DoorDash Generation

Three days later, Akira returned to the mansion.

The routine was already establishing itself. Wednesday, 2 PM. Ring the doorbell. Reina answers with their usual dramatic flair. Up to Mio's room. Clipboard. Blood pressure. The bite. Aftercare.

Professional. Clinical. Surprisingly easy.

Mio seemed more confident this time. Less frantic checking of her notes. Less apologizing for existing. She still hid in her hoodie when flustered, but the session itself went smoothly.

"120 over 80," she announced, taking off the blood pressure cuff. "Same as last time."

"You sound less surprised," Akira said.

"I'm... getting used to this? In a good way." She fidgeted with the cuff. "Is that okay? To get used to it?"

"That's the point of a routine."

"Right. Yes. Routine." She carefully put away the equipment. "Okay. Um. Ready?"

The feeding was quick. Gentle. Mio's fangs in his arm, the now-familiar warmth of the hypnosis spell spreading through him, the careful way she pulled back after exactly thirty seconds.

"How do you feel?" she asked, pressing gauze to the wound.

"Fine. Better than last time, actually."

"The hypnosis is working well for you, then." She applied a bandage, cartoon bats again, but different designs this time. "Good. That's good."

She did the post-feeding check with practiced efficiency. Pulse, blood pressure, questions about dizziness or nausea. All normal.

"You should eat," she said, making notes in her spreadsheet. "I ordered food."

Akira stood, reaching for his jacket. "Sure. Where did you want to go?"

Mio looked up, confused. "Go?"

"To the restaurant?"

"What restaurant?"

Akira paused, jacket half-on. "You said food."

"Yes. I ordered delivery. It should be here in ten minutes."

"...Delivery."

"Yes?" She tilted her head. "Why would we go outside when food comes here?"

Oh.

Oh.

Mio was already heading to the door. "Come on. We can wait in the living room. It's more comfortable."

Akira followed, processing. She wasn't planning to leave the mansion. At all. This wasn't shyness or preference.

This was just... how she lived.

The living room was nicely furnished but had the air of a space nobody actually used. Dust-free but impersonal. Like a hotel lobby.

The doorbell rang exactly ten minutes later.

Reina materialized from somewhere and answered the door. Akira was starting to suspect they had a surveillance system. They returned with multiple high-end delivery bags, the kind with insulation and careful packaging.

"Your meal, Akira-san," Reina said, setting everything on the table with the precision of a formal dinner service.

The spread was... excessive.

Perfectly plated steak with herb butter. Roasted vegetables that looked like they'd been arranged by an artist. Some kind of potato dish with garnishes. A small salad. Bread that was definitely fresh-baked.

Akira stared. "This is from...?"

"Sakura-tei," Mio said, like that was normal. "They do good post-donation meals. High iron content."

Sakura-tei. The Michelin-starred place downtown that had a six-month waitlist.

"This must have cost…"

"Don't worry about cost." Mio waved it off. "Your health is the priority. You need to replenish properly."

The table was set for one. A full place setting, cloth napkin, even a water glass with lemon.

And three wine glasses.

Reina poured something dark red into each glass. Blood, Akira realized. But in crystal wine glasses, it looked almost... elegant.

All three vampires sat around the table.

Watching him.

Akira sat slowly, suddenly very aware of the situation. Three predators. One prey. Watching him eat.

"This is..." He picked up his fork.

"Is something wrong?" Mio asked, concerned.

"No, just... you're all watching me."

"We can't eat solid food," Reina explained, raising their wine glass. "But we'll have drinks. For company."

Momo appeared, and flopped into a chair, her own glass of blood in hand. Had she been there the whole time?

"Bon appétit~" she said, smiling with too many teeth.

Akira cut into his steak. It was perfectly cooked. Medium-rare, just how he liked it.

All three vampires sipped their blood-wine.

And watched.

This is fine, Akira told himself. This is totally normal. Just dinner with vampires. Who are drinking blood. While watching me eat.

Totally fine.

The silence stretched. Akira tried to focus on his food, which was incredible, objectively, and not on the three pairs of eyes tracking his every movement.

"So," he said finally. "You order delivery often?"

"Every day," Mio said. "Multiple times."

"For everything?"

"Everything." She sipped her blood. "Groceries, supplies, blood bags, entertainment. Everything."

"You never go out shopping?"

Mio shifted in her seat. "Not... recently."

"How recently?"

A long pause.

"...Three months?" Her voice was small.

Akira nearly choked on his steak. "Three months?"

"It's not that long…"

"That's a quarter of a year!"

Mio pulled her hood up, hiding. "I'm aware of how time works."

Reina set down their glass with a soft clink. "Mio prefers to stay in. It's safer."

"Safer how?"

"For everyone. Crowds are overwhelming. Humans are..." Reina chose their words carefully. "Unpredictable."

"Plus the sunlight thing," Momo added cheerfully.

Akira looked at Mio. "You can't go out in daylight?"

"We can," she mumbled. "With precautions. Umbrellas, sunscreen, covering up. It's just... uncomfortable. Draining."

"But you could if you wanted to?"

Silence.

"Technically, yes," Mio admitted.

"You're a shut-in."

"That's not…I mean…" She peeked out from her hood. "...Technically, yes."

Momo snorted. "Boss hasn't seen actual sunlight in half a year."

"I see it! Through the window!"

"That doesn't count."

"It does!"

"It really doesn't, dear," Reina said gently.

Akira set down his fork. This wasn't just quirky behavior. This was actual isolation. "Why three months specifically? What happened?"

