Columbine

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

I am still continuing to see the New Vampire who calls herself Columbine.

I admit that I am curious about her.  While she has adapted well to prison life, I am curious as to what will happen to her on her release.

She has talked about moving to another country, but has no money and no contacts in other countries.

New Vampires unfortunately pride themselves on living in squats, but would not stoop so low as to make themselves homeless.

She has talked about going back to her old squat, but they have the permanency of moths in a flame.

She has talked about killing someone for money to set up elsewhere, but since her attempts at picking pockets have seen her in her present predicament, I do not think she would be any more successful with murder.

Finding paid employment is unthinkable for New Vampires, who scrounge what they can and pose when they can’t.  They do a lot of posing.

Columbine was striking several poses as she tried to get a reaction out of me while discussing what she was going to do when she was released, so I doubt she is serious about any of them.

For her, it is a way of passing the time, of which there is always too much in prison; especially when there is a shortage of officers and prisoners have much more cell time.

I have made a small wager, which is hardly a bet, with Darren who is the New Vampire Representative, that she will be back in prison before the century is out.

I have not been so foolish as to wager my money this time; the stake is the loser takes on three tasks that do not break the law in any way and do not conflict with anything else the loser has been asked to do.  It is just a small bet.

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 they were previously New Vampires who hunted down Old Vampires; now they are composed of Old Vampires, New Vampires and Werewolves who hunt down anyone who breaks the law.  They are overseen by the Human Representative of The Committee

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 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

Michelle

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

I have no cause for complaint about Michelle’s work at the prison.  Her timekeeping is good and while her human colleagues would make false complaint against her, they dare not do so.  I used to do Michelle’s job and remember what their games were like.

I visit the prison monthly to make sure all is going smoothly and to annoy my former colleagues, who do not have anyone to complain to about me.

I also keep an eye out for Michelle amongst Old Vampire society.  While she has not made any overtures to return to society, it is only a matter of time.  An ex-criminal such as her will need leverage to find her way back into Old Vampire society.

I keep a close watch over my affairs as I am the most likely candidate.  Michelle knows me and because I do not own a castle, I am considered by many not to be a proper Old Vampire.  Then there is my Obligation, which I would pay to keep secret.

So, I have found a likely candidate for Michelle to gain leverage over and I am working to ensure their paths cross and she gains the information she needs.

This is costly for me, but not as costly nor as damaging as if I would be the one who introduced Michelle back into Old Vampire society.

If you are associated with Michelle, who is a known human-killer, invitations to parties and events suddenly disappear as your reputation suffers.

She has been given a full pardon, but breaking our laws is unforgiveable.  The few who have done so have faded into obscurity and walked into the sun.

It would be worth going back to w.o.r.k. at the prison if I knew that was the fate that befell Michelle, but she is clever enough to make her way back.

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 they were previously New Vampires who hunted down Old Vampires; now they are composed of Old Vampires, New Vampires and Werewolves who hunt down anyone who breaks the law.  They are overseen by the Human Representative of The Committee

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 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

Obligation

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

I am still under my Obligation to Adele and so must supply information or anything else she requires.  She has been asking me to supply prison data that is not released to the general public.  Andy, who is the Human Police Representative on The Committee supplies this information.

Adele does not know this, but I could freely admit the information she wanted came from the police, as I doubt she cares from whence it comes, as long as she receives it.

Andy and I meet monthly to discuss why Adele needs this information and what she might do with it.  While we each have come up with several ideas there has been nothing that has held up under scrutiny.

It is obvious she is planning something, but I suspect her true purpose is obscured amidst the reams of facts she is ordering which she does not need.

After all, if I recognise what she is doing there is nothing to stop me selling the information on.  Money is the only way to get out of any Obligation.

Michelle, who does my old job at the prison, thankfully knows nothing of this.

She is not an enemy who would delight in using this information against me, but as a former criminal who is barely tolerated in our society, she would have much to gain by this knowledge and I would expect no less of her.

My Obligation often chafes; none more so when I am forced to turn down an invitation to jump at Adele’s whim.

Thankfully an Obligation cannot be abused, as abuse invites discovery and the Obligation would soon become useless when Obligators make conflicting demands.

Your problems really start when you are under Obligation to more than one person.

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 they were previously New Vampires who hunted down Old Vampires; now they are composed of Old Vampires, New Vampires and Werewolves who hunt down anyone who breaks the law.  They are overseen by the Human Representative of The Committee

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 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

Cards

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

Today I was quizzed at great length by my servant Jane about a pack of cards she found down the back of the dresser.

I could not say who had left the pack of cards or when it had happened, which made Jane suspicious.

Her questioning went on for such length that I asked her why it was of such importance to her.  Jane blushed at my question and admitted that it was common knowledge among the Old Vampire Servants that I had lost my castle because of gambling, but my resulting Obligation to Adele was only known to a few.

I am not surprised; all servants know their employers’ business, but I am glad that my Obligation is known only to a few.

