I ran out of reasons...

[Karema]

Karema sat and listened to the soothing tones of her voice in her head. She seemed to know exactly what her body and senses were feeling right now. Zodiac was right, she had never feel so good in her life, so strong, so healthy. Her senses seemed to be in overdrive. The softest sound could be heard, she could smell the slightest thing; the world was almost too vivid.

The girl slid her knees up and hugged them watching the woman walk to the door. She smiled and where before she thought she was seeing things she realized she hadn’t been hallucinating. Fangs. No mistaking they were there. Fangs meant vampires. Her mind began to go in a thousand directions at once. “If she’s a vampire does that mean I’m one now?” she asked herself. It had to mean that she reasoned.

The words brought her out of her thoughts, yes hungry. Karema nodded at her hearing something outside the door, the smell overwhelming her, bringing out something in her she didn’t know. She had to have whatever it was that much she knew. Her words made no sense. Why would she hate her forever?

The man entered the room and walked trans-like over to where she was still seated and knelt before her. She ran her tongue over her teeth and felt her own fangs there as Zodiac had told her they would be. Her mouth was salivating as she could hear his blood coursing through his veins. She looked at Zodiac encouraging her to eat and she looked at the man wondering if he would fight her or if they just lay still and allow it. His scent was too strong to resist. The idea of feeding off a human oddly enough didn’t seem to bother her. She stood up turned the man’s head looking at the woman “Like this?” and looked down at his face and recognized him. He had been her last trick that hadn’t shown up which made her homeless. He wasn’t a nice man at all. He beat his wife and kids and he had beat the hell out of her the time before.

Looking back up at Zodiac a slowly smile spread across her face. “Oh honey, I couldn’t think of a more fitting victim for my first meal. This son of a ***** is a monster. I’m going to enjoy draining this one.” She bent to his neck and it all seemed to happen so naturally as if she’d done it millions of times before. The more she drank from him the more she seemed to need. No matter how hard she tried to stop she couldn’t. She kept drinking until she could hold no more. The man slowly slumped to the floor as she stood and daintily wiped at the blood trickling down her chin and licked her finger.

“Lord I feel so much better now.” She looked at the corpse at her feet then a sudden thought occurred to her and she gasped. “Oh my gosh, please tell me he’s not going to be one of us is he? It would be awful for a man like him to be one of us.” Her eyes plead with Zodiac afraid of what she just had done.

[Zodiac]

An eyebrow rose in surprise as the human she had lured to them apparently had some connection to the girl. The mystic touched the man's memories and saw he had indeed done the things the woman had suggested, and worse. Was this a bit of cosmic karma playing out now, Zodiac had to wonder. It was the first time luring a human had worked out like this as far as she knew.

Impassively she watched as the girl took her first feeding. She knew she'd be famished, so best to gorge herself behind closed doors than try and teach her the more subtle points of feeding with a roaring hunger in her being.

When the girl began to panic, the gypsy moved. She walked to the body and checked him carefully. In the process of seeing if he was alive, his wallet, watch, cellphone and such was moved from his pockets to hers.

"A very intelligent question on your part. One that I can answer now that your hunger is not competing with my thoughts." She smiled now. "Is he dead? Oh yes. Will he return? That is debatable. Did you give of yourself to him? What do I mean by that? When I had you 'drink' from me in return." she sent a mental image of what she was talking about. "Not all do it as I do. Some can pass this blessing/curse by just feeding so let us begin now. Lesson number one. You do NOT need to kill to survive. Now that you are full, you will notice each passing night a bit of the blood vanishes. You only need to steal a taste from others to replenish yourself. But now, as for you ex here...."

She opened a small closet and began to remove several items. A large green bag that was commonly used to dispose of Christmas Trees in, some plastic sheeting, and a machete that could double as a meat cleaver. Zodiac handed the woman the blade. "The best way to be sure is to remove the head now." She gave the girl a firm look as if saying 'sorry, your mess, you clean it up'. Some might call her mean or brutal, but such a lesson would hammer in the point to the fledgling. Did I or didn't I kill or turn them leaves a grey area of doubt to play in. Making sure they do not return, however, did not.

