Beauty is in the eye of the beholder (Alexandrea)

[Alston Hughes (DELETED 4923)]

Head whirling around, he just wanted to stop. He just wanted to go home and make believe none of this happened. It felt like an eternity before he felt a sense of calm. When that moment arrived though he was hit again with confusion.

Listening to this woman speak in his mind he opened his eyes to look at her. Taken back by her beauty he would of thought she was an angel but then she told him she was a vampire. Then came a choice, to die or to be a vampire. The choice was not a simple one to make but when he looked at her he could see him beside her for all eternity.

Taking in one last breathe as a human he looked back at her and nodded. He wanted to be a vampire.

[Alexandrea]

Alexandrea watched Alston's face as the young man considered her words and when he gave her a nod, she gently let her new ability of the enhanced empathy confirm that he was saying yes to being turned. She sighed and kissed him on the cheek.

"I'll make this as quick and as painless as I can, Alston." Alex said softly to the human. "And I promise you that I will be here for you every step of the way. You'll only be alone if you choose to be." Alex meant what she said. Her own sire had taken a powder soon after Alex had been turned and it had been a hard struggle to find her way. She wouldn't wish that on anyone.

Grabbing one of the daggers from her boot, she cut her own wrist and held it to Alston's lips. "Drink. Drink my childe. Drink long and deep until I tell you to stop."

With that, she sunk her fangs into his neck, ridding him of the last of his human blood. She had promised to make it fast and draining him dry would do exactly that.

[Alston Hughes (DELETED 4923)]

Listening closely he closed his eyes and felt her fangs pierce his neck. Taking her arm he started to drink her blood. As he did this he felt pain shoot through his body, drinking harder he fought through the pain. Feeling his life leaving him and this new sensation he mentally smiled to himself.

The only problem he faced then was how was he going to tell his parents. Pushing the thought behind him he thought if this was his new life then he should leave the old one behind.

[Alexandrea]

She held him tightly as she drained him of blood, once she felt him drinking hers. And then... it was done. She felt the life leaving his body and even as she continued to urge him to drink of her blood, he went limp.

With a sigh, Alexandrea picked him up again and took him upstairs, tucking his lifeless body into her own bed and then laying down on the floor beside him, exhausted. She hoped he had taken enough blood to complete the turning but couldn't know for sure and a new day was dawning.

Thankful for the blacked out windows and the heavy drapes, Alexandrea drifted off asleep after grabbing an afghan and a throw pillow off of the bed. It was going to be a long day tomorrow. She would either have a body to get rid of or a new childe to begin to teach.

The idea of either result exhausted her.

[Alston Hughes (DELETED 4923)]

Pain shot through his body until he blacked out. It felt like an eternity before his eyes opened again. Sitting up he yawned. Stretching his hands out he looked at himself in a new light. Power surged through his body as he looked around for the woman who had just turned him. "Angel? ANGEL?!" He cried out not sure if he should be calling her that. Falling back down he looked up at the ceiling and wondered what was going to happen next.

[Alexandrea]

Sitting bolt upright, Alex gasped as she awoke to the young man calling for an angel. Standing quickly she then sat on the edge of her bed and took her new childe's hand in hers.

"Alston? It's me. Alexandrea. Remember? I... changed... you. I am sorry about that but you agreed to it at the time and if I hadn't... you would have died. So take your time to just get your bearings and then I can begin to answer any questions you have."


Alex's eyes closed and she let out a long slow breath of air. She had not expected him to wake quite so soon and had hoped for a longer rest before trying to impress on the young fledgling all he would need to know. Her eyes darted to the ill gotten gain of loot from the fateful night, torn between sorting though the jewels and doing the right thing.

[Alston Hughes (DELETED 4923)]

His angel came! Leaning against her he nodded and closed his eyes. The world moved around him while he did what she told him to do. Feeling like a baby he clung to her hoping he would not fall off the bed.

Opening his eyes again he blushed at her. "Sorry for calling you Angel." He gave a soft nervous laugh. Moving he put his feet to the ground and pushed off the bed. Standing he looked at himself again. A thought popped in his head and he went to the bathroom. Looking into the mirror he saw nothing. "Alexandrea? I cant see myself? Why?" He stepped out and looked at her. Confused he scratched his head. Feeling his hair he knew he needed to brush it.