The playful atmosphere evaporated.

Reina's expression hardened. "There was an incident."

"We don't need to talk about…" Mio started.

"He should know," Reina interrupted. "If you're going to keep seeing him."

Akira waited.

Reina sighed, swirling their wine glass. "Three months ago, Mio went out for a business meeting. With other coven leaders. She was recognized by some... traditional vampires. They didn't approve of her methods."

"What happened?"

"They said I was a disgrace," Mio said quietly, staring at her glass. "That what I'm doing is wrong. Weak. That I'm making vampires look pathetic. Begging humans for scraps."

Her hands clenched around her glass.

"They said vampires are apex predators, not service providers. That I'm..." She swallowed. "That I'm spitting on centuries of vampire pride."

"That's not what you're doing," Akira said.

"Isn't it?" She looked up, eyes haunted. "Sometimes I wonder. Maybe they're right. Maybe I am just... scared. Hiding behind contracts and consent because I'm too weak to be a real vampire."

"The old guard doesn't like change," Reina said, voice hard. "They can't accept that times are different. So they lash out."

Momo, for once, wasn't smiling. "They're dinosaurs. Literally. They'll die out eventually. Boss's way is the future."

But Mio didn't look convinced.

Akira thought about the careful contracts. The safety protocols. The way Mio checked and rechecked everything to make sure he was okay.

"Is that why you stay inside?" he asked. "To avoid them?"

"To avoid everything," Mio whispered. "It's easier."

"But you're not living."

She flinched. "I'm surviving. That's enough."

The table fell silent.

Reina cleared their throat, clearly trying to lighten the mood. "Enough heavy talk. Akira-san must be curious about our lifestyle."

Akira was grateful for the subject change. "I am, actually."

Momo perked up. "We're very modern! Cutting-edge vampires!"

"We've adapted," Mio said, some life returning to her voice. "Vampires have to evolve with society."

"How do delivery people react?" Akira asked. "To delivering to a vampire mansion?"

"They don't care." Momo grinned. "We tip really well."

"Fifty percent minimum," Reina added. "In cash."

"Some drivers actually request our route," Mio said, almost proud. "We're VIP customers."

Akira had to laugh. "That's... actually smart."

"Everything is rated five stars," Momo said, showing him her phone. Dozens of delivery apps, all with perfect ratings. "Food, supplies, blood bags from medical companies…"

"People deliver blood bags?"

"Medical courier service. Very discreet." Reina sipped their wine. "They think we need them for transfusions. We tip well. Nobody asks questions."

The absurdity of it was striking. An entire modern vampire life, built on delivery apps and generous tipping.

"I once ordered boba tea at 3 AM," Momo said. "The driver looked so confused. But he delivered it!"

"I have seventeen ring lights," Reina added. "All delivered. Different rooms require different lighting for content creation."

"I haven't worn outside clothes in months," Mio admitted. "Just hoodies. All delivered."

They looked... content. Comfortable. This was their world, small as it was.

But Akira couldn't shake the feeling that it was also a cage.

The meal ended. Reina cleared plates. They lingered at the table, talking about nothing important. Momo showed off viral TikToks. Reina explained Instagram analytics. Mio mentioned her streaming schedule.

They were a family, Akira realized. Chosen family. They bickered like siblings, protected each other fiercely, and had built this strange little world together.

But was it enough?

When Akira stood to leave, Mio walked him to the door. Unusual; normally Reina did the escorting.

"Thank you for the meal," he said. "It was good."

"I'll order something different next time. Unless you want the same? I can…"

"Anything is fine."

"Okay. Saturday? Same time?"

"I'll be here."

They stood in the doorway, awkward. Then Mio spoke, so quiet he almost missed it.

"Do you think I'm pathetic? For not going outside?"

Akira considered carefully. "I think you're scared. That's not the same as pathetic."

She looked up at him. "What's the difference?"

"Pathetic people don't build what you've built. They don't revolutionize vampire society from their bedroom. They don't create safety for their family." He met her eyes. "Scared people just need a reason to be brave."

Mio stared at him. Something shifted in her expression. Hope, maybe.

"Maybe," she whispered. "Maybe someday."

"Maybe I'll be that reason," Akira said, surprising himself.

Then he left, before he could overthink it.

Back in his apartment, Akira stood at his window, looking out at the city lights.

Three months inside. By choice. Sort of. Because the world outside was hostile.

He looked around his own apartment. Empty. Quiet. Lonely.

When was the last time he'd gone somewhere that wasn't work or the mansion? When was the last time he'd seen friends? Did he even have friends anymore?

At least the vampires had each other.

What did he have?

His phone sat on the counter, Mio's contact still labeled with her careful clarification: Mio (VAMPIRE, BLOOD SESSIONS).

He picked it up, thumb hovering over her name.

Almost texted her.

Didn't.

Put the phone down.

Maybe I'm a shut-in too, he thought. Just a different kind.

In her room, Mio died in her game for the fifth time. She wasn't paying attention. Kept thinking about what Akira said.

Scared people just need a reason to be brave.

She paused the game. Stood up. Walked to the window.

The curtains had been closed for weeks. Months, maybe. She couldn't remember the last time she'd opened them.

Slowly, she pulled them back.

The city was still there. Still bright. Still moving. Still... there.

Scary. Overwhelming. Dangerous.

But there.

She touched the glass. Cold.

"Maybe someday," she whispered to her reflection.

She didn't close the curtains all the way when she went back to her computer.

Just a crack. Just enough to let a sliver of city light in.

It was a start.