(Side Story: Exposed!) Out Of The Coffin

[Aaron Hunter]

The shattering of the window was right on cue, like a brave hero in an old black and white movie arriving just in the nick of time to rescue the damsel in distress who was tied to the train tracks as the steam train approached at lightning fast speed. Aaron’s fears had been realized: the crowd outside had decided to take matters into their own hands, quite literally in the form of a trash can that had been used as a projectile. They say that the empty can rattles the most, and the large metallic dustbin certainly made an appalling racket as it rolled around the floor. It sounded like a desperately out of tune Caribbean steel band.

The musical genre changed to some kind of hardcore techno rave affair as the police siren’s piercing rhythm joined the party. The punk rolled his eyes in an I-told-you-so kind of manner. This tune needed changing, and changing quickly before the DJ got sacked.

Aaron shook his head while continuing to mull over the crazy irony of the situation. The mob in the street were looking to grab hold of a vampire and deal out their own form of vigilante justice, but they’d mistakenly chosen a pretty ordinary human as their target, rather than one of the many monstrous bloodsuckers that inhabited Harper Rock. What a bunch of clueless idiots! To rub salt into the ironic wound, the human, the root cause of the disturbance, had managed to sneak away, leaving a bunch of “innocent” vampires to sort out the mess. Aaron, ever the optimist, couldn’t help but crack a wry grin across his face as he stroked his dark stubble. This was turning out to be a most entertaining day.

Thankfully, Kaspar seemed to have taken back control of at least a portion of the sticky situation. His charm and cool persona had immediately brought the cop on board his cruise ship, rather than the smoking tugboat that was the urban militia of angry humans. Hopefully, calmer waters lay ahead, but for how long? The police officer’s arrival may well have stalled the mob, and prevented them from going on a rampage inside the studio, but there was still one hell of a storm brewing.

One of the strangers, Adley, had accompanied Aaron and Kaspar into a back room. For now, at least, the new acquaintance seemed to be acting in a reasonably rational way, which reassured Aaron. He hadn’t come here looking for confrontation or a street brawl, he’d come for a few chilled out words with the vocalist who seemed to be trying to pull everything together.

“I guess things could have gone a little better, bro,” said Aaron, addressing Kaspar, “but don’t panic, you handled things really well.”

Taking a firm grip of the backrest of a spinning chair that was looking lonely in the corner of the room, Aaron flipped his leg over the seat and plonked himself down, effectively sitting the wrong way around, and faced the others. Folding his arms across the backrest, that looked like leather but was probably some kind of plastic imitation, Aaron smiled widely.

“So, Kaspar,” continued Aaron, “I’m totally down with your sentiments about alleviating the fear factor. We’re not all bad guys with big teeth who want to rip your throat out.”

He paused, his mind flicking through several mental images of vampires that he knew who were exactly that: beasts from your worst nightmare who wouldn’t give a flying **** about killing you in a non-existent heartbeat.

“But you’ve seen what happened with the crowd out there. What’s gonna happen when Officer Dibble leaves? There’ll be more trouble, that’s for sure. More rain before any sunshine appears."

A large, over-exaggerated sigh was forced out from between Aaron’s lips as he deflated his puffed up cheeks. He began to tap out a random drum beat on the back of the chair with his fingers, his head facing the floor causing a few loose strands of thick dark hair to flop over his eyes. It was as if he were in a state of deep concentration. Suddenly, his head shot up like a jack-in-a-box.

“But I guess I don’t mind getting wet!”

[Adley Reed]

Timing paired with Kaspar’s coolness in the face of chaos saved Adley from the beast within. The police arrived in the nick of time, before any unwary humans came clambering through that window. From what Adley had seen, from what he assumed, they were not hunters. They were just regular humans with no battle skills. They had no idea what they were up against. They were inflated with self-worth and what they assumed was a worthy cause, which often led to stupid decisions. Adley knew that he could take them. One at a time or in a mob, he could paint the walls with their blood. In some deep dark corner of his soul, he wanted to.

But that was the curse speaking, that demonic thing that had taken root inside. Kaspar’s cool grasp was a welcome reprieve, the kind of direction that Adley needed. As soon as they were all locked in that room together, the chaotic cacophony of voices muffled to near non-existent within, Adley dropped thankfully onto the couch, burying himself into the corner of it like he’d run some kind of marathon. Really, he was just coming down from a peculiar high.

When Kaspar’s speech was done and Aaron had put in his two cents, Adley shrugged.

”I know what I don’t want. I don’t want to be regarded with fear and hostility, and nor do I want to give anyone reason to fear,” he said. It wasn’t the kind of awe that he sought. Adley was a cocky man, confident in himself and his own appeal. To be feared held a certain kind of power – but it seemed a cowardly one.

”The alternative to what you suggest would be to do nothing, and that would only help the fear to procreate. Your plan – are you going to pick anyone, any model human or otherwise to show in your pamphlet? Stock images? Or do you want to find vampires willing to be in the spotlight? I can take the photos, man, but put me in a studio beneath bright lights and I’m gonna look like some corpse freshly risen and given a bath,” he said, though he laughed as he said it.

”Do you think it might cause issues amongst the vampiric community? The only path that really looks warm and homely is yours. Allurists. The rest of us are always going to look a bit… anaemic,” he said. He didn’t have to clarify that Necromancer’s would be the worst off.

”How would we counteract the fact that though plenty of vampires are harmless, or try to be, there are also plenty who’d love nothing than to slaughter every naysayer?” he asked. With good press, there was always going to be bad press, too.

