Chapter 111: Food For The Soul
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They had dinner, and Sangfroid felt like he had just broken through a mile he had never thought he would reach before. And it was unexpectedly thanks to a vampire why he had run.
"You hold the spoon this way..... Yeah, that's it!" Leron chuckled while he was teaching Ofelia how to eat how humans do.
Vladstin doesn't need to eat, so he was just watching them with a hand on his cheek, grinning from time to time. But he was noticeably keeping his distance. Ofelia was placed on a boulder and Sangfroid made a makeshift table by placing a plank of wood he cut in a bunch of rocks for the three of them to eat. Leron was on her right, teaching her how to eat, and Sangfroid is at the left to translate the words for him.
Sangfroid had never felt at ease in his life. It was like this is how he had always led his life, just him, Prince Leron, and Ofelia. All the worries and the troubles that made his head ache had disappeared, leaving him very satisfied.
But seeing Vladstin being left out doesn't feel right either. When he caught the vampire looking at him so gloomily, like a stray cat watching people who are eating on the streets, he felt a lump on his throat.
He cleared it and offered hesitantly, "Do you also want to eat with us?"
"Anything that isn't blood tastes like ash to me." Vladstin shook his head. "No, thank you."
"I meant the chicken blood from earlier. You can have it. You said you don't want to purposely kill innocent animals, but I'm the one who killed it anyway, and that blood would just be a waste if you don't take it."
Leron was slightly surprised by this, feeling a pang of envy that stained his cheery mood, but he dispose of it immediately before it can grow. So what if Sangfroid had grown close to Vladstin enough to offer food? That's great, it's good that they get along so he has a higher chance of convincing him.....
To spare his life once he becomes human.
"Yes, you said that you still starve even when you don't die, right?" Leron added. "You should it with us."
Vladstin just crossed his arm, and sighed. "Alrighty then. I'd take the offer of the chicken blood, but not the position at the dinner table. Lalala~ Chicken blood, chicken blood, yummy chicken blood~"
He quietly sang to himself as he fetched the blood that Sangfroid collected and went to drink it somewhere even farther away, on top of a tree like a territorial bird. Ofelia liked his tune and his voice. She found that Daddy Vladstin's voice is almost as good as her Mommy's. Almost. No one has a prettier voice than Mommy.
"What is he singing? Is it a famous human song?" She asked Sangfroid to translate.
Sangfroid translated for her, and shook his head. "He just makes songs by himself on the whim like that."
"Oh." Ofelia nodded while clumsily putting the spoonful of chicken soup to her mouth. "Mommy only sings one song. Says it is 'Song of the Sea', all sirens only know it."
As Sangfroid translated, Leron asked, "Was that the song you were singing when we first met you?"
"Mmm-hhmm!" She replied with her mouth full of chicken. "This food is really good! Ofelia likes it! What is it again.... Chicken soup! Ofelia likes chicken soup now."
Leron grinned. "Well you should thanks Vladstin later, he was the one who made it along with Sangfroid. It is really good."
"You should also try Leron's fish soup. It's much better than this." Sangfroid interjected.
"Fish soup?" Ofelia tilted her head to the side.
Leron frowned. "Wouldn't she be averse to fish soup since sirens are technically half-fishes themselves? Hmm, but then again, it's normal for predatorial fishes to eat each other. And she is a meat-eater after all."
Sangfroid explained this to Ofelia, and she replied, "Ofelia doesn't know fishes. Ofelia didn't know she is fish."
"I can show them to you later." Sangfroid said. "Maybe they will be your friends. Maybe you would want to eat them. Either way, it is fine as long as you don't try to eat Prince Leron."
"Yes, yes! Daddy Leron is a friend now." Ofelia nodded. "And Ofelia wants to try Daddy Leron's fish soup someday!"
"I still think it doesn't defeat Vladstin's chicken soup. It's really warm and sort of..... feels refreshing to the soul." Leron said, placing a hand on his heart. "He always makes a mess in the kitchen, and don't know how to cook anything else, but when he makes this... It just makes me pleased, you know?"
Sangfroid surprisingly didn't feel any jealousy over this. Because he agrees. "I think so too, Your Highness. When he cooks, it is careless, but it's also like he put his soul into the food."
