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beautikinieeboy · 11 months

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What is the typical amount of blood lost during menstruation?

Over 10 million women in the United States face the challenges of heavy bleeding each year. That means 1 in 5 women share the same concern you may be currently experiencing. Typically, menstrual cycles occur every 28 days, with periods lasting between three to seven days. If your period extends beyond eight days, it is considered lengthy. If heavy flow is significantly impacting your daily life, it may be beneficial to consult with a healthcare professional.

How much blood do you lose while on your period?

The amount of blood lost during menstruation varies for each woman, as we all have different bodies and menstrual cycles. On average, women typically lose between 2 to 5 tablespoons of blood during their period. It may seem like a larger quantity due to the nature of the flow. Here's a breakdown of the average blood loss per month:

Light period: Less than 2 tablespoons

Normal period: Less than 4 tablespoons

Heavy period: More than 6 tablespoons

It's important to note that these are general guidelines, and individual experiences may vary. If you have concerns about the amount of blood you're losing during your period, it's always a good idea to consult with your healthcare provider for personalized advice and guidance.

Is there a way to determine how much you’re actually bleeding?

Determining the exact amount of blood you're losing during your period can be challenging. While a mathematical equation involving the number of pads or tampons used can provide an estimate (by multiplying the number of products by 0.35), there are simpler methods available.

One popular option is using a menstrual cup, which offers an easy and effective way to measure blood loss. Menstrual cups often have measurements marked on them, allowing you to see the amount of blood collected between emptying and cleaning. However, it's important to note that using a menstrual cup may come with challenges such as difficulty with insertion or removal, as well as potential vaginal irritation. Finding the right fit for a menstrual cup can also be a trial-and-error process.

To ensure added protection while wearing a menstrual cup and to prevent leaks, it may be beneficial to consider using leak-proof underwear. These underwear provide an additional layer of security, giving you peace of mind during your period.

Remember, if you have concerns about the amount of blood you're losing during your period or if you experience any unusual symptoms, it's always recommended to consult with your healthcare provider for personalized advice and guidance.

Causes of Excessive Menstrual Bleeding

Influence of IUDs

IUDs can have varying effects on menstrual flow. Depending on the type of IUD, it can either reduce or increase your period's intensity. Research suggests that copper IUDs may lead to more severe and painful periods.

Presence of Fibroids

Fibroids are noncancerous growths that develop in the muscle tissue of the uterus. If you have fibroids, you may experience longer periods lasting more than 8 or 9 days. Some women also notice increased frequency, with periods occurring more than once a month.

Hormonal Imbalances

Imbalances in hormone levels can contribute to heavy menstrual bleeding. Elevated estrogen levels and low progesterone levels are often associated with heavier flows. Conversely, low estrogen levels can lead to lighter bleeding and shorter periods.

Tips for Alleviating Symptoms of Heavy Bleeding

Track Your Period

Keeping a menstrual cycle record allows you to better understand your cycle and detect any irregularities. By monitoring your period, you can identify patterns, mood changes, and potential hormonal or cycle disruptions. Sharing your history with healthcare professionals can aid in diagnosing the causes of hormonal or cycle changes.

Consider Period Underwear for Heavy Flow

Beautikiniperiod underwear is an ideal choice for individuals with heavy or ultra-heavy flows. A single pair of heavy flow period underwear can hold the equivalent of 4 regular tampons. It provides odor reduction and eliminates the need for additional pads or tampons. For super-heavy flow, Beautikiniperiod underwear can hold up to 5 regular tampons, offering reliable overnight protection. Period underwear is an eco-friendly and chemical-free solution, as it is reusable and free of toxic substances.

Utilize Heating Patches

While heating patches may not reduce menstrual flow, they can alleviate the pain associated with heavy bleeding.

Consume Iron-Rich Foods

Heavy periods can sometimes lead to anemia. Consuming iron-rich foods, such as green vegetables, raisins, and apricots, can naturally boost your iron levels.

