Chapter Two
Makoto slapped her alarm clock, muttering something about how morning's come way too soon. Groaning, she checked the time. 7:05. Makoto jumped out of her bed, muffling a scream. I'm late! ran through her mind as she grabbed various odds and ends and began shoving them into her backpack, cursing herself under her breath. Dammit, dammit, dammit! Today was going so well! Makoto ran into the kitchen, opening the freezer door, and grabbed one of her homemade breakfast-to-go's when she spotted the calendar. September 17th. She didn't have to go back to college until February. And even then, she didn't have any courses until nine A.M. Makoto was still on high school time. Groaning, Makoto flipped on the T.V. and turned on the apartment's stove. She had gotten lucky, finding this place. It was small, one bedroom, one bath, with a gas stove in the kitchen, thank God. The only problem was that there really wasn't any room for all her cooking equipment, or furniture. Makoto picked up a newspaper, flipped open to the classifieds. Maybe she could become someone's roommate. Someone with a big kitchen. Makoto had just begun circling some hopefuls, munching on a piece of toast, when the news report flashed on screen, reporting a hate crime against Bill Compton, a local vampire. Makoto remembered him as the vampire she rescued last night, and as the vampire she had given blood ice cream to. Makoto also remembered that waitress had helped Bill, what was her name, Sookie Stackhouse. She would have to bake something for Miss Stackhouse, get to know her better. Makoto got up, and opened up a cabinet. Good, there was some chocolate left. A cake would be perfect.
At eleven A.M. Sookie Stackhouse was out in her yard, laying out on her chaise, wearing nothing but a bikini, reading Twilight, mostly for laughs. Like real vampires acted like that. Then again, there was Bill. As Sookie read more of the book, she heard a loud motorcycle coming up her driveway. Sookie looked up to see the new cook for Merlotte's on a Harley Davidson, a large tray strapped to the back. The girl kicked the kickstand down, and unstrapped the tray. She pulled off her helmet, and shook her hair. The girl spotted Sookie, grinned, and waved, and made a gesture to the tray, then pointed to Sookie. Sookie got up, and walked over to the cook.
"Hey," Makoto said, holding up the tray. "I heard about what happened last night, and I thought that you might like some cake. I made it myself."
Sookie was taken aback. This girl didn't know her, but had gone out of her way to bake a cake after hearing about a hate crime that was connected to Sookie, as both a way of giving comfort, and to make sure that Sookie was okay. Sookie had picked this out of the girl's brain, and couldn't help but feel touched by the thought. She was a pure soul. "I'm sorry," Sookie said. "But I don't know your name." Makoto looked up, sheepishly.
"Gomen!" Makoto said. "My name is Kino Makoto!"
Sookie blinked, then said, "I don't speak Japanese."
"Sorry, sorry," Makoto laughed. "Force of habit, my name is Kino Mak- I mean Makoto Kino, although you could call me Lita, if Makoto is too hard for you to pronounce."
Sookie smiled, then said, "how about Mako, short for Makoto?"
Makoto's mind flashed back to the day she met Usagi once again.
Usagi munched on some of Makoto's lunch.
"For some reason, no one seems to want to talk to me," Makoto said, eyes glazed. "They all seem scared of me."
"Say, Mako-Chan," Usagi began, then stopped. "You don't mind being called Mako-Chan, do you?"
Mako-Chan? A term of endearment? Makoto shook her head, a little sadly. The girl probably didn't mean it anyway.
But Usagi did mean it, didn't she? Makoto thought. The start of a long friendship.
"Mako is fine," Makoto grinned. "In Japan, my friends called me Mako-Chan, "Chan" being a term of endearment for a female friend, or a close lover."
"Well," Sookie said. "I don't think I'm interested in being your lover."
"Nor I, you," Makoto said. "Now, granted, I wouldn't mind having a boyfriend, but, I seem to have bad luck in the romance field."
"Amen, sister," Sookie smiled. "Please allow me to repay you for this cake in some way."
"Don't worry about it," Makoto said. "I'd better go, I've got some errands to run before work tonight." Makoto handed Sookie the cake, and got on her motorcycle. "See you at Merlotte's tonight!" Makoto waved as she drove away.
Sookie held the cake in her arms, debating on whether to try some after lunch, or wait until later. The scent emanating from the cake convinced her to have it for lunch.
Makoto went about her day, looking at houses and apartments, getting groceries, and wondering when she was going to move out of the dump she was in. And she couldn't move anywhere really fancy at this point, because she had to pay for tutoring and books and crap for college. Maybe she should try moving in with someone who wanted a roommate. Maybe she could convince Usagi to move down here, or something. No, that would be too selfish. Makoto sighed as she parked her bike outside a Sonics ordering thingy.
"Welcome to Sonics. Can I take your order?" Makoto resisted the urge to strike down the machine in a blaze of lightning.
"Uh…" Makoto checked the menu. "I'll take a foot long Coney with cheese, no onions, some tots, and a medium Coca-Cola." The register woman repeated what Makoto said, then gave her the price.
"An attendant will be with you shortly," the woman said, full of cheer. Aspirin. Makoto should have asked for aspirin. Or a gun.
Makoto kicked down the kickstand, and pulled out a book from her backpack. Taking off her helmet, and shaking loose her hair, Makoto began to read. However, even the chilling thoughts of Dracula couldn't shake her from the reality of her apartment.
