Chapter 31: Clarissa

April 23, 2022.

“Ugh, my ‘Tirade at the old Biddy’ was recorded and reported. Some of the reactions are funny. Most think it was edited or staged. Did I really sound disjointed to you?”

“Well, you do have a tendency of bouncing from subject to subject.”

“Shut it. Who asked you? UGH. Someone, I won’t mention Colleen’s name who I will kill later, stickied my ‘Shut it’. I think the new one is spreading.”

I chuckled at her discomfort. “Oh, Darrin has a girlfriend. FINALLY ... she’s a Franco actress and a gold digger, I think. Hell, she is twenty-three. He’s forty. What a jerk.” I laughed again at her obvious taunt of me. “She is pretty, not too pretty though. No top billings but five good roles in the last four years. I’ve seen her in Midsummer Nights’ as Hippolyta. She was okay ... According to her publicist, they met on vacation three weeks ago and she is now staying in Central City. Ha! At his house I bet.”

“You should have told me. We could have taken them to Ureal last night with us.” Catherine started giggling into her shredded wheat. “We could call it old fogies and their too young, hot lovers’, date night.” Which further dissolved her composure, increasing the giggle count per minute.

“Do you think she can give me pointers? I hear all the hot Franco gold diggers know all the tricks on fleecing rich, older guys.”

“Be sure to ask Darrin that. I know he will appreciate it.” I chuckled while reading the latest news. Bullette was still missing. It was over two months now. He was a good kid. I hoped he was all right.

*Click. “Colleen, I am going to kill you...” I heard laughter on the other end of the phone.

Unfortunately, for the sandy haired Hero, he was confined and being ‘forced’ to entertain a ravishing older blonde, for hours on end, every day. Ever since the day he was captured by a group of four unknown assailants, Timothy Royal had been ‘forced’ to make love to the masked beauty three times a day for the last seventy-nine days. Even with the hardcover books and numerous other entertainment diversions, the fatigued Hero was bored silly. He missed his AI, Darla, and the open skies. At first it wasn’t so bad. All he could eat, great meals, a beautiful masked woman with a great body and lots of love. But prison was still prison.

She even told him the reason of his capture, after a month of great sex. She wanted his kid which left him limp for days. But under ‘Urie’s’ skillful ministrations, at least that’s what she told him to call her, he was not limp long. He just wished the ordeal would be soon over.

“Master, do you have all the readings from yesterday?”

“They are on the server.”

“I’m locking them along with the notes. That Device is in locker17. I think the next one will be easier, only a few modifications, one major and three minor. That was a huge mistake on my part.” She berated herself over using the wrong substitution equation.

Cat was officially over Rachel. Her mood was back to normal and her energy and speech were optimistic. “Clarissa will be arriving tomorrow. I believe she wants to talk to you.”

“And I was in such a good mood. Where is my Hoverboard?”

...

At noon Clarissa showed up, her hair a mess and covered in leaves and twigs. Her jacket was ripped and traces of blood were on the back of her shirt above her custom ripped jeans and higher up under her shoulder.

“What happened to you?” I asked, since Cat asked me to get the door.

“Hit a bird on the Hoverboard at seventy-five miles per hour,” she grinned. “Damn thing knocked me clean off. I don’t think my jacket is salvageable.”

It wasn’t. A large rip along the right shoulder had enough blood on the inside to prove the damage her fall caused.

“Did a tree mug you when you weren’t looking?” Cat asked while wiping her hands on a towel. Ugh, that jacket and shirt are toast. Let’s get you out of those clothes and into a shower. I’ll hold off lunch.”

Clarissa being the tease she was began disrobing right in the hallway. “You. Den.” Cat instructed me. When it came to Clarissa’s teasing, she was ever-forceful. “Slut, undress upstairs. Get moving both of you.” I followed orders, while Cat escorted our guest up to her room.

“She has a broken rib and an ugly gash under her right shoulder blade. Nothing looks too serious, her flesh is mostly healed now, anyway.” Cat reported in after bandaging her friend and taping a plastic bag around the fresh gauze.

