Night One

You know how it goes.  Naturally I couldn’t leave it at that.  I had wanted too but the hunger compelled me.  What I had since learned was called the Beast was determined to make a go of this.  Clearly my opinion about the state of our affairs meant nothing.  Repeatedly I attempted to sit where my sire had died and wait for the sun myself.  Every single time I ended up running back inside.   Making a dive into the tub and under the suffocating darkness of my mattress as I went. 

After a while I gave up on that.  I drank from animals when true madness threatened from the aching hunger.  Besides the thing inside of me, I was completely alone.  When I was around mortals the desires I had for their blood disturbed me.  The only mortal family I had was long dead.  My friends were more convenience than actual friends.  A consequence of clawing out each little patch of road to claim as my own.  I am sure there is another skinny little boy in my spot by now.  I doubt I was even missed much.

Over a month passed before I saw another one.  By which I mean another vampire.  I had given up pretence by that point.  I knew what I was.  There is only so long you can listen to My Chemical Romance in the dark at top volume.  There comes a time when you have to admit the truth.  So I was a vampire and also a Daeva.  My sire had labelled me as such.  If knew what it meant it might have helped me.  As it was it was just another strange word I didn't understand. 

I saw the vampire and had two spontaneous reactions.  I wanted to tear him into little bits.  Then I wanted to turn and run as fast as I could the other way.  If at all possible I wanted to do both at the same time.  I did neither.  The thing inside of me was trying to think for me again.  I was learning ways of keeping him the fuck quiet. 

Instead I crouched down low.  Then cautiously went after the strange new vampire.  I kept a safe distance but held him in my sights.  An easy task considering how tall he was.  His arms were bandaged in a way that seemed painful.  Possibly deformed but it was hard to say.  There came a point when I knew he had seen me.  Thankfully he didn’t react in any particular way.  I watched as he walked into a ritzy looking nightclub.  Needlessly I crept in after him.  As if keeping low to ground would protect me.  

Ignoring me he sat down alone at a table.   I crouched and spent time building my courage.  This was a vampire.  Just because I was technically one of them didn’t make it any easier.  It turned out that I had reason to be wary.  Yes as I mortal I had been vulnerable.  The Kiss however is a wonderful way to die.  Now undead I had to worry about such lovely things as having my head chopped off or being set on fire.  The consequence of breaking laws, that I know nothing of, is steep.

When the tension became absurd I managed a faint greeting.  It was returned but not gladly.  Doing what I could to emote confidence I moved towards him.  There was nothing welcoming about him but I had to many questions that needed answers.

I’m not sure what I expected.  That he was going to jump and give me a spontaneous high five and chest jump?  Then throw in a ‘hey we are both corpses’ fist bump?  I waited for the welcome to the club sort of handshake.  A pamphlet titled “The Top 10 Reason To Celebrate When You Wake Up Dead” would have completed the deal.   

Yeah, none of that happened.  Instead he glared at me and asked.  “What are you?”  Now that was a deep question. Sadly I really doubted he was interested in probing the depths of my soul. 

“Daywa, Deva, Dowa.”  I attempted lamely.

“Daeva?”  He offered with annoyed patience. 

“Yeah …”

“What convent?”  His eyes strangely were fixed on me.  They gave me a vision of him opening his mouth wide and swallowing me down whole.  Considering his teeth that wouldn’t end well for me.

“Invuctis, Invea …”  The month of not speaking had not done me any favours.  That and the fact that these words were so foreign to me.

“Invitcus?”  This time he interrupted before I got my foot all the way down my throat.  Both of us knew that it was clearly headed there.

“Yeah.”

This prompted an eye roll and a low growl of irritation.  I shrunk back and wondered what it was that made him react like that.  Perhaps his jaw really did open up that big.  I had no chance to escape before he propelled me by the arm into another section of the club. 

“You should to talk to him.”  With a vague gesture into a very full room he released me and stalked back from where he came. 

