The word lingers in the air like a dazzling neon sign, one you can watch as every glimmering bulb bordering it fizzles and dies before the whole thing rusts and drops to the floor. It's a weight that hangs in the darkened room, and one that makes EJ's skin crawl - and Judas's heart race. To her, something was delightful about the corruption of innocence - even if EJ was hardly a saint in the first place.

"Drink some more. You like it, don't you? The way it tastes... The sweetness, the savory, heady, bubbly-ness of it all..." She chuckles, hand going up to EJ's cheek, the one opposite her own; it caresses her, touch soft but nails sharp in the darkness, the claws of a beast. A killer. A cannibal. Something wet and warm touches EJ's cheek in the pitch-black dining room, making her shudder as it strings out and plays at the lobe of her left ear. Judas's tongue, presumably.

"Fuck, you wouldn't have finished the glass - you wouldn't have swallowed it unless you liked it, would you? You naughty little... girl. Naughty little girl. Drinking down someone else's blood, hahaha...~"

Judas is delighted. She reveled in the blood-scent on EJ's breath, the sudden shakiness to the other woman's voice, the trepidation - nay, terror at the deception. And yet there was something more; Esper James was not the first woman to have wandered into the wicked vampire's clutches, and she was not the first to be slipped human blood by that selfsame antagonist. The devil worked in mysterious ways, it was said, but Judas was all too precise and methodical. It had all been planned, to a degree.

She patted herself on the back, mentally. EJ was emotionally sensitive and as adventurous as a wet sock... But she had always imagined herself as more. As a goth, a punk, a real counter-culture girl. It was why she dyed her hair black on the tips, why she listened to industrial and metal in her headphones at work, why she spent her weekend evenings at the Jezebelle. She aspired to be more. Judas was more. She'd offer everything to the unassuming blonde, and then...

Bam.

Judas would have everything she wanted. While it was true that ghouls were sub-optimal, that they were assumed to be incapable of reaching vampiric heights of perfection... There were always parts moving behind the scenes. In the East, technology constantly required updating... maintenance... repairs... But in the West, wetware was malleable. Even those who designed it were constantly surprised by their own innovations, again and again, and Esper James was the perfect candidate to be innovated on.

Young. Unassuming. Cute. Ambitious, but not too much. Pliable. Malleable, even. She was the ideal choice for the vampire's designs. And soon, she'd be subjected to them. Each and every last one.

-

Esper James shivered under the slick tendril's probing motions, breath caught in her throat. It was warm, unlike her own tepid flesh... The second-living only truly warmed up when ingesting remnants of true life, and right now Judas's body was like a space heater. EJ could feel it from the touch of their cheeks alone; Judas's breath rushing hot and heady against her ear even as it was tongued, the contact causing her to tense up.

She could feel her muscles spasming still from the blood, not nearly as harsh as the reaction from animal blood; her nerves tingled with a lingering euphoric haze, and the tongue-on-cheek action had her trembling from more than just anxiety. It felt good. More than good, in fact - Judas's touch was like cold water on a hot day, a cool pillow in a hot bedroom, a bowl of icecream in a summer heat-wave. It made her yearn for more even as she wanted to be repulsed by it all, by the way Judas didn't seem to care.

Oh, God, and her words... The blonde had to restrain herself from admission, biting her lower lip in a desperate effort not to yell out 'Yes!' into the abyssal void of their meal chamber. She knew Judas wanted to say something else, something worse - wanted to tease her in public, just like she did at work. Words unsaid held a lecherous bent from her boss, but the secretary felt her body reacting to the husky, sensual tone despite herself.

Her eyes were shut, but if they were open, they would be doeish and aimed straight at the vampire. Her stomach was a roiling mess, the reality of consuming human blood and the effects of said libation fighting tooth and claw with her growing affection for the way Judas controlled her. She had never had much control in life; being directed had slowly become second-nature to her over the years, and now entwining it with the romantic assurance she craved was almost addictive.

She knew Judas knew it. She knew Judas was manipulating her; she was submissive, sure, but she wasn't stupid. That made it better, though - knowing Judas had a tune she wanted EJ to dance to, knowing that there was a right way to do things. Judas was particular to a T; if Esper James was good, she would be praised. If she was disobedient, she would get punished. It reminded her of work, the connection more than obvious.

She leaned into Judas's touch, nearly crawling up onto the table in her own subconscious desire. There was a very real chance she would try and clamber into Judas's lap while her addled mind wandered, blood and guilt and alcohol making her thoughts into sludge. She was halted by a hand on her face - the one from her cheek moving over to put its palm against her mouth and nose, pushing her back away while Judas laughed. Judas always seemed to be laughing.

"Not quite yet, little girl... Deep breaths. We aren't even through dinner yet. The appetizer hasn't even arrived. Now, tell me: how are you feeling? You don't need to comment on the blood or anything... I know it can be scary the first time. It can leave you feeling vulnerable and uncertain. Don't focus on those things right now - focus on me. Focus on the sensation. How is it?"

