It's Just Blood

[Roderic]

Ric: I wouldn’t think twice about doing anything for her. All she has to do is ask and if I can do it, I would. Not even think about it for more than the second or two it would take me to think if I was able to do what she asked of me. I hadn’t thought of what would happen after I summoned the spirits Velveteen needed. I hadn’t thought about the blood I might need after it. I just did it because she needed it and asked me to do it. I don’t know if I did it because she was my faction leader, or has taken me into her fold, but i don’t think there is a difference. Both are important to me, I would have done it had I just been a member of Tytonidae, or just a member of Andras. Velveteen, like a few others in the city is important to me. Our relationship is a simple, no ******** sort of relationship and that I can appreciate it. I respect it and I respect her. Nothing she ever asks me is illogical or done for a whim, so if it is asked, it is for a good reason, and if I can do it, I will.

When things calmed down I approached Velveteen and looked her over in an assessment sort of manner. Most of her injuries seem superficial, but there’s one that draws my attention. “Hope the other guy fared worse.” I’m sure he or she did, after all, the faction was successful and from what I see everyone is back and not so badly injured that people are rushing to aide them. I crack a small grin before it fades and I look at her, getting right to business. I’m sure she has a lot on her mind, rather than entertain idle chit chat that means nothing. “Think anyone can spare some blood for the summons I did earlier?” I’m not expecting a lot. Maybe just a boost or two from various people in Tytonidae, the group was good like that. If not, worse comes to worse, I could always buy a couple packs, but I was a minimalist. Which meant, I had very little cash on me or in my accounts. I gave it to a few different places and people, because I hated money. Having to be defined by it. And I hated putting it in accounts because of the paper trails it led back to those that owned the account. I look away from her, not trying to make this any awkward that it might be. Velveteen knows about my ‘condition,’ as some people like to refer to it as. Or my ‘habits,’ when it came to getting the sustenance that I needed each night. I know most of the world doesn’t agree with it, but I don’t care. It’s not what I thought it would be, but it’s not bothering anyone either. I tend to only sink my fangs in one person these nights, otherwise I boost my own supply, but with the things I did earlier in the night, I was feeling a little tapped out.

Velveteen - Velveteen stood at the shop counter, finishing of the small supply of blood she had purchased. She was feeling quite contrary and was pleased to have something else to focus on even if momentarily. They had won. Had escaped fairly unscathed considering but still she felt she had let them all down. It moved so fast that sometimes she felt a little overwhelmed without the luxury of time to think. Micah had told her that she was being too hard on herself and that they were all fine so job well done. Sooner or later she would get over it, chalk it up to a learning experience and move on but knowing herself as she did she knew that later was likely time frame in which that epiphany would occur. ‘Well yeah. They all ended up dead. Remember?” She said with a blood stained grin which faded quickly.

Roderic didn’t tend to give a lot up easily but it was obvious something was on his mind, and thankfully he didn’t waste time getting to it. It was one of the things that Vel appreciated most about the man. Her eyes widened a little as realisation dawned, she had forgotten about the earlier summons. “Oh of cou-.....” The necromancer had started shoving one of the still sealed blood bags in his direction but stopped suddenly. How did she keep managing to forget that one very simple but rather important fact? “Oh. Right. You….can’t have that.” She pulled the plastic bag and pushed it farther back than necessary as if to almost hide it from his view.

Ric: A grin etched on the features of my lips as she offers a regular blood pack and then takes it away. I’m not bothered she forgot for a second. It’s not something people go about talking and she’s got a lot on her mind from the fight that just happened and things that will still need to happen in the months to come.


I just simply shake my head, look around and then let my eyes fall back in her general proximity. Not so much on her, but the area around her and the task she had been doing. “I was hoping for maybe a boost or two. If you have it in you?” I don’t confess that I can get skylar to probably help me with the rest that I’m lacking, I don’t think it’s essential information. She has to know I get my blood from somewhere and the first thought would have to be my wife. “Or maybe the guy behind the counter has something a little different.” Maybe, I’ve never asked honestly. I heard about it being a new thing in the shops, but which shops had them? And it was highly unlikely that this shop might have any, let alone the amount I might need. Plus, it would be rather costly just for a couple of spirits. I think it’s a real rip off, from what I was told it was thousands of dollars. A boost in blood cost pennies in comparison to that.