[Kaspar]

Kaspar listened intently as his friends spoke, leaning back in his chair, inhaling the scent of leather as he focused on their words and the implications of what acting in any manner could do. Even inaction would have a deafening impact upon their situation. Aaron's words were precisely what had been going through is head, over and over for the last few weeks. His final remark about not being afraid of getting wet broke some of the serious mood that had taken hold, a grateful Kaspar flashing the man a fond smirk and muttering under his breath, "Oh, I bet you are not. I imagine you quite like being damp." Before once more resigning himself to listening, as Adley chose to speak.

The same thoughts, presented in a unique manner and with another small concern to consider. He was right, perhaps the vampires would feel misrepres andented if the only ones who stepped forward to be presented to the community were in fact Allurists, or paths that appeared less menacing. By nature others gave off an intimidating, fear inducing aura and that was something that could not be simply brushed off or skipped over. They were predators, there was in fact a group known as Killers for goodness sake, and while there abilities weren't the most disturbing of the bunch they tended to make humans uneasy and of course Adley's concerns for the Necromancers was valid. In Kaspar's experience they were the healers of the vampire world, of course they could perform some frightening acts as well but he knew of many who used their abilities to avoid the need to feed, or to help heal friends and lineage who had suffered wounds at the hands of hunters. Hadn't he recently had to rescue a lineage member who had been reckless and seek out the assistance of a necromancer?

"Both of you are correct, and this is why I asked you to come and speak on these matters. We are all different, we all have different abilities and experiences and yet we can agree on certain points. It would be risky, yes, because while I want to present a more equal image for us I do agree that there are those out there who would destroy that chance without a second thought The question then is should we as a community stand up to them? Should we attempt to deal with them and give ourselves a better chance? Do we inform the humans that while the majority of us just want to live, that many of us have human friends and family we care for, some are rabid and that we would do our best to control them or have them eliminated His blonde head shook, fingers knitting together only to part once more in anxious movements. None of it would be easy.

"People will be concerned about blood, but we could work out a system for discovering willing donors and identifying them, pairing them with vampires or perhaps even donation trucks. I know there are many vampires already who try to feed solely from blood bags, then again there are others who despise this. As for images... He winced almost apologetically, looking the man over. "You're right, Adley. Is it discrimination if we chose to only represent those who were more human in appearance? Could society handle seeing a necromancer beneath bright lights? Ja, even one with a smile a bright as yours, Adley. There is so many factors to consider, I have heard there are groups already looking to make money from this exposure, a book deal and an app, people willing to open up to the world and say "this is what I am" or to say "I am here to help you BE who you are". If we don't find some we to act, then we choose to do nothing and deal with the consequences of that. Either way we live in fear, and we are feared. Do we want to hide in the shadows or try to do SOMETHING? I could potentially get my Grey to put the feelers out, find forums and things where we can start gauging reactions and get a better picture, maybe pose some of our ideas anonymously to see how they reacted?" It wasn't much but it was something.

Kas peered out through the thick glass, catching glimpses of movement from the broken in window but no one had tried to get in, or come too close, not even the one person he hoped he might see. Skoll. Part of him wanted to get outside and drag him in, to ensure his safety but it wasn't his to do and he could simply hope that the man could take care of himself. While Kaspar did appear more human in ways than the Telepath he didn't see them as being all that different, nor Aaron though he knew the man must have come across struggles and Adley, of course, was a whole other category of unique. Did they tell them there were vampires who fed on each other? How much DID they reveal? "We want to give them enough information to feel like they have some control over their situation, but to protect ourselves we need to keep some careful secrets. They know of us, but they clearly do not know everything... If we act, we can use it to our advantage. I think we start meeting, making plans and watching what others do over the next few weeks. Come end of September we will have a better idea of where we stand... And then we can decide." He nodded to himself, as if confirming this was a sound idea. It was cautious enough, but there was room to bend.

[Adley Reed]

There were some things that Adley agreed with and some that he didn’t. A deep frown creased his features as Kaspar suggested that the ‘rabid’ vampires be controlled or eliminated. That had been tried before, hadn’t it? It didn’t work when they could come back from the dead, when they weren’t given any indication whatsoever why they were killed, nor any education about how to go about changing their ways.

”I think you’d need to watch your wording, Kas,” he said. It almost seemed like the two men were divided; not in a way that they couldn’t agree with each other, but in the way that Kaspar was representing the human point of view, and what they should see. Adley, on the other hand, was looking at this campaign from a vampire’s point of view. He had to interject and make sure they were not misrepresented, or that Kaspar would not be putting a noose around his own neck.

”’Control’ and ‘eliminate’? You’re starting to sound a whole lot like Tytonidae. Maybe instead try to use words like ‘help’ and ‘rehabilitate’,” he said. Some vampires would be open to the help, Adley thought. Others, maybe not. But it was in the latter scenarios that they could figure out what to do next. They could figure out whether elimination was required, or perhaps a long stay in some kind of vampiric jail. That was a hurdle to leap when they got there, and wouldn’t necessarily be in their hands. One of the points behind The Apiary was to take in the lost souls. To give them somewhere to feel at home, while also lending them sympathetic ears and helpful advice. At least, that’s what Adley thought it could be good for.

”And I also think it’s a risk we can consider. With the right wording and the right expression, with the right composition a Necromancer under bright lights could elicit sympathy and curiosity. Make us look sick rather than terrifying. Honestly, Kas, do you think it’s a great idea to talk about all the ways vampires can heal but then not actually represent the path that has that ability? Necromancers are going to need the most help to integrate, in some ways, so I don’t think they should be dismissed,” he said.

