#‘ ​‘kamilah’ as if testing the name’ THAT’S CRAZY….

[blackandblueandstars]

Ghost Stories Pt1

TRIGGER WARNING: Discusses some violence

Halloween had always been Amy and Lily's favorite holiday, and that didn't change after they became vampires. If anything, they liked the spooky beauty of the holiday even more. This year, after fighting Gaius and all of the trauma they were still recovering from, they decided to spend some quality time with their friends.

They drove to a cabin away from the city, getting away from all the reminders of Gaius's destruction. They brought hot dogs and stuff for smores, blood and hot apple cider, and alcohol, ready to build a bonfire and spend well-deserved time with each other.

They all dressed for the weather, Amy insisting they all wear flannel to, as she said, "look the part." Kamilah wasn't usually one for lesbian stereotypes, but Amy in flannel was one she could get behind. She walked up behind her, wrapping her arms around her.

"I vant to suck your blood," she said, jokingly. Amy laughed as she kissed her neck.

"Wouldn't be the first time," she said with a wink.

They unpacked the food, feeding the ego of the men by allowing them to build the fire. Lily chatted about how much she loved Halloween.

"I'm just saying," said Lily. "Halloween is basically my Christmas. I live for this stuff."

Amy laughed. "We know, Lil," she said. "If I had to describe your style, it would be Halloween chic."

Lily gasped. "Girl, this is why we are best friends."

"Hey!" shouted Adrian.

"Finally!" wooped Jax.

The girls laughed, feigning impressed. "Good job boys!" shouted Kamilah.

"Nicely done!" complimented Amy.

"Level up!" laughed Lily.

With the fire roaring, the group gathered around.

Amy sat on Kamilah's lap, cuddled under a blanket. She was warm and happy. She leaned back into Kamilah's arms, staring at her liquid brown eyes lit by the light of the fire. She kissed her softly, the alcohol warming from the inside and Kamilah's warmth and the fire from the out. Her lips tasted smoky and sweet, the remnants of a burnt marshmallow there.

Adrian and Jax sat on logs, and Lily had brought a gamer chair that she pulled up.

"Not very rustic, Lil," said Amy.

"Hey," said Lily. "I've got to draw a line somewhere." The group laughed.

The laughter died down, the crackling of the fire the only sound to be heard.

"So what now?" asked Jax, downing a beer and chasing it with a shot of blood. "Drink and howl at the moon?"

"Bored already?" asked Adrian with a smile.

"I know!" said Lily. "Why don't we all take turns telling ghost stories?"

She smiled wide, pulling out a flashlight and shining it on her face. "Scariest one wins!"

"Wait," said Jax, rolling his eyes. "You mean to tell me you believe in ghosts?"

Amy laughed. "Jax you're a vampire!" she said. "You don't think ghosts are at least a possibility?"

"No," said Jax, matter-of-factly. "I don't."

"Well I do," said Adrian.

"Me too," replied Kamilah.

Lily sighed. "Your story doesn't have to be about a ghost, Jax. You can talk about monsters, or anything. Just make something up, for all I care. As long as it's scary!"

"Fine," he scoffed. "I'll think of something."

"Better think quick," said Lily. "'Cause you just volunteered to go first."

Jax groaned. "Alright, alright."

"My great-grandfather lived in Japan, before we found our way to America," he began. "When he was still alive, he told me this story of a beautiful young woman he had met in his youth. Her name was Aiko, and she was the most beautiful woman he had ever met. This was before my grandmother, while he was attending university. He told me that she had the face of a goddess, and when he first saw her he knew he must get to know her better. So, brave man that he was, he went up to her between classes.

'Hello,' he said to her. 'I couldn't help but notice you. You are truly breathtaking, and I would like the chance to know you better.'

The girl smiled at him, and he knew he was done for. He said to me, 'Jaxie, that girl's smile was sunshine, and I was instantly blinded. Every moment after, my vision littered with sun spots of her.'"

"This is supposed to be scary, not a romance," teased Lily.

