Shay who?
As was becoming somewhat of a ritual, Shay slipped from bed, and padded barefoot into
her kitchen. Removing a bag of blood from the refrigerator, she sat it on a towel that
was folded on the counter. Yawning, then stretching, she walked to the bathroom, and
turned on the shower. The gnawing in her stomach was also becoming familiar, but
thankfully not near as impatient as it had been those first few days.
Once the water was the correct temperature, Shay slipped under the forceful spray, and
began to bathe. She had yet to buy much in the way of clothing, and having no need of
modesty, slept nude. It was not only practical, but economical cutting down on the need
for laundry as well.
As she lathered up her skin and hair, she again gave some attention to thinking about
what had transpired over the past few days. Each morning she hoped she might glimpse a
small bit of her past, and each morning she was disappointed. But each disappointment
seemed less and less so, as she got used to the fact that until she awoke on the couch
at Ginnies, she just hadn't existed. At least not as she now was.
Her mood wasn't one of sadness though. Things were as they were, and doing less than
accepting her life would accomplish nothing but to make her life less than what it was.
Since it was about as void as it could be now, she didn't want that.
As she began toweling off, Shay shook her head, and those thoughts away. It was hard
not to think about such things, but being practical seemed important to her. So, when
she found her mind wandering she made herself refocus on things that she felt would be
more beneficial to her, and her life now.
Running a comb through her wet hair, pulling snarl after snarl out, she made a decision.
Over the course of the past few days, most decisions had been joint ventures with input
from either Ginnie, Alec, or Dayle. But with the hassle of taking care of so much hair
being a total bother, Shay decided today she was going to get it cut off! Putting it up
into a pony tail or bun was okay, but that didn't solve the time and trouble necessary
to just wash it. Cutting it off would remove one less thing to waste time over every
morning, and right now Shay was all for making her life as simple as possible. At least
until there was less of it for her to relearn.
Still somewhat peeved for having to 'check in' with her keepers, she knew they were only
asking her to do so for her own protection. That knowledge didn't make her feel any
more adult unfortunately.
Once dressed she fed, and then found her cell phone. It was programmed with Ginnie,
Alec, and Dayle in the first three speed dial slots, so she pressed the number three and
waited for an answer. She longed for the days when she could just go outside on her
own, and do whatever it was that piqued her fancy, but for now she would adhere to the
'rules'...and they would just have to deal with the grumblings that came along with
her.
"Dayle? Dayle, it's Shay, please pick up."
The query posed her only reinforced that thought. Gently guiding Shay a bit away from the women, she explained, "I brought you here for three reasons, Shay. The third of which was for the hair cut. The second was for just the reason you asked. They are ... humans who know of our existence and seek out the experience of being bitten. Feeding 'properly' is really something you yourself will develop habits for over time, but you should know the basics. When we feed, typically it's not more than a pint - that is the same amount, strangely enough, that the various blood organizations across the world receive as donations. My estimation of a pint is four to six good mouthfuls. Any more, you risk damaging your donor. You may even feel full, compared to the bagged stuff, but you must understand, the euphoria of drinking fresh may kick in your instincts to drink more than that. You must -not-. Do you understand?"
Dayle hoped the earnestness of her command would penetrate through Shay's hunger-haze.
Hearing the cautionary words, Shay understood that she would need to be very aware of her 'donor' when she bit. Occasionally when she had slurped blood from the plastic bags she had been overcome by a couple different sensations, euphoria being one. It stood to reason that feeling might be even stronger when the blood was warm...and fresh. The mere thought was making her toes tingle.
"And these women...who know about us...are they such donors? I mean...if I were to invite my stylist to show me the back room...would she then offer her neck to me?"
What a conversation to be having, she thought. But it was a matter of her survival now, and she couldn't take it lightly.
"The choice is yours. But make it fast, as we can only hold up their regular business for so long. And there are considerations to make afterwards, but most of those I can show you as you finish."
Shay looked over at the woman who had cut her own hair and noticed her name tag for the first time. She wondered why she hadn't noticed it earlier.
"But how should I approach Barbara this first time...and...will you come with me? Do you think she'd mind? For precautionary reasons...?"