If Kaspar was going to call Adley in for the photographic help, then he would do his best to shine the best light possible on any who stepped forward.

”As for how much we reveal, I think you’re right. We wait and see,” he said. Really, Adley agreed with quite a lot of what Kaspar said. But if he agreed with absolutely everything, then he wouldn’t be helping.

[Kaspar]

Kaspar allowed himself to look briefly put out at being mistaken, he was most certainly not seeing he was intending to try and eliminate the vampires who struggled to control themselves for whatever reason but he understood how it could sound and he mostly certain never wanted to have any reason to be compared to those who he'd witnessed doing little but bully and threaten. It had failed, the attempts to back people into corners by patrolling areas and almost trying to enforce some kind of curfew, and claim territory. Bribery and bargaining had been a part of it, an obvious attempt at a power play but whatever power they may have had that lead them to believe they could pull it off was clearly long gone. Kas was connected by blood to their leader, he'd been told, but had yet to have the opportunity to properly meet the woman and take her measure. He chose not to interrupt Adley, to let him speak and to actually make the effort to consider his words before replying, even though he had wanted to correct him of his intentions a number of times throughout the man's mini-monologue.

"I can write great lyrics, can do a good interview but sometimes I still struggle to find the perfect words. English is... Many words can mean the same thing, have a similar message but if you choose the wrong one then it sounds far too harsh. I do not mean to say destroy them, and I do not intend to take part in that other than the vampires who are literally mindless beasts or psychotic cruel bastards who hurt those I care about. Those, I might be ok with putting down... People who have issues, who have things they struggle with or simply do not know better well of course they can and should be helped. One of my own lineage was struggling recently, she seemed to too quickly release her humanity and decide that she had power now, she would not be put down or trodden on and got herself in much trouble. I gave her stern words, yes, but I helped her to understand and get her healed." His brow creased in a frown as he remembered his frustration and disinterest in dealing with someone so obviously uninterested in self-preservation, so oblivious to what her actions could cause. Alma had killed people who challenged her, because she had been doing the wrong thing in the first place and it had lead to her being hunted. Had she deserved the hunting? Yes, he'd had half a mind to let them send her to the shadow realm, to see if it might teach her the lesson that words were failing to but eventually she came to her senses. A few weeks in hiding, relying on others made her more aware of what her actions meant for not just her but those around her and she'd learned some discretion. "It was frustrating, but she is doing better. She learned to listen."

The man took a deep, unnecessary breath before he spoke again, addressing the next point. "I do not want to leave Necromancer's out, Adley, but the fact is many will not be willing to let their faces be seen in that way. I would happily find a way to represent them, to explain that although at times they looked closer to death than any of us it is that which gives them abilities to help heal and avoid having to feed from humans. It's all about a good marketing strategy, something we would need to bring in an agency for, interview groups and find out who would be most helpful to our cause. I am sure there are vampires out there in PR and marketing, yes? One of them may be willing to come on board, give their unique view. Preferably someone with a healthy respect for human lives, not those who view them as cattle. Not ideal." He reached beneath him to his back pocket, tugging out the little black book he always carried and small pen, flicking to an empty page and beginning to make a series of notes based on the things they were discussing. It would help later on when he wanted to look back through things. "So... We are at least agreed that some kind of... Media campaign is a good idea?"

[Adley Reed]

Adley nodded.

Of course he knew that Kaspar was not ruthless. He had helped Adley, though he had not been there to witness Adley’s downfall. He had not been there when the Necromancer had gone off the rails, when he’d bite people without asking. They reported him even though he healed them afterwards – vampires were far more resilient to those kinds of attacks. Adley had been slaughtered, and his transgressions weren’t even the worst kind. At least, the transgressions that he was killed for.

Nor had Kaspar been there the night of Indigo’s first hunt – the night some poor soul had died because neither of them could control their urges as soon as the first drop of blood hit the air. Where Adley should have stopped Indigo and told her it was bad, he had instead joined in. They’d run from the scene as soon as they were witnessed, and there should have been guilt. It should have been so profound that it brought him to his knees. Adley’s expression remained impassive, instead focussing on the latter part of the conversation.

”Yes, I think we are agreed that a marketing campaign will work. Anyone who wants to be included should be included,” he said, tongue darting forth to wet lips that had gone dry. He remembered, once, that Indigo had asked whether he’d ever modelled, whether he’d ever consider it. Even now, with a face that looked like death beneath bright lights – if he was in the spotlight, would it make it easier to control himself? Would the pressure help?

”You’ve got a lot to lose, Kas, but if I put myself forward as a potential model, as a face for this campaign – to represent the hardest class to sell – what would you say to that?” he asked. He knew that Kaspar himself had a lot to lose. He was a rockstar. He had a family. His face was already well known. The consequences of coming out for Kaspar were far vaster than any Adley could comprehend for himself. Except, perhaps, death. Especially if he continued to lose control. He knew, if he were to go ahead with it, he’d have to keep his hands clean. No more indulgence.

And he was curious, too – if this was something that Kaspar was dead set on, did he believe in it enough to risk those he knew and cared for?

