sterngaze | kenos

[ She watches him with a bit of worry as he rolls back her sleeve, and again there's that difficult reaction in him intensifying. He says it's the blood — does he mean he's squeamish at the sight of it? Either way, she doesn't want to rush him if he's feeling unwell. ]

Please feel free to have a drink first.

[ Of course, she thinks he means he needs water...... ]

[She doesn’t understand. Of course she doesn’t understand; he has never been public about the exact nature of his abnormality, and perhaps she doesn’t even come from a world stalked by vampires at all. Perhaps to Gray, he is just a pale, dark-eyed man with a sensitivity to the sun.

But it is not the sun that is causing him to struggle now.]

No, [he says bluntly.] I didn’t mean for water. Your blood — the smell of it is overpowering. That’s why…

[That’s why he hastily tips the bottled water over her arm, rinsing the wound so it can be bandaged as soon as possible.]

[ Gray looks blankly at him for moment; the only sound is the water trickling down her arm and running pink onto the dirt. A couple long seconds later, her brain reconnects and makes the inevitable conclusion: ]

M-Mr. Liem, you're a vampire?!

[ She jolts belatedly with the realization, but she doesn't try to pull away. Even if vampires are supposed to be dangerous (according to her home world), it's still Liem, so... ]

No, I’m not.

[He clarifies hastily, a little awkward as he re-caps the water and reaches for a clean cloth to blot her arm with. While Liem is willing to take the small comfort that Gray doesn’t actively move away from him in the wake of this revelation, the fact that she obviously knows what a vampire is disinclines him to leave the possibility of further confusion open.]

My father was one. [When Liem was conceived is the obvious implication. While his elder sister could have made the same claim, she was already five years old, a normal human child, when their father became a vampire.] The thirst has just been… worse lately. Since I Harmonized. I don’t know why.

[ Then that makes Liem a half-vampire? She never thought that vampirism could be passed on genetically. She always thought of it as a disease... but it seems like she'll have to rethink things. It wouldn't be the most tumultuous recalibration in her life.

Either way, Liem is still Liem. She quite likes him, and she doesn't want him to suffer. So... ]

You can have some of my blood. How much do you need?

[ She can say this with surprising calm now that her shock has passed. It isn't like she even needs to do anything extra, her blood is already leaking out here in front of God and everyone. ]

[Absurd though it may seem, even the idea that Liem needs blood would have been outrageous to him just a month or two ago. Sure, his thirst for it had been more intense since he began chasing Meridian's light, but he'd lived all his life drinking only a little here and there, when he was too weak-willed to abstain any longer. He's always thought of it as more of an addiction than something he actually needs, especially because over the many decades of his life, he's become so used to feeling sick. He'd come to barely notice the lack anymore, for want of other experiences to compare it to.

But he has given in to his thirst more over the past few months than he had in years previous — and he is not quite so blind as to miss how vital he feels afterwards, how sound of body and clear of mind. It makes the wretchedness that follows after even more gruelling to endure.

Even so, he frowns at Gray when she offers her blood to him so easily. It may already be welling up from her arm, but still…]

Not so much. But… are you sure?

[He should be binding her arm now — not fastening onto the wound like a leech to bleed her more.]

[ It's an easy decision for her. Even if a small part of her still worries — the undead were religiously hunted (literally) in her homeworld — she's simple-minded in her tendency to believe what's in front of her more than what she's been told. ]

I'm sure. My blood will just go to waste otherwise...

[ It isn't an urgent outpour of blood, but there's a slow and steady ribbon that already threatens to drip from her forearm the longer they talk. ]

If anything else attacks us, it'll be better if you feel healthier, right?

[The steady trickle of blood travelling down Gray's bare arm is what convinces him. He cannot think too hard about it here, with her still bleeding right in front of him with second that passes by. He must either accept her offer here and now, or he must refuse and bind the arm promptly — and she is right. Refusing her blood will not heal her arm, but accepting it will improve his ability to keep them both safe, at need.]

Very well.

[Carefully, Liem shifts his gentle hold on her arm so that he can lift it toward him. He tries to force down his own reluctance, not wanting to meet her generous offer ungratefully.]

