Tiana was miles away; in her mind, that is. Physically, she was standing beside her Marafiki as Belle and Meg examined bridal and bridesmaids dresses in Andelasia Fashions, run kwa Nancy King , formerly Nancy Tremaine before she had fallen for and married the dashing and charming Edward King. She was a pleasant, cheerful woman who just loved romance and was forever designing dresses, when she wasn’t selling them, that is.
“I’m just over here if wewe need my help with anything,” she had told them from her drawing board.
“Oh, they’re all so lovely,” sighed Belle, running her hands across silk and satin alike. “I feel I ought to be wearing gloves just to touch them!”
Meg laughed. “You’re bound to the find the perfect dress here, Belle. Right Tia?”
“Hm?” Tiana looked up. “Oh, yes.”
“You ok?” Meg frowned at her. “You’ve been quiet all day.”
“Yeah. I was just thinking about...”
“Lestat.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Belle,” sighed Tiana. “I shouldn’t be. This is your day, not mine.”
“It’s ok.” Belle quickly became distracted kwa a white dress with off-shoulder straps and flowing skirts. “Oh, this is gorgeous!”
Tiana quickly resolved to focus on her Marafiki rather than her upendo life. “So, um, what colours were wewe thinking of for bridesmaids?”
“Please don’t say bottle green!” Meg said. “Nothing is worse for bridesmaids than bottle green; except maybe mustard yellow! Uch!”
Belle laughed. “No, I was thinking of lighter colours; pastals, maybe. wewe look good in blue, Tiana, so maybe a sort of powdery periwinkle blue, au maybe lilac.”
Tiana pushed Lestat to the back of her mind and instead followed Meg in trying on various dresses until the three of them were satisfied – because Belle declared that she wouldn’t dress them in anything they weren’t happy with.
“You’ll look just like a princess in that,” Tiana told Belle as they carried their boxes from the shop.
“Well, she will be!” laughed Meg, hailing a taxi. “Let’s grab a coffee!”
Belle glanced at Tiana. “Tia, it’s ok. I know Lestat’s always on your mind.”
Tiana blushed. “Well, no, it’s not right for me start talking about him when we’re trying to focus on you.”
Meg took a deep breath. “Tiana, sweetie, are wewe still considering becoming a,” she lowered her voice so their cab driver didn’t hear what she was about to say, “you know what?”
Tiana nodded, slowly. “What does Lestat say about that?” asked Belle.
“He says he’s thinking about it; that it’s not a decision he’s comfortable with but that in the end it’s my decision.”
The taxi pulled up outside the coffee house and they all got out and went inside. It was only after they were settled with their drinks that they took up the conversation again. “But have wewe even considered what you’d be giving up?” Belle asked. “Shouldn’t we weigh up the pros and cons?”
“Pros and cons?”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Meg said, pulling out her notebook. “Ok, should we start with cons? What would the downsides of being a vampire be?”
“Well, for a start, drinking blood.” Tiana shuddered.
“Uch!” Meg shuddered too as she jotted it down. “What else?”
“You’d watch everyone around wewe age whilst wewe live forever,” Belle said. “Meg, me, Mr Smee, Esme-”
“Jeez! I’d forgotten about Esme!” Tiana said. “But I haven’t seen her in years, so...”
Nevertheless, Meg jotted it all down. “Next?”
“You’d probably have to keep moving around a lot,” Belle said, thoughtfully. “Otherwise people’d get suspicious of the fact you’ve been young for years.”
“Yep!” agreed Meg. “Next?”
“Well, living forever might get a bit boring,” Tiana considered, and then she thought of something. “Oh, God! What if Lestat gets bored of me? I mean, forever’s a long time!”
“I’m sure that’s not going to happen,” alisema Belle, patting her arm, comfortingly. “If what we saw last night was anything to go by, Lestat truly loves you.”
Tiana smiled. She was glad that her Marafiki had finally accepted Lestat, and her feelings for him. “Then there’s the other vampires; what if they don’t accept me?”
“That’s a point,” Meg agreed, scribbling it down. “Anything else?”
“Yeah. The human things in life I’d miss out on; like all the everyday stuff wewe guys’ll be doing; like having kids.”