Dayle set her hand on Shay's opposite shoulder and handed her back the cash. "Go on. She'll likely send Janice out for a moment, and ask her to have me present. It shouldn't take you more than a couple minutes. I'll definately watch and make sure you're both okay."
Smiling at the woman as she neared her, Shay spoke in somewhat hushed tones, as she recited what Dayle had told her, almost word for word. When Barbara gladly accepted the invitation, and took Shay's hand, Shay followed with a quick glance back at Dayle.
When they got to the back room, Shay looked around quickly to see it seemed to be a small kitchen type room, and then watched as Barbara shooed Janice out. With no foreplay at all, Barbara unbuttoned her smock, and bared her neck, with a slightly goofy grin on her face.
Taking the woman's shoulders, Shay leaned towards her neck, sniffed the odor of sweat and some bitter perfume, licked the spot she knew held the blood she lusted for. Biting down, Shay's sharp canine type teeth slid through the skin and muscle like a hot knife through butter. Immediately her mouth filled with the sweet, sweet nectar she had already come to look upon as her own life's blood.
Counting as she swallowed, once she past the number five, she reluctantly stopped, and retracted her fangs. Opening her eyes, she saw Barbara seemed to be sleeping, and afraid she might have taken more than she counted, she looked around frantically for Dayle.
"Is she okay?" The words came out of Shay's mouth thickly, as she herself felt quite...nice...now. And as she looked at Dayle she saw that not only was the woman pretty...but she was damn gorgeous.
Dropping Barbara, having completely forgotten the other woman, Shay stood and just stared at Dayle. She wasn't sure what had come over her, but it was nothing like she had felt after downing a bag from the refrigerator.
"I'm sorry...I'm feeling a bit strange myself."
Raising her hand to catch Shay's gaze, she pointed at Barb's neck. "Gently lick the spots so they seal, and help her sit. You might want to get a glass of juice or water for her, and some crackers or something."
A soft murmur came from Barb, kind of a satisfied moan, with half-formed words, "Crackers. Cabinet. Juice. Fridge." The larger woman looked like she was about to crumble, and Dayle moved forward to assist her to a seat.
"She's fine, but she needs to rest a moment. And we need to get some liquids into her to help replenish the volume she lost. And you, young lady, are feeling strange for reasons that are quite clear." Turning to Shay, Dayle saw a tiny trickle of blood at the American's lip and, finding a napkin nearby, picked it up and handed it to her. As Barb moved, she smelled something else... "Wait a minute." She reached and carefully rubbed the pad of her thumb against the trickle on Shay's lip and brought it to the tip of her tongue. Frowning at Barb, she pointed Shay towards the fridge.
"Juice. Crackers. Now."
When Dayle handed Shay a napkin, Shay raised it towards her lip, only to be stopped. Dayle wiped the blood from Shay's lip with her finger, and then pressed it to her own lips, instead of wiping it the a napkin. Shay looked at her friend with curiosity, wondering why she had done as she had. But before she could question the action, she was being ordered to the refrigerator.
"Aye, aye!" Shay countered, suddenly feeling quite feisty, and full of energy.
Grabbing the juice, which she poured into a glass she found in the cabinet, Shay set it into Barbara's hand, and then went after the crackers. The crackers were next to the glasses, and Shay took out the box. Placing the box of crackers on the table in front of Barbara, Shay tossed the unused napkin in the nearby trash.
"So whenever we take blood from someone, we need to make sure they are replenished...check. Anything else?"
She sat in the empty chair and looked up at Shay still standing, practically bouncing on her feet. "Barb here is a special case though. Barb!" That last was said more sharply. "When did you start taking your heart medicine again? You know you can't help us when you are on your nitro."
Grumbling at Barb's lack of response, Dayle took the stylist's hand and felt her pulse. "Steady, but slow. Daft bird has an on-again off-again prescription. She's been eating too much fast food, see, from the cafe 'round the corner. I could smell it in her blood, and I think maybe even smelled the left over wrappers when you just tossed the nappy."
