Chapter Text
PROLOGUE
Vice runs through everything - keeping those who don't wish to think away from their own thoughts, dosing us with bliss. Indulging in vice becomes a process, something to repeat to keep those thoughts and urges at bay. Through repetition, it becomes routine. Perhaps the sensation may get dulled, but at the point of addiction, it is no longer about the feeling. It is about this routine. Without the routine, they become less than nothing. Hollow. The routine calls them back, beckoning them with a siren song. Once the tune has lured them back, the routine begins anew, and they are whole again.
In circumstances of dubious relevance, Kanaya Maryam died. Ordinarily, this would be classified as a rather bad thing, but death did not do much to impede Kanaya. Death downright helped the girl, in fact; because, soon after passing, Kanaya picked herself right back up and started life anew, as a rainbow drinker.
The concept of a rainbow drinker had been something of a fascination for Kanaya for quite some time. It was an absolute power fantasy; there was something darkly appealing about what abilities one would gain. Kanaya spent hours immersing herself in those tales, often dreaming of what it might be like to relate to the ghastly, wonderful creatures. But what she felt once she became one herself was an altogether more thrilling beast. As soon as she'd realized what she had become, the prospects were already running through her head. Not long after that, a more primal hunger welled up within her. It was a tantalizing war cry that urged her to make haste and test her newly awakened powers. Her mind was clear her path set. She needed blood, immediately.
Kanaya’s first feeding was something of an awkward affair - she had died en route to a meeting with a friend, and ended up arriving late after she picked herself up. When she did show up, her friend was rather perturbed to see the spattering of jade blood over her dress. That wasn’t like her at all. He barely had time to inquire about Kanaya’s state, though, before she had pulled him in an embrace and placed her mouth firmly on his neck. Her fangs sunk straight in. Not particularly deep - she wasn’t aiming to hurt the guy, simply to satiate something she could not ignore. And when the blood began to flow, oh, such bliss had never been felt by any one troll. The flow of bronze ambrosia sent her mind awash with... well, not quite images. It was more akin to a raw sensation - one beyond description. It was only through incredible restraint that Kanaya pulled herself away. The drinker stared at her ‘victim’, both still reeling from the experience. He rubbed at his neck - though certainly unexpected, it wasn’t that painful - Kanaya, now satiated, apologized for the suddenness of it all. The drinker explained what had occurred and the two continued as if nothing had changed.
By the end of perigee, Kanaya had re-adjusted her life to fit what she had been granted. Some of her close companions had been willing to give her a small amount of their blood when the hunger could no longer be contained. This was the solution most of the time - though there were moments when a sudden pang of need rose up inside her. This called for a more intrusive method - feeding from the unwilling. Kanaya would find nearby hives, sneak her way inside, and locate a sleeping one. Soft as she could, she’d bring them up and bite into them. The feeding was quick, and didn’t entirely satisfy the drinker, but... it was enough. Before the sleeper could even realize what had befallen them, Kanaya was out of sight.
Each caste of blood seemed to hold its own distinct flavour. Those lower down the ladder tasted more earthy, dirty, exciting. Soporific swill designed for a cheap, delicious thrill. Kanaya had to admit that these tastes were the ones that enthralled her the most - the rush that came from a lowblood was so instantaneous. More middle-ground blood - her own included - provided a refreshing, cooling taste. This kind of blood provided clarity, cleansing the mind of woe, and a more subdued, thoughtful experience. She did not have much experience with the taste of highbloods - the furthest rung she had savoured was of indigo. Going by this, though, it could be correctly surmised that the grandest of bloods provided a more refined taste - the type that would be sipped at fancy parties, sniffed, and then sipped slowly. Something that was a luxury. Each different colour had its own little subtleties to be explored, and none weren’t absolutely delicious.
And so Kanaya fed. The blood flowed and the drinker was satisfied. There were other subtleties that passed Kanaya by, though. The fact that her hunger seemed to arise quicker and quicker with each feeding. That more and more blood needed to be taken before she felt compelled to pull away. That she was garnering increased apathy towards keeping those she fed from comfortably. It was a slow burn, but an inevitable one.
And tonight, the hunger was burning strong - it had flared up suddenly, as the drinker slept. It made her feel absolutely feral. Kanaya leapt awake, a guttural, urgent growl escaping her. Unkempt and underdressed, she wasted no time in starting the hunt.
