Initiation

It was an oddly quiet night, the usual buzz of drunk buns and general mischief more muted than Donatello was used to.  The sound of his and Timothy's footsteps echoing around them had the newly turned vampire on edge, checking down each alleyway they passed by for extra measure.  Until he heard any suspicious sounds, though, the redhead silently followed Timothy, eager to finish the task at hand and return home to Lazarus.

Before too long, the two men reached a large set of ornate doors, Donatello giving them a wary stare as Timothy started knocking.  Whoever this Lady Calla was, she was undoubtedly a woman of great wealth and grandeur.  The outside of the manor alone already made the glutton bun feel wildly out of place.  He couldn’t even begin to imagine how lavish the building’s interior was.

Donatello’s attention locked onto the doorway as soon as it opened up, revealing an unfamiliar succubun welcoming him in with a bow.  Taking an uncertain step back from the stranger, Donatello glanced at Timothy, raising an eyebrow in question to make sure the situation wasn’t suspicious.

“I’ll wait for you out here, okay?  And when you’re all done, I’ll get you right back to Laz,” Timothy piped up with a smile, gently touching the other man’s shoulder to reassure him.  “Just mind your manners, and it won’t take any time at all, promise.”

“..Thanks, Timothy.  For everything you’ve done for us,” Donny said, giving the other an awkward half-smile in return.  “Guess I’ll be back in a little bit then.”

That said, Donatello turned towards the doorman to follow them inside the sanctum.  As expected, everything from the detail in the window trimmings to the amount of gemstones accenting the light fixtures, this place was overly gaudy to the point that he had to wonder how highly this Lady Calla thought of herself.

No words were exchanged as Donatello continued to follow his guide. He chose to keep an eye on them rather than putting the effort into admiring the overdecorated hallways, even if they provided no source of stimulation.  It wasn’t long before they reached their destination, and Donatello was directed to enter a room alone.  Doing as he was told to avoid any problems, the glutton bun walked in, turning to watch as the door he passed closed behind him.

The moment the door clicked shut, Donatello’s head whipped back around to face forward, jumping back reflexively when he saw a pale woman in white he hadn’t noticed when he first looked into the room.  Her regal pose and oddly calm smile had the glutton bun standing slightly straighter than usual.  This woman’s mere presence indeed demanded the utmost respect, and with such a dangerous aura surrounding her, Donatello didn’t dare deny her what she deserved.

There was no doubt in his mind now–this was Lady Calla.

“Come here, you poor dear,” her voice commanded, raising a pale hand to motion the lesser vampire to come directly to her.  

Following Lady Calla’s direction, Donatello took slow-paced steps toward the small table she stood next to. He noticed the only light sources in the immediate area were candles, which gave the illusion that the room was smaller than it was. The way his steps echoed, though, Donatello knew there was more to this room than met the eye. He didn’t make any attempt to pry into the darkness, though, just in case Lady Calla wasn’t the type to like snooping.

When he reached the table, Donatello’s eyes fell on a glass chalice lined with what was likely real gold.  It was a beautiful glass, though its contents made him feel uneasy.  A good amount of blood filled the chalice, and while the smell that wafted from it was oddly enticing, he couldn’t help but nervously grit his teeth.

“I heard about what happened to you,” she said, tilting her head to the side as she spoke.  “You’re lucky you have someone who wants you to live so badly.  Or maybe you’re more unlucky since such a big group wanted to kill you?  It’s quite the situation to be in.”

Calla was a complex individual to read.  While her words didn’t seem hostile, Donatello had a strange feeling he was being looked down on, his trivial life and death bringing some sort of mild amusement to a being who cared very little about time.

“Lucky or unlucky, I’m happy I’m still here, my lady,” Donatello responded.  “And whatever you need me to do so I can continue existing, I won’t say no.”

“An acceptable answer,” she chuckled faintly.  “Then I suppose we can’t disappoint the one who wanted to keep you in this realm, can we?  At least now.”  She reached her dainty hands out toward the chalice, grabbing a hand on each side as she lifted it from the table. “You’ll be able to protect yourself far better.  Now kneel, dear.”

Donatello immediately followed her command, bowing himself down to lean on one knee.  He looked up to the woman who had soundlessly moved closer to him.  The way she moved unnerved him, but his expression remained neutral as she offered the chalice up to him.

“Do you pledge your loyalty to the vampiric court and vow to abide by all its laws?” she asked, standing above the man kneeling before her.

“Yes, Lady Calla.”  As soon as she heard his confirmation, Calla offered the chalice to Donatello and motioned for him to drink.  He did not hesitate, taking the cup in his hands and swallowing a few small gulps before she took it back.  While he’d expected to feel sick at the idea of drinking such a massive amount of blood, it seemed his vampiric taste buds had nothing to complain about.  “Thank you.  Thank you so much, my lady.”

“What a gentleman.  I wonder why anyone would want you dead,” Calla said, setting the cup back down on the table.  “Well, whatever the reason, please take care going home.  We wouldn’t want you dying again.”

Yeah, her words definitely didn’t provide comfort or warmth of any kind.  At the end of the night, whether or not she liked him in any sense of the word or genuinely cared about his safety didn’t matter to him.  He got the blessing he needed to continue living with his fiance, and that’s all he cared about.  Donatello made sure to bow after before he left the room, following the person who’d guided him through the sanctum back out to the entrance where Timothy waited for him, just as he’d promised.

“Ah, done already?” Timothy said with a tired-looking grin.  “Let’s get you back to Laz then.  I’m sure he’s ready to have you back.”

“I’m ready to get back,” Donny responded.  “I don’t want to leave him alone any longer than I need to.”

“Oh, you might want to clean your face before we get there.”  Timothy pulled a small handkerchief from one of his pockets, holding it out to Donatello to use.  “You can keep it, by the way.  I’ve got another one lying around somewhere.”

Donatello muttered a quiet ‘thank you’ under his breath as he wiped away the blood that had apparently dripped down his chin when he’d partaken from the cup.  He’d have to check himself whenever he had to feed if it was really that easy to make such a mess.  And with that, he stuffed the dirtied kerchief into his back pocket and started his walk home with Timothy, eager to get back as soon as possible.