Velveteen - Her expression seemed to shift a hundred times in less than a minute. A blood heal or two yes! No. She had used the last of her magical strength to heal herself. As for vampire blood being available in the shop that served vampires….that idea was almost amusing. Velveteen had no idea about the sale of vampire blood, she had no need to know or even be aware of such of thing. She could probably, maybe locate some vampire or organise heals but why? When there was really one really simple solution and the fact that Ric was where he was because of something she had asked for. Give and take right?.

Silver orbs fell to the blood bags on the counter. She could replace it so much more easily. The knife she had been using to stab the bags was taken up and she shifted away from the counter. “Come with me.” She said simply, leaving him no choice but to follow as she made her way through the double doors and out onto the balcony.

Ric: She tells me to come with her and I don’t think twice about it. Not that I get the chance to with Velveteen walking away, but I wouldn’t hesitate anyways. I follow behind her at a comfortable distance and just a little to the side. Should someone do something about that head wound of hers? Maybe I’ll offer to bandage it or something. Or that might be better left for Micah now that I think about it. It’s not bad, but it’s definitely noticeable.

I figure we’re going to the balcony for some discretion. Velveteen knows my secret, and by default I assume Micah does too. But that doesn’t mean everyone in the group knows, or would understand or like it. I’m not sure why we have to be discreet about some boosts, but people would probably wonder why I wasn’t chugging down some blood from a bag instead of bothering an injured Velveteen who was also our faction leader. As we’re walking I decide it’s the latter, or maybe there’s something she wants to talk about that doesn’t require the ears of everyone in the room.

We get to the balcony and close the door behind us and take a spot against the building’s wall, eyes trained on Velveteen. My right foot goes up against the wall, as I get comfortable and wait to hear what she has to say. I’m sure it’s going to be something good in the form of intelligence or something as that’s the sort of relationship we have. “Everything okay?” Did something happen during the battle? Or should I have been more discreet about my request on getting some blood? It’s hard for me to tell what’s socially acceptable in forms of conversation among groups of people, but she would let me know.

Velveteen - The necromancer gingerly touched the wound on her head that was still caked with blood though she had managed to heal it to the point of not being critical...just annoying. She must have looked a right mess and decided that the next thing on her to-do-list would be to get herself cleaned up. Perhaps even employ her husband’s aid in doing so. A playful grin lit her lips with the thought but disappeared quickly as she refocused her attention.

“Ummm. No? I mean yes. Yeah everything is ok but you asked for blood right?” Velveteen leaned a little closer and dropped her voice some as if discussing some terrible secret. “Vampire blood yes….?” She raised her hand and turned it over to reveal the knife. “Tis only fair I help. I forgot when I asked for spirits what that meant for you. The thing is I….ahhh....Have no idea how this works. How do you usually do….. it?” Her expression was one of dead set seriousness despite the awkward approach.

Ric: I watch Velveteen as she starts talking and nod at her first question. She leans forward and finishes the conversation and I finally speak. “Yeah. Vampire blood.” I confirm for her as her hand movement catches my eye and I see the knife from earlier in her palm. Was it fair? I really don’t want to be a crutch on someone. Not for my eating preference. “It meant helping you when you needed it.” It was that simple for me. I would have summoned more or as many as I could if she asked it of me.

A small grin etched on the corners of my lips as she asks how it worked. I shrug and rub at the back of my neck with my free hand. “It depends on the person. The one donating.” My grin fades as I start answering her question. “You don’t want to know how I usually do it.” My eyes hold a small glint of amusement before I focus off how I usually do the deed with Skylar and focus on the occasional vampire I come across every now and then. “Sometimes, it’s not much different than feeding off a human.” I remember those early nights after being killed by Phoenix. How bland humans tasted to vampires. After months and months of drinking vampire blood, trying to go to something lesser, was almost comparing T-bone to the brisket. “Really, as long as there is a vein, I can get what I need from anywhere.” I inform Velveteen as my foot slides off the wall, I stand straight and cross my arms at my chest.

Velveteen - Her fingers came up and idly scratched at her neck as she thought about what he had said. The first thought coming to mind was the one that told her that Micah would be absolutely livid if that happened. Besides, letting anyone but her husband touch her in such an intimate way was too much of a foreign concept that she couldn’t even imagine it being anything but weird. She shook her head. No. There had to be another way.

“Wait here.” She said before taking a tentative step towards the doors and pausing. “I have an idea.” Whether or not it was a good one remained to be seen but the woman disappeared inside for only a few moments before slipping back through the doors. In her hand was a small length of tubing that was usually found attached to the blood bags for medical purposes. She shoved it Roderic and mumbled something about him holding for her. With the knife she made a long slit along the length of her forearm, wincing only slightly. Blood pooled in the deep ravine as she dug about the open wound with the tips of her fingers. Her blood covered fingers were sticky as she took the knife once more and made another cut within the cut. “Ta.” She said simply before taking the rubber hose and roughly shoving it into the vain she had opened before the wound could heal.

