Blood Lily

"...Huh?" I asked, confused as my awareness floated to the surface.

He gently lifted my chin up so our scarlet and blood red eyes could meet.

"I said..." his handsome voice began to repeat, "...a girl as pretty as you must be named Lily."

"W-What?!" I asked, suddenly flustered beyond belief. "B-But I'm-"

"Happy like this!" A familiar girl with blonde hair and sky blue eyes interrupted.

"Right?! The smile on her face says it all!" Another familiar girl with fuzzy eyebrows and wavy, black hair added.

"W-Wait, but I'm not smi-" I froze. I was smiling and it was impossible to stop.

Before I could even begin to process the situation, someone started tickling me under my arms from behind.

"Oh, that dress looks so beautiful on my daughter! I couldn't have chosen better myself!" The stranger teased.

I felt warm, fuzzy, and giggly.

"Hehe! It is nice, isn't it...?" I said, giving in to the growing sources of happiness.

Just then, however, they all vanished. But I wasn't confused. I wasn't sad. Instead, I felt something else entirely, something primal and instinctive. The scarlet in my eyes seemed to glow as if a fiery wisp was contained, or rather, trapped within them and my fangs seemed to ache in anticipation. My breathing became silent and inaudible like a cat on the prowl.

I could see someone. They were turned away so I couldn't see their face, but their short, black hair echoed a sense of familiarity. I felt a drop of rage swirl and mix into the desire that slowly cascaded over my being.

I approached him, and as I stood mere inches away, my pulse quickened. I ignored the odd blur on the back of his neck and, instead, I turned my attention to the rhythmic flow emanating just a bit farther to the right. Lifelessly, he allowed me to bend his head to the side as I parted my mouth wide and greedily.

Ah... of course. That's what I'm feeling.

Hunger.

As my fangs plummeted towards the vulnerable skin, I was suddenly shocked back to reality.

"Ah!" I screamed, jolting upright in my bed as my heart began pumping adrenaline.

Panicking, I scanned the room as I rubbed the back of my neck, the very tangible feeling of electricity slowly subsiding.

"W-What... Who...?" I asked, my senses still on high alert.

What just happened? I think I was having a dream, but then... then something woke me up. What was my dream about...? I... I was hungry. I wanted blood. Is that bad? Or is it good? Let's see, there was also...

"Heh..." I said, a smile returning to my face. There was mother. Millie and Amber, too, and...

My cheeks went red and my heart picked back up its fast pace.

"S-Sebastian?!" I involuntarily squeaked. W-Why was he in my dream?! I mean, sure, it was an interesting experience to be treated like a girl for the first time, b-but I only talked to him for like.... How long was I in the garden for, actually? It couldn't have been that long, I mean we did spend some time talking about stuff, like how he kidnapped his brother.

I slightly chuckled.

I still can't believe he said something like that, I mean, there was no way he was serious. Right...? Right. It was funny. He's funny.

I blushed at my own thoughts.

I-I mean... if someone makes you laugh, they're funny, right? Y-Yeah, of course. The next time I see him, I'll just have to see if he can make me laugh again, that'll prove-

My shoulders drooped disappointingly.

...Am I going to see him again? I probably will, right? We're both heirs to a vampire house, so... it's likely.

Thinking that, I curiously wondered what the other heirs were like as I hopped out of bed, stretching and contently yawning before heading to my dresser to change out of my pajamas.

Then I noticed the box, the realization of what I'm doing today punching me in the gut, but not unpleasantly so.

"R-Right. I get to wear the dress today. All day. In front of everyone else. As a girl. Oh god."

A smile twitched onto my lips and, to be honest, I didn't really try to fight it.

Nervously, I opened it and lifted the dress up, sprawling it out over the bed. Before swapping into it, though, I peered back into the box again. I didn't try the shoes yesterday... I-I can try them on now, can't I? And... what else is in there, actually?

I picked up two separate, long pieces of silky white fabric. They had an opening at the top while the bottom of them bent in the shape of an "L". They kind of look like... Oh! These are socks! Really silky socks that look like they would go up to my thighs.

I set them beside the dress on the bed and placed the well-matching short heeled, black shoes on the floor.

I felt extremely nervous again, but excited. Very excited. Euphorically excited. But still nervous.

"W-Well, I mean... I may as well wear those too if I'm going all out today..."

