Work Text:
In the Fourth District of the city of Tokyo, Japan, only the faint red neon glow of Studio HySy ArtMask still flashes in the middle of the night. Leaning against the back of an armchair while listening to music in his headphones, a tall, lanky young man seems to be drawing his next creation in his workshop making handmade masks.
Her long jet hair tied back and shaved to the sides, letting out a strand, hides her right eye. The whites of her eyes are tinged with a deep black, accentuating her scarlet pupils.
Sporting several ear piercings, between three and four at each of them, he also has a staggered labret piercing on his lower lip. Various tattoos cover his arms as well as his entire left pectoral region, hidden under a dark gray tank top.
Wearing a dark wraparound sweater as well as harem pants and ebony sandals, a Latin inscription written in Greek letters is revealed around his neck: Νεχ ποσσυμ τεχυμ ωιωερε, νεχ σινε τε. This is a quote from Martial in the work Epigrams XII, line 46, translatable by the expression: "I can live neither with you nor without you".
Pausing the song, he returns to a line too fine for his taste when suddenly, a thud is heard on the roof. He then glances at the clock to his left and displays a small, satisfied rictus.
- Pile per hour, as always.
Stretching gently, he gets up from his chair and puts his pencil on his desk. Walking towards the exit, he puts on a vest and goes out through the back room, removing his headphones. Climbing without difficulty a small wall to access the top floor more quickly, he finally arrives at his destination, moving with a light step on the flat tarmac. A few meters away, he observes the shadow of a curled-up figure, back to him.
Sitting at the edge, tiptoe in the void, silver hair, tumbling down her frail shoulders, differs more clearly in the night. Dressed in a cream-colored hooded Duffle coat covering her entire slender body, she observes the sky and constellations.
Discreetly, he walks towards her, feeling a gentle breeze brush him. Staring at the horizon, the moon illuminates the surroundings with its saving light, revealing a multitude of stars.
- I've been waiting for you, Blues... Hard day?
Silent, she says nothing, her head bowed. Taking place at his side, a captivating perfume reaches his nostrils, a smell that is completely unknown to him. Bringing his hand close to caress his face, she calls out to him dryly, stopping him short.
- Don't go close.
Distraught by his most curious warning, he nevertheless remains impassive. Perceiving aggression in her own voice, she apologizes, hesitant.
- Sorry, Uta... I'm not... in my normal state.
Imperceptibly trembling, she lectures herself inwardly, tightening her grip on her legs. Without raising his voice, his interlocutor examines him.
- ... How long have you been taking it upon yourself?
She swallows loudly and answers him timidly, the sound muffled by the rustling of clothes.
- Only since last night...
Lovingly, he then puts his hand on her hair, feeling it quiver at his touch. The latter insists, knowing full well that she is lying to him shamelessly.
- .. Since when exactly?
Detailing her haunting pale complexion, Uta sees a thought on the edge of her nose, then lingering on her gold-lined neck, tinting with each of her movements. Resigned, she clenched her fists, her throat knotted.
- Three days...
Langordly, he touches her lower lip with the tip of his thumb, satisfied. Distinguishing the faint shaking in his words, he grasped her chin, finally meeting her mysterious gaze through her long fringe split in two.
- I finally have full attention...
Preparing to close his eyes, he tenderly caresses her cheek. Longing to kiss her, a detail challenges her. Hidden behind her amber contact lenses, her scarlet pupils sparkle brightly, hungry, and needy.
It had been a long time since he had seen him in such a state. The wide dark circles that she tries to cover with makeup appear more clearly in the light of the white star.
Suddenly, a shiver runs down his spine when Uta also notices that his pair of sharp white canines, especially the one on the right, is gradually trying to pierce the skin of his thumb joint. Preparing to bite him intentionally as hunger pulls his bowels, the latter questions her.
- When should the hospital receive the next blood arrival?
The troubled look, the young woman struggles to articulate correctly, nibbling her flesh.
- In four days...
Placing a tender kiss on his temple, he sighs. Gradually leaning towards her ear, he whispers affectionately.
- I see. So, in that case, I'll take over.
Removing his grip from his face, he removes his vest and pulls up the sleeves of his sweater, revealing all of his tattoos. Assimilating the situation, she tries to come to her senses and retreats, hiding her mouth and teeth, refractory to her decision.
- No, don't even think about it. Forget about this idea right away.
In response, he gently grasps her arm and traces smallcircles on her pristine skin.
- Do you see another solution?
Aware of the danger, she reiterated her refusal.
- No way...
Noticing her hesitation, he grabs her wrist and directs it to her torso, resting his palm on it. Suddenly, she freezes, both fascinated and totally distraught.
- It's beautiful, isn't it?
- ...
She nods weakly, nodding. From an early age, Blues is able to perceive, with a simple touch, the blood flow of any living being, perfectly visualizing the venous and arterial system in its entirety. Trying to remove his hand, he stops her, reprimanded by his lover.
