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It's been a few days since Mina learned the truth. Still, she had many questions and knew the perfect person to ask. Besides, she hadn't seen her best friend in too long anyway.

Mina and Lucy were now laughing as they enjoyed a nice lunch together in a local cafe, both enjoying their meal.

"You know, Lucy, you have a lot of tomato based food on your plate. A burger with extra tomato and ketchup, a side of ketchup for your fries, and even a Bloody Mary."

"What can I say? I've been craving tomatoes lately. . . Ah."

"Hmm," Mina said with a teasing smile and a raised eyebrow.

"Nope. No, no, no. None of those jokes." Mina laughed. "I'm serious," Lucy laughed back. "Besides, Vlad is barely home enough for us to ever do stuff like that."

"He does seem more preoccupied with his work," Mina said with a smile before looking down into her drink. "Say, Lucy?"

"Hm?"

"How are you feeling?"

"Excuse me?"

"I know it's been a few months since you were cured, and you don't have any of the previous side-effects from the... medicine anymore. Your eyes are blue again and you're as energetic as ever. Possibly even more so. Yes, your skin is a bit paler, but I'm not one to talk."

"No, you are not." The women giggled at that.

"Still, there are no... changes, that you're aware of?"

"Nope. I'm as healthy as can be."

"And the sun isn't bothering you?"

Lucy looked at Mina with a raised eyebrow. "And why should the sun bother me?"

"Oh. Um. No reason."

"Heh. Weirdo. Honestly, I should be asking if everything is fine with you."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're an incredibly beautiful doctor working with an incredibly handsome doctor who is also your boss."

"Nah!? Lucy! You know I'm married!"

"You are? Oh! Johnathan! Oh, my goodness, it's been so long that I had actually forgotten about him. Kind of easy to do, the two of us in America while he's in England. How is the old lawyer doing anyway?"

"I... honestly have no clue. We haven't kept in touch as of late. He was heartbroken when I told him I was leaving for America to work at Tepes General Hospital, but he understood when I explained how great of an honor it would be to work for Dr. Tepes. I'm just thankful you came along, Lucy."

"Um, not exactly by choice, my dear Mina."

Mina laughed nervously. "Yes. I also wish cancer wasn't the reason you all but moved to Salem."

Lucy shrugged. "Well, thanks to that, I feel better than ever. I actually like Salem more than London, anyway. There's a sort of... MAGIC to this little city, you know?"

"Yes. I know," Mina said as she looked at Lucy's exposed neck. Her eyes widened when she saw the small marks on her friend's neck. "Um, Lucy, do you have to deal with mosquitoes?"

"Oh, no. Are there bites on my neck again," Lucy asked as she rubbed her neck. "I knew I should have worn the repellant. Those little blood-suckers are so annoying, aren't they?"

"Y-Yes. They are."

Lucy looked at Mina, seeing her nervous smile and hearing her slightly scared laugh before she sighed. "Alright, let's drop the pretenses."

"Huh?"

Lucy then leaned against the table, resting her chin on her clasped fingers, her eyes closed. "How long have you known?"

"K-Known what?"

"Mina, you're a brilliant woman, but a TERRIBLE actress. You're too easy to read. You figured it out, right?" Lucy then opened her eyes, revealing their glowing red hue. "When did you?"

Mina stared into her friend's eyes before looking down. "Mere days ago. I didn't want to believe it, but Dr. Tepes told me everything."

"Are you afraid of me now?"

"N-No! Absolutely not! You're my best friend, Lucy! . . . But... I am worried."

"Worried that I might lose myself?" Mina didn't answer. "You don't need to worry about that," Lucy said as she lifted her burger and took a chomp into it. She then turned the bite toward Mina and squeezed, letting the blood seep out. "I'm kept very well fed. Of course, this amount isn't nearly enough, but let's just say the good doctor spoils me rotten back home."

"I-Is it... difficult? Being... you know."

"Honestly, it's easy to be like Vlad than it was before. You have to remember, Mina, I was incredibly weak due to cancer. However, even before, I wasn't exactly an athlete. I was energetic, maybe, but compared to what I am now... it's indescribable. It's like I'm at the very peak of humanity and beyond. It's almost... euphoric. The thirst isn't as bad as you'd think, either. As long as we have a steady supply, we're just fine."

"I-I see. . . Have you... have you ever... on a live one?"

Lucy smiled at Mina as she leaned in. "Let me tell you a story."

