Chapter 23

Glass Warning: “Elio’s still here, are you BLM people gonna help me get rid of him or what? Anyway… I hope you hate him as much as I do.”
⚠️Racist Character

I gave you all this time
Gave you my everything
Said I can do this all night, baby
Said I was actin’ out of line, maybe
Can’t put my trauma to the side
When you told me I was lyin’
Had me feelin’ like I died, baby
—Been Like This

THEIR POINT OF VIEW

Early afternoon, the elegant Geisha was watching over Jude as he repeatedly struggles to remove frost off the flower. “Again, Jude.”

“Ugh, I just can’t do this. No matter how gentle and slow I do it, it always sets on fire!” Jude exclaims.

“How did Glass teach you how to defrost the flower, Jude?” Archer tilts his head, his eyes barely open as he smiles at the frustrated newborn.

“He said I’m being too aggressive. And he said I should yearn for the flower, seduce it without acting on the desire,” Jude answers.

That answer made Archer chuckle, further closing his eyes. Wooden slippers move through the garden floor to approach his student. “Of course Glass uses s*x to teach you. It’s all he knows. But I’m here to teach you the proper way.: you are focused too much on the rose. It’s time for you to focus on the frost itself.”

“What?”

“The Sheltering is the manipulation of the environment. You should stop thinking about the rose and try adjusting the surrounding temperature so the frost will thaw. Focusing on the rose will set it on fire because you’re too emotional. Turning your attention to warming the cold environment will melt the ice.”

Jude took a slow breath and let his focus drift away from the rose. He set his mind on the air itself, blowing wind through his now lengthy hair and brushing against his skin.

I have to make the air warm. But how does it feel?

I feel the warmest when Salve hugged me. Our bodies naked, under the covers, his chest again mine…

“But you don’t know what warmth feels like…” Salve said from behind him. He sadly says, “You’ve forgotten, Jude.”

Jude agreed; he doesn’t remember. But he closes his eyes and stayed focused. It’s true… vampires don’t feel warm. I’ve forgotten…

Until I imagine Leo’s lips on mine, and his hands on my body. He hugged me so tight, I felt him in my stomach. That feeling… I want it in the air. I want to feel it again.

The frost softened, then melted on its own, slipping away without flame or smoke. When he looked down, the rose was whole in its pot, bright red and alive. Jude blinked once, then smiled, surprised that something so simple had finally worked.

“I did it!” He looked behind Salve, who gave him a tight lipped smile at his victory. “Wow, I did it!

“Good job, newborn.” The Geisha walked towards him and plucked the rose, inspecting to make sure no frost had remained. “You are very emotional, very passionate. That’s not a bad thing, you just have to redirect it to the right place.”

He gives Jude the flower, making the newborn vampire smile at his accomplishment. Archer tells him, “Tomorrow, I will make Glass freeze the lake. You will thaw that.”

Jude actually feels excited about it, especially when he looked up and saw Leo by the windows, staring down at them. Jude excitedly waves to Leo, pointing at the flower, “Look! I did it!”

But Leo leaves the window without any word. Jude’s smile dropped, because Leo didn’t look happy that he thawed the flower.

Archer questioned Jude, “Do you like him? Our chef?”

“W-well, he’s a nice guy.” Jude wants to say yes, but he’s too embarrassed to admit it to his mentor. There’s blush on his pale undead face that Archer raised an eyebrow at.

“Troubled man, Leo is. But I don’t blame him; the whole devil is in his head. He was never nice to us, too,” Archer says.

“What? No way Leo’s mean,” Jude scoffs, before he looked at Archer’s beautiful Geisha face and decided to ask him, “Did he sleep with you? B-back when you were a student here?”

Archer smiled at the slightest, which made Jude’s stomach drop. His eyebrows furrowed, ready to suppress any feeling that comes out for when Archer answers the question.