"Is all part of being in the club. Lesson two. You are responsible for you actions."

[Karema]

Karema breathed a sigh of relief until the woman’s words registered in her mind. “Some can pass it along as they feed.” She wondered how could you know which type of person you were which still left the question could he return. She closed her eyes for a minute envisioning what this particular man would be like. As she decided to ask how one could know and what the chances were she had changed him somehow her question was answered in a different way.

An ax was handed to her, her eyes blinking wide as Zodiac told her to take care of her mess. The urge to laugh hysterically almost came bubbling out. This was like some weird, old horror movie. The well- dressed young woman who had just been sitting there knitting in a beautiful room, with a comfy fire and cat nearby had called a person, she herself and drank his blood and killed him and now she has to cut his head off? “Really?” Karema looked at Zodiac and saw the ‘you will not argue with me child’ look on her face.

Looking at the ashen face of the man lying there and the ax in her hands the young girl looked at her new sire with one last question on her face. She saw the imperceptible nod encouraging her to get this over with so they could move on to other things. Karema wasn’t sure she had the stomach for this. She took a step back and raised the ax above her head, closed her eyes, shifted her feet to get good footing and slammed down hard on the ax. The reverberation of the hit ran up her arm and made her drop the ax. She opened her eyes, looking at Zodiac first wondering if she saw a slight smile on her face before looking down.

“Oh ****.” The ax was buried in the man’s crotch rather than his neck. “I guess I missed.” Zodiac’s looked remained the same telling her she needed to finish this. “Well you should’ve told me which head to aim at.” She tried to joke to break the tension. She wondered if there was a way to not have to feed and then she wouldn’t have to go through this. Anything had to be easier than this she reasoned. Taking the ax in hand once again she aimed and this time kept her eyes open and accomplished the task. The head lay a few inches from the neck, what little blood was left drained in a neat little pool at the opening of his neck.

“Okay, head is gone. What do we do with the body?” She stood over it wondering how on earth they would get a large, male dead body out of the house and without being seen. “Does this stuff happen all the time? And while we’re at it what do you mean I’m responsible for my actions? I always have been. I mean is there something worse I can do? And how do I know if am one that can turn by biting them? How do I only drink a little bit? Will they know it happened? How do I catch them? Will they just let me?” her mind flew furiously through all of the questions wanting to learn everything she could. She just wondered if this life would be better than her last one.

[Zodiac]

She was unmoved by the jokes or the desecration of the body. Zodiac wanted the girl to be in a serious state of mind now and be open to what she would tell her. She nodded as the girl began to ask things. The right things.

"How do I only drink a little bit? Will they know it happened? How do I catch them? Will they just let me?”

"Trust me, I will answer all of those questions and more. You will be my guest for a few nights as I give you the 'basic' lessons," Zodiac bent down and pushed the head into a smaller bag, before unfolding the larger tree disposal bag next to the body and unzipping it. She gestured for her new childe to take the man's feet and help her guide the man into the waiting bag.

"How do you know if you will turn someone from feeding from them as you did this one? You do not until it actually happens. This is why you learn to feed carefully and limit yourself. Better to seek out 3 different souls and steal from each than draining one. The more you take from them, the larger a chance you are giving something back to them through your bite." A sharp zipping sound was heard as the mystic began to close the bag after tossing the head in at the foot of the bag.

"When I knew I was going to 'make' you, I deliberately forced you to drink of my own blood to help the process begin. Basically, I increased the odds of you turning to as close to 100% as I could. When I said 'You are responsible for your actions' it applies very deeply in this new type of life I have either blessed or cursed you with. I made you, thus I am responsible for you and what you do until you 'grow up' so to speak and when you finally decide to make children of your own, you will be responsible for them and so on."

