Vampire

The room was silent but for the buzz of electricity and the methodical chewing sounds coming from the receptionist as she persistently chomped away at the gum she had renewed ten minutes prior. 

Suddenly the receptionist perked up as though hearing something and looked over the top of the plexiglass separating her desk from the rest of the room. 

“Mr. Darcy?” She waited until he made eye contact with her and then stood, indicating a door behind her and to the left. “Mr. Sheffield is ready for you now, right this way.”

Victor stood, gathering his things quietly. It always unnerved him when a receptionist was also a telepath. He vaguely recalled his Mother’s words:

“The problem with telepaths is that strong ones have enough Aura to be important- politicians, diplomats, but the weak ones? Well, they make excellent aides, but resent their betters..”

Taking a sheepish glance at the woman, Victor thought she did not look resentful, but then, there was a reason Victor had not spoken to his Mother for nearly ten years.

Walking back through the door, he nervously approached Mr. Sheffield’s office. 

The man himself sat at a laboriously organized desk. A laptop and a legal pad sat neatly to one side, while a file sat open. The man stood as Victor entered.

“Ah, Mr. Darcy, welcome back. Thank you for coming in.”

Sheffield stood and shook Victor’s hand, his grip firm and just a moment too quick for Victor. Victor offered as much strength as his incomplete grip could muster, but could only manage a limp shake.

“Hi Mr. Sheffield. You said you had news about my case?”

Sheffield sat down and waved a hand over the file. “I do. Please, call me Tom.”

Victor sat across from Tom and looked down at the folder. After a moment of silence, Victor looked up and awkwardly continued the conversation.

“Oh- Okay, then… Tom, so, what’s the news?”

Tom leaned back, his fingers steepling over a belly showing through what had once been a fitted dress shirt. 

“Well Victor, it’s a bit of a mixed bag actually.”

Tom must have been watching for a reaction, because he seemed energized when Victor tensed. At Tom’s words, Victor’s stomach had simultaneously jumped up to his throat and sank as low as it possibly could. 

Tom chuckled however and slapped the folder in front of him. 

“Don’t look so glum! Let’s go over how things went and then figure it out from there.” Tom turned a few pages over and then flipped one so Victor could read it. “Okay, so as you know, the judge was ruling on three things in your case: First, he was ruling on the counterclaim the company made regarding use of your Auramancy as a Vampire to steal the Aura from artificed components in the factory. On that count, the judge felt that the criminal investigation sufficed, and that the lack of charges held up with the Magical Armistice of 2031, as well as the Treaty of Blood sub section added after the Twilight Trials of 2045. He ruled in your favour and dismissed the counterclaim of damages from your previous employer.”

Victor took a moment to process what Tom was saying as he read the verdict on the page in front of him. All at once Victor felt his breath rush out in a flood of relief. 

“So… So that means they can’t charge me? I don’t have to pay them back for the product damage?”

Tom nodded. 

“The judge agreed with the findings of the investigators, and that the loss of Aura energy was accounted for by reasonable decay in the artifice process. It also helped that he had these by the way…” Tom reached into his desk and pulled out three tapes, which he handed to Victor. “I apologize for how invasive it was, but because you consented to letting me use my Aura to record your memories we showed beyond any doubt that you did not steal any components to drink… I mean, drain them.”

Tom suddenly looked embarrassed, to which Victor sighed.

“It’s okay Tom… ” Nonetheless Victor looked down at his feet.

“Hey.” Tom said, waiting for Victor to look back up at him. “No, it’s not okay. I am truly sorry. It’s an awful stereotype that Vampires drink blood. I should know better and have better control over my words.”

Victor nodded. “Thanks Tom, at least you recognize it… That’s more than most people do. We need to consume Aura to use any powers of our own, but Vampires actually are able to live without it you know… we just seem like non magical people when we go without…” Victor thought about his Mother again. “Mind you, most wouldn’t choose that path…”

Tom nodded, turned a few more pages and then flipped another ruling so Victor could read it. “That leads to the second piece of good news. The judge also ruled in your favour regarding the discrimination and wrongful termination. Our argument that you cannot fire someone based on being a protected magical creature under the Fair Treatment of Twilight Beings Act from the Treaty of Blood won out. He has ordered the company to award you a sum of two hundred and fifty thousand dollars in damages. After the fifteen percent commission I take for my services- as agreed- you will have a total of two hundred and twelve thousand, five hundred dollars. I recommend you speak to an accountant or tax specialist to account for how much that will affect your income tax this year, but aside from that you should have a nice sum of money…”

Victor bit his lip. “That sounds great, but so far those both seem like good things… you said it was a mixed bag. I’m guessing the bad news comes next?”