Meg looked up. “Who’s having kids?”
“You guys might be in the years to come.”
“Well, do wewe want to have kids?”
“I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure that vampirism means we can’t.”
“Actually,” Belle said, “according to something I read recently,” in Adam’s mother’s journal, she thought, “just because Lestat’s technically dead doesn’t mean that he’s incapable of conceiving, if wewe get my drift.”
Tiana blushed. “Ok, so, I guess that can be a pro.”
“So, we’re onto the pros,” Meg said, flipping over the page. “Ok, anything else?”
“I’d be with Lestat,” Tiana said, realising that that was all she ever really wanted. “And that’s worth everything.”
“Ok, so we have zaidi cons than pros,” Meg mused, flipping through the list, “but it seems like that sekunde pro is the most important one of all.”
Belle nodded. “Tia, it’s your choice; and if it makes wewe happy, then we’re happy for you.”
“Absolutely,” agreed Meg, flipping her notebook shut.
Tiana took a deep breath. Lestat was right; it wasn’t an easy decision, life-changing, in fact, but her mind was made up. “Well, I know what I want. I want to be with Lestat, and I’ll do whatever it takes to be with him.” With tears in her eyes, she looked at her friends. “But I am going to miss wewe guys when...when...”
She couldn’t finish. Belle hugged her and Meg patted her hand. “That won’t happen for ages yet, Tia, trust us,” she grinned, soothingly.
Tiana nodded and managed a smile. “Thanks for accepting my decision, guys.”
“Hey, like I said,” replied Belle, “if you’re happy, then we’re happy. And I’m pretty sure now that being with Lestat will make wewe very happy.”
Tiana soon ceased her tears and started to think positively about her choice. The only problem now was trying to convince Lestat that her mind was made up. After all, he alisema it wasn’t a decision he was comfortable with, even if he was thinking about it.
“Lestat,” she practised as she walked home, carrying her box containing the bridesmaid dress she had chosen, “I know wewe don’t think it’s a good idea, and certainly not something wewe want to happen to me, but the simple fact is I want to be a vampire because I upendo wewe and I want to be with wewe so badly I’d do anything. No, I need to be firmer,” she realised. “Lestat, I’m a grown woman and I can make my own decisions. Now, whether wewe like it au not, I want wewe to turn me into a vampire, and if wewe don’t, well, then I don’t think we have a future.”
“Alright.”
Tiana jumped and spun around. Then, Lestat jumped down from her roof and landed in front of her. “Need a hand with that?” he asked, taking the box from her.
Tiana glanced at up. “You were up on my roof?”
“I got fed up waiting,” he replied, simply, gesturing to her front door. “Shall we?”
Bewildered, Tiana opened the door and let him inside. Closing the door behind them, Tiana turned to him. “Lestat, what did wewe just say?”
“I got fed up waiting?” he replied, looking slightly bewildered.
“No, I mean before. When I was practising telling wewe that...that I’ve made my choice. I want wewe turn me.”
“Alright.”
Tiana stared at him. “Are wewe serious?”
Lestat dropped the box on her sofa and turned to look her in the eyes. “Yes. I’ve been thinking about it, and, well, it seems like it’s the only way.”
“So...so you’ll turn me?”
Lestat nodded. “Yes.”
Unable to believe it, Tiana flung her arms around his neck. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
Lestat chuckled as he hugged her back. “On one condition.”
Tiana looked up at him. “What condition?”
He smiled at her. “I want wewe to make a bucket list.”
“A what?”
“You know, a orodha of things wewe want to do before you...”
“Kick the bucket?” Tiana frowned. “Do wewe make all the people wewe turn do this?”
“No, just you.” Lestat smiled. “I just want to make sure you’re one hundred percent certain about this. wewe don’t have to think of it as a bucket list; just a orodha of things wewe want to do before you’re...” Lestat frowned. “How old are you?”
Tiana laughed. “One, wewe should never ask a lady something so personal, and two, you’ve been dating me for these last few weeks and wewe don’t know how old I am?”
“I assumed wewe were about twenty.”
“Nearly. I’ll be twenty in September.”
