#max.

Maxine had heard rumors through the grapevine about Crypt of the Red Rose from people at Dance Macabre and had been meaning to check it out. And upon further research had found that the rules of entry were right up her alley, including the dress code. Wicked’s Rest, though boring at first, had started to show its true colors, and a lot of it included shades of red. But if she was going to fully enjoy her night, the idea of having company - even if that company was a human bloodbag – had made it better. So when she thumbed through her phone contacts, her perfectly manicured claw was drawn to one person…Bella Swan.

Jenny, I mean. Jenny.

With a swift text, she sent a link for the club and the requirements. If the walking talking blood bag wanted to risk it, Max was going to be impressed, and take her on a ride she would never forget, as a little treat for Jenny being a good girl. But if she was too chicken shit, then Max was still going to take her on a ride. It just would have been more for Max’s pleasure.

“I’m not waiting here all fucking night, Twihard. Where the fuck are you? Did the big bad wolf get you instead…” Max had been waiting patiently at the door. If you could call waiting for five minutes, and she was ready to leave the woman on her own if she did actually show up. So instead of giving her human pet another five minutes, she pulled out her phone and began to scroll through her messages ready to shoot off a pretty nasty text.

—

When her phone had buzzed with an invitation from Max, Jenny had nearly jumped out of her skin with excitement. The alluring vampire was toying with her and though she was trying to play the game right back, it was hard to when she so desperately wanted to see her again. And here the vampire was, asking her to come to a club she had not yet heard of. After her burst of excitement, Jenny had gone and dressed up, pulling a ribbon around her neck after she’d squeezed into a formal dress and added some of her more traditional gothy accessories. Her hair had a bow of the same material as the one around her neck. Her make up was dark, with a blood red lip.

It took time to look this drinkable, but she was rushing, really. She would (try to) arrive a little fashionably late as though not to show off how excited she was, but she would still make it in time. Hence her pushing her gas pedal past the speed limit as she drove to Midnight Grove, moving out of the car and into the graveyard with her heart beating loud.

No part of her wondered if another vampire might intercept her on her way to Max. That was simply not how tonight was going to go. Jenny was just struggling with the soggy earth underneath her heels, and once she finally made it to the sent location, she offered the vampire a half wave. “Good evening,” she said, touching the other’s elbow softly. “I’m sorry I’m late.” She blinked, then looked at the crypt behind Max. “Are you ready to go in?”

—

Max had typed up a pretty lengthy and incredibly rude text and was just about to hit send, when she felt someone touch her elbow and speak. Bella. Quickly closing out the text and shoving her phone back into the pocket of the black leather jacket she was wearing, she easily slipped on a smile with no trace of annoyance on her face whatsoever, like a snake in the grass, ready to have its meal, “Hey! Bel…Jenny! I was really starting to think you weren’t going to make it.” Like so much so, that I was about to call you a lot of mean things. “I am so ready to go in!” And have been for the past ten minutes.

Without waiting any longer, Max moved forward giving the bouncer at the door a wink, before entering into the Crypt. And as soon as she broke the threshold, her eyes widened at the decor held in the interior of what simply looked like a mausoleum on the outside. It was breathtaking for someone who didn’t need to breathe, and regardless of if Jenny had shown or not, Maxine knew she was going to have a memorable and hopefully pleasurable time.

“This place is everything. I don’t know why I didn’t come here sooner. Have you ever been before?” She looked back at her date wondering if the human had somehow made it in without Max’s help. If the vampire could lure more gullible humans in on the promise of a good time, she’d be a VIP at this place in no time, “Drinks on me tonight.” And maybe you…“What are you having?”

—

Max looked dazzling. Jenny hadn’t expected much less, but she felt herself flush healthily at the sight of her and the promise of the evening ahead. “It takes some time to look this good,” she said, though she didn’t sound wholly convinced. She tried to fake it till she made it, but she was still in the faking it part of it all. She smiled at the other, following her into the club and letting her eyes travel down the other’s body before looking around the space that opened up for them.

