4.) Twinkling, Tinkling, & Crinkling

It was just after nightfall when I snuck into my dorm, holding a grocery bag tight to my chest. My cheeks were on fire. I knew this was an artificial feeling; it wasn't real. I didn't want this. I didn't want Bailey! But I'd driven to the convenient store at seven at night all the same. I just had to get to my room before Meg noticed me.

"You're acting sneaky,” Meg said, sitting on the kitchen counter with a tub of ice cream in her lap and a spoon between her lips. Her tone as sweet as the iced confection, but her eyes were suspiciously focused on her best friend. "Why the sneaky? Whatcha got there?"

I almost jumped out of my skin. "Jesus, you scared the crap out of me!" Who the fuck sits on the counter like that?! I held the bag off to the side, trying to obscure it with my body. "I'm going to my room for the night... I'm tired. And I already ate, so..." I walked down the hall as quickly as I could and closed the door behind me. Finally, I let out a sigh of relief.

"Hey." Meg let herself into her best friend’s bedroom, walked over the plush carpet, and fell back on her bed. "I've been thinking about this whole 'you dating a girl thing,' you know? It's a lot to process, 'cause you spent your whole life talking about boys. I was just wondering like, was that an act?" Meg smelled faintly of honey whiskey.

"...um. What? Can't we talk about this later?"

"No."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

I sighed and dropped the grocery bag in my closet, then closed the door. Fine... "I don't really like girls. I just like her. And I don't know why, and I don't know how. And honestly, I sort of hate it. But hey, you can't help who you love, right?" Love. Fuck. Slip of the tongue...

"Love? So you love her? But you hate that you love her? How do you love her, anyway; you've only been dating for a few days. Has she even made you dinner yet? She has to make you dinner before you can say you love her, that's how it is, Pippy." So said Meg.

"...you're drunk?" She glared at me.

"I'm drinking. I'm not drunk."

She sounded drunk to me. "Listen, I don't have time for this. Can't you just give me the lecture tomorrow? I'm exhausted and today has been awful. I just want some peace and quiet, alright?"

"Awful? Oh no what happened? Tell me, bestie, tell me. That's why I'm here, I'm here so you can tell me when things are awful. Did you and your cougar break up? But you said you love her, so that doesn't make sense." She sat bolt upright on the bed and waggled her fingers. "Oh did you come out to someone?!"

"Meg." She smiled up at me like a dumbass. Like a drunk dumbass. "I had a bad day because of what happened this morning, remember?" She didn't remember. And I wasn't going to explain it. I felt a blush on my cheeks and I crossed my arms over my chest. "Please get out. I'm tired." What if Bailey showed up while she was here?

"Nooo, watch a movie with me! Or watch TV with me? Come on, I'm about to lose you to this relationship, so you gotta have sympathy, okay?" She smiled. Dumbly.

Bailey said she was coming tonight. Right? She definitely implied it. But maybe 'tonight' to a vampire meant more like midnight. It was only 8pm. I sighed and closed my eyes tight. "Fine. Pick the movie. And no more drinking, because you're so annoying when you drink..." If I played my cards right, I could be back in my room at 10pm. Then Bailey could climb through the window like vampires always did in TV and books. Wait, did I have to invite her in?

"I'll stop drinking if you let me make you a drink. Just one drink okay, just one?" Meg never had a problem with alcohol; she was on good terms with her ability to start and stop, and she mostly just enjoyed having a good time in her life. But damn could she be pushy.

"Fine! Whatever! Just go pick a movie!" Oh my god! It was like arguing with a toddler! She smiled warmly up at me and pranced out of my room like she'd just convinced Santa to give her a toy factory. I held the sides of my head with frustration. Two hours and I could go to bed. Two hours and one drink.

* * * * *

One drink and one very long romantic comedy about a lesbian couple with an age difference - a little on the nose - turned into Meg laying on the sofa with her head on her best friends shoulder, babbling about the merits of boys versus girls. And as the credits began the roll, the buzzer on the wall chirped noisily indicating company. "Oh my fucking god who is here at like 10 at night holy shit, ignore it, they'll leave."

I figured it was just someone who wanted to get into the building. That happened all the time. I got up and started turning off the lights when the buzzer went off again. "Ugh, seriously? It's a school night." I held the button to let the person in - whoever they were - and went back to my friend on the sofa. "You got what you wanted. I'm going to bed now."