Staring at the darker haired woman, she seemed to come around after a few moments. "Barb. You know you need to be off that. Stop going to that place. I don't care if they have the best sausage on a stick in eighteen blocks. The food is killing you, Barb. Start eating some of the salads that Janice eats. You'll even have less trouble when you spend a penny. Damn. I mean use the restroom." Dayle watched as Barb mechanically lifted then sipped from the juice glass and noisily crunched on the crackers. Pursing her lips, she looked back up at Shay yet again and mouthed, 'Thank her and let's go.'
Dayle stood and silently stormed from the kitchenette back out to the main waiting area to wait for Shay.
Shay nodded in response to the silent message Dayle gave her upon leaving the room, and sitting down in the chair next to Barbara, Shay did as bid.
"Thank you Barbara, for what you did for me tonight, but you should listen to what Dayle said. I doubt it will hurt us having those medications in our systems, but you should do what you can to help keep yourself healthy for your own sake."
Shay patted Barbara's hand, stood, and left without another word. She supposed she should feel grateful for what Barbara had done, and did. However, there was no other emotion for the woman, and Shay wondered why Dayle seemed so concerned for the human.
Bouncing out into the salon, Shay looked into a mirror again, fluffed her hair, and was at Dayle's side in seconds.
"Alright, ready to go, let's hit it." And taking Dayle's forearm, Shay began tugging her to leave.
"What say we take our newly coiffed selves out for a drink somewhere? If I have to go back to that apartment now, I know I'm going to climb the walls...maybe you know some place we could go dancing...or I don't know...someplace we can raise a little hell?" The last question was one she had just heard on television the night before last, and it captured the way Shay felt at the moment.
"Computer."
"Hello Ginnie."
"Locate Shay."
"Shay is not in the Domicile." Ginnie sighed. This was a first, and while her instinct was to panic, she needed more details first.
"Last known location."
"Personal suite."
"Any visitors?"
"Dayle Yolgrave."
"Did they leave together?"
"Affirmative."
"Time?"
"18:45"
"Thank you." With another sigh Ginnie pulled her blackberry from her jeans pocket. She depressed the number that would call Dayle and waited. Dayle answered on the third ring.
"It's Ginnie." She wasn't sure what else to say. It wasn't like the two were errant teenagers that had been grounded and had snuck out. On the flip side Ginnie had a higher expectation of Dayle. One would think the woman would have had the curtesy of leaving a note or message or calling Ginnie's cell.
((permission given to enter thread))
Dayle had slid into Shay's passenger seat before even deciding where they wanted to go next - if indeed that was a good idea, what with Shay's reaction to feeding - when her phone rang. Glancing at it, she saw the caller ID ring up as Ginnie. Cursing under her breath as it rang a second time, "Bollocks, we forgot to leave a note," she waited a third ring before answering it.
"Hullo, Ginnie. Sorry we didn't leave a note, this outing was a very spur of the moment thing. We got haircuts."
When she heard who it was Dayle was speaking with, Shay almost pulled the phone from Dayle's hand, but instead stopped the car in an aisle, and turned to the woman with the phone.
"Ginnie?! Oh please, let me talk to her! I want to tell her about my first time!" Shay didn't yell, but her speech was lively, and a bit loud. She smiled at Dayle with the expectations of a child wanting to share something very exciting.
"I will tell her it's my fault for dragging you out, and for forgetting to leave a note...as it was, and I am sorry, but I need to let her know we're okay, and I can do for myself quite nicely."
Ginnie blew a stray hair from her face. put her free hand on the back of a dining chair, and tried to decide how to proceed. She wanted Shay to start having a life, but the woman was only a week old vampire and didn't know the first thing about protecting herself. Ginnie decided then and there to change that. She had been concentrating on basic skills, and had forgotten that self-defense was just as basic a skill as toothbrushing. She could hear Shay in the backgroud but wasn't quite able to make out everything she said.
"I think she needs to come home now. I had plans for her this evening. However, if the two of you had made plans that's fine. Stay away from human heavy establishments. She doesn't know how to hunt or control her hunger. I was going to take her out to do that tonight."
Ginnie didn't want to cut their evening short, and she didn't want Dayle to feel guilty, but her words belied that, so perhaps she felt that way after all. She'd let them decide and change her evening plans accordingly.