This was even better than Dance Macabre. She did not bother to hide her awe, happy to play the dazzled human tonight (a role that fit her well as it was close to reality). There was something elegant about the place, yet also dangerous. Like a speakeasy of sorts, but then for vampires who had had centuries to become good at interior design. “It really is. I’ve never been — so thank you for bringing me along.” 

She wondered what the bar had. If this was a club that catered to vampires, was there anything that she’d enjoy? Jenny didn’t like the taste of blood, even if she’d tried as a teenager to get familiar with the iron taste. “A red wine to start,” she said, hoping they’d at least have that. “Though I’m not sure if the menu caters to me … I guess we should find out?” She didn’t ask Max but she was wondering — would the vampire be using her as a bar tonight?

—

While normally Max would’ve rolled her eyes so hard back into her head that she could see the back of her skull, Jenny actually did look good tonight. Tasty in more ways than one, so the effort and being late did seem worth it, even though Max had been thoroughly annoyed. But the point was, they were both here, and something exciting was bound to happen tonight whether it be dancing or her favorite pastime…murder, “Yeah, well…you definitely don’t disappoint.”

Enjoying the elegant atmosphere, Maxine had been reminded of her past life, when things seemed sophisticated, and people were, all around, just classier. Now, most people were sloppy and lazy. They took no pride in themselves, and though Max could be cruel, people today were just rude. She hated the younger generations, and she had noticed that it had started with the Boomers, and had gradually declined with people so obsessed with themselves in a gross kind of way that Max gagged a little every time she thought of another Gen Z or Gen Alpha taking a selfie or speaking in garbled English with their slang. The only plus side to these newer, younger generations had been the lack of common sense and how gullible they were all becoming; which made feeding so much easier.

“Yeah, sure. You’re welcome. You’re the first human I’ve actually enjoyed being around in quite sometime. So much so that I haven’t wanted to rip your throat out yet. Yay you!” The words were flat, except for a tiniest inflection on ‘yay you’, before Max walked towards the bar, “I’ll have your finest blood on tap, and for my friend – your best red wine.” Turning back to Jenny, Max casually leaned against the bar waiting for their drinks, “So what’s your deal? Are you like, obsessed with vampires or something, or is it just me?” She figured it was time to get to know Jenny better. Make her feel special, before she decided if she wanted to keep her around or not.

—

She smiled at the other, taking the compliment to heart. Jenny was good at taking compliments, in the way that she let them get to her head and remembered them forever, clutching them like little pearls that proved her worth. Max, a vampire of impressive age and beauty, thought she didn't disappoint — and though she could have sang her praises with words like pretty or stunning, this was well enough. “I'm glad.”

Then there was the next compliment, which was delivered in a deadpan and followed by a mild threat. This was not one she'd use for proof of her worth, but rather of proof that her life had grown increasingly exhilarating since moving to Wicked's Rest. She did not want her throat ripped out – just nibbled and bitten down on – but she would not be caught begging the other not to until the threat was actually close to coming to fruition. She did not stir instead, as if she was in on the joke that Max ripped out throats on many occasion! (She might, or it was some kind of performance — Jenny was never sure about people's sincerity considering her own lack of it.)

“I think my throat could be much more beneficial to you when not ripped out,” she suggested, following the vampire to the bar. She placed one elbow on the bar, looking at the assortment of drinks on offer. Her free hand toyed with a bit of jewelry. “My deal?” She was quick to continue talking, not wanting to just echo dumbly. “I found out about vampires when I moved here and though I think obsessed is a crude word, I do have an affection for you and your kin. Something so alluring about it all, hm? But something alluring about you besides it, too.” She blinked. “I mean … you're striking, truly. I'm curious about all you've seen.”

—

Jenny was different, and Max was trying to figure out if that was a good thing or a bad thing. She liked the way the younger woman fawned over her and her beauty and undead experience. It fluffed Max’s ego. It was like having a little pet around. One that could compliment her and say nice things and do what she wanted. Unlike her dog, Norman Bates, who just ate and shit all the time. But most of the time, that’s what Max enjoyed, because while he would bark at her and be needy, it wasn’t an annoying kind of whine. It was one out of sure survival, and she could respect that.