Engage in Exercise

Even during heavy flow, moderate exercise can be beneficial. It helps increase blood flow and triggers the release of endorphins, which can alleviate cramping. However, be mindful of your body's limits and listen to any signs of fatigue.

Stay Hydrated

During menstruation, blood volume can decrease. It is recommended to drink at least 8 cups of water daily. However, during heavy periods, increasing water intake by an additional 4 to 6 cups per day is advised. Consider hydrating with electrolyte-enriched drinks for added benefits.

Excessive Menstrual Bleeding (Menorrhagia)

Menorrhagia, also known as excessive menstrual bleeding, is a medical condition characterized by prolonged periods lasting more than 7 days or requiring frequent tampon or pad changes within a 2-hour timeframe. While menorrhagia is more prevalent among older women, it is less common in younger women. Although heavy bleeding is generally not life-threatening, it can become a concern if excessive blood loss occurs.

When to Seek Medical Attention

It is important to consult with your doctor if you experience any of the following symptoms:

- Passing quarter-sized or larger blood clots during your period

- Feeling tired and dizzy upon standing up

- Changing 2 or more tampons or pads every hour for 2 consecutive hours

- Experiencing post-menopausal bleeding

- Bleeding that lasts longer than a week

- Feeling fatigued and unable to perform daily activities

Heavy bleeding is a common reason for women to visit their gynecologist annually. It is understandable to feel overwhelmed and isolated when dealing with heavy periods. However, remember that there is help available. Discuss your concerns with your doctor to determine the most suitable treatment options for you. In the meantime, consider using period underwear specially designed for heavy flow, allowing you to enjoy your activities without worrying about leaks or odors during your period.

#Beautikini #Periods #menstruation #period underwear #MenstrualFlow #PeriodBlood #MenstrualCycle #MenstrualHealth #PeriodFlow #MenstrualBleeding #HeavyPeriods #LightPeriods #PeriodVolume #MenstruationFacts #women #girls #female #health #healthcare

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simone-de-boudoir · 1 year

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Blood on Her Lips — Ch. 8: La Petite Mort

Blood on Her Lips: ABOUT

Their plan had worked, yes — they had executed the kill of the American politician rather flawlessly. But this type of prey was far from abundant. They needed a new plan going forward.

Rose’s blood supply was starting to run low. Finding new victims had taken over her mind, it was all she seemed to think about anymore. She craved fresh blood. And in the moments she was most honest with herself, she also craved the kill. The hunt was exhilarating. The fear exuded by her victims added rich notes to the bloodfeast.

She felt the lack of fresh blood in her veins sharply. Her skin felt like needles. She felt hungry and deflated. She wanted more blood, she neededmore blood.

However, as much as she yearned for it, blood would not pay the bills. The ennui and drudgery of everyday life — when she was not feeding or fucking, which frankly felt very similar — weighed on her like a prison chain. A storm of depression clouded her mind as she sat at Theatre La Chatte waiting for her shift to start. She had to continue working, there was just no other option.

She wore simple, sheer black lingerie and thigh highs, covered only by a leather jacket. She sat in front of the globe-lighted mirror in the dressing area, but no reflection stared back. She lacquered burgundy-black lipstick onto her lips, hoping she had not made a mess of it.

It was time for her to go on, so she handed Madame LeClerc her thumb drive with the lilting yet doleful “La Petite Mort” by Cœur de Pirate.

Rose descended the stairs into the dark, velvety underground to perform her act for the audience patiently awaiting below. Frantic strings introduced the song, but the mood soon transitioned into a soft, melodic dirge.

“La foudre chante ta descente,” it sang.

On stage, Rose’s skin glowed supernaturally in the dim lighting. The leather jacket over lingerie gave her a pinup aesthetic. She resembled a faded postcard from another age, a black and white print from a dead era.

She teased the release of her jacket over her shoulders before letting it fall to the floor. She pumped her derriere to the audience as she ran her fingers along her body. Cold. Every inch of her was cold. This she confirmed silently to herself.

The soft, sheer cups of her bra could be pulled down, leaving just the wire frame in place. She tugged down one cup and then the other, and squeezed her tits in her hands. It enlivened her a little to be sensual in front of an audience.