Jax looked at her seriously. "Sometimes," he said, "love is one of the scariest things of all." This silenced Lily as he continued.

"The girl agreed to go out with him. He took her to dinner, then they went for a walk in the moonlight, underneath the cherry blossom trees. They talked and laughed, and my great-grandfather knew he had met the love of his life.

'She wasn't just beautiful,' he told me. 'She was brilliant. She talked about literature, painting stories more vibrant and realistic than the greatest authors I had read. And she spoke of science with such understanding and insight. She even talked of something I had just learned about, genetic experimentation.'

It was a new field in Japan at the time," Jax explained. "My great-grandfather had learned from some of the researchers as part of his studies. They talked of animal testing, altering their genetic makeup to give them human-like features. It was all very hush-hush at the time, kept under wraps by the government, so he jumped at the opportunity to talk freely with someone. So they walked through the park, conversing, my great-grandfather enraptured by this woman.

'Aiko,' he told her, 'I know we've just met, but you light my soul on fire. I have never met a woman with such passion, intelligence, eloquence. I was struck by your beauty, my dear, but I am most excited by your personality and your mind. I hope it is not too forward to ask that I see you again?'

Aiko smiled that sunshine smile, there under the light of the moon, cherry blossom petals falling around them. She took my great-grandfather's hand, kissing it softly. 'I would like that very much,' she told him.

He walked her back to her room, leaving her for the evening.

'Jaxie, I was smitten,' he told me. 'I was young and foolish, so I fell hard and quick. And she was a starbeam I couldn't quite catch in my hands. The way she eluded me, that pursuit, it drove me absolutely crazy with desire.'

So my great-grandfather planned their second date. There was a reading by a renowned author on the other side of town. It was late, and that area wasn't the safest, but he knew it would impress her. So, his foolishly smitten self decided it was worth the risk. And it was. They went to the reading, and she had tears in her eyes.

'Aiko, are you okay?' my great-grandfather had asked her. She nodded.

'I am so grateful for this opportunity,' she told him. 'Thank you.'

The reading finished late, and they were walking home around 2 a.m. when my grandfather noticed a group of men crossing from the other side of the street.

'Well, well, well,' said one of the men as they approached. 'Look what we've got here.'

My great-grandfather stepped forward, shielding Aiko behind him. 'We don't want any trouble,' he told them.

'Too bad,' spat the man. 'You just found it.'

He turned, looking at Aiko. 'Run,' he said to her, prepared to die if it meant she would live."

Jax paused to catch his breath, everyone leaning towards him, drawn in by his story.

"What next?!" Lily asked urgently. Kamilah held Amy close to her, and Adrian sat silently.

"So Aiko ran, turning down an alley, and my great-grandfather tried to fight the group of guys.

'I held my own,' he told me. 'But there were four of them, and I am only one.'

So they beat him, stole his wallet. They left him laying there and went on their way. He watched as they passed the alley, relieved that he had saved Aiko. He stood, painfully. His body was pretty broken, and he was covered in his own blood. But all he could think of was Aiko. So he stood, and he limped his way into the dark alley.

'Aiko,' he called out. 'They are gone, it is safe now.'

But Aiko didn't respond. And then he saw her body, laying on the ground. He rushed over to her, collapsing by her side.

'Aiko?' he screamed, trying to wake her. He felt blood, hurrying to check her pulse. He felt nothing. The clouds cleared and he could see a hole in her chest. 'Aiko, what happened?' he cried. 'What happened to you?'

Then, he heard growling. From the shadows of the alley, a dog stepped forward. Or, at least, he thought it was a dog. Until he heard his name.

'Eiji?' It was Aiko's voice. But it didn't come from Aiko's body, in his arms. It came from the shadows. From the dog. He looked up, eyes locking with--"

Jax paused for dramatic effect, looking at his friends. They sat on the edge of their seats, waiting for him to continue.

"Aiko. Or, at least, it looked like Aiko. It talked like Aiko. It had her face, her eyes. And then it smiled. And that smile...it was dark. Sinister. And my great-grandfather stood, looking at this dog with Aiko's face, but not Aiko's smile.