“The soup is good. Your robot is getting better.” Clarissa commented between spoonfuls.

“Tell her yourself.”

“Julia, your soup has improved.” Our guest called out loudly in jest.

“Thank you, Miss Clarissa.” A second later our robotic cook entered the dining room and replied in an unemotional voice.

“Wow, she has improved. KittyCat you are really progressing.”

“Don’t call me that, Slut. I have been tweaking her AI. I like the results so far. Thank you, Julia, you can go now.” Dismissed, JuliaBot returned to the kitchen to finish cleaning. “The GB’s are great learning material for me. I’ve even started making some of my own. Can’t sell them yet. Their AI is too green. In some ways it’s better that they are a blank slate with no bad habits to un-learn. In other ways, they are dumber than a box of rocks. Who would want to raise a Bot from newborn status?”

“The military. I bet you can sell them as they are now.”

“Maybe. I need to improve their base AI first. It still takes too long for them to learn anything. I have two field hockey and two soccer bots playing against each other. At first it was one on one, now they take turns swapping out on even and odd days, playing against each other. They are learning faster that way. What do you want to talk about?”

No segue. Just up and asked her at the lunch table.

“I want Master to teach me magic. I have three disciplines to learn.” I saw the resigned grimace of not willing to pay the price for all three from our Inhuman guest. “Even if I only get one now and the other two when I am older, I still need Blood Magic soon. It’s hindering my growth and leaving me vulnerable.”

“What are you offering, and if you say your body, I will introduce you to my newest Device.” Cat liked Lissa, but just didn’t trust her all that much.

“My Oath of not harming, revealing secrets, protecting and obeying the Master for fifty years. I am willing to offer up a Greater Boon.”

“What is a Greater Boon anyway?”

“A favor, anything and everything as long as it won’t cost me my life.”

“Is fifty years long or short?”

“Short. A hundred years is the normal, but a Lesser Boon would be the usual compensation plus some other small exchanges.”

I watched the two haggle, since Cat decided to take over the negotiations.

“How long will it take to teach you what you need to know, spell wise.”

“I am not sure, twenty-five years or so.” The Inhuman Vampire replied honestly. Her whole bargaining session had been genuine.

“How long, Master?”

“Clarissa should be able to learn Major Blood Magic in seven to ten years.”

“Your Oath of not harming, revealing secrets, protecting, and obeying the Master and his household for twenty years along with the Greater Boon to the Master.”

Both turned and gave a questioning glance at me, feeling the offer satisfactory. Clarissa was getting an excellent bargain. In all actuality she was trading a Greater Boon for ten years of Magic instruction.

“Acceptable.”

Clarissa went to her knees, sliced her palm and offered it to me while reciting her Oath. I kissed her palm taking some of her soul with her blood. “I agree to teach Clarissa, Childe of Leonard, Blood Magic to the best of my ability to the level of Major and agree to accept her into my household during the time of training.”

A hiss escaped my newest student’s lips as I expanded on her privileges. Taking one into their household meant full protection and a great many other benefits.

“Thank you Master, for your kindness in accepting me into your household.” Clarissa replied formally, concluding our bonding, while standing to her full beautifully erect five foot ten.

“Why do I think something else was added into the mix that I don’t understand.” Cat questioned with narrowed eyes at the two of us.

“I did the same as I would do with any student. She, like you, is now considered part of my household. Do you find anything wrong with that, Catherine?”

“That’s it?”

“That was it,” I confirmed.

“Okay, then.” Offering Clarissa a welcoming hand. “Welcome to Master’s Madhouse, Lissa.” Who in turn, accepted the proffered hand snagging Cat into an embrace.

“Does this mean I get to share Master’s bed too, Little KittyCat?”

“No way in Hell, you big slut, and quit calling me that.”

“Would you prefer Mistress KittyCat?” Easily wrestling the much smaller girl to the floor, Clarissa straddled Cat, holding her hands above her head.

“If I am your Mistress you have to do what I say. Now get off me, you Amazonian tramp.”

