Chapter 4.1

Katrina didn’t sleep well the following day. She tossed and turned, even woke up a few times as rush hour traffic loudly announced its presence. In the end, she rose before her alarm went off, while the last traces of sunlight were still lingering outside. Careful to avoid the tiny sunbeams that managed to slip through her blackout curtains, she walked to the kitchen and grabbed another pouch of blood. The rush of energy helped to alleviate her exhaustion somewhat, and when she collapsed onto her living room couch, she sighed heavily. In front of her, sitting delicately on the floor next to her guitar, was a cherry blossom petal.

Alicia.

She couldn’t stop thinking about last night. She hadn’t been prepared to meet anyone, and had only felt comfortable exploring that neighborhood because she thought it was abandoned. Going downtown had stressed her out, and she hated that she’d been so short with the Dryad.

It didn’t help that she hadn’t had a real conversation in ages. She did her best to stay cordial with Dennis, but staying friendly with him was, in part, a survival tactic. Plus, the magically reinforced glass that separated them made it easier to control herself. Other than the clinic, she occasionally had very short conversations with her boss, but they were always about work, and she never lingered for longer than she needed to.

In any other situation, she would have welcomed being perceived as rude and standoffish. It was better for people to avoid her, for their own safety. Once she’d figured out that it was safe to be around Alicia, however, she had felt awful. Rather than a necessary safety tactic, her behavior now felt pointlessly callous.

I have to apologize to her, it’s the right thing to do.

She checked her phone and confirmed that the sun had just finished setting. If she were going to make another trip out to the suburbs, it would be best to do so as early as possible. Back in her bedroom, she threw together a halfway respectable outfit, then moved to the bathroom to make sure she didn’t look like a slob.

Next, Katrina ran to her kitchen, rummaging through some cabinets before pulling out a small bag. It had been designed to look like any other semi-fashionable purse, but it was actually meant to hold a single pouch of blood, as well as a few personal effects. She’d originally bought it when she thought the blood shortage was temporary, and had hoped that it would give her a way to bring blood with if she ever started delving. She closed the blood pouch she’d been nursing and tucked it inside the purse, then did the same with her phone and her keys.

Last, she packed up her guitar, knowing it would be the best way to show her apology was genuine. Once she was ready, she strapped her guitar case to her back and jumped out of her window. Locking it behind her, she began the flight back to Alicia’s neighborhood.

As she flew, the wind whipping around her, she hoped that Alicia wasn’t an early bird. The Dryad had certainly seemed eager to talk last night, but she didn’t want her constant interruptions to be a nuisance.

What am I hoping for? Is this just an apology?

Katrina watched the city slowly transition to suburbs as she flew, unsure how to answer her own question. What would happen after she apologized? Obviously she didn’t want to keep the Dryad up, robbing her of sleep, but she also couldn’t deny that Alicia had seemed unusually excited by her presence. Katrina had initially assumed this was because of her stats; one of the many changes the System had implemented was that Charisma now dictated many aspects of one’s physical appearance. Her high Charisma score meant that her curves were more pronounced, her breasts were fuller, and her skin was flawless.

I shouldn’t assume anything. She could be straight, or ace! She could just as easily be excited to have a visitor, I’ll bet her neighborhood doesn’t see a lot of traffic. I’ll just say what I need to say, and if we happen to get to know each other, great.

After a fair amount of flying, Katrina finally saw the massive cherry blossom in the distance. She caught herself smiling, remembering how peaceful it had been last night. If things went well, she definitely wouldn’t mind coming here more often. Once she was closer, underneath the canopy, flower petals began landing on her. She smirked, grabbing a larger one and tucking it behind her ear.

She didn’t see Alicia anywhere, and decided to land a few dozen feet away from the tree. Last time, the Dryad had emerged from the trunk itself, so maybe she slept inside the tree? With no way to know, she figured she may as well recreate what had happened last night.

Once her guitar was ready, she flew to the perch she’d picked last night, and began playing a soft melody. She could feel tension in her fingers as she played, nervous about what might happen. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes, and did her best to lose herself in the music.

—

It was a strange sensation, waking to live music. Not only had music been largely absent from Alicia’s life, but the soft guitar melody echoing through her branches was quite different than the music she’d previously enjoyed as a Human. She could also feel the vibrations of the guitar, they reverberated through her tree and grew dangerously close to tickling her. Thankfully, she held her composure, and floated through her trunk until she found the source of the music.

