True Delicacies
Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the TrueBlood storylines, characters, actors, plots,.. , Nor do I own any of the Sookie Stackhouse storylines, characters...etc. I am merely writing a story for entertainment and fun.
Chapter One- Sail
"Madam..?" Giles' deep, but soft English voice called into the room looking for me. I didn't want to say anything. Why would I? Another night of work, just something I didn't want to think about. It's just too irritating, dealing with all of it, I thought. I shuffled in my bed, which was hidden in a small concave hole in the floor, and groaned a little. "Queen Morticia, are you awake? It's past ten." I opened my eyes wide, trying to wake myself up.
"Yes, Giles my darling, I am awake, now… leave me to get dressed, unless you'd like to stay and watch." I turned to him, a little bit of edge in my voice, but a little bit of suggestion.
"Oh madam, you surely are a tempting delicacy, but I know better than that. Get dressed, and at the shop in an hour, tops—you have customers." Giles said, his voice taking on that of an authority figure. I just smiled at him and gazed down at him through thick eyelashes. He was handsome, and kind to me. I loved how he knew how to take care of me.
"Yes, sir, promise." I cooed, flipping on the lamp beside my bed. Even though I didn't really need it to navigate, I thought it best to be able to see what clothes I'd be putting on my body so I didn't seem to just roll out of bed, even though that's pretty much what I was doing.
Customers, lame. I thought. I ran a tattoo shop called Sling, and my part of the job was only open at night. I had a few trusted humans to work in the front and do piercings and a few tattoos while I was in ground. The thing is, I am not much of a business woman. I only have a few tattoos, because they were there before I changed. I can't keep tattoos now, because of the healing properties of having vampire blood. It won't hold the actually tattoo, and the ink just seeps out. It's actually quite irritating.
I sighed slightly as I stood up, naked from my sleep, and went to my closet. I was digging through a pile of clothes before I heard a knock on the door and Giles came in to tell me that I had some food waiting for me. I told him thank you and then finished looking for clothes to wear. About ten minutes went by and I chose a long black skirt with assorted bright colored flowers over the fabric, a tight black spaghetti strap tank top, and then a pair of black flats. I tossed my waist length, one inch thick, orange dreadlocks over my shoulder and felt them slap against the small of my back as I bounced down the stairs of my two story mansion.
Once I was in the kitchen, I was pleased to see that my giant blue macaw was perched on the large tree limb that was coming into the kitchen through the window from the small room that I had dedicated to his roaming. He was beautifully shaded and seemed graceful as he cocked his head to side at the sight of me. I grinned wide, my bright pearly whites shining in the soft lights of the room I was standing in.
"Hello, Churchill. Are you enjoying the evening? It's time for you to rest, isn't it? Mommy loves you." I told him as I let him eat a small pile of birdfeed out of my hands. He isn't nocturnal, and so he usually can't stay up much longer than my first waking up. I usually wake up around eight and that gives me from eight to nine to play with him. Birds like Churchill were supposed to get up to three hours of attention a day, and so our human butler Deacon, who used to be a zookeeper before I paid him a considerable amount of money to come take care of my animals, takes a couple hours out of his days to play with my handsome gent of a bird. I smiled happily as I finished feeding him and let him trot on his little tree into his room.
I glanced around the room looking for Giles, who seemed to be off doing his chores, or whatever it is he called the list of things he did as a routine before he could spend his night roaming my house, or going out on the town. I went to the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of synthetic TrueBlood, A negative, and sat down at my dark colored counter and drank it heartily. I didn't really like the taste of TrueBlood, even though I wasn't really sure that any vampire liked the taste of TrueBlood over the taste of an actual human, but I preferred A negative over any of the others, it reminded me of Blood Oranges—which I also found quite ironic.
After a few minutes I was finished, and felt a little rejuvenated. I walked to the doorway, and announced to the house and its inhabitants (pets, and three servants) that I would be leaving for work. I grabbed my keys, and my long black peacoat before I walked cheerily toward my large black pickup truck. Men hated my truck, considering it almost looked like a house driving down the road, and trampled any little man complex that they had tried to snuff out by buying a truck. I looked in the rearview mirror, catching the bright green in my hazel eyes as it stood out under the moonlight before I drove off toward my shop.