'What are you?!' he shouted, limping backwards.

'Eiji, please,' the creature said. 'Don't leave me. Save me.'

It stalked towards him.

'Eiji, take me with you,' it said. 'Let's live our lives together.'

My great-grandfather continued backing out of the alley.

'Eiji, I love you,' the creature said. And even though he knew it was not his Aiko, those three words stopped my great-grandfather in his track.

The creature lunged at him, biting into his leg. He screamed, collapsing, certain that his weakness, his foolish love for this woman he'd only just met would be the death of him."

Jax finished the story, glancing at his friends.

"That's it?!" asked Lily. "You're really gonna leave it like that?! Did he survive?"

"Obviously," interrupted Kamilah, "or he couldn't have told Jax the story."

"Okay, okay," said Lily. "But how did he survive?"

"And what was that creature?" asked Adrian.

Jax laughed. "One question at a time," he replied.

"It was a jinmenken," said Jax. "There are a lot of rumors about them in Japanese culture. My great-grandfather believed this one was a little different, though. After years of research, he had come to believe that a scientist had genetically modified a werewolf, creating a different effect than your average jinmenken, which had a static face. This one, he believed, could mimic what it saw. That's how it had Aiko's face and voice. As for why it spared him," Jax said, looking at Lily. "He had no idea."

"Wow," said Lily. "That was a pretty good scary story."

Jax smiled as the others agreed.

Then, after a beat, "Who's next?"

Part 2

Tag list: @h-doodles @scarlet-letter-a0114 @idkbutkamilah @lightning-fury @galaxyside-0 @blogsupitssam @ilovetaylor13m

[emma-nation]

In My Veins (KamilahxMC) - Season 2 - Chapter 10

Summary: Inspired by Lovestruck’s “Havenfall is For Lovers” (Antonio). Amy seems to finally have solved her feelings for Kamilah, but when somebody from her past returns, their relationship will be put to test.

Genre: Romance, Angst

Rating: T

KamilahxMC Tag List: @iam-the-fuckin-queen, @annabellewerecorgi, @voltos9, @scorpistraub, @leavemeandmyshipsalone, @jen825, @andreear17, @spacecarrousel, @justejuste727, @aureliaxj, @graceschoices, @sleeping-with-her06, @supersphynxsworld, @gavryllo, @galaxyside-0, @msuhailey, @zoe6111, @noodledragon22, @tigerbryn11, @shanuuh, @ilovetaylor13m, @honorablebicycle, @ilovekamilahsayeed, @begging-for-kamilah, @kennaxval, @fal-carrington​

“Sure, Amy,” Kamilah grabbed both of Amy’s shaking, agitated hands and looked into her eyes. “What’s going on?”

“I want…” the words wouldn’t come out. How could she even start saying that? “I-I…”

Before she could finish her sentence, their conversation was interrupted by Jax, who looked somehow anxious and scared.

“I’m sorry for interrupting, but we must return to New York immediately. Nikhil has informed me several cultist groups have been spotted on the streets and…”

“And?”

“Apparently Gaius is leading them. He’s threatening to start a slaughter if we…” he lowered his voice to keep the last part from Amy, but she heard anyways. “If we don’t surrender them Amy.”

As he left, Kamilah was paralyzed, staring at nothing. Her expression was blank, unreadable. While Amy was unable to tell how the female vampire felt, inside her own chest she felt a turmoil of emotions.

“I hate all of this,” she exploded. “I hate how I’m always in danger! I hate how I’m always a burden! I hate…”

Kamilah finally turned her attention back to her. She took a deep breath, approached and touched the girl’s face in reassurance.

“You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for, Amy.”

“Do you really think?”

“Did I ever lie to you?”

The small smile that appeared on the corners of Kamilah’s lips was enough to bring her some comfort. Amy smiled back.

———-

Inside the airplane, all the vampires reunited to start planning their next move. The main priority at the moment was to keep Amy safe, until they could plot an effective attack against Gaius.

