Conversations with (Un)Dead People
It was nearly four when Sunshine finally collapsed into her own bed. Nearly the time when, normally, she'd have to get up to head to the coffeehouse and start the morning's baking. Thankfully, Rae had thought ahead and asked Paulie to take her shift. She had offered to take his Sunday morning shift in return (Sunday was always hellaciously busy with the pre-church breakfast crowd), which had been enough to get him to accept. So she should sleep late, and recover.
Con had left her on her balcony at the end of the night's work, exhausted but strangely elated. What little emotion did show on the vampire's face before he left had shown him to be pleased, as well. The night had gone well, very well, despite the fact that Sunshine had spent the last seven hours of it practically singing with the tension and adrenaline running through her, and trying to pretend that she wasn't.
Vampires could tell that sort of thing, after all.
It had been Con, of course, that had managed to set up the meeting with one of the two gangs trying to claim New Arcadia as their new hunting grounds. He'd found out that the gang was huge, but made up almost entirely of younger vampires from various broken gangs. They had no master vampire to lead them, but banded together for a modicum of order and protection. Rae hadn't really been stoked with the idea of parlaying with a group run by mob rule, but Con felt strongly that they had a good chance of getting their proposal heard and accepted by a good percentage of those there. He had felt just as strongly that she should not accompany him, but like hell was she leaving her one ally to venture into such a potential nest of vipers alone.
Ultimately, he hadn't had much choice but to allow her to come with him. The gang, knowing he was much older than they, but alone, had requested that the meeting begin at sundown. Typically, this would be impossible, and they knew it, but Con's way of life, so to speak, had caused him not to age in the normal way for vampires. Which was the reason behind the meeting in the first place.
With Rae's help, they had left in the golden light before sundown and traveled to the place decided upon by the gang (a long-abandoned warehouse in the easternmost section of Whiteout). Surprisingly (to Sunshine) not met with violence on the way, they had arrived at the just as the sun set. And the meeting had begun.
Constantine did all the talking, on their part. Rae felt a little like she was reliving one of her recurring nightmares, being the only human in a dark place, surrounded by eyes she mustn't meet. But it was all wrong. In the rare occurrence that one of the young vampires looked at her, they looked like it was costing them to do so, like it hurt, and they looked away again quicker than a human eye could follow if she glanced in their direction. They didn't seem to want to admit she existed. So she stayed quiet, her knife warm in her pocket, the amber ring on its silk cord a comforting weight over her heart.
Con's purpose for this meeting was to convince the gang that the traditional way of being a vampire (with any and all human relations consisting of bloody murder and only bloody murder) was not the only choice they had, and was not the best choice, either. He, himself, was many centuries older than they, many times stronger on his own than they were, and still could go out in the dusk before full dark, like they could. His way of life meant that they would not be able to lead a gang, true (some of them had even suspected that Con intended to set himself up as the Master of this gang), but they would retain the freedom they have as relatively young vampires while also gaining strength as they aged. They would never lose the ability to move under the open night sky - they would not have to rely on others to hunt for them, as the oldest master vampires had to. And, not competing with the other gang seeking to claim New Arcadia would spare many of the younger vampires being killed in the inevitable power-struggle. Many of the vampires of the young gang gave signs that this was information they liked the sound of.
Until Con mentioned what they would have to give up for it to happen.
It was revolution. Sunshine had thought she was going to pass out from the strain of so many vampires moving and yelling in sudden surprise and anger. Some called for Con's blood, called him a liar, called for his heart. She had thought that all was lost.
But Con had stayed calm, unfazed (as ever... Rae wondered if that ability could be taught), as he called for any who had previously served Beauregard to step forward. The sudden mention of the former-master vampire's true name had brought sudden silence to the warehouse that had been ringing with noise. Five stood forward, and confirmed what Con had said to be true. They had been there when Con and his... human companion had torn their way through the ancient vampire's defenses, and had brought him down.
Discussions had continued after that, throughout the night. The skeptics had many questions and criticisms, trying to find a way around the prohibition against feeding on humans. The youngest of the vampires, lowest ranked (in whatever order that had organically formed in the gang) and with their memories of being human not yet fully faded, eventually became the most stalwart supporters, most willing to give up the blood of the humans among whom they so recently were counted.
As Rae was beginning to feel the night grow old and day grow near, the discussions began to wind down. Most of the vampires were convinced. A few, a surly handful of the older vampires were willing to take their chances with the rival gang, but Con had felt that they, too, would eventually agree. But at some other time, at some other meeting. The vampires felt day coming, too, only they did not look forward to it as Sunshine did.
Con had returned her to the balcony of her apartment, pleased and quiet, kissing her hand in the darkness before disappearing. Not bothering to undress, barely bothering to kick off her shoes, Rae had flopped on her bed and had fallen asleep as her head hit the pillow.
It was a scant two hours later when the sound of Rae's phone ringing cut through the silence of her deep, restorative sleep. The October sun wasn't even up yet. Her blind, frantic reaching for the phone knocked it to the floor, still ringing, requiring her to get up and grab it quickly before it went to the answering machine.