[Kaspar]

He looked to Aaron for agreement, the man seemed happy enough to help out where he could but he wasn't the kind of guy to put in heavy commitment, he was more laid back in his way than that and it was what Kaspar liked about him. Aaron could be a cool, level headed presence in these discussions and while his opinions were there he was also content enough to sit back and take it all in. A sounding board, the guy would be a really great sounding board for any suggestions or ideas he had, that was what he hoped to enlist him for once things were a bit more solid and if he wanted to commit more to the cause he'd happily accept the guys help. He smiled at his fellow rocker, giving a nod of silent gratitude for his presence, Adley was needing answer but he'd made some points that Kas wasn't quite sure how to best to respond to. There was most definitely a lot to lose, it wasn't just about his safety or his life, which anyone who knew him understood he valued rather highly, it was also about his family, lineage and livelihood. Not just that, he had fans who he felt he owed a certain responsibility for, not in any tangible way but because he loved to be adored, adored to be loved and well, they gave him that. His fingers began drumming impatiently against the worn leather of his chair, eyeing Adley with a weary look.

How did he answer?

"Yes, we have a lot to think about before we put this into action but I think it is something that we can do. I can do, I guess. Any help is appreciated and... If you were to offer to be a model? I would say yes, we can try this. It might cost you, you would have to be sure and you would have to understand what it might mean. I know you do not think you have a lot to give up, but you have a made a life and... It is..." He made a grumpy little face, as if it pained him to say it, "Important. You have things to survive for, things you want and care for. We all do, but we need to decide what is the most important thing. I want to survive, this is a risk but i'm going to survive." He spoke firmly, as if there was absolutely no doubt about his own survival, there could be absolutely no doubt. He had to do this, he couldn't sit back and watch from a distance. Of course he'd save his own skin if he had to, he was selfish in that way, he and his family were first in the decisions he made, but why couldn't he give it a shot? Why shouldn't he try to help?

The meeting continued, people dropping by and more concrete plans discussed before eventually people started to depart and Kaspar was left frowning at his laptop, Grey leaning over his shoulder to watch the screen with him. Social media was alive with discussion, there were news articles, forums and websites all with opinions to read. It was so thoroughly divided that he was having trouble establishing just who might be winning out on the argument, those who were in support of vampires and wanting to give them a chance or those who were determined to eradicate the threat immediately. His frustration had flowed to his fingertips, taking it out with aggressive pressure on the keyboard beneath them until a warm settled over his and a shushing sounded at his ear. He gave in, removing his hands and holding them up in the air. A familiar weight settled itself across his lap, his boyfriend impatiently pushing the chair back and draping across him, sure hands steady as they tapped and clicked through information, copying and pasting, screenshotting and saving anything relevant to the task at hand. It took hours before they got a better grasp on the situation and were able to start making lists, to hold onto something tangible and say "this is what we can do".

It took a fair amount of convincing and reminding that sun tan's weren't cute for vampires and that if they went home now they might just catch Will waking up before they needed to go to sleep. Besides he needed to talk this over with his wife Sigrid and inform her about what he intended to do. It would be easier than approaching the others, he knew Eva and Lyonel would once again attempt to tell him he was too young, or too inexperienced to understand what it was he was doing but he was no fool. He was a successful, intelligent and bold, he could pull this off if he did it the smart way. There files worth of information printed out and organised ready to sort through tomorrow, a to-do list including booking in meetings with people who could either be brought on board to run the campaign, to model in it or simply support it. They now had a remarkably full schedule for the week and he'd had to call in reinforcements, Grey was already at work on it and Louis was on his way to the studio to deal with the window and other tasks that Kaspar just couldn't put his mind to right now. He had people with him, people who believed in him regardless of the venture and knew he would make it work. It HAD to work.

When he finally fell into bed he found that sleep came for him easily, rising up to swallow him into the darkness of a dreamless rest that offered little more than enough to prepare him for the days ahead, for everything that he would have to do now that his commitment had been made. He would pursue this, and he would succeed, if he could just tip the scales... Just the slightest amount...

((Thus ends the initial part of this thread, and the start of the campaign plots! Thanks everyone who helped out and got involved, looking forward to more interactions from this down the track! - Andie.))

[Kaspar]

((Kaspar and Adley meet to further discuss and begin working on the campaign.))

K A S P A R
It was the evening after the meeting, a meeting which had turned out to be far more eventful than Kaspar could have initially predicted or expected. His guests had started to arrive only to quickly be disturbed by the clatter and noise of a group of humans who had apparently decided one amongst their number, the woman named Hannah, was either a vampire herself or a sympathiser. The fact that terms like sympathiser and threats made against perfect strangers because there was a mentality that people were either with or against the humans frightened Kaspar. It was the fear that was born of the unknown which caused such an unrest, the creeping sensation that these frightful creatures of myth and legend had not only been real all along but were living alongside them right here, right now and they could be anywhere. In fact, they were EVERYWHERE. Skoll had gone outside to deal with the humans in his own special way, managing to cause a sense of anarchic panic that lead to them growing distressed and destructive. It initially appeared as if they might flee the scene but instead ended up running around like mindless madman, some clawing at their fellow man or shoving them away as they saw horrors that Kaspar couldn’t know. Skoll gave only vague idea of what exactly it was that he had done when Kas finally tracked him down again to ask, but it wasn’t an explanation that give him much more insight. One of his beautiful stained glass windows was violently smashed in by an empty trash can, it was at this point that the human woman who had brought the trouble to his door fled, Hannah making promise to return to make amends or payment for the window at a later date. The studio owner was not convinced, nor did he really care if she did. God bless insurance, and his cautious sensibility that lead to him getting it by the bucket load.