“Leo f*cks out of necessity, not pleasure,” Archer says, “He refuses to f*ck anyone except for the lovers Evie and Glass… but even then, he favors Glass because Evie is never nice. Margiela wanted to f*ck Leo, but no amount of seduction could change his mind. He was always sleeping with Glass.”

“Oh.” Jude said nothing more, before his blush turned into his entire face. “So uhh… we’re done here, right?”

Salve raised an eyebrow at a clearly pissed Jude. “Babe, that was the past.”

“I’m not jealous!” He barked to Salve, which made both him and Archer look at him with tilted heads. Jude could only awkwardly turn away, “I meant it. No jealousy here!”

When he walked away, Salve remained because he was still confused about what’s going on in Jude’s head. That’s when he heard Archer say;

“The Monsignor was right; you can be a perfect vessel, Jude Creston. Too bad you have become a vampire,” Archer said as he walked away. “But that won’t hinder us, wouldn’t it?”

Later that afternoon, Redd was walking through the halls when the wooden heels of a Geisha met his ears, and he encountered a smiling Archer in the West Wing.

“Well, hello…” he politely greets, barely moving his head and keeping his hands hidden inside the kimono sleeves. Half of his hair is long, black, and down to his waist while the other half is up in an elaborate hairstyle fit for a Geisha. “You are Redd, yes?”

“Forgot my name already, doll?” Redd meant to make fun of his outfit, but Archer’s smile only grew wider.

“Mmm, it’s hard to forget you when you’re almost as tall as the hallway.” He tilts his carefully painted head, “I wonder what they feed young vampires nowadays.”

His eyes were almost closed, but Redd could still sense where he’s looking. He cringed at the alumni, saying, “I’m not entertainin’ you. Pryce will; Evie is more available but he only receives. Leave Glass alone, he isn’t doing good ’cause of your friend.”

“Elio is only a colleague…” he politely answered while Redd started walking past him. But Archer moved in front of Redd and finally revealed one of his hands—his fingernails are 4 inches long and made of pure steel, implanted into his long and slender fingers. He planted them onto Redd’s chest, forcing him against the wall or else he will get pierced. “I wasn’t finished talking to you, Redd-kun~. Let’s not be rude.”

“What the f*—!?” Redd spits out with gritted teeth, horrified by the five knives pointed at his chest.

“I’m just saying… Elio isn’t my friend. But you can be… we could be very good friends… ” Archer leans toward him, pinning him against the wall to make sure Redd can feel a whiff of his fruity-vanilla cologne.

“I already have friends. I don’t need you,” Redd firmly answers.

“You have the Transparency, yes? Quite an unexplored talent, it can be powerful in the right hands. And yours is… mm, big and powerful…” Archer’s smile remained on his face, “I can teach you how to master your God-given gift… “

“I don’t want ‘nun to do with you,” Redd scowled, loyal only to Glass. “Get off of me, old man.”

“Oh my, is this how you treat your guests? I am the definition of beauty in my country,” Archer sounded offended, but soon chuckled at Redd’s defiance. His long steel fingernails, sharp as knives, slowly trailed down Redd’s stomach and softly held onto his—”You’re impolite, you know that?”

Redd flinched when that slender hand took hold of his sensitive bulge, and he holds Archer’s wrist to attempt to stop him. “Let… go… of… me. I don’t want to hit a woman, so thanks to whatever you’re wearing I won’t lay a hand on you. Trust me, I want to.”

You want to? Archer’s head tilts.

Even with heels, Redd is still taller than Archer by a lot of inches. And the latter seemed delighted at the fact he’s looking up at the angry medic. He whispered while the tension in the air can be cut by his fingers, “You have big, strong hands. Are you saying if I weren’t a Geisha, you would wrap them around my neck? Such a dangerous vampire you are, Redd. Do you need a mentor?”

“You’re the one pointing finger knives at me,” Redd glares at him. “Let go and stay the f*ck away from me.”

All while Archer kept his eyes happily closed and smiling gently. “I believe I can’t do that. You have yet to be punished. The Monsignor saw you with Lucien.”