The babysitter listened to the upset mother in the Scottish brogue on the other end of the connection. 'Needs to come home now.' "Not plans so much as an idea. Of either going out for a drink or perhaps explore the city a little." When what Ginnie said at the last, that she had been planning on taking Shay out to teach, left a pit of regret in Dayle's gut. Had she overstepped her bounds? But after nearly an instant and a half she tossed that pit out the window, because after all, Shay was a vampire who needed to learn, sooner than had happened. "You're welcome to join us, of course, or we can come back. It's up to you, Ginnie."
Dayle turned apologetic eyes to Shay; she knew the now overcharged woman would not have a good chance to metabolize the strange chemicals in her system, and also that she really did not want to go back to the apartments. But perhaps, in this case, it really was a better idea to listen to Ginnie.
"No, no that's ok. You two have fun. Just tell her to let me know when she gets home. I need to speak with her, but it can wait."
She would let Shay take over her own training. That might help Ginnie pull away. She could spend this evening wrapping presents or planning Shay's "death", or maybe she would go out and buy a new tree, a big one and all the trimmings that went along with it. She wanted Shay's first Christmas to be memorable. In fact that sounded like a perfect idea. She turned to the table, cradled the phone against her shoulder, picked up her bags and carried them into the closet in the bedroom.
Hearing a car honking behind them, Shay shifted back into drive from neutral, and pulled around the corner of the aisle and into another.
"NOooo...I really don't want to go home yet. Please Dayle! Let me talk to her and tell her I'm fine, you're fine, we're all fine and having such fun!"
There was still an odd 'sparkly' feeling inside Shay, that she knew wasn't normal, but couldn't explain. It filled her with such a huge sense of needing to move, she found it close to impossible to sit still. Hearing a cheery song on the radio, she turned it up a bit and 'danced' in her seat.
As she disconnected the call, Dayle looked over at Shay. The effects of the medicine inside her definately needed to be metabolized; of course it didn't help that this was Shay's first full feeding on completely fresh, warm blood. She watched as Shay danced in her seat, warbling incoherently to the song on the radio. "Do you want me to drive? You don't look like you can sit still, and we need you to be concentrating fully on the road. Where do you want to go? We could go to a park where you could run off your extra energy or we could drive until you slow down a little..."
Dayle wasn't quite sure what to do outside of keeping Shay active but sedate.
Looking at Dayle now, she felt the need to be petulant, and almost stuck out her tongue at Dayle. Fortunately, somewhere inside the 'normal' Shay found a way to emerge, and she calmed almost immediately. Turning her face back to the road ahead, Shay nodded, and got out of the car.
"It might be a good idea if you did drive. I don't know why I'm acting the way I am, I apologize. It's like...well...it's sort of like how I would imagine it would feel if I injected fire into my veins...except it's not hot."
Getting into the car on the passenger side, Shay shook her head. That explanation was so contradictory it almost made Shay laugh, and yet it really was the best way she could describe the way she felt.
"It might be a good idea if I could go somewhere and run around a bit...since dancing seems to be out of the question. Was Ginnie terribly upset? How did you get her to change her mind? I'd really like to know that secret, since there have been occasions when I would have liked to try such a thing. I know she means well, and is only looking out for me, but see...I'm perfectly fine now, and all her worry is for naught. You're just fabulously sweet Dayle, and so patient, and understanding, and you really seem to be able to relate to me, and what I'm going through."
Shay's body might have stilled, but her mind was still on hyperdrive, and her mouth seemed to be following along without a hitch.
"I don't know how well I'll be able to run in these boots, but I could probably take them off and be okay...don't suppose a couple pebbles can hurt me now!"
Dayle pulled onto the Strip and headed for the Park and Nature Preserve. She blushed as Shay overflowingly praised and complimented her. "There's a nice park that we can take you to run, and I'll even join you if you want. I really don't think I changed Ginnie's mind... I won't pretend to know what she was thinking either. You will have to talk to her when you get home."
Dayle spared a glance at Shay as she drove. "You can still get injured. Usually though it'll heal quickly. I think, though, that we should save the biology lesson for after your mind is a bit clearer."