Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire the Masquerade; or Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
Author's Note: I wanna place blame solely on Electric Ecclectic's shoulders for this one.
Vampire: The Masquerade
'Hunter or Hunted'
Prologue
Welcome to the city of Mitakihara; City of Light and City of Opportunity. It is a grand city full of hopes and dreams, of vivid imaginations and beautiful hopes for the future. It is a city of countless hopes, and numberless despair. In another time... another world... it was a city besieged by creatures that embodied the eternal struggle of misery and hope. It was rife with magic and sorcery: a city both bright and grim. Now, however... in this time... this world... it is home to a new, different breed of Monster. Another breed of demon. This Mitakihara is not truly a world of hope. This Mitakihara is not truly a world of despair. But it is still... very much so... a World of Darkness.
I had gotten careless. Just when you think you've been alive long enough for all of this to come second nature to you... you make a newbie mistake. If she had come around a few second before... or a few seconds later... none of this would have happened. It would have been an easy thing to explain away. 'I like girls'. Three simple worlds that would have cast any shadow of doubt she had clean out the window. But alas, Cruel Fate decided that she would round that corner at this very second in time... I stood, staring at her, unable to move my body. The fear was palpable in her eyes, those pink orbs staring at me with a battery of questions and no viable answer to quench them. A pair of crimson droplets rolled off my teeth and splattered the woman's white blouse with two perfect circles of blood, just under her collar. Both of us were paralyzed; me with the fear that any motion from me would cause her to flee down the street towards safety... and her with the fear that any motion from her would cause her to become my next meal.
I had struggled and fought to be the best friend to her I could. I was there when she needed me, a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen to her frustrations – mundane as they were. I had held her when she needed support, and I had caught her when she fell. Five years we had been friend, and little had changed about her. Her bright, cheery smile had never darkened once, and her eyes had retained their youthful vigor. But now? Now, her eyes showed only fear, her body language one I am all too familiar with. Should she run? Should she ask the question burning in her mind? Eventually, one aspect of Fight or Flight would win out over the other, and I would have to either run her down... or answer an impossible question. 'You're awfully pale... are you sick?' she had asked when we first met. I had smiled and shrugged this off as just being naturally more pale then normal. I didn't get out much in the sun, and didn't really exercise. She accepted this.
'C'mon! Let's go get dinner! I'm starving! I'm buying!' I'll go, but I wasn't hungry, had just gotten back from breakfast. She smiled with that characteristic grin I had nearly fallen in love with, just happy to spend quality time with her best friend in the world. In one regard, I have to wonder how much of a dunce she was, to believe such a half-baked lie like that but... I didn't question it. 'Why do I never see you in the day? Are you one of those hikkokimori who never come out of the house?' No... I had told her. I work the graveyard shift, and I sleep pretty much all day. It's hard work, working at nights. She seemed to understand and even wanted to hear all about my day... heh... I got to be a pretty good pretend warehouse worker. I guess I should be thankful she never got the smart idea to come 'visit' me at work. That would have been awkward.
I guess, when you really think about it, I've been riding a five-year luck streak with her. Between my duties to the Chantry, and the odd job the Prince has me preform, I've spent pretty much those five years being a friend to the greatest woman I knew... but how the hell was I going to lie about this? Sexual blood fetish? No, no... that's too far-fetched even for her to believe. Here I was, up until ten seconds ago, with my teeth buried in a woman's neck, her head and body limp in my arms as her cool, crimson life blood flowed down my throat. That was my breakfast... that was what I was always so full from... I would have loved nothing more then to eat dinner with you... but you have to understand, I couldn't.
My voice quivered in my throat, a thousand words trying to squeeze their way out at once, and none making any headway. I blinked quickly, afraid that when my eyes would next open, she would be gone, fleeing from the monster she now knows I am. I wanted to tell her... God, I'm telling you I wanted to tell her what I was so bad! But... this isn't how I wanted her to find out. I slowly drew my tongue up the wounds on the girl's neck, the puncture marks sealing almost instantly as I slowly lowered her to the ground, my eyes plastered permanently onto her pink orbs, quivering in her skull. My victim would wake up, none the wiser about this whole ordeal in a few minutes, so I wasn't worried about her. I took a slow step forward, the pink-haired woman staring at me took one back in response. As I worked up the courage to take a second step, a single word left my mouth.
