Chapter 20: The Explanation
4811 Words
Chapter 20: The Explanation
“Argh. I can’t fit in any of my cloth!” Tiana complains frustratedly.
After her Cadou implantation, which granted her bird’s wings, birl-like tail, including her new height of 6’4”—Tiana is upset because she has to get rid of all clothes she has and fills her wardrobe with the new one. There goes all my favorite, she thinks while throwing yet another of her shirt and pants away.
“Don’t be sad, Tia. I had already called a seamstress to the castle, so we can have her tailor clothes to your preference. She’ll be here shortly” says, Alcina.
“But that’d mean I’ll continue to be naked in the meantime” Tiana pouts, puffing her cheeks with a sad puppy face.
The mistress can’t help but laugh at how cute her girlfriend is when she’s having this kind of expression. Crossing one arm over her chest and supporting her chin with another, Alcina gazes over Tiana with a sly expression. She walks to the door, locks it to avoid any disruption that may occur then goes to her closet to get her nightgown for Tiana to dress in.
“Come, love. Raise your hands up and I’ll help you with this” the tall lady shows the nightgown in her hand to Tiana, silently imply she’d like to dress her up. “At least, wearing a nightgown is better than being in your birthday suit, right?”
“What have I done to deserve a thoughtful girlfriend like you?” a soft snicker is what Tiana gets back as a reply.
The botanist then lifts her arms obediently, allowing Alcina to do as she pleases. But when the satin cloth slips down to around the joint of Tiana’s elbows, covering right above her vision, Alcina stops the dressing motion and uses the nightgown as a restraint instead. Not allowing her girlfriend to ask anything, the mistress meets Tiana for one hell of a longing kiss which makes the botanist shudders at the overwhelming desire Alcina has been kept up until now.
“Hmm,” a low moan resonates from Tiana’s throat when she feels Alcina’s hand is roaming her body.
When their skins come in contact, it becomes clear how contrasting their body’s temperatures are—While Tiana’s as warm as the summer, Alcina’s let out a chill as if the dark winter night. Her ladyship’s fine digits linger on the botanist’s breasts way too short for Tiana’s preference. The botanist tries to free herself from the nightgown which Alcina tying around her wrists but to no avail.
“Alcin…please—” Tiana can only speak for a brief before the mistress’ icy lips would nip her nape, forcing her to keep her mouth shut as she doesn’t want to moan aloud. It’d only provoke Alcina to tease her even further if she does so.
“Yes, dearest? What’re you going to say?” Alcina smiles coyly while uttering that phrase out. “Or perhaps, has the Cadou got your tongue?”
“I—”
Before the botanist can finish her speak, Alcina lifts the small figure, using only an arm, and position her on top of the vanity. Her strength’s something I could never compare, Tiana winds that up. The mistress then pulls Tiana’s arms further backward which makes Tiana puffs her breasts up inevitably.
“Do you like it here? It’s been a while, so please excuse me as I seem unable to find your…favorite spot” Alcina’s whisper raises a grumble out of Tiana. She scoffs, then bends down to steal one more kiss.
Despite knowing where Tiana wants it, her ladyship appears doesn’t want to give her in that easily. You’re so cruel as always!, the botanist surmises before bites Alcina’s lower lip rather hard, meaning to give Alcina a warning. However. She forgets that, currently, she'd also been equipped with razor-sharp canines herself. Thanks to the Cadou for that. As a result, Tiana unintendedly stabs small puncture wounds on Alcina’s lower lip. This makes the tall lady flinches and pulls back, naturally. How can she not when the botanist has never done this before? It surprises her, honestly. However, she soon bursts out laughing since she knows she deserves this.
“Seem like my little prey had grown her own fangs” Alcina feels blood seeping inside her mouth for a second before her regenerated ability would heal them completely. She snickers at the taste of blood in her mouth, then finally set Tiana free from the nightgown and dresses her properly.
“Hmph! Serve you right” flipping her head sideway, Tiana crosses her arms. A sulky expression appears evidently on her face.
