Heartthrob

The limousine raced down the highway, Vitus's grimy streets and towering skyscrapers whipping by, chaff by comparison to what Judas was surely used to. Its black frame, an ebon chariot for a vampire and her prey, coursed through intersections and down back-streets with mechanized precision, surely the finest model available. An inspection would reveal it to be French in make; they were the finest automobile craftsmen in the ERFS, a position they were forced into during the Chapter Wars. Truly a luxurious import, and in and of itself a display of wealth and influence.

However, you did not come here for constant reminder of Judas's money, I hope.

Inside, the two continue to sip champagne like fish desperate for water, or winos desperate for relief. The semi-golden liquid pours down their half-dead throats in a waterfall rush in between playful banter and pop culture references: the latest films, the most popular music, the cutting edge of virtual reality. Smalltalk for the sake of it, they pitter-patter back and forth with words that don't bear real weight; EJ is already feeling the weight of her consumption begin to drag her into the fine leather seats, and her conversational partner is so commanding in the direction of their chat that she's happy to just be dragged along like a block of lead.

Judas, by contrast, is more than lucid - her eyes are acutely focused within the dim light of the limousine's interior, lips hungry, teeth bared in a lupine smile. She's playing to everything Esper James says - she knows all the bands EJ refers to, she laughs at every joke the little blonde lamb tells, and she's crept ever closer until her right arm is nestled comfortably around her target's shoulders, providing a headrest. EJ's happily nestled herself into the embrace at this point, her tender heart more than open to the affection provided.

The secretary sips at her booze in a break between conversation, shutting her eyes to listen to the dark, moody jazz that spills through the speakers in the vehicle. It's like they're in a supper club with just the two of them - the audio quality is such that she can almost imagine herself there, drinking fancy wine with her date, allowing herself to be wooed so completely. So wholly. And yes, she thinks to herself, she is 'allowing' herself to be wooed.

There may be a distinct... difference of power between them, for sure, and your boss asking you on a date is a bit manipulative, but she does like Judas. She's attractive without a doubt, she's charismatic, she's... Well, sweet sometimes, right? That thought made EJ frown into her glass, tuning out whatever small talk drivel Judas was rattling into her ear. Judas could be sweet, couldn't she?

The answer was a tentative yes. EJ had worked for Judas for years - a decade, actually. Time slipped like grains through one's hand and days blended together when one's lifespan was functionally indefinite... It felt so brief, and so little had changed. The world had changed around the pair of them, but business was always the same. New stores, new bands, new cars, new movies... but always Judas and EJ, in office 647, doing their same work day in and day out. Work was a source of stress, but it was a constant, a rock EJ could depend on. She always knew Judas would be there, and she had grown so accustomed to the actual process of working that it was second nature to her.

Judas had been... rocky, those first years. Vampires were demanding. Being so close to perfection, to the grace of some unseen God in a long-forgotten heaven, made them moody and particular. They required the same sort of perfection they themselves held from all their subordinates and contacts, and when these standards were not met, punishment and reprimand were common. Judas's tongue could be a harsh lash or a tender caress, as Esper James had come to know quite intimately; she was a beautiful flower, a gorgeous bloom of nightshade, both deadly and divine.

EJ had cried a lot throughout their shared employment. She cried a lot nowadays, too, but not quite as much. For a girl who was supposed to be a half-dead flesh eating mutant, a freak of nature who had been denied her destiny as a sanguine superior like Judas, she was pretty soft inside. A little ball of mochi and pudding and teeth, some may say. Judas had been unsparing with her application of the figurative lash, and this had only bruised her, not hardened her - internal scars did not heal the same as those upon the flesh and bone.

But as time had gone on, Judas's favor had slowly come down from that high pedestal it sat upon to grace EJ directly. She figured it was her dedication - even if she was late sometimes, or screwed up sometimes, or forgot things sometimes, EJ was by far Judas's longest-serving subordinate. As she had been told in the past, Judas's previous secretaries usually lasted a year at most before some horrible fate befell them - self-inflicted termination, disappearance into Vitus's shadows, re-location to some remote shithole, or straight-up firing. Working for the higher-ups at Tsang was always a gamble, and in that game you either won big or lost so badly your life could never recover.

EJ liked to think that she was going to win. But then again, didn't they all like to think such things?