"Madoka..." Shrieking into the cool night air like some posessed banshee, Madoka turned and ran – full sprint – away from me. I couldn't just chase after her on street level... I would look like some psychopath trying to rape and or murder her... no, I couldn't risk getting the police any more involved then a screaming woman running down the road in the middle of the night would already. I instantly climbed on top of a dumpster and leapt to the nearby fire escape, which stretched all the way to the roof of the building. Climbing hand-over-hand up the floors, I eventually found my feet on the roof, following her from the tops of buildings. I kept to the edge, looking to the street below as the pink speck raced across the sidewalk, her figure growing brighter and dimmer with each streetlamp she passed.
I never took Madoka as a sprinter, to be honest. I thought she would have run out of steam two blocks away but... no. Here she was, still going strong four blocks away from ground zero. She had stopped screaming now, her lungs relegated to keeping breathing so she could keep running. The pocket of my pants vibrated, breaking into a song from a western band I like. I struggled to take the phone out – between jumping building roofs and vaulting over air conditioning units – until I had finally hit 'pick up'.
"Good evening." Shit... it was my Sire... Her voice came clear over the phone, the calm demeanor I always associated her with never failing. "How does the night find you?" I really didn't want to have to tell her the shit I was going through... but I figured she'd want to be kept in the loop.
"I'm not gonna lie, Hitomi." I mused, bracing myself with one hand as I threw my legs over another air conditioning unit. "I'm in some hot water, and I need some advice." I heard her giggle over the phone.
"Do I need to turn the news on, then?" That was her thing... she liked to make light of desperate situations, because shit... in this day, that's all you could do.
"I... don't think it's that bad yet... I... might have been caught feeding." I decided to come clean and admit what happened.
"Is that so?" She asked. "I assume that's the sound of wind I hear? You're chasing?"
"Yeah... took the roof. I think she's running home." I heard her give that disappointed tsking sound with her tongue.
"You got careless." She stated the obvious, causing me to roll my eyes.
"Yes, yes, I know..." I continued a bit harsh. I watched Madoka catch the railing of an apartment building and throw herself up the stairs. Madoka didn't think I knew where she lived. When we'd meet up, we would always meet up where we were going, and she never let me walk her home... I think she always had her suspicions about me, but was just too damn polite to ever be rude. Unfortunately for her... I had followed her back many times after our outings. I learned where she lived... honestly, just in case this kind of thing ever happened. 'Always have a backup plan' Hitomi had always told me; one of her many lessons I took to heart. "Look, I know I'm kind of boned right now... but I just need a second opinion."
"There shouldn't even be a first opinion. You need to silence her." I knew those were going to be her words, and my hesitation was apparently obvious, as I heard Hitomi sigh deeply. "Is it your little friend? What was her name..."
"Madoka..." I responded.
"Yes, Madoka. Of course." A pause. "I suppose you don't want to kill her, then?"
"Am I that obvious?"
"As clear as glass, my dear. Well, if you don't want to kill her, there are only two other options. You could either turn her into a Ghoul, that way she'd have to listen to you-"
"Which is made a hundred times harder, now that she knows what I am." I heard Hitomi nod at this.
"Indeed. Which leaves only one other option. You petitioned the Prince to Sire, yes?" I nodded.
"Yeah, but he's not gotten back to me yet." It made sense. He was a busy guy, and he couldn't get to every Joe and Jane blow who wanted to Sire. Hell, Hitomi told me it took the last Prince six months to get back to her to sire me, and that was almost eighty years ago. I had only been waiting for a week.
"Well, those are your options. Just understand, if you do chance Embracing her... the Prince may not be very lenient with you... need I remind you what happened the last time a childe was sired without permission." The caveat that Hitomi is failing to mention there, is that guy sired eighteen other Kindred... all of whom were killed along with him. He wasn't the most stable.
"You don't have to remind me." I told her, then took a deep breath. "Alright, I'm going to make my move. I'll... call you when it's done."
"Please do. And... do be careful." I nodded to her, not having to confirm I heard her. I was always careful... I liked to think. I scampered down the fire escape back to street level, dashing across the dead road. Once in the alley by the other fire escape to Madoka's apartment, I climbed back onto the dumpster to leap – once more – to the fire escape, climbing quickly to the fifteenth floor. She had an alley-view apartment, a quick get out when it came to fire, but it didn't provide that much of a view for her. Great for me, though... I had a quick goes-in in the form of a window. Once I arrived at her window, I crouched to the side and peered in... good... I don't think she's gotten in yet. She complains a lot about the elevators in her building being slow, and after all that sprinting, I don't think she wanted to take the stairs. Meh, don't blame her. After a minute, I watched the door fly open, and her body stagger inside, her chest still heaving from the exertion. If I was lucky, she'd be too tired to fight me much. I took cover behind the wall and waited for a moment.