“*Chuckles* Please, my dear. Can you blame me when you leave me by myself for this past week?” the tall lady closes the gap between them to hug the sulky figure from behind. Nestling her nose to the crook of her girlfriend’s neck, she kisses the canines mark which she left there herself before whispers, “I glad this mark still here despite you gone through the change with Cadou—Everybody will know not to mess with my possession”
“I’ll pretend not to notice your effort in changing the subject” Tiana responds while avoiding her ladyship’s orbs. Her cheeks glow noticeably red because of Alcina’s statement which can also interpret as ‘This mark is proof that you’re mine’
The vampire lady scoffs. She starts kissing Tiana again. More slowly and caringly this time. Tracing her mushy lips along the shoulder to the nape, then to the cheek, and to the side of Tiana’s head, Alcina takes her time in savoring Tiana’s scent as she wants to confirm herself one more time that Tiana’s here. The last week has been nothing but suffering, hence, she means this to work as evidence, a guarantee, or whatever people call the action of confirming the state of being—Something to keep herself grounded to this blessing reality.
“Alci” Tiana senses the meaning behind her girlfriend’s odd behavior. So, she turns back to Alcina and captures her face with her hands then says, “It’s alright. I’m here. I would never, ever, leave you anymore. You’re stuck with me now”
A small grateful smile matching a faint titter leaves the tall lady’s system at the end of Tiana’s light joke. The warmth on her jowls as well as the soft brush from Tiana’s lips on her forehead solves her unsettling mind at last. They enjoy each other’s embrace in comfortable silence for some more before break apart. And when Tiana’s palm is about to release her face, the mistress handles it by the wrist and brings it to her lips for one more loving kiss.
“Thank you for coming back, dearest. I would never be whole without you”
“Wouldn’t this make our daughters sad if they hear this?” another soft laughter comes from Tiana as speaking. She then hops down from the vanity before says, “But don’t worry. I will keep it a secret for you”
“Guess I’m in your debt then” Alcina replies with a grin. “Now, turn your back this way. I’ll make it more comfortable for your wings”
It's true that when Tiana relaxes her wings, they’d merge with her tail and change its appearance into a cape. Yet, since she’s still not used to it nor she knows how to properly control them, they’d switch back to their glorious form from time to time. When taking this in mind, Alcina decides it’d be best for Tiana to wear open-back clothes from now on. Because it’d be easy and expedient if Tiana wants to stretch her wings out and soar around later, the mistress is convinced of that.
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After one more week from her awaken, Tiana has finally done getting a new set of her raiment tailoring and attending herself with her nutrition. She expects some uneasiness at first upon realizing her newfound desire for raw flesh and blood, but turns out she eats them just fine. The girls and Alcina seem to enjoy finding out what cuts of meat and organ would be her favorite too. Thus, Tiana can say she’s looking forward to her mealtime now.
Anyway, that's all Tiana’s new physique requires an adjustment out of her. Since everything gets back in place, finally, it’s time for the lords to gathering and discussing their theory about Tiana’s evolvement out. They agree with the botanist’s suggestion to hold the meeting at the castle Dimitrescu. Because not only they can research for any kind of associate detail from tons of books and records in the massive library Alcina built for the girls, but the 3 vampire daughters can join the gathering to learn more about their Mama as well. The three can’t leave the castle due to the cold of early January, anyway. So, there’s no other place more suitable than this.
“Doesn’t she look similar to that old wench Miranda to any of you?” Karl tosses in his opinion while sits with his boots up on the table, laze around as usual. “I mean, look at those wings. Miranda had 8 of them while Tia has 4, but that counts for something, right?”
“I don’t think she’d appreciate it, hearing you indicated her as a substitution of someone else—Tiana is herself. No other than that” Alcina hisses back at Karl’s remark.
“Y-yes, I agree. Besides, Mother Miranda’s feathers were all painted in black, giving out a rather grim and deadly aura. As for Tiana’s, they appear more…vibrant and eye-catching in that mixed dark orange shades” adds, the fish-like lord.
“Hey, I’m just saying” Karl shrugs, leaning backward and placing his hat over his face to pretend to be asleep.
“What do you think, Tiana? Got any lead on your new appearance yet?” Donna queries, meaning to shift the mood in the room away from conflict.
“Actually, yes. Thanks to what you said before about the Cadou reacts differently to each individual, I have a theory in mind” Tiana fidgets nervously as she imagines her idea may sound hilarious and results in her making a fool of herself.