Description
It's been a few days since Mina learned the truth. Still, she had many questions and knew the perfect person to ask. Besides, she hadn't seen her best friend in too long anyway.

Mina and Lucy were now laughing as they enjoyed a nice lunch together in a local cafe, both enjoying their meal.

"You know, Lucy, you have a lot of tomato based food on your plate. A burger with extra tomato and ketchup, a side of ketchup for your fries, and even a Bloody Mary."

"What can I say? I've been craving tomatoes lately. . . Ah."

"Hmm," Mina said with a teasing smile and a raised eyebrow.

"Nope. No, no, no. None of those jokes." Mina laughed. "I'm serious," Lucy laughed back. "Besides, Vlad is barely home enough for us to ever do stuff like that."

"He does seem more preoccupied with his work," Mina said with a smile before looking down into her drink. "Say, Lucy?"

"Hm?"

"How are you feeling?"

"Excuse me?"

"I know it's been a few months since you were cured, and you don't have any of the previous side-effects from the... medicine anymore. Your eyes are blue again and you're as energetic as ever. Possibly even more so. Yes, your skin is a bit paler, but I'm not one to talk."

"No, you are not." The women giggled at that.

"Still, there are no... changes, that you're aware of?"

"Nope. I'm as healthy as can be."

"And the sun isn't bothering you?"

Lucy looked at Mina with a raised eyebrow. "And why should the sun bother me?"

"Oh. Um. No reason."

"Heh. Weirdo. Honestly, I should be asking if everything is fine with you."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you're an incredibly beautiful doctor working with an incredibly handsome doctor who is also your boss."

"Nah!? Lucy! You know I'm married!"

"You are? Oh! Johnathan! Oh, my goodness, it's been so long that I had actually forgotten about him. Kind of easy to do, the two of us in America while he's in England. How is the old lawyer doing anyway?"

"I... honestly have no clue. We haven't kept in touch as of late. He was heartbroken when I told him I was leaving for America to work at Tepes General Hospital, but he understood when I explained how great of an honor it would be to work for Dr. Tepes. I'm just thankful you came along, Lucy."

"Um, not exactly by choice, my dear Mina."

Mina laughed nervously. "Yes. I also wish cancer wasn't the reason you all but moved to Salem."

Lucy shrugged. "Well, thanks to that, I feel better than ever. I actually like Salem more than London, anyway. There's a sort of... MAGIC to this little city, you know?"

"Yes. I know," Mina said as she looked at Lucy's exposed neck. Her eyes widened when she saw the small marks on her friend's neck. "Um, Lucy, do you have to deal with mosquitoes?"

"Oh, no. Are there bites on my neck again," Lucy asked as she rubbed her neck. "I knew I should have worn the repellant. Those little blood-suckers are so annoying, aren't they?"

"Y-Yes. They are."

Lucy looked at Mina, seeing her nervous smile and hearing her slightly scared laugh before she sighed. "Alright, let's drop the pretenses."

"Huh?"

Lucy then leaned against the table, resting her chin on her clasped fingers, her eyes closed. "How long have you known?"

"K-Known what?"

"Mina, you're a brilliant woman, but a TERRIBLE actress. You're too easy to read. You figured it out, right?" Lucy then opened her eyes, revealing their glowing red hue. "When did you?"

Mina stared into her friend's eyes before looking down. "Mere days ago. I didn't want to believe it, but Dr. Tepes told me everything."

"Are you afraid of me now?"

"N-No! Absolutely not! You're my best friend, Lucy! . . . But... I am worried."

"Worried that I might lose myself?" Mina didn't answer. "You don't need to worry about that," Lucy said as she lifted her burger and took a chomp into it. She then turned the bite toward Mina and squeezed, letting the blood seep out. "I'm kept very well fed. Of course, this amount isn't nearly enough, but let's just say the good doctor spoils me rotten back home."

"I-Is it... difficult? Being... you know."

"Honestly, it's easy to be like Vlad than it was before. You have to remember, Mina, I was incredibly weak due to cancer. However, even before, I wasn't exactly an athlete. I was energetic, maybe, but compared to what I am now... it's indescribable. It's like I'm at the very peak of humanity and beyond. It's almost... euphoric. The thirst isn't as bad as you'd think, either. As long as we have a steady supply, we're just fine."

"I-I see. . . Have you... have you ever... on a live one?"

Lucy smiled at Mina as she leaned in. "Let me tell you a story."