After a moment, I carefully peered in to see her flop onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. Her computer was still off, so she most likely hadn't gotten around to posting anything on Facebook or sending out any kind of Twitter message. Double lucky for me. After a few seconds, she got off the bed and started towards the window, myself ducking behind the brick before she saw me. If she saw me now, she'd probably fight. She weakly opened the window – her breathing still heavy – and took a deep breath of cool night air. "Wha-what... what the fuck was that?" She mused to herself, trying to process what she saw. "Was... was she... eating her?" Drinking... would be the correct term. She huffed and turned inward. "Should I... post something on Facebook? Gah... no, who the hell would believe me? Cannibals? In Mitakihara? People already laugh at me... I don't need to give them more ammo..." I heard her give a dry chuckle. "Hooo, am I glad she doesn't know where I live..." It was now or never, girl... you needed to end this before it got out of hand. Though I no longer needed to to function, I took a slow, deep breath in to clear my thoughts, then quietly slipped into her room, the girl's back to me. I slid the window shut, which caused her to yelp in surprise and turn around.
"Wh-what!?" She glared at me. "H-how!?"
"To answer your first question... 'that'... was not something you should have seen." I spoke calmly, making sure the window was locked.
"What are... what are you doing here...?" Her voice trembled with fear.
"To answer your second question... it was more 'drinking' then eating... but yes. I was." I closed the curtains quickly, then turned to face her. "To answer your third question, I would really prefer if you don't." She backed up into a wall.
"Get out of my apartment..." She muttered, her eyes wide at the realization she might die came to her mind.
"Afraid I can't do that." I shook my head. "I got careless... and unfortunately, one of us is going to have to pay for that... and I've lived too long to let one little fuck up spell my death. So!" I clapped my hands together, which startled her. "Means you've got to pay."
"...oh god..." She breathed. "Oh, god, you're going to kill me!"
"That's one option." I admitted. "Not one I'm particularly keen on pursuing, mind... but it's certainly on the table. See, Madoka... I like you. Hell, if I were still alive, I might just go as far as saying I love you. You've been a good friend to me... my best – and only – for five years. All smiles, all laughs." I chuckled. "Hell, until I met you, I had forgotten what it meant to laugh." She started to reach for the door. "I wouldn't, if I were you. You're tired and at this point, I could just run you down." She looked to the door.
"Puh-please... please don't kill me-" She was so focused on the killing aspect. Really, it was the furthest thing on my mind. "I... I won't tell anyone! No one has to know what I saw! I... I'll even forget! S-see! Already forgotten!"
"That's not good enough. I like you, Madoka... but I can't just take your word for it. There's a system, and I'm afraid the rules are enforced by people with a lot more clout then you or I." She crumpled to her knees.
"Please!" She begged. "I'm begging you... don't kill me!" I shrugged.
"Like I said, it's only one option, and which option I take, is completely dependent on how things go." She struggled to her feet and grabbed a knife from the nearby knife block. "R-really, Madoka? A knife?" She brandished it like Norman Bates, her grip shaking as she contemplated attacking me. "Look, if it'll make you feel a little better, I'll let you take a stab at me, okay? Look-" I held my arms open for her. "Go ahead." She lunged with a shriek, driving the knife into my chest. It hurt, I would be lying if I said it didn't... but on a scale of what kind of damage it did, it was a solid one. I felt the steel blade dig into the soft flesh just under my shoulder, a soft grunt escaping my lips. "See? Feel better?" She looked at the blade, then to me, then back to the blade. Releasing her grip, she stumbled backwards to the door.
"...oh god... what are you?" Her voice was tiny as she choked those words out.
"Polite society would call me 'Kindred'... but really that's just a round-about way of saying 'vampire'." I reached for the knife and yanked it out of my shoulder, rolling my arm to make sure there was no permanent damage. I dropped the blood-stained weapon to the floor. "I'm sorry to say, in an ideal world, we wouldn't be having this conversation. You'd keep going with your life, blissfully unawares that we exist... just like everyone else... just like it should be."
