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Description
Renee slowly woke up, blinking. Where was she? She could only recall the guard confronting her, then his fleeing, and then there was merciful darkness. The girl couldn’t even remember why he had run off. She attempted to worm out of the blanket she was wrapped in on a worn, dirty couch. The alien bolted upright but dropped back again, weak. Her head throbbed and her body was sore, the source of the sharpest pain on the side of her neck. She reached up carefully to touch the smarting area and found two little punctures clotted with blood. “Odd.” She rolled over weakly. “Feels almost like a,” Her eyes got wide. “A vampire bite.”
She looked around from her makeshift bed, searching for Nos-4-a2. Her working eye shrank to an angry slit. She was trying to remember what had happened, but couldn’t. “Ah, I was afraid I had killed you.” Nos smiled down at her worriedly. He dropped from his roost on the ceiling and brought over a tray of frozen toaster strudels. Renee looked at them and couldn’t help but chuckle. He had tried to make her breakfast.
“I’m not that hungry, Master.” She smiled up at him. Whatever anger there had been dissipated with his presence. “Tell me something, what happened?” She stared at the ceiling. “And I want the truth.”
He frowned a tiny bit, sorry about the night’s mistake but not really regretting it. A hunt was a hunt and that one had been especially satisfying. “Ah, of course.” He sat the tray down on a coffee table, not blaming her for the lost appetite. She was injured, and to add to that he wasn’t the best cook. “Well,” The vampire settled onto the couch beside her. “I chased off a guard, who was going to arrest you for one of my killings, but I didn’t recall you and attacked you… fed off you. Would’ve killed you if I hadn’t asked your name first.” He admitted, patting her shoulder tenderly. She was a vital component to him at the moment that could not be wasted. He may feed off her again, sure, but would be more gentle. Maybe.
“Thanks a million.” The Zephyrite said sarcastically. She brushed off his hand, managing this time to sit up. “You’ve got a bad memory for someone who promised me he wouldn’t forget who I was.”
“I didn’t totally forget.” He frowned and crossed his arms. “Just-“
“Just long enough to sink your teeth into me.” Renee snickered coldly. “But that’s what you’re good for- bite first ask questions later”
“Now I really remember you.” He pointed at her. “You were such a smartass.” The vampire smirked. “But since then the tables have turned, it appears. I’m taking care of you, pet.”
“Don’t remind me.” She frowned good naturedly. “So, how long have I been out? Nine, ten hours?”
“Almost three days.” He stood again.
“What?!” She demanded. Renee would have gotten up, but she still felt drained.
“Apparently I did a fair amount of damage to your new system, biting that monitor the way I did.” He put up the tray into a working refrigerator. “I decided to let you rest up for the next couple of days. Here,” He handed her two hundred dollars in unibuck cash. “When you feel up to it go get yourself a new battery, some food, and an outfit.” The vampire chuckled darkly. “Make it an outfit I would like- one that fits your new occupation, pet.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Renee struggled to sit up.
“I’m not going to let go of you again, of course.” Nos looked at her like it was obvious. “You are mine, after all. My servant.”
This time she really frowned. “Can’t I go home?”
“The question is- are you welcome at home?” He smirked, knowing for a fact that she wouldn’t have responded so quickly to his message if she had tried to fight off the control. She would have tried to fight it if she had been on good terms with her family.
Renee thought sorely about how Buzz and her own father had chased her off. “No. No I’m not, and I can honestly blame you for that.”
He chuckled, at her. “Don’t come to me with a robotic eye and not expect the dark master to do something about it.” She frowned. Nos-4-a2 floated over to her and opened his cape, reaching down to help her up.
“You’re awfully eager to get me out shopping, huh?” She shuddered but tried to stand with his help, her own weight feeling dead.
“I have a few suggestions for the battery.” He shrugged her off when the girl could balance on her own.
“Exactly. Of course you do.” She put her hands on her knees and took a deep breath, rubbing her injuries when they seared in protest to the movement. The bite marks glowed faint red for a second.
“This,” He held up an ad, pointing to a special for bionic parts. She took it, reading carefully. “Will be useful to us both."
She looked at it again and pulled at her collar nervously, flinching as the pain lit up like an ember. “A… self-charging battery?”
“Yes!” He nodded. “Efficient because it transfers the natural power in your body into electricity and powers bionic parts or implants.”
Renee swallowed. Did he plan to bite her again? Nodding off on the sofa for days at a time and waking up with a headache fit for Godzilla was not an appealing plan. “Uh… why can’t I just get a regular battery?”
