Chapter 147 – Performing Blues with Babies (2/2)
”We're back Scarlet!”
””Waaah!””
”Ah, no! It's okay you two! It's okay!”
I bounced Alicia and Fate in my arms the best I could as I tried to comfort them.
”They're crying again Master?”
”You two!”
I glared towards the new voices. There floating at the open doorway was Orphne and Claret.
(Crying number five is because of Orphne again.)
But after confirming the two's presence, I turned my focus back to my desperately crying babies.
”It's okay. It's okay. It's nothing scary. Just Orphne and Claret.”
Eventually the two of them calmed down, but they continued to sniffle for a little bit as I held them close to my body and gave each a kiss.
”So? What were you two doing together?”
The two rarely did anything together. Most of the time they operated separately and barely gave the other a glance as if they were competing for my attention or something.
But today, it was only now that I realized that the room was unusually quiet. To think that it was because neither of them were around.
It made me feel a bit bad that I had been so absorbed with my babies that I forgot they were even there.
”Master. We brought this for you.”
With a wave of her hand, a roughly made clay pot appeared from Claret's shadow.
My nose twitched as I immediately recognized the scent.
”Lesser water dragon blood?”
”Umm...you were feeling pretty down lately, so we thought maybe you'd like some. Claret said that it's your favourite.”
Pressing her fingers against each other, Orphne meekly answered my question.
”Master! Are you alright?”
”Huh?”
Only once Claret pointed it out, did I notice that tears were running down my cheeks once again.
”No, no. I'm fine. I'm just happy!”
(Geez. Just what did I do to deserve these two?)
”Thank you both.”
Not wanting to let this fresh blood grow cold, I quickly levitated a crimson orb and sucked it down.
”Mmm! It's so good!”
The taste alone tugged at my cheeks. But it was merely the icing when compared to the fact that both Orphne and Claret went through so much trouble to bring me some. Those lesser dragons was still pretty difficult for Claret to take down by herself, and Orphne probably would have had an even more difficult time.
Yet they still went and did it despite the danger.
””Aaaa...!””
”Ah, no. Sorry you two, but I think it's too early for you.”
Alicia and Fate reached out at the orbs which I floated over.
Every time, the sight and scent of blood would catch their interest. It must be their vampiric instincts at work. But unlike when I was born in this world, they weren't born with fully formed bodies. There was no telling how their body would take to eating raw blood. It was far safer for them to continue ingesting milk instead until their fangs grew out at the very least.
”Oh Elli. There's something I've been wondering a bit about.”
”What is it my dear?”
”When do you think I should start feeding Alicia and Fate fresh blood?”
”Erm...I am not sure why you think I would know that.”
The elder had a point, but frankly, at the same time I had no idea who would be better to ask.
”At the very least, for us dokkalfar, we start giving our babies mashed food roughly two years or so. Sometimes later, depending on the parents.”
I nodded. If I remembered right, humans was much earlier than that, though how much earlier I wasn't really sure. A year? Maybe half that? Probably not less than that, but maybe I was wrong?
”We dokkalfar live a long time compared to other races, but from what I know, you vampires can easily outlive even us if you tried, right?”
”Umm...I'm not sure. I think we can live as long as spirits? Claret?”
”I don't know Master. I don't know any living vampires aside from you and your babies. I think I'm almost four hundred years old, but I don't remember much about when I was a lesser spirit.”
”Four hundred huh? I can't even imagine that.”
”I think some of the other greater spirits might be older, but I'd have to ask.”
Now that I thought about it, there seemed to be some other greater spirits around. It would be nice to meet them finally, but they hadn't shown themselves since they came to have a look at my babies when they were first born.
Hopefully they weren't scared of us, but I couldn't say that they weren't. It was a bit of a sad thought.
”Scarlet, my dear. You know I cannot see this Claret of yours. I have said it before, but I would appreciate it if she showed herself when at home at least.”
”You heard the lady.”
”Yes Master.”
Claret's tone was a bit hesitant, but she followed my orders without question. A slight shimmer of the air around her and Elli's expression changed.
