed me all the way to my home. Ordinarily, Vampires would consider that consent to take blood, but I prefer to give people more info. It's my personal habit. So, here's the info. I'm interested in biting you, and having a decent meal out of it. And in exchange, I will give you some of my blood, and let you sleep over. And when you wake up in the morning, you will be a vampire too. You get to be forever 20, and the gender you want. You won't age, or get sick, will be stronger, faster, and be able to see in the dark. The downside, is not being able to eat solid food. It causes nausea. Also, we get gnarly sunburns. You don't have to worry about walking around at night though, because you can kill a polar bear with your bare hands. Oh, and if you get hurt, you heal really fast. Especially if you bite your attacker."
"Hmmm... Okay, let's say I believe you. What about my identity documents and my apartment and stuff? My ID wouldn't match." "Oh, that's no biggie. Here on the west coast, we have the Vampire Bund, the Kyuketsuki Kyoukai, The Rocky Mountain Vampire Alliance, and the Aswangs United Front, so there's several Vampire specific orgs that do stuff like take care of documents, housing, and resources for new vampires."
"Hmmm... Okay. Phew, no pain no gain I guess. Getting bitten with fangs is a little scary though." She smiled softly, "Don't worry, I'll be gentle. Let's go into the parlor." I followed her into the sitting room. She hugged me and sat me down on the edge of the couch. As she leaned down, I could feel her warm breath on my neck, and she bit me. Just above the collarbone. It was a sharp pain, followed by a flowing warmth spreading through my body as the pain ebbed away. She began to suck my blood. It was the most pleasurable thing I'd ever felt. I felt so heavy and warm, and safe, and comfortable, and as she went there was a strong pleasure that sent shockwaves through me, blanking my brain. I lay back and she was laying on top of me, still gently sucking on my wound. She sat up, licking the blood from her lips. "That was delicious dear. Thank you for the warm drink. Here's yours." She bit her own arm, and let it leak into my mouth. I swallowed the warm golden ichor. I reached up, and pulled it closer, lapping it up. It tasted sweet and rich. Overcome with a wave of tiredness, I fell asleep.
Chapter 2 - Good Evening, What's for Breakfast?
I woke up in the late afternoon laying in a coffin with the door propped openā€¦ As I licked my lips, I noticed something different. I hadā€¦ Fangs? Hm. Body check time. I felt myself, up and down. Boobs. I had boobs. I sat up. I feltā€¦ light. Light as a feather. But, strong. And, kinda hungry. I decided to get up. I climbed out of the coffin and looked around. I think I must be in an upstairs bedroom of an older house. I tried to remember what I was doing the previous night, and that's when the memories came flooding back. That wasn't a dream! I really got turned into a vampire girl. I spun around, perhaps a bit too fast, and felt a bit faint. Steadying myself on the coffin lid, I made my way out of the bedroom, to the end of the hall and went down a flight of stairs to the main level. I walked back to the kitchen, hoping to find something to eat. A slice of cake would be awesome right about now. As I came into the dining room, there she was, with a cup of tea, sitting at the little round table reading a magazine titled GOREVORE, it seemed to be a cooking zine, in a slightly macabre way.
