A whole new World

We call it The Red Fear... // one of the sources for True Death."

Tristina was puzzled by this,  she already started to think that she might be dead   it didnt make much sence why she was afraid of fire or "true dearh". You only die once right?

Victoria nods. "Exactly." she replied transmitting somehow that she understood what Tristina was implying.

Tristina  stared blankly at Victoria when she said this. The facts were right in front of Tristina, but her mind didn't want to believe it. She became quite quiet,

Victoria giggle at Tristina's naivity and says.
"I'm sure the native we found in America would have loved that to be true... hehe"

Tristina tilted her head, she questioned this, but was happy to hear Victoria laugh

"// the Indians didn't know gunpowder or guns at all. Yet the bullets killed them nonetheless. I remember they call it 'fire stick' an artifact of witchcraft..  // magic is just another world for things we do not understand. //other concept of their 'reality' to explain what something entirely new was..."//

Tristina hand a "oh..you're right" look on her face. Though she picks up on the strange words Victoria is using.... "We" & "I remember"
▂▂▂▂▂▂ Tristina ▂▂▂▂▂▂
" ..remember? You mean like from the history books... like in american history class. ... Not really my strongest subject of study in class if I'm to be honest, but I think I understand what your getting at.. ."

Victoria smiled like a caring mother would.
"How could I hate you? You're Blood of my Blood... I'll accompany you from now on until you're ready to face the reality, this new reality of yours..."

▂▂▂▂(thoughts)▂▂▂▂▂▂
<..Blood of my Blood?... So she is adopting me?? Hee-hee.>
Victoria's words were  extremely comforting, she couldn't help but smile.  
▂▂▂▂▂▂ Tristina ▂▂▂▂▂▂
" ..thank you Ms. Ash I really appreciate it... Though I dont want to put you out... I know you are a very busy woman... But I'll try to prove I'm worth your time.... ."
She said with a smile.

"I still remember how life was before the microscope//.Those were barbaric times, much like humanity compared to us Kindreds, blinded by their own misconception of the reality killing them every night."

Tristina picked up yet again on Victoria's strange 1st person view of things, but didn't say anything... She brushed it off as " artist being eccentric" .

Tristina picked up on the look that implied  ''you're doing it again'' and she gave a nervous chuckle.

Remember trust in what you can experience, your misconception are stopping you from understanding the point here. Working on it.

Tristina finally gave a nod of understanding, she knew she needed to work on things.

//you still compare yourself and myself to human physiology, like in any way could applied to us.

▂▂▂▂▂▂ Tristina ▂▂▂▂▂▂
" so... It some how is true then... ... Being... Dead?.. But not dead..

I... Cant... I.. But the fact... The facts dobt lie... Im.. Not .... Alive am i?...

But the facts dont lie.. I know my own body well enough to know it doesn't move right. And I'm almost sure I'm not breathing beside from forcing in breaths or speaking.. I clench my fist and I cannot see my veins pulsate in my wrist. I wanted to believe I'm hallucinating... but even hallucinations don't hijack all of my senses at once..   if it was just my eyes fooling me I can understand it. but I can feel, hear and taste it too. So it has to be true... Logic would dictate this.. And mutations usually only happen in living cells... Or so I thought... "

Tristina hesitated with her next row of words.
"But You are the same ?.... That doesn't make any since though... None of this does.. But you tell me to trust what I see.. I saw you.. Before, you looked normal.. But now.. I see things about you I can't explain... There is no way I'm wrong though... I'm really observant... The blood in your body doesn't appear to flow, you are pale,  your eyes don't blink and I dont see your chest rising with breath... If you were not moving about and talking with me I could mistake you for a corpse.... Umm no offence."
Tristina felt like calling Victoria a Walking Corpse was a bit of an insult. She lowers her head.

If you want more proves, you will get them but beware of what you wish for... are you ready to accept that you've evolved into something else?"

Tristina took a long pause and thought about everything that is going on with her and the whole situation.
▂▂▂▂▂▂ Tristina ▂▂▂▂▂▂
" ..... I want to learn.. I dont want to stay ignorant... And I dont want to lie to myself.. .. Teach me.... .. Even though I have a feeling what lays ahead isn't going to be easy for me to wrap me head around.. All I can say is that I'll try to adapt and keep a open mind.."
Tristina said warmly, she wasn't sure if she was ready, but it was better than being kept in the dark about what was going on with her.

Tristina seemed relaxed now, she was coping the best she could. But her mind was twisting and turning in on itself. There were parts of her mind that refused to let go of the concepts of "reality" she had been dealing with her whole life since that in counter with Flick.
A encounter that she had long sense blocked from her mind. Its a horrible thing when someone lives without dreams their whole life and gets a crash course in the fantastical. Tristina's mind rebels at every turn.  The mental gymnastics she was doing just to grasp the basics of her new existence was no small feat in itself.

"I will teach you everything, // but you can't learn everything in one day.

Tristina nods that she understands this.

Understanding and Logic won't make you... or let you... accept your evolution. Only experience will,//

Tristina raised a eyebrow, in her logical mind protested even if Tristina fought to jump over these hurdles.

