Aftermath

*** DISCLAIMER – THIS BLOG IS FICTION AND THE AUTHOR IS NOT LIABLE FOR THE ACTIONS OF ANYONE WHO PERSISTS IN THINKING IT IS NOT FICTION ***

Affairs are still settling down after the news of my divorce got out.  I am still an object of whispers and to some I am known as “that woman” while I hear that my Judge has not had to pay for his food since.

There are two divorces which have now been brought before Judges, but I hear those are more difficult cases as both parties are still living with one another.

I suspect our Ruler is letting the Judges make the law on divorce, as this is a matter between one subject and another; it will not affect the tax he collects.

Andy, the Human Police Representative on The Committee, congratulated me on my divorce at a Committee meeting.

Privately he has said that he thought Jeremy was “a piece of work”.  I have had to do a lot of research to find out what he meant.

The others at The Committee received the news with different feelings.  Saskia who is the Werewolf Representative is firmly against it, while Nosferatu who is the New Vampire Representative mentioned that New Vampires do not get married.

I retorted with the fact that New Vampires do not do much of anything and asked if he’d been to see Columbine lately, who is a New Vampire in the prison.  He changed the subject.

My servant Jane is starting to return from her nights off in more of her usual neat state, rather than looking worse for wear.

My desk is filled with letters about my divorce.  Some congratulatory and some filled with hatred and bile.  These last are anonymous and I have consigned them to the wastepaper bin.

Then there are others criticising and questioning what I did.  I have formulated a stock letter to reply to these as while I must reply to every letter I would not be paid for these.

Glossary

Bonded Wedding Old Vampire marriage for political reasons

Common Status the point at where an Old Vampire becomes a real Vampire

Debutante Vampires before Dracula came out, vampires who had been newly turned vampire were taught the rules of society.  They then “came out” when they were deemed presentable to vampire society as debutantes.  They are the only Old Vampires who have a zero level of Status and are acceptable.

The Committee see The Committee to Regulate Non-Human Activity

The Committee to Regulate Non-Human Activity a committee that meets monthly and talks about affairs to do with werewolves, vampires and humans

Fence an Old Vampire fight in which they fight to the first blood using fencing

The Hunters see Vampire Hunters

Negatives Old Vampires with zero or negative points of Status.

New Vampires vampires who do not want to be Old Vampires, often live as Goths and hold down jobs.  This started after Dracula came out.

Notice the Status Keeper serves a Notice on an Old Vampire whose Status has reduced to zero that they are in danger of becoming a Negative

Obligation when one vampire is under an obligation from another s/he has to do as they say

Old Vampires vampires who are polite society.  Either turned vampire before Dracula came out or were turned after by an Old Vampire and decided to join the Old Vampires.

Parent the vampire who brought you up (if you are an Old Vampire) in polite society

The Ruler’s Men people employed by The Ruler to do anything she or he asks

Shun a vampire who has committed a sex crime is shunned on their release

Sire the vampire who made you a vampire

Status a ranking system which denotes whether you are an acceptable member of Old Vampire society, which is if you have plus points of status.  See Negatives and Thousands

Status Keeper the Old Vampire in charge of the Status points

Thousands Old Vampires whose Status is over a hundred points

Vampire Hunters New vampires who hunt down those vampires who have committed crimes

Vampire Servants servants who are vampires themselves.  Mostly Old Vampires, one of their functions is to repeat information and gossip to the Old Vampires they serve

Walk into the sun a euphemism for suicide