Back to New York, Amy was taken to where everything started, Kamilah’s mansion. The female vampire was convinced there wasn’t any safer place for her to be.

“So, Lily was being serious when she said your mansion has one of those metal defense systems like in The Purge, huh?”

“Surprisingly, I understood that reference,” Kamilah forced a smile while carrying her bags back to her old bedroom. “But when it comes to Gaius it’s not enough. Adrian suggested we change locations often and he’s right.”

“I’m scared,” Amy sat down on the bed and sighed. “This is why I was thinking…”

Lysimachus joined them in the bedroom, carrying the rest of her stuff. He didn’t look the same as before. His pale skin now had the same golden brown tone as his sister’s. He was also strong and active.

“This is everything,” he announced. “I’m glad you’re back, Amy. This house hadn’t the same energy without you. Kamilah, for example, was grumpy 24/7.”

“Hey,” Kamilah angered. “I thought you were supposed to be training with Adrian?”

“Honestly, I’ve never felt greater in my life, sister. We can leave it for another occasion.”

“This is what you think. Wait until you start feeling hungry again. With no self-control you’ll look at mortals and see their veins glowing like a golden river.”

“Wha…” Lysimachus looked at Amy in a way he had never done before. His eyes went wide and a pale coloration returned to his face. “I… I better go. Bye.”

As he left the room, Kamilah let out a small devilish laugh.

“Oh my god!” Amy finally grinned. “You’re so mean.”

“It’s a sibling thing. Besides, temptation will be around him all the time, he needs to learn how to control himself around mortals.”

In silence, the girl reflected about her words. Would she be strong enough to deal with temptation? Or would she lose control and become like Priya or The Baron?

Kamilah examined their surroundings, concluding everything was set for Amy’s stay.

“So you’re safe for now. I’ll be in the room next door, in case you need anything.”

Amy nodded and lied on the comfortable bed. For a moment Gaius slipped out of her mind and she started wondering if things would ever be the same between she and Kamilah again. The more she wished, more it seemed impossible.

———-

The streets of New York were chaotic. The buildings being consumed by fire, while Ferals and deranged vampires chased after helpless mortals. Blood was being spilled everywhere.

“Oh my god…” Amy walked among that scenario lost and searching for a familiar face.

She entered the intact Ahmanet Financial building.

“Kamilah?!”

In the main hall, her ex-girlfriend was fatally wounded with a stake in her chest. Amy held her in her arms, watching as she converted into ash. By her side, the rest of her friends faced the same fate. One by one.

“N-No,” the girl sobbed. “Please… not again…”

It was the same dream from every night, with one difference, Amy was surrounded by masked figures. Gaius emerged in the middle of them, eyes red and fangs exposed.

“The time has come, My Lady.”

“No!”

Amy struggled to leave that place, but she couldn’t move. Gaius was walking in her direction, being closer and closer.

“Please, somebody help me! No!”

She attempted to run again, when…

“Ouch,” her entire body ached as she hit the ground.

“Amy!” Kamilah opened the bedroom’s door in a hurry. “Are you alright? You were screaming.”

She looked around, realizing she was safe in her bedroom. Kamilah offered her hand, helping her to stand up. Amy noticed she was wearing nothing but a bathrobe. She blushed at the view.

“Oh, and you were…”

“Taking a shower. You scared me.”

Not being able to hold herself anymore, Amy wrapped her arms around Kamilah’s waist. She rested her head on her shoulder, where she began to sob.

“Hey, tell me what’s going on,” the female vampire spoke softly in her ear. “You’re so cold.”

The intense crying wouldn’t let Amy speak. Kamilah lighted up the fireplace and placed her near the fire.

“Lay here on the carpet. I’ll get you a blanket.”

When she returned, she positioned herself against Amy’s body, covering them both with the blanket she brought. The girl closed her eyes, enjoying how close they were. The warmness of Kamilah’s skin on hers sent electric impulses to all her body. She could almost hear the vampire’s beating heart.

“Thank you,” she was finally able to say. “I feel a lot better.”

