Work Text:
[ 12:44 AM ]
Mafuyu made her way down the dimly lit street, searching for her next target. It was best to aim for houses that were smaller, single-story, with low-lying frames and shadowy lawns. She kept her eyes peeled for the lone light of a bedroom window, the soft glow of TV peeking through the curtains, anything to signify that someone was home. It was a lot easier to get inside when there was someone there to let her in, after all.
Suddenly, a flicker of motion to the left caught her eye. A few houses down, she had just seen the light of a first-floor window flicker out. Was whoever living there going to sleep? If so, that would make the perfect place to start. After checking to make sure no one was around, she began to shift. The streetlights were placed far apart, leaving long shadows along the ground that Mafuyu was able to easily slip through as she made her way to the house.
When she arrived, she shifted back out of the shadows and stood on the sidewalk, surveying the house. It was raised up a few feet on a brick foundation, leaving the window where she had seen the light turn off solidly above her head. What a pain, she thought to herself. Maybe I should find another house… But the rest of the buildings on the street looked vacant at this hour, and her hunger was only growing, so she gritted her teeth and started down the lawn.
As she approached, Mafuyu noticed that the tree in front of the house had a low hanging branch that dangled directly above the window she was heading towards. Shifting through the shadows on the back end of the tree, which was completely dark, was an easy task, and within seconds she was hanging down from the branch with her feet planted firmly on the windowsill. Satisfied with her work, she peered inside.
Though the lights were off in the room, she could make out a dim light - maybe a TV or computer screen? - somewhere to her right. Craning her head to look, Mafuyu saw a young girl who looked about her age reflected in the blue glow of the screen, her head turned away from the window and towards a computer against the right side of the room. She had long, white hair and wore a pair of headphones on her head.
Deeming her to be a suitable target, Mafuyu tapped the window. The girl didn’t seem to notice. She tapped again, louder, but still no response. Was she really so absorbed in her music that she didn’t notice the stranger at her window…? Mafuyu sighed. She didn’t really like breaking and entering because it was such a pain, but it looked like she didn’t have a choice. Glancing one more time at the girl, who still hadn’t turned around, she gave the window latch a tentative tug. To her surprise, it was unlocked and slid open easily. This girl really had no sense of security. What if she had been a burglar or something? Though I suppose I am a burglar at this point, Mafuyu reflected, pulling the window all the way up.
Just as she did so, a strong breeze blew in from behind her, ruffling her hair and clothes. The sheet music that had been propped up above a keyboard just below the window was blown to the floor, and, startled, the girl whirled around to face her. Mafuyu could only imagine the shock she felt seeing a high-school girl she’d never met before perched on her windowsill, about to enter her room.
“W-who-”
“May I enter?” Mafuyu smiled, locking eyes with her. Technically, she hadn’t entered the house yet, so her persuasion should still be effective. She waited for the signature glazed look that came over her victims eyes once they were under her influence, but to her surprise, it never came. The girl just stared at her with wide eyes, unmoving.
Confused, Mafuyu looked down, and realized the issue immediately. She was always careful to never cross the boundary to the house before she was invited in, but the burst of wind had thrown her slightly off balance, and the tip of her shoe was now edging over the window frame and onto the inner sill. Great. Not being able to use her persuasion was going to make this a lot more difficult, but she didn’t really have the luxury of going to find another house right now. The hunger in her stomach was beginning to form a sharp pain, a sign that she didn’t have that much longer before she lost her composure. Losing control was a lot worse than a messy feeding, so Mafuyu let out a deep sigh and glanced back up at the girl. Upon closer inspection, she was smaller than expected and looked pretty frail. She probably wouldn’t be able to put up much of a fight if Mafuyu just jumped right in, pushed her down and-
“Do I have a choice?”
The girl spoke, interrupting Mafuyu from her thoughts. Was she… answering the question? Despite the situation, her voice was calm and steady. She didn’t sound afraid, despite the bizarre situation unfolding in front of her. How amusing…
“I guess not,” Mafuyu replied, sliding into the room with a chuckle. She strode right up to the girl, who was still seated in her desk chair, and looked down at her in scrutiny. “You don’t seem to be afraid of me.”
“Well, you’re just a high-school girl…” the girl trailed off, seeming unsure of her answer. “And something about you seems… familiar? I guess? Like we’ve met before. In a way, it’s almost comforting.”
“Comforting?” Mafuyu stared at her incredulously. “What’s comforting about a stranger breaking into your room in the middle of the night?”
“Well, when you put it that way…”
“You’re a weird one, aren’t you,” Mafuyu said with a laugh. “Well, maybe you’ll be weird enough to do me a favor.”
“A… favor? What kind of favor?”
Mafuyu leaned in closer, bringing her face inches away from the girl’s. “Let me have a bit of your blood.”
“My blood? Why?” The girl shrunk into her chair, instinctively putting her hand to her neck. It seemed like she intuitively knew what Mafuyu was getting at, even if she hadn’t fully realized it yet.
