Interlude

In the dorm room that Claire and Harmonia had chosen as their own, Claire was frantically trying to decorate as best she could. The emptiness of the room was definitely getting to her, but Harmonia could feel that maybe something else was as well.

Claire sat back down on the bed, holding her head in her hands and groaning in frustration.

Harmonia sat next to her, putting a hand on her knee. "What's wrong?" She asked softly, clearly concerned.

Claire sighed. "Okay. Okay, so. How comfortable would you be with me going back to my house and retrieving some stuff." She asked with a vague air of urgency, looking up at Harmonia. Harmonia could slightly notice that Claire's eyes, which were usually a lovely gold color, were now slightly more orange.

"I'd be fine with that- but I'd like to come with you? If that's okay?" Harmonia asked, clearly concerned for her.

"No I wanna go alone," Claire mutters softly, tapping her knee with one of her fingernails. Her nails had ever so slightly grown out, the keratin now visible, only a little, under the deep maroon gel stilettos.

"Why?" Harmonia lifted an eyebrow, taking Claire's hand. "I... I don't think going alone is a good idea right now..."

"There's something at my house that I need," Claire's hand was colder than usual, possibly due to the season, but it was still slightly concerning. Claire bit her lip gently, bouncing her leg. "It wouldn't take long.. Maybe an hour or two."

Harmonia paused, noticing the signs. A memory of her mother surfaced, the way she looked and acted when she came home sometimes... when she'd ask her grandmother for money. "...Claire... you can be real with me, okay?" Harmonia lowered her voice to a whisper. "Are you... are you on something?"

"W..What? No, no, not anymore, just-" Claire shook her head for a second, bringing her free hand up to her mouth and pulling up on her upper lip, revealing her fangs again. "...Y'know.." Claire sighed, wiping her finger off on her jeans. "I kind of wanna keep it on the down low right now... We don't know these people very well and I know there's a lot of... prejudice.. about people like me, so.." She huffed. "I have blood at home in jars in my fridge. I'd just be getting it and coming right back.." Claire, herself, seemed relatively uncertain about this.

Harmonia blushed at being proven so wrong, looking down in embarrassment. "O-oh- of course... I'm sorry..." She said softly, squeezing her hand. "Why don't you want me to come with you though?" She asked softly

"..It's just a little embarrassing, I guess, I dunno..." Claire sighed, rubbing her thumb on Harmonia's hand. "I also don't know how much of it is still good or if my house has been looted at all, so I don't want you to see me disappointed or upset if that were the case, and... It's a lot, I'm sorry."

Harmonia paused, clearly considering something for a moment. "...Claire I... what if you just..." She looked away nervously. "Um... what if you just drank my blood?" She asked quietly, clearly nervous to ask it.

Claire's eyes darted to the door quickly, then back to Harmonia as her pale complexion flushed a deep red. "Um- Well, I mean, that is an option, yeah, true... I don't think, I uh," Claire gently tugged at the collar of her muted-yellow turtleneck.  "I don't know if I ever considered that, ahah.." Claire clearly had. Though, it seemed she was too shy to ask for such a thing.

 Harmonia blushed, clearly a bit embarrassed as well. "Do you um... do you know if it hurts?" She asks softly, moving her hair to the side.

"No.. as-as in, I don't know, but.." Claire's breathing quickened, her nails gently itching at her neck. "If it does, you can, um... You can tell me to stop, if it's too much, okay?" Claire smiled softly, her eyes showing a great appreciation for Harmonia's offer. A mix of desperation and love, clear as day.

Harmonia nodded, blushing more as she met Claire's eyes. "Okay,, I will,," she smiled softly, tilting her head to the side to let Claire get a clear canvas.

Claire moved in with a gentle hesitation, wrapping her arms under Harmonia's arms and grabbing the nape of her neck delicately. Her breath hot on Harmonia's neck, Claire gently pressed her lips against her skin, allowing a few milliliters of saliva to flow onto Harmonia's neck before she leaned closer and pressed her fangs into the soft skin. It took less than a second for the skin to tear.

It hurt a little, only for a moment, like a flu shot. Claire made a soft noise as she tasted the blood that slowly escaped Harmonia's body.

Harmonia let out a whimper as her lover's teeth made purchase, her body involuntarily shivering as she felt the blood leave her body. It was a strange feeling, but not a necessarily unpleasant one. She melted into Claire, closing her eyes and trusting that her vampiric lover would not take too much.

Claire closed her eyes as she swallowed the thick, iron-rich crimson from Harmonia. Harmonia's blood tasted a special kind of sweet to Claire. She'd noticed slight differences in flavors with different blood types, but Harmonia's felt so... different. Special. Sacred. For Claire and Claire only. That's the only way she'd want it. The only way she'd have it.

Claire held tightly onto Harmonia, although her grip was soft. Her body was warm against Harmonia's as she drank, being careful to not indulge too much, no matter how tempting it felt. She'd have to save some for later, after all.

