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Gen kept tabs on everyone in Ishigami village making sure that they were in sufficiently high spirits and satisfying any problems that arose amongst them. This also extends to the only other immigrant in the village, and something was definitely wrong with the village chief. No, not wrong, not necessarily but something was absolutely off.
It all started one day in the lab, himself, Chrome and Senkuu were standing around waiting for an experiment to finish and Chrome was happily talking the others' ears off, asking questions about the modern world.
“So you’re seriously saying that you used to be able to go on this ‘google’ thing and ask it any question you want and it would tell you the answer?! That’s so bad dude!”
“Yes it was very useful wasn’t it Senkuu-chan? Senkuu-chan?”
But there was no response, Senkuu was staring at the floor keeping very still. Gen and Chrome looked at each other unsure of what they should do. It was not uncommon for Senkuu to stare off when thinking about something but usually, if you called his name he would snap out of it and respond. Chrome tried to get his attention this time.
“Senkuu are you good man? Hellllooooooo.”
Chrome waved his hand in front of Senkuu’s face finally gaining a response.
“Huh-what, what happened.”
“Dude you were totally spaced out we called your name like three times! Are you ok?”
“Oh yes, I’m fine. Sorry, I just got lost in thought…”
“It’s fine man as long as you’re ok! Anyways about that ‘google’ thing!”
That was odd but nothing to worry about yet, Gen would just need to keep a closer eye on the scientist for the next little while.
The next odd occurrence happened a few days later. Once again Senkuu and Gen were in the lab however this time they had company in the form of Kaseki. The scientist and craftsman were going over blueprints when Gen had entered and he was now listening quietly behind Senkuu waiting to be told what horrible labour he would have to endure when Kaseki cleared his throat.
“Senkuu my boy I don’t mean to interrupt but are you feeling alright?”
“Ya, I’m fine why?”
“Well, I originally thought it was a trick of the light but now that Gen is standing beside you I have no doubt that you’re a lot paler than normal.”
Gen stepped forward to get a better look and found that Senkuu did in fact look a few shades paler than he did normally. If Senkuu got sick they were all in trouble, even if Chrome had the same smarts as Senkuu he didn’t have his knowledge. If they lost Senkuu, they were doomed.
“I’m fine Kaseki, just a little tired.”
“No.”
“Huh? What do you mean no mentalist?”
“You can’t get sick so you’re going to rest! And don’t argue with me! This can be left until later today and at least half of this can be done by Chrome. You’re going to rest.”
“Fine, fine, I'll rest but since you brought it up you have to let me go over this work with Chrome first.”
“Yes that’s fine but I’m staying with you until you finally do rest.”
“Deal.”
The next week Senkuu continued to look pail however it didn’t seem to worsen so Gen left it alone. Now while Senkuu’s paleness and occasional spacing out could have been brushed off by Gen what happened next could not be ignored. Senkuu and Gen had gone over to talk to Kohaku to get an update on how her training was going. Unfortunately, as they approached Kohaku turned to greet them and Ginro seemed to think it would be a good idea to get a cheap hit in on her. This resulted in a small gash on her arm and Ginro getting berated by both the lioness and his brother. After Kohaku had finished her assault Gen insisted that she let Senkuu treat the wound.
“If you don’t clean and bandage it properly it could get infected!”
“Ya, but I don’t have to do it right away! Just let me finish putting away the training equipment and then you can wrap me in as many badges as you want.”
“But it’s better if you do it immediately and it will only take a minute right Senkuu?...Senkuu?”
Again Senkuu was staring but this time it wasn’t at nothing, he was staring directly at the cut on Kohaku’s arm. Was there something about the cut that Gen had missed? Was Kohaku in danger somehow? Whatever the reason it couldn't be good.
“Senkuu? Senkuu what’s wrong?”
“Ya, why are you looking at me like that?”
“Senkuu!”
Gen grabbed Senkuu’s wrist tugging at it lightly. Thankfully this seemed to snap him out of his trance.
“Ah sorry yes Kohaku should get that cleaned but you should get someone else to do it.”
“What why? I mean I know medical knowledge isn’t really your thing but I still think-”
“No! Someone else should do it an-and I need to go!”
Did Senkuu just stutter!? Gen and Kohaku stood there stunned as Senkuu headed towards the observatory. What on earth was that? Being sick is one thing but that was truly weird, something was definitely wrong. Gen needed to get to the bottom of this.
Kohaku’s arm had been treated by Chrome and Gen meaning that it had grown dark when Gen ascended the ladder under the trap door that connected the upper and lower levels of the observatory.