"If... you're not going to kill me-"
"I said it was an option." I corrected her. "I don't want to kill you... but if you make me, I will." She swallowed.
"If... you might not kill me... and I wasn't supposed to see all that... why are you telling me this?" I chuckled a little and shrugged at her.
"Because... honestly? In a little bit... it won't matter." I lunged to grab her, but she slipped to the side and dodged. "Madoka-" I growled, going to grab her again, taking a chair to the side of the face, the wooden sitting device shattering on my shoulder and jaw. "Madoka-! Stop!" I shouted to her. "Make this easy on me, god dammit!" She grabbed another chair and motioned to hit me again, but I ducked quickly under her high swing, causing her to spin in place from the force. Once she had come full circle, I grabbed her neck and hoisted her up. "Just! Stop!" I growled.
"You're... hurting me..." She mewled weakly. I sighed and tossed her onto the bed, her body bouncing on the plush mattress once before I had fallen on her, pinning her to the bed. Her pink orbs met my eyes for the first time this whole encounter, and I saw a mix of emotions within them. Our bodies were close now, nearly pressed together... if I had been alive still, this might have evoked a whole different emotion. I could feel her heart slamming into her chest, her face looking a bit like a love-struck school-girl then someone who had just met a creature of the night.
"I always held you in the highest regard, Madoka. Always smiling, always laughing... even in the worst of situations... even in your darkest hour, you always had that smile on your face." I grimly shook my head. "Just know that... I take no pleasure in this. You've always been my best friend." I could see the tears in her eyes as her mortality showed itself to her.
"...and you were always mine..." She admitted weakly. Grabbing a tuft of her hair, I pulled her head to the side and bit down on her neck. "A-aaaaugh!" A weak, quiet scream came to her lips, her legs flailing and her arms fighting best she could. Don't fight too hard, Madoka... you'll make it worse... Her scream turned into a sob as I drank deep from her, rivers of cool, red vitae flowing down my throat as I greedily drank from my one and only friend in the world. With each slurp of blood, each passing second, she grew weaker and weaker... her fighting eventually fading into weak convulsions. Just before life left her completely, a single work leaked from her mouth.
"Sa... Saya... ka..." With this word, I lifted my head and closed the wound, biting down on my lower lip, I quickly pressed my lips to hers, my own cursed blood slipping through the cracks on her pale, dead lips. Seconds passed before I felt comfortable pulling myself off the bed. She no longer had to be pinned. I took a deep breath and went about the details of putting her fully on the bed. With that done, I had to take care of the other part that I was dreading. I reached into my pocket and retrieved my phone once more, cycling through the contacts until I came to 'Kamijo'. With another short breath, I dialed. One ring. Two rings. Three rings.
"Good evening." I heard his cool, collected voice on the other end. I tried to pretend like this didn't phase me... but I was potentially signing my own death warrant.
"Good evening, my Prince." I mused gently. "I pray I'm not interrupting anything dire?"
"Nonsense, Miki, nonsense. To what do I owe the pleasure of this call?" I kept my eyes locked on Madoka's corpse as I spoke.
"It's... in regards to my request to Sire..."
"Ah, yes... I'm afraid I haven't gotten around to viewing it right now, but-"
"...i already did..." I found myself admitting.
"Oh?" His answer was not what I was expecting, but I decided to throw out my one argument.
"I-I know I should have waited, honest! It's just... it's just I was forced into a decision! I got careless and... and... I'm sorry..." I heard him chuckle at my ramblings.
"Well, I suppose that's one less thing on my docket, yes?" His answer came surprising to me. I mean, I knew the Prince was a calm one – even by Ventrue standards – but I had violated the rules. I had Sired without permission... I thought there would be some repurcussions. "Are you alright?"
"Y-yes... just a little high-strung." I heard him grunt something positive.
"That's good. And your childe?" I shook my head.
"I don't know. I was... kind of running on adrenaline when it happened. I think I did everything right, but I won't know for a bit." He gave a little 'mm' to that.
"Was it the same person you petitioned for?"
"Yes." I answered quickly.
"Their name?" I heard him open a drawer and fish something out.
"Madoka Kaname." I heard something scratching on paper.
"Very good, miss Miki." He mused. "Just remember though... this is your one mess up. I won't be so forgiving, should it happen again in the future."
"You're... okay with it?" I had to admit, I was a bit stunned by this. Everyone knew the story of the last Kindred to be sired in Mitakihara, and it was a cautionary tale the Prince used to make sure we all followed the rules. I heard him laugh on the other end.