“What’s it, Mama?” Daniela flies to the botanist and peaks at her expectantly.
Gauging the other’s expression, Tiana realizes they also want to hear her out as well. How can she not notice when they’re practically piercing her with the highest inquisitiveness in their gazes? As a result, the botanist titters wryly in surrender then says,
“It’s only a thought, so don’t laugh, alright? —Do you remember my middle name?”
“Yeah. It’s Feniksas, right Mama?” says, Cassandra. “Didn’t you say it’s nana’s maiden name?”
‘Wasn’t that cute?’ Tiana wears a wide grin on her face when Cassandra refers to her mother as nana. She reaches her hand to pat the brunette’s hair lovingly while carrying on,
“Yes, my dear. It’s your nana’s maiden name. What else did I tell you about her?”
“Hm? Well. You said she’s a professor at the university. She’s kind, passionate, and a family-oriented person?” the brunette’s tone sound confused as she’s unsure how is this connected to Tiana’s evolvement.
“You remember it so well. But my theory has nothing to do with her personality, I’m afraid—What’s her nationality? Where did she come from?” sense of endearing can be heard in the botanist’s voice.
“Um, Lithuania?” Bela assists her sister out when Cassandra sends her an eye, asking for help.
“Correct. And you know what? Feniksas literally means Phoenix in Lietuvos” the botanist scratches the back of her neck shyly, pressing on, “It’s not my best theory yet, but there you go”
“Ooh. I like the sound of that” Daniela rests her chin on one side of Tiana’s shoulder before utters, “Does this mean you’re, like, taking the form of a mythical creature?”
“I wouldn’t go for that, but maybe close enough” Tiana answers with a soft giggle.
“Astonishing as it may sound, it doesn’t explain how it connects with your pneumonitis though” Salvatore gives his statement on the botanist’s theory, closing yet another book brought for researching reason.
“I know. As I said, it’s only my tenet” answers, Tiana.
“Maybe if we look deeper into Phoenix’s story, we would find the link?” Cassandra’s suggestion is soon be answered by her younger sister, “Great idea! Come on, you two—Let’s look for treatises about Phoenix!” with that, Daniela drags her sisters to search through their library.
“*Sigh* Will they even grew mature?” Alcina mumbles with a chortle at the sight of her daughters are hastening away.
The group beacons their attention back to analyzing things using much rationale as possible. They try looking from a different angle and go back to the starting point once more. Since Tiana has a pneumonitis condition before the change that decreases her lungs performance, they assume the Cadou must have changed Tiana into her bird-associate being according to this reason. Accordingly, they have the staff take care of piles of books they got earlier. And in the meantime, they go seeking other tomes, focusing on the bird this time. Not long after that, Salvatore finds the support records which he reads it out aloud, describing to everyone in more detail. Howbeit. Because the fish-like lord has been using complicated and deeper level ornithology description terms, everyone is having a hard time understand what he’s trying to say. Hence, Karl raises his hand to stop him and speaks.
“Stop, stop, hush! Can you start again in ENGLISH, please?” using an arm to support himself on the desk as he standing up, Karl kneads the side of his head in puzzlement at what he just hears.
“But I’ve been speaking English the whole ti—”
“Don’t test my patience, you fish freak” Karl roars while holding his hammer to Salvatore’s face threateningly, makes the fish-like lord sputtering his reply out.
“A-alright, alright! Sorry. *Ahem* So, all animals need to breathe to exchange incoming oxygen with outgoing waste gases, like carbon dioxide. However, not all animals breathe the same” Salvatore gets a blank paper and pencil from nearby to draw any picture needed to make it easier for everyone to understand, pressing on, “While humans and other mammals suck air into their bodies by lowering a muscle just below the lungs called the diaphragm, birds avoid the mixing problem by moving air through their lungs in one direction via a series of 7 to 9 air sacs, connected by loopy tubes. They take oxygen into their body tissues when they breathe in and out—”
“Would you rather got smash by my hammer first before making it more simple?” asks, Karl.
“*Sigh* The problem isn’t because I made it sound harder, but it’s because you’re too dull to understand” Salvatore murmurs underneath his breath, too low for Karl to hear. But Not for Alcina. The vampire lady can’t help but scoffs which makes Karl goes after her instead.
“What’s that laugh for? Did you laugh at me just now?”