“Well, you see…” Mafuyu traced one long finger along the chair arm as she spoke. “I’m pretty hungry right now, and if I don’t get some food in my system soon, things might go very badly for me. And it’s a lot easier if I ask permission first and you just agree to give me your blood. Less cleanup for me later than if I have to take it by force. So, how about it?” She smiled down at the girl, who’s eyes had gone wide again. “Will you let me have some of your blood?”
“Y-you…” The girl seemed to be struggling to find the words. “Are you… a vampire?”
“Well, I thought that much was obvious,” Mafuyu replied with a dry laugh.
“Then, if I give you my blood… will that save you?”
Again, Mafuyu stared at her with an incredulous expression. Was she really going to peacefully accept her offer? It had been decades since she had fed on someone willing like this, someone who didn’t need to be coerced by her persuasion or subdued for her to suck their blood. This girl really was interesting…
“I mean, you could put it like that,” she answered, smiling. “Then, is that a yes?”
“I…” The girl fidgeted in her chair, avoiding eye contact. “Y-yes. You can have some of my blood.”
“In that case…” Mafuyu reached down for the girl’s hand, which was resting in her lap, and brought it gently to her lips. Her two pointed teeth brushed the surface of the skin, tracing her finger as she looked for the best spot to bite down.
“Wait, why the finger? I thought vampires usually suck blood from people’s necks…” the girl asked, confused.
“I mean, I could, but anywhere in the body with a vein running through it works just as well.” Mafuyu smirked. “Why, did you want me to?”
“N-no…” the girl blushed slightly. “I was just wondering, that’s all.”
“Hmmm… Oh, and you also don’t have to worry about turning into a vampire as well or anything like that. That only happens if I decide to use venom in my bite, which I won’t.” When she didn’t respond, Mafuyu continued her search for a vein thick enough to bite into, and quickly found one at the base of the middle finger, running horizontally just above the knuckle. Without any hesitation, she sank her teeth into the soft skin.
The girl flinched at the pain of the initial bite, but quickly relaxed again as Mafuyu began to gently suck her blood. It was so warm, rich in texture and… flavor? What was this feeling? Her eyes widened and she pulled away from the girl’s hand, leaving a thin trickle of blood running down between her fingers from the twin incisions that had been left just above the knuckle.
“Huh? Is that all?” The girl looked puzzled. “Were you really so hungry if you only needed that much…?”
“No, I-” Mafuyu started, but quickly stopped again. What was she supposed to say? It had been so long since she had been able to taste the flavor of the blood she drank. So long, in fact, that she’d forgotten it even used to have a flavor at all. Throughout the years, she had drank so much blood from so many different people, but it had all been more or less the same, and over time it had simply begun to blend together. Feeding had become more or less a chore, especially with the expectations that had been placed on her around it.
As a vampire of royal lineage, Mafuyu was expected to uphold the image of respect and cohabitation among humans that was expected of the royals. Her family worked to hide the existence of vampires, masquerading as humans and disposing of other vampires who would seek to destroy that peace by feeding messily or killing people incessantly. She had always been taught to subsist on as little food as possible, and when she did need to hunt, always be careful to cover her tracks and never kill her victims unless absolutely necessary. Always needing to be so cautious about feeding, never feeling fully satisfied after a meal… She had grown used to these things, and just accepted them as how things were.
But… something about this girl was different. She hadn’t had such an invigorating experience while hunting as long as she could remember, and she almost didn’t want it to end. Was that why her blood tasted the way it did? So strong, so invigorating… she wanted more. She wanted to drink it again, leave, and then come back to hunt the girl again, and again, and again, and again…
“Um…” The girl spoke up, staring at her. “Are you okay…?”
Mafuyu hadn’t realized that she had been completely lost in thought, and quickly composed herself again. “Yes, sorry. I was just surprised by how delicious your blood was.” It was an honest answer, and made even better by how taken aback the girl was by her comment.
“O-oh…” She blushed again. “Thank you, I guess. You can have as much as you want…”
“I’ll take you up on that.” Mafuyu brought her hand back up to her mouth, tenderly licking the blood that had trickled in rivulets down the palm of her hand and part of her wrist. As her tongue traced the skin, carefully catching every precious drop of blood, she could feel the girl shudder under her touch. It’s almost cute, she thought to herself, finally cleaning off all the spilled blood and returning to the same incisions she had made earlier. She angled her teeth and slid them back into the skin, this time sucking the vein more gently than she had before. Whereas normally she was eager to drink her fill and leave, she wanted to savor the moment, the warmth, the delicious flavor of the blood in front of her. When would be the next time she got a chance like this?