Judas had been sweeter and sweeter to her as time went on, and especially recently it had been notable. The kisses were... They made EJ shudder to think about, reminiscing in the recollection of how it felt. Her lips were soft, but thin and more direct - she couldn't help but compare them to Puri's, and find each had their own beneficial nature. No, more than just the kiss itself, it was the way Judas held her. To the vampire, she was a small, defenseless creature that needed protection, guidance... Use. She was a trophy, but to be fair, EJ doubted Judas could ever see another person as much more than that. It was a compliment, in a way, that Judas even saw her as some sort of valuable decoration.

Judas snapped her fingers in front of EJ's face, between her nose and the flute of bubbly, cracking off a few snip-snaps before clearing her throat. This, in turn, snapped EJ out of her little moment of self-reflection and concentration. She yelped, turning her head with wide doe eyes to look up at her boss, nearly spilling some champagne onto herself and her fancy outfit - that would have been an instantaneous trigger for tears, so it was thankful she avoided it.

"Hey. You ok? You've been staring silently into your drink for a while. I want to make sure you're having fun on this little outing, EJ." Judas's expression was soft and forgiving, a warm pillow to look at - it made EJ feel comforted and safe, emotions she never thought she could attribute to one with a name synonymous with betrayal. She nestled up closer to Judas, head now resting near the other woman's underarm, the limb 'round her shoulders like a reassuring blanket. Judas was happy to give her a squeeze.

"Yeah... Yeah, I'm ok. Doing g-great, actually... Thank you for all the booze, haha! I just... Sometimes when I drink I can get a little quiet and need some time to sit and think. I promise, I-I'm not bored, or unhappy, or anything like that... Sometimes it all just gets to be a little much for me. I just need a little breather." EJ swallowed hard, looking back up to Judas and being rewarded with the hints of a fang-toothed smile from her hostess. Judas nodded, leaning down to gingerly place a kiss on EJ's forehead; it made her tingle from head to toe, shutting her eyes to bask in the feeling. This time it lingered longer than usual, much longer, a euphoric background buzz enhanced by Judas's warmth.

"I get it, EJ. Don't worry, I do. You've always been a little... fragile. Easily startled. I kind of like that about you, actually - you're emotional, even after second life. Most people, when they come out of the morgue, they're kind of... nihilistic. Dead to the world. Zombies don't often make great conversationalists, but you... You're fun to be around. You're just like a living girl, except with all the fun of a dead one. I've always adored that about you."

Judas smiles earnestly this time, her strange sort of compliment still entwining EJ's heart with its words. A direct sentence from Judas expressing affection was like a unicorn - rare, mesmerizing, and deadly. She crossed her legs absentmindedly, wanting to make herself small... to make herself easier to wrap up and hold. To make herself available for whatever Judas's plans were.

After some time, conversation picked up normally again, albeit this time EJ was happily nested into the half-embrace of her boss and benefactor. There was no more need to think about Judas's predatory history, or the way she could be abusive; this was redeeming her in EJ's naive eyes and doing so more fervently every second. She didn't even notice how much champagne they had gone through until her eyes rested upon the fourth empty bottle on the floor, rolling around haphazardly even as Judas opened a fifth. Couldn't hurt, right?

-

By the time they arrived at their destination, the limousine crawling to a halt with buttery smooth precision, EJ was plastered. Drinking on another person's dollar was reason enough to get as hammered as you could, and Esper James found she was quite fond of the light, sweet, fruity taste the champagne had. It was candy-like and enticing, doubtlessly picked for its sweetness and drinkability by Judas herself. Even drunk, the ghoulette knew that Judas would have had a hand in every aspect of today's festivities.

Stepping out from the limo, helped by Judas's stabilizing hands, she was immediately covered by the shade of an offered umbrella. It was still a bit sunny out, and the chauffeur attendant was present by the door (which he had opened) to similarly ensure neither lady got too much of those blinding, hateful rays upon their delicate dead flesh. EJ stumbled a little bit as she stood, but just as she was about to truly totter over, Judas's arms wrapped around her from behind and pulled her back into a close embrace. Her perfume, that same dark berry and cinnamon, floods into EJ's head like a tidal wave and makes her vision spin. Maybe their day trip could just be this - just be Judas holding onto her, keeping her safe and secure...