I will make sure to repay you.

[Still, he avoids meeting Gray's eyes as he dips his head, draws his tongue up the line of blood sliding over her skin, and presses his mouth against the still-bleeding slash on her arm.]

[ Gray understands that this is all very practical, but when a girl is as sheltered and repressed as she is, she can't even try to mentally prepare herself for the feeling of someone sucking on her arm, no matter how polite he is about it. But she does her best not to let her surprise show except to go very still (while vibrating mentally), just as politely looking up and away so as to give Liem privacy. She has to wonder if there's such a thing as blood-sucking etiquette... ]

I-It's alright. My body will just make more blood anyway, so...

[ Maybe she can send him a nice vial of blood later, now that she knows he needs it. It's a weird thought to have, but if it helps him out... ]

Um, hopefully, my blood doesn't taste too strange.

[ Would the taste reflect her eating habits?? She generally keeps a clean and healthy diet, but she's starting to feel self-conscious in bizarre new ways. ]

[He is so sorry, Gray! Nice young ladies like you should not have to let weird old dhampirs suck on their veins. Don’t ever let anyone else do this to you, even if they’re polite about it!

The dark and the downward tilt of Liem’s face help to hide the shame in it as he fastens his mouth to her arm, but he still appreciates that, at the very least, she doesn’t watch. That it has even come to this is mortifying; if nothing else, the experience is encouragement for him to tend to his needs more attentively, so he won’t end up putting Gray in this kind of position again.

He does not reply to either of her comments, busy as his mouth is with other things. Even if he wasn’t, he would be too embarrassed to tell her how her blood tastes (young, and vital in the way that only those touched by magic are), or object to the idea that she shouldn’t mind losing a bit of blood to him since her body will make more. Instead he simply drinks from her wound, until he stops aching with weariness and the need for blood is no longer waging war on his senses.

It is not so very long. Despite the severity of his ailment, the strain of it recedes quickly once he finally has a taste of what he needs. The difficult part, as always, lies in forcing himself not to take more than that. It is always difficult to resist the pull of flowing lifeblood, no matter how sated he might be.

But the fact that they are still in a dangerous area, and that it is Gray whose blood he is drinking, makes it easier. Liem pulls back with one last lap of his tongue (sorry, Gray), and forces himself to finish cleaning her arm so he can finally bandage it, like he was supposed to do minutes ago. His mouth is definitely still a little bloody, and he tries not to think about it.]

I’m sorry about that. It won’t happen again.

[ The time Liem spends latched to her arm is perhaps not objectively long, but it feels like a very long time for Gray to stew in unanswered silence and the strange, embarrassing sensation of a soft mouth on her arm. The awkwardness is in fact harder to deal with than the blood loss.

But Gray figures this is all just a personal problem of hers and pushes down the pink flush on her face (unsuccessful) and just a little bit of wooziness (the blood loss). When Liem finally withdraws she figures it's safe to look at him again, only to find her blood adorning his face like bad makeup. Ah.

She shakes her head as much to refute his apology as to shake off that jarring sight. ]

It was my idea. And... you can't really help how you were born, right?

Well, you are right, Miss Gray.

[Liem keeps his head down as he works, pressing a soft piece of cloth over the wound to absorb any further bleeding, then beginning to wrap the arm up with a careful winding of the bandages. Briefly, he pauses to turn his face away — and when he returns his gaze to his work, the blood adorning his mouth is gone, replaced only by a slight dampness.]

Still, it’s my burden to bear, not yours. I’m sure you have your own troubles to worry about, yes?

[Ideally a young woman like her would be focusing on making her way through an apprenticeship, assisting with her family’s work, or maybe thinking about seeking a good marriage. Worries about the fate of existence are a weighty enough replacement to such matters; Gray surely doesn’t need anything else added onto the pile.]

[ He really just licked up that last bit of blood, didn't he... In a way, the sudden absence of blood on his face is just as jarring as its previous presence. Gray turns her attention to Liem's bandaging job instead, which is neat and orderly in his usual fashion. ]

It's a bit easier for me to worry about other people's problems...