Her inhibitions gradually began to wear away, drowning in the ecstasy of the taste and feeling of the girl’s blood. She started to suck harder and harder, desperate for more of the delicious liquid, until she almost forgot where she was. However, a sharp gasp drew her back to reality, and Mafuyu quickly pulled away, breathing heavily. She hadn’t meant to drink so much, but she had gotten so carried away in the moment that she couldn’t help herself.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to drink so much…” She trailed off as she looked back up to the girl. She was panting profusely, drops of sweat glistening on her forehead and against her bright red cheeks. Mafuyu was alarmed - in her hunger-crazed euphoria, had she accidentally drank so much that the girl’s life was in danger? “A-are you okay?”
“Yeah, I just… wasn’t expecting it to feel so good…” The girl leaned back in the chair with a sigh. Mafuyu stared at her in bewilderment. Did she really not have any idea of the implications of what she just said…? She was still trying to process when the girl leaned back forward and resumed speaking. “Then, was that enough?”
“Y-yes, more than enough, actually…” Mafuyu stammered, still surprised by the girl’s reaction to all this. The first thing she asks is whether I drank enough of her blood… so strange. She shook her head in disbelief.
“That’s good. You look a lot fuller than you did when you first came in,” the girl remarked.
“I do?”
“Yes, when you first got here, you were almost deathly pale, and you had this look in your eyes… I can’t really describe it, but you seem… warmer now, somehow. There’s a bit of pink in your cheeks that wasn’t there before.”
“I see…” Mafuyu scrunched up her face in confusion. Wasn’t I always that pale? I thought all vampires were like that… She pulled her smartphone out of her back pocket and flipped to the camera, squinting at her reflection in the lens. The girl was right. She did look a bit more lively, somehow. Was it because she had finally been able to drink her fill? Thinking back, she had never quite been completely satisfied after a meal like she was now. There was always a lingering hunger, a desire for more, that hung in the back of her mind after feeding, but she had been taught to ignore it. That was how the royals operated, after all. Maybe, then, was that why they always looked the way they did? So cold and pale, as if they were a breath away from death? They were just starving themselves, all this time, and she’d never known any better…
“So…” the girl began speaking again, and Mafuyu turned back to her. “I’m Kanade Yoisaki. What’s your name?”
The question caught her by surprise. “Why would that matter?”
“Oh, I thought…” she looked away abashedly. “I don’t know, that you might come back if you were feeling hungry again. I guess I misunderstood, sorry.”
“Wait, you want me to… come back and drink your blood again?” Mafuyu stared at her, dumbfounded.
“Yeah, if you wanted to…”
Should she even be surprised at this point? The girl - Kanade - continued to subvert her expectations at every turn. She couldn’t help but let a grin sneak onto her face as she responded.
“Well, if you don’t mind, then I guess I’ll be back next time I need a meal. And I’m Mafuyu Asahina, nice to meet you.” She put one foot on the window to leave. “I’ve got to get going now. Thanks for the meal. Oh, and one more thing,” she added, “You should really lock this window.”
“But then, how will you get back in…?”
“I have my ways.” Mafuyu winked, reaching out for the tree branch she had used to get in. “See you soon.”
“How soon is so-”
Before Kanade could finish, Mafuyu had already disappeared into the dark night.
[ 1:16 AM ]
Hunting had taken a bit longer than Mafuyu had planned, so she was a bit late to the nightly meeting she had with her music group, Nightcord at 25:00. She felt so much more refreshed than usual, the delicious taste and fulfillment of Kanade’s blood still fresh in her mind, and it didn’t take the other members long to notice.
“Yuki, you seem awfully cheery today,” Enanan commented. “Did something happen?”
“I just met someone… interesting, is all,” she replied with a smile. While she couldn’t tell her group members what really happened, it didn’t mean she had to lie to them either. “Anyway, where’s K?”
“Oh, she said she wasn’t feeling well and needed to lie down,” Amia said. “Kind of funny that she and Yuki are late on the same day, huh?”
“Yeah, usually they’re the ones here first,” Enanan piped up.
“Haha. Well, I hope she feels okay. I guess we’ll start without her.” Mafuyu quickly skimmed the chat, looking for files that the other members might have posted throughout the day. “Does anyone have anything to report or…?”
“Nope, I’m still working on the MV.”
“And my illustrations aren’t quite there yet either, but they’re getting close.”
“Ooh, Enanan, let me see♪”
“Hey, not until I finish!”
“Eh, why not~”
“Because they aren’t done yet-”
Mafuyu silently moved to deafen herself so that she could focus on work - at least, that’s what she told herself, but in reality, her mind was racing thinking about when she could go back to see Kanade next. Would tomorrow be too soon? Probably, especially given how much she had drank today; Kanade probably needed some time to recover, and she needed some time to regain her appetite. She didn’t really want to wait a whole week, though, which was how long she normally held off between hunts. She’d compromise at… five days, then? Five days until she would let herself go back to indulge in more of that delicious blood… Mafuyu smiled to herself. It was nice to have something to look forward to like this. Five days, huh…
Would she really be able to wait that long?