"Already? Oh, but the night is young, Pippy!” The door had been unlocked, so I took it upon myself to open it. The two college girls both looked at me, but the looks they gave couldn't have been more different; annoyance bubbling to anger and smitten love giving into wanton lust. I smiled, not a wrinkle on my skin, and puffed a strand of scarlet hair out of the way of my eyes. I nodded down to the wicker basket in my hand. "I was thinking we might go up to the roof and have a picnic under the stars, my little Pippy. Your friend can join us, if she wants?" The best friend, clearly. No issue, not at all.

"What do you think you're doing, just walking into our house like that?!"

Meg got up from the sofa in anger but I got in the way just in time. "It's fine, it's okay. Uh..." I looked up at Bailey with a nervous smile.

"Oh, am I interrupting?” There was a genuine apology in my tone, but no sense of contrition; I wasn't sorry, I just wanted for this angry girl to feel at calm and at ease. "I'd thought we would wait for all the stars to be visible. All the better to see them reflected in your eyes when you look at me, Pippy."

“Um... yeah, we can go to the roof. I think Meg has homework to do anyway." I gave Meg a serious look. A 'go to your room and stop acting like a brat' look. But Meg wouldn't take the hint.

"Actually, I did it earlier. So I'll join you."

"Splendid!" I didn't miss it when Meg mouthed the same word mockingly when she thought I wasn't looking. "I'm Bailey - I'm so sorry for my manners. And you are?"

"The girl you have to impress if you wanna date my biffles, that's who."

"Ah, yes. And do you have a name, maybe?"

"It's Meg."

"Megan, how gorgeous."

"No. Just Meg. Don't get fresh with me, lady."

Meg went to get a jacket from her room and I went over to Bailey with a frown. "Ignore her. She's... protective of me. I don't really date so..." Then I thought about how that sounded. That somehow Bailey was special. But she wasn't! She enslaved me, basically! Maybe having Meg around wouldn't be so bad...

"Well, you'll never need to worry about that again, part of your life is now eternally mine.” I smiled enough for her to see my teeth, and then leaned in... just to kiss her on the forehead. "She seems to think I might steal you away. If only she knew how valid her concerns were, mm?"

"That's not funny," I muttered, but my cheeks were pink with embarrassment. That forehead kiss really did a number on me. A second later, Meg came out with a jacket on and led the charge to the roof. I sighed with resignation and followed behind.

I knew she had a best friend and that the best friend, and I’d packed accordingly. Little elegant sandwiches and crisp apple wine: gifts from other thralls of mine. I made an excellent impression, though I really didn't even need to try. I owned Pippy already. But it was always fun to watch them surrender.

The roof was empty and uninteresting. The stars shimmered softly in the light pollution. It wasn't a gorgeous night or anything. But whatever. Bailey clearly had something in mind as she set down the blanket and unpacked the sandwiches. She filled three crystal glasses with wine. Meg and I took our seats. What was Bailey's plan here? Was she really trying to win over Meg? She didn't know who she was up against... neither of them did.

"I remember a time before all of this, when you didn't have to climb eight flights of stairs and wait until late at night to see the stars." I waxed wistfully and held up my glass, watching the bubbles from the sparkling wine twinkle like the stars. "Better times, I think, but there's beauty in other places, too." I sat down on the blanket, tucking my knees underneath me, and smiled at the two young college girls. "You must try these sandwiches, a friend of mine bakes the bread just for me."

"Who?"

"Hmm?"

"Who bakes it?" Someone bakes bread just for a vampire? And what, they just give it to her? I remembered how she dodged my question in the library: do you have other thralls? Was this bread girl her thrall too? I puffed out my cheeks in frustration, but Meg took a bite of the sandwich.

"Mm. Pretty good. Super fresh."

I refused to take one.

"Pippy, it's rude to turn away gifts; we've discussed that haven't we?" My tone was firm while gentle, loving and tender, like I was teaching etiquette to a child and meant no ill of it. Meg didn't have any problem eating the little sandwich fingers, but Pippy was acting defiant. "Is there something on your mind, my little doll?"

"I just wanna know who this girl is, that's all. I mean, she's making you bread, so..." Bailey never said it was a girl, and that caught Meg's attention.

