Terms and Conditions Apply

The next day, Akira returned to the mansion.

He'd spent the previous evening questioning his life choices. His apartment had felt smaller than usual, the silence heavier. The bandage on his neck, decorated with tiny cartoon bats, mocked him from the bathroom mirror.

You agreed to let a vampire drink your blood. Regularly. For money.

And yet, here he was.

Reina answered the door, looking impeccable as always. Today's aesthetic was "elegant vampire scholar": reading glasses perched on their nose, hair in an intricate updo.

"Akira-san! Punctual. I appreciate that." They stepped aside. "Mio's been... preparing."

"Preparing?"

"You'll see."

Mio's room was different.

Not clean, there were still cables everywhere, energy drink cans, merchandising boxes. But one section had been cleared. A small table. Two chairs. Medical supplies arranged with almost military precision.

And Mio, standing in the middle of it all, clutching a bound document to her chest like a shield.

"Akira-san. Um. Hi."

"Hi."

"I made a contract." She held it out with both hands. "For the blood donation arrangement. It's... very thorough."

Akira took it. The document was substantial. Professionally bound. Twenty pages with a table of contents.

"This is..."

"Too much?" Her hands twisted together. "I had legal consultation. I wanted to make sure everything was clear and proper and.."

"It's impressive," Akira said.

Her shoulders dropped with relief. "Oh. Good."

They sat. Mio pulled out her own copy, already flagged with color-coded tabs.

Akira had signed a lot of documents in his life. Government contracts. Apartment leases. Insurance paperwork.

He'd never actually read most of them.

But this? This he read.

She'd turned her monitor on while he read, started playing. Badly. She kept glancing at him, missing attacks, getting killed by things she should have easily dodged.

He was on page seven when Mio died in her game for the third time. Badly. She'd turned her monitor on while he read, "so you can take your time without feeling watched," she'd explained. She kept glancing at him, missing enemy attacks, getting killed by things she should have easily dodged.

"You can ask questions," she said during a loading screen. "If anything is unclear."

"I'm good so far."

She nodded, died again, made a small sound of frustration.

Section Three, Paragraph B, stopped him cold.

COMFORT MEASURES: To ease the natural anxiety associated with blood extraction, a mild calming influence may be applied during the donation process. This influence affects only immediate physical comfort and anxiety response. Duration: Active only during extraction, dissipates within 5-10 minutes post-procedure. This measure is OPTIONAL and may be declined without penalty.

"The hypnosis," he said.

Mio's game character fell off a cliff. She didn't respawn.

"Yes," she said quietly.

"Explain it to me."

She turned to face him. "Blood donation is scary. The anxiety can cause fainting, panic. The spell softens that. Makes the experience less frightening." She paused. "It's magic that affects your emotional state. That's why it's disclosed."

"Do you use it with all your customers?"

"Yes. With full consent." She fidgeted with her hoodie strings. "Most people don't actually read that section. They just sign. But I wanted you to know."

The door burst open. Reina swept in with tea.

"I wasn't eavesdropping," they announced. "I was waiting for an appropriate moment to provide refreshments."

"That's the same thing," Mio muttered.

Reina set down the tea. "The hypnosis is standard practice. Without it, humans often have traumatic experiences. Panic attacks, fainting, which is dangerous during feeding. The spell prevents that."

"But it's still manipulation," Akira said.

"It's harm reduction," Reina corrected. "Like painkillers during a medical procedure."

Akira looked at Mio. "Can it be removed?"

"Yes," she said immediately. "Right now if you want. You don't have to…"

"I didn't say I wanted it removed. I'm asking what happens if it is."

"Oh." She blinked. "The experience would be more intense. Uncomfortable. Higher risk of fainting. You'd feel the prey instinct, it's not pleasant." Her expression darkened. "I fed without it once. Years ago. The human had a panic attack. I felt like a monster."

Akira picked up his tea. Thought about it.

"Keep it," he said.

Mio's head snapped up. "Really?"

"You disclosed it. You explained it. You offered to remove it." He met her eyes. "That's informed consent."

"But it still affects you…"

"So does caffeine. So does exhaustion." He shrugged. "You're being honest. That matters."

Reina smiled. "A reasonable man. Refreshing."

Mio still looked uncertain. "If you ever want it removed, just tell me. I promise."

"I will."

Reina supervised the rest like a lawyer at a merger.

"Payment," Mio said, sliding a paper across the table.

Akira looked at the number. Blinked.

"This is per session?"

"Yes."

"That's more than my government salary."

"Your blood is really good! Fair compensation!"

