𝚂𝙰𝙲𝚁𝙸𝙵𝙸𝙲𝙴 ~ 𝙹𝙹𝙺

9

☽S̵̙͕̀̃Ḛͭ̉̇͟L̸̖̽̌͂A̷͙ͭͫ̕Hͥ̽ͣ̃̔☽

☾ I spent the night with Megumi. After Choso chewed him out for not asking to come in before doing so...we all decided it would be best if I did not stay in the same room as Choso.
"I knew the hag should have sent for you instead of me..."
Megumi mumbled, sitting down next to me on the futon, a candle on the floor in front of us next to my tray of food.
"Hag?"
"Madame Ume."
"Oh...I'm sorry you had to uhm-see all that. I don't know what came over me."
"Vampire and human lust is super strong. Vampires charm, no matter how pure you are, once lust builds between vampire and human, vampires release these pheromones that cause humans to lose themselves with them. It happens unintentionally most of the time."
Megumi was understanding, it made me glad.
"Choso did try to stop a few times."
"He is a special case too because he has been alone his whole vampirehood. Everyone else has fledglings."
"He told me...I hate that he feels like that. I wanted to help, but we both saw how that went. Is the whole pheromone thing the reason shrine maidens don't interact with the vampires?"
"Mhm. You are making it difficult though. You have to be careful. Even with me."

Megumi shifted a little, glancing down into the candle light, I watch the warmth dance across his soft but mature features...
"You too? Can you feel the pull?"
"You smell sickly sweet, honeysuckle. That pull, it tugs on me from time to time but my vow to Satoru keeps me in my place. I hate feeling inappropriately towards you. I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable."
"Don't apologize Megumi. It doesn't make me uncomfortable. Just more curious about this pulling..."
"Legend says it is once every 1000 years a thrall is made for the true vampire lord. That may be you."
Megumi was serious...but that is a legend...
"I don't think so. Tomorrow I will research. Care to join me?"
I lean my right shoulder into his left and smile innocently at him, he just laughs, pushing me, I just fall against the futon, he climbed over me with a grin.
"Making me do your bidding? Low blow thrall."
"You will listen."
I reach up and mess up his hair, he leans away a bit to blow out the candle, giving me one last glance before the room was fully dark.

I felt him move to lay on my right side, I felt slender fingers around my neck...
And then a challenging voice, laced with a strange authority...
"I don't kneel to you."
"You will one day."
I spoke back, not backing down.
"You would make me?"
His voice was against my right ear, I shivered, my heart pounding. His fingers applied a gentle pressure to my sensitive points on my neck...
"I wouldn't have to make you. You just would. What I ask, you do."
I continue, moving my hands to grip his slender wrist.
"I do, only because you're you."
He removed his hand, and I heard his body turn away from me, I lay on my side facing his back, my eyes adjusting to look at the thin blue fabric of his loose yukata.
I smooth a hand down his back and watch him twitch.
"Goodnight Megumi."
"Goodnight Witchling."
He mumbled.
Witchling?
That's kinda cute.
And well deserved.

~

At dawn I woke at Megumi shifting, my eyes parted slightly to see him facing me, his narrow ones taking in my sheepish features.
I wonder if Megumi wants a thrall one day?
Surely all vampires of all classes crave a companion for eternity that is not just an underling they turn and mentor.
"Okkotsu Yuta, A master in a separate prefecture has had his thrall since childhood. Orimoto Rika is his thrall and childhood best friend. Okkotsu was turned and he wanted Orimoto by his side forever, but did not want to take away Orimoto's humanity. So he made Orimoto his thrall."
He spun the tale, I think I read that in one of the thrall books.
"Do you miss being human Megumi?"
I open my eyes, yawning, stretching into him. He smoothed a hand through my messy hair.
"I do. I feel this emptiness where my humanity should be. I feel like I can no longer connect to mortals, I can't understand their decisions, I cannot appreciate their fragility."
"You don't feel anymore?"
"Your emotions fade fast. Loving something that cannot outlive yourself is pointless."
"If you love someone, thrall them..."
"Even though a thrall is not a vampire, immortality takes its toll. They watch every human they loved die of old age or misfortune, they are bound to their master and often see no one but them. They can walk in the sun but start to miss that warmth they used to feel under it. I want no love of mine to ever lose the delicacy they had as a human."
This was a softer side of Megumi I never thought I would see.
This conversation opened up so many more questions I had for not only the masters, but their fledglings.
"Have you ever been in love Megumi?"
I had to know if there was a root to all of this.