Short Story - Coffee Break
Story: Through Arcane Eyes
Author: R.L. Shephard, aka Madame Ruby
Rating: PG
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Warnings: Femslash (girl-on-girl), vampirism, light fluff
I'm not sure if she's aware of it, but Lucienne has a tendency to look at people as though they're insignificant wastes of her time. She even does this with me, and I've been around her enough to know that she actually kind of likes me. There's not very many women she gets all that close to, and I think she enjoys the time we spend together.
She turns her attention away from the waitress bringing us our drinks - ice water with lemon for her, and a hot cup of cappuccino for me - and smiles right at me. I look away slightly, because those red eyes of hers can be pretty creepy sometimes, and that smile has fangs in it.
It's not that she's not pretty. In a predatory, vampiric sort of way, really. She's got her black hair cut ultra-short and swept back so that just a little bit of her bangs brush against her forehead. I think it's cute, and sometimes wish I didn't look so awful with short hair so I could copy it. Lucienne's got a slender, flat-chested build, and a sharp chin on a heart-shaped face. I've never had much interest in women, but I haven't exactly ruled them out, either, and Lucienne is someone I'd consider having a lesbian fling with.
But those eyes and fangs, and the way she moves with so much confidence make people think twice. I like her well enough, because she is pretty and actually a very nice person. It's just that I can't help feeling like she's sizing me up each time we get together.
That feeling gets a little worse when she finally says what's on her mind. "You're a virgin, aren't you?"
I twist uncomfortably in my seat, focusing very intently on making sure that cappuccino isn't too hot to sip on. "... Yes, I am." It's not something that I'm really ashamed of admitting, but I'm not boasting about it, either. Besides, why would it matter to her?
"I see. You don't really strike me as the type to wait for marriage, so why hold out?" She runs a fingernail along the edge of her glass of water, still staring straight at me while she waits for an answer.
"I don't know. I didn't want my first time to be with just... some random guy. I'd rather it be with a friend, or at least someone I'm dating." It's true enough, but I'd never exactly considered giving my virginity to another woman. I'd always just assumed it would be with a guy.
She nods, closing her eyes for a few seconds. Her smile loses the fangs, and I start to relax a little. She doesn't look like she's hunting me anymore, sizing me up. Maybe she's not interested in having sex with women? Maybe it's just a vampire thing.
"That's understandable, at least. I was just wondering. There's very few people I know that are virgins, and you're the only one that knows what I am. We both know I'm old enough that I don't require blood very often. But a virgin's blood has a better taste, more energy... less of it will keep me going for a bit longer." It almost seems like she's embarrassed about asking me to let her have some of my blood, but it's so hard to tell. She doesn't blush, she just keeps her eyes closed and her hands moving. Her aura doesn't give any indication, either, so maybe it's just out of politeness.
"So you want to drink my blood?" It sounds almost crude when I say it aloud, but there's no one around except her to hear the statement. This little corner of the restaurant is Lucienne's private area. She normally uses it for business parties and more formal occasions, but when it's just the two of us, that door stays shut so we can talk. Woman to woman, vampire to human.
I get a little smile out of her from that. She never did like the vampire mythos that crept its way into modern society. Bad Romanian accents and flashy capes and plastic fangs. Lucienne, at least, has a sense of sophisticated style. She usually wears knee-length or longer skirts, high heels, and a high collared shirt of some sort, but today she's a little more casual. Dark wash blue jeans, an open collar, three-quarter length white shirt, and a dark burgundy fitted waistcoat on top of that. I didn't get a chance to notice her shoes, but they're probably heels of some sort.
She leans on the table, looking me straight in the eye. Her red eyes still creep me out a bit, but I return the look dead on. She's very good at concealing her emotions, but I can see a few wisps of pale green flitter around her. She's a bit nervous to ask this, probably because we've become such good friends. "I would, Calli. It's not that I can't find any number of people willing to do the same thing, but..." She goes silent, just staring off to the side.
I've never seen Lucienne speechless like that before. I smile a little, reaching my hand out to hers. It's just a small, comforting gesture, but she keeps holding on to my hand, refusing to let go. I don't try to pull away just yet, because she seems to need the time to collect herself.
We stay this way for a few moments, before she pulls my hand up to her lips. I can feel my heart beating a little faster, and I remember that one scene in my Hellsing manga. The one were Integra cuts her finger and makes Seras drink fresh virgin blood. Except this is reversed; Lucienne is probably going to use her fangs to cut my finger open and force me to sit here while she licks it up. Or maybe even my wrist, where there's plenty of veins for her to get into.
I stay as still as I can, but I can't help shaking from a bit of excitement and even fear. Lucienne's lips brush along my hand, turning it over and pulling me just a little closer. I'm leaning across the table, and she hasn't even made a move from her relaxed position. It's a little frustrating, but I haven't protested. Yet.