“Right, so just make a orodha of things wewe want to do before you’re twenty.”
“And when I’ve done them all, you’ll turn me?”
“I promise.” Lestat leaned down and kissed her. “And I always keep my promises.”
“I’m just over here if wewe need my help with anything,” she had told them from her drawing board.
“Oh, they’re all so lovely,” sighed Belle, running her hands across silk and satin alike. “I feel I ought to be wearing gloves just to touch them!”
Meg laughed. “You’re bound to the find the perfect dress here, Belle. Right Tia?”
“Hm?” Tiana looked up. “Oh, yes.”
“You ok?” Meg frowned at her. “You’ve been quiet all day.”
“Yeah. I was just thinking about...”
“Lestat.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Belle,” sighed Tiana. “I shouldn’t be. This is your day, not mine.”
“It’s ok.” Belle quickly became distracted kwa a white dress with off-shoulder straps and flowing skirts. “Oh, this is gorgeous!”
Tiana quickly resolved to focus on her Marafiki rather than her upendo life. “So, um, what colours were wewe thinking of for bridesmaids?”
“Please don’t say bottle green!” Meg said. “Nothing is worse for bridesmaids than bottle green; except maybe mustard yellow! Uch!”
Belle laughed. “No, I was thinking of lighter colours; pastals, maybe. wewe look good in blue, Tiana, so maybe a sort of powdery periwinkle blue, au maybe lilac.”
Tiana pushed Lestat to the back of her mind and instead followed Meg in trying on various dresses until the three of them were satisfied – because Belle declared that she wouldn’t dress them in anything they weren’t happy with.
“You’ll look just like a princess in that,” Tiana told Belle as they carried their boxes from the shop.
“Well, she will be!” laughed Meg, hailing a taxi. “Let’s grab a coffee!”
Belle glanced at Tiana. “Tia, it’s ok. I know Lestat’s always on your mind.”
Tiana blushed. “Well, no, it’s not right for me start talking about him when we’re trying to focus on you.”
Meg took a deep breath. “Tiana, sweetie, are wewe still considering becoming a,” she lowered her voice so their cab driver didn’t hear what she was about to say, “you know what?”
Tiana nodded, slowly. “What does Lestat say about that?” asked Belle.
“He says he’s thinking about it; that it’s not a decision he’s comfortable with but that in the end it’s my decision.”
The taxi pulled up outside the coffee house and they all got out and went inside. It was only after they were settled with their drinks that they took up the conversation again. “But have wewe even considered what you’d be giving up?” Belle asked. “Shouldn’t we weigh up the pros and cons?”
“Pros and cons?”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Meg said, pulling out her notebook. “Ok, should we start with cons? What would the downsides of being a vampire be?”
“Well, for a start, drinking blood.” Tiana shuddered.
“Uch!” Meg shuddered too as she jotted it down. “What else?”
“You’d watch everyone around wewe age whilst wewe live forever,” Belle said. “Meg, me, Mr Smee, Esme-”
“Jeez! I’d forgotten about Esme!” Tiana said. “But I haven’t seen her in years, so...”
Nevertheless, Meg jotted it all down. “Next?”
“You’d probably have to keep moving around a lot,” Belle said, thoughtfully. “Otherwise people’d get suspicious of the fact you’ve been young for years.”
“Yep!” agreed Meg. “Next?”
“Well, living forever might get a bit boring,” Tiana considered, and then she thought of something. “Oh, God! What if Lestat gets bored of me? I mean, forever’s a long time!”
“I’m sure that’s not going to happen,” alisema Belle, patting her arm, comfortingly. “If what we saw last night was anything to go by, Lestat truly loves you.”
Tiana smiled. She was glad that her Marafiki had finally accepted Lestat, and her feelings for him. “Then there’s the other vampires; what if they don’t accept me?”
“That’s a point,” Meg agreed, scribbling it down. “Anything else?”
“Yeah. The human things in life I’d miss out on; like all the everyday stuff wewe guys’ll be doing; like having kids.”
Meg looked up. “Who’s having kids?”
“You guys might be in the years to come.”
“Well, do wewe want to have kids?”
“I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure that vampirism means we can’t.”