I approached, and she looked up, "Oh, good morning, did you sleep well dear?" she asked. I replied, "Um, yes, but I feel a bit woozy and was wondering if there might be a snack down here..?" She got up and went to the kitchen and I heard her open the fridge, and pour another cup of tea. She returned a moment later with a blood donation bag with a straw in it, and a cup of hot tea with milk and sugar in it. I sat down at the table and she put it in front of me. The blood bag said "O+ (Caucasian Male, Organic Fed)" on it in bold white lettering. She said, "I hope you like European food, I wasn't sure. Naturally, I don't have any food for humans here, but you can't eat human food anymore anyways. Bon Apetit." I looked at it, and decided to start with the tea. It was nearly hot, but very soothing, creamy, and sweet. It reminded me of her Ichor. Welp, if I was able to drink her ichor, I should be able to handle some blood. So I picked it up, put the straw in my mouth, and sucked on it. It was delicious. Like wild boar potroast with chestnuts and brown gravy. I held it away and looked at it. Then tasted it again. Same delicious gourmet flavor. Huh. So when you are geared to eat something, I guess it tastes amazing. Amelia was watching me over the rims of her reading glasses. She said, "You're so fun to watch." I asked "Why is that?" She replied, "You just found out what blood tastes like to a vampire. Your reaction is cute." I finished the bag, and then returned to the tea. I said, "Thank you miss Blutengel, that was delicious. and the tea, it reminds me of how you tasted." She blushed a bit and changed the subject, "So, little miss vampire turnee, what is your new name?" Hmmmā€¦ I hadn't thought of that. "I think, I would like to pick something really poetic. But also kinda cute." "Well," she replied, "because I turned you, the surname typically comes from the person whose ichor you drank. So you'd be whatever name you choose, plus Blutengel. It's German, it means Blood Angel. I was turned when I was about 30, when I was in New Amsterdam, a Hessian vampire had come over to escape persecution, and I took on his surname. I had smallpox, and he turned me to save my life. Though I was British myself. I had been traveling to visit relatives in the New Hampshire colony. He was staying at the same inn as our party, and granted me some of his ichor as an act of mercy as I was delirious with fever." "Wow, that's incredible." I replied, "I didn't realize it at first, but you're actually older than me, huh?" "Yes, dear, I'm over 300 years old. I was born in 1724. But, back to the subject at hand. You really must choose a name, because tonight we're going to get you registered with Kyuketsuki Kyoukai, where I'm registered. And get your documents sorted out. I made an appointment last night while you were sleeping." "Why are we going to the Japanese one?" I asked. "Well," she said, "I used to be in the American Vampire Bund, because Hans Blutengel founded it, but after the War of 1812, where he took a cannonball to the face, he was never quite the same after that, and started to really hate humans. And even now, the Bund is kind of militant and vampire supremacist. He did survive the witch hunts and inquisitions though. So, he has his reasons. It seems that was the last straw though." Ah. Vampires really must have complex societies in parallel.
She continued, "The KyuKyo is different. They publish media favorable to vampires for human audiences to help to humanize us and make us relatable to humans. And they encourage ethical blood harvesting and make body mods for humans to kind of look like us so that stigma decreases in society. So, I think it's a much healthier group to be a part of. The Filipino group, Aswangs United, is similar, but instead of trying through public opinion, they support various causes with money, and they do actually make a lot of money with their restaurants and bars that serve humans. I should take you out to the Aswang bar, it has a "party room" where they seat vampires and we have a secret menu. The Adobo ng Dugo is quite good there. It's fresh blood mixed with a sweet and savory sauce made of soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and spices which is strained and very. mmm, you'll find out. It's pretty tasty." I said, "I think I'd like that very much." I thought for a minute while she was sipping her tea, and said, "I think I'd like my first name to be Emily, and my middle to be Lynne." "Oh, shoot, that cute." she interjected. "But, how about Emiliana Lynne Blutengel for the full name? And you can shorten the first name to Emily as a nickname, since, some day, you're gonna be 1000 years old, and Emily is gonna sound too childish for an eldritch blood sucking monster." "Good point, good point. Okay, I see what you mean. But your name is Amelia." "Yes, well, that was my human name too. My sex didn't change when I turned. It just got better." There was an awkward pause, and then I asked, "Are all vampires this pervy, or is it just you?" She shyly turned and said, "Well, we are all a bit like this, because we often hunt through sex appeal and pheromones, but I'm specialā€¦ and also a bit gay."
Did.. did she just say she was gay? Wait, she said she wanted a friend. Ohhhhā€¦ Maybe she wanted to turn me becauseā€¦ Wait. Can she read my mind? How did she know I wanted to be a girl and how did she know I wanted to talk to her? Ehhhhā€¦ "Hey, Emily, since we're done with breakfast, let's go see if anything I have around the house will fit you." I looked up. "Uh, sure, but I might need a shower first." "Oh," she said, "You can smell the garlic and fenugreek you ate a few days ago? You like curry, I'd guess. The fact you can smell that is a good sign. You should have no trouble hunting your own food soon." "Wow" I said, "You can smell that? And Hunting, I don't know, I've never shot a gun before." She looked at me oddly like it had never occurred to her that one might use a gun to hunt. "No, not that kind of hunting, silly girl. What I just did yesterday afternoon, when I walked into the sushi bar and sat next to you. I could smell your feelings, and tell more or less what you were thinking and feeling in real time because of the way you smelled. That, my friend, is how a civilized vampire hunts. I was looking for dinner. You ended up being delicious. No regrets. Five star dining experience. Delivery to my place was speedy. I like to think my blood was a decent tip." "Wait, you hunted me?" "Yep. But you came on your own two feet. I didn't make you follow me home. And I didn't lie to you about what I was offering either." "Okay, that's fair." "You are taking this very well too. Must have really wanted it."