There's a hint of sadness when he added: "I wish I could be like that. Easily making people understand me, showing how I feel."
Leron felt a bit guilty of talking about Vladstin all the time when he saw this. It was obvious that Sangfroid has insecurities that he had hidden all these years without him, and wasn't able to release, just putting everything in a jar. If he continues adding up to the contents, it just might explode.
"This is inexpressiveness..... Has no one try to consider it as a malady?" Leron asked. "The Bishop must have noticed about, right? He didn't try to take you to a doctor?"
The immediately added. "I didn't mean to say this in an offensive way, mind you, just showing a possibility! You are perfect the way you are, Sangfroid---"
"He did. They did agree it could be something medical, and that there are some children like this in Alfend who cannot laugh or cry. But we are too poor to send out an Alfien doctor to look at it, and I don't want it either." Sangfroid smiled. "Because I couldn't accept that there is something wrong with me than the rest. But I have come to know and accept it now."
"I will always not be 'perfect'. No need to comfort me, Your Highness."
Leron did not like this, and looked visibly upset. He placed a hand on Sangfroid's head. "Don't say that. I do believe that no man on Earth could be 'perfect' at all. What I meant is that for me, whether you change or not change, I still wholeheartedly accept you, Sangfroid. I will always care for you no matter what."
Sangfroid felt touched, but bitterly smiled and took the hand. "But only as a friend."
"I..... Yes...." Leron gulped, wanting to retract the hand---
When Sangfroid suddenly kissed it!
"I understand. I just wish it could be something more, Your Highness."
Leron definitely didn't expect him to be so straightforward like this! Earlier too, it's making him o confused seeing a side of Sangfroid so... So bold! And the effect of this change really sent his mind reeling, like a top that was spun so hard around and around.....
"What are you both saying, Daddy Leron and Daddy Sangfroid." The siren beside them asked, breaking his messy thoughts. "Ofelia can't understand."
Sangfroid let go, but very slowly while trailing his fingers on Leron's palm in such a manner that would send someone tingles. "Nothing, Ofelia. We are just talking about some unimportant matters. You're eating sloppily, what happened?"
Leron was so flustered that he only noticed now too that the red soup was dripping all over the child's mouth, and even her newly made dress! "Oh, Ofelia! Hold on, let me get a handkerchief!"
Somehow, a vampire corpse puppet already delivered a piece of cloth to them. Leron was even more perplexed. "Oh. Uh, thank you."
"Grr rrrgrr." It replied, before going back to its post of standing far from there to avoid bothering them of the smell of the undead.
That means that wherever Vladstin was staying, he was near enough to hear them. This brought even more color to Leron's cheek. But he distracted himself by doing nanny duties for the siren child, his only solace to not slowly lose sanity from the embarrassment.
"We should help Ofelia finish the food properly. Then, let's return her to the river, her scales are starting to dry and flake." Leron noticed, not quite meeting Sangfroid's eyes.
"Mn." Sangfroid nodded, merely observing his effect on the prince.
It's not just Prince Leron that is vexed. Deep inside, he was really flustered too that it could just kill him.
'Was I too forward? What if I scared him even farther away from me?'
'Why did I do that?'
'Should I apologize? Explain myself?'
But seeing that Prince Leron doesn't seem to be angered by it, and seems to be blushing, though it could also be the heat of the fire, he decided he'll just let it be. This is the first time he felt his inexpressive face has an advantage. No one knows how much he was dying of embarrassment, no one could tell with his straight face.
Vladstin could feel both emotions at the same time, and found himself grinning at the giddiness of Sangfroid and Leron's vexation. Such light-hearted feelings really have an addicting feel to them, that even the strongest one as embarrassment would still make you feel warm at heart. This felt more like the real meal for him, filling his hollow insides, and not the chicken blood.
He has decided. Feeling love vicariously is pretty fun and not so bad.
He will keep pursuing this instead of having his infatuation towards Sangfroid be reciprocated. And once Leron had fallen for him too, he can feel twice as much of the love that can make someone drunk, the cute, adorable pining that is not tainted by any angst and problems.