“You do have a way with words, don’t you? Telling me exactly what I want to hear.” She leaned forward and booped Jenny’s nose, “Well guess what, Bella Swan? I like that. You seem to be worming your way onto my good side, and not many people can do that.”

When the bartender finished making their drinks, Max grabbed the wine and handed it over to Jenny, “Drink up. This is a special treat for both of us, and if you want to hear stories about my past, then I’m gonna need all the blood I can get.” Grabbing her own glass from the counter, she took a sip of the crimson drink, before going to find a private, secluded spot that they could both enjoy. Maxine definitely didn’t want to be bothered by thirsty vampires trying to flirt with her date. Jenny belonged to her, and if anybody was going to drain the Twilight obsessed human’s blood tonight, it was going to be her.

—

Her eye twitched for a moment when the other called her Bella Swan. For all her affections for the book series, she really did not think herself very similar to the main character. No, Jenny considered herself more of a Jessica or Alice, even if she could certainly see herself falling for the Edward-type too. She had no intentions to marry in order to gain immortality, nor to die and be reborn during childbirth. It had made for an interesting story, but that was so not Jenny Price!

“Just telling you how I see it,” she said, grinning at the boop against her nose. And maybe it didn't matter that Max had nicknamed her Bella Swan: she was making a good impression. When it came to women who could kill you, that was good enough. “That is the side of you I'd like to be on. But I can be flexible.”

She was about to argue that knocking back a glass of red wine was not exactly how she liked to savor her drinks (though with tequila or other liquors it could easily be done of course), but reconsidered. She took a large sip, following Max to a more secluded corner. So far, so good. Surely vampire bars had a thing against killing humans on the premises. Right? Jenny slipped down next to Max, “So tell me a story. I'm all ears.” She lifted her glass again, taking a slow sip before placing it back down and watching her expectantly.

—

When Max felt Jenny sit down next to her, she leaned in close to the younger woman’s neck and pressed her nose into it taking a good strong sniff; her eyes closed and her fangs threatening to poke out. But patience was a virtue, and she really wanted to savor this evening, especially considering the classy joint they were currently hanging out at. Maxine knew how important it was to make a good impression. She had come from a classier era, and one where you respected your elders. If she wanted an easy fix, she could go back to Dance Macabre where there were a dime-a-dozen Twihards and Buffy Nerds waiting to be sucked off. And though Jenny came off as Twihard, she seemed to be more respectful of Max and her timeline; not blood horny.

“Fuck, you smell good.” Biting on her bottom lip, she took in a deep breath and let out a soft sigh as she reverted back to her own glass of liquid, taking another sip and sitting the glass back down on a nearby table, “A story, huh? Well, what do you want to know about?” She shifted her weight and rested her arm on the back of the couch as she reached out and pushed a stray strand of Jenny’s hair behind her ear, “I’ve been here for over a decade. I’ve seen more shit than your grandparents have. So what part of history strikes your fancy?” Max was an open book, for the most part, and would delight in the idea of talking about herself as long as Jenny stayed away from certain subjects.

—

Anticipation was more intoxicating than the wine in her hand ever could be and Jenny felt her pulse hasten as Max leaned in. Did the vampire sense it too, the way her blood was pumping through those arteries faster than it was before? She was not sure yet how vampires sensed blood, if they did at all. She wanted to know what Max meant when she said she smelled good, not just in the sense that she wanted her ego stroked but also because she wanted to understand how that biology worked. How heightened vampire senses were. 

She looked at Max as she retreated, eyes wide and intrigued. She did not say it but the offer was clear: if she wanted to do more than smell, she could. “Hmm,” she said, tapping her chin in thought. There were many parts in history that interested her, but there were certain areas more intriguing than others. “There are plenty of interesting eras — I always like the satanic panic, as it led to a lot of good movies …” Jenny hummed. “But I’m not looking for a history lesson, I want to know about you. What was an era where you were living it up? Seventies, maybe?” She cocked her head. “Just a guess.”