He saw the distrust in her eye and smiled darkly. “No more harm will come to you my dear, I assure you of that.” She relaxed instinctively. He was lying, but the girl deserved a little mental safety. She was uncomfortable with him now, but he was all Renee had.
She looked at the paper again and sighed, believing his words helplessly. “Alright.” She stood up straight, rubbing her shoulders. There was a large bruise on her arm and another on her chin. The vampire had really done a number on her. “I’ll be back in maybe two hours.”
~~~
Renee browsed through a clothing store, carefully considering what he would like. She had picked up the battery already but still wasn’t hungry. The girl had also bought two bottles of pain pills and a six pack of energy drinks. She was going to have to stock up on the essentials if she was going to live in an old office building, but those could wait.
She sifted through a rack of shoes, deciding to start there. She would need something sturdy but comfortable and stylish. Renee spotted a pair of tall black boots. Reinforced rubber heels, a nice touch. She slipped one on, feeling the insides carefully by wriggling her sock toes. There were padded on the inside but not hot. Insulated, and they were ultra-strong pleather. She smiled and folded one boot back into its box, tossing the shoes into her shopping cart.
One thing she had grabbed immediately was a high-collared jacket to cover up the bite marks. It was short and black with silver seams and a Starshine clothing logo on the right breast. It wrapped comfortably around her shoulders, warm but not cumbersome. For a cheap jacket this is nice. She thought absently. That put a short, pained smiled on her face.
She started going through the young women’s section, searching for a shirt to go with the ‘dictator boots’ (as she thought of them) and jacket. Renee wanted to add a little color to the outfit, just to make it less suspicious (if someone could consider a black outfit suspicious) and more comfortable. The Zephyrite picked out a plain, deep red T-shirt. It wasn’t exactly her style, but it would please master well enough. She knew for a fact he would like this and put it into the cart.
Renee felt kind of dumb walking around the store in a loose, torn t-shirt, pajama pants, and would be glad to get some better clothes on. Some people were staring and she waved them away angrily. One man snickered and she glared at him. Quickly she grabbed a plain pair of jeans in her size and ran to the checkout counter. She would replenish wardrobe later. Man did he owe her for this.

Description
Renee slowly woke up, blinking. Where was she? She could only recall the guard confronting her, then his fleeing, and then there was merciful darkness. The girl couldn’t even remember why he had run off. She attempted to worm out of the blanket she was wrapped in on a worn, dirty couch. The alien bolted upright but dropped back again, weak. Her head throbbed and her body was sore, the source of the sharpest pain on the side of her neck. She reached up carefully to touch the smarting area and found two little punctures clotted with blood. “Odd.” She rolled over weakly. “Feels almost like a,” Her eyes got wide. “A vampire bite.”
She looked around from her makeshift bed, searching for Nos-4-a2. Her working eye shrank to an angry slit. She was trying to remember what had happened, but couldn’t. “Ah, I was afraid I had killed you.” Nos smiled down at her worriedly. He dropped from his roost on the ceiling and brought over a tray of frozen toaster strudels. Renee looked at them and couldn’t help but chuckle. He had tried to make her breakfast.
“I’m not that hungry, Master.” She smiled up at him. Whatever anger there had been dissipated with his presence. “Tell me something, what happened?” She stared at the ceiling. “And I want the truth.”
He frowned a tiny bit, sorry about the night’s mistake but not really regretting it. A hunt was a hunt and that one had been especially satisfying. “Ah, of course.” He sat the tray down on a coffee table, not blaming her for the lost appetite. She was injured, and to add to that he wasn’t the best cook. “Well,” The vampire settled onto the couch beside her. “I chased off a guard, who was going to arrest you for one of my killings, but I didn’t recall you and attacked you… fed off you. Would’ve killed you if I hadn’t asked your name first.” He admitted, patting her shoulder tenderly. She was a vital component to him at the moment that could not be wasted. He may feed off her again, sure, but would be more gentle. Maybe.
“Thanks a million.” The Zephyrite said sarcastically. She brushed off his hand, managing this time to sit up. “You’ve got a bad memory for someone who promised me he wouldn’t forget who I was.”
“I didn’t totally forget.” He frowned and crossed his arms. “Just-“
“Just long enough to sink your teeth into me.” Renee snickered coldly. “But that’s what you’re good for- bite first ask questions later”
“Now I really remember you.” He pointed at her. “You were such a smartass.” The vampire smirked. “But since then the tables have turned, it appears. I’m taking care of you, pet.”