“What if I did?” Lifting her brow, Alcina looks at Karl challengingly.
Upon witnessing sees that, Tiana jumps in the middle of them as she doesn’t want any kind of fight to break out. They still need to work together to get the answer to this, so Tiana believes it’d be best for them to stay in each other’s good term as much as possible. At least for now.
“Guys, guys! Please—Don’t fight” the botanist then flips her optics to Donna, navigating the conversation away from the heat, “Could you help summarize what Salvatore was saying?”
“*Giggles* Certainly” the lady in back pauses for a brief to collect herself then voices, “What Sal was saying is, it means for every one bird breath, humans would need to take two. Thus, making birds super-efficient breathers”
“That’s it. Thank you, Donna” Karl claps his hands together in grateful for his sister’s short and right-to-the-point statement. He tilts his head back to Salvatore, firing a complaint, “See? Was it that hard for you to say something like this?”
Salvatore can only roll his eyes, but he doesn’t say anything. He knows better he’d experience much difficulty if he has to fight with Karl heads-on. Withal, he couldn’t say the same if he'd go for pulling some kind of schemes behind Karl’s back. Give me a chance and I’ll pull him down the reservoir. Taking him there to the deepest bottom myself, a small, wicked smile creeps onto the fish-like lord’s feature at his line of thought.
“No wonder why you take the form of a bird since you’re having difficulty breathing before” Alcina places her hand over Tiana’s shoulder, pulling her close protectively as she recalls how painful it is for Tiana to breathe in the past. “But you’re good now…right?”
“Yes. And I’m feeling more than good, actually” Tiana puts her palm over her chest, feeling a soft vibrate in evidence that the Cadou is residing under her ribcage, replacing part of her lungs there and goes on, “I feel like I could run my full-speed in a full-marathon, or even an ultra-marathon, without taking a break and would still be completely fine”
“Heh. If that’s the case, I guess scheduling a test to see what you’re truly capable of is in order” states, Alcina.
As their discussion comes to close with the scientific-based reason of why the Cadou changed Tiana into what she is, it’s time to wrap their meeting up. Alcina pecks her girlfriend on the cheek before excuses herself to fetch the girls from wherever in the library they off to search for books about Phoenix. As for Tiana, she’d like the honor to see the other lords off and that’s what she’s going to do.
“Oh, before you go. Please accept something from me as a token of my sincere gratitude—I couldn’t be here without any of you”
Tiana gestures maids to bring out some of those presents she required from the Duke then personally hands out each box to the lords. She prepares one for Angie as well. The lords, plus the Porcelain doll, wear a similar questioning expression on their faces as they’re curious about what’s inside the packages in their hand.
“Well. Feel free to open it” the botanist encourages them with a mild smile.
Starting with Karl. The package he receives from Tiana comes in an envelope, slightly smaller than A4 in size. He tears it open while being cautious not to damage anything inside—It appears to be an album, full of pictures and notes. The Lycan lord flips it back and forth to study its condition. This said album, itself, is new. But the scent and color of photos and notes inside suggest that they’re quite old. Almost, like, a decade old.
“Little Miss, what’s this?”
“Flips the cover open”
Despite the confusion, Karl opens it as Tiana nudges. On the 1st page of that album, his gaze was met with a photograph of all Heisenberg family members, dated back even before Mother Miranda would kidnap him for her sickening experiment. There’re 3 generations of house Heisenberg in that picture—Grandparents sit on the padded seat upfront, parents stand together with their hands held with each other behind, and Karl, in his toddler age, sits on his grandmother’s lap while his elder siblings stand next to his grandfather.
“No way…how did you—?” Karl covers his mouth with his palm, barely believes of the sight in front of his very own eyes.
“If you’d like to know how I got my hand on this, well, I’ve contacted my friends who work for the genealogy tracing agency and pulled some of the major strings” Tiana’s grin turns into a ruefully one before she'd carry on, “It may not be my place to say, but…after learned of your story, I feel sympathy with you, Karl. I know how awful it feels to be separated from a loving family—Mine happened when my parents got into a car accident. I lost them both at the same time and that’s…unbearable”
“I—” the Lycan lord makes eye contact with Tiana for a brief as he’s tracing his finger to the faces of his parents, unreadable expression on his face. “I, um, *Ahem* thank you, Tiana. I’m grateful”
“Don’t mention it” the botanist answers Karl with a grin.