She frowned at the sight of blood on her carpet. She pointed to a small hall closet. "Steam cleaner is in there. Get it out please." Zodiac grabbed the bag and with a show of strength denied by her size, she lifted the body bag and moved it to the hallway that led to the back door. "Later on we will take that out the back, get it in the van and go dump it where it will be someone else's problem and not ours." She took her seat again and watched the girl drag the cleaner into the open.

"Some of the things I will teach you may seem overly cautious or excessive, but trust me, they are necessary. But first hot water is in the kitchen and the cleaning solution is under the sink. Went to too much effort to get this carpeting to have it ruined by sloppy eating habits." She smiled brightly, reassuring the girl now. "We will work on that as well as we go along. No fear. I will not let you go out alone until I am sure you can be safe about things."

[Karema]

Karema followed Zodiac’s lead and helped get the body into the bag. Zodiac began to explain the process for feeding and how one could be turned. It seemed that each explanation only brought up even more questions for her. As she explained that it was better to take a little from many rather than a lot from one made a lot of sense to the girl. In theory it did stand to reason that the less exposure to a vampire drinking from you the less likely one would be to expose them to whatever it was changed them into this new form.

Images came forth in her mind, a wrist ripped open, blood running down her throat and no revulsion came at the memory. Oddly almost a fondness came from the images. A new emotion for the girl. Ever since her life had gone to hell in a hand basket, fondness was not one of those emotions that she rarely let herself feel. She wondered if this woman was going to be a part of her life now or if they make them and send them to go forth and multiply. She stifled a giggle as that verse from the Bible popped into her head. She had given up on God long ago, but maybe this was his way of helping her. “Hmmm” she managed to say out loud not meaning to interrupt wondering what responsible in this world actually meant.

“What do you mean responsible for me and I will be responsible for those I change? Like as in you’re my mom or my boss or something?” Another thought struck her, “So we are like some weird twisted family of sorts?” She looked at her awaiting her answer feeling something odd in her chest. Hope. “Where the hell did that come from?” she asked herself. It had been so long since she had felt hope she wasn’t even sure what it was anymore but something told her she could trust this woman and it did give her hope.

Zodiac lifted the man up and Karema’s jaw dropped open at the apparent strength the woman possessed. The man had been big enough that it should have taken both women fighting with all their strength to move his dead weight. “Nice, very nice” she whispered seeing that if she had that strength there definitely could be some good things about this lifestyle. No man would ever be able to just manhandle her again.

Both women saw the stain on carpet. “Sorry. Guess I need to learn to eat like a lady and not make a mess.” Karema did as she was told and prepared the needed items. When Zodiac had returned she was already cleaning the spot. She was used to cleaning up after herself and taking care of her own mistakes and it gave her an odd comfort to know that not everything had changed. She liked being responsible for herself but truth be told she was also ready to have some help, someone to teach her a better way of doing things, someone to teach her how to be a better person.

Karema felt something odd welling up in herself. She fought the emotions as she heard the woman promise to not let her go out alone until she was ready. It sounded as if this woman was willing to be around at least for a little bit, to teach her, to show her the ropes. A hitch caught in her throat as she tried to answer, tears welling her eyes, “Look, I’m not good with this kind of stuff. I’m not used to people being nice to me and I always try to pull my weight. But well, thank you. I’m sure there are some pretty downsides to this whole vampire thing but for the first time in a long I feel like I might actually have a future or get to have a life. I promise I will do my best to learn all you can teach me and not let you down. You seem really cool and though I have no idea why you saved me from myself thanks. “She wiped the tears that threatened to spill forward and smiled. “Speaking of which, why did you did this?”