"Are you jealous?" she asked me. My cheeks went red.

"No! But she's obviously flirting with Bailey, and... and... I'm not hungry, okay?"

"She's my niece." I replied, simply, not at all lying - she was the daughter of another thrall of mine. When she had come of age, she likewise became my thrall. To me, that made her my niece. "Her name is Karyn, and I'm sure she'd be most upset to know that you won't even try her sandwiches, she works very hard in her kitchen, you know."

"Her niece, Pippy. Oh my stars, you're dating a grandma!" Meg was pretty obnoxious when she was drinking.

Niece? But there was no way she was older than thirty. Then again, what if vampires didn't age, like in books? Of course she wouldn't age. Or her sister was older. Or her brother. Did she have siblings? All these questions... I knew so little about her. "I wanna meet her," I said flatly. Partially because I wanted to get to know Bailey better. Partially because I needed to put my mind at ease.

"I suppose I could tell her one of her fans wanted to meet her, but for that, you'd need to like her baking." I smiled and nodded to the sandwiches, smiled slightly, and leaned back to sip my wine.

"How did you remember when there was no light pollution?" Meg asked, a little behind on processing the conversation. "The city has been here like, forever."

I picked up one of the sandwiches with obvious irritation. "I told you, she's a vampire." But though I was telling the truth, Meg didn't take it seriously at all. Just like the first time. I sighed and took a bite of the sandwich... damn, it was delicious.

"Are you?" Meg sipped her wine. "A vampire?"

I couldn't help but smile at her, a knowing little smirk, before changing the subject without answering. "Megan.”

"Meg.”

"Meg," I allowed the correction, "what will it take for me to gain your approval?" But Meg changed the subject again, maybe unable to come up with an answer.

"Pippy's never dated a girl before. She doesn't even like girls. Right Pip?"

I shrugged my shoulders and took another bite of the sandwich. "Technically that's true." I gave Bailey a sharp look. We'd talked already today about how I didn't love her, not truly. It was part of her thrall spell she put me under. And I never agreed to trade my maturity for anything!

"Well, her not liking other women is a perk for me, because I'd prefer she only have eyes for me." I hadn’t intended to embarrass her here, in front of her friend, but her sass had left me hungry for something beyond sandwiches. Her defiance warmed my blood and her pouting had whet my appetite. She felt her neck tingling when I looked at her.

I looked up at Bailey and then down at the half-a-sandwich in my hands. She wanted me to only have eyes for her, but she didn't care at all about what I wanted! I wanted her to stop this stupid curse. I wanted go back to living my life without pissing myself in class! So I threw down the sandwich onto the blanket and got up in a hurry, storming off the roof and slamming the door behind me.

It wasn't good that she'd done that. There was a connection between owner and thrall; a need and a longing, a connection I'd just started opening up in her. I could control the intensity at will, but when she'd gotten up and stormed off she'd ensured that everything would hit her at once like recoil. Need. Aching need. Lust. Want. Arousal. Fear. Helplessness. Owned. I wondered if she'd even make it down one flight of stairs before coming back up here in tears.

I leaned against the railing and tears dripped down my cheeks. I couldn't stop bawling. I missed her! She was supposed to come over and we were supposed to go in my room and I was gonna show her what I'd bought! I had worked so hard all day for her, and now she was out there trying to impress Meg? And she brings snacks from some other girl, and... and I couldn't stop crying. Why would she do this? What did I do wrong...?

"Will you excuse me, Meg? I should go and check on her." I got to my feet in one smooth motion and crossed the space to the stairwell. It was important for her to come back to me, but it was more important that she thought I was on my way to her as well. That's what turned thralldom into proper romantic love, and humans needed that sometimes to feel safe and fulfilled. So I waited just outside the door, because she'd come through in just a moment’s time and I'd catch her and make all her pain go away.

I pushed the door open with all the force that I'd used to slam it, and I stormed up to the picnic blanket. But a step beyond the door, she was waiting for me. Bailey. I looked up at her... and I lost it. I shook my head in a panic and crashed into her at full force, burying my head in her chest and sobbing loudly. "I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry..."