When I was there, I had two customers who had been waiting a little more than half an hour,, and I apologized ardently, assuring them that I would be quick as wind with their requests. I pulled two of my longest dreads, one from behind each of my ears, and pulled them back into a knot behind my head, so that my head full of hair would be pulled back out of my face. The loose hair that formed my long bangs dangled elegantly around my face and curled behind my ears as I sat down and nibbled on my lip, clicking the lip rings against my pearly whites loudly while I set up my tattoo corner. I called the first girl over, who wanted an elaborate skull piece on her chest, and sat her back.
"What's your name, Miss?" I asked her sweetly, my deep voice catching her eye as I stared her down, my hazel eyes taking on a more brown look in the protection of my shop.
"Evangeline." Her eyes were blue, much like dark gray ocean blue, and her skin was a light caramel color. She looked like she could be a mix of two different races, but I wasn't about to start asking. I smiled softly, and nodded.
"Well, angel, can you tell me what your purpose is behind this permanent stamp?" I asked her as I readied the color, and the gun. I liked getting to know the piece mainly, not necessarily the person, but often with this type of question, you get a story. I blinked through long dark eyelashes as I prepared the first sterilized needle as she began to spout off about an interest in the day of the dead and how she had always loved the style of drawings and things like that. I decided that part of her other race was probably Spanish.
"Alrighty then, that sounds perfect to me. How about you lay back for me, and take a deep breath and release it, and we'll get this thing started." I cooed, my accent slowly starting to come out as I relaxed. I sounded much like a mix of a small town country girl with a little bit of English city girl—it came with all of the traveling I did in the past, and the English accent became part of my voice, even though I wasn't born in England.
The girl smiled and lay back gently, her long curly brown hair flowing over the side of the table, a sweet scent of coconut flowing into my overly sensitive nostrils. I took the transfer paper and placed it in the correct spot over her chest, and then hovered over her quietly, and began to press the needle of the buzzing tattoo gun into her skin.
A few tears, and distracting conversations later, Evangeline sat up and moved to the mirror we used to show the results to the customers, to see what her tattoo looked like. A wide smile spread over her face, and she couldn't help but turn and wrap her very human arms around my neck and hug me. I returned the hug, a little less enthusiastically but softly. I was fond of humans who had no fear when it came to coming into my shop so late at night and offering up their skin for me so that I could do some damage.
Evangeline released me and looked up at me with expecting eyes lingering on my plump lips. I smiled wide, knowing why she was curious—having heard her thinking about it all night—and showed her my fangs. Most humans, do, however, come into my shop to make sure that I was in fact, Vampire. She jumped a little, but grinned and bowed her head in silence and left about twenty minutes later after paying and saying another dutiful thank you.
I turned to my last customer, and he seemed rather patient, having seen the whole ordeal unfold in front of him, he had no expectations to see my fangs again, which I had retracted by the time he sat in front of me asking me to pierce his tongue for him. I nodded happily and asked him the same series of questions I'd asked Evangeline before.
His name was William, and he was nineteen, he said that the reason he was getting his tongue pierced was because he had always thought they were sexy. I agreed with that last statement, and told him that it would fit him very well to have one. I placed the gloves on my pale hands, and then handed him a small cup full of blue mouthwash.
"Rinse with this for one full minute, please. I will count." I told him, watching him slosh the mouthwash in his mouth.
He sat there for a moment, and stared at me. Not realizing that if I wanted to, I could creep into his mind and read every little thought he'd had locked away, but I felt no need to do it. He finished sloshing it around and I tossed the mouthwash and the little paper cup into the trash. I then took the black marker and marked where he wanted the bar to be inserted, once I had that straightened out, I instructed him to stick his tongue out as far as possible, and he did so. With that, I placed the cold metal clamp over the spot on his tongue in which I had marked, and then told him that he should focus on the feeling of the clamp on his tongue.
I pulled the hollow piercing needle out of the sterilized package and held it above his tongue, looked down at him and told him in quite deep breaths to brace himself.