Aaron, Adley and himself had taken their now three man party into the smaller room that housed the large soundboard and gave a better sense of safety to finally get the opportunity to discuss what it was Kaspar had called them over for. Of course, he’d paused long enough to inspire one of the policemen who arrived on the scene to do his best work in dispersing the rebellious rabble and free the hardworking business owner of their destructive ways. The three man had brought up their points of concern and desires, each of them agreeing that they sat in an extremely tricky position as a community and the events that were going on around them, outside and so close to home really drove the nail into the coffin. Fear was rife, it was everywhere and they teetered on a knife’s edge. What they did now would hugely impact their lives going forwards. The wrong choice, even the smallest of incorrect actions, could send them spiraling into disaster.

For now the initial response had been agreement that more research needed to be done, and perhaps a media campaign driven by the desire to educate and seek a solution that at least alleviated some of that unknown aspect. Kaspar had gone home after the meeting to excitedly discuss the meeting with his partner Grey and the pair had sat down to look through websites, forums, social media and try to get a better picture of what was going on out there. The reactions were mixed, it was hard to lean either way but it gave Kaspar an insight into the mind’s of the common human. Fear was paramount, but curiousity wasn’t far behind and for many a desire to find the good in this situation, to acknowledge that maybe they weren’t so bad. Already he’d seen people changing profile pictures to messages of support, and speaking out with things like my sister, brother, neighbour, son is a vampire and on, and on it went. For every few messages of anger and concern there was one that give him hope. If they could find a way to increase that number, at least give themselves a fighting chance it might be worth it. He’d agreed not to announce his own status, to avoid it for as long as possible to protect his family, his friends and his lineage not to mention his career. It was a tough choice, but he had to make it for them.A list of websites to look at had been made, and suggestions of what kind of posts might boost their appeal discussed but too soon dawn was approaching and he’d crawled into his bed with a million ideas buzzing around his head.

That was yesterday, and today held a whole new set of possibilities and potential problems.

Kaspar found himself once more at the studio, he had called on his friend/assistant/thrall the ever ludicrous Louis to arrange the window to at least be temporarily covered to protect the studio’s interior, and to organise a replacement to be put in. The insurance company had been by during the day, and already Louis was in talks with the man who’d intially fixed up the stained glass on Kaspar’s procuring of the building. Hel was beyond impressed to find a sheet of replacement plastic in place, the glass cleared away and everything secure when he’d arrived not long after sundown. In his pile of papers to sort through there was the insurance report, the quote from his glass guy and a few amusing notes from Louis. He made a note to reward the guy somehow for his effort, he may be enthralled to Kaspar but that didn’t mean he’d ever treat him as subpar.

The early night was spent getting organised, and the scene that would greet Adley Reed when he arrived at the studio and walked into Kaspar’s own private office was of the man himself making notes on a large whiteboard, one side almost entirely full with ideas or word prompts as well as handwritten lists on sheets of paper stuck with tape around the border. He’d been putting together lists of what they needed to look into for the potential campaign, research, who to contact and what design aspects would need covered but there was more work to do and Adley had an insight into the visual side of things that would help some of Kaspar’s decisions along. He’d started making calls, trying to arrange meetings for the next days whether they been person or over the phone to get things rolling. The tall blonde stood back from his work, staring at it briefly as if it had offended him before rubbing something out and promptly rewriting it.

He was serious about having an impact, and he was considering every trick in the book.



A D L E Y
Loyalty wasn’t something Adley had ever really adhered to. He had been loyal to his mother and to his culture but it had all been wrenched away. He was uprooted from what he knew, and was put down again somewhere foreign. The philosophies were different. The way he was regarded was different. The way he was treated – no one had ever really done him a service, not enough to gain any kind of loyalty from him. The Western world was one of commodity – if something broke it was thrown away, and a new one was bought. It was almost as if that way of thinking was ingrained into the minds of the masses until it didn’t apply only to immaterial objects, but to people, too.

The fact that Kaspar had any loyalty from Adley was a rarity. The fact that Adley had gone home and tossed and turned in uncertainty and guilt, the fact that he was now walking back through the doors of the studio was saying something. Kaspar was on a mission, he had a quest and a cause, and Adley did not feel like he belonged. It felt like a lie. Standing there at Kaspar’s side was a lie. Though he knew what Kaspar would say.

He would ask Adley whether he wanted to hurt people, and Adley would reply no. Simply put, no, even if in the moment the want was paramount. The constant battle to be better, to do better, to never give in to the violent monster within could be testament to some kind of truth. In striving to be better and do better, Adley belonged with those who believed vampires should be accepted. Except, the argument wouldn’t really work. Not for Adley. Because he knew that if he were standing on the outside looking at a man who claimed to be good but who’d done the bat **** that Adley had done, he wouldn’t say he belonged walking among the citizens of normal society. He was a danger, and something should be done about him.

It wasn’t something he mentioned to Kaspar. He’d talked at length about it with Indigo, but the kind of loyalty he had told Adley not to mention it. Let this thing run its course, help in whatever way he could, and then just slink back into the shadows and continue to keep as low a profile as possible. And so when he walked through those doors the usual bright smile stretched his lips, arms stretched over his head as he prepared for the long haul. A night of work. A night of lying.

“Eager to begin, I see,” Adley said, dropping down into one of the spare rolling chairs and pushing himself forward, perusing the paperwork Kaspar had laid out before him. “Where should we begin?”