[ Other people's problems don't feel quite so insurmountable. ]

Would it be fatal if you stopped drinking blood completely?

Hm. Well, that is often the way. We just need to do what we can.

[Liem is in no hurry to dwell too deeply on his own struggles — including this one, notably, but unfortunately avoiding it was part of what got them into this situation to begin with. So, he recognizes that skirting around such personal troubles isn’t exactly wise, but also deeply relates to the desire not to think overmuch on challenges that feel both so insurmountable and so deeply disturbing.]

No, not fatal.

[His hands pause briefly in the process of wrapping the last few lengths of bandage around Gray’s arm.]

Or, I don’t think it would be. But, going without has been more difficult recently than it was before. I don’t remember it ever making me so ill before I came to Kenos.

[ That is a strange problem. She could attempt to speculate about the theory behind it, but she won't embarrass herself by doing so out loud.

She looks down at her now neatly bandaged arm, a streak of red on a river of white cloth. A little wiggle confirms that everything is still working even if her strength is reduced. ]

I can keep sharing my blood as you need it. [ Anticipating a polite refusal, she quickly continues. ] In return... maybe you could share some of your bakes?

[ Please indulge the sweet tooth of a girl who likes sweets but is too practical to spend money on them... ]

[Once his face is free of blood and Gray's arm has been properly bandaged, Liem feels the tense urgency that had been gripping him like metal pliers ease somewhat. With his thirst assuaged and her wound covered, he is able to almost totally ignore the beguiling smell of fresh blood still emanating from her injury. He tidies the materials from her bag, setting it back in order so she doesn't have to attend it with her injured arm.

Even when she offers to share her blood again when he needs it, he keeps his attention on his hands.]

That's not necessary, Miss Gray.

[She is right to think that he'd be opposed to the idea of taking her blood again. Gray may be young and vital, but even if she might not suffer overmuch from the occasional bloodletting, he'd still rather not subject her to the process.]

If you want to sample my recipes, I hold lessons at the community centre on the first day of the week, when I'm not otherwise occupied. You could attend some, if you wanted.

[Or just stop by at the end to claim the leftovers, like Gen does.]

[ What to do. He's admitted that his blood dependency is worse now than it used to be, but she can't exactly force him to take her blood either. Maybe she'll just have to deal with that dissatisfaction...

The fact that Liem holds cooking lessons is news to her, and she blinks with surprise. ]

... Actually, I'd love to. When we aren't too busy with the occupation, I mean.

[ Who knows what could happen in the near future.................. ]

Yes, it has been a busy time of late. It probably will continue to be, but… perhaps if things in Alenroux go well, we’ll both have more free time soon.

[Hoping that Liem’s schedule will ever clear up and be less busy is a little like watching the sky every night in hopes of spotting a shooting star, but the good (?) news is that even if he continues to be busy enough that he’s run ragged, eventually stress will drive him to make time for a cooking lesson regardless, just to unwind a little. His coping methods are stellar and his work–life balance is exquisitely managed, thanks.

Carefully, Liem folds Gray’s slashed sleeve back down over her arm. Then, getting back to his feet, he holds a hand out in offer to help her back to standing, having successfully evaded her offer of blood-donation assistance. It was a good effort, Gray!

Perhaps guessing that she might be unhappy with being refused entirely though, he adds,] You needn’t worry about me. If things are going to continue to be like this, I’ll simply have to pay a bit more attention to my diet. I won’t let things get to this state again.

[ If only Gray were stubborn enough to throw vials of her blood at him unsolicited. The sad reality is that she's polite to a fault...

She accepts his hand in rising to her feet, her balance lagging with a moment's wooziness as the blood loss catches up to her. Her cloak sleeve is probably a lost cause, but maybe she can have it tailored into a more summery sleeveless arrangement. She doesn't know much about fashion, but it would be a shame to throw out her cloak entirely. She hates to waste; growing up on an obscure mountain does that to a girl.

He says she doesn't have to worry, but worrying is her nature. And she has a lot of questions, besides. ]

Does animal blood work just as well as human blood?