“Senkuu-chan may I come up?”
“Yes.”
Senkuu was sitting in front of his telescope charting the stars as he was so prone to do. It was honestly the only downside to gifting the telescope to him because now if Gen pried Senkuu from his work he would just come here and stare at the night sky instead of getting any sleep.
“What are you looking at?”
“I’m trying to find some of Jupiter’s moons.”
“Ah, I see…Senkuu are you alright?”
“What do you mean ‘am I alright’?”
“You’ve been acting odd for over a week now. And even if you say you haven’t, you can’t deny that what happened earlier today was out of character for you. You said that it’s my job as a mentalist to keep everyone in a good mental state and even if you don’t like it that does include you. However, I am no psychic much to my dismay and it is much easier for me to help if you tell me what’s wrong.”
“...”
“Well? I understand that you don’t like talking about your problems but-”
“It’s not that.”
“Then what is it?”
“Even if I tell you what’s wrong not only is there almost nothing you could do about it, I don’t think you would even believe me.”
And that hurt Gen. Even if Gen didn’t have the greatest self-confidence he never would have thought that something like that would come out of Senkuu’s mouth. Gen could handle when people distrusted him for being a liar or a cheat because he was. He would never deny that. But something about Senkuu saying that Gen wouldn’t believe, wouldn’t trust something Senkuu said truly hurt Gen. But then he realized something.
“What on earth could you of all people possibly say that would be so far-fetched that I just wouldn’t believe you? You literally told me that you would bring electricity to the new stone world and you did! How could you say anything that you couldn’t prove to me was true!”
“Oh ya, I suppose that’s true but…”
“But what?”
“I don’t-I don’t want to scare you.”
“Scare me?”
“Yes.”
“Hum. Ok if I promise to stay and hear you out until you can explain yourself would that make it better?”
“...Ok.”
At this Gen finally walked across the room to sit at Senkuu’s side.
“Well then?”
“I-I’m a…”
“Yes?”
“I’m a vampire.”
What
“What?”
“See I told you you wouldn’t believe me.”
“No, it’s not that I just…well no I will admit that is definitely not what I was expecting…vampires are real?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re one?”
“Yes.”
“But you go out in the sun all the time?”
“That’s your first question?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, well ya, most vampires are just fine in the sun it’s only really European vampires that don’t do well in it and even then it doesn't kill them just gives them really nasty sunburns.”
“Oh ok. Alright, I'm going to start by saying that you don’t have to answer anything I ask that you don’t want to. With that said I'm going to ask the question that you probably thought I was going to originally. So, do you have to drink blood?”
“Have to?”
“Yes, I think we both know that if you have a choice in that matter you wouldn’t seriously hurt someone, even if it was for your own benefit.”
“Well, that’s actually why I’ve been kind of out of it lately.”
“Really? How so?”
“Well, I do need blood but it doesn’t have to be human blood. The problem is different kinds of blood have different qualities to them. So far I’ve been able to sustain myself on animal blood, there are some hurds of goats around here that I’ve been taking from, however, it’s not nearly as nutritious as human blood.”
“So it's like fast food versus a homemade meal?”
“Ya close enough.”
“So did you drink human blood in the modern age?”
“Yes, Byakuya had an arrangement made with a local hospital to give me some of their blood donations.”
“I see. Do Taiju and Yuzuriha know about this?”
“Taiju does but Yuzuriha doesn't and I never meant to tell Taiju, it was an accident but he took it well.”
“So have you ever drunk from a person directly?”
“Once but I don’t remember it very well. I was young and had been trying to abstain from drinking to see if I could build a tolerance. It didn’t work and I ended up attacking Byakuya out of desperation. He was ok but that’s always haunted me so I’ve never done it again.”
“I see. But now that you’re having to survive on animal blood it’s affecting your health.”
“Yes, but I would rather that than have to inflict that on someone else.”
“That’s fair but what if you did it before you lost control and the person told you that they were fine with you doing that to them.”
“Who would willing let me drink their blood?”
“Me.”
A pause stretched between them as Senkuu took in what Gen said.
“You would be willing to let me drink your blood. Do you have any idea how crazy you sound?”
“Yes I do but I’m serious. Even beyond the fact that a decline in your health could spell literal death for not only us but humanity’s future as a whole, I can’t imagine you’re feeling very well right now. Is it like hunger? Or anything you could compare it to?”
“No hunger is a pretty good description, but it also makes my thoughts feel more sluggish as well.”
“Then as a mentalist, I should be helping you with that.”