I can feel her fangs starting to graze along my skin. Right now, it's just a feather-light touch, but I don't know how sharp they are or how much it will hurt for her to bite into me. Lucienne's lips stop, kissing at my wrist, and I start to tense up. Will she really bite me, in public? My heart's pounding, I can hear the blood rushing in my ears. I'm pretty sure she can hear it, too. Maybe even feel the blood pumping underneath my skin.
She just... stays there for a few moments. She's teasing me, and I can see the bright yellow sparks of amusement float around her. But then they disappear, and Lucienne bites down into my wrist. It feels like when the doctor sticks a needle in you, just in two places at once. I wince a little, because it does hurt, and I didn't have all that much notice before the actual bite.
After that, though, it's a weird feeling. Lucienne's drinking the blood as it comes out of my wrist, with just a little pull on my veins. That pull is slightly uncomfortable, but a little thrilling, too. I can feel the rush towards my wrist, towards Lucienne's lips, and down her throat. Just when I'm really starting to enjoy it, though, she pulls away.
She mutters something under her breath, and I see a little flurry of sparkles around my wrist. I remember being told once that vampires have minimal magic, but it's mostly used to keep their victims from bleeding to death. That hits home for me - I'm officially a vampire victim. But at the same time, I was starting to like it, too.
Lucienne smiles at me, letting my hand go. I rub at the spot where she bit me, looking at the barely-noticeable marks where her teeth broke the skin. "Thank you, Calli." She didn't ask permission, she just did. She's a friend, so I trust her, but...
"You're welcome, Lucienne. I... I have to be going to class now." I'm running away, and I think we both know it, but she doesn't move to stop me. I don't care if I show up for class a full half hour early, I just need to get away from her for a little while. She violated me, in some odd way, and I liked it. Maybe next time, she won't need to ask. I'll probably cut myself, just to skip past that awful teasing.
Maybe. I'm still not sure what to think of all this. At least we only meet about once a week, unless something important crops up, so I should have plenty of time to straighten all this out. I walk down to the bus stop, and while I'm waiting for it, I look at my wrist again. I can still half-feel that pull on my veins, the rush of blood towards Lucienne's lips.
It wasn't so much a violation, when I think of that. It was sensual, intimate. Kind of sexy, even. I dig through my purse for my cell phone, and call Lucienne's number. "Hey, Lu. Do you have anything going on tomorrow night? Why not come over to my place, I'll kick the boys out, and we can watch a movie or two?"
Author: R.L. Shephard, aka Madame Ruby
Rating: PG
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Warnings: Femslash (girl-on-girl), vampirism, light fluff
I'm not sure if she's aware of it, but Lucienne has a tendency to look at people as though they're insignificant wastes of her time. She even does this with me, and I've been around her enough to know that she actually kind of likes me. There's not very many women she gets all that close to, and I think she enjoys the time we spend together.
She turns her attention away from the waitress bringing us our drinks - ice water with lemon for her, and a hot cup of cappuccino for me - and smiles right at me. I look away slightly, because those red eyes of hers can be pretty creepy sometimes, and that smile has fangs in it.
It's not that she's not pretty. In a predatory, vampiric sort of way, really. She's got her black hair cut ultra-short and swept back so that just a little bit of her bangs brush against her forehead. I think it's cute, and sometimes wish I didn't look so awful with short hair so I could copy it. Lucienne's got a slender, flat-chested build, and a sharp chin on a heart-shaped face. I've never had much interest in women, but I haven't exactly ruled them out, either, and Lucienne is someone I'd consider having a lesbian fling with.
But those eyes and fangs, and the way she moves with so much confidence make people think twice. I like her well enough, because she is pretty and actually a very nice person. It's just that I can't help feeling like she's sizing me up each time we get together.
That feeling gets a little worse when she finally says what's on her mind. "You're a virgin, aren't you?"
I twist uncomfortably in my seat, focusing very intently on making sure that cappuccino isn't too hot to sip on. "... Yes, I am." It's not something that I'm really ashamed of admitting, but I'm not boasting about it, either. Besides, why would it matter to her?
"I see. You don't really strike me as the type to wait for marriage, so why hold out?" She runs a fingernail along the edge of her glass of water, still staring straight at me while she waits for an answer.
"I don't know. I didn't want my first time to be with just... some random guy. I'd rather it be with a friend, or at least someone I'm dating." It's true enough, but I'd never exactly considered giving my virginity to another woman. I'd always just assumed it would be with a guy.
She nods, closing her eyes for a few seconds. Her smile loses the fangs, and I start to relax a little. She doesn't look like she's hunting me anymore, sizing me up. Maybe she's not interested in having sex with women? Maybe it's just a vampire thing.
