Oh. Jungkook had an inkling of an idea about what the next stage of his trial period was supposed to be and he was both nervous and excited about it. They were nearing the halfway point of what he understood to be a yearlong endeavor, and if he was right, his was moving a little faster than usual. Of course the books and guidelines all said around a year, but that wasn’t the same as having it come from the coven itself. He’d read online of other trials taking longer in different cities so the fact his was moving quicker was a good thing. In his book anyway. Mostly.

                So far, he’d covered all the basic rules of being a vampire. What they could do and when in general. What the relationships were generally like between the other races and who to go to for help or avoid if you could help it. A vague confirmed recent history of vampires – more than what they taught in school but still guarded for sure. The major players of any city, including the Hunters, Covens, Packs, particularly helpful Mages, and Administrative leaders like those located in Admin Circle had also been covered. Among other things.

                The first half of the trial was all easy to handle stuff. None of it was particularly off-putting and he knew there was a reason for it. Good old carrot and stick approach. Some felt they needed to start off easy to not scare any possible trainees off preemptively. The second half would be more stick in terms of the possible negatives or downsides of being a vampire. From what he’d managed to uncover, it would likely be a lot of demonstrations, seeing as he wasn’t a vampire just yet, but one of the first ones would be…

                “Feeding time,” Yoongi grinned at him when he poked his head inside Jungkook’s room in the coven.

                “You could knock,” he grumbled, fidgeting in his chair awkwardly. He hadn’t been doing anything embarrassing or worth being nervous about but still…

                “I could but it sounded like now was a good time,” the vampire shrugged, further stepping inside.

                “It’s not fair your hearing is that good,” Jungkook frowned with a wrinkled nose.

                 Yoongi threw his hands in the air in an unapologetic shrug. “If you become one of us, yours will be too, you know.”

                “Yeah, but it won’t be for a while yet.”

                “True enough. Come on,” he urged again, crossing the room quickly to snag Jungkook’s arm and gently but firmly pull him into a standing position.

                Slightly unsettled by the announcement, he let himself be dragged forward with the quiet question, “What do you mean, feeding time?” The vampires at the coven usually just ate from blood packs in the kitchen. He knew there was a difference between eating those and eating from a live person but…

                “Just what I said. Time to learn the difference in food sources,” he explained with a small laugh. “Just like humans have foods that help their bodies more than others, so do we. Just with a smaller variety,” he added with a half-shrug and a snort.

                “Okay,” he murmured, looking down at the connection between them. Yoongi rarely touched him unless he was pulling or prodding him in some direction, but it was never hard or forceful. Even now, his hand was firm but still quite gentle with his insistence. It was silly but these moments were nice – like he actually had a connection of sorts to the vampire. He was well aware they weren’t friends yet. Not really. That mentor mentee thing was still too prominent in Yoongi’s mind. Or so Jungkook would have guessed. Outside of learning the ins and outs of being a vampire, he was relatively certain the other man wouldn’t just hang out with him randomly.

                A pity that, but at least he still had Sandara and Yugyeom actually. The latter had been cleared of any culpability in the chimera thing, so they were able to maintain contact. Jungkook was even able to give him a very brief rundown of the situation as it was. Strangely enough, even Liza was beginning to come around, as far as possible friends went. And he was starting to get to know Sanghyuk a bit more, when the young vampire wasn’t being hauled off on another mission with Jungsu. That one still made him nervous more than anything…

                “Alright. So we’re gonna be in the basement today,” Yoongi interrupted his train of thought and surprised him when he started pulling him to a downstairs hallway he hadn’t really noticed before.

                “Secret door?” he wondered half-jokingly.

                “For humans,” the vampire grinned over his shoulder, clearly enjoying himself.

                “Lame,” he scowled, shrinking in on himself a little more when the light started to fade completely.

                “Joonie,” Yoongi called ahead when he noticed Jungkook getting nervous about the dark.

                It wasn’t the lack of light itself but rather the stairs. He really didn’t want to trip because he couldn’t see them.