“That still doesn't feel like a good enough reason to do this to you.”
Gen sighed, he was hoping to not have to say this in order to convince Senkuu, but if he must.
“Then as your friend, I don’t want to see you suffering when I could do something about it.”
Senkuu stared at Gen seemingly lost for words, slowly he opened his mouth to whisper.
“But what if it hurts?”
“It will only be for a moment though won’t it? And a minute or two of pain for me outways you having to suffer for the foreseeable future and if you get to the point where have no control over it you might end up doing it anyway.”
“I guess…”
“Why don’t we just try it? It’s clear that you’re in need of it now and if I truly can’t handle it I swear I’ll tell you and we’ll figure something else out, ok?
“I-ok, as long as you’re sure…”
“I am.”
With that Senkuu stood up with his charts in hand returning them to their place on a shelf. When he returned Senkuu sat much closer to and facing Gen.
“So where do you want me to…? I mean I don’t know if there’s a place that would make it less painful but if there’s somewhere you would be more comfortable with then…?”
“I’m surprised that you don’t know more, I figured you would have done as much research as you could.”
“I did but unfortunately not only is information on vampires hard to come by there’s not much of it in the first place. Most of what I could find came from trashy horror movies and awful romance novels almost none of which were written by actual vampires.”
“That makes sense, although all those tropes must have come from somewhere. Even if it was blown out of proportion you said earlier that even the aversion to sunlight held some truth. Why don’t we start with the most traditional places and go from there.”
“Alright, then where do you think would be best?”
“Why not my neck? If nothing else I can hide any bite marks you leave behind with the collar of my undershirt.”
“Ok.”
With that confirmation, Gen started to undo the top of his undershirt. There was no need to take off the rest of his layers, he would simply fold down the high collar. Keeping this as low stakes as possible would be best in the long run. Senkuu was stressed about this as is, no need to add the possibility of any more intimacy than Gen already had. Once Gen was done he skooted closer so his and Senkuu’s knees were touching.
“I think you should be closer than that.”
“If I got any closer I would be practically sat in your lap Senkuu dear.”
“Then maybe that’s where you should be.”
Oh. Oh, that was bold, even if Senkuu wasn’t looking at Gen and had his eyes fixed on the telescope. Well if Senkuu was going to be bold Gen felt that he had to match his scientist.
“Well then, don’t mind if I do.”
Gen lifted himself up to hover over Senkuu’s lap giving him a chance to change his mind but after a moment quickly lowered himself to sit neatly on top of Senkuu’s crossed legs. Once settled Gen tentatively placed his arms around Senkuu’s shoulders.
“Is this ok?”
“Ya.”
Senkuu then placed one hand on Gen's shoulder pinning his collar in place while the other fell lightly on the smol of Gen’s back.
“And you’re sure you’re ok with this? Completely sure?”
“Yes, Senkuu I trust you. Completely.”
Senkuu’s eyes widened at Gen’s words, and then with an exhale of breath, Senkuu leaned forward to place his lips against Gen’s neck.
“If you need me to stop then just hit me in the arm or back or something ok?”
“Ok, I will.”
“Ok, I’m going to do it now.”
And did it ever hurt. Even though Gen braced himself, even if he knew it was coming the pain of Senkuu’s twin needle fangs hurt more than Gen ever could have imagined. And it spread over his entire body from head to toe. It felt like being stung all over until it didn’t. Slowly but steadily the pain spreading through his body changed into something else, something pleasurable. It felt as though his whole body was slowly going numb slipping down his chest and dripping down his legs to pool in his feet. Most likely this was some sort of naturally made sedative to keep pray in pace, or not, the numbing had finally made its way into Gen’s brain and was making it very hard to think straight. Gen had no idea how much time had passed when the sudden sound of a voice entered his head.
“-en. Gen!”
Senkuu was shaking Gen vigorously bringing him out of his stupor.
“Huh, oh, are you done?”
“Yes, but you weren’t responding are you ok?”
“Umh, ya just feeling really sleepy.”
“Let’s lay down then.”
Senkuu pulled the pair to the floor so they were both on their sides facing each other.
“Other than being tired how are you feeling.”
“Mmm good. Senkuu-chan’s fangs felt nice.”
“Nice? You must be more out of it than I thought. It must be from the blood loss.”
“Noooo, it did feel nice, I liked it very much! Oh! But is Senkuu-chan ok now?”
“Yes, I feel much better now, thank you, Gen.”
Gen grinned at this burying his face in the crook of Senkuu’s neck.
“Good night then Senkuu-chan.”
“Good Night Gen.”