EJ whimpered as she was pushed away, but it was good that she had been turned down; that wine wasn't cheap, she assumed, and accidentally spilling it all over herself and her hostess would turn an already bewildering date into a trainwreck. So instead she sat back down and put her hands in her lap. She tried not to notice Judas re-filling her glass as she settled down once more.

"...e-erm... I... I feel good, I suppose. But why would you-!"

EJ wished she had the strength to finish that sentence, to question her partner as to why she would deceive her like that. Esper James had no idea where the blood even came from, in truth, but some bias against Judas and her infamous cruelty made the ghoulette assume that it couldn't have been ethically sourced. She couldn't bring herself to even pose either question, though, and so she trailed off impotently into the darkness. A clearing of the throat, and she started anew.

"I feel... good. Energetic. Tingly. My, uh, my muscles are doing the twitchy-thing they do when I drink blood... But it's not as bad. It feels kind of fun, like when you stretch and get that, uh, release in your body, you know?"

She heard the soft wet sound of lips parting, spreading across teeth and gums, as Judas smiled wide. EJ balled her hands into fists as best she could, the very action of flexing the muscle and sinew covering her arm in a ticklish, satisfying sensation. The twitching of her muscles added further difficulty in the action, but her resolve was enough to create at least a limp fist.

It has been obvious, in retrospect. Judas's little plan with the blood, that is. EJ cursed herself for her inability to say no, for her inability to revolt against Judas's commands. Even being aware of the pheromones and the mesmerizing aura... Even being ready to try and avoid these sadistic machinations... She had fallen for it. She had allowed herself to fall hook line and sinker into the other woman's clutches, and now she was drunk and drugged up and... Well...

She did feel good. She felt great, in fact. Her heart was racing out of her chest, she was mellowed and floaty from booze and blood, every action felt like she was massaging herself, and the wine... It tasted amazing. Better than she had dreamt. It was succulent and refreshing in a way nothing else she had ever consumed could compare to. Judas had tricked her, true... but she was also shelling out money left and right to impress her. To comfort her. To woo her. Judas was doing everything in her power to draw her in and keep her close, even going so far as to purchase genuine human blood and feed it to the hungry, deprived ghoulette.

Was it so bad?

Clicking heels came sounding down the hallway to their dining area; their waitress had returned, rustling menus inlaid with a gently glowing script held in hand. EJ suddenly felt flushed and hot, face red as a tomato in the darkened room; despite the fact that the service worker obviously couldn't see her, she still felt guilty. Hideously guilty. She was Eve in the garden of Eden, the mythical, damning apple already sitting pretty down her gullet. She sat stock still, whispering a soft 'thanks' as the menus started to be passed. Judas's voice cut through the inky canvas, her tone edged like a knife.

"No menus, please. Just the usual; one for me, one for her, with a double-order of the side for my date. She's... very hungry, hahaha...!"

Her voice is hushed in the silence, but it pierces like an arrow. The waitress giggles softly, muttering some words of affirmation before turning on a heel and heading back the way she came. Soon they are left with nothing but one another and the sultry, moody jazz that this place seems to be drowning in. Judas speaks first, appeasing EJ's curiosity far before she can even voice it aloud.

"Kobe beef, rare, with a light sprinkle of Himalayan salt and a delicious bone-marrow butter. It's to die for, all made in-house; the side is Chinese-style glazed pork belly cutlets, reduced down to the point they crispy and dripping with fat underneath all that sweet, smoky glaze. It hardens as it sits so it's almost like meat candy, small enough you can pop them in your mouth and chew them up... Mmh. You'll love it, sweetheart; I promise~"

In her current addled state, EJ was damn inclined to believe her. Her delight at how succulent and satisfying the dish sounded was twinned with joy and relief that Judas hadn't said it was some more humanoid culling scraps. That would have been a straw too many... or so she would like to believe, at least. In truth, truth that she tried so hard to deny, she was unsure if she would be able to deny temptation. The memories of a dream not-forgotten make her stomach rumble again, the little bit of blood she's already had only making her hungry for more.

She pours another glass, whimpering as her wrist jerks involuntarily and some spills onto the tablecloth. Judas just laughs affectionately, her slender hand reaching out to steady her date's grip and help her pour a nice, full glass, judging purely by sound. The bottle was set down and the elixir was brought slowly to EJ's lips, trickling into her fang toothed maw once more.

-

One bottle became two and a half by time the food arrived, and Esper James felt glued to her seat. It was hitting her hard, glutting on blood so fervently, already nearly blackout drunk. Her head swam on crimson waves of wine and spice, and only after Judas thanked the waitress did she realize that there was a plate of something delicious sitting right beneath her half-opened mouth. Her belly gurgled eagerly.

A shaky hand was lifted up to her silverware, or where she assumed some may be; however, all she could find was a napkin... and a small bowl of fragranced water. Her voice arose in a timid, wavering way, alcohol slurring her words and thoughts into stream of consciousness slush.

