NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 5: Immortality – Part Ten.
“My heart wants you to love me more, but I don’t know if that is the truth. Faye, I have never been in love before. This is as new to me as it is to you.”
“May I have the bag of blood I brought upstairs?” Faye inquired, while an idea started forming in her mind.
Vivienne stopped admiring Faye’s eyes and looked for the rustic ring of hunger along the rim of her irises. “You don’t seem hungry my love, your eyes are clear.” She gave Faye a quick kiss, “You can have anything I have, mon amour.”
Faye takes Vivienne’s hand and steps out of the shower, then points to the large jacuzzi tub. “Why don’t you get that started while I do…something.”
Vivienne raised one eyebrow questioningly at her newborn. “..If I am reading that look on your face correctly, you are up to something.”
Faye bit lightly into her own lip, then licked the tiny drop of blood that formed. “You just get the water running, and leave the rest to me.”
Tilting her head to the side as the Korean woman teased her with a single drop of blood, the good doctor leaned over and started filling the tub. “Would you like me to add something to this, Faye?”
The newborn had darted down the circular stairs, and into the kitchen when she heard her maker ask the question. “No. Leave it like it is.” She quickly dug around for a large bowl and found sponges under the sink. “While I am doing this, do you mind if I ask some questions?” Faye screamed at the top of her lungs.
“I can hear you just fine, Faye. Speak normally.” Vivienne giggled and swished her hand under the small torrent of hot water. “What would you like to know, mon amour?”
“Two questions really.”
“Yes, and I will answer them non-obtuse as you asked me to do earlier.”
-She did it again- She told herself, chuckling. “You have mentioned two things. First was something about the scent of the lavender keeping -it- at bay. What is it?”
Vivienne watched as the hot water started filling the tub, its white plume of heat swirling. “That is unique to each vampire as I have come to understand it. Yours manifests itself as a tiger of some sort, given that you ended up with tiger-like stripes on your skin.”
Faye filled the bowl she had with a small puddle of water and wet the sponges she found, before walking to the table where she’d bled out. “I didn’t know what was happening to me, Vivienne. It is all such a blur still.” Faye muttered as she started to smear her blood off the table and into the bowl. “I recall a voice calling me a little tiger.”
“Sounds about right.” Vivienne recalled the conversation from earlier. “Yes, you told me what it called you after you first calmed down. I call mine a beast and imagine it as a caged animal wanting to escape.”
Faye kept swooshing her blood off the table and squeezing the captured blood from the sponge, noting that her blood didn’t make her throat burn. -Interesting- She thought to herself and made a mental note to ask her girlfriend about it later. “I think it had control of me. Is it really a beast, Vivienne?”
Vivienne left the water running for a few seconds and went back to her wardrobe, picking up her raven bodysuit. “I have always called it a darkness within. I didn’t know what Drake’s darkness was until I heard him begging and screaming to thin air. His was about being eaten alive, since that is what he was yelling at the time. Poetic justice I suppose.”
“A darkness huh?” Faye’s voice had the hint of reflection as she kept dutifully cleaning the thick liquid from the table. “That is how you came up with Tigerlily?” Faye asked and suddenly the cloud of her mind lifted for a moment to the name ‘Cyberlily’ and she sighed. “..I..I just remembered something.”
“What is that, mon amour?” The doctor questioned as she placed the blood stained letter on the bed and pulled the final thing from her tattered suit, a set of half-broken rounded glasses. Vivienne placed the small trinket on the shelf with her old stethoscope and headed back into the bathroom.
“I used to go by the name Cyberlily. The rest is still shrouded from me.” Faye closed her eyes and said her screen name a few times, trying to get some sort of memory back. Reopening her eyes and frowning in frustration, she kept to her diligent task of cleaning up the sanguine mess on the table that she’d left. Wringing out the sponge one final time, the newborn looked over the table and smiled. “So, um..how do you control it, um.. In my case the tiger?”
“There is no real way to answer that. The way the darkness will talk or attempt to control you will be different each time it tests you.” Vivienne sat on the side of the tub and stared into the hot and fog like water. “I have another confession, Faye. It is about your first entanglement with your tiger.” Vivienne took a deep breath and watched as her hand started to shake again as her nerves betrayed her. “I…I did something that I am not proud of and it might change how you feel about me.” The doctor clenched her hand into a fist, and willed her body into compliance. -Focus. She needs to know this, regardless.- “When I saw the stripes pop out on your…” Vivienne grinned to herself as she recalled Faye’s shapely form covered in black stripes. “...I commanded you to say your name. You didn’t have a choice.”