"Plus hazard pay," Reina added. "Given the circumstances."

Mio turned red. "That was an isolated incident!"

They discussed frequency: twice a week maximum, mandatory rest periods. Mio showed him spreadsheets. Three of them. Color-coded.

"You stayed up forty-eight hours making these," Reina supplied.

"I wanted to be thorough!"

Akira studied the spreadsheets. Temperature tracking. Blood pressure trends. A column for "post-donation mood."

"This is very professional," he said.

Mio brightened. "Really?"

"Really."

"Oh. Good." She saved the file. "So. If the terms are acceptable...?"

"They're acceptable."

The signing was ceremonial. They each signed and dated. Reina witnessed.

Momo appeared, phone in hand. "Can I witness too?"

"You're twelve…"

"I'm SEVENTY-THREE." She signed with a flourish and drew a tiny bat.

"That's not legally binding," Reina said.

"Don't care. It's cute." She held up her phone. "Can I film?"

Reina plucked it from her hands. "Absolutely not."

The door closed. Just Akira and Mio again.

"So," she said. "First official session?"

The corner had been transformed. Clean towels. Antiseptic. Blood pressure monitor. Snacks covered with plastic wrap.

Mio pulled on medical gloves. Checked supplies. Consulted a clipboard.

"Step one: Confirm consciousness."

"I'm conscious."

Checkmark. "Step two: Confirm willingness."

"I'm willing."

She checked his blood pressure. "120 over 80. That's good, right?"

"It's normal."

"Perfect!" She made a note. "I'll feed from your arm today. Safer for first session."

Akira rolled up his sleeve.

Mio stared at his exposed forearm. Swallowed.

"You can start whenever," Akira said.

She didn't move.

"I'm just..." She gripped the clipboard. "What if I lose control again?"

"You won't."

"But how…"

"Because you're standing there with a clipboard. You're prepared. You're nothing like during the game rage."

She set down the clipboard. Sat beside him.

"Tell me if anything feels wrong," she said. "Anything at all."

"I will."

She held his arm gently. "The hypnosis will activate when I bite. You'll feel warmth. Calm. It's normal."

Then she leaned in.

The first touch of her fangs was careful. Testing. Then they pierced.

Sharp, a needle stick. Then warmth spread through him. Like sinking into a hot bath. The tension melted away.

Oh.

Mio made a soft sound. Content.

She drank carefully. Measured. After thirty seconds, she pulled back. Licked the wound to seal it, then pressed gauze anyway.

"How do you feel?" she asked.

"Good, actually."

"The hypnosis is working." She wrapped a bandage. "Any discomfort?"

"None."

"It worked. I didn't mess up." The relief in her voice was palpable.

Mio went into full caretaker mode. Made him lie on the couch. Brought water, juice, cookies.

"You need to replenish! Drink this!"

She checked his blood pressure again. Set a timer.

"Thirty minutes rest minimum."

Reina entered with more food. "How did it go?"

"Perfect!" Mio beamed. "No complications!"

"And you?"

"I felt in control. It was good."

Reina patted her head. "I'm proud of you."

Mio hid in her hoodie, smiling.

When the timer beeped, Mio jumped. "Thirty minutes! You can sit up!"

"I've been sitting up for twenty minutes."

"Oh. Right." She laughed, embarrassed.

She walked him to the door. Payment envelope in hand.

"Same time next week?"

"Yeah."

A pause.

"Thank you," she said. "For giving me another chance."

"Thank you for taking it seriously."

Small smiles. Both of them.

Back in his apartment, Akira set down the payment envelope. That was a lot of money.

He touched his arm where she'd bitten. Healed completely.

His phone buzzed.

Mio (VAMPIRE, BLOOD SESSIONS): Thank you for today.

He typed back: No problem. See you next week.

Added: You did great today.

Her response was immediate: Really?? Thank you!! Please eat dinner and rest well!

Another: And hydrate!

Another: Sorry for spam. I'll stop now.

He smiled. Put the phone down.

"What am I doing?" he asked the empty apartment.

But he wasn't unhappy about it.

In her room, Mio stared at her phone.

He'd said she did great.

She touched her lips where his blood had been.

Typed: Thank you for trusting me.

Deleted it. Too much.

Tried: Hope you have a good day!

Deleted that too. Three messages was enough.

She set the phone down. Pulled her hoodie over her face.

"Don't mess this up," she whispered.

Her phone buzzed.

Akira: You too. See you Wednesday.

Simple. Professional.

But he'd replied.

Mio smiled into her hoodie and, for the first time in months, didn't feel quite so lonely.