I quickly slipped out of my pink pajamas and stepped into the whole ensemble, beginning with putting the dress on the same way I had yesterday as pleasant sparks threatened to overtake me. Managing to keep my composure, I slipped my feet into the socks, allowing them to effortlessly roll up my leg and- Oh my god that feels amazing?!?!

T-They're r-really snug and silky, sure, b-but why do they have to feel so good? I-I don't understand! This combination isn't fair on my heart...

Being the masochist I apparently am, I slid my feet into the simply designed heels, snapping the easy to use straps over the silky white socks covering my skin, locking them in place.

I anxiously stood up, letting gravity press me down into the heels as they gently hugged my feet.

"T-They seem to fit pretty well..." I told myself as I hesitantly patted the skirt of the dress down just a bit.

I took a step forward and, as I fearfully hoped, the light swish of the skirt pierced me with a bizarre sense of joy, just like yesterday. But this time... it's accompanied by the feeling of my legs and feet being hugged by the soft, silk fabric.

"W-Why is this so comfortable?! They're just clothes!" I complained to nobody in specific.

Checking off the possibility that liking girly, feminine clothing was just a one off thing, I slowly stepped towards the mirror with an excited itch.

I was dumbfounded. The sleeveless dress was even more beautiful than yesterday as it flawlessly rested on my body. The black ends of the skirt met the smooth, pure white of my silk-covered legs just above the knee, which extended downward to meet the black of my rather adorable heels. The most noticeable difference, however, is my fanged, cheek-to-cheek wide grin.

"Wow... I'm... I'm really pretty as a girl, aren't I...?"

All nervousness, hesitation, and doubt that still remained inside of me completely melted away with a kind of warmth that no fire could give. I could feel my very soul squeal in delight. I could hear myself literally squeal in a soft, high pitched voice that reverberated with self-love, too.

"Hehe... Today is going to be amazing!" I happily giggled.

The reflection seemed perfect, but, I still felt as if something was missing... what could... Oh!

I stepped back towards my dresser and picked up the lily that I had sat down on the top of it the previous night. It still looked as fresh and lively as it was when I saw it still connected to the stem... It really isn't going to wither, is it?

I turned back towards the mirror and stopped in the same place as before. Tucking a few silver strands of hair behind my ear, I gently placed the lily in the same spot as yesterday, looking at my reflection once again to see how it-

I was speechlessly happy.

The lily added just the necessary amount of variety to my hair, the white petals slightly curling as tiny, cute, brown dots freckled the inside of it. I also noticed my left hand was playing with the loop on the ribbon again, but I didn't really bother to stop. I've already accepted that it was going to become a habit.

Standing before my completed look, I felt an urge to try something.

"H-Hi," I embarrassingly said to myself. "I'm Lil' O'Sang, p-princess and heir to House O'Sang!"

Oh god, I just referred to myself as a princess, didn't I? I-I mean, I am, right? Are heirs considered princes and princesses? Does that make my mother a queen? Will I be a queen? That's a really weird thought process, but I don't dislike it. I kind of prefer being a princess, though...

Ker-chunk

A-Anyway! Let's try that again, I stuttered too much. I want to be able to make good first impressions, after all...

"H-Hello" I still helplessly stuttered. "My name is-"

"Lil'?" Amber interrupted with a tap on my bare shoulder, my life flashing before my scarlet eyes and escaping out of my mouth as an audible "Eep!"

I twirled around, my face visibly shaken.

"Sorry," she giggled. "Didn't mean to scare you."

"O-Oh!" I said, my life returning back into me. "S-Sorry!"

"It's fine," she laughed. "But that dress really is cute! I'm jealous!"

"T-Thanks," I said, terrified out of my mind as I realized I'm wearing it in front of someone. "U-Um, where is Mil-"

I was suddenly tackled into a hug by a werewolf girl with a big, fluffy tail.

"OH OUR NEW SISTER IS SO CUTE! AMBER CAN WE KEEP HER PLEASE?!" She screamed, her tail wagging at blistering speeds.

"Uhwuhwuahwuhah," I said in an incoherent, mumbling daze. My brain came to a complete halt.

"Don't overwhelm her now, sis," Amber warned with a giggle.

"But the smile on her face says it all!" Millie whined, giving me a thorough sense of déjà vu.

I'm not still dreaming, am I?