“Don’t remind me.” She frowned good naturedly. “So, how long have I been out? Nine, ten hours?”
“Almost three days.” He stood again.
“What?!” She demanded. Renee would have gotten up, but she still felt drained.
“Apparently I did a fair amount of damage to your new system, biting that monitor the way I did.” He put up the tray into a working refrigerator. “I decided to let you rest up for the next couple of days. Here,” He handed her two hundred dollars in unibuck cash. “When you feel up to it go get yourself a new battery, some food, and an outfit.” The vampire chuckled darkly. “Make it an outfit I would like- one that fits your new occupation, pet.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Renee struggled to sit up.
“I’m not going to let go of you again, of course.” Nos looked at her like it was obvious. “You are mine, after all. My servant.”
This time she really frowned. “Can’t I go home?”
“The question is- are you welcome at home?” He smirked, knowing for a fact that she wouldn’t have responded so quickly to his message if she had tried to fight off the control. She would have tried to fight it if she had been on good terms with her family.
Renee thought sorely about how Buzz and her own father had chased her off. “No. No I’m not, and I can honestly blame you for that.”
He chuckled, at her. “Don’t come to me with a robotic eye and not expect the dark master to do something about it.” She frowned. Nos-4-a2 floated over to her and opened his cape, reaching down to help her up.
“You’re awfully eager to get me out shopping, huh?” She shuddered but tried to stand with his help, her own weight feeling dead.
“I have a few suggestions for the battery.” He shrugged her off when the girl could balance on her own.
“Exactly. Of course you do.” She put her hands on her knees and took a deep breath, rubbing her injuries when they seared in protest to the movement. The bite marks glowed faint red for a second.
“This,” He held up an ad, pointing to a special for bionic parts. She took it, reading carefully. “Will be useful to us both."
She looked at it again and pulled at her collar nervously, flinching as the pain lit up like an ember. “A… self-charging battery?”
“Yes!” He nodded. “Efficient because it transfers the natural power in your body into electricity and powers bionic parts or implants.”
Renee swallowed. Did he plan to bite her again? Nodding off on the sofa for days at a time and waking up with a headache fit for Godzilla was not an appealing plan. “Uh… why can’t I just get a regular battery?”
He saw the distrust in her eye and smiled darkly. “No more harm will come to you my dear, I assure you of that.” She relaxed instinctively. He was lying, but the girl deserved a little mental safety. She was uncomfortable with him now, but he was all Renee had.
She looked at the paper again and sighed, believing his words helplessly. “Alright.” She stood up straight, rubbing her shoulders. There was a large bruise on her arm and another on her chin. The vampire had really done a number on her. “I’ll be back in maybe two hours.”
~~~
Renee browsed through a clothing store, carefully considering what he would like. She had picked up the battery already but still wasn’t hungry. The girl had also bought two bottles of pain pills and a six pack of energy drinks. She was going to have to stock up on the essentials if she was going to live in an old office building, but those could wait.
She sifted through a rack of shoes, deciding to start there. She would need something sturdy but comfortable and stylish. Renee spotted a pair of tall black boots. Reinforced rubber heels, a nice touch. She slipped one on, feeling the insides carefully by wriggling her sock toes. There were padded on the inside but not hot. Insulated, and they were ultra-strong pleather. She smiled and folded one boot back into its box, tossing the shoes into her shopping cart.
One thing she had grabbed immediately was a high-collared jacket to cover up the bite marks. It was short and black with silver seams and a Starshine clothing logo on the right breast. It wrapped comfortably around her shoulders, warm but not cumbersome. For a cheap jacket this is nice. She thought absently. That put a short, pained smiled on her face.
She started going through the young women’s section, searching for a shirt to go with the ‘dictator boots’ (as she thought of them) and jacket. Renee wanted to add a little color to the outfit, just to make it less suspicious (if someone could consider a black outfit suspicious) and more comfortable. The Zephyrite picked out a plain, deep red T-shirt. It wasn’t exactly her style, but it would please master well enough. She knew for a fact he would like this and put it into the cart.
Renee felt kind of dumb walking around the store in a loose, torn t-shirt, pajama pants, and would be glad to get some better clothes on. Some people were staring and she waved them away angrily. One man snickered and she glared at him. Quickly she grabbed a plain pair of jeans in her size and ran to the checkout counter. She would replenish wardrobe later. Man did he owe her for this.