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Jonathan reclined in the dining chair, a thoughtful scowl on his face as he watched his progeny and her girlfriend, a pleasant aroma of spices and onions wafting through the air. Their movements were graceful and seemingly effortless, like a river flowing on a day with no wind. Initially, it had seemed like a far-fetched notion, but as he sat there, listening to the bubbling of the pot and smelling the aromas of the food, it seemed downright stupid.
They’ve been ekons for a few years now, and both knew solid food was not one of the things they could eat. In terms of liquids, if a few drops of blood were added to the drink, they could stomach it, but other than that? Anything else caused immense pain as their bodies violently and quickly brought the offending substance back up.
We’re scientists; I have a theory, and we test that theory; that’s what we do . The little fireball that was Odessa walker argued last week after watching her girlfriend indulge in a serving of rum-spiced black pudding. She was right, of course, but what did it matter? Even if it was something they could stomach, it wasn’t like they needed the food. Besides, they were too busy to actually sit and cook.
“Are you sure this is wise? I’d hate to mess Charlie’s floor.”
“It’s a floor Jon, it can be cleaned, ya know.” The woman in question said, looking over her shoulder, her face alight with a delighted smile that seemed to reach her eyes. She was ecstatic when Odessa asked her to lend a hand and help cook the meal. A chance to politely torture a friend? In the name of science, no less? How could she turn that down?
“S’ides, yous are vamps; vamps need blood, and this is mostly blood, so should work.” She adds, one hand lightly pushing Walker out of her way as she moves in front of the mixing bowl. “óir finch will yous sit down? ‘Preciate te help I’s do, but yous can’t taste nothen till it’s done.”
“Fine, fine, have it your way, killer.”
Jonathan can’t help but let out a heavy sigh as he leans forward, his head resting on the back of his hand as he watches the women. Although they ran the risk of becoming ill, it was seemed worth it, since he never tired of observing their interactions, which was so distinct from the way he and Odessa interacted, yet…
Worth it or not, if we do get sick she’s never going to live it down . He thought, the smell of pig’s blood filling his nostrils and making his nose wrinkle. He, like Odessa, hasn’t touched animal blood in… Well, it’s been quite some time, and as the butcher’s bag is cut open, he’s quickly reminded why. Not only did the stuff do very little for them, but the smell was so pungent they could hardly stand it, and the taste was even worse than that of a skal.
“How much longer is this going to take?”
“We have nought to do tonight, Préachán, just relax for once will you?” Odessa's voice was soft, her body swaying behind him, her arms loosely wrapped around his shoulders, as if tonight held no significance.
“Why did I agree to this again?”
“Cause yous love our little petal, and her reasonin was sound.” Charlie said, turning to set a timer as she cleaned up the counter, the sound of clinking dishes echoing in the room before her body turned to face her bloodsuckers… Well, only one of them was hers; she could share, after all. “There, one hour n we can finally test this theory.”
“I swear you only agreed to torture me.” Jonathan's half-hearted sneer echoed through the room as he gently ran his fingers up and down Petal’s arm. The peace and quiet between them was infrequent, as Jonathan would usually attempt to show Odessa that Charlie was not being genuine. Despite her sweet demeanor, she was as merciless as the Priwen leader.
He never tasted a lie on her lips, but Doyal knew ekons. She knew how to veil the truth with her words, without actually lying. This “dinner” was only the latest in a long history of unkind behavior towards them. There was the sunscreen incident and the holy water fiasco. Honestly, Reid was completely bewildered by the manner in which Odessa handled the situation with such grace.
Odessa was always quick to defend Charlie's actions, insisting they were not done out of malice, but rather her character. That somehow, her twin had managed to be even worse than her, which was no small accomplishment, but that was besides the point.
The low, rumbling sound of Odessa's purr filled the room as she leaned her head against Jonathan's and watched his thoughts pass through his mind, a smile on her lips as she intruded for the umpteenth time. “She has her issues, but unlike someone, she’s honest. You’d do well to remember that, sire.”
Walker murmured softly, her voice a warm and gentle whisper. It wasn’t love she felt for the vampire in her arms; it was more of a… Mutual fondness and respect knowing she was one of the few who could keep his beast in check. If she was completely honest, having Jonathan as a ‘ lover’ meant that her life as an undead creature was always exciting and never boring.