Chapter 3 - Moonlit Errands
She found a cute outfit to fit me. A frilly Gothic dress with a hoop skirt and flowwy bell sleeves in black and violet, a parasol with lace trim, and some doc marvin combat boots to round it out. And some violet leggings for warmth. We were going out at night afterall. Catching the sight of myself in the mirror, I looked like an awfully cute vampire with my little toofers poking out and the glowy red eyesā€¦ Hmmmā€¦ I'm cute. Wow. I twirled in the mirror. Yup. I'm super cute.
We walked out together in the cool dusk air as the glowing orb of doom was dipping below the horizon. First things first, we went to the Kyuketsuki Kyoukai office, and got my paperwork sorted out. I got my special ID, which had my speed-painted portrait because Vampires are not accurately photographed or reflected in mirrors. And it had my species: Vampire, lineage: Blutengel, DOB Dec 8, 1988, and new name, Emilia Lynne Blutengel. At the bottom of the card it had a notice for Law Enforcement: "Notice, this ID belongs to a supernatural entity, protected under the supernatural entities act of 1946, and as such, ought to be regarded as a natural disaster or act of God in the event of an incident." I asked Amelia about it, and she said, "Oh, yeah. We're immortal, strong enough to punch the largest land predator to death, and agile enough to dodge bullets, so when authorities have tried to interfere in our affairs in the past, they just died. In 1946, we got a treaty and secretive recognition, to manage our own affairs and be citizens, but only so long as we don't disturb the peace and reveal our existences broadly to the public. Police get briefed, and I think they mostly don't believe it until there is actual contact. And any cop or official who does try to sound the alarm is swiftly carted off to an asylum to be gaslit into thinking they imagined it. Basically, the government doesn't want to admit there's a segment of the population they can't control or scare. At best, they can offer us luxuries and safety from witch hunts, and in exchange, we choose to make it easy for them to keep their inadequacy a secret. For example, by vampires not drinking blood in public, or by werewolves transforming in private spaces, or catfolk going to anime conventions." "Oh, I see. Thanks for the explanation." "No problem. Let's go grocery shopping. I have to show you the Vampire Market. Hunting is best, but sometimes you come up empty. Gotta eat anyways."
We walked down a dark alley though we could see perfectly well, and arrived at the Vampire Market, Amelia knocked on the door with 3 swift taps, and an open palm slap. The door opened and we went in. It closed behind us. Arrayed on shelves were a variety of spice extracts, juices, canned dairy, and boxes of instant soup powders, and bottles of sauces. Along the back wall was a freezer/ refrigerator section with bags, cartons, and jugs of various bloods of all types. Categorized by race, gender, bloodtype, organic fed, or other particular diets or national origins. At the end, there was a beer and wine section that had a sign over it saying "Sulphate Free Beer and Wine". And when I turned around, there was the tea and coffee. There were about 100 different types of coffee. Over by the register was a sign that said they accepted Food Stamps and Supernatural Entity Ration Cards. The clerk who had let us in was a gentlemanly vampire in a tattered Revolutionary War Frock, its blue wool fabric faded and worn through in places, and the bottom edge was fraying. Though the buttons remained polished bright. "Hello Miss Blutengel" he said in a cheery colonial accent. "Hello Bartholomew, how is the wife?" she replied. "Oh, lovely as always. Who is your friend?" "This is Emily Blutengel, the newest member of my Household." He turned to me and said, "It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance young lady. I do hope you are able to find what you seek in my humble shop. My name is Batholomew Alwin. I'm about 100 years the elder of your Miss there." My eyes must have been wide as saucers. Here was a fellow who was over 400. We really must live long lives. "Oh, don't fret dear, one day you will be as old as me, and still feel young and sprightly. And I'll be twice as old then." I chuckled, he was kind of funny in a sly old man kind of way, and still looked no older than 25.