[Zodiac]

"A family? Some do consider the idea of vampire lineages a type of family. Totally the Addams Family 'click click' type of thing, but yeah in ways it is like that." she grinned. "Vampire life on the whole is a secretive one. Only in the last two years or so have they made a comeback of sorts. There is not that many of us, so caution is our watchword. Which is why I will teach you how to feed without being seen or noticed, how to take advantage of your new senses and abilities, how to gain powers, and so many other things. We are not born totally ready by any means. Like a child, we grow and learn and become stronger and better as time and experience goes on."

The gypsy cocked her head at the sudden show of emotion from the girl. All of her 'children' had curious reactions when they discovered that had gain access to a way of existence most considered a fairy tale when alive, but this was the first time someone wept tears in the process.

"Why did I save you?" she paused as if considering the question. "When I found you there, I simply had a feeling. When I recognized you, even more so. How many times have I seen you in my teahouse. Such a kind and honest person you was. I do not know what encouraged you to be in the state I found you in. I am sorry your life led you to such a conclusion as that. "

She stood up and approached the woman. "What I am giving you now is a shadow of life itself, but it can be a full and rich existence as long as you are careful along the way. Besides, you seemed to like working in my teahouse so much I told my staff if they saw you again to suggest you fill in a application. We would not have 'talked' as we are now, of course, but we would have known each other regardless. So why did I save you? I felt sorry for you and I needed new staff." she smiled warmly.

[Karema]

Family. Karema loved the sound of that word. It had been so long since she really had been in a family that even totally fucked up vampiric family would be an amazing change of pace. The fact that there was someone who would tell her to stop doing something because it was stupid or wrong actually gave her a sense of peace. Someone who would actually teach her things instead of having to figure it out herself was a gift from God in her eyes even if it meant she was some kind of monster now. To the girl who was used to making it on her own and no one caring this was an answer to her prayers.

The woman studied her for several long moments, watching Karema wipe the tears from her eyes. She hated crying, it was a sign of weakness but if this woman understood what she had just given her she knew that Zodiac would understand. She listened as Zo answered her question as to why. She had no idea that the woman had ever really truly noticed her. She had always loved the teahouse and they had always been kind to her there and when she didn’t have money letting her work to get what she wanted. She realized that the woman standing before her never missed a thing and must be an amazing woman.

As she heard Zo tell her that she turned her because she felt sorry for her and needed new staff she laughed. It was the first time she had laughed like that in a very long time and it felt good. She knew she should be probably be having some kind of breakdown or freak out right now about her new status in life but she couldn’t. In death or whatever this odd situation was she felt she had found life. “Well at least I know I have a job!” she teased the woman.

Unable to contain herself any longer she jumped up and hugged the woman and kissed her cheek gently. “Thank you. I know you keep telling me this is a curse and a shadow of life but you just gave me life. What I had before wasn’t living; it was merely existing. I had no happiness to my life. My only joy was the times I came to the teahouse. It was my luxury that let me feel a little human once in a while. The things I had to do to just exist were unspeakable at times. I didn’t want to die I just wanted a different life, one that I wasn’t ashamed of the things I had to do and you gave that to me. Ok so the whole drinking blood thing,” pausing to think for a few seconds, “nope, still better than the other things I was having to do.”

Karema walked to the fire, pausing to gaze at the flames trying to control her emotions. She wasn’t the type to get all sappy and sentimental like she had but there times it was appropriate. She turned to face the silent woman, a slowly smile and a twinkle in her eye, “Ok so when do we start, what powers are you talking about, how do I get them and in the end what all can I do? I really think I’m going to like this. Oh and while you’re at it, you might as well fill me in on the worst of things since typically that’s what I will accidently stumble into anyway.

[Zodiac]

OOC note. When Karema was turned, the original bounty system was in place, so the rp follows the rules at that time and not the current ones. Thank you.

She blinked in surprise at being hugged and kissed by the girl. "I am so glad you enjoyed my teahouse. Sadly, in becoming this I may have robbed you of one of the pleasures of it." The gypsy debated for a moment-wondering if she should tell her what will happen if she tries to consume things as she did when she was alive. The next blitz of questions from her newly made childe fell into step with her reply perfectly.