"That's understandable, at least. I was just wondering. There's very few people I know that are virgins, and you're the only one that knows what I am. We both know I'm old enough that I don't require blood very often. But a virgin's blood has a better taste, more energy... less of it will keep me going for a bit longer." It almost seems like she's embarrassed about asking me to let her have some of my blood, but it's so hard to tell. She doesn't blush, she just keeps her eyes closed and her hands moving. Her aura doesn't give any indication, either, so maybe it's just out of politeness.
"So you want to drink my blood?" It sounds almost crude when I say it aloud, but there's no one around except her to hear the statement. This little corner of the restaurant is Lucienne's private area. She normally uses it for business parties and more formal occasions, but when it's just the two of us, that door stays shut so we can talk. Woman to woman, vampire to human.
I get a little smile out of her from that. She never did like the vampire mythos that crept its way into modern society. Bad Romanian accents and flashy capes and plastic fangs. Lucienne, at least, has a sense of sophisticated style. She usually wears knee-length or longer skirts, high heels, and a high collared shirt of some sort, but today she's a little more casual. Dark wash blue jeans, an open collar, three-quarter length white shirt, and a dark burgundy fitted waistcoat on top of that. I didn't get a chance to notice her shoes, but they're probably heels of some sort.
She leans on the table, looking me straight in the eye. Her red eyes still creep me out a bit, but I return the look dead on. She's very good at concealing her emotions, but I can see a few wisps of pale green flitter around her. She's a bit nervous to ask this, probably because we've become such good friends. "I would, Calli. It's not that I can't find any number of people willing to do the same thing, but..." She goes silent, just staring off to the side.
I've never seen Lucienne speechless like that before. I smile a little, reaching my hand out to hers. It's just a small, comforting gesture, but she keeps holding on to my hand, refusing to let go. I don't try to pull away just yet, because she seems to need the time to collect herself.
We stay this way for a few moments, before she pulls my hand up to her lips. I can feel my heart beating a little faster, and I remember that one scene in my Hellsing manga. The one were Integra cuts her finger and makes Seras drink fresh virgin blood. Except this is reversed; Lucienne is probably going to use her fangs to cut my finger open and force me to sit here while she licks it up. Or maybe even my wrist, where there's plenty of veins for her to get into.
I stay as still as I can, but I can't help shaking from a bit of excitement and even fear. Lucienne's lips brush along my hand, turning it over and pulling me just a little closer. I'm leaning across the table, and she hasn't even made a move from her relaxed position. It's a little frustrating, but I haven't protested. Yet.
I can feel her fangs starting to graze along my skin. Right now, it's just a feather-light touch, but I don't know how sharp they are or how much it will hurt for her to bite into me. Lucienne's lips stop, kissing at my wrist, and I start to tense up. Will she really bite me, in public? My heart's pounding, I can hear the blood rushing in my ears. I'm pretty sure she can hear it, too. Maybe even feel the blood pumping underneath my skin.
She just... stays there for a few moments. She's teasing me, and I can see the bright yellow sparks of amusement float around her. But then they disappear, and Lucienne bites down into my wrist. It feels like when the doctor sticks a needle in you, just in two places at once. I wince a little, because it does hurt, and I didn't have all that much notice before the actual bite.
After that, though, it's a weird feeling. Lucienne's drinking the blood as it comes out of my wrist, with just a little pull on my veins. That pull is slightly uncomfortable, but a little thrilling, too. I can feel the rush towards my wrist, towards Lucienne's lips, and down her throat. Just when I'm really starting to enjoy it, though, she pulls away.
She mutters something under her breath, and I see a little flurry of sparkles around my wrist. I remember being told once that vampires have minimal magic, but it's mostly used to keep their victims from bleeding to death. That hits home for me - I'm officially a vampire victim. But at the same time, I was starting to like it, too.
Lucienne smiles at me, letting my hand go. I rub at the spot where she bit me, looking at the barely-noticeable marks where her teeth broke the skin. "Thank you, Calli." She didn't ask permission, she just did. She's a friend, so I trust her, but...
"You're welcome, Lucienne. I... I have to be going to class now." I'm running away, and I think we both know it, but she doesn't move to stop me. I don't care if I show up for class a full half hour early, I just need to get away from her for a little while. She violated me, in some odd way, and I liked it. Maybe next time, she won't need to ask. I'll probably cut myself, just to skip past that awful teasing.
Maybe. I'm still not sure what to think of all this. At least we only meet about once a week, unless something important crops up, so I should have plenty of time to straighten all this out. I walk down to the bus stop, and while I'm waiting for it, I look at my wrist again. I can still half-feel that pull on my veins, the rush of blood towards Lucienne's lips.
It wasn't so much a violation, when I think of that. It was sensual, intimate. Kind of sexy, even. I dig through my purse for my cell phone, and call Lucienne's number. "Hey, Lu. Do you have anything going on tomorrow night? Why not come over to my place, I'll kick the boys out, and we can watch a movie or two?"