What you can't experience, you rather enjoy from someone else. This kind of vicarious and empathic joy.... this must be the true food for the soul.
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They had dinner, and Sangfroid felt like he had just broken through a mile he had never thought he would reach before. And it was unexpectedly thanks to a vampire why he had run.
"You hold the spoon this way..... Yeah, that's it!" Leron chuckled while he was teaching Ofelia how to eat how humans do.
Vladstin doesn't need to eat, so he was just watching them with a hand on his cheek, grinning from time to time. But he was noticeably keeping his distance. Ofelia was placed on a boulder and Sangfroid made a makeshift table by placing a plank of wood he cut in a bunch of rocks for the three of them to eat. Leron was on her right, teaching her how to eat, and Sangfroid is at the left to translate the words for him.
Sangfroid had never felt at ease in his life. It was like this is how he had always led his life, just him, Prince Leron, and Ofelia. All the worries and the troubles that made his head ache had disappeared, leaving him very satisfied.
But seeing Vladstin being left out doesn't feel right either. When he caught the vampire looking at him so gloomily, like a stray cat watching people who are eating on the streets, he felt a lump on his throat.
He cleared it and offered hesitantly, "Do you also want to eat with us?"
"Anything that isn't blood tastes like ash to me." Vladstin shook his head. "No, thank you."
"I meant the chicken blood from earlier. You can have it. You said you don't want to purposely kill innocent animals, but I'm the one who killed it anyway, and that blood would just be a waste if you don't take it."
Leron was slightly surprised by this, feeling a pang of envy that stained his cheery mood, but he dispose of it immediately before it can grow. So what if Sangfroid had grown close to Vladstin enough to offer food? That's great, it's good that they get along so he has a higher chance of convincing him.....
To spare his life once he becomes human.
"Yes, you said that you still starve even when you don't die, right?" Leron added. "You should it with us."
Vladstin just crossed his arm, and sighed. "Alrighty then. I'd take the offer of the chicken blood, but not the position at the dinner table. Lalala~ Chicken blood, chicken blood, yummy chicken blood~"
He quietly sang to himself as he fetched the blood that Sangfroid collected and went to drink it somewhere even farther away, on top of a tree like a territorial bird. Ofelia liked his tune and his voice. She found that Daddy Vladstin's voice is almost as good as her Mommy's. Almost. No one has a prettier voice than Mommy.
"What is he singing? Is it a famous human song?" She asked Sangfroid to translate.
Sangfroid translated for her, and shook his head. "He just makes songs by himself on the whim like that."
"Oh." Ofelia nodded while clumsily putting the spoonful of chicken soup to her mouth. "Mommy only sings one song. Says it is 'Song of the Sea', all sirens only know it."
As Sangfroid translated, Leron asked, "Was that the song you were singing when we first met you?"
"Mmm-hhmm!" She replied with her mouth full of chicken. "This food is really good! Ofelia likes it! What is it again.... Chicken soup! Ofelia likes chicken soup now."
Leron grinned. "Well you should thanks Vladstin later, he was the one who made it along with Sangfroid. It is really good."
"You should also try Leron's fish soup. It's much better than this." Sangfroid interjected.
"Fish soup?" Ofelia tilted her head to the side.
Leron frowned. "Wouldn't she be averse to fish soup since sirens are technically half-fishes themselves? Hmm, but then again, it's normal for predatorial fishes to eat each other. And she is a meat-eater after all."
Sangfroid explained this to Ofelia, and she replied, "Ofelia doesn't know fishes. Ofelia didn't know she is fish."
"I can show them to you later." Sangfroid said. "Maybe they will be your friends. Maybe you would want to eat them. Either way, it is fine as long as you don't try to eat Prince Leron."
"Yes, yes! Daddy Leron is a friend now." Ofelia nodded. "And Ofelia wants to try Daddy Leron's fish soup someday!"
"I still think it doesn't defeat Vladstin's chicken soup. It's really warm and sort of..... feels refreshing to the soul." Leron said, placing a hand on his heart. "He always makes a mess in the kitchen, and don't know how to cook anything else, but when he makes this... It just makes me pleased, you know?"