K A S P A R
His head turned, peering calmly over his shoulder at the other male, blue gaze drifting from head to toe just the once before settling on his face. "There is a lot to do... Where to begin? Man, I do not even know! I mean, I guess I should show you some of the posts I found, and then what I really need from you is more of the visual media side of things. What you think would appeal, and also your opinions on whether we go more honest or more appealing. Where is that line?" He muttered the last few words fiercely to himself, his lips pursed in frustration as if he were about to spit a curse but the look was gone just as quickly, his features settling back into their normal look of cool distance. Adley would be used to his moods, but it was more habitual than anything to rearrange his features, to not let what was bothering him be evident on his face unless it was a look of vague disdain which fit with his rocker attitude.



A D L E Y
Adley shrugged and shook his head. "I think you have to be as honest as you can without freaking the **** out of people. You don't want to sell a false product," he said. He was imagining those advertisements for animal adoptions -- the photos of the animals looking absolutely miserable, appealing to the heartstrings of the public. "You're trying to portray vampires as like regular people, right? Regular people have issues, too. Disease, sickness, mental disorders. We're not trained to hate those people, but help them. Do you see where I'm going with this?" he asked. Portray vampires as they really are, just humans wrenched from normality and forced to deal with **** beyond their imagining -- maybe it'll help with the sympathy aspect.



K A S P A R
Kas found himself nodding intently, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he draped himself across one of the other chairs in the room, Adley having commandeered his. "Ja, that is right. I think we must give them enough truth, but also keep some secrets. What about humans with abilities? Do we call them out to the public? Do we speak of their existence? You've seen this Bitr app, right? Grey showed it to me, and showed me what people were saying. It is like a dating app for vampires, blood thieves and sorcerer's. Out there, right? It might not be a bad thing, or it could be the worst thing to happen to us depending on reactions. There are others who have made vampire support posters and profile pictures, even as others claim we are the devil. If we could sway half of the community towards working with us."

Kas shrugged, humming a thoughtful tune, "I want to create posters focusing on the aspect of them being people you know. Friends, neighbours, coworkers. I want to highlight some of the differences, but also the similarities."



A D L E Y
The concept was not a bad one, but Adley wasn't there to just agree on everything, was he? Kaspar sought differences of opinion because different opinions would help to shape a more varied and inclusive outcome. "Society is shaped to pick out the 'other'," Adley said, and cleared his throat. Sometimes, he could say things that allowed the listener to remember there might be a working brain inside of his cocky head. "There's always going to be someone to fight. There's always going to be conflict. The line is a thin one, Kas. Lie too much and you could piss off the vampires, give away too much and you paint vampires as the unknown thing that has to be feared and treated like diseased rats. Peace is all well and good, but if they start to suggest we all be quarantined I don't think I'd be quite so graceful," he said.



K A S P A R
That was one of the biggest worries they had to face, that people might try to quarantine them, "I already heard someone say that they thought identity bracelets would be wise, or some kind of identification... Adley, anyone who has studied history knows what happens when that kind of segregation occurs." A black spot on the history of his home country came about from marking people out as different, and it made him physically shudder to consider it. "Vampire concentration camps, Adley. They could herd us into the sun, or maybe think of more sophisticated ways to harm us. Do we tell them that much? Give them weapons to use if we fail? We need to give them something. Opposed to lying, we could simply leave things out, focus on other aspects. What is it Grey said... Lying by omission. Not acknowledging something can be the same as lying about it. This is where i'm torn. It would be easy to take photos of a human hugging their vampire brother with his fangs out and plaster these kinds of images around, showing that we can still care but we should admit that rogue vampires are out there and our community is seeking to "manage them". Is this a lie?"



A D L E Y
Adley breathed out. It had come up in the meeting the night before, too. The 'rogue vampire' issue. "It sounded a lot like the way I got killed, honestly. Saying there were people out there 'taking care' of the rogue vampires, Kas -- you know as well as I do that they're not all rogue. Some just need help," he said, his arms crossing over his chest even as his feet crossed at the ankles, legs stretched out in front of him. "And honestly, you don't think they're not going to know this stuff already? The government? How do you think this happened, this fall of the Masquerade? And even if they had no clue, as soon as they found out they'd have found some poor sod and experimented on him or her. We can lie by omission but it's stupid to think they're never going to find out," he said. He imagined there was someone up in some high office somewhere, holding all the cards in their hands and waiting for the opportune moment to strike. "You're going to have people arguing against you, and you need to have your rebuttals planned."



K A S P A R
It was true that there would be argument on both sides, and in many cases it would go around and around with no real end until someone decided to act rashly. He didn't want to change the world, or completely switch the situation he just wanted to try and decrease the panic, to level the playing field as it were. "Again, you are right, but that is not something I feel I am capable of fixing. It is a matter of how we do deal with if it comes up, but remember, this is a campaign that does not have OUR faces on it. This is not me going out and speaking to a crowd waiting for reply, or inviting debate. This is to try and diffuse, to give some knowledge to try to take away some fear and settle things. I am concerned there will be extremes, people are in a state of shock and I think if they just know a little bit more it might help. We could debate right and wrong for hours, or what is best but what we need to focus on is how to present this. We do not have our own vampire counsel, we have had people who have tried and failed to govern us it seems and those elders we are connected to have mostly abandoned us. We rely on human government for our monetary systems and business market, majority of us have been vampire for maximum of what, say, six years? Very few are elder, and yet so many have disconnected from human society, viewing them as food and killing. Some don't want to but it happens," He gestured to his friend, looking mildly apologetic, "And I know this gives you pain, Adley. How do we address that? It is perhaps not for us to address... I don't know, maybe this whole thing is pointless."