—

The inviting look on Jenny’s face hadn’t slipped past Max, but sometimes she liked to see them squirm. Like to tease and toy with them, until they were begging for the vampire to bite them. It was the magic formula that she had figured out many years ago. How to flirt, but just enough to drive people insane, and if they knew what she was, the slow burn of anticipation of just when she would make her move seemed to turn her on more than anything. Maxine had always been a walking mystery. She had carried an air of intrigue with her from the time she understood what it took to properly manipulate people, because there was something always so intriguing about not showing your cards, especially when you reassured people that you held a power over them that they couldn’t touch.

“The seventies? No, baby girl. The seventies were fun, but they held nothing on the forties. I didn’t have a dime to my name, but fuck the parties were good. The world was in a state of chaos. We were just coming off of the Great Depression, but we made it good. Parties, clubs, and the music. The music was everything. Billie Holiday, Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Emilio Tuero…” Maxine paused and closed her eyes. She could hear the music playing in her head. The way she swayed along with some random sailor no older than she was at the time.

Opening her eyes, Max let out a soft sigh, “Look around you, Bella. We’re in one of the most technologically advanced moments in history, but are you people truly happy? Everybody wants power and to be richer and to have fame, but let me tell you, Baby. The less you care, the better off you are.” She leaned to the table and grabbed her glass of blood pulling it to her lips for a sip, before putting it back down and focusing her attention on Jenny again.

—

Surprise washed over her features, the forties a time in history that seemed so marred by war and its aftermath. It would be far from the era she’d pick, looking back to the last century — Jenny would like the seventies or eighties better. But she had not lived through it, so who was she to judge? 

“I do love me some Billie Holiday,” she said, which was semi-true. Jenny liked her music, but it was hardly like she put the music on herself. No, all of the artists Max mentioned reminded her more of her grandparents’ record collection which … was a train of thought best abandoned. Max seemed pulled back to that time’s music anyway, so she spent her time shaking off the realization that the vampire was older than her grandparents. (It was so different, anyhow! Like, look at her! She was nowhere near grandma-like.) “So no era since that has lived up to it?” 

Max spoke in a way that hardly resonated with Jenny, but she’d spent enough time in her life schmoozing to know how to nod and smile. “Hmm-hm, we have the world at our fingertips and it only makes us miserable.” But she was one of those people, that wanted fame and riches. To be fair, she already had the latter, so the former seemed realistically attainable. “That’s way more easily said than done. I don’t care about plenty of things, but then there are other things where I cannot shut it off… maybe that’s something learned with time?” A beat. “It’s Jenny, by the way.”

—

Jenny liking Billie Holiday had surprised Max. There had been people from this generation who still had good taste. She couldn’t deny them that, but their attention spans had seemed like that of a flea jumping from one thing to another, and it drove Max insane. Whatever happened to stopping to smell the roses? Now, not even a fart was given a second thought, “Yeah, no era has, unless you include the 20s, when I was born.” She wouldn’t speak on that. Or of her parents. They were too precious to her, despite how much she had felt they had wasted their potential. They did bring her into the world though, and most days that meant enough.

“Well, Jenny…” Max made sure to put emphasis on the girl’s name, “that’s what these tech companies want. Every last moment of your brain’s energy and attention, because all of the little sheeple in the world are their walking cash cows. But yes, it is absolutely learned with time. A lot easier when you didn’t grow up with it. Trust me, when my agent and publisher told me I had to get on TikTok to connect with fans, I hated it. Despised it.” Wanted to drain the life right out of both of them. “But I set a timer. Stay on it for a certain amount of time, and then get off for the week. Try it some time. It might be hard at first, but you’ll thank me later.”

Max leaned forward and gently put her hand on Jenny’s arm. Her touch was cold from the lack of blood circulating through her body, but she had enjoyed the feeling of warmth coming from her date’s own skin; which also meant the blood was fresh and not stagnant or stale, “So what about you? I know you’re still a fetus, but what’s your favorite…I don’t know…music or whatever it is that you crazy kids are into these days?”