- Let go of me, I refuse to do it...
He then takes her in his arms, whispering in her ear.
- Let yourself go; you are dying for it.
With his mouth slightly open, his breathing quickens as his nebulous gaze lingers on his neck. He applies gentle pressure to her skull and kisses her temple again, discerning her throbbing breathing.
Moving her fingers to her collarbone, she leans further. Her inviting lips dance inches away from her slightly pulsating jugular, sinking her canines into the flesh, causing Uta to moan in pain and pleasure.
Generously sucking the blood, she swallows it quickly, plunging her body and soul into deep bliss. Savoring the few lamps, she withdrew, her mind confused. Crossing her scarlet irises again, he revels in the ecstasy she unconsciously displays. Tenderly stroking her hair, he questions her.
- Abstinence must be torture, right?
Unable to form a sentence as the feeling of completeness is at its peak, she nods.
- ... I want some... More...
Satisfied with her somewhat disordered answer, he chastely places a kiss on her forehead.
- I'm all yours, Blues.
Taking a deep breath, the young girl moves behind him and bites herneck, eagerly drinking the elixir of life. Giving him free access by removing the strap of his tank top, the memories of his lover come to the surface, especially that rainy afternoon, twenty years ago.
That day, the storm was raging. As usual, he roamed the streets in search of inspiration for his futureartisticcreations. Unfortunately, at the bend of an alley, he tripped on the tarmac, skinning his left knee.
Scratched, he decided to go back to disinfect the wound. Crossing a modest neighborhood to reach the Fourth Arrondissement, he noticed a puny girl with pale skin crying alone in a children's park. Intrigued, he approached, and his eyes widened at the very moment he saw the corpse of a pigeon lying on the ground, lifeless.
He came out of his bush and went to meet her, questioning her about the reason for her grief. Between sniffles, she pointed at the bird, stuttering something inaudible about the unbearable sight of blood.
Understanding the situation, he rummaged through his bag looking for something to cover it.
Finding an old cloth between his sketchbooks, the teenager covered the bird, making his crying stop. Calmly, she dried her tears and thanked him politely. He ruffled her hair and asked her to smile as compensation, which she did without delay.
Getting ready to greet her and then go home, he felt something pull on his sleeve. Her eyes hidden behind her silver hair; she warned him that he was wounded in the leg. Recalling his previous panic attack, the boy prepared to hide the wound when abruptly she leaned towards him to crouch down, the thin trickle of blood from the tip of her tongue.
Both surprised and ascinerated by this strange vision, his heart missed a beat when he saw her scarlet irises, revealing something that was still unknown to him at the time, desire. Five minutes passed and then she got up and retrieved a bandage from her trouser pocket, applied it to the wound, giving her a big smile while wiping her mouth. From that moment on, they became close friends and spent all their free time together.
Over time, he learned that she was suffering from Renfield Syndrome, more commonly known as "clinical vampirism". According to this own research, it is a form of fetishism that develops during childhood, causing an unusual penchant for blood.
Everyone saw her and compared her to a monster but not him. He accepted this darker part of her. Blues captivated him day by day. This singular personality trait intrigued and captivated him, so much so that he offered to be his guinea pig and supply him as much as she wanted.
At first, she was reluctant to accept the idea, but with her insistence, she reluctantly agreed. During this unorthodox exchange, he still remembers his adorable shyness, making sure to put him at ease so as not to rush him.
The instant his teeth pierced his skin, it was a revelation for him. Despite the pain, deep in his soul, he loved how she made him feel. He felt whole and alive. He remembers kissing her back, further troubling her. His lips tasted like iron, but he didn't care. He longed to do it again. Again, and again.
Little by little, over the years, they developed an attraction to each other, maintaining a purely physical relationship at first. He loved to see her completely naked, smearing her flesh with bite marks. She was his masterpiece, his Muse. The young man loved to paint and draw on his body, adding details to each of their antics.
And one fine day, between two jerky breaths, she declared to him her feelings that he rewarded with a tender kiss on his forehead, also confessing to him having fallen under his chun ch, praising his atypical beauty.
A year later, they became the owner of Studio HySy ArtMask, they celebrated the evening with dignity in their room with the moon as the only witness of this passionate night. A week later, Bluegraduated from Tokyo Medical School and was named valedictorian of her class.
Joining the city's general hospital, she devoted herself to her career as a forensic pathologist. It is also thanks to her profession and restricted access that she can obtain AB+ blood, despite the tiny quantities, given the rarity ofthis blood type in Japan of about one percent. However, he is the one and only one who is able to quench his hunger and thirst and luckily Uta was one of them, too.
Then, one evening after passing through the front door, she told him of her decision not to bite him again, justifying her resolution by the immediate supply at his workplace, out of sight.