A D L E Y
There it was, the thing that Adley did not want to discuss. He lifted a hand to rub at the back of his neck, a heavy sigh released through his nostrils. "It's not pointless, Kas. I wouldn't be here if I thought it was pointless. Even if... even if I'm not too sure ... I mean, okay," he said, sucking in a breath as he tried to explain himself in a way that wouldn't hurt or offend. "There's always going to be something of a lie. You wouldn't WANT to put my face on a poster, you said so yourself. And what does that say? Even you think that there are some vampires that just would not be accepted, and would only do the cause more harm than good. But it isn't something you really need to address. Your goal is to paint vampires in a good light. I say in order to do so you have to reveal some of the flaws. Not all, but some. They're not gonna seem real if they don't have some."



K A S P A R
He had the desire to reach across and punch the man's arm, a brotherly sort of thing and after a moment's hesitation he did, just a light jab to the man's deltoid. "Hey, what I mean is that it would be harder for them to get their heads around and yes, seeing you under bright light would be more shocking than seeing me for example but it is not impossible. You do interact with humans, Adley, you aren't some shut in. ****, you do not even eat them, maybe they'll like you more? What we need to work out is what flaws are acceptable to share, and perhaps offer solutions. Like my blood bags suggestion, or noting that some vampires have the ability to "boost" their own blood, meaning they do not need to feed. This does not work for all, but if people would be willing to donate or help out a pal..." He sighed, it sounded insane to his own ears, "Some liberal thinkers may be all up for it, but many would think it was an affront to their..." He paused a moment, hand waving in the air as if he could fish the appropriate words out of nothing the empty space in front of him. "God or something." Kas blinked slowly at the man, "Apparently some religions do not even approve of life saving blood fus-... No, wait. Transfusions? Yes, blood transfusions. Can you imagine them reacting to the idea of vampire donations?" The thought was absurd enough that under other circumstances he'd be highly amused by it, now it just teased at the edges of his mind and his lips barely twitched in response.



A D L E Y
Adley had to look away. No, he did not eat them. But he could still remember the way he'd felt the first night he'd taken Indigo out. The first time he'd discovered that she shared the same curse. The way he'd torn into the neck of that poor unsuspecting woman only so he could see the way the blood looked on Indigo. He'd torn open a human's neck for his girlfriend. That was worse than just feeding on them. But this, he would not mention to Kaspar. "Yes, I think that would be worth mentioning. The boosting thing. Maybe tell them that animal blood works, too -- we could be no different to your average carnivore," he said, forcing the guilt aside and tossing a lopsided grin at Kaspar. "But you're right. We should stop thinking about the opposition and just focus on what's going to sway the audience to the cause. No lies -- unless by omission."

[Adley Reed]

K A S P A R
Kaspar made an excited sound, flinging himself out of his chair with speed that was just bordering on inhuman and a remarkable grace. He'd always been rather graceful, of course he'd gone through a mildly awkward stage, limbs too long for his frame but his confidence had helped him through it. Vampirism was much the same way as his brief puberty blues, it didn't take him long at all to bounce back and figure out how to deal and for the most part his control was commendable. He appeared remarkably human, mirrors were still an issue and as long as he didn't feed in the open or use his abilities he could get by. The man took up one of his markers, adding some notes to the board, underlining those he thought important and animal blood was on that list. Adley didn't have the luxuries he had, nor did many of his lineage and if they got a negative image then he would by default so anything they could do to improve that he'd take it. "That's actually great, I hadn't thought of that yet. Animal blood DOES work, and mountain lions can be a problem around here, so can rats, there is a huge population that we keep maintained. Think of us like the spiders who eat your insects." He smirked, a light chuckle leaving him, "Ok maybe not compare ourselves to spiders."

A D L E Y
Adley had to look away. No, he did not eat them. But he could still remember the way he'd felt the first night he'd taken Indigo out. The first time he'd discovered that she shared the same curse. The way he'd torn into the neck of that poor unsuspecting woman only so he could see the way the blood looked on Indigo. He'd torn open a human's neck for his girlfriend. That was worse than just feeding on them. But this, he would not mention to Kaspar. "Yes, I think that would be worth mentioning. The boosting thing. Maybe tell them that animal blood works, too -- we could be no different to your average carnivore," he said, forcing the guilt aside and tossing a lopsided grin at Kaspar. "But you're right. We should stop thinking about the opposition and just focus on what's going to sway the audience to the cause. No lies -- unless by omission."

K A S P A R
Kaspar made an excited sound, flinging himself out of his chair with speed that was just bordering on inhuman and a remarkable grace. He'd always been rather graceful, of course he'd gone through a mildly awkward stage, limbs too long for his frame but his confidence had helped him through it. Vampirism was much the same way as his brief puberty blues, it didn't take him long at all to bounce back and figure out how to deal and for the most part his control was commendable. He appeared remarkably human, mirrors were still an issue and as long as he didn't feed in the open or use his abilities he could get by. The man took up one of his markers, adding some notes to the board, underlining those he thought important and animal blood was on that list. Adley didn't have the luxuries he had, nor did many of his lineage and if they got a negative image then he would by default so anything they could do to improve that he'd take it. "That's actually great, I hadn't thought of that yet. Animal blood DOES work, and mountain lions can be a problem around here, so can rats, there is a huge population that we keep maintained. Think of us like the spiders who eat your insects." He smirked, a light chuckle leaving him, "Ok maybe not compare ourselves to spiders."

