It’s been an interesting few days in the U.S. of A.
An arguably narcissistic, arguably successful businessman took the reins of a republic to lackluster fanfare, while a next-day women’s march became the biggest inaugural protest in the country’s history… possibly the world. A true leader would acknowledge and address the concerns of so many; instead of seizing upon that opportunity, the media was accused of intentional and inaccurate reporting… and anyone watching could see that was a whopper of a lie.
Climate change, civil rights, LGTB concerns, and health care vanished from the White House website as if they had never been.
Somewhere in middle forgotten flyover America — of which our little neck of the woods is certainly included — worried folks are still holding out hope that maybe in return for their support, new jobs are on their way and I want them to be right.
For me, the Women’s March represented something great: choice.
Life is precious; believe me, I get that — read: I’m a Vampire — but you cannot fully appreciate what you have until you’ve lost the ability to choose for yourself. History is littered with the casualties of loss of choice — both slavery and genocide in the extreme — often because those in power use it against those who needs their help the most. With the open global communication of today, it’s hard to sweep these kinds of activities under the carpet… we can see you, and we’re not putting up with it.
I had my choice taken away, and I’m telling you: NEVER again.
The Vampire population isn’t large, less than ten thousand in a world of over seven billion. We don’t want to dominate; we want to be left alone. That may sound very libertarian, but it’s also practical; a large Vampire population would ravage the Earth and doom us all, so this is in everyone’s best interest. But the idea that we should have no interest in politics until it knocks on our doors is dangerous; we all need to pay attention.
Forget “stronger together” and “making everything great.”
We are indomitable. All of us.
We need sanctuary cities. We need escape from tyranny. Those who have power need to protect those who do not instead of using it against them.
It has to be all-inclusive. It already is, even if you can’t see that. We’re all in this together.
Yes, even the damn Vampires.
What affects one affects all. The old ways didn’t work and we don’t have all of the solutions yet, but we have to keep moving forward.
There is no utopia. We have to work through these differences.
Civilization cannot survive if we do not.
Speak up. Stand together. Survive and be vigilant.
We are indomitable… and we’re not going away.
Take your power seriously. Keep each other safe. Be indomitable.
~ Janiss
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I think she combined these ideas for Cedarcrest. While she certainly ruled the roost, I don’t think she saw herself as the high priest or queen of the damned; it was a place of refuge and safety — a sanctuary. Even under the guise of an elder care home, she actively sought her residents, scouring public records for the homeless and those in dire situations. Her days were long past acting the part of den mother to a sorority… something she actually did for a time after she was turned.
We can really only maintain sixty residents, forty staff, and one immortal… by design. For people who don’t know about 
Secrecy. Similar to Underworld, the other Vampires I deal with accept we don’t trust one another. Because Blood Workers have various individual powers they can choose to pass on or withhold, the skill set of individual Vampires can vary. Even exposure to a power can help one of my kind to develop it if given enough time, so if you’re going to destroy a fellow Vampire using “a cool new ability,” do it quickly before your opponent figures out how to use it against you. Selene is a master strategist at this; the longer we survive, the better we become.
Protector. Of everything Selene does or can do, this is the one I relate to the most: she cares, often to the point of putting herself in personal danger to save someone else. Gaining her trust isn’t easy — she’s been screwed over too many times — but once earned, Selene will go the distance. I like to think of myself that way, but cross either of us and you should probably run.
Brooding. After six centuries: really, Selene? I did the everything-is-dark thing for a while, but after a year and a half I just couldn’t. It wasn’t me and was never me. Since purging my sire’s willfulness from my head, his memories often merge into my own and I catch myself being more sarcastic than I used to be, but the whole silent brooding over the city at night? I can’t do it, especially here in the country where the tallest structure is a water tower (cue the “Animaniacs” theme song). But hey, I can scare the living hell out of people by popping out of the shadows at them; it’s become a bit of a game for me now.
I posted a picture of my holiday meal on Thanksgiving: a warm turkey-themed mug filled to the brim with my favorite nutritional supplement. Some people thought it was animal blood or some other creature.
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.
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.
According to 
“In my day, no self-respecting creature of the night went out on All Hallow’s Eve. We left that to the posers, the blighters who had to dress up and try to be scary.” ~ Spike, “Angel”
So why won’t I be in Glenville or at Cedarcrest Sanctum this weekend? I felt like a bit of a reset. I see my folks on Easter and Thanksgiving, usually reserving Christmas and New Years for the residents at Cedarcrest.
My folks dress up but not in costumes; they let their decorations show off their spooky spirit.
This brings me to today’s meandering thought: what other supernatural or paranormal creatures or things are also out there?
So let’s say “bad” Vampires enjoy the locker room talk and violating bodily integrity. You don’t want to be like them, do you?
Cedarcrest Sanctum 