                “Sorry,” the vampire lord laughed once at the bottom somewhere before light flooded the stairwell.

                “Ouch,” he and Yoongi winced at the same time, shielding their eyes. By the small smirk on Yoongi’s face, Jungkook guessed he’d heard something else. “The others?” he questioned.

                “Caught by surprise too,” he grinned further, teeth a very normal human shape just then.

                When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Jungkook saw that all the members of the coven were present. Wonho and Sanghyuk both seemed a bit more excited than usual. Jungsu was his usual stoic self, though even he had the hint of a smile on his lips today. Namjoon was relaxed and seemingly unflappable. Not like there were any high stakes today, but he always had this air of invincibility about him.

                “Welcome to the basement,” the vampire lord grinned, giving a theatrical bow as he did so. Jungkook couldn’t help but smile at the greeting. “For the rest of your trial, most of your time will be spent down here,” the vampire continued, gesturing at the expansive and open space. “For our secrecy and your safety, we try to stay as closeted as possible,” he shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest before looking at Jungsu.

                On cue, the second took over. “As Yoongi probably mentioned, today we will discuss feeding.”

                “He did,” Jungkook confirmed quickly, glancing at Yoongi once before looking back at the other vampire.

                “Good. Let’s begin then,” he nodded with a small smile.

                Confused, Jungkook watched Jungsu wave Wonho and Sanghyuk over. He nearly jumped when Yoongi leaned close enough to whisper in his ear, “Still curious about what it feels like to be bit?”

                “Yeah…?” he responded in confused uncertainty.

                “Good. You’ll find out today,” the slightly shorter vampire winked and leaned back just a touch, his expression mostly unreadable. Jungkook could tell he was at least slightly amused, but beyond that…

                “Jungkook!”

                “Yes!” he yelped in nervous surprise when Jungsu called his name sharply.

                “Over here,” the elder vampire gestured, drawing him closer to the younger vampires. Yoongi did not go with him when he walked over. It made him feel very… alone. Nor did he miss Namjoon quietly moving to join the pale vampire, leaving him with the other three. “Now,” Jungsu murmured when Jungkook drew closer. “Feeding is simple. However, there are etiquette rules,” he explained primly, holding up one finger like an instructor.

                Calmly, Jungsu illustrated how bites were traditionally given on the wrist – as pointed out by Wonho or on the neck and shoulder area. Sanghyuk gestured to the acceptable areas. The latter was usually reserved for close associates as a matter of trust and respect. In emergencies, any bite was acceptable. On the other hand, just like humans shouldn’t be messy eaters, the same applied to vampires. No ripping, tearing, marking or otherwise making a mess of things. For an offending vampire, the best case scenario would be coven imprisonment for a specified period of time. Worst case scenario was a temporary defanging and a stay with the Hunters for punishment. Serial offenders would be executed.

                “Now. On to the fun stuff,” Jungsu announced, the abrupt change in tone and topic totally throwing Jungkook for a loop. “Our main sources of food are blood packs, but there are venues in the city where you can go to feed on willing participants. Human blood is standard fare and gives a slight boost to immediate performance. Wonho. Sanghyuk,” he encouraged, gesturing at the pair.

                The two vampires glanced at each other and nodded together. At an apparently invisible signal, the pair sprinted off in what had to be a short race. It was obvious that Wonho was faster and when they returned, Sanghyuk was a bit behind him. Both were inhumanly fast and Jungkook stared at them in wide-eyed fascination long after they’d returned. Seeing them on video was one thing. In person was something else entirely…

                “Sanghyuk,” Jungsu urged, gesturing at Jungkook.

                The sound of his name snapped him into focus again and he frowned thoughtfully. “Huh?”

                “If you wouldn’t mind?” Sanghyuk smiled shyly, gesturing at Jungkook’s wrist.