“What happened, Amy?” Kamilah stroked her hair.

“I’ve been having nightmares for a while now. With the cultists, Gaius and this mysterious woman. I think it’s my trauma speaking louder.”

“That’s alarming. Dreams can be many things. Windows into the past… Reflections into the present… Or portents of things to come.”

“Well… now I’m really creeped out.”

“Don’t be scared. Whatever comes, we’ll face together,” Kamilah kissed her forehead. “Now, why don’t I tell you a story?”

“Story?”

“About my times in Egypt. Our mother did it all the time when Lysimachus and I were little. It helped us to get some sleep, when we were afraid of the war.”

In the female vampire’s arms, Amy closed her eyes and listened to her voice, narrating stories about her childhood and how she and Lysimachus used to drive their parents crazy. She could never picture Kamilah being a such mischievous child. It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep and have the most peaceful night she had in months.

———-

In the next day, Kamilah was still acting protective and caring. Amy woke up late, but she made sure to leave her favorite meal served on the table, with a small vase of flowers. Then they drove to the Shadow Den, where they were supposed to spend a couple of days before heading to another location.

“Are you staying with me?” Amy asked. Being over 2000 years old, Kamilah was, without any doubts, the strongest vampire after Gaius.

“Of course. We need to be aware, we may have traitors amongst us,” Kamilah told. “So long as you’re with me, you’re safe.”

“Great, because I have tons of stuff to show you.”

Grabbing her hand, Amy showed her all the renovations they made after Jax was declared a member of The Council. Their last stop was at the Arcade she and Lily built together.

“Hey Amy,” as always, Lily was watching a group of vampires playing one of her machines. “And Kamilah.”

“What have I missed?”

“No one in this place can beat my score, baby. No one.”

“Is that a challenge?” Amy teased her. “Get ready to see my name above yours on that ranking.”

“Ohhhh, I’d like to see you try.”

All the vampires gathered around the arcade to watch the match between the two friends. Amy was very focused, beating every level like a pro.

“Only one level to go.”

“Hey Amy,” Lily cleared her throat, speaking in a serious and low tone. “You look so happy. Anything happened in Kamilah’s house last night?”

“What?” Remembering Kamilah in that bathrobe, lying so close to her, Amy felt her cheeks burning red. “N-Nothing hap… Hey! You were distracting me. Cheater!”

Too late, she had failed to complete the final level. Lily celebrated and wrote her name again on the screen.

“I’d like to try next,” Kamilah cracked her knuckles. “Are you in, Spencer?”

“Kamilah, please. You’re gonna embarrass yourself.”

She glanced at Amy and raised an eyebrow.

“What do you think? Do I have a chance?”

“Sure. Go get her, Kamilah!”

Amy grinned excited. Kamilah was doing great against Lily, they were tied point by point. Lysimachus and Adrian also arrived in time to watch.

“Place your bets, guys,” Amy told them, sipping a can of soda. “I’m team Kamilah.”

“For someone who never used this kind of entertainment,” Adrian smiled, “she’s doing quite well.”

“I bet on Lily,” Lysimachus said loud to provoke his sister, then lowered his voice. “Just kidding, when my sister is determined, she always get what she wants.”

Minutes later, Lily left the machine frustrated. Kamilah joined the group with a victorious smirk.

“Amy,” she told, “my name is a little bit too long. The arcade machine only accept three letters, so I wrote yours.”

“Aren’t you the sweetest?”

Amy placed a kiss on her cheek, what Kamilah retributed. The girl’s stomach growled loud, interrupting the moment.

“Would you like to get something to eat?”

———-

Never in the last few months, Amy could imagine she’d see Kamilah Sayeed sharing a portion of fries with her in a fast-food restaurant.

“Try one with ketchup.”

Kamilah rolled her eyes and took the fry from her hand, eating it hesitantly. At first, it seemed she was ingesting something toxic, but soon her expression changed.

“Verdict?” Amy asked.

