well i met you at the blood bank

[crab]

WHO: karkat and kanaya.
WHERE: some retro diner in heropa.
WHEN: about lunchtime.
WHAT: karkat and kanaya go out for lunch. spoilers: karkat is lunch.
WARNINGS: vampirism, cranky teenagers.

[ Although he'd offered to do this, and he stands by that offer, he can't help the nerves that gnaw at him on the way to the diner in question. The worries are partly what you'd expect, letting a vampire suck your blood; how much will it hurt, what if she drinks too much, what if she can't stop him bleeding, etcetera, but the most pressing one, is, well.

His blood is mutated. Inadequate. Freakish.

What if she doesn't like it?

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all, he thinks, so absorbed he ends up pulling on the door marked push for at least twenty seconds before getting his bearings, and pushing his way inside the venue they'd chosen (Karkat would need something to eat and drink after this) and scanning the patrons for the one he knows. ]

Comments

[glowsferatu]

[ while it wouldn't be her first time tasting his blood, she isn't really worried so much about the taste. looking forward to it, actually. but that they had to meet here first, well, she was hoping there might be fewer people. it's not only the first time in longer than she can remember that she'll supping on the blood of another troll, but the first time she'll have ever bitten anyone that was less...behind closed doors.

feeding in front of her enemies is different, it's an intimidation tactic. with civilians? she can be upfront about what she is, but actually showing it off is something she's never sure how anyone will take.

she's been watching the door for the five minutes since she arrived, so the moment he enters, she gives him a wave. she already shifted before arriving herself, as a way of preparing, and she scoots down her bench a little as he approaches the table. ]

So, um. Do you want to order first, or...?

[crab]

[ He slips into the little booth beside her, looking rather put out, as he surveys how many people are actually in this little diner... the web search he'd done had said this place had booths; he'd assumed that had meant something enclosed. As things are, they're still fairly visible.

He doesn't hear her immediately; he answers a few beats after she speaks, with a start. ]

After, I think. [ He can't eat on a nervous stomach like this. ] Uh... so, can you tell me more about how this works? Before we start. Or, you start.

[glowsferatu]

Well, I've... [ she takes a look around at the restaurant again, then back to karkat with an uncomfortable smile. ] ...never quite done it in these circumstances before. But it's simple enough.

I'll make a puncture wound, nothing too deep but enough to bleed, and then draw the blood from it. After, well. [ she picks up the first aid kit next to her and puts it on the table. ] I thought about getting some of the band-aids with the fun patterns, but I felt you'd prefer something blank.

[ she wrings her hands a little, grimacing slightly at him. ] It will hurt a bit. Not a lot, but a bit. You'll want to know that. But, um, some people-- [ no, he doesn't need to know that rose actually likes it. she just shakes her head instead, cutting herself off. ]

[crab]

[ He takes a moment to process that (a good thing she had left the part about Rose out of it, it would have made this harder), taking a deep inhale, and giving her a short nod, on the exhale. ]

Okay. [ He at least knows he shouldn't worry about her taking too much... he knows she drinks Rose's blood, and that he has significantly more blood to safely lose than Rose.

He casts one final, wary look at the other patrons, before raising his arm, extending his hand toward her-- the underside of his wrist facing up. ] I don't really know what's appropriate to say under these circumstances, but-- enjoy? I guess?

[ What if she doesn't like it. ]

If it's-- if my blood, specifically, isn't what you expected, I'll understand, by the way. I get it. Just tell me, and we'll call it off.

[glowsferatu]

[ she takes a deep breath and gives him a look between frustration and resignation, but still tempered by her discomfort. arguing with words isn't going do anything to effectively argue that, she knows this from experience. but actions speak louder.

so she takes a gentle hold of his wrist, sliding up his sleeve before she takes another look at the other tables herself. and, after taking a moment to psyche herself up, she sinks in her fangs.

the warm flow trickles out quickly, and the moment it hits her tongue it's like an explosion of rich flavor, nothing like the bland human blood she's sustained herself on for so long. her eyes widen and her grip tightens slightly, in fear he might shrink away from her. but she has to take a moment to detach, to come up for air. ]

Oh my god.

[crab]

[ It does hurt, but it hurts considerably less than he was expecting; his flinch is barely perceptible. It doesn't feel that much different to getting blood drawn (not that Karkat would know what that feels like, as if he'd consent to a blood test) -- the pain is secondary to the purely bizarre feeling of blood flow being essentially reversed, pulled out of the vein through some outside influence.

It's not what Karkat would call his idea of enjoyable, but it isn't deserving of all the nervousness and trepidation he'd approached it with, either. He's just starting to relax a little, lose some of that awkward tension, when she detaches, startling him. This flinch is more visible.

Oh, god. ]

Oh my god, what? What's wrong? [ He must taste horrible. ] Is it that bad?

[glowsferatu]

No. [ her answer is almost breathless, giddy. she smiles wide at him, the red of his blood still on her teeth, dripping from her lips. ]

It's just been a while!

[ she laughs lightly as she moves back to the bite, licking up the blood that's collected after she stopped, drawing more still through his wound. she's been at it for a full fifteen seconds when she knows she should stop. she doesn't want to, there's something intoxicating and addicting to it, knowing that this is how blood is supposed to taste and she's been denying herself it for too long a time, but he needs his blood more than she does.

she leans back on the bench, covering her mouth with both hands and closing her eyes. a long, satisfied hum escapes her lips. ] Thank you. [ it comes out as a whisper, almost to no one in particular, but her eyes open and she looks him in the eyes when she repeats it. she looks almost like she might cry. ] Thank you.

[ she lets her hands fall and takes a few deep breaths before seeming to catch herself with a start, looking back at his wrist. ]

I should... I should bandage that.

[ and she opens up her first aid kit and removes some gauze to dress his wound. there's a bit of excess still on the surface, but she catches it with her fingers. and then her fingers go right in her mouth. ]