Amelia grabbed a basket and led me to the various shelves, showing me what to look for as marks of quality. I picked out some coffee and a pourover set so I could make it at Amelia's house. And some spice extracts like cardamom and cinnamon so I could doctor it up how I liked. And we got some vampire-friendly creamer and then went and picked out some Blood. She explained how the diet of the human it came from affected the flavor as did the blood type and age and sex. And then showed me the healthfood options you have to shake first, but that she preferred the homogenized pasteurized blood because the texture was nicer and it stayed fresh longer in the fridge. There was also a ready to eat section in the fridge, where you just warm it to body temp by putting it in a water bath in a yogurt maker and it had flavorings and milk added. She explained that they were really convenient for when you were going camping or would be traveling. We got 6 blood packs in 2 different flavors and 2 ready to eat packs. She said, "I was reading in GOREVORE that there's a recipe for a rather scrumptious blood drink with these two types, and some vegetable juice." So we grabbed some vegetable juice and Worcestershire sauce. And on approaching the counter, we paid for our groceries, and picked up the next issue of GOREVORE, it was a variety zine with lifestyle tips, fashion, seasonal recipes, garden advice, media reviews, how to keep a blood partner happy, and so on. Packing our groceries into paper bags, we exited the shop and walked home through the moonlit night.
Chapter 4 - New Vampire Education
As we were putting away our groceries I asked her about how the word "Blvd" should be pronounced, since I had seen it at the market on several glass bottles in the refrigerator. She answered, "Oh, those are pronounced as 'Blued', they are the vegetarian alternative to regular blood. I don't think the trend will last though, as we are obligate sanguivores. We must consume blood to be healthy. And those that consume the alternative more often than once in a while tend to go into hibernation from malnutrition and have to be revived. Vegetable juices and stuff aren't really bad for us, but they are somewhat lacking in digestible nutrition. It's mainly there to broaden the available flavors. In some areas, it's more common to consume animal blood, but that tends to be something those vampires are particularly adapted to in a particular region, in a rural area." "Oh," I replied, "I see. That's interesting though."
She put the snack packs in the warmer for our lunch and set the temperature to 98.6 F. I sat at the table and she got a book from the parlour shelf and sat across from me. The book had the KyuKyo emblem on the cover in embossed gilding and the title page said "The Vampire's Guide to American Life" and was subtitled, "Hunting, Housing, and Dealing with Humans". Under that it read: "Published by the Kyuketsuki Kyoukai Amerika Branch HQ, San Francisco CA. For Questions or comments, please contact your local office. There are locations in Tacoma, Portland, San Francisco, Sacramento, San Diego, and Lana'i. Organizational Headquarters is in Gion, Kyoto, JP."