"Sayaka... even though we are superior to mortals... we are not immune from their penchant for mistakes. It was a mistake, and even one such as this, can be forgiven. You fixed your mistake, and for that, I cannot fault you. However, even mistakes can come back to haunt you. Just remember this." I nodded to him, even if he couldn't see it. "I trust you'll bring the young lady to announce herself to the Primogen in the near future?"
"I should be down later tonight, my Prince. Once she's awake, and I've given her the rundown." I could hear his pleasure over the phone.
"Thank you ever so much, miss Miki. Please, give my regards to Hitomi when you see her next? Though... I dare say her and I shall meet before." If the Primogen was to meet Madoka, then yes. It wasn't something that was uncommon here in Mitakihara. I understand in other countries, most Primogen couldn't care less about any newcomers to the city, unless they were from their clan. We like to think we're closer knit then other cities... we welcome newcomers as a family. "Good evening, Sayaka." He closed, hanging up. I let the breath out I didn't even know I was holding, slumping into a chair to let everything all out. I ran a hand through my blue hair and gave a nervous, dry chuckle.
"Skin of your teeth, Sayaka..." I told myself. "Skin of your teeth." I settled into the chair that didn't get broken, ready for the hours of waiting I had to do before she woke up. Hitomi told me I was out for only two hours before I woke up... hopefully Madoka wasn't any different.
-Four Hours Later-
Had I messed up again? She's been comatose for four hours without a hint that she was planning on stirring any time soon. Several times I had gone over and pressed a hand to her chest, just to feel it rise and fall gently... no... she was okay. Everyone reacted differently, and it was to be expected... I would just need to have faith and patience. It was around midnight now, the day just threatening to loop over. I was glad that I decided to go for a bite to eat so early in the evening tonight... had I decided to wait... well, honestly if I had decided to wait, I probably wouldn't be in this situation. I looked at my watch one more time, impatience alight in every action I took. As I cast my eyes down once more, I heard her groan and stir, her lips smacking together as they often did when you just woke up. I smiled and looked to her, her body was now leaning upwards – braced on one hand – and she was rubbing her neck where I had bitten her. "Mmmmph..." She groaned, opening her eyes. I could tell with a look, she was confused about why I was here. "Sayaka? What are you doing here? I... didn't think you knew where I lived." She smiled sweetly. "Good morning." I got out of my chair and went to the window. "Man, I had the strangest dream about you..." I stifled a laugh.
"It's actually midnight." I told her, pulling a portion of the curtain away. "...and I daresay whatever 'dream' you had... was no dream." I watched her pause, her hand still on her neck, and slowly get to a sitting position.
"So... it's true then? You really are a... a vampire?" I nodded, then took my seat once more. I had an idea how this would go, so I was ready for anything. "I... saw you and that girl and... I panicked... and you... you followed me... didn't you?" I nodded. She instantly got out of bed. "What did you do to me?" Her voice was deadpan serious as she asked the question on everyone's lips. There were a few ways I could answer this – some blunt others caring. I decided to try a less-obvious approach first.
"You pushed me into a corner, Madoka. You saw what you weren't supposed to and forced my hand." I mused.
"What. Did you do. To me." She asked again, more forceful. Time for a more direct approach.
"I've made it where you can't tell anyone what I am now... because you're also one." If she could, she paled. "Allow me to be the first to welcome you to the world below the city you know." Her face wore that blank stare that it often did when you heard devestating news that changed your whole life. She slumped back onto the bed, staring forward. At this point, she would either accept what I was telling her, and we could both move on... or...
"Five years..." She muttered, life coming back to her features as she locked eyes on me. She was out of her seat instantly, her body full of fire and ready for a fight. "Five years, Sayaka! You and I have known each other for five years, and this is how you tell me!?" Anger. It was going to be anger.
"Madoka-" I tried to calm her, but she shot that down instantly.