A soothing sound of chiming filled the silence, just bearly loud enough to make everyone turn their heads towards its source.
“Finally!” Doyal hops to her feet, a delighted grin on her face.
“If I’ve te watch yous two be sweet any longer, I’ll be de one whos hurlin’ all over de floor.” She feigned disgust, her head shaking in disapproval. She lifts the lid from the pot and the pungent, metallic smell of cooked blood filled the room. Charlie hums a cheerful tune, her nostrils flaring as she sniffs the scent. “Nothin’ like homemade blood puddin!”
“You know, I can not remember the last time I ate.”
“You’ve been an ekon for what, 8 years now?” Jonathan inquired, his voice unwavering in its intensity, as Odessa took a few plates from the cabinets.
She held out the first one and said, “I think so. I stopped counting after the first 4," as she heard the satisfying clink of Charlie's spoon against the plate. When she saw the huge serving of food, she was taken aback, but the look of pride on her girlfriend's face stopped her from saying anything.
Rising to his feet, Reid crossed the distance between them, his hands in his pockets, his head cocked to the side as he watched her curiously. The smell of the food was so dull and unappealing, it didn't make him salivate or pique his curiosity. He felt the weight of regret as he wondered yet again how he had been talked into this. He takes the plate Charlie offers him with a sigh, prodding the black, spongy mound of food with a clawed finger. He was repulsed by the thought of cooked, congealed blood, something he hadn't even eaten as a human… What an irony, a vampire unable to stomach the idea of blood.
“Don’t just poke it, take a bite!” Doyal said, already digging into her serving of the stuff.
With a low growl and pointed sneer, the ekon picks up a small piece of the gunk , eyeing it carefully. Beside him, Odessa stands, her joyful expression replaced with a look of apprehension now that the plate was in hand. What happened to “for science”? He thought, evoking a hushed shut it from his unyielding pet.
”Bugger all — fuck it.” Odessa shuts her eyes tight and lets out a frustrated huff as she quickly pops a piece of the food into her mouth.
“God I’ve missed the taste of this.” She quickly adds, a hand covering her mouth as she speaks.
“Thats meh girl!”
“I simply can not believe you used to eat this all the time, even without our heightened sense it smells… Forgive me, Charlie but it smells like shit.”
“Yous offend me leech, this is meh da’s recipe. Was e’s pops before em.” Doyal said, having already eaten most of her serving. Both she and the ekon were entranced as Odessa swallowed, their breath suspended in the air, her body as still as the grave.
Walker knew from when she first tried drinking water, moments after her turning, that it does not take long for their bodies to reject the “mortal” food, but — thankfully, heartbeats pass without anything happening. She tentatively takes another bite, savoring the taste and feeling a sense of contentment as she realizes this is something they can keep down.
“How do you feel, pet?” Reid questions, still unwilling to ‘dig in’.
“Fine — no better than fine, amazing actually! I can not tell you how happy this makes me. Go on, try it, please?” She implored, her eyes widening until she looked almost childlike, her lip in a subtle pout.
“If yous don’t take a bite I’ma be mightly offened.” Doyal chimes in, the sound of her plate clinking against the sink echoing, her arms crossing her chest as she watches.
Reid's beast let out a deep, throaty growl, its uncertainty palpable with each passing second. Eventually, under the pressure of the expectant gazes, he reluctantly takes a small bite of the food. It's not even close to being as nice as the two women had made it seem; it's much more like gnawing on a wet sponge. His mouth feels dry and his throat tight, but Jonathan eventually manages to swallow, despite the loud pounding of his heart in his ears.
Much like his pet before him, his body became still and quiet, expecting the pain that would never come. “I must beg your pardon hunter but, your ‘da’s’ recipe is deplorable.”
“Yea, think I don’t know that? It’s an acquired taste. But yous feel fine yea?” She laughed while taking Walker's plate that had been emptied, unable to conceal her joy at what she saw. “Yous know what this means?”
”No.” Reid said slowly, eyeing her carefully.
“Got te see what else yous can keep down, if I’s add blood te it.”