Yet she knew her heart was not in it. Literally and emotionally. She felt that profoundly.

But she powered on, focusing on the music and the smooth motions of her body. She removed her bra entirely, and her breasts bounced lightly with the freedom granted to them.

Reclining along the divan on stage, she peeled her sheer black panties over and off her legs. She tossed them toward the audience. Then she twirled upright and sat on her knees. Her body swam with the gentle waves of the song.

As her body continued the dance, her mind considered the song’s title — “La Petite Mort.” The Little Death. It was the common term for orgasm, of course, but the song was about loss. At that moment, Rose felt intensely the throughline between sex and death. Both brought you into another world. Both enthralled and consumed. They were two sides of the same coin. They mirrored each other. Climax can make you feel immortal, and the specter of death can make you risk everything for a good fuck. Sex is life-giving, death makes life and sex precious.

She had experienced her own little death. That night she was turned, she certainly orgasmed, but she had also died — just a little bit.

These thoughts dissipated when silence rang in the air. Her act was over. “Merci,” she thanked the audience. “Je suis Scarlette.”

She gathered her discarded clothes and headed back upstairs. There, Madame LeClerc informed her that she had a request for a private show. Funny, she thought, she hadn’t noticed anyone from the audience go upstairs.

~~~~~~~~

It was rare to have a private dance requested from a solo woman, especially ones as striking as Vanesse. She appeared to be in her early forties, with raven hair and piercing eyes. She wore a trenchcoat and femme fatale air. Rose didn’t even remember seeing her in the audience — and a woman like that she would not have been able to forget. Not in a million years.

And yet…there was something oddly familiar about her.

“You are so beautiful.” Rose couldn’t help blurting out these words as she led Vanesse to the private showroom.

“Merci,” Vanesse responded softly. “My name is Vanesse.”

Rose closed the door to the showroom behind them. “Enchantée. I’m Rose.”

“Not Scarlette?” Vanesse asked with a raised eyebrow.

Rose’s mouth fell open. She had forgotten herself.

Vanesse chuckled. “Don’t worry,” she assured. “I won’t tell your secret.”

Rose pointed to the chair in the middle of the room, motioning for Vanesse to take a seat. Vanesse eyed it but did not sit down. Rose allowed her to take her time, as she turned to set up her music.

“Wait.” Vanesse stopped Rose with a hand on her bare shoulder. The shocking iciness of her touch was unmistakable, even against Rose’s own cold skin. Rose felt her breathing accelerate and, had a heartbeat been possible, she sensed it would have been thundering.

“You’re — ” Rose began. “I — I know what you are…” She stammered and backed away, rocked by her own heaving breaths.

“You needn’t fear,” Vaneese stated directly, with a tone of calming sincerity. “But as you may have guessed, I’m not here for a private dance.”

“What then?”

Vanesse glanced over at the chair in the center of the room. With elegant strides, she marched over to it and lowered herself in. Gracefully, she crossed her legs and rested her arms against the armrests. Rose only now noticed the tall, shiny black boots with dagger-like heels that adorned her legs, protruding from beneath the skirt of her trenchcoat like two cannons.

“I know what you are également, darling,” Vanesse told Rose.

Rose felt the phantom sensation of blood draining from her face. She didn’t know whether to be terrified for her life or relieved to have found a possible mentor. Oscillating between these extreme feelings, her mouth ran dry and all the words she could think of became lodged in her throat. She blinked rapidly as her lips hung loose.

“As I said, you have no need to fear,” Vanesse reassured. “Not from me, anyway.”

“Why are you here?” These were the only words Rose could pull out from her clogged vocal chords.

Vanesse heaved a heavy sigh. “For many reasons, I really shouldn’t be here. It’s dangerous for two vampires to be alone in the same room.”

Rose had never heard that word — vampire — spoken aloud, not since turning. She had not uttered it herself, nor had she even allowed her thoughts to manifest the word. Instead, vague thunderstorms of terms and impressions haunted her mind, hiding and obscuring the starkness of that defining word. Her friends, too, intuitively knew to refrain from speaking it aloud. She had desperately feared that saying it or hearing it would have completed the spell and made her new life — or whatever it was — final and irreversible.