“Hmm, since I don’t feel an obligation to obey, you either weren’t serious or you are a student like me, making us equal.” Moving her face closer to the trapped teen, “Which is it, KittyCat?”

“Floozy, get off of me and quit calling me that.” She didn’t even bother struggling knowing the strength of her adversary. “You should be nice to me since I let you off easy.”

“Only if you don’t hold that over my head for the next two dozen years.”

“Deal.”

“Deal.” Lightly biting the tip of Catherine’s nose, Clarissa jumped up and dusted herself off, then offered a hand to assist her fellow student up.

“I hope you won’t be too much trouble. Some of us are here to learn.”

“I am too, Sister.” Again, Clarissa replied formally. That was not destined to last...

“And stay out of Master’s bed.”

“Unless you or he takes me there, I will not enter his bed.” With that last tease and omen, Lissa danced off outside taking her Hoverboard with her.

“I hope I didn’t make a huge mistake.” In all seriousness, Cat looked at me with a frown once Clarissa was far enough away.

“You made your decision. I agreed to abide by it,” I replied.

“I know. Thanks for letting me choose. It’s hard but I can’t help but see her as a threat.”

“You know, you have the option of using Leonard’s Greater Boon to become Inhuman like her.”

“Then I will have to kill to live. I can’t be like that. Even if she says she only hunts rapists and betrayers. Killing is still killing. I may one day have to kill for survival or in order to protect myself. Both you and Moria have hinted at that enough that I got the message loud and clear. But to kill people in order to consume their life energy? No way.”

“As with everything else in your life, that is your choice.”

“I know.”

...

“Do I get one of those collar thingies?” Clarissa asked at dinner.

“Yes.”

“Not a leather one, those are so last century. I want a techy one or a jewelry one.”

“Are you sure?”

“Not too gaudy, And no lights.

“After dinner, Master. Eat your food first,” Cat chimed in, putting me in ‘my place’. She felt threatened and was trying to secure her dominance in the pecking order.

“Catherine, Apple,” I pointed at her. “Orange,” I pointed at Clarissa.

“KittyCat, no one can take your place. Be at ease.” My newest student, chimed in.

“Sorry.”

“You’re cute when jealous. Maybe a thick necklace. What do you think Sister mine?”

“It would have to be really thick to seat all of the components. One centimeter thick at the minimum, maybe less if he cheats.”

“A snake?”

“Eww, no.” Cat was not fond of snakes.

“What about a dragon?”

“The wings would be too bulky. They would have to be hidden in the back of your neck.”

“Oriental dragons are wingless. How about one of those?”

“Are you sure, it would be like wearing a metal rope?”

“Depends on what Master designs.”

“Fine, I will get his scratch pad,” ‘Not like we were going to get through dinner without him working anyway’. She mumbled on the way to the library.

Placing the smaller 8x11 sketchpad beside my salad, Cat returned to her seat. The three of us commented and contributed to the design, fleshing out a silver sheened quadrupedal snake with pentagonal overlapping scales and a dragon’s head. The creature’s open fanged mouth held a large pearl. The end of the tail wrapped around the neck at the back of the monster’s head with the face pointing down, slightly away from the body and to the left as it wrapped itself around her lovely neck counter clockwise.

“Might as well go now. It’s not like she will let you be until it’s done.” Cat mock complained.

“This will take a while. I’ll start in the morning.” After some additional thought, “I need to place a couple phone calls.” Closing the den doors behind me I placed a call to a recently reunited friend who owned a custom jewelry store.

Click. “Hello, Claire...”

...

Monday morning at sunrise, I woke Cat and Clarissa and led us deep into the trees on my property. “Stand over there Catherine and do not move or speak.”

“Take your top off Clarissa.” she did. Clarissa with her long silver hair and chiseled yet soft curves was near perfect. The massive wound from last year was all healed without a scar marring her light bronzed Mediterranean flesh. Withdrawing a foot-long silver needle from my specially prepared ceramic tube, “I need to stab you in the heart. It will hurt. Do not react.”