I was in no way prepared for what was in the next room.  There were so many of them.  Yes I had assumed there were other vampires in the world.  If I existed and my sire existed (had existed) naturally there were others.  I just hadn’t expected it to be like this.  They were all shapes and sizes and wearing all manner of clothing.  The focal point was at the centre of the room.  I decided to stick to the edges. 

Tentatively I walked into their space.  A few turned to glance at me for a second but most ignored me all together.  The cheerful voice amongst it all surprised me.  As I turned the greeting was enhanced with enthused arm gestures.

At least someone noticed me.  I walked over and sat in the chair indicated.  If she had asked me to stand on my head I’m sure I would have done that as well.

“Hi!”  She said again twice as cheerful as before which I didn’t think was possible.  She told me her name and offered her hand to shake.  My memory fails at this point, as I couldn’t get beyond her eyes.  Her teeth were also well noted by me.  Unease turned in my stomach even as she smiled.

“Hi.  What, uh, what clan are you?”  I asked hopeful this would do for conversation.  “Da …”  I started eagerly …

“Gangrel.  We are Gangrel.”  She said so bright and happy she could pop indicating herself and the guy behind me.  Politeness dictated that I turn and shake his hand. 

She complimented my appearance and my choice of clothing.  That was nice to hear.  The talk turned to covenants.  After the reaction of the gentleman in the other room I thought it wise to wait on declaring mine.  It made sense to find out about Inviticus before claiming to be part of them.  I went with undecided and that was accepted as a valid choice.  So I relaxed somewhat and asked who was who and if there was anyone I should be cautious of.

“Oh Shane!  He’s not here right now but he shoots people.  Stay away from him.”  She seemed entirely too happy about this particular fact.

“He … shoots people.  What?  Why?” 

“I don’t know but be careful.” 

That was worrying but that’s all she wanted to say about it.  I started wondering about authority around here.  She answered my question before I could ask it.   It was recommended that I meet the Prince.  A Prince?  That was exciting …

“She is right over there.  She’s really informal.  I’m sure she would like to meet you.  Use flattery.” 

She? I took that in for a moment before excusing myself.  For old time’s sake I took a deep breath.  Then moved to the crowd in the middle of the club floor.  There were quite a few Kindred and the Prince didn’t wear a crown.  No matter, it was immediately obvious just who she was.  A spotlight might as well have been pointed directly down on her.  This was more then just power.  She effortlessly had complete command of everyone and everything in the room.  Even beyond the room up to the city itself.

“Wait who is that?”  She was pointing at me.  “That guy behind you?”  Everyone turned to look at me and my balls went straight into my stomach.  For a moment I wanted to turn and run.   It was an even stronger urge than I had before.

Instead I managed to keep myself together enough to give a bow.  “My name is Adrian, your majesty.  I think you are absolutely gorgeous.”  I was not lying.

“Thank you!”  She said looking me up and down.  “And you are completely adorable.”   Oh God.  “Sit down.  Join us.” 

I sat gingerly down as if the seat was red hot.  The advisor's around her questioned me in a relaxed way about my clan and covenant.  It was asked if I wanted to stay in Chicago or not.  I said I did not knowing there was a chance I wouldn’t be allowed too. 

“Well I’m fine with it.”  Prince Grace declared, more or less allowing me my life with a wave of her hand.

I couldn’t stop staring at her.  Even as I knew I was coming off about as charming as a drooling dog.  At one point she looked outright disappointed with my utter lack of wit.  I mentally kicked myself and forced myself to tear my eyes away.  No excuse really, just so much had happened that night.  I was overwhelmed with it all.  This Goddess I was wildly attracted had short circuited my brain.

It was good luck for me that she was Daeva and so was the rest of her court.  One of her advisor's, Sherri I believe, took it upon herself to casually question me further.  We had quite a nice chat together.  I told her the old line about being an art student.  On the fly I made up a sad story about being abandoned by my sire.  She sympathized and I tried not to think about the jar of ashes in my apartment.  Just on the off chance she could read minds.