”There. That is not difficult, is it?”
This familiar of mine looked a bit apprehensive once she had used [materialize].
”Well, it's only while we're here at home. If someone visits you want to avoid, you can just go invisible again.”
”Yes Master.”
While my words didn't completely clear the air for Claret, she did look a bit more relaxed, so it was probably enough for now.
”Anyways, so most likely we'll be able to live for at least four hundred years if we vampires can live as long as spirits.”
”Four hundred, or even more than that, is it? It is possible that Alicia and Fate will develop like we dokkalfar, but perhaps not.”
”Yea. Spirits have quite the differing growth cycle compared to other races. The same was for me, as I was born in my current size after all.”
”Both vampires and spirits are quite the unusual creatures it seems.”
”Yea...”
No matter how I cut it, we really were. On a ton of levels, we didn't follow the normal rules of living beings.
We did have a surprising number of similarities to each other, but it could be said that those similarities numbered more than the similarities with any other race. Making any accurate predictions on this front with the data we had might not be even remotely accurate.
For all I knew, Alicia and Fate might stay like infants until they take in enough mana, then suddenly turn into adult form overnight.
If that was the case, it would make me quite sad. I would be deprived of watching the two of them grow up slowly.
Hugging my adorable little twins a bit tighter, I gave each a kiss on the forehead.
Regardless of what was to come, I would still love them. They were my precious babies, even if they were to suddenly turn into adults tomorrow.
Though if they did suddenly grow into adults rather than slowly, it would be nice if they took their time and spent a few years before doing so. Maybe a decade or two, or even longer. I could probably handle carrying them in my arms the whole time.
”Regardless, I would imagine that you should start feeding them blood once their teeth start to come in.”
”I guess that would be a good way to estimate then.”
In the end the advice I got was the same from my initial guess.
But it wasn't all bad. The fact that her advice matched my own guess suggested that it really was the right way to do things.
That said, drinking through one's fangs was different from drinking through one's throat. It would be good if my babies' instinct in how to do so was still going strong by the time their fangs came in.
Finishing off the last of the blood which Orphne and Claret brought, not spilling a single drop, I let out a full lunged sigh.
Not only the dense mana in the blood, but the warm feelings of those who brought it to me filled my body with warmth.
All that darkness, that weakness, it was all blown away as if it was merely a bad dream.
”Claret, Orphne, again, thanks.”
”Anything for you, Master!”
”That's right! Because we all love you!”
With one hand, I stroked Claret's head while I rubbed Orphne's cheek with the other. Well, the finger of my other hand anyways.
In the corner of my eye, Elli appeared to be sulking a bit, but she didn't try to get involved or say anything. She already got my thanks earlier and thankfully she was willing to give us a bit of space to bask in the our own glow.
Just not so much space that she'd give us some actual privacy, but for Elli this felt like her doing her best so I didn't make a fuss about it.
Ninetailed_Furball
Hi everybody! It's your usual furball! (≧∇≦)/
Sorry for the shorter than normal chapter. Hopefully not too many people noticed. （‐＾▽＾‐）
But anyways, more baby stuff! Some of this is a bit of a thematic repeat of the last chapter, but I really wanted to get the last of the pregnancy symptoms out there.
Scarlet really got it tough on that front, but of course, she got way more out of it in return as well. ( ﾟдﾟ)
Now, a few people wondered out loud how many chapters are going to be invested in the baby scenes, and I'll say this much. The time skips are going to become a regular occurrence from here on out.
That said, I'm not entirely sure if the first three years or so will take one or two arcs to do, as I have a lot to cover. But I'll do my best to keep things as enjoyable as possible. (`･ω･´)
In other news, unlike last year, I don't plan on going on a temporary hiatus this December. There will be one in the following months, but at the very least not until this arc is done. Maybe the next as well. （´-`）.｡oO( ... )
Anyways, hope everyone's having a good time! We're in another lockdown where I live for the last little while, but it doesn't stop me from writing!
Be hale and hearty everyone!(/◕ヮ◕)/