But now there it was. It hung in the air. It had been spoken to her, and in such a casual and matter-of-fact way.

Rose’s shoulders slumped. Had this word sealed the final nails in her coffin? That she didn’t feel changed by it was anticlimactic and left her feeling strangely empty. It had the unfulfilling, yet somewhat soothing, effect of a procrastinator finally responding to that long-overdue email. It was done now, it had happened. She felt flat. Slightly relieved, but flat. But it didn’t mark anything final, it just sat there like some lines in a sent box. If anything, it was a beginning.

Vanesse shot Rose a sympathetic smile. “I can also tell that you’re very new,” she said tenderly. “Not just by your carelessness — which you have been!”

Rose’s eyes widened like saucers.

Vanesse chuckled. “Don’t worry, all new vampires are careless, usually unintentionally. Alas, there is no official vampire orientation to help walk newbies through all the complicated options and rules. But it’s true, you have been careless, and you should know it, because that is also incredibly dangerous. Not just by human laws, those are easy enough to shirk. It’s other vampires, unfortunately, that you have to be most cautious about.”

“But aren’t you — ” Rose began, lifting a trembling finger toward Vanesse.

“Yes, I am a vampire.”

Rose started again at Vanesse speaking that word so frankly. “And, as a rule, yes, you should be cautious of me too,” Vanesse continued. “You are going to have to choose whether or not to trust me. I’ll give you some backstory about myself to hopefully ease your mind and show that I do in fact mean well by coming to you here.”

Rose pulled a velvety cushion from a corner and sat down upon it on the floor, like a child waiting to hear a story.

“Before I go into my own story,” said Vanesse, “I think it’s important to explain how you’ve been careless. It’s good in a way, because it helped me find you. You are simply very lucky that I found you first. First of all, you’ve been killing in public. At this very theatre in fact, non?”

Rose nodded, a lump still in her throat.

Vanesse nodded back, confirming what she had suspected. “We vampires have very keen senses. It’s what makes our skin vulnerable to the sun. It’s not, as legend has it, that our evil inside makes us catch fire in the sunlight, or whatever nonsense they like to say. No, it’s that we feel so strongly, that our sense of touch is magnified, and so the sun is extremely powerful against our skin. And we don’t have warm blood pumping through us like humans, so the sun on our skin is like pouring boiling water into an ice-cold glass — the extreme temperature change shatters it. We also have a heightened sense of smell for human blood. Perhaps you’ve noticed this?”

Rose nodded again.

“Well, that sense gets sharpened with time. I’m sure every old vampire in town came sniffing around after you butchered your victims here. You did a decent enough job cleaning it up for the human authorities, but that smell lingers like a curse.”

“And that’s how you found me,” Rose uttered with lowered eyes, hardly as a question. A memory flashes across Rose’s mind; she remembered a stiletto-booted stranger pass by as she and Sophie sat on the curb in front of Theatre La Chatte, awaiting her murderous rendez-vous with the American politician.

“I’ve been watching you for a while now,” Vanesse replied. She leaned in, resting her elbows on her crossed legs. “This is what’s most important, so please heed my words. Vampires can also sense other vampires. There is a kind of energy that shoots out from us and attaches to other vampires. Evolutionarily speaking, I’m sure it has helped us find community and safety in numbers. And that does happen, I hope you’ll believe that’s why I’m here. But we vampires still hold many of our old human qualities, the good and the bad. In terms of the good, many of us feel tortured over having to kill people, leading some to develop compassionate ways of murdering. Or at least we try.”

“And the bad?” asked Rose.

Vanesse smiled sadly. “We can also be cruel, not only to humans, but to each other. We can and have been violently competitive over scarce resources. We used to be humans, after all, and as I said, many human qualities stay with us.” She shrugged. “I suppose it’s unfair to label them merely ‘human qualities,’ when they are equally ours. You’ll come to learn it’s more difficult than it seems to draw a distinct line between Vampire and Human. Every vampire was once a human. Although, with time, you do start to feel farther and farther away from that human you once were. It’s a little like a pickle and a cucumber, the longer you have been fermenting the more distant that former self feels.” Vanesse smiled and hoped her bit of levity would ease Rose’s tension.