“I’m sorry Victor, but the Judge sided with the company on its hiring policy. Your position no longer exists, so it’s not considered a discriminatory practice to deny you a job. The company provided sufficient evidence that automation and cost saving measures eliminated the need.”

“But we both know they could have found me another position…” 

“Yes, in fact I'm sure everyone including the judge knew that, but the company was suitably capable of showing your skillset was not needed. Technically they argued that they did not need a “non-magical” worker. If you used your powers as a Vampire, they would have to provide you a position, but as things stand…”

Victor felt his heart race against his chest. “But… That’s not…”

“Right? Fair? That’s entirely true Victor, which is why you have a choice now.”

Tom’s eyes filled with a mischievous light. “Now, we could just accept the settlement as it is, and you walk away significantly richer, but jobless. Your other option is to appeal, and try to push through on a Right’s Tribunal case. You would be risking the money you’ve already been awarded, but if you won, you’d set a precedent for the rights of magical creatures, yourself included.”

Victor bit his lip again. “True, and it is an injustice…”

Tom nodded. “There’d be a catch though, there’s no way I could take on a case that big without some serious backing. We would need the support of your Family- both politically and financially.”

Victor shook his head. “I haven’t spoken to them in years…”

“But the Treaty does say that a Vampire Family cannot turn out one of their own.”

“That’s true Tom, but I turned from them, not the other way round…”

“Well, why don’t you sleep on it? I don’t have to give an answer until the day after tomorrow. Take tonight and give it some thought, and let me know tomorrow. It is a big decision. You could take the settlement and walk away looking for another job- which sounds like it’ll be a challenge, or you could reach out to your Family and fight for your rights… Ultimately the choice is yours.”

Tom put the papers back in the folder and closed it. 

“Listen, I’m not going to lie to you Victor. Both choices come with challenges and issues, and nothing is guaranteed. The company could also appeal, which would delay your reward until that process is done. So you may be looking at upwards of a year before getting the money anyways, but like I said- it’s your life, and your choice. I’ll fight for you either way, it’s what you’ve hired me for.” Tom shrugged then looked outside. “The sun has set now, at least you’ll have a comfortable trip home.”

Victor stood, recognizing the dismissal for what it was. He shook Tom’s hand again- getting a much firmer hold this time and squeezing just as hard in return. “Thanks Mr. Sheffield. I’ll call tomorrow once I've thought it over…”

An hour later Victor walked into the small townhouse he called home and slid his shoes off. He saw another pair of shoes in the entryway.

“Hey Babe! I’m home!” 

“I’m in the kitchen Vic! Just finishing up supper!” 

Victor walked into the kitchen to see his six foot, black haired boyfriend washing out a frying pan in the sink. Victor walked up and wrapped his arms around Brad’s waist in a hug, resting his head on Brad’s back. With a deep breath, Victor closed his eyes and relaxed into the familiar smell of lavender soap and the warmth of his boyfriend..

Brad set the pan down and turned, hugging Victor back and kissing him on the forehead.

“How’d it go?” He asked quietly.

Victor stepped back, staying within the sheltering circle of the embrace, but giving space to look Brad in the eyes. 

“Honestly? It was okay I guess. A lot of the legal stuff and talking about the Armistice and the Treaties went over my head, but it boils down to this: I don’t have to pay them, they have to pay me and I get about two hundred grand if they don’t appeal- which they probably will, but I don’t get my job back, so I’m gonna have to keep looking…”

When Victor had finished explaining the details Brad leaned in and kissed him again.

“Need anything from me? How can I help?”

Victor sighed and let Brad lead him to the table, where Brad then served their supper. While they ate Victor replayed the situation in his head again before speaking up. 

“I’m not sure there’s much you can do…” Victor said. “Anyways, the lawyer says I have two choices: I can accept, and either hope they don’t appeal or wait out an appeal, or I can risk the settlement and fight for my job, but I’d have to start using my Vampire powers, which means consuming Aura, and I’d have to reconnect with my Family.”

“What do you want to do?” He asked when Victor had finished.

Victor stared out at the deepening night.

“I think the lawyer wants me to fight for my job. With the backing of a Vampire Family he probably figures he could win a bigger case and get more money…”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

Victor smirked and then looked longingly at Brad. 

“I know babe, sorry… it’s a lot to think about…”

Brad abandoned his plate and walked up behind Victor, massaging his neck and shoulders. “Well, you don’t have to do this alone. I love you Vic, whatever you decide I support wholeheartedly.”

Victor felt his face warm and his eyes began to sting with the burn of tears welling in the corners, but not yet fallen. 

“Sometimes I wish I really was just a human you know…”

Brad gave Victor’s shoulder a reassuring pinch.

“Hey now… you ARE human.”

Victor rolled his eyes and then rubbed them with the back of his sleeve. 