She almost couldn’t believe it, but Katrina had returned.

The Vampire was sitting on the same branch she’d chosen last night, though her posture had changed. She now held a guitar in her lap, and her fingers expertly danced across the strings as she played a peaceful melody. Her eyes were closed, though her head was moving in time with the music.

Alicia stayed perfectly still, her arms folded in front of her on the edge of the trunk, her head resting on them. She listened raptly, completely in awe of the musician in front of her. She’d heard that Bards were skilled, but seeing one in person was simply breathtaking.

In time, the music slowed, and with one final chord, the song ended. Katrina froze, letting the final notes echo through the tree, before finally opening her eyes. Alicia felt her flinch slightly, though she was definitely less surprised than last night. The girls looked at each other for a moment, and this time it was the Vampire that broke the silence.

“Alicia! It’s, um, good to see you again!” she said nervously.

“You came back,” Alicia whispered, “I wasn’t sure you would.”

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“Right, well, about that.” Katrina cleared her throat. “Yesterday was… well, let’s just say it was a rough day. I don’t do well around people and… actually, that doesn’t matter. I’m here because I want to apologize for how I acted last night.”

“Apologize? For what?”

Katrina seemed surprised by the question. “You seemed rather eager to have a conversation, and I kept shutting you down. Plus, the instant I saw a chance to leave, I took it, which was also pretty rude.”

“I didn’t think you were rude at all! I enjoyed our conversation!” Alicia protested.

The Vampire paused, then chuckled quietly. “I don’t think I did much conversing, honestly, but I appreciate the sentiment. Still, I’m sorry for how I acted, Alicia, and I wanted to make it up to you.” She gestured at her guitar, then quietly started playing another song while the conversation continued.

“Apology accepted, Katrina the Vampire! I think it’s a really sweet gesture.” Alicia caught herself blushing and hid her cheeks behind her hands slightly. “So… can I ask why yesterday was rough? I’ll gladly talk about something else if not!”

“No, that’s a fair question. I’m a Vampire, obviously, and I needed to refill my blood rations. I have a local clinic that I normally go to, but because of the shortage, they were out. I had to take the train downtown, which is always really busy.” Katrina paused, her guitar filling the silence briefly. “I… have a really hard time around people.”

“Wait, you need human blood? I thought animal blood worked as a substitute?”

“For many of us, it can. But… how to describe this… do you drink coffee?”

“I don’t actually eat or drink anymore, but I used to! Becoming a plant saved me a lot of money on groceries.” Alicia said. She saw Katrina laugh slightly, and warmth filled her cheeks again.

“Honestly? That kinda happened to me too, I don’t need to buy food anymore. Anyways, when you were human, would the caffeine wake you up?”

“Oh yeah. I had to be really careful not to drink too much, or in the afternoon. If I forgot, I was up the whole night.”

“See, I had the opposite. Caffeine never affected me one way or the other. I could down three shots of espresso right before bed, and nothing would happen. Animal blood kinda works the same way; for most people, it serves as an adequate substitute, but for me it doesn’t really do anything. Plus, honestly? It makes me gag.”

“I’m really sorry to hear that, it sounds awful.” Alicia reached out, placing a hand on the Vampire’s ankle to comfort her. Katrina flinched slightly, but softened after a moment.

Neither girl talked for a few minutes, letting the sounds of the guitar fill the air. A cool, night breeze rustled the branches, shaking loose another flurry of flower petals. Eventually, Katrina spoke up. “Do you ever miss eating?”

“Y’know, I haven’t thought about it in a while, but I really do. There used to be this restaurant, about 15 minutes north of here, and they made the absolute best chipotle mayo. I’d put it on fries, hamburgers, chicken, it was amazing.” Alicia paused for a moment, sorting through memories she hadn’t thought about in ages. “They never reopened after the Change, sadly. Once everything had settled down, and places reopened, I tried to find a new burger place.”

“I thought you said you couldn’t eat?” Katrina asked.

“At the time, I thought maybe I could if I wanted to. That maybe it wasn’t necessary, but I could still treat myself. Anyways, this burger joint charged me like, a hundred dollars for delivery, and I was so excited.”

“How’d it go?”

“Oh, it was the worst. I think turning into a plant messed with my taste buds; it was like I was chewing on clumpy, wet paint. I haven’t tried any food since then, and I’m pretty sure my body just isn’t designed for it anymore.”