From that day on, even during sex, she took every precaution so as not to inadvertently hurt or cut him. He tried to reassure her about this, but she was simply ignoring these complaints.
But it was too late, he had already taken a liking to it. He loved to see her stick her fangs above his collarbone when their bodies became one, binding them in a carnal embrace.
Unfortunately, she had unjustly decided not to share this pure moment of ecstasy with him, depriving him of his guilty pleasure.
Brought back to reality by the sweet guttural melodious sound of her exposed throat, she changes places and positions herself to his right, sinking her canines into her neck again, this time careful not to damage her tattoo. An abject metallic taste, quickly replaced by a delicate sweet taste, invades all her senses, transcending her on both sides.
Planting his nails in his shoulders to maintain his support, Blues feels him move against his chest. Taking a final sip, she walks away and lingers near his ear, her warm breath spreading over her bruised skin.
- This flavor is irresistible... I just can't do without it...
At his words, he displays a fine sneer and slowly unbuttons his coat. Analyzing his copper-colored T-shirt topped with a black short hoodie, his red eyes can't help but detail his tight pants, highlighting his generous curves despite his fragile body. He takes the opportunity to tease her a little, whispering sensually.
- Say it again...
She nibbles lightly on her helix and manages to answer him distinctly between two languid shots.
- You're all I need, Uta...
Perceiving his short breath, she perforated the cartilage of his ear, getting drunk with a few drops, making him sigh with pleasure. It is then that she sees a thin trickle of blood flowing from her lower lip, causing an unpleasant sensation in her belly.
Looking worried, she rushes in and licks it languidly, greatly satisfying her partner. Savoring the forbidden nectar with appetite, a slight trace of sucking appears, marking the latter. His blood only makes one turn, and he flips her back, pinning her against the ground. Both panting, he towers over her completely, admiring her misty expression.
- You're perfect, Blues... All I have to do is immortalize this moment, so be patient.
Swallowing loudly, the young man leans towards his collarbone and puts pretty marks on it, sucking delicately on the flesh. Tenderly applying three small perfectly aligned bruises, he lovingly caresses her cheek and kisses her ardently, eager to taste it in turn while murmuring against hisepidermis.
- You're mine. I want everyone to know that you're already taken...
Feeling her shiver beneath him, he moves his hand over her chest, listening to the erratic beating of her heart.
- I may have gone a little hard, can you get up?
She nods with a simple nod as he walks away, helping him sit down. Rummaging through his harem pocket, he pulls out a clean handkerchief and applies it around his scarlet mouth, wiping the remaining blood.
- Let me take care of it.
Snuggling her face against her neck, she dozes softly, not going unnoticed by the young man's eyes.
- You must be exhausted, rest a little...
Repositioning herself against him, her feet swinging in the void, she lets herself be lulled by the pleasant warmth of her body. Covering her with his waistcoat, he places a tender kiss on the top of her head, twisting his fingers in her silver hair. Looking lost in the distance, he questions her.
- It's been a long time since we've both been on this roof, right, Blues?
He looked down and smiled, finding her asleep. Silent, he notices a small trickle of drool dripping from his mouth that he hastens to clean, amused by his peaceful air. Contemplating the stars, he rests his chin on her head and imprisons her in a soft and reassuring embrace.
- You can't imagine how much I missed it. Don't sacrifice your health for something so absurd anymore... Trust me and let me satisfy your darkest impulses... I will offer you every drop of blood that flows through my veins until you are satisfied, I promise you.
Taking a deep breath, he then perceives his inaudible voice answering him.
- ... I want some... again...
Satisfied, he brings a lock of his hair behind his right ear and kisses his forehead again.
- My body and soul belong to you.
Putting his right arm around his waist and the left under his legs, he lifts it to carry it, carrying it away from the light winter breeze. Borrowing the small wall again and then climbing the stairs and taking her upstairs to the shop, her lover gently places her on their bed, covering her with a fluffy duvet. Preparing to leave the room, a hand grabs his sweater, preventing him from walking away. Carefully observing the sleepy figure, he glances quickly at the dresser when he wakes up.
- A few hours of sleep will do me the greatest good. But before that...
Delicately, he grabs her wrist and places his partner's ring finger between his teeth, nibbling it just enough to leave a trace of his passage. Satisfied with his work, he admires the testimony of his love surrounding his finger, checking thatit has not inadvertently awakened.
Exhausted, he undresses entirely, putting on just loose trouser bottoms. Taking a seat at her side, he revels in her relaxed expression, tracing the contours of her relaxed jaw. Kissing the tip of his nose, he puts his helmet back over his ears and grabs a sketchbook and a pencil.
Unable to take his eyes off her, he begins to draw her, exposing the bruises on her neck, also noting an improvement in her condition. Stretching slightly while resting his notebook, he brings his pillow closer to hers and falls asleep at her side, both carried away by their dreams.