Dammit to Hell, she smacked her head against the hard back book. What the fuck am I going to do! My apartment in Japan was nicer than the dump I'm in!
Did it ever occur to Makoto to use her parent's money she had inherited after their death? Yes, but she figured that she should use that in an emergency, and an emergency only. That's when a cute girl dressed in black walked up to Makoto's motorcycle and handed her a flier.
"Fangtasia is having a half-off sale this weekend!' she sang, and again, Makoto's migraine reached an all-time high. "All drinks and paraphernalia are half-off this weekend only!" Makoto accepted the flier with false cheer, and quietly shooed her away. Makoto studied the flier.
A place where vampires can meet humans, Makoto thought. Or rather, vice-versa. Makoto couldn't help but feel a little curious at the thought. It seemed to be run by vampires, instead of humans, but was still a marketing gimmick. Makoto put the flier in her bag, and smiled at the waitress that brought Makoto's food. Makoto paid the woman, and added a tip before eating.
Makoto tied up the string's of her apron, then turned and flipped some burgers, before frying some pickles.
Fried pickles, she thought. Good lord, what will they think of next? Makoto shook her head, and turned her attention to the stuffed peppers.
"Table five!" Makoto called out, and smiled as Sookie took the tray. Sookie smiled back, gave the order to a table, then walked back to Makoto.
"Hey, Mako," Sookie began. "Bill wants to know if you can make some more of that vanilla blood cream, he brought a friend to try some." Makoto smiled, and pulled out a tub of homemade blood cream from the freezer.
"Made some before I got here," Makoto said. "Since it's not on the menu, yet, tell them it's on the house." Sookie grinned, then took the tray towards the two vampires. Makoto took a look at Bill. He still had silver scars, but they seemed to be healing nicely. Makoto grinned, then turned to make some nachos. So far, so good. She wouldn't have to worry about vampire haters, she hoped.
"Mako!" Sookie called. "Miss Dieudonne wants to have a word with you!" Makoto frowned. Did she do something wrong with an order? Oh, God, maybe someone was having an allergic reaction to something she put in to enhance the taste.
Makoto walked out, asking the helper to watch the food for her. Makoto immediately saw Sookie standing next to the table that had Bill and his friend.
"Miss Dieudonne," Sookie said. "This is Makoto Kino, our chef. She's the one who created the blood cream." Miss Dieudonne was an attractive vampire, but not in a sexy bleach blond sort of way. Her blond hair was cut down to her shoulders, and her eyes held hundreds of years of knowledge. She looked somewhere between sixteen and nineteen.
"Kino-san," Dieudonne said. She had an accent that Makoto couldn't place. "This blood ice cream is great. Could I please ask you to make a batch for a private party I'm holding? Just me, and some close friends. I'll be sure to pay you for the ice cream, and whatever else you could fix up."
Makoto blinked, and smiled. "Sure," she said. "How many people?"
"Five," Dieudonne said. "Two of them are human, so some snacks for them would be great. Is that okay?"
"No problem," Makoto said. "Just get me the list of what your friends would like, and I'll deliver them. When do you need the food, Miss Dieudonne?"
"Friday," Dieudonne said. "And, please, call me Gene. My first name is Genevieve, but most people can't pronounce it properly."
"Thanks, Miss- I mean, Gene," Makoto said. "And, please, call me Makoto." The two women smiled at each other, and Makoto excused herself to the kitchen. Then, it struck her that she didn't know where to deliver the food. This solution was remedied when Sookie went up to take the next order. As the waitress took the tray, she dropped off a slip of paper with Gene's address and telephone number on it. Makoto, in return, gave Sookie her own number and address to pass on, and for Sookie herself.
"Have you ever heard of a vampire named Genevieve Dieudonne?" Sookie asked Eric when she visited Fangtasia that night. Eric looked at her, a look that made Sookie want to take him hostage. With chains. And a whip.
"Miss Dieudonne," Eric said. "Is one of the most respected vampires in all the world. When she was a warm girl, she lived in the time of Joan of Arc. She was turned by the vampire Chadagnac, and was one of the vampires opposed to Count Dracula when he tried to take over. She, with her human lover, Charles Beauregard, stopped the Count's rise to power time and again. Eventually, Charles died, and so did Dracula."
"Was Charles ever turned?" Sookie asked. Eric shook his head.
"Charles lived a long life because he ingested vampire blood, usually Genevieve's. But, she never turned him, as per his wishes," Eric paused before continuing. "Because she loved Charles, she never turned him, and he died of old age at one-hundred and five."
"She just let him die?" Sookie asked, startled.
"It wasn't as easy as that," Eric said. "Charles just never wanted to be turned, and Gene respected his wishes. In fact, I believe that Charles' birthday is this Friday."
"So that's why she wants Mako in charge of food," Sookie said. "Gene came in tonight, and asked our new cook, Makoto, to prepare food for Charles' birthday. How sweet of her."
"She is well respected in the vampire community," Eric continued. "She has been offered the position of queen of any region she wants, fifty times I believe. She has always refused. Unlike several of our kind, Genevieve can still hurt, hate, feel, love. She is human, despite her undead state. That's what makes her unique."