“So,” Aklina said, extending their hand to shake, “Do we have a deal?”

 

Aklina Pavlovic was the image of a modern vampire, with a black pinstripe suit, a crimson waistcoat, the black chain of a dragonsteel pocket watch — and a grin that said they knew exactly what stereotypes they were playing into with that choice of attire.

 

Kye Ryberg, by contrast, was still wearing her usual grey frock coat, complete with all the scuffs it had picked up from a day of hard work at the milliner’s. She felt underdressed compared to the fancy vampire standing across from her.

 

It was Kye’s first time in a vampire den, and she’d been discussing with Aklina what was about to happen — the mesmerism, the blood donation, and some of the mechanics of what Aklina was about to do. 

 

Now, the moment of truth. Kye brought out her hand, ready to shake and agree to what they’d discussed. But as Kye reached out for the handshake, she paused, her eyes flicking downwards to the vampire’s hand, suddenly realising what was about to happen.

 

“Ah,” laughed Aklina, catching the pause. “I guess you’ve seen a handshake induction before?”

 

“Uh, y-yeah,” Kye stammered. “I saw a vampire stage show the other week — Nefertari Kallas.”

 

Aklina had been to that show. Nefertari tended to focus on the more physical side of vampirism — quick healing, strength — but also had a bit of hypnosis in there too, and some that didn’t just lean on her eyes. She did a good job mesmerising at the vampire den too, though she only came as often as she needed blood.

 

Making conversation, Alkina asked, “Is that what gave you the idea to come here?”

 

Kye turned a bright red, colour flushing through her pale skin, and she got a wide-eyed look of fear. 

 

Aklina was puzzled. What would provoke that sort of reaction… Oh.

 

“Kye,” Aklina started slowly, “would I be correct in guessing you find hypnosis a very particular sort of interesting?” They asked, putting enough emphasis on the final word to make it clear what they were alluding to, while being evasive enough that Kye wasn’t put on the spot.

 

Kye nodded, embarrassed, and still unable to summon forth words.

 

“Hey, hey, that’s okay,” Aklina reassured, “Quite a few people who come here do! Here, how about this: we can just do what we’ve already talked about — hypnosis and blood donation — and if that works, we might be able to talk about something else next time? Is that okay?”

 

Kye nodded, and then shakily said, “S-sounds good.”

 

“Great!” Aklina grinned. “And don’t worry, I promise I’ve got an induction you won’t be expecting — I’ve seen Nefertari’s show.” Aklina stuck out their hand again, their grin turning mischievous with the shared joke, the knowledge of what the handshake meant to both of them. “Shall we?”

 

Kye took a slow, nervous breath, then reached out to shake Aklina’s hand. The shake went normally for a moment, just long enough for Kye to wonder if Aklina was actually going to hypnotise her with it, when they pulled. Kye was surprised enough that she didn’t resist as Aklina pulled her close, holding her chin and tilting her head up to look towards their eyes.

 

Oh, Kye had just enough time to think, before Aklina’s eyes lit up, the crimson disks of their irises starting to shimmer and sparkle, the fascinating patterns sucking her in. The glow wrapped around her, filling her thoughts, making her feel like there was nothing else in the world.

Aklina watched Kye dropping into trance, her face illuminated by the red glow from their eyes,  loving how she looked enraptured and dazed by their gaze. Aklina had also especially enjoyed Kye’s quick breath in as she was surprised, along with the little sigh she let out as she saw Aklina’s eyes and started to relax into trance. Those were some delicious reactions — they definitely had to do this again with her sometime.

 

But now for the other part. Aklina laid Kye down on the couch, making sure her jugular vein was accessible, and gave some suggestions to help deaden the feeling in her neck. Then Aklina bared their fangs, tilted their head towards the mesmerised Kye’s neck, and bit.

Kye’s world had shrunk down to the two enrapturing disks of red in front of her, pulling in her thoughts and wrapping them around the vampire’s will. Even when the disks went away as the vampire moved, her thoughts were still filled with that lovely, bewitching scarlet.

 

Then, she felt the bite. Two spots of what would be pain if she hadn’t been given suggestions not to feel that. Instead, Kye could feel herself dropping even deeper into trance, along with Aklina lapping up the blood from her neck, and she shuddered with delight.

 

The feeling of being deeply entranced and in a vampire’s power, the sensations of the fangs sinking into her neck and a hot vampire lapping up her blood eagerly — it was everything she could have ever wished for, even if she was too hazy to put it in so many words.

A while later, after Aklina had bandaged up Kye’s neck and gotten her a hot mug of kaf, they started to bring her up out of trance. Aklina watched as they counted her up, seeing energy and emotion returning to Kye’s face, her eyes blinking and gaze sharpening as she came out of trance.

 

Aklina handed Kye the mug of kaf, and looked at her expectantly. “So, how’d you find that? Want to do it again sometime?” Aklina grinned on seeing the expression on Kye’s face, which answered the question very clearly.