“I know… it’s just…”

Brad waited patiently, still massaging Victor’s back.

“It really isn’t fair, and I do wish that people would treat me better, but I really don’t want to consume other people’s Aura…So here’s the thing: growing up, my Mother made me consume Aura. It’s what Vampires do. The way Artificers like you use their life energy to infuse ordinary items with magic properties, or Telepaths to communicate and read minds, or even Dryads to be excellent farmers- connected to the land and helping crops grow. A Vampire uses “magic” by feeding off of and collecting Aura from others. Now since the Treaty of Blood, we’ve done that by consuming energy infused into artificed items so we don’t actually hurt other people.”

Brad nodded and gently patted Victor’s shoulder, ending the massage to sit beside Victor and hold his hand. 

“Well, I hated that. My Mother called me weak for it, and said it was ‘proof of concept’ for why Matriarchs are in charge of Vampire families. Anyways, there were reasons I hated it… First of all, I hated that we have to destroy beautiful things just to use our powers… Did you know that? When an artificed piece has its Aura drained the whole thing melts away, like you’ve thrown it in a fire. To get enough Aura for it to have meaning, we need to consume really powerful, beautiful pieces of art- things that took someone weeks to make and imbue. Second, was the fact that- honestly?- I don’t find the power all that useful. I mean sure, depending on how much a Vampire can get, and how they use it, they can do just about anything, but most of the stuff we ACTUALLY use it for is stuff any person can do- magical or not. I'd be destroying art just so I can be lazy.”

Victor paused for a moment, coming back to the present out of his memories and seeing Brad. 

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t…”

Brad shook his head. “Keep going hon, this is important to you. I can see that. I want to hear it… If you still want to tell me.”

Victor thought for a moment and then nodded.

“Okay then… Well, the third reason is that like I said before… I don’t really feel like a human being sometimes… I feel like I'm just reduced to being a magical creature and that’s all there is to me. Consuming Aura and using Vampiric powers makes that worse. That’s how we become impossibly proportionate and perfect looking, and how we end up being able to go for days without sleep or food. Back when my Mother forced me to consume Aura it made me feel like a freak. Finally…”

Victor trailed off, and a haunted look filled his eyes.

Brad frowned, and when moments passed without Victor saying anything, squeezed Victor’s hand. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t…”

Victor shook his head. “No, I want you to know… I love you Brad, this is… This is why I DON’T feed… it’s why I have never and would never ask to consume anything you make…”

Victor took a breath and steadied himself.

“When I consume Aura- when any Vampire does- we are taking a part of a person’s essence into ourselves… and Brad? It’s like I can FEEL someone else inside my body and it freaks me out. It feels so invasive, like this other person is literally crawling around in my skin…”

Brad moved closer, grabbing both of Victor’s shaking hands on his own.

“My Mother said that feeling goes away, that after you take in enough Aura from enough sources you don’t even notice it anymore… like… like…” Victor stopped for a moment to think, then nodded, remembering the lawyer’s office waiting room. “It’s like electricity! You know how we get used to having things running? So eventually we tune out the humming of lights or fridges or things like that? That’s what it’s supposed to be like when you absorb enough Aura energy… but when it gets quiet…”

Brad thought about Victor’s analogy, his eyes sparking with realization. “It’s like that’s all you can hear.”

Victor’s eyes focused, drawing back from the haunted look that had consumed them as they locked on to Brad’s. 

“Only instead of hearing, you feel it on every inch of your skin. Through every pore and every organ, every whisper in your mind…”

Brad had gone pale. “That sounds…”

“Awful.” Victor finished for him. “It feels awful too. That’s why I left it all behind… I abandoned my Family, moved out here and scraped by on any job I can get- all so I can be as close to a non magical human as possible and never have to feel that way again.”

The two sat there in silence. Seconds stretched into minutes until a clock chimed and broke the strange spell between them. Brad stood up, and scooped Victor into his arms. Victor let himself be carried up to bed and went through the motions of getting undressed and ready for bed. When they were both under the covers, Brad snuggled close and looked Victor in the eyes.

“Vic… I love you, I will always love you, no matter what you choose to do, and with a complete understanding of WHO you are. That said, I think I know what you’re gonna tell that lawyer tomorrow…”

Victor nodded, relaxing into the mattress and finally letting himself come fully back into the present. “You’re right Brad… I do know. I can’t go back to that… It’s just not who I am… even if the company won an appeal and I got nothing, I’d still feel like me, and I don’t think I'd feel that way if I went back to my Family.”

Victor kissed Brad warmly, passionately.

“Sorry for going all dark on you…”

Brad smiled against Victor’s lips. “Stop apologizing babe.” Brad reached over and flicked off the lights, the persistent hum of electricity fading into silence.