                Dumbfounded, he just stared at his wrist for a second and then it clicked. “Oh,” he hummed, pulling his arm close to his body nervously. This was it. Biting time. He’d always thought Yoongi would be the one doing it… Uncertainly, he glanced over at said vampire – who was no help at all. The blonde gave him a reassuring smile and one nod. Jungkook narrowed his eyes in response and exhaled. Fine then. As far as other vampires went, Sanghyuk was one of the least intimidating and they were almost on friendly terms. “Will it hurt?” he asked, starting to extend his arm slowly.

                “A little bit,” the young vampire admitted with an almost apologetic shrug. “It’s kind of like a sharp pinch.”

                Jungkook took a breath and nodded to himself. “Okay.” His heart beating fast in his chest, he extended his arm the rest of the way and let Sanghyuk grab it gently. He inhaled slightly when fangs grew in the young vampire’s mouth, and he couldn’t quite stop his stomach from twisting when the tips pressed against his bare skin. “Ow!” he chirped, mostly out of reflex when the promised pinch came. It felt like the prick of a needle. But after, it didn’t feel like much of anything. And it was over almost as soon as it began.

                “Thank you,” Sanghyuk grinned, careful to hide his mouth with one hand so as to not unnerve the human with blood covered teeth.

                “That was it?” Jungkook wondered, thinking there would be more to it. He was equally confounded by the almost invisible wounds on his wrist from where Sanghyuk had bitten him. The fang marks were more like pin pricks now and barely discernible on his skin.

                “Yes,” Jungsu nodded. “Young vampires don’t have as much ability to affect the donor in a feeding session. And today, we only need a mouthful to show the difference,” he explained with another gesture at the two young vampires.

                True to form, the pair engaged in another race, but this time, Sanghyuk was noticeably faster. While he still couldn’t quite beat the other vampire, he could keep up with him this time. “Wow,” Jungkook murmured, impressed by the obvious difference.

                “The effect is generally slightly to significantly better when we feed from a magical creature, though it does depend on their latent strength as well,” Jungsu added, his hand gesture encompassing the different ranks of vampires in the immediate area. “Yoongi. Wonho,” he called, gesturing at the two vampires.

                Immediately, Jungkook turned to watch his probable mentor step forward, the effect like watching a ghost move. He practically glided over the floor and it was almost eerie. But then he opened his mouth and the effect was banished. “Just because you get a taste of Jungsu’s blood today doesn’t mean you should go all out,” he commented, a glimmer of his usual often lazy self coming through.

                “When else am I gonna get a chance to beat you?” Wonho quipped in response, a cocky half-grin lighting up his face.

                “They’re gonna fight?” Jungkook asked out loud, the words escaping him before he could stop them.

                “Yep. It’s gonna be awesome!” Sanghyuk grinned, b with excitement.

                “It’ll only be a short sparring session. No shadows or cloak manipulation,” Namjoon warned sternly, his finger pointing at Yoongi.

                “Yeah, yeah,” the vampire waved off, stuffing his hands into his pockets and rocking lightly on his feet while he waited for Wonho to join him.

                Namjoon wandered over and gently grabbed Jungkook to guide him to the side where they could watch safely. He got the feeling the vampire lord was also a defense of some sort, just in case, but Jungkook couldn’t quite shake the dangerous thrill of the moment. A vampire fight scene in a movie was often short and mostly animated, due in no small part because they weren’t generally allowed to show their real abilities, even if they were a vampire actor.

                His skin tingled and his belly twisted into a ball when Wonho drew close to Yoongi. The younger vampire definitely seemed a little different already. There was an energy about him, like a cat in the cold. Yoongi seemed completely at ease, almost bored, but there was a sharpness to his eyes that wasn’t usually present. Jungkook had seen it once before, with the chimera, but here, it felt strange. At least until it started. In the blink of an eye, Wonho moved, Yoongi reacted, and Jungkook’s breath lodged in his throat.

                “So, what did you think?” a slightly scratched up Yoongi asked when they finally got back to Jungkook’s room in the coven.

                It was hard to actually put everything into words. Jungkook’s mind was still spinning from watching the fight and then the healing and then the rest of the explaining by both Namjoon and Jungsu in the aftermath. “I…” he started to speak and trailed off, lightly grasping his arm with one hand and holding it close.