A man at our table overheard my whole sad tale.  Apparently I so moved him to the amount of $10,000.  Like it was nothing he just handed it to me.  I hesitated in taking it because for ten thousand I’m basically bending over for a donkey.  I hesitatingly thanked him and asked him what he wanted in return.  He wasn’t worried about it.  He had rooms and rooms full of money and weapons.  That was good.

I was warned once more about Shane.  I suppose this is as a good a time as any to talk about Shane Anderson.  It is true that he does shoot the Kindred of Chicago.  Quite often the attack is provoked by very little.  On that first night Kindred warned me repeatedly in different ways about Shane.  I must have looked particularly susceptible to them.  They were always either unwilling or unable to answer my natural questions.

To an outsider, whom I was and still am, it seems that everything is peaceful and calm.  Save for Shane who is shooting up the place.  I really don’t know if anyone stops to consider the relationship between the two.  It’s an unconventional ecosystem but that is the best way to look at it.  You see with vampires there are two things to consider.  There is the human side that we walk around wearing and then who we really are. 

I’ve seen what I really am.  I’ve looked it straight in the eye and I can tell you it’s not human.  It grotesque and hungry and doesn’t give a shit about hopes and dreams.  It is well named as The Beast.  There is no reasoning with bloodthirsty monsters that run on instinct.  Without the caution that Shane gives us society and the masquerade would crumble within a night.  He’s the oil in the engine that keeps it running smooth.

So yes sacrifices must be made.  Look at me.  Chicago doesn’t benefit much from an unclaimed fledgling with impulse issues.  I’m sure he’ll get me eventually.  After all, it would be for the greater good …

The next to join us at the royal table was a peculiar man named Xavier.  His trademarks were a thick Louisiana accent and a deck of cards.  Fortunes were told, mine included.  Apparently I am an adventurer, a Carthian and needed to speak to a man named Lafferty.  I’m just glad those cards didn’t tell the truth.  By the way he acted I could tell he thought I was well below his station even though at one point he declared me to be ‘fine’. 

Fine I might be but the longer I sat there the more I felt out of place.  I had many questions to ask but I didn’t want to come off foolish by asking them.  The Prince had provided free candy by which I mean coke, cocaine.  I took a fair share and was relieved to know it still had an effect on me.  She left to attend to business elsewhere.

Xavier called over a man named Donovan McQuin and very spiritedly told him his fortune.  Apparently he forgot that I was sitting right there.  The cards warned Mr. McQuin about an Acolyte who would try and seize power from him.  Xavier relayed this as if he was proving some sort of point.  Acolyte in this case refers to a member of The Circle of the Crone.  Shane happens to belong to The Circle of the Crone.  Coincidence?  

Mr. McQuin’s reaction was more reflective than accepting.  I stood and introduced myself to him.  He asked the usual questions, clan, covenant, and residence.  Then he asked me if there was anything to me besides looking good.  I was starting to wonder that myself.  I tried to stay upbeat and felt like I was at a job interview.  He said he would keep me in the back of his mind.  Great.

So discouraged I left the club.  Meeting other Kindred had been enlightening.  Yet I couldn’t have been more out of my element.  Frankly I had disappointed myself.  I slumped my way out of the club and noticed a lady named Katana and her friend.  As if it would have been possible not to notice her.  Those boots in those legs could of stopped air traffic.  Another Daeva I was not surprised to learn.  I had determined that by my level of attraction.

Somehow we fell into talking with each other.  She had some adventures to tell.  All of these stories seemed to involve a certain Mr. Anderson.  With pride she referred to herself as Shane’s ex-girlfriend.  A relationship that was formed through blood bonding (enchantment) it seemed.  Yes I should watch out for him.  He had shot her for calling him cute.  A nearby Mekhet, another clan, told me that he had been shot for merely smiling. 

In the end I can only laugh at all of it.  I knew I was going to come back.  I also know that eventually it won’t end well for me.  If I can serve the Prince in some capacity before that happens, all the better.