"Ehhhh, Judash- Judas, uh... H-Hey, did you get any... Silverware? Like a knife or something? I'm... I didn't get any. I've got some, like, hand shanitizher or som'thing? Just a li'l bowl of it, too, 'iunno why. I mean, maybe it's so you do t need to get up for the bathroom? But then there's no where to take a pi-"

"Oh, sweetie, no no no - you don't understand. We didn't get silverware. You and I don't need it, do we? We're just a couple of hot young carnivores, looking for love in all the wrong places... And we're not scared to get our hands dirty, are we? You eat it however you feel comfortable, I can't see it - but sometimes, in the dark, you've got to get messy, babe. You're a girl who can get messy, aren't you?"

Judas's voice came in sultry waves across the ocean of ink between them, sensual and inviting. It was laden with connotations - ones that even a drunken Esper James could understand. She felt her face get hot and her pants begin to tighten, alcohol no impairment to her in an intimate sense. She cleared her throat and bit her lower lip, absentmindedly adjusting her chest in the dark - making sure everything was as perky and accessible as it could be.

"I... I can be a dirty girl, Judas. I can be, uh... Messy, haha..." She swallowed hard, the lewd phrasing already catching in her throat. Her thoughts went back to Purity, to the way their bodies mingled... the ebb and flow, the push and pull... It was sweet, and sensitive, and intimate. It made her feel whole and pampered and like her body was truly appreciated - a validation that words couldn't compare to.

She doubted Judas would be so sweet to her.

No, she already had it in her head what it would be like: down on her knees, lashes on her back, a bowl with her name on it filled to the brim with champagne. She'd be made to beg, without a doubt. A doghouse lined with gold. A place under Judas's feet, heels digging into her back; she'd thank her for the privilege.

Oh, yes, she could guess where Judas would like to see her. Frankly, it was... Exciting, actually. Arousing. The thought of a riding crop across her ass was dark and sinful and sexy in a way that surprised her and made her shiver. Judas had always been dominant over her; even tonight she was calling the shots, making the calls, taking charge over her charge in a visceral way. To have that kind of dominance in the bedroom... rather, to be allowed to submit so wholly to something like that, gave Esper James more than a small amount of a rush.

"Say it again. With conviction. 'I'm a dirty girl'. Let me hear you admit it." Judas pushed her chair out but leaned forwards, propped up on her hands. She, too, was abuzz with anticipation - whereas she was a cruel and demanding dominant, Esper James was a soft, pliable, eager to please submissive. She was wayward and uncertain about just about everything; she needed to be told what to do, ordered how to live, and she was happy to listen. She was thankful for it. She yearned for it.

Judas was happy to oblige. More than happy, even. She craved it; craved having her little blonde bitch underfoot, at her beck and call. Ordering her around in the office was exciting, it was true... but she wanted more.

"... I'm a dirty girl, Judas. Just a dirty, naughty, messy girl. I need someone big and strong and smart to tell me what to do, tell me w-when to do it... I need a woman like you to boss me around. Please."

Ohhhhhh yes. That was exactly what the sanguine seductress wanted to hear. She purred from across the table, slowly getting up from her seat and stepping around the table - her Italian leather shoes were nearly soundless against the hard flooring, but EJ could suddenly feel the warmth of her breath and smell the scent of her perfume. A hand went down to EJ's thigh, starting at her knee and slowly going higher - another one picked up a strip of meat between two fingers, going to dangle it in the air in front of the ghoul's face.

"Open wide, you filthy little slut. Let me feed you... You're too drunk to even speak right. You need help, don't you? You've always needed help. But don't worry about that; I'm here now. I'll help you...~"

EJ could feel herself pitching a tent beneath the table, something that Judas's exploring hand quickly discovered. It slipped beneath her waistband and took charge, making Esper James gasp in surprise - Judas's hand was soft and delicate, but her grip was firm; her pointer and thumb ringed the ghoul's hilt, giving her a light squeeze. EJ whimpered, but stayed silent - she simply opened her mouth and let her tongue roll out, eager for whatever Judas might give her.

The strip of meat was laid into her mouth gingerly, and torn to absolute shreds in seconds; she couldn't control herself, that nearly-raw meat dripping juice into her mouth as it was slivered. She swallowed with relish, shivering as it slithered down her throat. She opened her mouth and leaned up to wrap her lips around Judas's fingers, sucking them clean; below her belt, Judas was quick to reward her for obedience.

-

Dinner went thus, a cool and collected vampire training her new pet ghoul to do as she was told. By time they made it back out to the limousine EJ was a pent-up mess, a ticking time bomb, a steam valve ready to blow. Judas corralled her with a lazy arm around her shoulder, leading her into the darkened limo with all the benevolent intent of a fox in a henhouse. The pair settled in, and Judas was back to teasing her almost immediately; she didn't even miss a beat as the chauffeur asked where they wanted to head next. Judas answered without turning her head, all her focus currently on ensuring she pushed the blonde to the edge without letting her teeter over quite yet.

"Back to my estate. I had other plans, but... I think we can skip those~"

The vehicle began to move just as Judas's hands did. It was going to be a looooong night for the eager little secretary...