"Shut up! You can talk when I let you!" I opened both hands in a defensive position and quieted, letting her vent. "Five years! You were my only friend! The only person who I thought had their head screwed on right in this world! I..." She hesitated to finish. "I loved you..." I had my suspicions, but never wanted to really know. "I loved you and... and that didn't mean shit to you, did it?" That was a little harsh. "How many damn times have you snuck into my house while I was asleep? Huh? How many meals did you make out of someone who was supposed to be a friend?" I stood and opened my mouth to defend myself. "I'm not done yet! Shut up! I spent every. Waking. Hour I could with you! My friend! I depended on you when I was down, I lived off your words like they were coming from a higher power! You were my best and only friend. And this is how you treat me!? What? Was I not important enough to tell about your life?!" Realization hit her like a truck. "You've been lying to me for five years! About everything! Your family, your job your... whole life!" She slumped back into bed. "And like an idiot, I believed it. Like an idiot, I didn't think to ask more questions. I just... I just smiled and nodded." She put her hands in her head. "God, I'm such a fuckin' idiot." She fell quiet for a moment before I finally decided to speak.
"You're wrong, you know." I finally managed to speak up, causing her to look at me. "About most everything. Yes, everything I've told you about my family, my life, my job... that's all been lies. I can't hide behind those lies anymore. You've got every right to hate me, Madoka, and it wouldn't surprise me if you do. But there's one big thing you said that you're wrong about. The reason I hadn't told you who I was... what I was... wasn't because you meant nothing to me. It's because you meant everything to me. You meant so much to me, I wasn't going to risk you life knowing something you didn't have to... until I was damn certain you were able to comprehend what I was telling you... until I was damn certain that you wouldn't just... run away and shun me." I sat next to her on the bed. "I know you may not believe me but... I never snuck into your apartment. I never once fed off of you – you know, today aside – because I owed it to you to be a friend and nothing more."
"There are a set of rules – like I said – enforced by people a lot older and a lot more influential then you or I. Rules that I cannot break, or they'll kill me. Telling you what I was... well, that would have broken them. I couldn't risk it. If I had told you... if I had thought you could have accepted me for what I am... and I was wrong? You and I... we'd both be dead right now. So..." I scooted closer to her and chanced putting an arm around her shoulders. "...so I don't want you to think I did it because your friendship meant nothing to me... it's because it meant so much... that I didn't want to risk you getting killed over my fuck up." She stayed quiet, her head downturned as I spoke. "So... after I tell you what you need to know... if after that you never want to see me again, I get it, I understand and... you won't. But you can't walk out right now... not before you know all of what you are." I blinked, hoping she would talk to me.
"...okay..." She spoke back. "...you promise if I walk out... you won't follow?"
"I promise. On my life, I promise if you want me to go away, I will." She nodded softly.
"Okay... I agree to that." I smiled to her. Breakthrough.
"Thank you, Madoka."
"Don't thank me yet... I'm still mad at you." I took my arm off her shoulder and laughed a little, rubbing the back of my head. "It's not funny! I'm mad at you!"
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... it's just you've always had the cutest angry face." She glared at me with her cheeks all puffed up, and I had to stop myself from laughing at her. God, I guess it was true... I was almost a hundred years old... but still thought like a school girl sometimes... Throwing myself off her bed, I stood straight and cracked my knuckles. "Okay so. First off." I decided to start with the big one. "That whole 'rule' thing I told you about? That's called the Masquerade. I won't bore you with the details – as not even the Prince can remember them all – but the basic jist of it is this: If you can do anything that might make you appear to be different then normal humans – run faster, jump higher, shoot fire out of your eyeballs, that sort of thing – just... don't do it around them. It's really easier then everyone makes it out to be. It's why you don't juggle dumpsters, or outrun the 9:10 to Sagimihara or... you know, why you didn't know any of this before tonight." She nodded innocently to me.
"Keep our secret and you make your unlife so much easier, along with everyone else's. Easy unlife, and you just get to coast. The second big thing-" I was starting with the basics Hitomi had told me when I was Embraced, just because they were lessons I remember even today. Hell, I was still using her words. "-you don't need to kill when you feed. Take only what you need, and then move on. There are plenty of Kine in the city to allow every Kindred a drink from three or four of them without risking killing anyone." Her hand went up. "Question?"
"Yeah... so... don't kill when I feed, I got that but... won't... they turn into a vampire then?" She rubbed her neck. "I mean, I did..."
"Oh, no." I shook my head. "A good rule to remember is... anything you read about in the books, or see in movies or games... most of it is crap. Garlic is a joke. Crosses are nice decoration... but really not much more then that. Running water is only a problem if you were hydrophobic in life. I mean, shit, I bathe four times a week, if I can swing it."
"Stakes?" She asked.