—

Despite the fact that Jenny had known vampires were real for a few months now, and had interacted with a few others besides Max, the reminder that she was a century old was awe-inducing. She knew that vampires did not age physically (that was like, the whole point!), but to really try and realize that the woman next to her was over a hundred years old was dizzying. “Ha,” she said, “That’s real. I love the nineties, even though I was a babe for most of them.” 

There was something a little bit outdated about Max talking about tech in this way, but it was hardly as if she could blame her. Technology had changed rapidly in the 28 years she had been alive, it must be even stranger for someone over a century old. “Oh, I know! Their algorithms are traps. I’ve defeated my tendency towards doomscrolling, but it took some serious effort. A timer, like you said. It made me read less, and that was unacceptable.” She cocked her head to the side, intrigued, “Publisher?”

As Max’ cold skin met hers, a shiver of excitement ran up her spine. Jenny leaned a little closer, crossing her legs so it was easier to move up the bench. “Oooh, so I love music. Darkwave, newwave … you know, the Cure, Bauhaus? But I don’t like sticking to just one thing. There’s some great modern stuff out there too. I’m not too snobby to enjoy some good pop, either.” She hummed in thought. “Besides that, I like to read as I said, and I grew up going to the theater. The scene is a little lacking here, but that’s alright.” She shrugged, pleased with herself. “Both hobbies of all times, I suppose.”

—

“I hear a lot about the nineties. I guess if I had been born around that time, maybe I could appreciate it more, but I just don’t see the hype. To each their own I suppose. And I guess some of the music isn’t half bad. Like “Pony” by Ginuwine.” She ran her teeth across her top lip as she leaned in a little closer. Putting even more focus on her date. “You like reading? Ever heard of Mercy Romero. She’s a dark romance writer.” This had piqued Max’s interest. If Jenny had read any of her books, she’d consider sparing her life a little longer than what she was roughly thinking.

“Yeah. Publisher. I write novels. It’s how I make my money.” Well, that and years of conning people out of all their lifesavings. Really easy, once you get the hang of it, but I digress. “Well, maybe you could take me back to your place sometime and introduce me to these bands. I’d love to see your book collection.” Feeling Jenny closer to her, Max made an effort to return the favor and moved in towards the younger woman’s neck, gently pushing her hair back, before running her tongue along her soft, supple skin.

Max continued to hold back Jenny’s hair as she briefly pulled away to make eye contact with her friend, “Do you mind, if I just…” She leaned back in and tugged at Jenny’s ear with her teeth making sure not to pierce skin, and then whispered in her ear, “Have a little nibble?”

—

“Something about the rise of technology, all that tech-craze that now looks so … cute in its babyness. And the fashion was amazing, of course, and the music — Pony is good, but I’m more fond of the grunge and such.” Jenny racked her mind for the name Mercy Romero and ended up nodding, “I read a few books of hers, yes!”

She was all the more intrigued in Max now that it turned out that she worked in the industry, eagerness pushing Jenny a little closer to the vampire. “So, this Mercy Romero, is she a friend of yours?” It was always good to network. It was probably even better to network with other vampires, what with her future goals. Many of her current connections would not hold up in a few decades, but someone immortal like Max would still be around and alive. “I’ll gladly show you.” The words were said easily, but Jenny was not so sure yet about inviting another vampire in her house. She knew how to play on dates, though.

Her eyes took Max in from this angle, smiling softly. A gasp escaped her as the other tugged at her ear with her teeth, excitement rising up her chest. “I don’t mind at all,” she said, only thinking finally. Everything in life was an exchange of sorts, and once she’d given Max something of hers, she might be able to ask for something in return.

—

Technology. Max could attest to the change in technology, and what came out in the 90s definitely didn’t resemble a child to her. She had seen what man could create longer than this girl had even been an idea, but she’d let her enjoy the 90s, for what it was worth. And knowing that Jenny knew who Mercy was and of her work…Max’s work sent a chill down her spine. A fangirl, if you wanted to call her that. Maybe she’d reveal that she was the mastermind behind some of the grizzliest novels on the market. But right now, all she wanted to do was sink her fangs into Jenny’s sweet, plump skin.