"Hey, hey... Come on, EJ, door's right there. Here, hold my hand and I'll lead you in. I think you'll like this place a lot - it's one of my favorite places to dine, and I come here really often. Everyone knows me, and I promise, they'll love you. You're exactly the type of girl they want to come visit." Judas's words were whispered so tenderly into EJ's ear that the blonde could barely register them, instead focusing on the comforting warmth of Judas's breath - but she nodded, acknowleding what was said, staggering to a full stand and taking Judas's offered hand.

Before them lay a lavish looking modern building, the outside of it all black glass and steel with a red carpet extending out the front. A milky-eyed doorman nodded to the pair as he sniffed the wind, looking past the pair even as they approached. Above the door, in golden script of flowing cursive with a distinctive flair, the establishment was named: Chateau Nocturne. Even from outside there came a scent which made EJ's empty belly roar, and while she was too drunk to notice or care, Judas laughed aloud. The doorman tried not to acknowledge it, professional demeanor too stoic.

The weather was starting to cloud up, thankfully, and the sun's gaze dimmed as it hit 3:00. It was a lovely time for a late lunch for humans, or a mid-lunch for others. The doorman pulled a tinted glass pane wide for the pair, offering them up a rectangular void from which only the sounds of slow, melancholic jazz piano and the scent of cooking meat escaped. EJ blinked at it, trying her best to focus - she could see a little bit, ghoulish eyes taking note of a 'Please wait to be seated' sign upon the greeter's podium, but not much else within the gloom. A single pinprick of light seemed to make itself known far in the distance, away from prying or pleading eyes.

"Come on, come on... They'll lead us to our table. Nothing to be scared of, sweetie, I promise... I eat here all the time. You'll have fun, I just know it - hahaha...~" Judas's reassurances are anything but comforting, but the suddenly timid girl - strength sapped by alcohol and courage draining - reluctantly allows herself to be coralled by her date. Into the black door they go, and once the doorman shuts their only exit, they are damned to abyssal blackness.

Within, the sights are singular: that ebon canvas of lightlessness, painted across every surface one could possibly imagine. The soft sounds of measured consumption come in waves and fits through the darkness, wine sipped and plateware clacked, silvers clanked and food torn apart by teeth and steel. An eatery, it seemed, but more than just some upscale butchery - this place was swanky, and the gimmick was as obvious as the daylight that it denied. Dining in the dark. How novel.

EJ could smell the dishes being prepared in the kitchen; she could taste the blood in the air, raw and cooked, most patrons dead but a surprising few living motes finding their place at the tables. Somewhere in the distance a live band played, slap-bass and lone trumpet accompanied by a drum set and piano and a synthesizer to provide further ambiance. Deeper, in the kitchen, EJ can barely make out snippets of chatter: the head chef directing his underlings, his fellow artisans of spices and meat.

A new scent directs the scene: perfume and cologne in tandem, the former light and citrus with a hint of floral bouquet, the latter heady and wooden and jasmine. They're both attached to the same person somewhere in this shadowy landscape, and as their voice makes itself known EJ clings to Judas for support. The taller woman gladly provides.

"Good evening, most valued patrons. Do you have a reservation?" The voice is wispy and sweet, but carries as though backed with further bass than is properly revealed. Judas makes some sort of motion in the black, her own tones responding as EJ simply stands and listens.

"Yes. We're here for a reservation at three-fifteen... We're a little early, but I assume that will be no trouble. The reservation is for the Alighieri party." Judas gave Esper James's hand a little squeeze as she spoke, her excitement palpable. The confidence and eagerness to eat that Judas was feeling had truly begun to blend into EJ's own thoughts and emotions, seeping over through skin-to-skin osmosis. She couldn't deny that she, too, was starting to feel a mounting anticipation in her breast.

The ruffle of menus. The flutter of a skirt, or perhaps a dress. Judas began to move, and as she did, she leaned down to whisper to EJ. "Stick close to me. Don't let go of my hand. I've seen it in here when the lights - there are lights, by the way, in case of emergency - when they're on. It's a little cramped in a few of these hallways." That was all she needed to say; EJ was glued to her even more than before, the brisk pace of their procession meaning she stumbled at least once, and Judas was there to catch her.