"Eh... kind of. Are they a problem? Yes. Will they kill you? Not by themselves, no. Stakes are only a problem if it happens to catch you in the heart, and then it just paralyzes you until it's removed. Obviously, you can see the problem in this if you happen to be alone. A paralyzed vampire is a dead one, so we tend to travel in groups... if there's a chance things can turn violent."
"I should probably know the answer to this but... sunlight?"
"Still as big a problem as you remember. Do not – and I can't stress this enough – do not get caught outside at daybreak. Mitakihara's big enough of a city where you could probably swing ducking between shadows but... you get exposed to sunlight for any length of time, and it's game over." She swallowed hard, and nodded. "Hey, it's a lot easier then it sounds. Couple'a weeks, and it'll all be second nature to you."
"O-okay... what else?"
"Second off... have you felt anything... odd... since you woke up?" She looked confused. "Like a sensation of something coiling around you heart, squeezing it whenever your thoughts turn dark?" She put a hand to her chest and rubbed just over her heart. I could tell by the look in her eyes that she could, that uncertain terror that all Kindred associated with it.
"Yeah... yeah, I do... what... what is it?"
"We call it 'The Beast'."
"The... Beast?"
"It's like this, Madoka. All Kindred are monsters... let me say that again, because most don't understand. You. Me. Even the Amber Queen herself... we're all bloodthirsty monsters who drain blood to survive. We may use wit and charm or... fuckin' whatever to get what we need... but at the end of the night... we're all just monsters. The Beast is the personification of that monsterous nature. It's always going to be with you, watching and waiting... just hoping for the right opportunity to take control of you and run wild... and when it does?" I shook my head. "When it does, it's like a wild animal, wearing your face. Blood thirsty and scared, the Beast will do anything to survive... and if it comes out, it's going to be your hide that has to reap the punishment or reward for it's release."
"How do you... fight that?"
"You keep in touch with your Humanity." I answered simply. "Kind acts, charity, helping people... it's all good ways to subdue the Beast and keep it at bay. You go killing innocent humans or being cruel... that's the kind of chaos the Beast feeds off of, and the more of that you do, the more happy and angry it gets. Also, keeping well fed will make it fat and tired." I patted her head. "You're a good kid, Madoka. Always have been. I don't think I've ever seen you do something that might be construed as mean, so I don't think you'll have a problem keeping it at bay." She nodded to me.
"So... you said I can't kill anyone, right?" I chuckled, holding a finger up.
"Aat." I grunted. "I said innocent human. Some dumbass charges you with a katana, you drain him, skin him, and bash in his stupid-fucking skull. Self-preservation happens to be a very important part of Humanity, after all." I shrugged. "Also my favorite part." She giggled at me. "C'mon, I think we can take the next part of this lesson on the road. There's somewhere we've got to be, and I think we can grab a bite on the way there."
"'A bite'?" I couldn't help but laugh at her naivity.
"Yeah. You know. Food. You just woke up, you're weak and wobbly. You need a drink." I held my hand out to her. "C'mon." She reached up slowly and took my hand.
"What... about my apartment...?" I looked around.
"You can't keep coming back here. Too many questions, too many hard questions. Once you get situated in the Chantry, I'll come over and break the news to your landlady that you're dead."
"You... you can't tell her that!"
"It's the easiest way, Madoka. It's just best if you forget all the people you knew... all your old friends and family." I sighed. "Look... I know it's not something you want to hear... but the fewer people who you associate with... the fewer chances they have of figuring out what you are. And that... that, Madoka, will extend your life by centuries." She huffed.
"So... I can't have any friends?"
"I never said that. You can make new friends. B'sides... I like to think I'm still your friend, right? I know you'll like Hitomi and all the others... and in a few decades, once you've got this whole thing under control... then you'll be more then able to go out and make new friends amongst the Kine." I winked at her. "Just don't do what I did." She looked sad by this, and I couldn't blame her. "Madoka... I know it's rough. My sire did it for me when she sired me... and it tore me apart. My mother and father... my two sisters and four brothers... they lost their eldest sister and daughter... I still think about them... the look in their eyes when she told them I was dead. It broke me apart. But... I think back to that day, and I'm glad that she did. Death... death is a definitive for the Kine. They understand that once someone is dead... they're gone. It's a release for them... one where they can move on. Once everyone hears you're dead... you'll find life a lot easier."
"And... you'd do that for me?"