It was her mother, which surprised her. Her mother almost never called her, so why was she now? It had to be important.
It was. Paulie hadn't made it in to work that morning.
Con had left her on her balcony at the end of the night's work, exhausted but strangely elated. What little emotion did show on the vampire's face before he left had shown him to be pleased, as well. The night had gone well, very well, despite the fact that Sunshine had spent the last seven hours of it practically singing with the tension and adrenaline running through her, and trying to pretend that she wasn't.
Vampires could tell that sort of thing, after all.
It had been Con, of course, that had managed to set up the meeting with one of the two gangs trying to claim New Arcadia as their new hunting grounds. He'd found out that the gang was huge, but made up almost entirely of younger vampires from various broken gangs. They had no master vampire to lead them, but banded together for a modicum of order and protection. Rae hadn't really been stoked with the idea of parlaying with a group run by mob rule, but Con felt strongly that they had a good chance of getting their proposal heard and accepted by a good percentage of those there. He had felt just as strongly that she should not accompany him, but like hell was she leaving her one ally to venture into such a potential nest of vipers alone.
Ultimately, he hadn't had much choice but to allow her to come with him. The gang, knowing he was much older than they, but alone, had requested that the meeting begin at sundown. Typically, this would be impossible, and they knew it, but Con's way of life, so to speak, had caused him not to age in the normal way for vampires. Which was the reason behind the meeting in the first place.
With Rae's help, they had left in the golden light before sundown and traveled to the place decided upon by the gang (a long-abandoned warehouse in the easternmost section of Whiteout). Surprisingly (to Sunshine) not met with violence on the way, they had arrived at the just as the sun set. And the meeting had begun.
Constantine did all the talking, on their part. Rae felt a little like she was reliving one of her recurring nightmares, being the only human in a dark place, surrounded by eyes she mustn't meet. But it was all wrong. In the rare occurrence that one of the young vampires looked at her, they looked like it was costing them to do so, like it hurt, and they looked away again quicker than a human eye could follow if she glanced in their direction. They didn't seem to want to admit she existed. So she stayed quiet, her knife warm in her pocket, the amber ring on its silk cord a comforting weight over her heart.
Con's purpose for this meeting was to convince the gang that the traditional way of being a vampire (with any and all human relations consisting of bloody murder and only bloody murder) was not the only choice they had, and was not the best choice, either. He, himself, was many centuries older than they, many times stronger on his own than they were, and still could go out in the dusk before full dark, like they could. His way of life meant that they would not be able to lead a gang, true (some of them had even suspected that Con intended to set himself up as the Master of this gang), but they would retain the freedom they have as relatively young vampires while also gaining strength as they aged. They would never lose the ability to move under the open night sky - they would not have to rely on others to hunt for them, as the oldest master vampires had to. And, not competing with the other gang seeking to claim New Arcadia would spare many of the younger vampires being killed in the inevitable power-struggle. Many of the vampires of the young gang gave signs that this was information they liked the sound of.
Until Con mentioned what they would have to give up for it to happen.
It was revolution. Sunshine had thought she was going to pass out from the strain of so many vampires moving and yelling in sudden surprise and anger. Some called for Con's blood, called him a liar, called for his heart. She had thought that all was lost.
But Con had stayed calm, unfazed (as ever... Rae wondered if that ability could be taught), as he called for any who had previously served Beauregard to step forward. The sudden mention of the former-master vampire's true name had brought sudden silence to the warehouse that had been ringing with noise. Five stood forward, and confirmed what Con had said to be true. They had been there when Con and his... human companion had torn their way through the ancient vampire's defenses, and had brought him down.
Discussions had continued after that, throughout the night. The skeptics had many questions and criticisms, trying to find a way around the prohibition against feeding on humans. The youngest of the vampires, lowest ranked (in whatever order that had organically formed in the gang) and with their memories of being human not yet fully faded, eventually became the most stalwart supporters, most willing to give up the blood of the humans among whom they so recently were counted.
As Rae was beginning to feel the night grow old and day grow near, the discussions began to wind down. Most of the vampires were convinced. A few, a surly handful of the older vampires were willing to take their chances with the rival gang, but Con had felt that they, too, would eventually agree. But at some other time, at some other meeting. The vampires felt day coming, too, only they did not look forward to it as Sunshine did.
Con had returned her to the balcony of her apartment, pleased and quiet, kissing her hand in the darkness before disappearing. Not bothering to undress, barely bothering to kick off her shoes, Rae had flopped on her bed and had fallen asleep as her head hit the pillow.
It was a scant two hours later when the sound of Rae's phone ringing cut through the silence of her deep, restorative sleep. The October sun wasn't even up yet. Her blind, frantic reaching for the phone knocked it to the floor, still ringing, requiring her to get up and grab it quickly before it went to the answering machine.
It was her mother, which surprised her. Her mother almost never called her, so why was she now? It had to be important.
It was. Paulie hadn't made it in to work that morning.