 

//your learning process starts tonight and each day I'll take you one step forward until you fully accept your evolution."

▂▂▂▂▂(thoughts)▂▂▂▂▂
<..… well sh!t looks like I'm going to have one hell of a busy scheduled.. . between my classes and learning from Victoria, I'm not going to have much free time.. Or time to sleep..
Do dead people sleep?.. . if not that could be hell'a useful... .>

"How can you be truly dead? What is to be alive? //You're here self aware and functioning, that'd be impossible for a corpse. // Dead people doesn't move or talk.  .

Hearing this made Tristina feel better, and her mind stop protesting when she started to think she wasn't really "dead".

I'm a Kindred, in that sense we're the same. You are blood of my blood, my Progeny and you're mine to educate in the ways of our kind

▂▂▂▂▂▂ Tristina ▂▂▂▂▂▂
" .... Blood of my blood?."

Tristina questioned
... Progeny... ?.. Like a Apprentice.?.. I'm truly honored.. I didn't think anyone saw my potential...

But...  Forgive me .. This whole things goes beyond my art and being your new forger doesn't it?.... Even beyond you offering me the cure... Yah? ... This secret Society... Umm what did you call it.. Camorillo ?
Its made up of these Kindred people...

So I guess I should start asking about that..
What exactly is a Kindred... ?
And what now that I guess I'm one of them..
What does that mean for me...?

Tristina became very still and very very quiet as she gathers her thoughts and started taking this whole thing more seriously.

▂▂▂ Tristina ▂▂▂▂▂▂▂
<...God She is reallt serious about all this ...  I should take this seriously too...  I can't believe she really ment every word.....  >
Tristina was quite amazed, she then started being more serious in her thinking and attitude.


< So think... The Camarilla is a  secret society of non- mortal humans that have somehow been mutated and changed into Kindred.... The blood has something to do with this... It sounds strange.. But  OK.. Im not a biologist... So what the fu*k do I know...>

<  Maybe I should stop focusing on all the "how's" and "how is this all possible" and instead ask "why"... What is this secret society's purpose and why does it exist?... How long have Kindred been around for? . yes.   those are much better question to ask..    >

Tristina lifted her head  silently, bringing her finger to her chin like she was about to speak..but she paused

Dear Child, // you can't behave like a mortal human anymore... you are now different //, you are not longer a part of humanity. You're something else we call Kindred."

Being  referred to as "child" by Victoria kinda made Tristina feel loved. She was slowly getting used to that strange closeness between Ms. Ash and herself,

Tristina nodded her head, she believed  every word Victoria said.

▂▂▂▂▂▂ Tristina ▂▂▂▂▂▂
" ... . alright... I think I have accepted that. Well I think I can only go up from here.  So we are Kindred, and belong to this secret society....
If I may ask... I have a few questions about the Camarilla."
She said trying to make her next question have a more serious tone, showing Victoria that she was infact taking this seriously.


▂▂▂▂▂▂ Tristina ▂▂▂▂▂▂
" ...Ok.. .. What is the purpose of the Camarilla? .. How does it remain secret...? And  Doesn't the government or something know about it? "

The reason are religion... fanatics... extremists..// Humans react violently against anything and everything they don't understand.

▂▂▂▂▂▂ STAR ▂▂▂▂▂▂
" ...tch."
Tristina made a "tch" sound as she clicked her tongue, it was a sound of annoyance or disgust at the topic of people getting so worked up over make believed religion that they become fanatical.

▂▂▂▂(thoughts)▂▂▂▂▂▂
<.. peachy,  all the things I dislike greatly.....>

It took us several thousands of years to understand that the best way to stay alive was in secret.

▂▂▂▂(thoughts)▂▂▂▂▂▂
<.. Has these Kindred people really been around for that long? ...>

The Government is partly ours, or should I say mostly..

▂▂▂▂(thoughts)▂▂▂▂▂▂
<.. Figures... I should have guest .. .>

You see, we Kindreds are very different to humans // you cannot longer sustain on food or water, you can only feed from blood.//  

Tristina raised  a skeptical eyebrow, she was not willing to believe this.

▂▂▂(thoughts)▂▂▂▂▂▂
<.. OK that sounds like more Vampire bullshit. She might believe it, fine.. I won't be rude,  But There's no way people can sustain themselves off of something so gross.. Just eww. I'm am NOT drinking blood... no fucking way. .. That's a surefire way get HIV and it's fucking disgusting ... Yeah that ain't gona happen... And I'm not giving up pizza.. Its too fucking good. Hee-hee>

Sunlight is deadly, as well as Fire //

▂▂▂▂(thoughts)▂▂▂▂▂▂
<.. Really?. ... Fire, well OK maybe.. Fire burns most things, but sunlight... Seriously??? Yeah I'm calling bullish!t on that... There is no fucking way I'm going to live a night life... I have class in the morning... I am NOT a night person.. >

You won't age, won't cut your hair, won't grow your nails... your body will stay in that exact way for centuries if you're careful enough to avoid True Death."