I reassured Jane that I had not picked up a deck of cards for a few years and although I had been tempted to gamble on the Fence to decide the Old Vampire Head of The Hunters, I had been told to remain impartial so could not.

Unfortunately, that did not stop Jane giving me a lecture about the evils of gambling, which was on the same lines as the evils of drink and reminded me of Victorian times.

At the end of it, I promised her I would not pick up a deck of cards.  It is a promise easy to keep; I have not done so for decades and was lured into the game that lead to being under an Obligation.

I confess my hands itch at the prospect of never picking up a deck of cards again, life is flatter and more boring without gambling, but since it has led to the loss of my castle and being under an Obligation I have been forced to conclude that gambling has its downsides.

I would take all the downsides in the world for the chance to hold a deck of cards in my hands again.  Alas, Jane has destroyed the deck that she found.

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 they were previously New Vampires who hunted down Old Vampires; now they are composed of Old Vampires, New Vampires and Werewolves who hunt down anyone who breaks the law.  They are overseen by the Human Representative of The Committee

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 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

Work

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

It is so nice to have a job in which I work until everything is finished and then go home.

Sometimes I work extra hours right into the day. Sometimes I only work for one or two hours and my work is done for the night.

This is what work used to be like before office work took control of working hours, although I do not know why when office workers have finished all the work they have to do, they cannot go home.

This gives us impetus to work hard. Some people did sloppy work in order that they could go home early, but that sort of thing is always caught and a quiet word is had with the perpetrator.

Of course, in an emergency I have to work all hours. Thankfully those are few and far between, but an emergency is an emergency.

Once, when The Hunters (in their previous incarnation) were hunting Old Vampires who had committed no crime, I was working four days and nights to house Servants and file reports on the situation to The Ruler’s Men.

I did not have my servant Jane then, which was both a blessing and a curse. A curse, as I had to keep my own house running on top of everything. A blessing, as I was very bad tempered by the end of it and Jane would have borne the brunt of it.

Instead I went out and found a werewolf who agreed to a fight, which is one of the few times I have done this.

I have been asked by Darren, the New Vampire Representative, what would happen if I was not at my desk and I was needed?

The answer is that I would either be at my club or at home and a message would reach me at either.

Sometimes I take work home, but must be selective about what I take. There are few secrets that a good servant will not know about.

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 they were previously New Vampires who hunted down Old Vampires; now they are composed of Old Vampires, New Vampires and Werewolves who hunt down anyone who breaks the law. They are overseen by the Human Representative of The Committee
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 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

Quiet

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

It has all quieted down. I have had no queries about the fence to become Old Vampire Head of The Hunters, which is a pleasure, and no-one has solicited my opinion on the matter at my club for some time now.

The Hunters themselves seem to be treating everyone fairly. I do receive the odd complaint which I investigate and pass on to Anthony, who is the Old Vampire Head of The Hunters.

Some of these complaints are from people who erroneously feel they have been slighted. I discuss the matter at our club and explain the error of their ways to them.

Others are when one or two of The Hunters really have overstepped their mark and I leave this to Anthony to deal with.

I have been buttonholed at my club with people exclaiming at me how polite the Werewolf or New Vampire Hunter has been to them and one conversation with a very battered Old Vampire who told me in great detail how a New Vampire Hunter refereed the fight (for fun) he had with a Werewolf last night. Thankfully he was paying.

At the moment, I have very few queries at work in general to deal with. Every night I go into the office, check my telephone answering machine and email, then deal with those queries in an hour.

Then I go to my club or home if I fancy a quiet night in. If it is urgent business everyone knows where I can be contacted and woe betide anyone who contacts me when it is not urgent business.

I have had to deal with the odd human who has seen something they have not, but that is par for the course and often can be put down to drugs.

I have not been surprised to see Anthony at a few parties I have attended. For now, he is a curiosity; I have advised him to enjoy himself and make allies where he can.

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 they were previously New Vampires who hunted down Old Vampires; now they are composed of Old Vampires, New Vampires and Werewolves who hunt down anyone who breaks the law. They are overseen by the Human Representative of The Committee
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 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

Support

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

I find it very annoying that I am called upon to support the authority of The Hunters.

This happens when there is a minor incident between an Old Vampire and a Werewolf or New Vampire.

It is often a case of jockeying for position gone wrong and in the past we Representatives of our respective non-human races would calm the member of our race down and separate them from the argument.

The Hunters who attend are members of a race not involved in the dispute and have been trained to get between the disputants, draw baton and separate them.

Unfortunately, this often leads to both non-humans agreeing that The Hunter should not be there, whereupon The Hunter literally finds themselves in the middle and I and The Representative of the other race are summoned.

We then make it known that The Hunters have authority over them, even if they are not of their race and mete out our displeasure at being summoned to deal with this.

We discussed this situation at length at the last Committee meeting and came to the conclusion that these situations are a nuisance, but we could not see a way forward.

It is unusual that all three non-human races agree on anything, as normally what affects one does not affect another.  We also have differing agendas and purposes.