“A pain I understand all too well,” Katrina said. She paused her music for a moment, reaching into a purse hanging by her hips. She pulled out one of her blood pouches, just like Alicia had seen last night. “How about a toast?”

Alicia laughed, moving slightly further out of her tree, and closer to the Vampire. “Well, I have nothing to toast with, but sure!”

“In memoriam of hamburgers, and chipotle mayo!” Katrina held her pouch aloft, and Alicia tapped her fingers against it. After the toast, Katrina took another small sip before tucking the pouch into her purse again. The Dryad found herself laughing at the absurdity of their toast, and soon enough guitar music filled the air again.

“So, what do you do for work?” Alicia asked, settling back into a comfortable position. “Are you a musician?”

“Gosh, that would be nice, wouldn’t it? No, I’m a little more… isolated.” Katrina looked at Alicia, then sighed in resignation. “I’m… god, this is so embarrassing… I wash windows.”

“Why is that embarrassing?”

“I just wish I could do literally anything else. I’m a Bard, and a Vampire! I have mastery over the skies, domain over mankind’s most elusive dream, and what do I do with it? I hover outside skyscrapers and clean off bird droppings.”

“Why not quit? You’re an amazing musician, I bet you could find all sorts of work!”

“It’s not that simple, Alicia. With this blood shortage, I can’t… I can’t be around people.”

“Is it really that bad? I mean, you seem to be doing alright now.”

“Well that’s… it’s different with you. When I’m around other people, I hear their heartbeats, I can smell their blood just beneath their skin, and my instincts try to take over. They tell me I should take what I want, and it takes all my strength to say no.”

The pieces finally clicked, and Alicia realized what Katrina was saying. “But I don’t have blood! I’m a plant!”

The Vampire nodded. “That’s why I felt so bad about last night. I’m so used to keeping my distance from everyone, trying to keep them safe, that I did the same with you. At first, I thought you had a weird Race or Class ability, something that hid your smell from me. I wanted to get home because I didn’t trust myself, and when I realized what was happening… I just felt awful.”

“Hey, don’t beat yourself up! Everyone’s had a rough time since the Change, you’re just doing your best!

“I appreciate you saying that, but I still feel bad.” Katrina sighed, leaning her head against the branch behind her. “You’re a nice person, Alicia.”

“So are you! You’re putting in all this effort to keep people safe, and that’s really cool!” Alicia let her voice grow a little louder, and she thought back to all the frustrating people she encountered at work. “Trust me, I see so many people trying to circumvent the system. They cut corners, they ignore Status requirements, all to save a quick buck.”

Katrina looked back at Alicia, an inquisitive look on her face. “Is that through work? What do you do?”

“I work for the Office of Racial Cooperation. I can’t do inspections, since traveling is pretty hard for me, but I make a lot of calls. I help businesses understand all the new Race laws, explain what changes need to be made, and direct them to resources that can help.”

“You work for ORC? That’s really impressive!”

“Trust me, it’s exhausting. I’m so tired of hearing people complain about sex work being legal now.”

“Hey,” Katrina said, leaning forward. She stopped playing and placed a hand on Alicia’s arm. “You’re putting in a lot of effort to keep people safe, I’d say that’s pretty cool.”

The Dryad found herself blushing again. She hadn’t expected her own words to be used against her, but she also couldn’t stop focusing on the warm hand holding her arm. “Well I… that’s… I mean, sure, I guess…”

Katrina squeezed gently, then leaned back and started playing again.

How does she make everything look so natural? Gosh, I could stay here forever, just talking and listening to her play.

After Alicia managed to pull herself together, she spoke up again. “Have you ever thought about Delving? I hear Bards are great at it!”

The Vampire smirked, looking off into the distance again. “I dream about Delving every day. I follow every scrap of news, I look at everyone comparing their builds, I cheer every major Level Up from the big Guilds. Unless this shortage ends, however, it’s just too risky. I visited the main Chicago camp once, and while I was there a Guild returned from a run. They were badly hurt, and the smell of their blood almost overwhelmed me. I managed to escape, but I realized I could never live that life. What happens if we’re dozens of levels down and I lose control?”

“But… if you had a way to try, you’d want to?” Alicia’s thoughts wandered back to the basement she’d blockaded yesterday.

“Well, yeah, that sounds amazing.”

The Dryad swallowed nervously before speaking again. “Y’know I… kinda have a Dungeon.”

The music stopped unexpectedly, Katrina’s surprised hands accidentally playing the acoustic equivalent of a record scratch. “You what?”