[ Her curiosity overrides the possibility that this might be an overly intrusive question. She's seen all manner of supernatural being, but vampires (or half-vampires) are a new one for her. ]

[Liem helps Gray to her feet and makes sure she's steady on them, holding onto her for a moment as she straightens — then, they can set back off through the woods. It's probably for the best if they head back to camp for now, since it would be more risk than it's worth to continue scouting with an injury, especially since they're not under any kind of strict time crunch.

And once they get back, perhaps her cloak can be salvaged. Getting the blood out will be its own struggle, but the tears at least might be magically mended. He could even do it himself, and intends to offer once they've returned, as a preliminary thank-you for her blood.

Though he makes a mental note to keep her in mind the next time he has a chance to do any baking, since she specifically requested it.]

It isn't the same, no.

[Normally Liem is loath to discuss his eating (or drinking) habits with anyone, but if anybody has earned the right to ask questions like that, it's the young woman whose blood he just tasted.]

But it can help a little. I wouldn't drink from the monsters, but I do regular hunting sometimes, while I'm here.

[Part of the reason he'd gotten to such a bad state is that recently, animal blood doesn't seem to help his cravings the way it once did. He doesn't really want to admit that to her, though, since he promised that he wouldn't need her help again. That would be tantamount to admitting that he just planned to drink from other people instead.]

It ah... needs to be fresh from the vein, though.

[ So it needs to be fresh. There goes her blood cookie idea... Her mind floats as she walks along with him, doing her best not to look woozy. She can power through injury and pain, but she can't force her body to pretend it isn't missing a chunk of its blood. ]

Then it's like in the stories...

[ She isn't a vampire buff by any means, but she's been made to watch a number of horror films. She'd never find them very scary, but at least she'd politely follow along with the plot. ]

How about things like garlic? And silver and crucifixes?

[Gray is at least the second person he's known to compare vampires to something out of a story. Granted, that's all the familiarity that most people in his country had with them as well; it was highly unusual for anyone to actually encounter one and live to tell the tale, so vampires tended to be regarded as scary stories by most Taldans.

Liem just happened to have more personal experience with the monsters in stories than most did.]

I've heard that before — that vampires avoid garlic, and that they're harmed by silver weapons. Some other monsters where I'm from were vulnerable to silver, as well. But it makes little difference to me.

[Steel keeps its edge better than silver does, so if anything, he's more likely to be harmed by ordinary weapons than silver ones. Truthfully, garlic doesn't really agree with him, which was often a problem back in his home country — but then, many foods don't agree with him. Garlic isn't really special in that regard.]

I'm sorry though, I don't know what "crucifixes" are.

[It might be a weird thing for a man with such a convincing Italian accent to say, but he seems sincere.]

Are there vampires in the land you come from, Miss Gray?

[ It's nice to know that Liem won't get taken out by an extreme garlic allergy. ]

Ah, a crucifix... it's really just a cross. I think its power was supposed to come from its symbolism.

[ She forms the shape of it with her index fingers (and Liem miraculously avoids bursting into flames). She hadn't been thinking of the crucifix as a Christian-specific concept, but she quickly realizes her mistake. She can sometimes forget what's common, versus what was only common to her little village. ]

I was taught that vampires existed, but never met any... I think?

[ she did tho ]

But there are lots of stories about them. Horror stories, romantic stories...

[Liem nods slightly as Gray explains a little more about her world, its vampires and its relationship with them. What she relates sounds generally familiar; the existence of vampires somewhere in the world, and stories about them, but little or no actual familiarity with any. Even if vampires exist in her world, he is somewhat gladdened to hear that she has never had cause to actually meet any.]

I heard many such stories in my own country, as well. … Not romantic stories, generally, but horror stories, the kind meant to hasten the foolish indoors after sunset.

[He supposes there are probably romantic stories about vampires as well, told by the storytellers favoured by the more fanciful members of Taldor’s gentry. For people who have little to fear from anyone except sometimes each other, perhaps the evils of the world seem more like curiosities than threats.]

Is the crucifix a religious symbol? Properly made holy symbols have the power to repel vampires, where I am from. But I don’t know of any gods who are represented by a simple cross.

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