Redd’s lips paled and his eyes widened. His hands twitched, remembering the previous times he got caught speaking to Lucien. He froze in shock, unable to speak except for swallowing his fear.

“Pryce punishes horribly, right? His Echoing shakes the sound waves going into your ears and rattles your skull to hurt your brain. Mmm… it makes you beg for death,” when Archer squeezed him down there, the man didn’t react. Archer smiled, pressing his dangerous hands against that huge mound of his. “I can take care of you, instead. I can punish you in a way you’d beg for more, ne~…”

Archer’s eyes turn red, which means he is activating the vampire talent that Redd doesn’t know about. Redd clamps his eyes shut, just in case it controls him in any way—

All of a sudden, a wooden cane came between them and gently placed itself on Archer’s hands.

“Miss Archer, that’s inappropriate. ” Elio scowls at him, “Even slaves have rights nowadays, do not handle Sir Redd like an animal.”

Archer released Redd’s tense member, before hiding his dangerously sharp hands back into the sleeves of his dark red kimono. Redd was so relieved, he couldn’t even get mad at whatever Elio just said.

“I’m not treating him like an animal…” said the demure Archer, “I just like this one, it’s a shame he’s not my student. I like ’em tall, dark and… hehe…”

“Shouldn’t you be training the newborn?” Elio asked Archer.

“I already did. Better than what Glass was doing; my boy learns very quick,” Archer happily answered.

“I wish I could get to know Jude Creston. I still don’t know if that boy is Mexican or Filipino—I admire the Spanish colonies but they often confuse me.” Elio says, “Anyway, you should leave Sir Redd to his business, you are not his mentor.”

“Don’t worry Elio-san, I was just trying to make friends with the new members of our family.”

“Oh, I’m afraid Mr. Redd cannot be legally family, dear. Still, I find your sentiment toward his kind rather touching,” Elio replied, making Redd’s fist curl and was about to throw a punch if not for Archer stopping him by lifting his bladed hands.

“I expect you in my office, big man. Else, Pryce will be the one to punish you. He won’t be as kind as I am~” the Geisha giggles flirtatiously, bowing to the both of them before walking gracefully despite his heeled wooden shoes.

“Ugh, don’t mind him. Japan doesn’t have dark slaves, so they don’t know how to act around you, tsk tsk,” Elio shakes his head, “Oh, well! I’m off to find Glass for training. He has a nasty attitude but his face is quite beautiful. Your Masters must’ve taken good care of you both.”

“Glass is not a slave, and so am I,” Redd glares at him.

“Oh? So you are paid for the service now—how very wonderful. After all that labor, you are surely owed proper compensation, Sir Redd. I trust we shall meet again,” Elio proudly said as he confidentially walked away.

The medic rolled his eyes, but had to remind himself that this vampire is not right in the head. Dementia and full on racism.

“Hey!” Redd calls out, making Elio turn around. “Glass doesn’t stay in his room. He’s at Evie’s.”

“Thank you, Sir Redd. You know him well enough that some might assume you are lovers. Best to keep such matters quiet—people can be cruel to men who chose to love, and worse… people are not so kind to homosexual black men.”

I will punch your mouth dry, thinks Redd, but he cannot say it.

Elio went to Evie’s room, as instructed by Redd. But just as he opened the door, he heard moaning and Pryce speaking on the other side. “… come on, Eve… look at me. Look at me while I fill you up—”

The door slammed in Elio’s shocked face, and it was Glass standing behind him with a cigarette between his fingers. He wasn’t inside the room, he was smoking in the hallway. Glass bitterly asked, “What are you doing here, Elio?”

It was as if Glass detested his existence.

“Good morning, Glass. We are going to train your Sheltering,” said the alumni, confused about the time. “I am concerned for Sir Everest, isn’t he hurt? Shouldn’t you be tending to your master?”

“Evie is not my master,” Glass angrily spits out, “And I can perfectly control my powers, I don’t need a racist inbred motherf*cker to tell me what to do.”