Placing the bowl on the table, Faye walked over and cleaned the sponge with soap and water. She watched as the red ran from the porous material like a rich red paint. “Commanded?” She inquired and her sharp mind recalled something that Vivienne hinted at before. “Wait, commanded? Does this have to do with you saying earlier that there was a way to control my excitement?”
“Yes.” Vivienne didn’t embellish the answer, or excuse what she’d done. “I made you, I control you. That is the simple truth.” She sighed and splashed the bathwater. -You did it because you had to.- Vivienne closed her eyes and massaged her temples. -Did you really? You see how capable she is right now. Her intellect is evident, she put together hints you made.- Vivienne waited and ached in silence as she waited for some response from her newborn vampire. Finally deciding to occupy herself, the ancient woman slid into the near boiling water. Enjoying the silence breaking hiss her body made in the water, the ancient vampire slowly sank until she was completely underwater and her hair floating aimlessly. She saw Faye come back into the bathroom holding a bowl, and she reemerged from the water slicking her long jet hair behind her. “Faye?”
The half-Korean woman silently made her way into the bathroom, and watched as Vivienne cleared the surface of the water. It took all of the fledgling's willpower to resist her partner's glistening image pasted with water slowly sliding from her normally pale skin. Gazing longingly at her girlfriend’s hair, Faye followed the black silky strands and admired how Vivienne’s black mane now outlined her neck and shoulders, the drops of water adding a steamy and glittering sparkle. Her new vampiric eyes allowed Faye to see through the water clearly, bringing Vivienne’s sculpted body into pure focus. -She really is magical isn’t she?- Faye blinked and admired how the steamy water replaced the pale look that Vivienne typically had. -Unbelievable.- Flushed to the point where Vivienne looked alive, it took the ‘little tiger’ a moment to gather her thoughts beyond the deep pink and puffy nipples just below the surface of the water. -Pull yourself together. This was your idea, it is your turn. Follow your heart.-
“Faye?” Vivienne repeated softly to the young vampire. A quick fear pulsed in Vivienne’s veins and she looked over Faye’s frozen form. Her blue eyes locked onto the reverent green ones, removing any fear the doctor might have had.
After the second time that Vivienne called her name, Faye snapped herself back to the reality of the moment. “Vivienne.” Her voice was low and wispy, “I…I was…just thinking how.” She shook her head, the short and black-pink locks swaying as she did so. “No. It’s my turn.” Faye looked down at the covered bowl she was still holding from downstairs. Gently placing the cranberry glass mixing bowl on the floor, she raised her finger a moment and disappeared for a moment, then returned just to lower the lighting in the bathroom to just above the glow of candlelight. Kneeling down at the edge of the tub, Faye revealed the hand-held bronze bowl from her partner’s shelf. Smiling softly, she curled her index finger to Vivienne signaling for her to come closer. Watching as the blue eyed beauty graciously moved to the edge of the tub, Faye dipped the imperfect bronze bowl into the thick fluid the mixing bowl held. With her free hand, Faye slid her hand over Vivienne’s cheek once more, “You have done so much for me, in just a few hours of knowing you.” Her green eyes began to slowly form heartfelt tears of red. “The rush…the intensity…the unknown.” Faye let her emotions take control, “Hours. I still see you walking to me the first time. I…I knew what was happening then.”
“Faye..” Vivienne started to speak and was silenced by a single finger over her lips.
Shaking her head softly, “You have given so much. Let me this time.” She removed her finger from Vivienne’s lips and held up the small bowl. “Drink.”
Vivienne’s whole body started to shake so hard in the water, it caused little ripples on the surface. The scent gave away the blood in the bowl. Faye’s living blood, once more touching her lips. The ancient vampire had been smelling the delicious and rousing plasma all evening, but she’d resisted it in favor of caring for Faye. No longer resisting, Vivienne reached for the bowl that held the taste of love. She watched as it was pulled from her lips and glanced up from the desire to the green loving eyes. -She wants to feed you.- Her lips quivered softly as she nodded softly. When her bronze bowl found her mouth, Vivienne opened and felt the rich and thick scarlet fluid hit her tongue once more. Exactly like before, the blood had the exceptional taste of something new and exciting, along with overwhelming love. Taking the time to fully enjoy what was lavished thickly in her mouth, the sweet rustic flavor seemed to have an undertone of devotion to it as well. -Are you tasting both love and the devout?- The bowl tipped further into her lips, making her swallow the first mouthful. A cool and saplike feeling slowly quenched the scorching flare within her throat, removing the one ever constant feeling she had for a few seconds.