A large grin spread across her lips as she presented the hose to Ric proudly after having effectively turned herself into a giant sized juice box. “Here ya go, Bloodthief. Take your fill.”

[Velveteen]

Ric:There's no more talking for a minute or two after I inform Velveteen how things are generally done. I understand it's a lot to take in for someone. There isn't a lot of positive things being said about my type of vampire. Cannibals, I've heard and probably been compared to. Some say we even go crazy-that the vampire blood ends up becoming too much for us somehow and it corrupts our minds.

She tells me to wait here, so I take the wall with my back again and wait. How is she going to provide me with blood? As much as I need? I need a lot. Probably more than she should give me, and I doubt anyone else is going to be a willing donor.

I think dark, nefarious things as she's gone. Maybe she'll go get a waste of a space vampire and bring it back here and I can do my thing and then we can kill it. Maybe some rogue vampire causing trouble. It was going to die anyways, so why not take a little blood from it before sending it to the realms? Why hadn't I thought about this before tonight?

When Velveteen returns, she's got some tubing that I'm familiar with and that knife still. The tubing comes my way and suddenly she's cutting into her wrist. I'm actually wondering if this is a good plan. She's already lost some blood, but I don't stop her.

I've become fascinated with watching her work as I stand here with the tubing. I'm in disbelief and in awe at the ingenious idea of it. I never had any doubts that Velveteen was an intelligent individual, but she hadn't had a lot of time to think of a plan. Not a lot of people are intelligent and quick on their feet. Adaptable. It's a good, strong quality to be both.

And yet, even though she offers her blood to me, I don't make a move for it. Instead, I look at the hose that's in her arm and then up at her. I don't know if I can do it. I tend to boost my blood or take blood from Skylar, but the nights I don't...or need more, I find some poor schmuck and make it the worst night ever for him. “Are you sure?” I look at her head wound again, trying to assess if Velveteen would make this call if she weren't injured. This is something that I never imagined having to do; accepting the thing that sustains Velveteen and keeps her going. I don't care about those other guys I come across and with Skylar I only take a little, but this was going to be a lot. Maybe too much for Velveteen on a night like tonight.

Velveteen - “Of course. I just drank a lot and I can go right on in there and drink some more.” Her arm was held straight out and the bloody mess had begun to ooze and run over her pale skin as gravity did its job. The end of the hose that she is offering is shaken as she urges him to take it. “Besides, isn’t this what vampires do when they turn their childer? Not a great deal different I suppose.”

Her forearm rolls a little as she then inspects her work. The idea is great, the delivery a little sloppy though it would heal in no time. “But if you don’t hurry it’s all gonna end up on the floor. Take it.” Her gaze lifts to meet his as she nods. “Unless you think it’s too weird?”

Ric: Getting blood for her was easier than me getting blood. That’s a fact. And cheaper too. We could ritual to find some vampires, but the supplies wasted on finding half a dozen or so vampires would be just as costly as trying to find a place that sold vampire blood.

The hose is filling quickly and a couple of drops of blood hit the floor of the balcony we’re on. She has a fair point. ”It’s not weird.” I say that, but I’m not sure that’s true. Logically, it’s not weird, but it is because it’s Velveteen who is doing the providing that makes me hesitate. “It’s just blood that can be easily replaced. Like you said.” Still, I haven’t moved for it at this time. Do I want it? Yes. Do I need it? Another yes.

I reach for the hose, and lift it upwards at an angle so that way her blood doesn’t go to waste. It slows the flow, but her sustenance coats my fingers as I still weigh the options of survival vs this uncertain feeling. I’m no longer uncertain that she does want to help, I keep having an irrational thought looming in the back of my head that calls for sensitivity to the act we’re about to do. “Why would it be weird?” I follow up with her thought finally before I put the tubing to my lips, look her dead in the face so that way I don’t miss any objection or second thoughts she might have, and take a long drink from it.

Velveteen - “The way you keep saying it isn’t weird is making it weird. Stop it.” She shoved her arm at him again though was careful not to shake the makeshift straw from her vein. She placed her now free hand over the rubber tubing and wound to keep everything in place and gave him a semi stern look while she waited for him to drink. The truth was that is was indeed very weird. Velveteen had never done anything like this before. She had heard plenty of stories about the necuratists. Hell she had even taken part in ashing a few out but she had never watched one drink let alone be the one offering blood. Yes. It was really ******* weird.