                “Different from what you thought?” Yoongi asked, keeping his distance as he asked.

                “More,” Jungkook responded in the breath of a whisper. He glanced up to meet the vampire’s eyes for a moment, searching the dark orbs. He’d seen him in the fight against the chimera, but it had been dark and so very short. He was fast and somewhat frightening then. Today…

                Yoongi regarded him in turn, tilting his head to the side. “Do you still want to be a vampire?”

                Jungkook hesitated for a moment. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to. It was simply that times like this required a little more thought and consideration. Fortunately, Yoongi seemed to understand for the vampire didn’t try to rush him. “Yes,” he finally admitted in a quiet voice. It was more than loud enough for the other man to hear him though. For just a second, he thought he saw the flicker of a smile pull at the corner of the vampire’s mouth. But then it was gone and he half suspected it was just the shadows playing on his face.

                “Come here,” Yoongi urged, gesturing for him to move closer. Curious, Jungkook didn’t really hesitate. When he was in front of the vampire, one pale arm extended in front of him. Three angry red lines were apparent on the skin. “Wonho got me pretty good a time or two,” he snorted, partially annoyed but also grudgingly respectful.

                “Ouch,” Jungkook winced, one hand reaching almost automatically as if he could help.

Yoongi waved him off with his free hand. “Watch,” he instructed instead, placing a finger at the end of a single line. Slowly, he dragged the fingertip over the wound and as he did so, it closed up, healing almost like it had never been. Jungkook gasped in wondrous surprise. This time, he was certain the flicker of a smile crossed Yoongi’s face. “It’s a little slow right now. If I fed, it would go quicker,” he admitted with a shrug, placing his finger above the second line to repeat the process.

                “You know,” Jungkook murmured, chewing on his bottom lip as he started to speak in an uncertain voice. Yoongi paused with one brow raised, waiting for the continuation. “You can…” he added, right hand rising so his fingers brushed against the side of his neck.

                “Bite you?” Yoongi finished for him, hands dropping to hang at his sides.

                “I-if you want,” he stammered, face flushing as his gut twisted nervously. He really was curious, especially since he knew that more powerful vampires could alter how their donors felt when they fed.

                Yoongi looked at him for a long moment, but he did not accept the offer. Instead, he stepped close and raised his hand to place it gently on the top of Jungkook’s head. “Thank you for the offer, but you’ve had a big day. You should probably get some rest in the meantime, youngling,” he quipped, his usual half-smirk coming to the fore. “I’ll be fine,” he winked, snorting once as he turned to head out of the room.

                Torn between wondering if he should call him back or just let him go, Jungkook didn’t quite react in time to stop the vampire from leaving. He frowned as the door closed, leaving him alone with his thoughts. “Ugh…” he groaned, throwing himself down on his bed with a heavy sigh. Had he chased him off somehow? He thought the vampire would be happy about the offer. Or at least curious. This was two times now though that he’d declined.

                Well, at least the performance had been rather memorable. By all rights, the fight had only lasted a couple minutes, but it felt both shorter and longer at the same time. He’d seen Wonho’s speed versus Sanghyuk, but when he’d bitten Jungsu, he’d gotten even faster. He was very much nearly on par with Yoongi, even though they were a full rank apart. Despite the frenzied nature of the sparring match – a test of strength he’d been hard pressed to follow, Yoongi had seemed almost calm about it. Well, except for when Wonho did manage to get a hit or two in. In retrospect, it seemed obvious he wasn’t trying to win, but rather that he was trying to defend and not do harm. Jungkook wondered just how much more Yoongi could have put into the match.

                Namjoon had said something about no shadows or cloak manipulation. He hadn’t seen any from Wonho which stood to reason that he probably couldn’t at his rank. Which made Jungkook all the more curious about what Yoongi had been forbidden to use. “I suppose it’s another reason to stick around,” he mused, staring at his arm where the wounds on Yoongi’s arm would have been. Not to mention the fast healing. Jungsu had made sure to help heal Wonho – something a higher ranking vampire could do apparently, but Yoongi had declined any such aid from Namjoon. “I wonder why you’re so stubborn.” He frowned at the thought and shook his head.