Next to open her present is Donna and Angie—Inside Donna’s box is a child-size artificial heart. The lady in black gasps as soon as her brain is done processing what the thing in front of her eyes is.
“I was thinking of a way to help with your experiment on bringing life into the doll, creating another sibling for Angie. And I think the reason why it doesn’t make many processes yet maybe, just maybe, because the Cadou doesn’t have a suitable place to reside in the doll”
“But Angie…” Donna queries in hesitation. If that’s the case, how can Angie be alive?
“Please, don’t misunderstand me. Angie’s case was a success and came out wonderful. And it’s because you embedded the Cadou to her head where the brain is supposed to be in human’s physique, no?” Tiana lifts her hands in panic, quickly pushes on with the description, “So, I thought we can try placing the Cadou into the artificial heart before putting it inside the doll this time around. Allowing it to access every part of the doll, just like how the human circulatory system works. It’s only a theory, but when considering Angie’s case, I think it’d work—”
“Thank you, Tiana!”
Weeping in joy, Donna pulls the botanist into her embrace. Despite the shock from suddenly being cuddled, Tiana breaths out in relief and returns Donna’s hug soon after. As for Angie, her present comes in an appearance of a cage rather than a box. It’s even larger than her porcelain-doll-self, truth be told. Once the black cloth that is being used to cover the cage was pulled away, it reveals a baby pet Angie’s always wanted!
“No way! Ekk!—Thank you, thank you, thank you!” the doll floats in a circle around Tiana in delight before races back beside the cage. She turns to Donna and says, “Isn’t he cute, mother?”
Luckily, back when the chaotic event happened, the maid notices this one present among Tiana’s orders is moving. So, she decides to check it and sees it’s a baby pet inside. She’s been taking good care of him ever since, thus, makes it possible for the pet to survive until today where he’d meet with his new family.
“I hope you don’t mind taking care of another baby in your house, Donna. I just, want to spoil Angie for a chance” the botanist speaks with a titter.
“*Giggles* What else can I say when she likes him this much? Of course, I don’t mind. Though I think I’d have to infect him with the Mold later on, so he’d be with Angie for as long as time would last—Thank you, Tiana. For everything”
“You’re welcome” replies, Tiana.
Lastly, it’s Salvatore’s turn to check what’s Tiana got him as a present. When the box’s opened, there’s a laptop with every accessory needed packing nicely inside. Taken aback, Salvatore meets Tiana’s eyes, wordlessly asking for some explanations.
“I see you enjoy watching plays and scientific documentaries when we’re taking a break from our co-op experiment. So, I thought you’d like it if you can leisurely watch your favorite shows underwater sometimes? And don’t worry—They’re all waterproof”
“Wow. That’s really kind of you, Tiana. Thank you” Salvatore lowers his hood down slightly to hide his reddened face. Even when they’re not much noticeable, the faint rosy shade is, indeed, there. “Where did my sister find a kind and thoughtful human like you?”
“I’m afraid I’m a limited-edition, my lord Sal” a sense of teasing is evidently in her voice while Tiana talks to the fish-like lord.
After that, the lords take their leaves with a warm, fuzzy feeling in their chest they haven’t experienced for long. As for Tiana, she recruits some staff to help her with the rest of the things she had the Duke delivers, moving them to the living room of castle Dimitrescu then summon Alcina and the girls to the scene. At first, she plans this to be a highlight of New Year Eve where she’d give each of house Dimitrescu’s ladies a gift after having dinner together. Tiana believes it’d be nice to build another happy memory with those she loves before her Cadou implantation would take place. How happy it’d have been for her to watch their reactions when each of them opening the presents she got for them? Alas, we all know that's not how things turn on. Thanks to Mila and her scheme which causes the disturbance, Tiana’s perfect family-bonding event just shattered away.
‘Whatever. It’s not like I can do something about that now’ Tiana cogitates while waiting for Alcina and the girls. She checks each package once more to make sure which one to give to each of them, continuing with her line of thought, ‘Even it’s late, it’s not too late to open these presents! Ooh, I should find somewhere to set my phone and record this’
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To Be Continued >>
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