Warning for mentions of past self-hatred and starvation, but I think it's pretty vague so ya should be good

~~~~~

"Jevil? You've been in your room all day, we have to practice for our next show." Seam knocked lightly. He tested the doorknob to find that it was unlocked. "I'm coming in, Jevil."

Jevil was curled up under his blankets. He was visibly shaking, paler than usual. "...oh dear. Not again, friend..." Seam murmured. "You need to tell me these things... We talked about this."

"I...I know...." Jevil mumbled. He looked exhausted. "So cold, cold..." he barely responded as Seam sat down at the edge of his bed and lifted him into his lap.

"Come on, friend." Seam lifted Jevil easily. He was just in a nightgown and pants, and dreadfully chilled to the touch. "Let's get you to Kaard..."

"D-Don't want, want to..." Jevil mumbled. Seam chose to ignore this and brought him out of the room.

"We both know the substitute blood isn't working well." Seam muttered. Jevil flinched. "I'm not- it's not your fault, friend. I just want you to know that you'll have to use something alive sooner rather than later. If my species allowed it, I'd let you use me so you wouldn't have to go through that."

Jevil looked down and away, avoiding eye contact as he was carried to the duke's shop. Rouxls seemed to be organizing his stock, pausing when hearing them come in. "Seam?" he turned. "Oh- Jevil." he immediately noticed how drained the imp looked. "It hasn't been that long since thy worm had his last bag. He had one...yesterday, I believeth." he said slowly.

"We are aware of that." Seam said flatly. "I'm trying to encourage him. Please try to do the same." he set Jevil down, helping him stand. "I think two bags is fit for this...situation."

Jevil let out a small whimper. "Don't, don't want, want it..."

"You're probably sick of the taste, I imagine." Seam sighed. "But you need this, Jevil. Please."

Jevil flinched and nodded, soon nodding a little. "Okay, okay..." he murmured. Rouxls sighed softly in pity, leaving and going to a back room in the shop.

Soon, Rouxls returned with two bags of a dark red fluid. "Alrighty. Thy blue child is growing increasingly exasperated, though. I do not believe thou can take this for much longer."

Jevil had guilt all over his face, his ears lowered and his tail limp against the ground. "...oh." he still cringed when Rouxls handed him a bag. "Do, do I have to, to have all, all of it...?"

"Yes." Seam and Rouxls said at the same time. Jevil flinched but did as was expected of him, holding the bag up and sinking his long canines into the bag.

The imp shuddered visibly. Rouxls did, too, but for a completely different reason. He looked horrified as Jevil let out a hungry, guttural sound extremely scary coming from his tiny frame, sucking down the blood in a handful of long, quick sips. "Oh lordeth..."

Jevil paused, his ears flicking upwards a little. He glanced at the bag, seeming surprised it was empty now, and removed it from being locked onto his fangs. "...an...another?" he motioned to the remaining bag, which Rouxls gladly handed him to rid himself of the item. Seam just watched on silently. Normally Jevil fed in his room, or somewhere private. This was one of the few times Rouxls had to witness it.

Rouxls disposed of the empty bag while Jevil slurped down the second one, some color returning to his skin and eyes. He looked almost a little disappointed when he had finished it.

Seam was used to this pattern now. It had showed up recently. Jevil being extremely reluctant to take the blood he needed, and then he was content and just as lively as he usually is. Then he gets 'hungry' again, then he remembers that he needs blood to actually function, and the cycle continues. But having blood frozen, away from the body was beginning to stop being enough. One of these days he'd have to actually bite something, perhaps even kill it. ...like he used to do.

Jevil just wanted to entertain. He wanted to make people laugh and be happy. Just the thought of having to take a life depressed him. Seam didn't like remembering the state he used to be in. Constant self-destruction and self-hate, it was awful.

"Feel better?" Seam asked. Jevil slowly nodded. "Alright, friend. We have practicing to do."

Jevil brightened up at this, jumping up onto his tail with his usual excitement. "Ue-HA! Race, race you to the practice, practice room!" and he was gone, smoke trailing behind him.

"And please put on some proper cloth- and he's gone." Seam sighed.

"...I cannot fathom how thou manages to date....Jevil." Rouxls muttered, more shocked than anything else.

"Jevil can be predictable sometimes. He'd never want to hurt a fly, and I fear that may be his downfall. I love him too much to let him do that to himself." Seam sighed. "...he cannot help who he is. I don't hold it against him."

Rouxls frowned softly. "Thoust heard the tales of what, dare I say, chaos, vampires can do. I shall never fully trust thine bug. You know that."

"...I know, Kaard. And I can't blame you."

~~~~~

Just let the man have his card tricks and entertain in peace
Also happy 2019-