My lips remained parted as I considered her question. Was there anything she could help me with? Well yes, indeed, there was and she had already assisted in that manner. Her blood, I could use it, devour it, enable myself to feel strong again. She seemed to have stopped bleeding, which was very fine, and was now standing opposite me with a demeanor akin to a princess. Rolling back my own shoulders I gulped in air a couple of times, trying to rid myself of this horrible swimming head before I stared back at her.

She who obviously wanted me gone from her home. Of course it was generous she had made me a map, but the spite from this conversation was not only coming from myself.

“I need to drink,” I admitted after a very long pause, clutching the edge of a table behind me momentarily to stop myself from falling. What little she had given me had surged my body into thinking it was being fed, but now I was running on simple adrenaline.

Carefully I observed her. “Would your husband know if anyone … willing to donate?”

She stilled at the word husband, her ears swivelled toward me and her eyes widened. I both saw and smelt the quick and evident flush that rose to her cheeks. “Ahh..n-no Eteri not..I’m not married. Not live long enough for that.” She waved her hand as though she were quickly brushing off the comment. I frowned at that. She didn't live long enough? Heck, yes I was immortal and the single marriage I had had, had lasted two hundred years. But still. There was no amount of time to not bother getting married to your heart's partner. She went on, however.

“Know many people. Maybe. Nevin has this...group people. Obsessed with him. Do anything he ask. Would donate.” She slapped her hand over her chest. “Eteri can too. As said, is like fountain when comes to blood.” She pursed her lips, her next sentence spoken with a hint of annoyance. “Thought already offered but you is vegetarian vampire?”

“Vegetarian?” I asked, confused. “Offered? When did you do that?” I looked the cat girl up and down, my brow furrowed and not sure if she ever actually had. Not from what I could remember. And this man, Nevin, had a group of followers? What was this world I had fallen into? First they know Stare, my kenku, now there was this claim that Eteri knew many people who would happily donate to keep me sane … “When?”

“When said give you vials of blood? Said can use my own. If don’t want it that ok.”

I paused. Did she? My eyes watched her for a moment, carefully as I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. “I … why would you offer that?”

The blue haired catgirl’s eyes furrowed in confusion. “Cause you need it?” Came her simple reply, as though it was entirely normal to offer someone something like blood.

I was stunned. “That is … not what I was expecting. You hardly know me. In fact, I-” I breathed in sharply as a wave of nausea began to rise up like a mighty tsunami. “Well,” I had to steady myself suddenly on the table again with both hands, as unconciousness threatened again.

“This once,” I said quickly.

“Did want vials or just take from Eteri directly?”

I paused, unsure of that. Gripping my hands tighter around the edge of the table behind me I sucked in air. A large part of me wanted to politely declined and walk away from her, and never come back here again. But she was here, and offering quite of her own choice. Indeed, she had already fed me voluntarily - how many times in my life would I come across this type of offering.

My eyes glanced down, as I felt suddenly very fragile. “It is better if I drink directly,” I admitted.

“Does Eteri need do anything? Wash face? Uhm…” She glanced away. “Eat something nice? Not sure how works?”

I blinked with surprise. I had never been asked that. Indeed, last time I had directly drunken from someone who was willing had been with the drow Fil'ayn, who I had also … never mind that. I was a different person since then.

“Just yourself,” I murmured. “But tell me when to stop.”

The blue catgirl nodded and gave me a small thumbs up. “Will do. Remember Eteri produce more blood than normal person.”

I nodded a little, curious if this meeting was really a gift from the Althanas gods. Keeping my eyes on her I took a weak step forward, my lips parting from my sharp canines. Eteri didn’t flinch at the sight. Instead she held out her arms, as though she were welcoming me into a hug. Embraces were not something I took lightly, and I doubted that this girl, with her not-husband-yet-darling would be interested in a sexual encounter with me. Therefore I kept myself at a slight distance for a moment, ignoring the open arms as I placed a fingertip on her forearm.

“It will hurt.”

“Eteri not stupid. I know. Besides…” She offered me a small flushed grin, “Eteri like feeling when Nevin takes blood.”

There was a second longer of which I spent observing her, curtly nodding my acceptance of such a thing. Then I calmly twisted my hand over her shoulder, holding her steady as I drew back my lips. Carefully, I drew my eyes away from her as I neared the flesh of the neck. I watched for a few tense moments as her veins pumped blood faster and faster, the tiny red lines visible to my concious eyes - and then I breathed in.

And I bent down, my jaw opening. Twisting my head I allowed my fangs to pierce that nekojin flesh, soft like a newborns and satisfy the long thirst within.