"Okay, the bad list." Zodiac sat down and encouraged Karema to do the same. "Outside of the rules of not being seen and drawing undue attention to the fact vampires walk the earth again, there is only a few things I can add. First thing I need to know is, do you have a history with the police? That will tell me how fast we need to work to create you a new identity. Who you were died when you turned. All your ties with your living life need to broken and not returned to now. Too many questions can begin to generate around your changed habits that can draw attention not only to you but to me as well. I had to do an elaborate dance when I was turned, trust me, and I will not have what I have managed to build torn down because of someone wanting to see a old friend or family member one last time. I am sorry, but that is how it is."

"The police themselves," she continued. "Do not let the fact you are stronger than they now go to your head. You may have noticed some of this town's minions of law and order are the shoot first types-with good reason, sadly. Do not fight them, hurt them, avoid them at all costs and never let them figure out who you are. That's another reason why I need to know if you have a record somewhere. Your finger prints don't change. I have cyber-friends skilled at removing such information from files. Killing a cop will put you on a bounty list rather quickly, and the hunters will take notice of it. Hunters are skilled groups of fellow vampires who track down others like themselves who risk putting our kind in danger."

The mystic stood up and encouraged the girl to follow her into the kitchenette. Zodiac filled a water kettle and sat it on the stove to begin heating as she placed two blood packs to float in the water. "I need to show you how to access a part of the internet only our kind uses. In there is a constantly updated list of who has brought such attentions to our kind and what the bounty is for them. There are things you can do to lower your bounty and in time remove yourself from the list totally, and it shows on the forums. The hunters will leave someone who they can see is working their own problems alone, most of the time, but the ones who ignore the matter are the ones they hunt. And when they hunt, it is most serious. I was part of such a group once and still support their values on the issue of keeping our kind safe. When they hunt you, it is to the death. Your spirit will suddenly be taken into a void most call the Shadow Realm and be trapped there until you can find a way out. Meanwhile your body will crumble to dust and be dust until you return."

She pulled two mugs from the cupboard and sat them on the counter. "You do not exactly 'die' in the sense a mortal would, but those who have been there tell me the Realm can be a punishment all in itself. A dark landscape that is a pale imitation of this town where things shift and move at random and the exit is never in the same place for long. When you return you will be less than what you was for a time, but eventually you will be healed from the experience."

In practiced grace, she cut the end open and poured the contents of one bag into the two cups, then offered Karema one of them. "If I ever discover you on the bounty list, I will be the first yelling in your brain to do something about it. And if you ignore me?" Zodiac rolled her mug in her hands to take in the heat before taking a small sip. "Odds are I will probably be the first one to put a bullet in you. Don't look so surprised. I believe in the safety of our kind and if it takes me pumping a few rounds into one of my children's asses to make them get the point I have no issues with doing it. It would break my heart to see any of mine fall, but sometimes a hard lesson is required in order for them to get the point."

[Karema]

Karema listened at the list of do’s and don’ts and had the worst feeling she would be screwing up more than she wanted. She would try and was sure in time it would become more natural. She began to answer Zodiac’s questions as honestly as she could.

“Yes and no. I prostituted when I couldn’t find work or needed extra money to make rent. I’ve never been arrested but a couple of them, well” she looked down embarrassed at admitting what she had been. “I serviced them, they didn’t take me to jail. They know me on site and leave me alone unless they think I’m turning tricks. As far as family they don’t care if I’m dead or alive. I haven’t seen them since I was in high school and they left me with no place to live. Mom remarried and so did dad and I wasn’t welcome at either house so I lived in my car, finished high school, worked. I’ve never had time for friends so I don’t really have any close ties. A few might wonder where I went but basically no one will care. My landlord would be the only one and that’s because rent is due.”