Sangfroid surprisingly didn't feel any jealousy over this. Because he agrees. "I think so too, Your Highness. When he cooks, it is careless, but it's also like he put his soul into the food."
There's a hint of sadness when he added: "I wish I could be like that. Easily making people understand me, showing how I feel."
Leron felt a bit guilty of talking about Vladstin all the time when he saw this. It was obvious that Sangfroid has insecurities that he had hidden all these years without him, and wasn't able to release, just putting everything in a jar. If he continues adding up to the contents, it just might explode.
"This is inexpressiveness..... Has no one try to consider it as a malady?" Leron asked. "The Bishop must have noticed about, right? He didn't try to take you to a doctor?"
The immediately added. "I didn't mean to say this in an offensive way, mind you, just showing a possibility! You are perfect the way you are, Sangfroid---"
"He did. They did agree it could be something medical, and that there are some children like this in Alfend who cannot laugh or cry. But we are too poor to send out an Alfien doctor to look at it, and I don't want it either." Sangfroid smiled. "Because I couldn't accept that there is something wrong with me than the rest. But I have come to know and accept it now."
"I will always not be 'perfect'. No need to comfort me, Your Highness."
Leron did not like this, and looked visibly upset. He placed a hand on Sangfroid's head. "Don't say that. I do believe that no man on Earth could be 'perfect' at all. What I meant is that for me, whether you change or not change, I still wholeheartedly accept you, Sangfroid. I will always care for you no matter what."
Sangfroid felt touched, but bitterly smiled and took the hand. "But only as a friend."
"I..... Yes...." Leron gulped, wanting to retract the hand---
When Sangfroid suddenly kissed it!
"I understand. I just wish it could be something more, Your Highness."
Leron definitely didn't expect him to be so straightforward like this! Earlier too, it's making him o confused seeing a side of Sangfroid so... So bold! And the effect of this change really sent his mind reeling, like a top that was spun so hard around and around.....
"What are you both saying, Daddy Leron and Daddy Sangfroid." The siren beside them asked, breaking his messy thoughts. "Ofelia can't understand."
Sangfroid let go, but very slowly while trailing his fingers on Leron's palm in such a manner that would send someone tingles. "Nothing, Ofelia. We are just talking about some unimportant matters. You're eating sloppily, what happened?"
Leron was so flustered that he only noticed now too that the red soup was dripping all over the child's mouth, and even her newly made dress! "Oh, Ofelia! Hold on, let me get a handkerchief!"
Somehow, a vampire corpse puppet already delivered a piece of cloth to them. Leron was even more perplexed. "Oh. Uh, thank you."
"Grr rrrgrr." It replied, before going back to its post of standing far from there to avoid bothering them of the smell of the undead.
That means that wherever Vladstin was staying, he was near enough to hear them. This brought even more color to Leron's cheek. But he distracted himself by doing nanny duties for the siren child, his only solace to not slowly lose sanity from the embarrassment.
"We should help Ofelia finish the food properly. Then, let's return her to the river, her scales are starting to dry and flake." Leron noticed, not quite meeting Sangfroid's eyes.
"Mn." Sangfroid nodded, merely observing his effect on the prince.
It's not just Prince Leron that is vexed. Deep inside, he was really flustered too that it could just kill him.
'Was I too forward? What if I scared him even farther away from me?'
'Why did I do that?'
'Should I apologize? Explain myself?'
But seeing that Prince Leron doesn't seem to be angered by it, and seems to be blushing, though it could also be the heat of the fire, he decided he'll just let it be. This is the first time he felt his inexpressive face has an advantage. No one knows how much he was dying of embarrassment, no one could tell with his straight face.
Vladstin could feel both emotions at the same time, and found himself grinning at the giddiness of Sangfroid and Leron's vexation. Such light-hearted feelings really have an addicting feel to them, that even the strongest one as embarrassment would still make you feel warm at heart. This felt more like the real meal for him, filling his hollow insides, and not the chicken blood.
He has decided. Feeling love vicariously is pretty fun and not so bad.
He will keep pursuing this instead of having his infatuation towards Sangfroid be reciprocated. And once Leron had fallen for him too, he can feel twice as much of the love that can make someone drunk, the cute, adorable pining that is not tainted by any angst and problems.
