By Tradition

We both have things we would prefer to be doing right now, young cousin, but aunt Sophia asked me to get involved in your education.

You may have noticed it by yourself by now, or not, but when nocturnal children like us use the “A” word in that context, in regard to aunt Sophia, that is poetical license. Same applies to old timers in general, but twice more in regards to that particular aunt of ours.

Mine by birth, yours by adoption.

So, I may as well start by this. I like an honest exchange of opinions as much as anyone, trust me. Say some truths on the nose of some pretentious bag of self-importance. Despite that, I have decided that is never in my best interest to skip social pleasantries in regard to our elders. They say “would you please”, I swallow any impulse to bring up the fact that I know this is not something I can choose to do or not.

You are the final judge of your best interest, always. Of course. Take it or drop it at your discretion.

Only thing between us and a existence in absolute dystopia is the sense of politeness of your elders. When you step out of those borders in regards to them, you invite reciprocity. They usually accept the invitation.

Fashion. I understand you didn’t grew up in a vampire family, as a human you had a more conventional frame. That must be useful.

You can always wear the clothes that you used to wear in your work as a human, if you came from a civilized branch of humanity, as a vampire. In social events.

It is odd, because humans themselves are not taken in high regard by Nocturnal Courts in general. As people. Fact is, that pay tribute to your human past in that way is regarded as a sign of honour and integrity.

As a host, it means you must accept the fact that you cannot prevent some of your gests to show up with sharp gladius, or military rifles and grenades.

However, you can only wear something that you would be dressing as a human yourself, personally. If you used to be a soldier of the army, you can wear that uniform.

You cannot dress the uniform of a general, because it looks better. Or wear the uniform of a navy sailor because white matches the colour of your hair a lot more than green. Trust me, people in our society will notice that sort of thing, and they do not forgive or forget. Don’t try to bluff!

What else can I say that would be useful to someone like you, newborn baby vampire lassie? You had your hunting experience couple dozen times at least. You know how it feels like. Others will cover the vampiric power training, that is not our thing.

Social hierarchy? You know we don’t hunt all the time, would be unpractical. You have been helping yourself in the blood-bags in our fridge, right? Don’t worry about, unless someone says otherwise you are free to do that.

Most old families keep human farms, with lineages of selective breeding that go back to the time when Bering Straight still had houses with view to the beach available to rent in the summer.

Ours used to have lineages like that, but we lost our farms already during my time as vampire. Disputes about territory, too complicate for me.

We can rebuild, eventually, but since the Disclosure we don’t need to. Exactly. There was always no shortage of those “voluntary donors”. Humans who know about vampiric existence and choose to offer us their blood. Like those two lovely honey combs by my side.

Now that every human knows about us, the houses cannot find space for all candidates!

Don’t be shy, and never allow them to set any rules! By tradition they must offer themselves to us completely drink when we demand. You get to play with your food as much as pleases you.

No use of mental compulsion is necessary. Those greedy bees seek us in hope to be chosen one day as our blood-thralls. Because they know that vampire blood can heal all human diseases and make them young for centuries, possibly millennia.

Make no mistake, if they had the power to take what they want from was by **** they would bleed us the same was we bleed them. Keep us as their cattle, and **** our submission to their rules and convenience.

Take what you want, keep them at your feet and do not let them play with your sentimentality beyond what may be amusing and convenient to you.

The free donors are bellow blood-thralls. You do not touch the blood-thrall of another vampire in this house! Do that, you will be asking for trouble.

Also, you do not touch the humans who are of our family. Even our elders treat them with respect.

Them, there is you and me: children of the night. And goes up from there, mostly based in age. Boys are stronger than girls, the one advantage in our favour is that we get to play that card to never be in any frontline of war unless that there is no one left to fight for us. Or, if we happen to be the kind that boast about being great warrior amazons!! Stupid boast to make, if you want my opinion.

So, to finish this conversation with something memorable. I will tell you the most terrifying experience in my life.

When I happened I had been a vampire for 30 years only, which is 30 years more than what you have under your belt right now. It would make be 55 years total at the time.

I was in a festival in the house of a local administrator. Was a human party, with the rich and powerful of the country, a few vampires here and there. Over a thousand humans, hundreds of guests, more staff and entertaining. Security, etc.

I was flirting with a cute bastard of some noble, exquisite zither player this boy! In front of my eye, right there six steps away from me, the boy dissolved into ashes, dry grey powder. Snap of a finger, his clothes felt on the tapestry along with what was left of him.

Same was happening with every other human in that palace.

Vampires turned into blocks of black charcoal. All except me and a young man I had met casually couple days before. No one important.

He was livid. As white pale as those two lovely lassies I just enjoyed moments ago.

I followed his eyes to the entrance, and there she was. A woman, standing like someone half-dreaming still.

She walks to the man, neither of us move a muscle.

“You are from the Summer Perfume house, taken by the brooch you are wearing, and by the taste of your blood”

“Yes.” He manages to stutter.

“Is you Family still a good friend of house Korley?”

What would you say in such a circumstance? Fortunately to this fellow he didn’t needed to lie.

“Tell your elders that you Sophia Korley sends her regards. What is your name, young?”

He answered.

“You are gifted with the Trickster Seed. I felt your resistance before I identify your house. Your talent is promising, send your instructor my regards.

I would wish to speak with my niece in private, if you will indulge me.”

By the looks of it he was not offended for being asked to live.

So, that was our aunt Sophia.

She had been sleeping somewhere for over a century, of course we had not met in person! I never forgot that night. Still have nightmares about it.

And, that happened 700 years ago, exactly. Plus three months and four nights.

I am still a child of the night.

Will take me probably about 300 years, give or take a century, to start being taken seriously as a proper young adult in this family.

Our aunt, in case you are wondering, is about 70 thousand years old, and she is only a young elder, or a mature adult depending on who you ask.

Most stories humans used to tell themselves about us take for granted the time frame of Christian Old Testament. That is why their oldest vampires are ridiculously young compared to reality.

When our aunt Sophia speaks about “old timers” she is talking about vampires in our family who are 10 times older than herself.

You can see that as a reason to be depressed, because will take that long for your words to start being taken seriously in this house.

On the same time, you can be happy considering that you have the realistic chance to live hundreds of thousands of years. And actual a lot more than that. Potentially.

Like most things in your life, it is up to you. Which way you will see the situation.