She turned the page to the table of contents, looked, and quickly turned to the chapter on hunting, titled "To Bite or Not to Bite, a Guide to Ethical Hematophagy". She began, "Okay, I'm gonna read you some of this chapter, because they said it better than I could do, and then if you have any questions, just ask. Okay?" "Okay." I replied. She continued, "Okayā€¦ na na na, here we go. Ahem. <We all know that fresh human blood is the best in both flavor and nutrition, but the world has come a long way in the last few hundred years, from the era where we simply took what we wanted to the modern more polite era we now find ourselves in. While in dire circumstances of an emergency, one may still have need of earlier methods; this should be avoided, both to abide by our people's agreements with local authorities, and simply because humans have feelings just like we do and causing them undue suffering would be immoral at best. Thus this guide was created to teach a shared norm of conduct when hunting for fresh blood, obtaining a regular supply through human domestication, or shopping for blood at your local markets. We hope that through our efforts, vampires and humans might coexist peacefully and be of mutual benefit.>" "Um," I interjected, "What do they mean by human domestication?" She looked thoughtful a moment then said, "You kind of keep one or two humans around, like pets, and drink from them regularly. Our venom can become addictive, so humans who are bitten multiple times sometimes begin to live with us to specifically use our venom as a drug. And it just sort of stands to reason, that with a regular blood supply we become protective, and next thing you know, you're keeping a human as a pet in your house and keeping them healthy with a good diet and taking them for walks at night. It's actually a good way to go for a beginner so we can explore it more if you like?" "Is it ethical?" I asked. "Yes, actually, it's the most ethical way to consume blood since you are providing them with a regular benefit by caring for them and protecting them. It's sort of like milking a cow, but it has feelings and you can play with your food and dress it up. But also, some vampires develop romantic feelings for their human, and end up turning them in order to be together romantically. Though, vampire relationships don't work the same as human ones, owing to there being very different relationship dynamics when you have until the heat death of the universe to get to know someone, and the only way to reproduce is to have someone drink your ichor." "So wait," I asked, "What is our relationship?" She said, "Henry LeRouge told me I should make more friends. He didn't say how. So I made a new friend, my way." She cackled like an old witch, then the timer went off for our lunch and she put the book down and went to get the snack packs. I wasn't really sure she was being serious, and I was getting a feel for her hidden feelings. Like, a particular scent when she was lying, but I didn't say anything at the time.
Chapter 5 - The Midnight Mall
After we ateā€¦ well, "ate" is a strong word for sucking milky blood with blueberry flavoring out of a pouch, and I can see why this is considered fast food to vamps. Anyways, after we slurped our junkfood down, we went back out for the next errand, and it was just after midnight then, but we were going to a clothier called Devil Kat's Cauldron. They had a department store for Supernatural Entities on the ground floor, and the upper floor was a clothing store, and this was in the Midnight Mall, which, from the outside looked like an abandoned hospital, but once you went past the door guard, it turned into quite a nice mall inside with about 60 shops and a foodcourt.
We walked back through the mall until we came to the entrance, having passed a Fae-owned pretzel shop on the way that I realized had the old name of the place that just changed to a different name in the human malls, but the garlic smell really put me off and I wasn't interested. The entrance to Devil Kat's Cauldron had a big spooky looking sign and a cardboard cutout of a cheerful cartoon cat in a witch outfit lifting folded laundry out of a huge cauldron with a pitchfork and the words, "ALL GOTH FASHIONS ON SALE". We walked in, past the cookware, electronics, and toys, and climbed a broken escalator to the clothing department. It was here that Amelia hailed an employee, who like all those working in retail, seemed to be very over it. She was a middle aged nekomusume wearing a blue polo shirt and tan slacks whose nametag read "Margie". Margie asked, "What can I do for you two lovely vampires?" in a tone that sounded like she had 6 kittens at home to feed or she would be literally anywhere else. And Amelia said, "Sorry to bother you miss Margie, but my friend here needs a whole new wardrobe as she recently changed sizes." Margie let out a deep sigh that smelled like defeat and gestured towards the back wall. "Go on over there and talk to Manwitch Marv. He's gay, so he lives for this shit." As we turned and began to walk away I saw Margie's tail flick in what struck me as an agitated gesture akin to the feeling of "fuck this job".
I realized, I don't have a job as a vampire. And also, where does Amelia get her money?
We arrived at the back and asked for Manwitch Marv, he came out from under a clothing rack full of capes and cloaks and stood at his full height of 28 inches. He was a gnome in a green witch hat and wizard's robe. He seemed to treat his section like it was a formal rose garden where the neat and orderly shelves and racks were as much a priority as the perfected grass height in a rose garden. "What can I do for you lovely ladies this fine night?" Marv asked. We explained we were looking for clothes for me as I had recently turned and didn't have appropriate attire. Marv nodded and asked me what I liked. I said I was into a more modern cybergoth and cyberpunk look, noting that I was wearing borrowed clothes. He nodded, found a bunch of things he thought fit the bill in my sizes, and then had me take off Amelia's boots and measured my feet. While I tried on the clothes he'd recommended for me, with the delighted audience of Amelia, Marv custom made a pair of combat boots to fit my aesthetic. Turns out, he was Doc Marvin the famous shoemaker for the west coast Supernatural Entities community. I ended up taking almost everything, Amelia telling me I looked fantastic in all of it so go ahead and get it all. I was really wondering how rich she must be to afford all this, but well, she'd had 300 years to build wealth, so I supposed that was enough time to get absolutely loaded.