What you can't experience, you rather enjoy from someone else. This kind of vicarious and empathic joy.... this must be the true food for the soul.
They had dinner, and Sangfroid felt like he had just broken through a mile he had never thought he would reach before. And it was unexpectedly thanks to a vampire why he had run."You hold the spoon this way..... Yeah, that's it!" Leron chuckled while he was teaching Ofelia how to eat how humans do. Vladstin doesn't need to eat, so he was just watching them with a hand on his cheek, grinning from time to time. But he was noticeably keeping his distance. Ofelia was placed on a boulder and Sangfroid made a makeshift table by placing a plank of wood he cut in a bunch of rocks for the three of them to eat. Leron was on her right, teaching her how to eat, and Sangfroid is at the left to translate the words for him.Sangfroid had never felt at ease in his life. It was like this is how he had always led his life, just him, Prince Leron, and Ofelia. All the worries and the troubles that made his head ache had disappeared, leaving him very satisfied.But seeing Vladstin being left out doesn't feel right either. When he caught the vampire looking at him so gloomily, like a stray cat watching people who are eating on the streets, he felt a lump on his throat.He cleared it and offered hesitantly, "Do you also want to eat with us?""Anything that isn't blood tastes like ash to me." Vladstin shook his head. "No, thank you.""I meant the chicken blood from earlier. You can have it. You said you don't want to purposely kill innocent animals, but I'm the one who killed it anyway, and that blood would just be a waste if you don't take it."Leron was slightly surprised by this, feeling a pang of envy that stained his cheery mood, but he dispose of it immediately before it can grow. So what if Sangfroid had grown close to Vladstin enough to offer food? That's great, it's good that they get along so he has a higher chance of convincing him.....To spare his life once he becomes human."Yes, you said that you still starve even when you don't die, right?" Leron added. "You should it with us."Vladstin just crossed his arm, and sighed. "Alrighty then. I'd take the offer of the chicken blood, but not the position at the dinner table. Lalala~ Chicken blood, chicken blood, yummy chicken blood~"He quietly sang to himself as he fetched the blood that Sangfroid collected and went to drink it somewhere even farther away, on top of a tree like a territorial bird. Ofelia liked his tune and his voice. She found that Daddy Vladstin's voice is almost as good as her Mommy's. Almost. No one has a prettier voice than Mommy."What is he singing? Is it a famous human song?" She asked Sangfroid to translate.Sangfroid translated for her, and shook his head. "He just makes songs by himself on the whim like that.""Oh." Ofelia nodded while clumsily putting the spoonful of chicken soup to her mouth. "Mommy only sings one song. Says it is 'Song of the Sea', all sirens only know it." As Sangfroid translated, Leron asked, "Was that the song you were singing when we first met you?""Mmm-hhmm!" She replied with her mouth full of chicken. "This food is really good! Ofelia likes it! What is it again.... Chicken soup! Ofelia likes chicken soup now."Leron grinned. "Well you should thanks Vladstin later, he was the one who made it along with Sangfroid. It is really good.""You should also try Leron's fish soup. It's much better than this." Sangfroid interjected."Fish soup?" Ofelia tilted her head to the side.Leron frowned. "Wouldn't she be averse to fish soup since sirens are technically half-fishes themselves? Hmm, but then again, it's normal for predatorial fishes to eat each other. And she is a meat-eater after all."Sangfroid explained this to Ofelia, and she replied, "Ofelia doesn't know fishes. Ofelia didn't know she is fish.""I can show them to you later." Sangfroid said. "Maybe they will be your friends. Maybe you would want to eat them. Either way, it is fine as long as you don't try to eat Prince Leron.""Yes, yes! Daddy Leron is a friend now." Ofelia nodded. "And Ofelia wants to try Daddy Leron's fish soup someday!""I still think it doesn't defeat Vladstin's chicken soup. It's really warm and sort of..... feels refreshing to the soul." Leron said, placing a hand on his heart. "He always makes a mess in the kitchen, and don't know how to cook anything else, but when he makes this... It just makes me pleased, you know?"Sangfroid surprisingly didn't feel any jealousy over this. Because he agrees. "I think so too, Your Highness. When he cooks, it is careless, but it's also like he put his soul into the food."There's a hint of sadness when he added: "I wish I could be like