Harmonia melted in Claire's arms. Feeling her life force drain from her was a unique experience, and a somewhat tiring one. 

Jello hopped onto the bed, watching them curiously with a trill.

A soft pop came from Claire's lips as she pulled back after a few vaguely pleasant minutes. She looked up, staring deeply into Harmonia's eyes as she grinned softly, a small bit of blood dripping from her lip and down her chin. She leaned in and softly kissed Harmonia on the lips, just a peck, hugging her close.

"Thank you.." Claire said quietly, embracing her lover with care.

Harmonia kissed her back, sleepily wrapping her arms around Claire. "Of course..." She said softly. "Do you feel better?" She felt a bit fuzzy, clearly exhausted and dizzy, but she didn't mind.

"Ah-huh.." Claire nodded, leaning against Harmonia and nuzzling her, rubbing her back.

"Good..." Harmonia hummed a bit, nuzzling back. "Sleepy..."

Jello pawed at the two, clearly wanting to get between them so he could lay in Harmonia's lap, the grey and white cat looking up at them with gentle eyes. 

"Me too... the weather's making me all tired.." Claire huffed softly, looking down at Jello.

Jello meowed again, wanting Claire to move so he could lay in their laps. 

"Mm... yeah... and fuck- the heat will stop soon, won't it? That'll be bad..." Harmonia groaned. She moved a bit so Jello could climb onto her, loafing in her lap. 

"You owe me a lesson on demonology, remember?"

"That is true..." Claire nodded, sounding a bit drowsy.

"Too sleepy to teach a defenseless girl like me?" She asked, nuzzling Claire's neck and petting Jello.

"Where do you want me to start?" Claire asked, blinking slowly to try and wake herself up. The cold weather was kind of getting to her.

"Um... I dunno... Satan maybe?" Harmonia asked, shrugging. "Or uh- what was that demon at the store?"

"There probably is a Satan. I'm not familiar with them, though." Claire looked up. "As for the one in Walmart, I'm not sure. Some demons are just.. demons. No significance."

"Oh... so who are the significant ones?" Harmonia tilted her head up at Claire, scratching behind Jello's ear as he purred.

"I'd say... the ones we may have to worry about are Abaddon, first and foremost. He's the leader of those crystal-looking ones. Religious. Prince of Violence. Might also have to worry about Lucifer... who's self-explanatory. Not sure about anyone else."

Harmonia nodded, listening carefully. "What do you mean by religious?"

"They seem to worship an idea of control via divinity. It's odd. They want singularity so that they can have full control. That isn't how it works at all, but it's what they want." Claire huffed.

Harmonia just stared at her lover in confusion, what she said clearly going over her head. "I'm confused... what do you mean they want singularity? Like they want to merge together? Or merge with a god?"

"Everything becoming one thing."

"Is that even possible??" Harmonia asked with widened eyes, Jello purred as he headbutted Claire's hand, trying to maximize pets.

"It is. It's happened before. I don't think anything wants it to happen again, though." Claire sighed, scratching Jello's head for him.

"It happened before? When?? How would that even work if everything was like- one thing??" She rested against Claire's chest, listening to her heartbeat as she looked up at her. She was being introduced to an entirely new and confusing world... It was a lot.

"Everything comes from something. Everything eventually returns. It'll happen again and again and again. It shouldn't be happening so early, though. Should've had at least a couple billion more years." Claire seemed very nonchalant about this all. As if she'd been briefed on it time and time again.

"Like the Big Bang or something??" Harmonia asked, looking up into Claire's eyes, trying to read them. "How do you know all of this?"

"I used to know a lot of people who'd talk about it." Claire looked down into Harmonia's eyes. "The Vatican knows."

"The Huh." Harmonia stared at Claire in confusion and shock, unsure how to process this. "So- so they're ending the world to become like- mega god because they think becoming mega god will give them mega god powers??" she asked, trying to grasp all of this.

"Yeah basically."

"Huh. That's uh... weird." Harmonia sighed, adjusting a little as she petted Jello. "You said you were around people who'd talk about it... can you elaborate, maybe?" She asked gently, wanting to know more but not wanting to make Claire uncomfortable.

"..Not right now, I don't know if that's a good idea. You never know who can be listening."

"That's fair..." She sighed. "I don't know what you've been through but... I'm sorry." She whispered, hugging her lover close.

"It's okay." Claire smiled softly, holding Harmonia.

Harmonia yawned, holding onto her lover as Jello purred away in her lap. "Mm... I think it's nap time..."

"Maybe." But Claire seemed wide awake. She stared out the window blankly for a second before blinking and looking at Jello.

Harmonia glanced up, looking at the window. "Is something there?" She mumbled

"Nope," Claire said softly, looking at Jello.

"Oh... good..." Harmonia smiled, curling up, and soon falling into a dreamless slumber.