Finally they slowed after what felt like hours, the tension of walking blind with nothing but touch and smell to guide you drawing seconds into eons. Judas led EJ's hand to a booth's cushy back, slipping away once the girl was settled in; Esper James could hear her date moving to sit across from her, and lo and behold she reached one high-heeled foot across to tap EJ's thigh playfully. The blonde giggled softly, darkness allowing her to hide her delighted smile. It felt good to receive such affection.

Menus were offered by their waitress(?), the text now the only thing they could see - however, Judas cleared her throat and whispered something to the waitstaff, who promptly took the menus back before EJ could even finish reading about the entry she had been investigating. They hastily made their retreat while EJ looked to where she approximated Judas to be, brow raised in the shade, hoping that her date could feel the questioning emotion from across the table.

It seemed like she may have, because Judas answered without prompting. "I told her to get us my usual. You've trusted me this far, EJ - maybe I could have your trust for just a bit longer? I promise, I promise on all promises, that you'll enjoy this... And if I'm wrong, we can eat anywhere you'd like on our next trip, ok? I'll pay for it all. You have my word."

"...ok." The secretary wasn't sure what to say, all this mystery and mystique both grabbing her attention and, frankly, worrying her. Judas was her boss, surely she was trustworthy... but was such secrecy necessary? And what the hell were they gonna eat? Vampires weren't known for their appetites, even if they forewent their medicine, but ghouls could pack away a whole person and strip the bones clean without a second thought. It was true - there'd been more than one news special on it, advertising the dangers of living a life without FixAte. After all, you didn't want to eat your friends, did you?

Judas broke the silence again, playing footsie with EJ as she did. Her stockings were soft on EJ's skin where they touched, pants sometimes being pulled up to allow flesh-to-flesh contact. "So... Welcome to Chateau Nocturne, or just The Nocturne to most. It's a blind dining restaurant, mostly made for, well, people like us. People who eat meat and aren't often scrupulous about how we do it, haha! The idea is that since we second-living have such powerful and refined senses, we not only can feel them at their full potential in the dark, but also the experience of eating will be heightened further for us."

"That's why you didn't want me to... Y'know. With my..." EJ was hesitant to speak aloud the full extent of her thoughts, but they were easy enough to guess: her medicine. Her stomach had been a dull knot of pain and motion all morning because of it, and she was thankful that the only person she'd really been near was Judas because she wasn't sure how well she could control herself if left alone with someone that wasn't as imposing. The bubbly had helped, yes, but that was like saying alcohol cured a headache - it only removed the symptoms, not the cause.

"Mhmm. EJ, I'm a vampire. We both know that. Vampires have it, well, pretty damn good in this city. We're powerful, respected, physically peaking, mentally sharp... There's a lot we get to enjoy. But you... You're special, too, in your own way. Ghouls are so much more durable, so much stronger if allowed to flourish. I've always admired the other undead around me, the different ways that Tsang can craft us up from the pitiful shell of humanity, and you're my favorite example. You're elegant and beautiful in your own special way, you know? Whenever I see your smile, and I get to see those ghoulish fangs... Or the dazzling red markings in your eyes..."

She made a pleasured, shuddering sound, and EJ laughed. Wow, Judas really was a fan, eh? I made sense, in a way: vampires had the best reason to feel some kind of attachment to their second-living status, and so they'd be most likely to see the 'good' in all the various strains and subspecies created by Tsang's special treatment. Even a ghoul like EJ, considered an outsider to the other forms of second-living, may be looked upon with a kind and loving eye.

"Ahem... And so, uh, I thought taking you here might be a fun experience. For you. Letting you eat your fill, getting to focus on your hunger and the food you're eating instead of some kind of dazzling locale or overt display of wealth or something... So many restaurants in town try and blind you with their bling that it can be hard to actually enjoy the damn food. Here's to hoping that you can focus on it all just fine here."

The waitress arrived once more, carrying something in one hand and two clinking things in the other: a bottle of wine with glasses to go with. It was poured and with it came a distinctly red scent, savory and sweet at the same time, a luxurious and aromatic spritz filling the air. Some kind of blood-wine, perhaps? It had all the right markers of blood and alcohol, and despite already being fairly drunk, EJ's mouth watered like a faucet. It took all her willpower not to reach and flail blindly for the chalice of red drink, instead waiting for the waitress to push the crystal glass over to her. She took it gratefully, pulling it close to drown herself in its smell.