"Of course..." I moved a renegade strand of hair from her face. "Of course I will. I exist to teach you what you need to know... and to make your life as easy as I can. If that means I have to tell everyone in Japan that Madoka Kaname is dead... I will." She looked down. "Hey... c'mon, chin up, eh?" I lifted her head to face me. "It's not as bad as it seems." She fell forward, stumbling into my arms. "Hey, ho... yeah, let's go get that drink now."
"Sayaka..." She mumbled into my shirt, her arms wrapped around my chest. "...I don't want you to leave me, too."
"Hey... that's up to you, remember? If you want me to stay, I will. I would be kind of a terrible teacher if I disobeyed you, wouldn't I?"
"And you'll always be my friend?"
"Until my last night." She hugged me tighter. "H-hey... you were all angry a few minutes ago."
"But now I'm not..." I chuckled. She swapped emotions so fast... I put a hand on her cotton-candy colored hair and tried my best not to laugh at her. God damn she was so fuckin' cute.
I had hailed us a cab to take us to the Prince, but first, I decided to stop off and illustrate a point to Madoka. I had instructed our driver to pull over near a known prostitute corner and let us out. "Why are we getting out here?" She asked with an obvious confusion in her voice. "I... thought we were going to visit this... 'prince' you keep talking about." I patted her shoulder and reached into my pocket for my wallet.
"We will, in just a minute. But there's a point I need to illustrate for you, Madoka. As creatures of the night which must subsist off of blood... you can't care about where your meals come from." I opened my wallet and fished out a wad of thousand yen notes, folding them up and putting them in her hand. "Here, take this." She opened her hand and looked it over.
"There's ten thousand yen here..." I nodded to her. "Why?" I turned her around and pointed up the road a good ways, to a young woman in a red cheongsam standing on the street corner.
"See that woman on the corner there?"
"The prostitute?" At least she knew a working girl when she saw them.
"Yeah, that's right. Time for you to learn how to feed yourself. I want you to take that money over to her, and ask her how much for an hour. Play whatever card you have to to get the price as low as you can, mind... haggling is a good skill to learn. Once you've worked out a price, pay the lady, then walk her into that alley there. Once you're away from prying eyes, open wide and feel that rush; but hey-" She looked over her shoulder. "remember what I said, right? Don't kill her. It's going to be hard, I know. Once you start it'll be hard to stop... but just make sure you do, okay? She may only be a lowely prostitute... but any innocent human will strip you of a bit of your humanity, if you kill them."
"You want me to... pay a prostitute... to drink from?"
"Hey, it's what I do all the time." I shrugged. "You ever eaten at McDonalds?" I asked her, the girl's hair bobbing in an affirmative response. "It's like that. It'll work in a pinch, but I wouldn't make a habit of it."
"'Cause I'll get fat?" She giggled. Patting her head, I chuckled at her comment.
"Nah. Just not as filling." I nudged her towards the girl. "Alright kid, go get 'er." I gave her rear a gentle, motivating slap. She walked over, money crunched in her fist like a petrified child, and approached the considerably older woman. She noted her when Madoka was a few feet away, the pair instantly striking up a conversation. I couldn't hear them from here, but I could tell the girl was just taken aback by how cute Madoka was. I have to admit, she was awfully adorable, just standing rigid like that, petrified. They spoke for a few minutes before money changed hands, the prostitute rubbing her head gently and giving her a little kiss on the forehead. Madoka took her hand and lead her into the alley like I instructed. "So far so good..." I mused to myself, slowly making my way to the alley's entrance to watch. About the time I arrived, I watched Madoka leap onto her, wrapping her legs around her chest and sink her teeth into her neck.
She was only drinking for a few precious seconds before she broke the act, the prostitute slumping back against the wall. I could see her chest still rising and falling as she slept the Kiss off. I grinned as she came back, her cheeks bright red. "Lemme see..." I pitched her chin up to look into her eyes. Before, her pink orbs had shown only fatigue and a desire to return to bed... but now? The fire had returned and she was filled with renewed vigor to continue for the night. "Yeah... oh hell yeah, you're feeling it. That sweet, crimson nectar bubbling up inside of you... making you feel like a total badass? Better then your best day living?"
"Y-yeah... it was... a little awkward but... I feel it." I patted her shoulder and lead her back to the car to finish our trip.
"That's what it's all about right there. Food, sex, sleep, alcohol... all of it is just... dust to you now. That is your newfound drug." I gave her a hug just near the door to the taxi. "Welcome home, Madoka."