                It was a concern for another day. Right now, he was a bit more tired than he thought he should be, but it was early yet. A shower would probably help. And food. In that order. With a quiet groan, he rolled off the bed and disappeared into his bathroom.

                “You did good today,” Namjoon praised with a satisfied smile on his face.

                Yoongi rolled his eyes and waved off the words. “Just doing what I was supposed to.”

                “Yeah, but you could have gone a lot harder on Wonho. That was nice not to,” the vampire lord chuckled, glancing down the hallway where said vampire would be eating in the kitchen.

                “Eh. There wasn’t any point. He’s annoying sometimes but I don’t want to hurt him,” he laughed once, wiping his hand down his fully healed forearm.

                Namjoon’s smile didn’t falter, but he did change the topic. “How’s Jungkook?”

                Yoongi shrugged. “Still interested.”

                “That’s good.”

                “He asked me to bite him,” he snorted once, looking away.

                “Did you?” the vampire lord wondered, drawing close.

                “Nah. No need,” he waved off, crossing his arms over his chest.

                Namjoon scoffed and shook his head. “Still worried about getting attached are you?”

                Yoongi scowled and glared at the elder vampire. “There will be plenty of time for attachment later. If he sticks around,” he grumbled, fidgeting in place. The thought of him leaving didn’t sit well, but that could also just be because he was tired of losing trainees, potential or otherwise. A fourth would be… harsh.

                “Well, I won’t force you to try and get close to him,” Namjoon laughed, moving close enough to actually lean on Yoongi’s shoulder with a glance down at the shorter vampire. “But I would probably recommend trying to keep him closer in these next couple weeks.” Yoongi’s brow rose in curiosity, washing away the previous irritation. “Word on the street is that a pretty powerful Were is going to be returning soon. Kyuhyun seemed… excited and nervous,” he admitted in amusement.

                “Kyuhyun? Openly nervous?” Yoongi laughed once, shaking his head at the almost absurd thought.

                “You know how it goes,” Namjoon gestured with his hand. “Any time a powerful player openly enters the board, the power dynamics become unstable for at least a little while. If it’s who I think it is, we won’t have to worry about the newcomer falling in with any of those damn Revolutionaries, but… it will make everyone a little antsy in the meantime.”

                “Hence the suggestion to keep Jungkook close,” Yoongi nodded in understanding.

                “Exactly. Though it might be a good time to start preparing yourself for the next demonstration,” he added, patting the top of Yoongi’s head with a reassuring hand.

                Yoongi wrinkled his nose and groaned. “I hate this part.”

                “I know. But hey. At least it’ll give you an excuse to be lazy for a while,” the elder vampire teased with a playful wink.

                “Like I need an excuse,” Yoongi snorted and elbowed Namjoon in the ribs just enough to make them break apart.

                As Yoongi started to head out, he paused when Namjoon’s quiet voice pierced the silence. “I want you to be careful too, Yoongi. Yejin said she might have a lead on the chimera and it’s possible it’s still in the area. You could be a prime target.”

                “I’ll be fine,” Yoongi waved him off, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he strode down the hallway. He passed by the kitchen and heard Sanghyuk and Wonho talking animatedly. They were going over the demonstration with all the glee of children. He paused just enough to register Jungsu’s energy with them and then continued on. The chimera was an uncomfortable thought but he was more concerned about not eating. And the incoming Were. Not to mention he would have to go see Yejin soon after this next demonstration too. The thought made him frown as he scratched absently at his chest.

                “Be careful with your conjurings for this next bit or you’ll make me stay up all night again,” Byunghyun warned with one eye cracked as he tiredly glared at the Anansi who was preparing for the next part, his expression easing when he glanced at Hyuna.

                She favored him with a warm smile and wandered close. “If you ever need a rest, let me know, my dear,” she soothed, running the backs of her fingers against his cheek before she leaned down and kissed his silver hair covered forehead.

