*So sorry for such the long wait, I haven't been feeling well and I didn't really have any inspiration to write much, but I'm back now and hopefully it will stay that way! :3*
Chapter 11 - The More You Know (Part 2)
(Eren's POV) *Italics mean it's being read from the book.*
I find my spot in the second section of the book and end up skimming through the rest. I stop once I get to the beginning of section three.
Section 3 - Mates
Oh dear, this should be interesting.
Almost all vampires have mates. A vampire has one mate that they choose to stay with forever. If their mate dies, so do they. A vampire's mate is their significant other or soul mate. They only get one. Though some vampires choose to not have a mate, most do. There are some vampires that will stay loners forever and others that choose not to settle down with just one other.
When a vampire has chosen a mate, there is a mating ritual of sorts that must be preformed to be officially mated. Once mated, their lifespans will be connected so if one dies so will the other. It will also be obvious to other vampires that they are mated already. Mates will have a better connection with one another, being able to sense if one another is in danger and so on. Vampires don't have psychic abilities but it comes close with the connection between mates. To be officially mated, vampires must do a blood exchange during intercourse. The blood exchange being mates biting and drinking from one another.
Mentioned previously in section two, Vampires can drink from other vampires. While this is true, it only happens between mates or mate-to-be's. Most of the time it is done for pleasure but it can also be used in emergency situations if one is close to falling into blood lust. It is impossible for a vampire to kill their mate by drinking from them, they will subconsciously stop themselves before it gets to be too much. The reason for biting only between mates is that vampires can become very protective of their mates and most will not allow another vampire to drink from their mate but them.
I finish reading section three and look up to see Levi is again reading his book. I wonder if Levi has a mate. I decide to ask him.
"Levi?"
"Hmm?" he looks up at me without moving his head, still facing down at the book in his hands.
"I-i was wondering. Do… do you have a mate?" He moves so that he is completely facing me now.
"Why do you want to know?"
"I was just curious." I say, looking down at the book in my lap. It's quiet in the room for a few seconds before Levi speaks.
"No, I don't have one yet."
"Oh. Well I'm sure you'll find her someday." I say, giving him a soft smile.
"Yah except it wouldn't be a her." He takes a sip from his cup. My heart skips a beat from what he just said.
"Oh." I say quietly.
"I'm not going to try anything on you so don't think that way. I'm still the same person I've always been." My head snaps back up quickly to look at him.
"Oh! I never thought you would do anything like that!" I say, waving my hands in emphasis. "And I'm not one to judge. I mean, I'm gay too so I guess we have something else in common now." I laugh lightly, trying to lighten the mood up a bit. A slight look of surprise seems to cross Levi's face before it's gone again.
"I guess it is." he says, a slight smirk on his face.
Neither one of us really says anything after that. It's silence but it's not awkward silence, it's more of a content silence. For some reason having Levi tell me all that makes me happy. I'm not really sure why it does but I'm sure I'll figure it out sometime. We both end up going back to our reading after a few seconds of just sitting there. I am now on the last section; Section 4 - Life Span and Flaws of Vampires.
While vampires are immortal, they can be killed if done in the correct way. A vampire can be killed by having its head chopped off and then burning it with the body. There are a few other ways but this one is the most effective as vampires will heal almost instantly when wounded depending on the wound, it may take longer. Vampires can also still feel pain but their sense of pain isn't as strong as a human's so things won't hurt them as badly. Newer vampires have a lower pain tolerance at first because their bodies are still changing from human to vampire.
Well I guess that sort of explains Hanji, but who really knows why she has people shoot her to prove points.
Like humans, vampires must sleep though they do not need as much to be able to function properly. Vampires also still need to eat regular food, besides just blood. While vampires only really need a little amount of food a day to survive, most eat as much as a normal human would need, some more because of the fact that vampires bodies never change.
One popular human belief about vampires is that sunlight can kill them. While this is true, there is a loophole around it. Vampires can get sun charms, which are magically enhanced items that the holder wears or carries with them wherever they go. A sun charm allows vampires to be out in the sunlight without getting hurt. Most sun charms can be made out of ordinary items that are taken to special locations that can be found almost everywhere around the world to be enhanced with magic. The magic will also make the item indestructible so that it never breaks. Most vampires choose to make their sun charms with jewelry because it's small and easy to wear for either gender.
I absent-mindedly play with the key around my neck that Levi had given me as my sun charm. It was really nice of him to give me his key even though I don't know why he did it. I think I heard Hanji say the key was a family heirloom or something too.
I end up skimming through the rest of the book because most of the things left in it didn't really interest me. It was mostly more descriptive ways to kill vampires and since I don't plan on killing anyone anytime soon I had no use for the more descriptive information. I close the book and look over to Levi who is still very engrossed in his book and hasn't notice that I closed mine. I silently stand up and walk over so that I am standing behind him. He still hasn't noticed me. I start to read the book over his shoulder. He is reading Le Comte de Monte-Cristo (The Count of Monte Cristo). After a few seconds of standing behind him without him noticing I start to get bored so I decide to mess around with him a little bit.
"Levi! I didn't know you were into the classics!" I say, grinning and snatching the book from him.
"Shitty brat! Give it back!" He yells, getting up to grab it from me. I hold it above my head and run to the other side of the table and stick my tongue out at him. "Eren." he growls at me, scowling, but his eyes hold amusement. I laugh and run away, weaving through the bookshelves. As I turn the corner of a bookshelf, me being the clumsy fool I am, I get too close to the bookshelf and trip on the corner, falling to my doom. Levi just happens to be on the other side of the corner when I trip and fall, ending up with me taking him down with me. I hear him grunt as we hit the floor, me landing on top of him.
"Ah Levi! I'm so sorry!"
"It's fine. I wa-"
"Levi! Eren! I heard a crash! Is everything all rig-" Our heads snap to look at the door that was just slammed open; Hanji had burst through the door. "Oooohhh! Did I interrupt something?" She giggles, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.
"N-no! It's not what it looks like!" I yell, my face burning with my blush, as I try to scramble my way off of Levi and to stand up, picking up the book on my way. "We were just-! I mean I tripped and-"
Levi gets up and stands next to me, his usual bored look back on his face. "What do you want Shit Glasses?"
"Well Ravioli, it's your turn to cook dinner tonight… though I don't think Eren is on the menu tonight." She cackles loudly.
"Shut up Shitty Glasses or else you won't be getting any food." He growls, pushing past her and leaving the room, probably to go prepare dinner. Hanji just cackles louder at his reaction. After a few seconds of laughter from Hanji, she turns back to me, a more serious look on her face now.
"So Eren, did you find out anything interesting?!" She gets in my face, slightly jumping in anticipation.
"Well I found out something kind of interesting about my eyes, I guess." I say, backing away slightly for more space between us. Doesn't she know anything about personal space?
"Ooohh! You have to tell me everything!" She yells, yanking me back over to the table and shoving me into the chair. She then sits across from me and stares at me intently, with a large grin plastered on her face, waiting for me to begin to tell her everything I learned about vampires and myself, especially my eyes.