“Not so bad,” the female vampire answered. “But not that I could tolerate eating that almost everyday, like you and Lily.”

“Now finish your burger.”

“Do I really have to?”

“No, but it would make me really happy.”

“You’ve got no mercy.”

Amy laughed as she observed Kamilah eating. It was very late at night and they were the only two customers at the restaurant. That could be the perfect time to bring up the subject.

“Kamilah, I’ve been thinking…” she started, pausing as the vampire’s deep brown eyes stared at her to pay attention. “I-I… I want to be... like you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I want to be a vampire.”

Kamilah silenced and took a moment to finally say something again.

“Don’t take this the wrong way but,” she paused. “May I ask you why?”

“I’m so done being weak and vulnerable, always getting in danger. Also, being a vampire my blood will become useless for Gaius and the cultists.”

“Fair enough. I’ll give you a couple days, if you change your mind…”

“I won’t.”

Respecting Kamilah’s decision, Amy waited for the next two days. During her stay at Raines Corporation, she reunited with Lily, Adrian and Jax in the conference room to ask about their feelings regarding vampirism.

“Let me see…” Lily pondered. “You’re super strong. You don’t age. You don’t get sick. No more period cramps. No need to sleep. Hell, I love it!”

“It’s a tough decision,” Adrian had different views about it. “At some point you’ll watch as all your loved ones die. You’ll watch as the world changes. It becomes so natural you’ll be emotionally numb to almost everything.”

“It has pros and cons,” Jax placed a hand on her shoulder. “But you won’t be alone. We’ll be there for you and it’ll make the process easier to adjust.”

“So, have you made your decision?” Kamilah showed up at the door, waiting for her response.

“I did. And I keep my decision, I want to become a vampire.”

“Then, let’s go.”

“To where?”

“Adrian has agreed to borrow us his cabin in New York Upstate. We’ll be safe in there.”

Amy nodded and followed Kamilah to her car. She said a brief goodbye to the group, because she knew they’d be returning soon.

“So, not even Adrian could change your mind, huh?”

“No. I think it’ll be the best for all of us.”

“Are you scared?” Kamilah placed a hand on top of hers.

“Actually, I’m a little bit excited.”

“You’re truly remarkable and brave, Amy.”

They were both quiet during the rest of the way. Kamilah turned on the radio to play some music. That was supposed to help Amy to relax.

By the time they arrived at Adrian’s cabin, it was already night. While Amy took a shower and changed her clothes, Kamilah prepared the living room for the Turning ritual. She placed a bedroll near the fireplace and the sarcophagus nearby.

“Are you ready?” She asked when Amy walked in the living room.

“Yes,” Amy answered, confident and decided. She could tell Kamilah was a little bit nervous.

“Okay, so… you’ll lie down here and I’ll feed from you. This time I won’t stop, you’ll start feeling weak until you lose conscience and then…”

“I’ll die.”

“Exactly, and I’ll give you my blood. When you wake up in six hours, you’ll be a vampire.”

Amy lied on the bedroll like Kamilah told. The female vampire followed her, staring deeply into her eyes as her body climbed on top of the girl’s.

“Do it,” Amy ordered.

“Amy, I can’t lose you. That’s nothing something I could bear,” Kamilah’s lips brushed softly on hers. “I lo…”

“Don’t say it yet. Save it for when I wake up.”

Kamilah nodded in agreement and closed the distance, parting Amy’s lips with her tongue. The girl could feel her heart pulsing, fast and anxious. Their kiss lasted minutes and when they stopped, Kamilah placed kisses all the way down to her neck. Amy could feel the tips of her fangs against her skin, ready for that deadly bite. She closed her eyes, trying to remain calm.

“It’s the best for everyone. After that, I’ll no longer be weak or vulnerable again.”

She was embracing her imminent fate.

Kamilah suddenly stopped.

“No,” she shook her head in denial, going to the windows. “It can’t be.”

“Kamilah, what’s wrong?” Amy followed her.

“They’re here, Amy. I can feel them.”

“Who?”

“Gaius and the cultists. They’re here to take you.”