that. Easily making people understand me, showing how I feel."Leron felt a bit guilty of talking about Vladstin all the time when he saw this. It was obvious that Sangfroid has insecurities that he had hidden all these years without him, and wasn't able to release, just putting everything in a jar. If he continues adding up to the contents, it just might explode."This is inexpressiveness..... Has no one try to consider it as a malady?" Leron asked. "The Bishop must have noticed about, right? He didn't try to take you to a doctor?"The immediately added. "I didn't mean to say this in an offensive way, mind you, just showing a possibility! You are perfect the way you are, Sangfroid---""He did. They did agree it could be something medical, and that there are some children like this in Alfend who cannot laugh or cry. But we are too poor to send out an Alfien doctor to look at it, and I don't want it either." Sangfroid smiled. "Because I couldn't accept that there is something wrong with me than the rest. But I have come to know and accept it now.""I will always not be 'perfect'. No need to comfort me, Your Highness."Leron did not like this, and looked visibly upset. He placed a hand on Sangfroid's head. "Don't say that. I do believe that no man on Earth could be 'perfect' at all. What I meant is that for me, whether you change or not change, I still wholeheartedly accept you, Sangfroid. I will always care for you no matter what."Sangfroid felt touched, but bitterly smiled and took the hand. "But only as a friend.""I..... Yes...." Leron gulped, wanting to retract the hand---When Sangfroid suddenly kissed it!"I understand. I just wish it could be something more, Your Highness."Leron definitely didn't expect him to be so straightforward like this! Earlier too, it's making him o confused seeing a side of Sangfroid so... So bold! And the effect of this change really sent his mind reeling, like a top that was spun so hard around and around....."What are you both saying, Daddy Leron and Daddy Sangfroid." The siren beside them asked, breaking his messy thoughts. "Ofelia can't understand."Sangfroid let go, but very slowly while trailing his fingers on Leron's palm in such a manner that would send someone tingles. "Nothing, Ofelia. We are just talking about some unimportant matters. You're eating sloppily, what happened?"Leron was so flustered that he only noticed now too that the red soup was dripping all over the child's mouth, and even her newly made dress! "Oh, Ofelia! Hold on, let me get a handkerchief!"Somehow, a vampire corpse puppet already delivered a piece of cloth to them. Leron was even more perplexed. "Oh. Uh, thank you.""Grr rrrgrr." It replied, before going back to its post of standing far from there to avoid bothering them of the smell of the undead.That means that wherever Vladstin was staying, he was near enough to hear them. This brought even more color to Leron's cheek. But he distracted himself by doing nanny duties for the siren child, his only solace to not slowly lose sanity from the embarrassment."We should help Ofelia finish the food properly. Then, let's return her to the river, her scales are starting to dry and flake." Leron noticed, not quite meeting Sangfroid's eyes."Mn." Sangfroid nodded, merely observing his effect on the prince.It's not just Prince Leron that is vexed. Deep inside, he was really flustered too that it could just kill him.'Was I too forward? What if I scared him even farther away from me?''Why did I do that?''Should I apologize? Explain myself?'But seeing that Prince Leron doesn't seem to be angered by it, and seems to be blushing, though it could also be the heat of the fire, he decided he'll just let it be. This is the first time he felt his inexpressive face has an advantage. No one knows how much he was dying of embarrassment, no one could tell with his straight face.Vladstin could feel both emotions at the same time, and found himself grinning at the giddiness of Sangfroid and Leron's vexation. Such light-hearted feelings really have an addicting feel to them, that even the strongest one as embarrassment would still make you feel warm at heart. This felt more like the real meal for him, filling his hollow insides, and not the chicken blood.He has decided. Feeling love vicariously is pretty fun and not so bad.He will keep pursuing this instead of having his infatuation towards Sangfroid be reciprocated. And once Leron had fallen for him too, he can feel twice as much of the love that can make someone drunk, the cute, adorable pining that is not tainted by any angst and problems.What you can't experience, you rather enjoy from someone else. This kind of vicarious and empathic joy.... this must be the true food for the soul.