Faye’s hand slipped over Vivienne’s hand on the side of the tub as she kept watch on her partner. Her heart fluttered the moment the sparkle blue eyes seemed to fill with passion and relief at the same time. She tipped the old bowl completely and then slowly slipped into the water behind Vivienne. Pulling the shaking woman into her with her free arm, she once more filled the container. “Y…” Her voice faltered a moment and Faye took the moment to lift the old vessel of blood to Vivienne. “You gave your blood for me…a woman…you’d known only in a glance.” The little bronze basin drained quickly, and Faye moved Vivienne’s long hair to expose the woman’s neck. Kissing her lightly, she also dipped back into her living blood and once more offered it to her partner. “I…w…” Her own lips began to spasm, “..will..you..want..” Dropping the metal bowl into the water, Faye grabbed the French lady tightly, and flurry kissed her on the neck and shoulders.
Vivienne watched as her ageless bronze heirloom plunged into the water and started swirling Faye’s blood, changing it from a shimmering clear to a deep rose. When the Korean woman grabbed her hips and started frantically kissing her shoulder, Vivienne turned her head slightly and pressed her own soft kisses on Faye’s heated cheeks. When Faye looked up with red rimmed tears in her fantastic green eyes, Vivienne leaned over and pressed her own nervous lips onto the cherry and tremulous ones that had been on her shoulder.
Locked once more to Vivienne by her loving embrace, Faye felt the uncertainty of the moment slip away and she once more found herself in the place where nothing mattered except for the eyes delving into her very being. -Oh..was this what you wanted? To be back where it all started? Safe and loved?- Faye shook off the peaceful dark, and pressed into the kiss between them for a few moments longer, before pulling away. Her lips resisted, sticking to Vivienne’s for a second before she let out a heavenly sigh, “L..let me say this before I lose my willpower again.” Faye found the small bowl between Vivienne’s legs and once more filled it with her own blood. Swimming herself to face her partner, Faye blinked her eyes gently and for the third time started feeding Vivienne. “I..want you to have it all, Vivienne.” Her voice solemnly coaxed. “Let…what’s left of my living body be part of..yours..”
Slipping her hands up and over Faye’s shoulders, Vivienne pulled her partner close to her. She let the emotional tide of love slide gingerly down her throat, feeling it embrace her heart and meld into her. When the little cup pulled away again, Vivienne licked her lips softly. “I…” She was once more cut off from expression by the same finger. Vivienne kissed the finger against her lips and nodded with a heartfelt smile.
Faye dipped her fingers in the larger glass cranberry colored bowl and held them up as the deluge of blood coated her hands. “Inside and outside.” Faye pressed her hands to Vivienne’s neck first, coating her long and elegant neck, trailing it down past her shoulders to the top of her chest. Faye massaged her blood into her partner’s skin until it left a red hued sheen. “Can you feel it? Absorb me. I am now part of you as you are part of me.” She reached down and dipped her fingers into the small amount of blood left in the bigger bowl and held them up for Vivienne to lick.
Vivienne had just felt the lock of love surrounding her heart as Faye’s blood started to pulse in her undead arteries when her skin started to tingle. -Is it love doing this?- The parts of her covered with the maroon life force sent the sparks of electricity all through her once more, awakening her body. Puckering her lips, Vivienne slowly slid her mouth over Faye’s twin fingers and suckled the last of her partner’s living love. She lifted her arms from the water cupped Faye’s cheeks, “Oui, je vous ressens toutes mon amour.”
“W..” Faye started to mumble.
“Yes, Yes. I feel all of you, my love.” Vivienne offered and embraced Faye.
Lingering in the hug, Faye kissed the length of Vivienne’s neck. “Th..thank you.”
A tiny rumble escaped Vivienne’s throat, “What for, mon amour?”
Faye felt a few crimson tears escape her eyes and splash into the rose colored water. “..for..for ma..making me whole.”
“Whole again.” Vivienne whispered soothing into Faye’s ear.
“No.” Faye offered with more kisses to Vivienne’s neck. “You made me whole, with you I am complete.”