This is not something our respective leaders could deal with.  Any edicts would have no effect, as these situations come about from a loss of temper, which no piece of paper can control.

We will just have to deal with these situations as we have been doing and people will gradually learn that The Hunters have jurisdiction over them, although Old Vampires will take the longest time to learn.

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 they were previously New Vampires who hunted down Old Vampires; now they are composed of Old Vampires, New Vampires and Werewolves who hunt down anyone who breaks the law.  They are overseen by the Human Representative of The Committee

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 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

Settling Down

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

Things are still settling down after Tony won The Fence to become Head of The Hunters, who are now responsible for non-human lawbreakers.

Both Old Vampires and Old Vampire Servants are split over this; some of both are appalled that a former Old Vampire Servant has become Head, others think that it is a good thing and others have accepted that it is fact but do not like it.

Some have already investigated if Tony was trained, but no-one has been found to have trained him :  there are other ways to have helped him.

It will take a while for the furore to die down and if my finances were better, I would holiday and hope to return to a quieter place.

It was The Ruler’s decision to have The Fence and after a century The Hunters will become normal, especially if they are swift at meting out justice among lawbreakers and confine themselves to those.

I have appraised Tony of the instances when a Werewolf and an Old Vampire consent to fight for fun.  Tony agreed with me that there was no harm in it but he will discuss it with the other Heads as it now falls within their remit.

I suspect someone will volunteer to make sure the fight does not involve or is seen by any humans.

Tony himself continues to show aptitude; he has reverted to his birth name of Anthony Mazarròn which is more befitting his new station.

I asked Andy, the Human Representative on The Committee and the person overseeing The Hunters, to report back on the first meeting of The Heads of The Hunters.  He said it was no worse and no better than a Committee meeting; everyone was tense and there was plenty of backbiting but much was accomplished despite that.  It will be interesting to see how things develop.

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 they were previously New Vampires who hunted down Old Vampires; now they are composed of Old Vampires, New Vampires and Werewolves who hunt down anyone who breaks the law.  They are overseen by the Human Representative of The Committee

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 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

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 ***

Tony has been invested as Head of The Hunters. Isabelle, the Old Vampire who Tony, former Old Vampire Servant beat to become Head of The Hunters, is looking exceedingly battered.

I suspect Tony has had to mete out discipline; it is not my place to enquire.

I met with Tony as soon as he became Head of The Hunters. He was flushed with jubilation and sporting one or two bruises that had nothing to do with The Fence.

Thankfully I had no need to warn him that internal politics in The Hunters will soon be labyrinthine; it seems that Old Vampire Servant politics are just as bad as Old Vampire politics because the more you ascend, the more limited positions become.

I have told him all he needs to know about werewolves and New Vampires; I also introduced him to Andy, the Human Police Representative.

Tony raised his eyebrows to me over that. I first had to inform him that if he had any objections, he would now have to voice them in public instead of behaving like a Servant.

He then verbally admitted that he saw no reason to include the humans. It seems he was not informed that Andy would be overseeing The Hunters. He was not happy with that, but as I told him, the humans have to be mollified and more importantly, we can work with Andy.

The ensuing appointment went well, with both men finding common ground while I sat in the background and occasionally interjected when one of them made an erroneous statement.

I also introduced him to Michelle, who does my old job at the prison. Michelle was keen to make his acquaintance, Tony much less so hers.

Tony will make a very competent Head of The Hunters; he has already made plans to meet with the other Heads.

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 they were previously New Vampires who hunted down Old Vampires; now they are composed of Old Vampires, New Vampires and Werewolves who hunt down anyone who breaks the law. They are overseen by the Human Representative of The Committee
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 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

The Fence

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

The Fence was a glorious occasion; I was invited into The Ruler’s box and plied with choice drink.

Unfortunately, I had a seat away from The Ruler at the side, but it was still one of the best seats in the house.

When I was led in I was presented to The Ruler and his retinue, but I did not speak to him apart from those few words.

The others in the retinue were busy with their own business, so I had little opportunity to converse with them and instead concentrated on The Fence.

In any Fence, only one person can fight another person. This was no different, but the combatants were paired up by being drawn out of a bag by the referee.

Two of the first pairings were Old Vampire Servant against Old Vampire Servant, leaving one pair of Old Vampires and one Old Vampire facing an Old Vampire Servant.

It was quite a shock to see Tony, who was an Old Vampire Servant, beat Stanley, who is an Old Vampire reputed to be a good fencer.

Stanley took his defeat in good grace and saluted the winner; a gesture not normally done but one that found favour with the crowd.

Tony beat his next opponent easily and was then faced with the Old Vampire Isabelle.

Isabelle is a fencer par excellence. I enquired about her teaching service for my fence, but was informed that she was unavailable.

The bout lasted several hours as riposte after parry was made until Isabelle made a small mistake and Tony scored his point.

Isabelle stormed off and has since sought my services to leave The Hunters. I had to inform her with regret that since she had accepted The Fence she was now a Hunter.

Tony has been invested as Head of The Hunters.

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