Rose said nothing, so Vanesse continued. “So, yes, vampires can be cruel to one another. Let me ask you something: have you only fed on human blood so far?”

“Yes,” Rose answered. “Are there other options? Like animal blood? I’ve tried regular food and couldn’t stomach it at all.”

“No, not animal blood. But there is one other option.” Vanesse locked eyes with Rose as she said these words, underlining the weight of what she was about to say. “Vampires can feed on each other.”

Rose furrowed her brow. “But we don’t have blood — ”

“It’s not each other’s blood we feed on, it’s our energy. Now, I don’t mean to say that I could feed on you, for example, from miles away. Not in the slightest. Much like feeding on humans, we need to be right there with the other vampire. That’s why I said it’s incredibly dangerous to be alone in a room with another vampire, unless you trust them literally with your life.”

Rose felt the heavy solitude of the room around the two of them, and wrapped her arms around herself.

“The way we feed on each other,” Vanesse explained like a teacher giving a lesson, “is that we can pull energy from the other through exercising power over them. Again, much like feeding on a human. An important caveat is that a vampire’s energy is really only useful to another if that first vampire is full, either of human blood or another vampire’s energy. Otherwise it’s like sucking a straw in an empty glass. Most simply put, it involves stealing another vampire’s lifeforce. Thus, if you have just fed, you are most vulnerable, because other vampires can not only smell the fresh blood on you, they may see you as their own next meal.”

“And you can steal another vampire’s lifeforce by exercising power over them? What does that even mean?”

Vanesse smiled. “Oh, it can mean any number of things. Sadly, for most of vampire history, it’s meant practicing torture. There are many horrifying accounts of seasoned vampires stalking newer vampires, letting them do the dirty work, as it were, of killing humans. Once they have fed, the experienced vampires drain them by torturing them.”

“Why does it have to be torture?” Rose asked.

“It doesn’t,” Vanesse responded. “It just most commonly is. You see, the process of extracting energy from another vampire requires eliciting an extreme sensation from the victim. We don’t have blood running through us, but we have intensified sensations. Extreme pain oozes out of us much like spilt blood.”

Rose grimaced. She felt nauseous.

“Sometimes,” Vanesse went on, “fear alone is enough. I’ve heard of hungry vampires dangling their victims over cliffs, terrifying them enough to suck every last drop of energy from them. I myself once made the mistake of taking a rollercoaster ride with another vampire, who during the ride sucked all of my energy, leaving me a stumbling mess and catching the attention of all the humans around. I know it was just a ride, but my adrenaline and fear were real enough. It was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life.” With a melancholy laugh, she added, “I thought it was going to be a date, that’s why I went. But it was only a cruel trick.”

“And that’s why I need to be cautious of all other vampires,” Rose concluded. “Why should I trust you then?”

“Well, you should be cautious, that part is true. I said there is no vampire orientation, but I’ve been around long enough that I feel it is my duty to help guide newly-turned vampires, especially women and marginalized groups, through this utterly baffling new world. The world of vampires, like humans, is still highly patriarchal and oppressive in many ways. Many of us are ancient humans, after all. Yet, also like the human world, our system is beginning to change. I’m trying to help that change along, in small ways.”

“By warning me and others like me?” Rose felt admittedly relieved to have this new knowledge, as terrifying as it was.

“Yes,” Vanesse answered softly. “But I haven’t finished. I told you I’d tell you my backstory. Well, I won’t go too far into the details of my human life. For better or worse, those memories are beginning to fade. But I was born into my vampire life just over 400 years ago. After I first turned, like you I was also careless. Even more so in fact, as police were less effectual and thus less of a concern. My carelessness, however, did attract the attention of an older male vampire — old in the sense that he had himself been turned centuries before me.