Steeling herself, my newest student nodded. I centered the point against her skin and pressed drawing a drop of blood. Quickly with my right palm I slammed the head, forcing the needle six inches through her Inhuman flesh and piercing her powerful organ. Quickly I withdrew the blood covered needle.

“Close your eyes and concentrate on your blood. Follow what I do with your soul sense.” I breathed on the blood Creating a large soap like bubble from the blood. Then retracted it, recoating the needle.

“If you followed that, repeat it, but do not use too much strength. Remember to maintain your concentration on controlling your lifeforce.”

After a dozen tries, Clarissa slumped to the ground in exhaustion. I inserted the needle into the long ceramic tube and sealed it with a preservation enchantment.

“You are tired, which is good. That means you were doing it correctly. Cat was useless for a week after her first time. For the rest of this week I want you to stay on the property. Light exertion is fine. Nothing else. No Hoverboard. You are weaker spiritually right now than you think.”

“I understand, Master.” Her silver hair bobbed in agreement. She was too tired to do anything else.

“Catherine, remember, that trying to use Blood Magic will kill you.” With that reminder, I carried Clarissa into the house and to her bed, laying her down for some much needed rest. Soul exhaustion was not easily overcome.

“I’m expecting a package today. Place it on my desk when it comes, please.”

“Yes, Master.” A very attentive student replied seriously. I might have scared her with the brutality of Clarissa’s first lesson but felt it was necessary to put the overcurious girl off.

“I will be in the workshop. Her new necklace will take some time.”

“Yes, Master.”

“She just needs rest, so leave her be. I think someone has a new engine to make.” I smiled placing my hand on her violet tresses.

“Okay.”

She would come to terms with what happened today sooner or later.

Now where was my clay...

Euryale had delivered, as promised, the pure silver ingots, the golden pearl, and the two rubies that I had requested. She had also gushed at length over her quickening, thanking me for my assistance in the matter. Overblown in my opinion, but if she was happy, then it was all good.

...

That week, Cat and I were busy on our separate projects. Clarissa wandered around the house slowly regaining her strength and watching the two of us at work. Mostly me, since Cat’s high-tech constructions were beyond the two-century-old Inhuman’s comprehension. Whereas my sculpting the silver alloy necklace casing was something she could relate to.

Converting the internals of my collar Device was an easy matter that I had completed on Tuesday. Cat would have said I cheated making the mold for the silver shell. Using a 3D printer, I made the template of the front half of the neckless and then coated the plastic piece in wet clay, letting it dry in a low temperature oven. Dissolving the plastic, I poured the melted material out into the recycler. With a sharp knife, I etched the little imperfections before unwrapping the ingots and washing them of their anti-oxidants.

I proceeded on, heating, melting, stirring, skimming and pouring the molten metal into the mold. Securing the mold in place, I activated the centrifuge making sure that no bubbles or open spaces remained. Watching the silver alloy harden in the form, seventeen minutes later, I cracked the mold and submerged the partially completed silver dragon into a bowl of water. Clarissa sat on a chair next to me, all the while quietly observing me and my work.

While that half set, I repeated the well rehearsed steps with the back half of the proposed necklace. The rest of Thursday and Friday were spent cleaning up the imperfections and on carving the scales. The small irregular shapes were a pain to do, but necessary for the overall look. While all three pieces were still separate, I instructed Clarissa to put her hair up and sit on the three-legged stool beside me.

First, the inner shell went around my newest student’s neck. Then the Device itself, secured to the silver half that would rest against Clarissa’s flesh. A dab of epoxy held the golden pearl in place. Then I attached the outer dragon portion. Using the smallest of heat guns, I soldered the two halves together. For the bottom seam, I attached Clarissa to a pulley, lifting her by her feet, and repeated the zigzag joining.

Adding a final Enchantment, I shooed her off, “All set. Go play. I need to clean up.”

...

“That necklace is beautiful. Rubies and a huge pearl.”

I heard a ‘but’ in her complaint. “But?” I played along.

“Kinda gaudy, don’t you think? And it’s not like she can take it off.”