We paid at the front and walked out of the mall with 8 bags of clothes at 3 am. I had gotten some good variety: latex leggings, baggy cargo pants, utility belts and pouches, futuristic spandex dresses and tunics, my own Doc Marvin custom boots with fiber-optic stitchings and embroidery, a futuristic-looking techwear demon mask, neon colored socks and stockings, a bright violet windbreaker, bras and a stretchy corset with metal bone-like ribs and spine articulated onto it, a clear acrylic hair stick with a small blinking red light that would be hidden behind your hair that lit the whole thing and made it glow, and so on and so forth. My favorite was a hooded cropped asymmetrical-zipped cloak in grey that I was planning to use the heck out of with my black latex leggings, boots and the spandex violet tunic and utility belt. It looked dope af.
And after we got home, I modeled that exact outfit for Amelia, and she darn near squealed in delight. Afterwards, we ate a late dinner, and went to our respective coffins at about 4:30 am. I myself, wearing my new fluffy black flannel pajamas. And I closed the lid part way. And I slept like I was dead. It had indeed been a full night.
Chapter 6 - Moonlit Hunting Grounds
I got up early. I was surprised at myself for how full the previous night had been. I could see the reflection of the burning orb of death still being well up. I looked at the old clock on the wall and it was only 6 in the afternoon. But I felt full of energy. So I walked to the bathroom and took a shower with the guest toiletries that were there. Mmmm Cherry blossom and strawberry. My favorite scents. Then I shuffled back to my room in a towel and finished drying off before selecting an outfit that said "come get me sailor" and walking down the servant's stairs which led directly to the kitchen in my new bat plush slippers. I went into the kitchen and began to make coffee. I had just sat at the table and opened the new issue of GOREVORE when I heard Amelia get up, so I got up and put on the kettle again for her and then went back to reading. I opened the current events section. Apparently there was a lawsuit because the Blvd product was made for human pets to be able to imitate their vampire masters, but the labeling was so ambiguous, that many vampires thought it was an ethical alternative meant for themselves. That explains a lot. Amelia came down and we greeted each other with "Good evening" and she grabbed the kettle just as it began to whistle, and made herself some tea. She thanked me for putting it on and asked if there was anything interesting that I had read. I told her about the Blvd controversy and she facepalmed and said that made way more sense than trying to make vampires vegetarian. I handed it to her and as she read it, I picked up the guidebook we had been reading the previous night, and I read the entire chapter on ethical hunting practices and how a sense of intrigue and adventure would be the best bet to lure a human for a meal. And that once bitten, they would come to enjoy the experience and no longer fear it. I then read the next chapter while sipping a blood pack from the fridge, this one called "Cowgirl Flavor" which reminded me of steak and eggs with salsa. The next chapter was on the ethical keeping of human pets and the process of how to make sure they were happy with the arrangement, and were properly consenting and so on, including how to register a committed partnership with a human for the purposes of a blood supply with KyuKyo, and recommended treats and toys for your human. I thought, that if I got a human pet, I might get them some Blvd so they can feel included at the dinner tableā€¦ Wait, I was a human 2 days ago. Am I really thinking of keeping one as a pet? Once again seeming to read my thoughts, Amelia said, "If being cared for by someone else was really so bad, you'd have run away last night. Instead, we're having breakfast together again and you're wearing clothes I bought for you without a second thought." "How do you dā€¦" I started, but then I realized that I was beginning to read others' thoughts too, so maybe it is just a vampire thing. I could tell that she could tell what I was going to say and that she knew what I had realized. We didn't strictly need to talk to both understand where the other stood. "Look at you go" she said, "but talking is nice. So let's keep doing it. We're going to go hunting for our lunch and dinner tonight, just as soon as the sun goes down." "You have a place in mind don't you?" "Of course." she said. "Easy for new hunters?" I asked. "Yup. A Goth Club." she replied. I thought we'd fit right in, and she said, "Yes we will." Wow. She actually can read minds. But, "So can you" she finished my thought out loud. "That's how we hunt. We know what they are thinking secretly, so we can sidestep their prejudices and say exactly what they want to hear exactly how they want to hear it. But it's an art." "Oh, like if you are too exact, they catch on, which is why when I hoped you'd ask me out at the sushi bar, you instead asked me about my beer?" She nodded. "You got it Emily. Good Girl." Some might worry about "The ethics?" she finished my thought again. "Yeah." "This is how vampires are evolved to hunt, and it's how we make money. We gamble while knowing everyone's hand."
