Vampire Finances ~ an Education

[tinhuvielartanis]

I'm so loving this...

The reporter is Agatha took hold of her. She took a long swallow of coffee and said “Orphaeus, tell me, what kind of situation or abuses create a thing like Cadmus Pariah?”
“Hm. That I can’t tell you. Only Kelat knows that story and she may not know everything. I know that his conception is pretty fucked up, being the result of an alchemical mix of Kelat and Thiyennen’s issue, and the Apostate and dragon DNA.”

“And dragons actually do exist?”

“I saw one. The rest are sleeping. From what I understand, they’ll awake when humanity most needs them. I’d say that’s proof enough that they were allies to the human race; another creature that got the lesser of the deal when encountering humankind. Why they seem to think that the human race is worth the help the dragons may be offering when they rise is beyond me. But that’s just me.”

“Not much faith in humanity, eh?”

“Well, it’s like this, Aggie. I know that I’m a monster. I know that I tear into people and bathe in blood.” Orphaeus shook his bag of finger bones. “I’m essentially a supernatural serial murderer. But at least I’m honest with myself and others about it. I try to make my prey as comfortable and unaware as possible. I have come to grips with whom and what I am and I behave accordingly. Humanity as a whole is comprised of murderers, rapists, abusers and killers of animals and their lesser man, polluters, pillagers, and poor tenets on this, the only planet we have. Which is worse? You are doing everything you can to stay awake around me but, I daresay, you’re safer with me than you would be with any human being and that’s a bet I’d be willing to place my entire fortune on. And my fortune is vast.”

Aggie looked down at her giant coffee with a peevish eye. But her need for knowledge prodded her forward.

“Vast fortune? Is that typical of Vampires or are you unique?”

“It’s a byproduct of many of us. I’d say that all the Darkbloods are wealthy depending on their age. One tends to acquire riches over time. The Darkblood Hive are comprised primarily of Incubi and Succubi who absorb the riches of their prey because they almost always kill when feeding. They don’t have to feed every night, but many do and end up with quite the ‘inheritance’ as a result.

“The Hive of Redemption will take the fortunes of victims only out of necessity. Vampires also must deal with cost of living issues, just for your information. When they kill, and kill they must for the absorption of the life force, they will take that person’s equity and make it their own. Their process takes longer so young Redemptors are often, as you might say, Middle Class or maybe right above the poverty level. It won’t take them long, though.

“We Beasts often become rich very fast,” Orphaeus said quietly, his face expressing a vague shame. “Many of us succumb to the Bloodbath and will later, after the effects of our indulgence has worn off, take the victim’s money and investments. But a lot of Beasts also go on spending sprees, buying shit that no one, especially Vampires, would ever need. I think it’s a monetary expression of the Bloodbath. Sometimes I think the whole of my Tribe is bipolar, for we certainly behave that way. Because of this, Beasts will fluctuate between being fabulously rich to incredibly destitute in a matter of weeks. There are those of us who keep our instincts in check, though, and we enjoy a life of luxury for decades, even centuries.

“The Hive of Purity, consisting of the Original Ten and their progeny, are all rich beyond your wildest dreams. Well, the remaining nine and their Darkling children… Gideon’s children were certainly wealthy, even your Paine in case you didn’t know. Gideon himself? Who knows? He was thought to be a raving mad man who was barely aware of this reality. When he was seen, he often looked disheveled and dirty. That could have been an indicator of homelessness and a state of poverty, but who knows? Gideon was a mystery. The rest of the Puritans…well, they’ve been walking this Earth for so long, the mere inkling of poverty is not in their comprehension.

“The final hive, the Tribe of the Tomb, every last one of them is poverty-stricken. They are disabled in some way, unable to feed properly, barely able to function in any basic human or Vampire way. We don’t know what happens with these Unfortunates. There aren’t many of them, thankfully, but I can guarantee you won’t encounter an Unfortunate that isn’t homeless and destitute.

“Does that satisfy your curiosity regarding Vampire finances?”

Agatha laughed with amazement and mirth. “More than. Will you be this forthcoming about anything I ask, Orphaeus?”

“M’dear, I have nothing to hide from you.” Orphaeus tucked away his books and grinned at Agatha, flashing his white fangs like a flirtatious wolf, then he looked up and around, his curly red hair moving back as he did so. “The airplane has already taken off and we missed it. If this is any indication, our trip will seem like it flashed before our very eyes as if we were dying. I should have worn one of my Dia de los Muertos tee shirts in honour of this quickly perishing journey, eh?”

Orphaeus laughed and patted Agatha comfortingly as she laughed along. Orphaeus was such an odd bird, she thought, but thoroughly engaging and enchanting. In just this short time, she’d totally forgotten about the bag of finger bones the Vampire had fastened to his belt. It was going to be a wild ride indeed.