Tristina mind went wild with disbelief, this seemed like clear and utter bullshit from any way Tristina tryed to look at it. She knew Victoria was serious, but Tristina started to believe that her views were a bit jaded, which was fine. Victoria could wholeheartedly believe whatever she wanted , it was not Tristina's as place to try to correct her. Tristina was trying to stay respectful, and not say anything..But she wasn't about to just believe this just became Victoria said so.
▂▂▂▂(thoughts)▂▂▂▂▂▂
<.. .uh-huh.. >

She smiled with a kinky expression and said.
"That was the reason for stripping you, to remove unwanted hair and make sure your body was fit. Make you a nice hair cut and take care of your appearance. If you're going to get stuck in that look better be a good one, don't you think?"

Tristina paused and looked completely dumbfounded for a second as she starts to tilt her head to look over her own body, feeling slightly violated. She ran her hand through her gray hair, feeling its new length and she cocked a eyebrow at Victoria.

Tristina was silent for a moment, it wasn't that she didn't appreciate the wax job,  it was just that she felt a little violated because it happened without her consent. And she wasn't really planning on Victoria seeing her naked.

Tristina could muster up anything to say, she felt a little embarrassed.
Finally...after a long pause she spoke.

▂▂▂▂▂(thoughts)▂▂▂▂▂
<.. umm..OK... what about getting tattoos or dying your hair or something such like that....that all still works ...… ugh dont ask that.. Just shut up and nod your head...>

Tristina was facing inner conflict in her mind, this was all too Fantastical and seem to  ridiculous.
She brought her hand to her chin and tryed to gather her thoughts

Tristina's jaw hung ajar when she heard what Victoria was saying. But it wasn't "what" she was saying that caused her shock, it was the fact that Victoria was answering questions that Tristina never spoke.

Tristina's voice was almost a whisper
▂▂▂▂▂▂ Tristina ▂▂▂▂▂▂
" .... Wait ..
how.... Did you..?."

"Can't be... Impossible... How.. I.. You... You are ... Reading my mind some how?  "
Tristina was dumbfound by this.

She had to take a moment to process this.

You can try to eat pizza, that'd be a very interesting experiment but try to do so somewhere you can expel it out cleanly." he expression was of disgust.

Tristina just gave Victoria a confused look picking up on her disgust. Tristina cocks her head and thinks there is no way she will throw up pizza.

"At some point you'll eat blood, willingly or not, that's up to you. For everyone else's safety..

▂▂▂▂▂▂ Tristina ▂▂▂▂▂▂
" ... Please ...  Ms. Ash I mean no disrespect, but it ain't gona happen. I'm not into that type of kink.
I'm not judgeing you or Jorge... But that is not my thing. The concept kinda turns my stomach.

And for everyone's safety? .. Wouldn't it be safer not too.... 'cuz the spreading of disease... . "
Tristina said not trying to be rude, but the very thought of drinking blood just was utterly disgusting in her mind.

I'll tell you what..." she said like a joke "You can try to go to class tomorrow, I won't stop you."

Tristina thought Victoria was joking
▂▂▂▂▂▂ Tristina ▂▂▂▂▂▂
" ... Well yeh.. Kinda need too... I mean I'm already going to get a ear full for cutting class with Jorge the way we did. Hee-hee."

"I am sorry to have touch you without your consent but it's part of the process. If it comforts you in anyway you were dead at that point..."

Tristina accepted the apology, besides there was little she could do about it now. Even though she felt violated, at least no one had sex with her while she was passed out...
Then Victoria's words hit her .. Victoria didn't say "passed out", she said "dead".

▂▂▂▂▂▂ Tristina ▂▂▂▂▂▂
" ... Dead?.... But you said I wasn't dead... I'm not.. I.. Um.. "
Tristina becamed confused, and even more confused by Victoria's next statnent about tattoos vanishing.
▂▂▂▂▂▂ Tristina ▂▂▂▂▂▂
" ..why?... Arnt Tattoos... You know.. Permanent?."

This whole things was not easy to grasp and Tristina fell back into denial

Tristina gave a nod, she would remember her advice. Of couse Victoria was right and  all the explaining in the world would not account for learning things 1st hand.

Tristina smiled at Victoria, and stood up.
As pretty as this curtainy dress was, she would be glad to get out of it ... it was a bit too scandalous for her taste, and showed off too many "bits''.

Tristina made haste to the bathroom to get something more presentable.

Tristina enter the bathroom and  turned on the light catching herself for the first time in the reflection of the mirror.  She stood there staring at herself. Indeed Victoria had cleaned her up, though to Tristina she looked "off",

Tristina  quickly shook her head , still dealing with her own disbelief . She didn't know how  or Why all of this was happening to her. It was certainly more than she thought she haf agreed to when she wanted to be mentored by Victoria.
She didn't expect this whole crazy secret society of Kindred people. And now she was going to meet them. God only knows what they believe, could they actually believe in this vampire'ish nonsense. Or would they be.."less fanciful" and "more realistic".
Tristina didn't know, ether way she had a feeling she would find out.

Tristina picked out a more sensible outfit for a hot gothic artist like herself.



After getting dressed she came back out to see Victoria, finally she started to feel a bit more comfortable in a proper outfit.