She met his gaze though soon shifted her own to the side and looked anywhere but directly at him. She had no idea what to expect or how it would feel to have her blood purposely drawn in such a manner. But they way he was looking at her right now was making it even weirder. There was so much weird going on that with every thought the word was starting to sound like it wasn’t a word at all. She momentarily distract herself as she rolled the word over in her mind, noting that each time it sounded less and less like a real...as sometimes happened when you said a word too much.

Velveteen happened an occasional glance his way though was growing increasingly uncomfortable in the silence and the realisation that she had no idea how Micah was going to react to this. “Oh look at that. It’s snowing.” She exclaimed as she looked skyward as if surprised by the fact despite the fact that it had been snowing the whole time.

Ric:I wasn’t trying to make it weird, even if that’s what I was doing. The situation was weird, but why? She was a willing participant. The only one that had ever been willing was Skylar, though on a rare occasion so was Juliet if she absolutely needed to be a willing donor. But that only happened once and not something I would do again. Wouldn’t think about asking again.

I’ve probably taken a pint or so by the time Velveteen mentions the snow. I sort of forgot it had been snowing, or didn’t pay it attention because other than getting it in my hair, it doesn’t phase me. And even then, it doesn’t phase me. I’ve sat out in rain, snow, sleet and all other sorts of weather conditions while hunting, so what’s going on outside doesn’t really bother me or change my plans any.

After I’ve taken a little from her and eye contact is broken from her and finally me, I stop drinking. She’s not said to stop, but I’m still wrapping my head around this open donation. I don’t think there’s anything behind it, other than her helping me out for helping me out, but it doesn’t make it any weirder. A couple more drops splatter on the floor at our feet, before I grab the tube again and take more. A lot more. Not out of control more, just as much as I need, before I put my right thumb over the hose to keep the blood from coming out of the tube before Velveteen pulled it out of her arm. As if her blood was something sacred and should be protected or saved from being wasted. Really, anyone’s should, because of the simple fact that we need blood in us to survive and grow stronger. “You ok?” I step back and away from her, but not too far off where I don’t have my thumb over the whole of the piping, to prevent blood from pouring out at the rate it would normally go, if my thumb wasn’t slowing it down.

Velveteen - The raven haired necromancer had become lost in her own thoughts. Partly out of trying to ignore the current going ons mainly to avoid the over analysing that was making it stranger and stranger by the second and partly because she was going to have to tell Micah and she really did not expect that to go over too well. She had a feeling that his first reaction would be to get angry before she really had a chance to explain. She wouldn’t blame him, of course, she would do the exact same thing. Eventually he would calm down enough to listen, it was purely of matter of how long that would take.

“Huh?” She looked around distractedly, his words taking a little longer than usual to process. “Oh. Yes, I am good. You?” She reached tentatively for the end of the hose that he now held aloft. “Are you sure you have enough? I’m good.” Her head canted to the side and she frowned a little as she said it. “I kinda expected to feel something or...something. Like...you know drained or something. But nope. I’m good. How about you? You good?” She took the rubber tubing and pulled it free from the vein it had been inserted in and immediately healed the small wound to prevent any further blood lose.

The small hose was wrapped around her fist. It probably wouldn’t hurt to keep it just in case. Hopefully next time wouldn’t be so weird. If there was need of a next time. The odds were on the side of probably. “Well...I guess that is that then.” She reached out and put her hand on his shoulder and gave him an affectionate pat, the kind one gives when consoling a friend; Why? Because it seemed like the right thing to do at the time.

Ric: She was distracted, it was apparent in her initial response to my question. It’s a natural response when someone isn’t sure what they’ve heard, or hadn’t heard what was said at all. It’s not like her to be distracted. Not unless something is seriously wrong. We aren’t doing anything wrong, so what has her distracted? “I took enough. I’m good.” I say with a nod of my head before I look away as Velveteen pulls the tube out of her arm and heals the cut she made minutes ago.

“Maybe the feeling is different for everyone?” I say with a shrug of my shoulders as her hand comes to rest on it. “I don’t feed off a lot of other vampires in general, so I can’t say how it should feel.” My eyes return back to her, or more specifically, the hand on my shoulder. “As long as you’re okay, that’s all that really matters. But, everything’s cool? You sure?” Once she gives me a nod of her head and something that feels a little less awkward and uncertain, I thank Velveteen and leave before she gives me a hug or something stranger than a good job slap on the shoulder. Or whatever that was.