November 2016 – Cedarcrest Sanctum

Thinking Inside the Box – Vampire Verisimilitude

November 27, 2016Leave a comment

Crypts and coffins go with Vampires like garages and cars — they have to be someplace when they’re not active, right?

I’ve mentioned before that immortals require a place to rest, one with a bed of earth and deep enough to be completely interred. It doesn’t require being covered, but a sense of safety is paramount; if you’ve seen any of those movies where the fools disturbing a Vampire at rest during the day realize we’re not actually sleeping, you’ve got the right bloody idea.

As a reminder of what immortal rest feels like: the blissful bit of time when you feel like you’re falling asleep right after you hit the snooze button because you don’t have to get up just yet? That… except you never fall completely asleep. You stay right there: comfortably numb.

But what about those times when you don’t want to get up but you don’t feel like resting?

Ah, modern conveniences to the rescue! Of course Vampires can see in extreme low-light conditions, but a reading light never hurts — nor does a back-lit video screen with an in-crypt high-speed wireless connection and a charging cradle. Finish a book, interact on social media, do some light shopping, or binge-watch a season on Netflix. When Vampires were cursed to spend their days confined to a crypt, I’ll bet the culprits never suspected science would supersede magic.

Pro-tip: set your mobile device to vibrate whenever you don’t need sound. Any audible alert when you’re sacked out makes you feel like someone will be standing over you with a stake when you open your eyes — you don’t need that kind of negativity in your eternity.

Take your power seriously. Keep each other safe.
~ Janiss

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Two Vampires Talk Politics – Daughters of Darkness

November 20, 2016November 22, 20164 Comments

2016daughtersofdarkness Janiss: Welcome to Daughters of Darkness, a candid discussion between two immortals, myself being almost three decades old —

Nancy: (interrupting) Including living years.

J: Right, and yourself being almost three centuries old by way of comparison… also including living years.

N: You’re not really calling it that, are you?

J: What? “Daughters of Darkness”? We are. We’re night folk. It’s clever, damn it — roll with it.

N: We’re just Vampires, Janiss. Please continue.

J: Right… cool. So, okay, we’re talking about the 2016 election —

N: If we have to. I see they misspelled our code names on the cocoa again.

J: (smirks) I told them to do that on purpose. You know, like when we first —

N: (patronizing) Of course you did.

J: I figured it could be a thing.

N: (sarcastic) Of course you did.

J: Ahem. Getting back to it, I voted for Hillary. Nancy, who did you vote for?

N: As I texted back to you: not Hillary.

J: So why’d you vote for the other guy?

N: The president-elect’s name is Donald J. Trump, and I didn’t vote for him, either.

J: (long pause) I’m… confused. When I asked you here —

N: You asked if I voted for Ms. Clinton.

J: Right. And you said…
Continue reading “Two Vampires Talk Politics – Daughters of Darkness” →

The Shepherd Wolf

November 13, 2016November 13, 2016Leave a comment

Every full moon, the wolf would appear to devour another sheep — it was the way of things.

Always at night and always hungry, the wolf would appear to chase the herd until one could run no longer. When it fell behind, the wolf took the weakest sheep into its powerful jaws and disappeared into the night.

While most of the sheep looked away, one did not. It watched, saw how frightened the other sheep were, and offered comfort to others.

But the wolf noticed the sheep that watched, and on the night when the moon became darkest, it came and took it away.

“Why do you watch?” the wolf asked, not yet having devoured the sheep.

“To understand,” it replied. “There must be a secret that can save us all.”

The wolf laughed. “I will reveal my secret, for it cannot save anyone.” With that, the wolf became a sheep.

“You’re one of us,” the sheep gasped.

“One need not be seen as a wolf all of the time, but it is ever what I am inside. You see such things and that is dangerous to me, but you will watch no longer.”

The wolf bit the sheep, and the sheep fell into a deep slumber.

When the sheep awoke, the wolf was gone, and so the sheep wandered back to the herd. No one in the herd had ever survived such an attack, and a few accused the sheep of bargaining with the wolf, for how else could it survive? The sheep denied the accusation but could not speak the whole truth, for it understood it would be shunned.

wolfchallenge On the next full moon, the wolf returned. When the herd scattered, the spared sheep did not run.

“Join the hunt,” the wolf commanded, and the sheep became a wolf as well.

The fear from the herd was palpable upon seeing two wolves, and the sheep smelled delicious to the predators, but the new wolf turned and faced the old wolf down.

“Why fight me when there are sheep for the taking?” the old wolf asked.

The new wolf answered, “Because I remember being one of the sheep, and I will watch no longer.”

And it became the way of things.

* * *

It felt like a parable kind of day today.

You can buy an art print of the image here.

Keep each other safe.

~ Janiss

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The More They Stay the Same – Vampire Verisimilitude

November 6, 20161 Comment

I can count on one finger the Vampires who are as new as I am (no, I didn’t do it). Most I know are decades or even centuries old.

I’m six in bloodsucker years. In human years, I’m twenty-eight years old as of yesterday… if you count up from the day of my birth. While I still look twenty-two, I notice mortals aging all around me.

Let me be clear: I. Notice. Everything.

I’ve become very good at concealing what I notice. If you decided to skip the shower or the deodorant last night or this morning, I’ll know. The smell of the last thing you ate on your breath? Most likely. The color fade of your favorite piece of clothing every time you wash it? Oh yes.

There’s more. Thinning or graying hair? Yep. Age spots? Wrinkles? Any change in weight, up or down? That, too.

And what do I see in the mirror? Not one single solitary change.

Every detail suggesting the passing of time in others is a reminder that, barring some horrible fate, I will see every living person I know die.

I know some Vampires who lament this, but I’ve reconciled with it. Life is short for all but a few immortals, and you have to make the most of the time you have with them because you know they’re not long for this Earth — even if you are.

The funny thing is, that should always be true… even if you’re not an immortal.

Meanwhile…

Birthday Meanings Of People Born On November 5th

zodiacscorpiomonster According to SunSigns.org (sounds like a bad place already): I should be extremely talented — I try to be the best Vampire I can be — and an excellent communicator. I supposedly have a talent for writing… yeah, sure. Hmm: generally a private person (check), likes to work alone, and doesn’t need to be popular (also check).

Being comfortable with myself is a very important aspect of who I am (you have no idea). “Charismatic” and “passionate” are two words that describe me (yes, I’m still reading this), listens to reason but goes with their gut (oh yeah). Scorpions want to marry early in life, probably to a long-time friend (skipping through this part)…

This thing is listing how I probably eat and my general physical condition. I’ll note here it doesn’t mention an all-liquid diet or that I’m essentially the animated dead, but it does say I’d be great in the community relations field… blah blah blah writing again.

Red is my lucky color (also green) and a deck of Tarot cards makes an ideal gift for me (meh). Apparently, I am also quite secretive (nailed it).

Keep each other safe. And vote on Tuesday.

~ Janiss