“I remember vividly that first time he caught me feeding on a human,” Vanesse went on. “He clenched me by the throat and dragged me to a cave in the woods. He tied me up and tortured me. It was enough to drain all of my energy from that kill. But he didn’t stop there. He told me he would turn me in and that the humans would take no sympathy on a female bloodsucker, that I’d surely be burned alive. He told me he would do all that, unless — ” Vanesse paused to steady herself.

“Unless I became his slave, essentially,” she continued. “He used me as his bait. He’d send me out to kill and feed on humans, then he’d force me back into that cave and steal every drop of energy I had gathered. He left me so empty and hungry that I had no choice but to scurry right out at the first opportunity and feed again. This repeated for more days than I can count; possibly it was decades.”

“How did you finally escape?” Rose inquired.

Vanesse’s face lit up. “I mentioned torture and fear as ways to suck energy from other vampires. Well, there’s one other way: sexual gratification. I learned this quite by accident. But I long knew the power of sexuality. I had learned to be a rather good temptress while luring human victims. And as I said, humans and vampires share many qualities. One day, out of desperation, I had the idea to turn that on my captor.”

Rose sat listening intently.

“Today you might say I faked Stockholm Syndrome with him. One day, after I had made a kill and I was still full of energy it hit me that this was my moment to strike. We were in the forest on our way back to the cave, and, full of power, I pushed him up against a tree.”

“You overpowered him?” Rose asked eagerly.

“In a way,” Vanesse answered, the hint of a smile appearing on the corner of her lips. “I didn’t attempt physical force. He was much bigger than I, and even with my full energy and him being hungry, I wasn’t sure I would have been able to overtake him. I worried that, at best, we might have been evenly matched.”

“What did you do then?”

“I begged him,” Vanesse explained, “to let me suck his cock.”

Rose’s eyes widened.

“He refused at first,” Vanesse went on. “I was covered in blood, after all, and we were far from the protection of the cave. But I mustered all the energy I had and channeled it into seduction. He struggled against me while I had him pinned against that tree, but he relaxed a bit when I stuck a bloody finger into his mouth. He was hungry and desperate for it.”

Rose was on the edge of her seat.

“I whispered into his ear that I couldn’t wait, that I needed to suck his cock right then and there. His temptation proved to be too powerful. He unbuttoned his pants and released his already hard penis. I knelt and sucked it with enormous veracity. I had just fed so I was at peak power and energy.”

Vanesse uncrossed and recrossed her boot-adorned legs before continuing. “A couple of times he tried to stop me. But it quickly became clear that I was the one full of power and he was the starved one. So I was relentless and kept going. He was at my mercy. At last the tables had turned.”

“Sucking his cock drained his energy?” This news shocked Rose.

“Exactly. And I was just as surprised as you,” Vanesse laughed. “I was merely hoping to distract him enough to escape. But I looked up and noticed his face was more gaunt than before. As I continued sucking, I watched his skin shrivel and his bones begin to protrude. I pieced it together in real time that the sexual pleasure I was giving him was also killing him.”

Rose stared at Vanesse in silence.

“I sucked and sucked until he was hardly more than a skeleton covered in cr��pe paper. When he finally came, he collapsed into a still pile on the forest floor. I enjoyed that more than any other kill of my life,” Vanesse said wistfully.

“And is that how you feed now, by seducing and killing other vampires?”

Vanesse laughed. “Well, you’ve got the seduction part right. But I don’t kill other vampires, no. You see, I’ve learned over the centuries that, like fear, sexual domination is enough. The killing part isn’t necessary. But I don’t exploit my victims, I vowed I would never turn into my captor. It’s all consensual and mutually beneficial. Again, it took me the better part of a century to figure all this out, which is why I’m sharing it with you now. I don’t want the young vampires of today to go through the same struggles I did.”

“How is it mutually beneficial to steal other vampires’ energy?” Rose asked skeptically.

“Oh, darling, it’s not stealing! I have a long list of vampires clamoring for my services.”