After receiving a bunch of boxes with my name on them from the KyuKyo movers and realizing it was the stuff from my old apartment being moved to Amelia's house, we set out to the goth club hoping to hunt first, and unpack my stuff later. There was a line out the front of the club and down the block. The place was called "Bats n' Brews Nightclub". The Industrial music was pulsing and I realized why Amelia had chosen it. For starters, we blended into the crowd perfectly. And secondly, if I messed up what I said, I could correct myself and blame it on the DJ. As we came up close to the door, the bouncer recognized Amelia, "Miss Blutengel! Long time no see! Welcome, I'll radio the mezzanine and tell them you're on your way." She gestured to me and said, "This is Emily, we're here together." and the bouncer said, "I'll be sure to include her. Welcome, both of you." and he let us in. We walked around the dance floor skirting the writhing mass of college students in cyber locks, fishnets, and leg warmers and the occasional sketchy tweaker selling molly, tabs, and caps. We went up to the stairs, it was entirely too loud to talk to the bouncer, but he let us go up to the mezzanine and closed the rope behind us. We went up and another bouncer opened the door at the back that went to the VIP lounge. Holy crap, knowing Amelia gets you places. We entered and when the door closed, it was a lot quieter here, though the music was still playing in the background.
[music] <Einsam irrst du durch die kalte Nacht
Auf der Suche nach Unendlichkeit
Getrieben von der Gier, die in dir wƤchst
Und deine Seele StĆ¼ck fĆ¼r StĆ¼ck zerstƶren will
Die Vernunft und dein Verstand, sie schwinden
Du siehst die Welt nur noch in dunklen Farben
FĆ¼r dich hat jetzt und hier die Jagd begonnen...> [/music]
{{if you want to hear it, it's https://youtu.be/UN3sZZLQI5I?si=LgS9K1WjqVbVRgR5 and inspired this story}}
Amelia walked up to a white-haired gentleman seated at the bar nursing a glass of red wine, and said, "Hans! Guess who!" He turned a bit slowly, and nearly shouted, "Amelia!" and jumped up to give her a hug. He seemed to be about 26 but if this was the Hans I'd heard about, then he was probably born before the 12th century. And was effectively my vampire grandpa. He definitely heard my thoughts too, because he turned towards me and asked, "Amelia, won't you introduce me to my grandchild? Who is this?" Amelia said, "This is Emilia Lynne Blutengel. Emily for short. I have brought her here for her first hunt." "Wunderbar!" he shouted. He seemed rather gregarious. Not at all as I had expected. "I'm not usually as people expect dear" he said. "Cannonball injury quite aside, I know I have a reputation among the moderns for my political views. I have those views because humans are awful, not because vampires are special." I replied, "Because they are constantly killing each other and hurting anyone they deem even slightly different?" He smiled and said, "Exactly! You read minds well. I think you will probably have very good luck hunting tonight. Even if we disagree politically, you're still part of my clan, so please feel free to come any time. Gamble with the humans like Amelia. They won't see a mind-reader coming. Those high-rollers make that money as ill-gotten gains to begin with, so relieving them of it is practically a public service. The Blutengel clan's number one rule is that we take care of each other. So any clan member property is a place you can freely come and go. And good luck on your hunt tonight Emily." "Thank you Grandpa Hans." I replied. I thought to myself, I would have to think about him more later and try to figure out a way for humans and vampires to have better relationships in the future. Hans turned to Amelia and said, "She's a good kid, where did you find her?" And Amelia and Hans got to talking, while I wandered out to the Mezzanine.
Joshua Drew
Trinsec