"One, Two, Three!" I pushed the hollow needle through his tongue hard, not too hard to harm him too badly, but hard enough to go through the tongue. In the end of the hollow needle, I had placed a 14 gauge bar, and now I pulled it through the bottom part of his tongue slowly. I twisted the bottom onto his tongue, and then handed him another small cup of mouthwash.
"Now, another thirty seconds, please." I suggested as I cleaned up the plastic and trash from the piercing itself.
He spit it out into the sink beside him and then proceeded to ask me about the length of the bar and why it was so long.
"It's for swelling purposes. Your tongue will swell, very large, probably. Just use mouthwash every half hour for a few days if you can, and when it reduces in swelling after two to three weeks, you can remove the bar and place it with a new one. If you have any questions, though, you're always welcome to come around here anytime. During the day I have others who can assist you." I answered his questions, said and unsaid. He nodded happily, paid me, and then left.
Giles had known about the customers because they had set up an appointment with me a few days before and I had been really busy, so I had to change it. But tonight, he was sure that I would be going to work. Which, I really never wanted to do anyway, but like I said, he really took good care of me.
I stood, and noticed that I was the only one in the shop at the time, that Risoli and Tyler were gone. Maybe it was their day off, and maybe that was why Giles was so adamant that I come to work tonight. I rolled my eyes and sat down in the cushiony black rolling chair that was stationed behind the desk in the center of the shop. It was the table that you saw when you first came in, kind of like the secretary desk. I rolled around slowly, trying to amuse myself. I pondered on more important business that I had to take care of, and wondered what it would be like having to go home and do nothing but work more. I didn't really need the money that I earned from the shop here, so often I just hired people to do my other work for me—or I just gave it away, or bought useless things like huge cars, or exotic pets.
The door opened, and the cool air brushed against my face, causing the only loose hair around my face to fly around. I tucked them behind my ears and turned around to see who it was. My eyes narrowed as I saw the tall Viking man glide into the room so confident about his own air, it made me sick to my stomach almost. I sighed and crossed my arms across my chest.
"What are you doing here, Mr. Northman?" I asked him in a somber, more professional tone.
Eric Northman cocked his head, and smirked slightly, his thumbs hooked into his pockets and his soft blonde highlighted hair scraped back behind his ears making him look more like a douche bag than ever. I blinked up at him, waiting for his response, which I wasn't sure if I was ever going to get one.
"Well, we have business, my Queen. Have you forgotten?" he said sweetly, almost like he was amused at my forgetful tendencies.
I wracked my brain for the business that we had, and I had completely forgotten. I sighed and stood up, my long, black painted fingernails tapping against the cold granite counter.
"Do remind me…" I groaned, my eyes trying to find every other place to look other than his annoying gaze.
Eric let out a chuckle, and I nearly squirmed. "Well, Giles said that The Authority caught on to an encounter between you and the local Pack Master, and that he was worried that you would be in some sort of trouble. He assumed that I, having such close relationships with the werewolves in Louisiana and Dallas, could be of some help for you when it came to conversing with the animals. The Authority would like to avoid all contact with the beasts, but since it doesn't seem possible for you to do that—seeing as you keep going back for trouble every time you're told not to—I figured I could help you avoid conflict." Eric's voice was steady, and didn't waver once as he spoke to me like I was a little child.
With each word, I got angrier and angrier. I clicked my tongue, and then grinned. I could feel the adrenaline rushing through my veins as he spoke about the packs. I wondered if he even knew about my brother. It was strange, no one really did. I didn't know if I wanted him to know about it, either. I spun around the table, and swerved out from behind it to where I was standing only three feet from the Viking sheriff.
"Tell me, what makes you think I can't handle myself with The Authority?" I asked him, crossing my arms again, but keeping my bright eyes on his shining blue ones.