Follow Zodiac into the kitchen and watched her make what she thought was tea. “Wait, they kill you but you’re dead?” She shook her head as it made no sense to her but knew in time it would. It was all so new. “I promise I will do my best to stay off the list.”

Karema sat there quietly trying to figure out how to ask Zodiac for a job but not wanting to be presumptuous. “I don’t know how to ask this but could you give me a job and can I borrow some money for rent? My landlord is kicking me out today if I don’t get the money to him by midnight. If you can hire me then I’ll pay back.” Another thought struck her. “If I can’t make ends meet if I need to turn a trick or two to pull in the extra income is that ok? I don’t know how else to make extra money.” She was so embarrassed yet again to have to ask the woman before her question like that. “Is it ok if I go back to my apartment or do I need to find a new place to live?”

Everything was suddenly crashing in on her. She was starting to see that her whole life had changed in an instant. She prayed it wasn’t a bad thing. Drinking blood, keeping the secret was no big deal but if Zo couldn’t hire her how would she earn money and if she had to change her identity she didn’t have the money for that. This was much bigger than she first thought. This was huge. “Is it true I can’t go out into the sun? What can I eat? How do I find the people I gotta get blood from? How will I know if someone else is like me?” The questions came quickly just blurting each one out as they entered her mind. She looked Zo, the confusion and fear clearly showing in her eyes as she waited for her answers.

[Zodiac]

A single eyebrow raised when the subject of turning tricks for money was mentioned.

"I cannot, or will not, tell you how to run your personal affairs. However, if you are working for me in my teahouse you WILL keep the two types of employment separate. Meaning no trolling for tricks from the customers. My place has a good reputation and I don't need the added rep of the girl who works nights there might give you a happy ending if the price is right." It was a point she made with everyone who worked for her. Most had other forms of employment they worked and not all of it was legit or legal. She worked very heard to keep her 'public' businesses legal and legit so she drew a line with all. Your business is yours, mine is mine, and neither of us will mess with each others.

"You want to work for me? Fine, I will give you a chance. First time someone in the teahouse calls me 'Madame Zodiac' I will bust your *** seven ways from Sunday. I can arrange you a small loan as well, but nothing major till I see you in action. I think that is fair. " she calmed down a bit. "Your own place should be fine for the moment. I would suggest in time you seek more quality accommodations. I can put you in touch with a few places who cater to people like us. Is more a condominium style housing rather than rent and all utilities included." the mystic winked. "No more rent. You will literally own the place."

"As far as the matter of your identity is concerned. Give me your ID. I can do some checks to see how much you maybe in the system. That is a cost I normally absorb for mine, so there is no worries there."

“Is it true I can’t go out into the sun? What can I eat? How do I find the people I gotta get blood from? How will I know if someone else is like me?”

The girl was rattling away now. The gypsy reached out and patted her shoulder. "Slow down!" she laughed. She took another drink from her mug and considered for a moment before starting.

"Daylight is not like it is for us in the movies. It will not reduce you to a pile of ashes but it will give you a very bad sunburn that will cause blood loss. When people of the living side of things see you like that, they will know something is not right about you at once. I told you once, tomorrow I will begin to teach you the signs to look for in potential prey. It is not so hard to recognize another like ourselves. You will just know. Somehow we can almost always spot our own kind in a crowd. It must be a gift of some kind. As for what can you eat..."

She could not help it. Despite the fact it was mean and rotten to do, Zodiac opened a cookie jar where she kept fresh cookies for Jennifer and her few allurist friends who occasionally visited. She held the chocolate chip filled cookie under Karema's nose for a moment. "Have you noticed how your senses have expanded yet? How vivid things look? How sharp sound is? Your sense of smell? Go ahead. Try it. See how your mouth almost dies at the way such a thing will taste now." she encouraged her gently. Tempting her. Another hard lesson to learn-one she herself had failed miserably in her own past.