It stirred within her, guiding her forward. She knew not where she would end up, but she was certain of what would be found once she arrived. The trees were but a blur around her, feet simply gliding across the dirt. All she could see was black but for bright, pulsating colour along the rim of her vision. Instinct alone brought her upon another’s hive. It was not one she was familiar with, nor did it matter. With nary a thought, she climbed the structure, her speed allowing her to scramble up within seconds.
Inhale. Slow down. Get a sense of your surroundings. Sniff them out. Exhale. All was quiet - no troll or lusus to be found. The stink of blood was unmistakably close, though. With the last scraps of her composure, she suppressed the urge to thunder right to the source. Briefly, she illuminated the darkness surrounding to get a better impression of the hive she had entered. Everything was rather messy. Disgusting amounts of trash littered the ground. A bust was toppled and shattered. Dismal conditions all around.
Slinking out of the room, Kanaya entered a stairwell. There was a similar level of disrepair here - cracks in the window, the stone of the stairs themselves chipped and dusty. It was getting harder for the drinker to keep her starvation at bay. Quick as she could whilst still maintaining a noise level that could be called ‘stealthy’, she finally found where the blood lay sleeping.
Submerged within a cozily small recuperacoon was a young male - Kanaya took him for perhaps five sweeps - still and peaceful. He was as scruffy as expected, and let out an awful snore. The drinker slumped forward, singing silent praise to nothing in particular. Shaking, she now stood facing down at him.
She picked up the slumbering male, slowly and carefully, as not to stir him. She was hot with anticipation, but knew the value of exercising caution. Her mouth was practically drooling as it came mere inches from his neck... even imagining the feeling that was coming was near equal the joy the act provided. The sleeper was still. Her fangs pierced their target, and the nectar began to flow. Kanaya drunk deeply, absolutely revelling in his taste, and then...
Nothing.
Nothing?
That wasn’t right at all.
Perhaps she hadn't drank enough.
Kanaya pierced further, drank deeper. The taste was certainly thicker and richer than before, and she was momentarily excited, but still, that sensation refused to come. Worse still, as was within reasonable expectation, the vessel began to awaken. His initial drowsiness was swiftly quashed when the rather uncomfortable pain he was in hit him. He let out a cry, beginning to swat feebly at whatever it was that gripped him. It turned into a fray, as Kanaya was caught up in a feeding frenzy that showed no signs of dissipating.
With a great, tired struggle, the male managed to force her off, which turned out to be a mistake; a rupture formed as the drinker’s fangs were ripped from his neck. Bursts of his lifeblood were forced out in uneven flows, the frenzied Kanaya recovering and trying to catch droplets on her tongue like a child with falling snowflakes. Then finally, a mind-numbing euphoria came, nigh-orgasmic. Giddy and giggling, the drinker writhed with joy.
By the time the male, hand over neck, was awake enough to register what was going on, there was no-one else in the room. The male sat in near-mortal pain, body and floor stickied with blood.
Bursting with energy, time hardly passed for Kanaya before she had returned to her hive. Sunlight pierced her vision, yet she felt nothing but vigor. The day was so full of possibilities! Perhaps she’d simply express her utter elation to someone - everyone. Or she’d make something. Who knows what? A dress would be too typical - it was time for something new. Unique! Or, or, or... what? There was a momentary slump in her thoughts. Perhaps it was time to...
She clenched her fists and growled. Stumbling for a moment before she ended up on the floor, Kanaya was hit with a sudden stab of lethargy. The ceiling stared back at her, white and empty. She felt like nothing in particular, unable to move. Stuck. Nothing could be heard as she tried to let out a groan. Feeling as if her un-life was at an end, she spent all her effort into sitting up. As she looked down at herself, instinct took over.
She raked her mouth across her arms, completely disregarding the pain. The dam burst, a beautiful river of jade bursting out. For a moment, Kanaya was at peace, mind plunged into utter elation. No longer was she in her room - she didn’t have any sense of place or time. She simply was, and it was blissful. The ground was littered with blossoms. Flowers fluttered in the breeze. Chilly air passed by, and snowflakes melted upon her face, making the drinker giggle. It was all white. And then all was black.