Slowly moving back towards her, his eyes darted around. "What else has changed? What little things will I no longer be able to do?" Sitting next to her again he let out a sigh. Stroking his hair back he gently leaned against her again.

[Alexandrea]

Watching Alston closely as he got up and moved around the room, Alexandrea studied his recent memories. Not to pry, just as a means to judge how he was adjusting. Thankfully, her newer skill at empathy was more helpful. Her new childe was of the killer path, he was confused and he had inherited her healthy complexion it seemed. Idly she wondered what other gifts or curses he might have gained from her. Only time could tell.

"It'll be alright, Alston. I'm here to help. There is a lot to explain but the first thing you need to know is to avoid the sunlight for a long time to come. The path you are will allow you to learn how to be a daywalker eventually but it'll take awhile to get you there." She patted him on the arm as she stood up and went to her dresser, taking out a long dagger she cut her hand and held it up so Alston could watch how quickly it healed.

"We're going to give you a quick crash course in what's what and then I'm going to teach you how to feed safely. After that you'll need to rest. Although to be honest, I was amazed at how quickly you returned to life just now. It took me a lot longer. I slept an entire day before I woke up in my Sire's bed."

She wiped the blade of the knife off and handed it to the new vampire hilt first. "I want you to cut yourself for me, Alston. I want you to understand and believe that you are no longer human. Please don't drip any blood on my sheets."

[Alston Hughes (DELETED 4923)]

Day walker? He looked confused at her but nodded. When she got up his eyes followed her to the dresser, seeing the dagger he sat there quietly wondering what she was going to do. His eyes widen when he witnessed her cutting her wrist. Getting up quickly he was about to yell at her but looked and saw the wound had disappeared or rather healed. Confused he stared for a moment and looked at her.

Hearing how she was amazed at his buoyancy he nodded and mentally patted himself on the back. That soon changed when he heard her say to cut himself. Staring at the hilt of the dagger he slowly raised his hand and took the dagger. Staring at his wrist he pressed the dagger to his flesh and cut himself, he made sure that he didnt get any blood on the floor nor the bed. Releasing the dagger he cringed at his wound and watched how it closed up fairly quickly. Intrigued by this he wanted to see what else he could do to himself.

Looking at her again he wiped the blade and gave it back with the hilt towards her. Opening his mouth he looked at her and started to ask questions. "So, does this mean I cant die? And if I can how much damage would I have to take? Also do you use wooden stakes like in the movies?" The last question made him feel rather stupid but he had to ask. Alston wanted to be prepared for anything so he figured he should ask everything and get enough info to survive this new world.

[Alexandrea]

She stood there mute, and didn't have to make any effort to not laugh. Even though the remark about wooden stakes might be highly amusing to her under other circumstances, this was a serious moment. Alston was her childe, Alexandrea responsible for him now. She didn't find his question the least bit funny. The fact that the young man was asking questions at all was a good sign, it showed he was willing to learn and curious about his new nature.

For what would have been many heartbeats, if either of them still had beating hearts, Alex just looked at Alston in the eyes and tried to send him reassuring images with her newest gift. Moving closer to him, Alexandrea placed a hand gently on the fledgling's arm and spoke into his mind rather than speak out loud.

*Oh, you can still die. But you can take a lot of damage. The older you get and the harder you train will determine just how much it will take to kill you. A wooden stake could do the job but not just because it's a wooden stake. It holds no special power simply due to it's shape and substance.*

Removing the one hand from Alston's arm, Alex brought out her razor claws and held them out for her new childe to examine. *See these? These and other powers will be yours to learn,if you are willing to work for them. You wouldn't even need a weapon to defend yourself, at least not against a normal human.*

The claws withdrew after being looked at and Alexandrea frowned slightly, her head tilted to one side.

*It's the others of our kind that may attempt to harm you Alston, and not just because of breaking one of the many rules they feel the need to enforce over all of us. I have been killed many times for violating some law or another and by my being your sire you will need to be extra careful. And yes, I did die and come back more than once. It is said, and although I do not know if it is true and I have no wish to test the theory, that so long as our kind stay in this area we can keep returning from the Shadow Realm. But it is also said that to die elsewhere would be a final, permanent death.*

"Now you will be asking me what is this place called the Shadow Realm." Alex sat back down on the bed with a deep sigh. "It would be a lot more easy to show you than to try and tell you. I'd like to share of my memories with you, Alston. Can you handle that?"