“Your ‘services’?”

“Indeed!” Vanesse replied with a coy smile. “Sometimes I tie them up and drip wax on them; sometimes I gag them and hurl insults at them; sometimes I slap their faces or step on their balls or whip their pussies. You see, they are more than willing to share some of their energy with me in exchange for sexual dominance. When they cum, they feed me. I’m what you call a vampire dominatrix.”

Rose’s eyes fell to the tall, glossy black boots that coated Vanesse’s long legs. “Didn’t you say your captor died when you made him cum?”

“He was hungry,” Vanesse reminded. “My clients come to me full, so it’s safe to allow them to cum. I drain them just enough to feed me. And bringing them to the edge of ravenous hunger can be very thrilling — for them and for myself. Trust me, I rely on repeat customers. It’s not good business to kill off your clientele.”

“And the sexual pleasure you give your clients is just that much better than…a regular human can give them?” Rose asked septically. “It seems like a huge risk coming to you and being brought to the edge of starvation — to the edge of death, really.”

“That’s the whole point, darling!” Vanesse assured. “What is more exciting than that? And, anyway, my clients feel like they can be themselves around me. Have you tried fucking a human yet and not feeding on them? It’s quite difficult to practice such restraint. My clients come to me to feel sexual excitement without needing to worry about holding back their fangs or being overcome by bloodlust. It’s a sort of safe space. As I said, it’s mutually beneficial.”

“Is that the only way you feed? By dominating other vampires?” Rose inquired. “Or do you need to fill in the gaps by killing a human every so often?”

“As I said, I have a very long list of clients,” Vanesse responded. “They bring me more than enough energy. I’ve managed to avoid the messy necessity of killing humans.”

“But your clients come to you filled with human blood…” Rose said, more of a statement than a question.

“Yes. I consume it indirectly, if you will.”

“So your clients do your killing for you.” Rose blinked as she thought this over. “Does it matter to you who they kill? Or how?”

“I don’t ask,” Vanesse stated flatly. “None of us has the luxury of being so picky. How and where my clients obtain their victims is their business.”

“But you must have to arrange some sort of schedule,” Rose probed, “if you need to dominate them while they’re still full? Surely they can’t just randomly show up at your place immediately after murdering someone?”

“I book appointments, of course,” said Vanesse. “I can’t operate by being totally on-call. But sometimes I also make last-minute visits — for an extra cost.”

“You charge extra…energy?”

“Sometimes it’s credit, or human money. Alas, we all still need human currency to survive.”

This last statement hit all too poignantly for Rose.

“If you are struggling for either,” Vanesse offered tentatively, “I can always use a little help. The clients are building up faster that I can keep up with. There’s been a wave of new vampires springing up lately. Some of us can be careless with how many we turn!” She rolled her eyes in frustration.

“So that’s why you’re here,” Rose observed, “to bring me on as an assistant?”

“Or an apprentice.” Vanesse traced a finger sensually along one of the chair’s velvety armrests. “I imagine,” she mused, “that you must know a thing or two about the power of sexuality and seduction.”

“I’ve been trying to use that to find victims,” Rose admitted, “but it’s been a bit…messy so far.”

“Dominating other vampires can be a much safer method of feeding,” Vanesse noted in an offhanded manner, “rather than haphazardly murdering humans.”

The dust of this new information hadn’t yet settled in Rose’s mind. She was still processing it, still muddling through it all.

“Think it over,” Vanesse added with a smile. “I’m here to help if you need it.”

A smile etched itself onto Rose’s lips. “You know, if you really want to help me…I’m looking for the vampire who turned me. Nico Dacia. Do you think you could help me find him?”

“I’d be happy to try,” said Vanesse.

An idea flashed across Rose’s mind. She drew in a breath and felt a spark of confidence kindle inside her. “You should stay for a few shows downstairs before leaving. I’ll be on soon. I’ll even comp your ticket as a thank you.”

~~~~~~~~

Chapter 9: Die Happy

Companion song: “La Petite Mort” by Cœur de Pirate

** Visit SimoneDeBoudoir.com for companion media (stripteases & sexier boudoir photoshoots) + more! **

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