"Truthfully, I'm sure you could handle yourself in any situation, but The Authority isn't any different here than it is in Louisiana, Morticia. In fact, they are the same fuckers who plan on ruining us all. They are crude, and have no means to feel any bit of sympathy. I don't know why you feel the need to…mingle…with these creatures, but I doubt you'll tell me without me hiring a series of private investigators and frankly I don't give a damn to do that much work right now…" Eric seemed to have gotten lost in his words, or he just pondered on a few things to say next, he ran his fingers through his hair slowly, and then looked down at me. "The point is, they think you're trying to go against them with these wolves. I have it under good authority that you've been close to the pack master himself for a long time now, he won't clarify your relationship but Giles was worried that you may be harmed in the process of being with this creature and wanted me here."
"So what, you're supposed to protect me?" I asked him, incredulously, almost laughing as I asked him.
Eric raised one eyebrow. "Look, I have better things to do than argue with you, Your Highness, so if you would please give me a little bit of information to steady the rumors and to at least figure out how to protect you from the gaze of The Authority—we would be able to go our separate ways, again." He said tiredly, moving closer to me as I stood looking up at him.
I don't know why I didn't like the feel of him so close to me, but I truly didn't. I looked away and shrugged. "I really don't think you have anything to worry about and neither does The Vampire Authority. Frankly, I CAN take care of myself, and Giles knows it. Silly man always worries that I'll die in some freak gunfire accident of wood and silver." I rolled my eyes as I talked about Giles's fears. He was always worried I might not even get home in time for morning.
Eric growled deep in his chest, "You really are an aggravating woman, Morticia." He complained looking down at me, catching my eyes and holding them.
"Look, you don't know what's going on, and I understand you'd like to know. But it's in your best interest if you don't. Okay?" I told him seriously, my eyes taking on a more serious glaze.
Eric seemed to have caught that and pressed further on. "The Authority will figure it out, they will figure any secret you have out in a second, it's best to give it to me at least for now so that I can try and do something to protect you. It's best if we still have you under our wing for an ally." He suggested, and I growled in equal frustration.
I walked over to the window and glanced out onto the street outside, littered with club goers and creatures of that sort. I thought about the places that I had gone with my brother, and the one night of the month that I had to spend with him, or I'd die. The secrets that I've kept from everyone, even Giles, were big, and I was afraid to show them to anyone. But, Eric was right, The Authority would be cracking down on the conflicts, and the visits between Vampire, Human, and Were-Creatures soon and making sure that they could do anything in their power to keep it as minimal as possible. The thought of having a war against Vampire's was something that they just didn't want to accept. I understood that, but I was in a place much different than the average vampire, and I couldn't just release my secrets to anyone. I turned to face Eric Northman with a stern facial expression. He looked at me, his eyes showed a little surprise, and I softened my gaze.
"I won't hold you to any promise, because it is not something that I can expect you to keep. However, I will not insult you by giving you a snippet of information that may or may not help you in your task here. Besides, you shouldn't have had to come all the way to Oklahoma from your Louisiana without getting something out of it, now, should you?" I said in a decided tone. I was afraid of what would happen if I told him this secret, but it was something that I had to tell him, because as I'd said, The Authority would catch on, whether I did it or not.
"I suppose, it would be nice to leave with a little bit of something on my place, Miss." Eric said; his voice quieter, as he patiently waited for me to talk myself through my secrets, which was a lot harder than he thought, naturally.
I nodded, and sighed, walking closer to where he stood, to where I was only a few inches from our chests touching. "I won't act like no one is listening, because I'm sure that from this day forward, I will always have suspicion on my back, and they will always be listening." I said in a soft voice, my bright red orange hair fell from behind my ear, and I felt it tickle my cheek, but I didn't want to move it at the moment. "Eric, the pack master that The Authority assumes that I am starting a rivalry with," I paused, taking a deep breath once again, even though I didn't naturally need to, "is my brother."
Author's Note:
Thank you for reading, everyone, I hope you enjoyed it! I am just trying this fan fiction out for a while. I will be placing a lot of OC's into this story, because it is based in Oklahoma. Wrapped around the supernatural's in Oklahoma, and I'm trying to connect them to a lot of other things dealing with Vampires of Louisiana, Texas, and even California as well. So, come on and review it. It's rated M for later. The True Delicacies story is from the point of view of Morticia Portland, a vampire who has a lot of secrets that she has been keeping from people, I hope that they will unravel themselves and keep people reading. :)