                “Ooohh!” Seungkwan and Mingyu teased at the same time.

Byunghyun made a face at both of them and then snorted when his charge upended the taunt herself. “Me too!” Jisoo grinned, reaching both dainty hands towards Hyuna imploringly.

                “Of course,” Hyuna grinned, gently clasping the small hands in hers and making a much larger show of sharing her love. The fairy giggled in utter delight at the needlessly noisy kiss on her forehead. It was just the balm for the atmosphere, shaking them all out of what had been a dark and dreary moment. “Anyone else?” Hyuna asked as she straightened, smiling down at all her children. Jisoo’s hand in hers was warm and trusting. “Chan?” she wheeled gently, leaning just a touch closer to her newest.

                He flushed a marvelous pink across his cheeks and shrank in on himself with a flustered smile and a quick shake of his brunette head. “I’m okay.”

                “Too soon?” she chuckled and stood upright again.

                “Well, he did just get here,” Hyunseong reminded as he leaned over enough to clap the young man’s shoulder reassuringly.

                “I’d ask but I’m way down here,” Wonshik interrupted with a rising hand, a mischievous grin on his face.

                “Like that every stopped you before,” Minzy snorted, a bemused look on her face.

                “Hey!” he yelped in indignation.

                “I’ve got you, Wonnie,” Joshua promised, leaning forward so he could sling his arms around the other man’s chest and rest his chin on the top of his head.

                Giggles erupted and Wonshik narrowed his eyes. “I can’t tell if you’re teasing me or sincere.”

                “Ouch! I’m hurt,” Joshua pouted, tilting his head enough to glance down at the corner of Wonshik’s eye. “Oof!” he gasped next as Mingyu leaned close and bear hugged him into submission.

                Jennie shrieked in tickled delight as someone’s fingers brushed her ribs. She grabbed Chan’s arm and held tight as she ducked her head against his shoulder with an unabashed grin. Hyosung yelped with a surprised giggle when Seungkwan moved enough to shove her off the arm of the couch to slide practically on top of Mingyu. Byunghyun gave a mute side-eyed look at Hyunseong, who ignored him before leaning over and loosely wrapping one arm around the baku and the fairy and using the other to steady himself on the back of the couch. Minzy was left untouched for a moment longer until Seungkwan plopped himself down beside and behind her so he could prop his chin on her shoulder as he gave her a friendly back hug.

                Hyuna watched her children with a such warmth in her chest. A cuddle pile like this hadn’t happened in a while, but she was all the happier for it. While the next part of the story was not new to most of them, it never got any easier, even for her. Very gently, she pulled her hand free from Jisoo’s and knelt in front of them. Her fingers twined with Minzy’s and she met all their eyes one after another before speaking again. “The next part of the story is from the Dark Ages,” she murmured with a sad smile on her face.

                Immediately, the energy of the group dropped just a little bit, but she went on anyway. “Some of what you will see will be scary and maybe even painful. But know that it was a long time ago and we are mostly past those events now. And I promise you, as long as I am here with you, I will never let anything happen to you,” she assured them with all the earnestness she could muster. “Okay?” she asked, glancing at each child once more.

                “We know, mom. But thank you,” Hyosung smiled back from her perch where she was wedged between Mingyu’s back and the back of the couch, her elbow propped lightly on his shoulder.

                “Of course,” Hyuna winked, giving Minzy’s fingers a light squeeze. Her other hand ghosted over the hands and knees and heads of those on her other side, reassuring and quietly loving. She stopped on Chan’s knee and held his eyes with a searching look. “You ready to continue?” The flush was still there but he nodded in mute agreement, the shy smile seemingly unshakable. “Minzy?” she asked, turning her attention back to the newly relaxed Anansi.

                “Okay,” she agreed with a quiet exhale. One hand shifted to grab Seungkwan’s arm around her waist, taking reassurance from it. “The Dark Ages. As the name implies, it was not a good time in our history…”