20 Bloodsucking 101

"Captain, it doesn't seem like the group of mission trip students is going to show."

I sit as my food grows cold. Hearing my First Officer sitting next to me speak, I turn my head in his direction.

"Yes, it appears that way. I've never had someone not show up for a private captain's dinner before. It's a bit annoying."

"It's insulting for someone to stand you up like this, Captain."

**Sigh**

"Send someone to their rooms and see if you can find out why they didn't show."

"Yes, captain."

Not willing to wait any longer, I begin eating my cold lobster. Half an hour passes before someone comes to report.

"Captain, I went to investigate, and no one was in their rooms. When I spoke to the cleaning staff, they stated for the past couple of days, no one has seen anyone go in or out of those rooms. Knowing this, I decided to enter their room myself and found that nothing had been touched since their rooms were last cleaned."

"...That's odd. Search the ship and see if you can find them. If not, pull the camera footage and see if you notice anything strange."

"Yes, Captain. Anything else?"

"Yeah, if you can't find them within twelve hours or notice anything else strange, report to me immediately. We'll need to inform the U.S. authorities if they're missing, but I'm sure they'll turn up soon..."

___________________

"Eira, why do we need to go to my room?"

"Well, you don't feel comfortable in my room, and you need blood, so we don't have much choice now, do we?"

"Who said I needed blood?"

**Grrrrrrrrr**

Eden's stomach again growls loudly, and at the same time, her face turns red.

I do my best to stifle my laughter, "I don't think it's necessary for you to say anything."

Without another word, she stands, and we both begin walking toward her room.

While walking to Eden's room, I start to consider how I am going to do this. I thought about just tossing her one of the corpses I had stored in my storage ring, but I think it's probably a little too early to do something like that, after all, she is just a young modern girl even with her past. I also considered knocking out a living person and making her just take some blood; however, it can often be hard for someone to control themselves during their first bloodsucking experience, and she might accidentally kill them. I've already put thought into Eden's first kill, and it needs to be someone she either feels justified in killing or in self-defense; a random passerby might scar her more than anything.

Then I thought about draining the blood of one of the corpses into a glass or something, but that would also be bad for her. As a newly born dhampir, her bloodsucking organ and teeth need blood to flow through them to develop fully, plus in the future, when she needs to suck blood from something, this will help teach her how. That brings me to the only other option I could think of, which is letting her suck the blood from me. I should be capable of regulating how much blood she takes and also strong enough to remove her if necessary. Lastly, drinking my blood a second time shouldn't have any additional effects...probably.

Together Eden and I enter her room; the room is small and just barely big enough for two people to occupy at the same time. However, glancing around, I notice that the place is spotless.

'Well, I already expected it, but this girl seems to be a bit of a neat freak...'

As the bed is the only available place with seating, I move toward it and sit. Eden follows and sits next to me.

"Okay, well, open your mouth I need to make sure your fangs have developed enough to actually use."

With a little hesitation, Eden opens her mouth. Looking closely, I can see that her canines are only slightly longer than your average human, but they are much sharper than a humans.

"They will probably grow a little longer in time, but they should be good enough. Anyways I am going to have you suck blood from me. It will be good practice for when you actually have to do it."

"...practice? Shouldn't bloodsucking be an instinct?"

"Sure, if you were born a dhampir, to begin with, it would be. As for you, you were not, and although it will become natural later, you'll need a little practice first."

"Okay...but what if I don't want to suck your blood?"

I place my hands behind my back, "Oh is that so? Hmm, open your mouth one more time. I forgot to check something."

Eden again opens her mouth, but this time she is giving me a much more vigilant look. With my hands behind my back, I cut my finger and let blood leak out.

"Stick out your tongue I can't see very well."

Eden sticks out her tongue and stares off into a corner, seemingly embarrassed. As fast as I can manage, I move my bloody finger and let the blood fall onto Eden's tongue. Feeling the strange sensation she flinches and retracts her tongue leaving a drop of blood running down the corner of her mouth.

I laugh, "Sorry, but I have a feeling you won't be so hesitant now."

Moving my head up, I can see Eden isn't listening to me anymore. Her uncovered eye is clearly hyperfocused on me, and she is swallowing her saliva. She licks off the loose drop of blood from the corner of her mouth.

'...Honestly, her staring at me like a piece of meat is making me a little uncomfortable.'

"...Are you sure it's okay?" she mumbles softly.

"Uhhhh, well, I originally was...Yeah, anyways here."

I hold up my wrist in expectation for her to bite, but Eden doesn't seem to notice my movements. Instead, she moves her face within inches of mine. My eyes grow big, and I can feel my face turn red as a tomato. At the last second, she veers away and moves to my neck.

**whew** I take a sigh of relief.

'That moron she's too caught up in the thought of blood well whatever this will also work, I guess.'

I feel Edens's warm breath against my neck. She bites, but can't seem to break the skin, well rather than bite it would be more accurate to say she is nibbling at my neck. It feels a little strange, so I take a deep breath and try to be patient.

**Sigh**

"Your fangs aren't very long right now. Tilt your head back a little, then bite."

Complying, I feel her head move, and a tiny prick on my neck as her fangs finally pass through the skin. I can feel my skin turn a little numb where she bit me; however, it doesn't cause paralysis. As a vampire, I have a natural immunity to the venom of other vampires and dhampirs. Feeling my blood starting to be pulled from my body, I start focusing and trying to regulate how fast Eden consumes it. To not make Eden embarrassed, I avoid eye contact, and simply stare off into space.

After a few minutes or so, I get ready to pull her away. However, assumingly because Edens fangs are too small, a drop of blood runs down my neck and to my collarbone. Unexpectedly Eden stops sucking my blood and moves lower and licks the drop of blood. My body shivers, and I shoot up off the bed.

I glare at Eden and find her looking at me with a tiny smirk.

'Is she smirking at me? I've never even seen this girl make a facial expression before...has she just been messing with me this whole time?!'

For a second, I think steam may shoot from my ears. I pick up a loose pillow from the bed and launch it at Eden's face. Flustered, I accidentally put so much strength behind it that I think the bed moves a little. Luckily Eden's physique is also enhanced, or I might have unintentionally knocked her out.

"I'm leaving! Don't come to find me. I'll come to find you!"

Opening the door, I am about to slam it when I remember something important.

I look back at Eden just in time to see the pillow drop from her face. The pillow still has a slight impression of her face. Seeing the pillow, it takes all my will power to keep a stern expression and not laugh.

"...I'll put my dirty clothes in a bag outside the door of my room...thanks again for washing them."

**Slam**