I didn't say anything to her, not at first. She needed her words to be said and to be heard. With so much whiplash, she needed to feel like every ounce of her remorse was poured out before she could feel empty again, and be filled back up with happiness, slavery, and lust. I played with her hair and held her against my chest, one of my hands finding her neck drawing circles around my kiss mark while she sobbed.

"I'll be good... I'll be a good widdle girl..." My voice regressed to a childlike tone and I took half a step back from her, so she could see the sincerity in my eyes. And without a second thought, I started to wet myself. It was my choice. I wanted to. I felt the warmth pool between my legs, over my bottom, and dripping down my thighs. I smiled up at her proudly and tugged on her dress. "I need changing, Mommy..." But I'd forgotten one important thing. Meg.

And this was something Meg would certainly never forget. She'd never forget the things her best friend said, the tones she'd used, that she'd voluntarily just pissed her pants right there on the roof. But Meg was also quite drunk, to be honest.

"You're a good girl, Pippy, flush out those nasty words and nasty feelings, you're too little to have them now, aren't you?" I looked over my shoulder at Meg, then back at Pippy. And I sunk my teeth into my little dolls neck to reward her for a moment. Truthfully, I couldn't have resisted. Meg would be a side effect to deal with later.

Her teeth sunk into me. I felt the pressure. I felt the pleasure. Warmth. Soaking me up. Or maybe that was my jeans. I giggled happily, dizzy in delirium. I clung my wet body to hers and closed my eyes. I saw stars. Supernovae exploding. And I started to moan. I was so aroused...

"What the actual fuck…"

I pulled my teeth from Pippy’s neck and looked at her best friend with annoyance. As I approached, she took a step back in fear. Panic. I was used to that. When I was close enough, I pressed my fingers to her forehead and she fell to the ground softly. She was drunk. She'd remembered this, but it wouldn't make sense. She wouldn't believe her memories; humans are malleable. And thralls were clay. I picked mine up against my hip, no strength in the world compared to that of a vampire, and I carried her down the stairs. It was time to get her changed into the underwear she'd be wearing all her life.

I flopped back on my bed. Blood dripped down my neck onto the sheets, leaving little red stains. I looked up at Bailey with bright, needy eyes. I would do anything for her. I already had... "Mommy... please dun go..." But she wasn't leaving. She was just looking around my room. My dresser. Then my closet.

"I knew you'd impress me, my little Pippy, I knew that you would." These would do for now; functionally white and thinly padded; they'd be her first step. But she was a college girl and fashion was important. The next step beyond these would be diapers with colors and cute prints, something to be proud of. Proud that she'd given up her continence in tribute of her Mistress. "Tell Mommy what you want more than anything, Pippy." I held the diaper in my hands, little drips of blood on my lips.

I looked up at her, at her beautiful lips, at her sharp teeth, at her gorgeous eyes, and at the white diaper in her hands. My cheeks caught fire. I gazed down at the huge wet spot on my pants and bit my lip shyly. I couldn't believe I was doing this... "A diaper…"

"A diaper today, and a diaper tomorrow, and every single day for every single year, always and forever, and in return..." I sent heat to her neck, I let her feel me, I tugged on the invisible threads that linked the two of us together, and I crinkled the thin plastic. "This sounds like pleasure. This sounds like happiness. Because you're my baby doll."

Her fingers traced the holes on my neck, coating them in my blood. But the sensations were not painful. They were pure pleasure. The sound of the crinkling. The heat of her touch. I nodded without thinking, accepting her offer.

I pulled down her jeans. She squeezed her thighs together, she rubbed her knees upon each other, she was warm and frustrated and needy and longing. She wanted me to make love to her and she smelled every bit of it, but that's not what thralls did for me. Thralls paid tribute to me. Surrendered to me. I slid the diaper under her behind, and I ran my pale skin across her thigh so she would scoot into place.

I shuffled a little downward so that the diaper was snuggly beneath my bottom. Her fingers drew lines down from my belly button, over my waist, and to the front of my pubic hair. I exhaled sharply and squirmed so that her fingers would move further down, but they did not. I was quivering with lust. "Mommy, please..."

I gave her something, something she didn't know she wanted yet. Something she would learn meant more than sex: I pulled the diaper up between her legs and I taped it into place. This moment, this exchange, this was the center of her libido now. She just didn't know it yet. I crawled on top of her and put my teeth on her neck. I'd earned this meal.