Glass has been hiding from Elio and avoiding the mentorship, but the alumni cannot tell time very well so he searches for Glass endlessly.

“I am not racist, I have many black acquaintances that work for our farm,” Elio says, following Glass. “You are very angry, Sir Glass. That will affect your performance in the fields. You should rest in your bedroom and I will request Sir Redd to take over your job for the meantime—”

“I am pissed because you’re here!” Glass stops to yell at him directly, causing the walls of the hallway to crack. “I don’t need a white man to breathe down my neck and tell me what the f*ck to do, I already had enough with Evie and Pryce and Monsignor doing that! I’m not taking orders especially from a white man like you!”

“Sir Glass… you are angry because your master is entertaining someone else, yes? I remember little… but I cannot forget how you cried when Sir Everest yells and hurt you.” Elio reached for Glass’ arm, despite the latter flinching away from his touch. “My dear, I do not agree with masters hurting their slaves. You deserve more than how your master is treating you.”

“How the f*ck do you know how he’s treating me? You haven’t been here in 20 years, Elio. You don’t know what the hell is going on here, you haven’t known what anything is going on since 1860!” Glass yells at him, furthering the cracks in the walls.

Elio lifted his hands, “Calm down, my dear. It is natural to get worked up. Young black men like you tend to get violently emotional. However, one must learn not to focus your anger on your environment.”

“Then where the f*ck do I put it, huh?!” Glass angrily spits out, making the picture frames shake. “My anger bleeds. I want to destroy something, I want to hurt something!”

But there are tears in Glass’ eyes. Elio realized, “You are not angry, my dear. You are sad… it’s your tears that bleed out.”

Glass stared at him in shock, caught off guard by the realization that his sadness controlled him more than anger. Elio laid his hands on his slender shoulders, squeezing as if comforting him.

“My mentorship is not because you don’t know how to control your Sheltering. I am here to ensure there will be no destruction when your emotions run wild. Confess to me what is making you sad, my dear. Maybe we can start from there.”

Glass hates him; Elio thinks of nothing but him as a slave, but the man’s smile looked genuine as he takes Glass into his bedroom to ensure privacy. Elio will forget, right? Doesn’t matter what I tell him… he will forget.

“Forgive me father, for I have sinned,” he confessed, kneeling on the floor while Elio is sitting on the bed. He’s not kneeling to the racist white man, he is kneeling to the statue of the lady in the room. “I am madly, deeply, shamefully in love with a man that won’t f*ck me.”

He continued, “I love Evie. I wanted nothing more than him inside me, but… he chose to screw Jude instead of me. It makes me think I’m not that important for him to claim my insides like I am his.”

Elio nods, “Mm, you may be feeling possessive when your master favors other slaves. But have you ever thought he is sparing you the abuse that other slaves get?”

“I’m not a slave, and it’s not abuse. He is my lover, we are partners, equals! He has the right to my body! But he’d rather f*ck the boy I also like, than me. Do you know how insulting that is?! Especially when you keep calling me a slave?!” Glass got pissed at Elio again, but the latter looked around the room and find that nothing has changed or been damaged.

“It’s wonderful that your love goes beyond your social status and skin color,” Elio nods, “I would say Sir Everest is possessive over you, but he lets you have relations with the other students, yes? Have you ever thought that he only wants your heart and soul, not your body?”

“Bullsh*t; if you love someone, you should feel possessive over everything—heart, soul, body—I was willing to give him everything!” Glass yells out, and that’s when Elio felt the crack of one picture frame.

Elio smiles, “You love him so much, only the sadness that could come from your feelings for him… activates the Sheltering. I believe you can stop being destructive if we address and improve your relationship with Sir Everest. Well, you can also leave the plantation, but who am I to stop the love between a master and slave?”

Glass took a deep breath, looking entirely done as he looked at the innocently smiling Elio. “I’m gonna kill you someday, you know that?”

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We cannot add polls in this chapter no matter how we try. But should we keep Elio or get rid of him?