Ristia, the youngest daughter of the True Bloods, had been detached from her vampiric impulses up until just recently. She never knew why other members of her race would give in to their compulsions, but that was only until she was assaulted by those same impulses and partook of Maria’s blood. She bared her fangs at Maria’s neck and sucked her blood. And the moment she did, she finally understood—she understood just how sweet drinking the blood of someone special to you really was to a vampire. Maria was like a little sister to her, and having her blood travel down her throat and dissolve into her body didn’t satisfy a thirst within her throat—no, it satisfied a thirst within her heart.
Ristia was overcome with the urge to gain that euphoric sensation once again. With that urge coursing through her, she greeted the night. The moon basked in a crimson glow. Ristia went to Maria as she tidied up from that night’s dinner, grabbed her sleeve and called her name.
“Maria...”
“Director Ristia? What’s the matter?”
“Um, well...” At a loss as to how to propose her request, Ristia awkwardly hesitated.
“Is it what I think it is...?”
“...Mm-hmm, that urge for you is back.”
“I see... Okay, then. Then, this time... I’ll come to your room, okay?”
“...Thank you, Maria.”
Slightly bashful, Ristia made her way back to her quarters.
✦ ✦ ✦
“...Tonight, I’ll come to your room, okay?” Maria answered Ristia in a whispered tone. Allen happened to overhear what she said by coincidence, but he couldn’t help his heart from going into an uproar.
“...I understand. I will come to your room tonight.”
The image of Maria saying that with a furrowed brow ran through his head. She was talking to the former director, Georg, and Maria had an expression that pained his heart just to look at. The young Allen had no idea what that exchange was about at the time. No, even now, he didn’t really have a firm grasp. What he did know was that Director Georg was forcing Maria to do something she didn’t want to, which was why he hated Director Georg, and also hated Ristia, who he assumed was in league with Georg.
That all changed when Ristia kicked out the former director and became their savior. All of his wariness ended up being needless, and Ristia ended up being a friend to all of the children. But that was exactly why such an exchange just now made Allen’s heart go into a frenzy. It made him ponder the possibility that Ristia might be the same as Director Georg after all.
“No, there’s no way. Director Ristia treats all of us so kindly...”
Ristia and Director Georg were far too different from one another. It had to be a misunderstanding. Allen firmly thought that and took action, unlike back with Director Georg, when he was too afraid to do anything. Tonight, he was going to check for himself to see what was going on in Ristia’s room. What he saw was...
“Maria, Maria... I... can’t contain myself any longer.”
“Hyaa... mm...! Ah... hm... Come now, Director Ristia... you don’t need to be so impatient.”
Into the wee hours of the night, Allen kept his ear peeled outside of the door to Ristia’s quarters, which is where he heard Ristia and Maria’s sweet, entranced voices. Of course, what they were doing in the room was simply—maybe or maybe not safe to say, but it was vampire-related activity and not at all the type of action you’d associate from their conversation. However, Allen misconstrued their conversation, thinking that the pair were in the midst of something naughty. All of the blood immediately rushed to Allen’s head. In his mind, Ristia was forcing Maria into doing something. He had to make sure whether that was the truth or just some sort of misunderstanding. So with that in mind, Allen put his hand on the doorknob and cracked the door open ever so slightly... to take a peek on what was going on inside. He opened the door as narrowly as he possibly could in order to avoid detection, so he had an extremely limited field of view. Even so, the canopy bed was lined up perfectly in his sights. And atop that canopy bed, he saw the side profile of Maria being embraced by Ristia.
“Ah... uh... ...Mm! Director Ristia, hold on, you’re going too hard...!” Maria wriggled and softly pushed Ristia off. This sent the misconception that Ristia was indeed forcing Maria into something into overdrive, until...
“Mm... Ah... hmm... Director Ristia, be a little more gentle. Otherwise, I’ll... Mm~!!”
She bit her finger to stifle herself as her body shivered all over. The expression captured on her face had hints of joy, but not a trace of contempt. Ristia wasn’t forcing her; Maria was willfully accepting it. Those were things that Allen understood.
“...Mm, I’m sorry. It’s getting harder to put on the brakes.”
“Oh, Director Ristia~ But I am happy you want me that much.”
“Maria... Ehehe. Then would it be okay if I... went for a little more?”
“Oh, geez... Well, who am I to say no? Okay, just one more time, got it?”
“Yup, thank you, Maria!”
Ristia took Maria into her embrace and pushed her down to the bed. The two then disappeared from Allen’s vision, but Maria’s sweet cries and faint sucking noises echoed throughout.
What the pair was doing was... actually not what it seemed, but the thing that any adult would draw from seeing this sight was not something that Allen himself was able to imagine. Although, he was able to understand one thing—Ristia and Maria had a relationship outside of the ordinary. Maria was the prettiest and kindest older girl in the whole orphanage, and Allen had feelings for her, which was why this sight was so shocking to him—so shocking that he fled. While he did flee, Allen fought to the bitter end with Director Georg as well. He was a child, but he possessed an iron-clad heart. Then, the following day...
“Mark my words, I’m not giving Big Sis Maria up to you, Director Ristia!” said Allen, sitting at the breakfast table, declaring full-blown war against Ristia. Maria’s eyes widened in shock, and the other children were left with blank stares. With a finger pointed at her, Ristia replied with a broad smile,
“Don’t worry. I love each and every one of you. I wouldn’t try to take anyone from anyone. I’ll give each of you the care you deserve,” she said with the connotations that implied, Yup! I’m everyone’s Big Sis! And while that was her intention, the answer that Allen gave after seeing yesterday’s sight was not what she expected. And so...
“I-I’m going to show you no mercy, Director Ristia! I won’t be ensnared by your wiles!”
Allen’s misunderstanding was going off the rails even further. Allen was just a child, but he was aware of his feelings for Maria. As such, so that he would never falter to Ristia, he would train himself and later reach heights to be called a hero by others... However, that was a story for another time.