“That’s the point, isn’t it?”

“Is she really over two hundred years old?”

“The change she underwent was more than physical. She will gain experience through the years but mentally and emotionally, she will change very slowly unless a great trauma affects her.”

“Oh. Does that mean Leonard was already old when he became a vampire?”

“Probably. Remember, people matured faster back then. Life was harder and shorter for the most part. Fourteen-year-old girls were married, and had babies throughout their youth. All too many died in labor. Thirty was considered mature and fifty old.”

“It’s just she seems...”

I waited Cat out.

“Too young, I guess. Like Colleen in the last couple years of high school.”

“She will remain like that for a very long time.”

“Okay. I will try to be nicer to her.” I didn’t ask for that, but would accept her decision.

“How is the new optical propulsion system coming?”

“You know it’s not really O.P.” Knowing that I wanted more, besides a clarification, “I think it’s ready for testing. Tomorrow if it doesn’t rain.”

“After breakfast.” I suggested.

...

“3.2.1.” FShhhwwwooooooshhh

“I don’t think your anchors were secure enough,” I noted.

“Shut it. I can see that. The three of us ducked behind the reinforced barrier as the test model sparked and then slagged itself into a molten heap. Can you help me gather all the pieces please?” Catherine asked her new Sister who was bent over laughing at her friend’s second failure in a row on the same project.

“Just point KittyCat.”

“I don’t think any of the pieces went far but some are tiny. You have better eyes. Will you help me search for them?” The violet haired teen asked.

“Aye, aye, Captain.” And she was off...

“That frame did not survive intact,” I pointed out.

“I know. That’s why I gave her the backpack. If Lissa has a problem she will summon me.” Swapping targets, “Lissa. Try to get everything. Don’t forget to plant the markers too.”

“Why didn’t you go yourself?”

“She will do a much better job than I could. Her senses are amazing.” I nodded with approval. It also would help in their bonding.

“Early guesses?”

“A couple. I won’t know for sure until I read the telemetry off the controller.”

“At least you did get thrust.”

“Too little, and I don’t know why. The explosion kinda makes sense,” she murmured unsatisfactory while going over her data from before the frame crashed tens of meters away.

“KittyCat, you are going to want to come here.”

“Well fuck. Parts detonated after the explosion. Let’s go.” Cat walked to a tree twenty yards away and looked at the hole in the ground along with the chunk missing from the oak. The crater wasn’t that big, less than two feet across and a dozen inches deep. A sliver of steel frame was embedded in the old oak tree. Beyond that nothing could be found.

“You need a metal detector and some time. Tape off the area too. I’ll head back.” No sympathy for the bewildered student who was crestfallen at the destruction.

“I’ll look. You get your detector.” volunteered Clarissa.

...

“Did you get it all?”

“No. But I found the important parts including the controller of the two Devices. Both Devices were destroyed but the controller was intact. Lissa found it in a tree fifty feet away from the impact site.”

“Put it away until Monday. Tomorrow, you two are to do something together.”

“I hate when you do that.” She referred to me making her wait after failures before examining the hows and whys.

“It’s a weekend. Clarissa has been cooped up all week and you have had your nose buried. Both of you need some fun.”

“Beach! Somewhere warm.” Clarissa chimed in.

I looked to my other student. “That’s fine. As long as we don’t take forever getting there.” Cat agreed, not easily, but willingly.

“I know a cute resort in the Keys. Let’s go there.”

“Make the reservations,” I instructed.

“Topless, I should have known. I am so going to kill her.”

“You do know that the topless is optional.”

“That’s not the POINT!”

I wasn’t about to guess...

Cat wore one of her skimpier twist top bikinis while Clarissa did indeed go topless to my and everyone else’s appreciation. While most of the beach goers were older and not in shape, there were a few that were younger and athletic, mostly mid-twenties and male. Lissa worked to persuade her younger friend to join in a harmless activity, Frisbee throwing in the shallows. She was not the only one dressed in a bikini. The few others under forty and in decent shape out there were fifty/fifty.