“Actually,” Belle said, “according to something I read recently,” in Adam’s mother’s journal, she thought, “just because Lestat’s technically dead doesn’t mean that he’s incapable of conceiving, if wewe get my drift.”
Tiana blushed. “Ok, so, I guess that can be a pro.”
“So, we’re onto the pros,” Meg said, flipping over the page. “Ok, anything else?”
“I’d be with Lestat,” Tiana said, realising that that was all she ever really wanted. “And that’s worth everything.”
“Ok, so we have zaidi cons than pros,” Meg mused, flipping through the list, “but it seems like that sekunde pro is the most important one of all.”
Belle nodded. “Tia, it’s your choice; and if it makes wewe happy, then we’re happy for you.”
“Absolutely,” agreed Meg, flipping her notebook shut.
Tiana took a deep breath. Lestat was right; it wasn’t an easy decision, life-changing, in fact, but her mind was made up. “Well, I know what I want. I want to be with Lestat, and I’ll do whatever it takes to be with him.” With tears in her eyes, she looked at her friends. “But I am going to miss wewe guys when...when...”
She couldn’t finish. Belle hugged her and Meg patted her hand. “That won’t happen for ages yet, Tia, trust us,” she grinned, soothingly.
Tiana nodded and managed a smile. “Thanks for accepting my decision, guys.”
“Hey, like I said,” replied Belle, “if you’re happy, then we’re happy. And I’m pretty sure now that being with Lestat will make wewe very happy.”
Tiana soon ceased her tears and started to think positively about her choice. The only problem now was trying to convince Lestat that her mind was made up. After all, he alisema it wasn’t a decision he was comfortable with, even if he was thinking about it.
“Lestat,” she practised as she walked home, carrying her box containing the bridesmaid dress she had chosen, “I know wewe don’t think it’s a good idea, and certainly not something wewe want to happen to me, but the simple fact is I want to be a vampire because I upendo wewe and I want to be with wewe so badly I’d do anything. No, I need to be firmer,” she realised. “Lestat, I’m a grown woman and I can make my own decisions. Now, whether wewe like it au not, I want wewe to turn me into a vampire, and if wewe don’t, well, then I don’t think we have a future.”
“Alright.”
Tiana jumped and spun around. Then, Lestat jumped down from her roof and landed in front of her. “Need a hand with that?” he asked, taking the box from her.
Tiana glanced at up. “You were up on my roof?”
“I got fed up waiting,” he replied, simply, gesturing to her front door. “Shall we?”
Bewildered, Tiana opened the door and let him inside. Closing the door behind them, Tiana turned to him. “Lestat, what did wewe just say?”
“I got fed up waiting?” he replied, looking slightly bewildered.
“No, I mean before. When I was practising telling wewe that...that I’ve made my choice. I want wewe turn me.”
“Alright.”
Tiana stared at him. “Are wewe serious?”
Lestat dropped the box on her sofa and turned to look her in the eyes. “Yes. I’ve been thinking about it, and, well, it seems like it’s the only way.”
“So...so you’ll turn me?”
Lestat nodded. “Yes.”
Unable to believe it, Tiana flung her arms around his neck. “Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
Lestat chuckled as he hugged her back. “On one condition.”
Tiana looked up at him. “What condition?”
He smiled at her. “I want wewe to make a bucket list.”
“A what?”
“You know, a orodha of things wewe want to do before you...”
“Kick the bucket?” Tiana frowned. “Do wewe make all the people wewe turn do this?”
“No, just you.” Lestat smiled. “I just want to make sure you’re one hundred percent certain about this. wewe don’t have to think of it as a bucket list; just a orodha of things wewe want to do before you’re...” Lestat frowned. “How old are you?”
Tiana laughed. “One, wewe should never ask a lady something so personal, and two, you’ve been dating me for these last few weeks and wewe don’t know how old I am?”
“I assumed wewe were about twenty.”
“Nearly. I’ll be twenty in September.”
“Right, so just make a orodha of things wewe want to do before you’re twenty.”
“And when I’ve done them all, you’ll turn me?”
“I promise.” Lestat leaned down and kissed her. “And I always keep my promises.”