When she was finally given permission, Max extended her fangs and without any hesitation, sank them deeply into Jenny’s neck and began to suck. The way the blood poured from the artery in her neck was turning Max on in more ways than one. Jenny’s blood was coppery yet sweet. Not as sweet as fae, but just sweet enough that letting go would be hard. They were in the perfect place to cover up a body after all. It was a vampire bar, and this human had been foolish enough to follow Max in.

As she continued to drink, she thought about all the delicious fun she could have with her back at her house, in the basement of course, but if she wanted to ever get there, she’d have to let the woman live. Reluctantly pulling her fangs out, she licked the blood from Jenny’s neck. It tasted much better than the drink she had gotten from the bar. It was warm and fresh, “Damn, Baby. You taste good.” Letting her tongue run around her lips, she made sure to get every last drop of her date’s blood.

—

The sting of teeth breaking skin was familiar yet painful as always, and Jenny gasped softly before she leaned into it. She had learned a few things by now. She knew how to relax herself, how to support herself so there was no strain. Some of it Philip had helped her with, but most of it she’d learned herself in the corners of Danse Macabre with a string of vampires. There was pleasure to be found if she gave herself over to it, and so she did.

And there was something to be said about offering blood like this. Maybe this was what people found fun about blood drives when they participated, but in a sexless and boring way. She was giving something of herself to another person. Jenny had written about the erotic implications of vampirism multiple times at college and so did not struggle to see the parallels, even when Max and her were still fully clothed. 

She ducked her head when Max was finished, digging in her small bag to produce a small silk handkerchief, pressing it against the wounds. She’d not taken too much to make her feel unsteady, but there was definitely a noticeable difference within her. She could almost call it a bit of a high. “Happy to please,” she said, looking back up at Max. Her eyes lingered on her lips for a moment, the tongue running over them, before she made eye contact, “So, where were we?”

—

Max fully enjoyed the gasp. It was a turn on. The way people, especially the ones willing, took her fangs piercing into their skin. And even how Jenny so delicately wiped the two puncture wounds. It had been a lovely evening. Better than she had initially assumed it would be. And now that the drinking portion was out of the way, it left room to talk. If Jenny wanted to keep being her blood bag, Max could do a little small talk and date night every now and then. Keep it casual. No big deal, right? Take things at a different pace and keep laying kind of low, because she had already been on several radars.

“Life. Music. Getting to know one another better?” Max reluctantly grabbed the glass of blood she had ordered from the bar knowing it wasn’t going to be half as good as what she had just tasted, but composure would get her further than just ripping into her date and leaving her drained on a couch in a vampire bar. “So, tell me, Jenny. Why? Why let me feed off of you? Is it a fetish? A turn on? What’s the endgame here? Most people don’t just let vampires feed off of them. They usually run screaming for the hills.” She flicked her fang and grinned before taking a sip of the lackluster blood.

—

It was ill advised to be drinking before or after such bloodloss, but Jenny still reached for her glass of wine. This place was bustling with opportunity and Max had just pulled her closer to her, had given her a opportunity to get closer to the truth of her willingness to supply her neck and bleed for her. It was a sacrifice of sorts, even if Jenny did not consider Max quite worthy of full-time worship. Some worship could be allowed, as she was a senior vampire with an air to her that demanded reverie and respect she easily bowed to, but still. She hoped for the other to be a means to an end. Another powerful connection.

She chuckled a little at the way the other posed the question, putting down her wine glass and changing hands pressing down on the wound. “Not a fetish — a kink, maybe. I definitely find there’s something enticing about it. But …” Jenny lifted a shoulder, hissing slightly as the movement made her neck muscles move. The pain was less satisfying now. “It’s not just that.” Here came her proposal. She turned the words in her mouth for a moment, before continuing. “I want to be like you, eventually. I figure this is a good way to get to know the right people.” She blinked at Max. “And see if I can find a way to … well, how do you put it? To get the dark gift? Be turned? Anyway — that.”