Peppery, heady, sugary, spicy. Notes of brown sugar, red and black pepper, and the distinct metallic tang of blood filled her nose, underlined with swirling tendrils of red grape, cinnamon, and balsamic vinegar. There was a definite tang, fruity and savory and sugary and hot, the liquid itself mulled and warm to be a delicious spiced libation. It was just a touch thicker than normal wine, but that was exactly what EJ liked - some texture to her bloody concoctions, something to help bolster it against her tastebuds. Judas just snickered at the other girl's excitement.

"Careful with that, buttercup, it's strong. Special reserve, straight from Peru; they do lovely things with blood in the South, really tasteful. It's a shame importing costs so much, but eh, it's worth it to me...~" Judas's smile is audible, and EJ can imagine how it must look in the dark of the restaurant's interior: her long white fangs, capped with gold, sparkling in the lightlessness for no one but the mind's eye. She was lovely.

"Oi! I'll be fine, won't I? I've had plenty of pig's blood before, and I'm no lightweight. Here - toast with me." EJ pouted playfully for no benefit other than her own, hoping that it might come across in the the tone of her speech. Her ears caught the sound of Judas's outfit rustling in the darkness, and the two both made an awkward clinking of their glasses. EJ giggled aloud at the difficult gesture, trying not to spill her wine.

"Careful, careful! Hahaha! Don't spill any, you dummy!" Judas laughed, the sound ricocheting around their private booth, surrounding EJ with her hostess's mirth. It was surprisingly comforting, knowing Judas was having fun - knowing that things were going well. She laughed in turn, and soon the two were giggling into their glasses as they made to take their drinks.

EJ slowly tipped the crystalline goblet back, scent and sensation flooding her nostrils, and when finally the liquid touched her lips it was like a warm embrace from a long-lost lover. She could barely stifle her gasp of surprise as it dribbled into her mouth and caught her palate in rapture - it was everything she had hoped for and more, the taste of it imprinting itself into her tongue and mind.

Smoky, peppery, and savory, with a distinct tang and sweetness that overlaid it like a rich barbecue sauce over flame-roasted fruits. The aftertaste was of figs and brown sugar with a lingering heat that played with the back of the throat, reminiscent of the flames of Hell reaching up their black iron chimney towards Heaven's gate. She couldn't stop herself from gulping down the first mouthful immediately, smacking her lips as chocolate and cinnamon made themselves known to the sides of her senses, creamily blending it all together into a beverage which would shatter any winter woes without worry.

She finished the first glass without hesitation, then sitting and staring into the darkness.

The blood-rush came next, a stimulant burst which put all else to shame. She had experienced it thousands of times before. But this felt different - it was more powerful by leaps and bounds, causing her hands to shake gently and her stomach to rumble with soft content. She licked her teeth once, twice, thrice, getting every drop she could down her gullet, eyes wide and pupils monolithic in the darkness of the chateau.

Setting the glass down, she was quiet for a time afterwards. Judas snickered again, that cruel witch-cackle of self-delight, so pleased with her own machinations that she had to share it with the world. EJ listened silently, breathing now with an open mouth, simply feeling the sensations wrought by the passing of guzzled blood: the way her muscles flexed and relaxed, the twitching of her hands, the rush of warmth in her lungs.

Indeed, in her loins and breast both she felt the stir of warmth and motion, excitement twofold at the bloody beverage's wake. It made her yearn for more yet even as her tongue and lips smacked away the remnants of her first warm glass, already desperate for more.

"That was... delicious. R-Really, really good. I'm used to, uh, pig's blood in just a mixed drink or something... Lot of ax-murders, haha, or Bloody Maries... but, erm, this is a lot stronger than those. The blood part, anyways. It's... It's not pig's blood, I can tell that. I'm sort of scared of what it might be. But... I trust you. You'd tell me if it was something bad, right...?"

Her partner leaned up and over the table, now speaking in a stage whisper of sorts, though EJ wasn't even sure who may hear. Judas's voice was heavy and sinister and laden with amusement when she spoke again, and EJ felt a chill run down her spine.

"Tell me what you think it was, EJ. I want to hear you say it."

EJ felt her gut tie up in knots now, the euphoria still sparkling in her veins but a ball of dread forming in her core. She leaned up shakily to match Judas, her own cheek lightly pressed to the other woman's, mouth to her ear. She took a deep breath before she could speak, hands still trembling, heart threatening to leap up and into her throat.

"...human."