A D L E Y
Adley laughed. "Yeah, maybe not that. Don't just think about the audience, either. You need to think about the people you're representing and what they're going to think. Don't belittle vampires. Don't give them fodder to turn us into ... slaves, or something," he said. Though why the vampires would allow it, Adley didn't know. Surely someone had some political strings to pull, somewhere? There was probably a whole political battle happening stage left, and no one was privy to it. Managing the clueless troops on the ground couldn't hurt any, though. "Though animal blood really isn't all that appealing. Though I didn't have much of it," he said, then frowned thoughtfully. "But then I never much thought humans tasted all that great either," he said with a small chuckle.



K A S P A R
Again he gave one of those approving nods, “Exactly and that is a whole other issue, what the vampires will think. This is why I do not want to give too much away, just focusing on removing some of that fear of the unknown and gain a better public image.” His brows at the comment about taste, giving a shrug. “I think it depends, there are some who taste pretty good but I still prefer a good meal or drink. I mean, I know nothing can compare to how good I taste, Adley so you are screwed now.” His lighthearted teasing was a sign of his improving mood, though he still had that little crease of concentration between his brows. “Think of this as like, propaganda in a way, not that extreme. We have seen more recently people doing campaigns about rights, or body image. Why not like that? Instead of rainbow flags, and love yourself posters we go with… Something.” He dropped back into the seat, tapping the marker atop the desk.



A D L E Y
“Ahah. Such ego. You do taste pretty damned good, Kas, but you have your equals,” he said with a wink. Kaspar wouldn’t, shouldn’t find it hard to guess who Adley was talking about. Indigo, of course, provided alone what was once provided by all. Along with her blood came passion and lust. It was never just ‘feeding’. It was always something more. Adley laughed some more. “Instead of rainbow flags we can have bat wings. Blood spatters. Yeah, blood spatters. We could make it really artistic,” he said. Clearly he was kidding. But what else was there, what positive symbol could they possibly use as a universal, positive spin on vampirism? Bats, blood, coffins and stakes. None were promising. “Maybe something to do with healing. Or magic,” he suggested. Something new. What they were struggling against was centuries of dusty myths and legends; vampires were never the good guys. Not until the sparkling ones, anyway. “Glitter!” he said, now laughing heartily. He was imagining gifs online, with actual sparkles. It might certainly appeal to the teenagers.



K A S P A R
Kaspar let his eyes roll, pretending for all of ten seconds to be put out by Adley’s words, though he wasn’t really. Under his breath he muttered, “Caramel and honey, she’s too sweet to eat.” His nose wrinkled, clicking his tongue jokingly as if he had a bad taste in his mouth. The talk of blood flavour was forgotten, taken over by laughter at the suggestion of bats and blood splatters. While aesthetically speaking crimson splatters could be used artistically it might just send the wrong message. Kas stretched out his long limbs, one arm reaching over to swat the back of it against the laughing man’s upper arm. “Of course YOU would suggest glitter. No, I am not covering myself in glitter and shimmer powders for you, find someone else to enact your fetishes.” He sobered somewhat, concentrating more on the reality of the situation. “That is a good point, colour is important, it can speak loudly. Red can be a sensual colour, but it also screams warning, run away. As does bright yellow, but when paired with other colours it can look fun. I would like you to assist with that, and Indigo if she is open to assisting. Grey might be of use, and Sig, they are both artistic as well.”

Kas tipped his head to the side, studying the board. “We will need to decide on our key message and specific points to address publically, we need to find people with the expertise to help put the campaign together, we need models or people willing to be a “face” of the campaign and outlets to present this. It’s important to decide on what media we would like to use and how it is spread. Hashtags, images, get people to share it and show support… Famous helps, or popular… What am I missing here? I know this is, mmm… Broad? Not specific? There is obviously more that needs to be looked into, finer details but we can hire people to help. A remarkable amount of vampires have businesses and skills that would be useful.” Kas grabbed a piece of paper from the desk, it was a list of businesses and what they did with contact numbers or emails, pushing this across to Adley to highlight his point.



A D L E Y
Adley took the offered piece of paper and perused the names. It all seemed like it was going to be a lot of work and though he would help Kaspar as much as he was able to, his expertise were limited. One might say that Adley worked with the media, but he was only freelance, and he only took the pictures. He never had anything to do with any campaigns; he just knew that blood and violence sold better than everything else. In this case, blood and violence were what they wanted to avoid.

“So these are places you want to approach? Have any of them said yet that they want to be involved?” he asked. Business owners coming out as vampires -- Adley wondered whether that would help or hinder their businesses. He supposed it might go both ways, and it would balance itself out. Maybe nothing would change at all.

“A lot can be done with photography, that much I know. Indigo will be able to help with the make-up, if that’s a requirement, though I’d probably suggest we try to keep the models as real as possible,” he said. If they weren’t going to be brutally honest about everything else in the campaign, they could at least be honest with what they were showing. “If the vampires look like vampires it’ll show honesty, and then they’ll more likely believe everything else we say, right? I know how to compose things in sympathetic ways. The rest of it though, Kas, I don’t know how much help I’m going to be. I’ve never done marketing. I’m not sure how it all works…”


K A S P A R
Kaspar made a sound of agreement in response to Adley’s question about the list, “These are people who be of use on this campaign, this is not a list of people I am asking to unveil themselves or align to my cause…” He paused, clearing his throat before correcting himself, “Our cause. It would simply be accepting a contract, vampires may be more sympathetic or disapproving, it is hard to say but if we find the right people who will understand what the idea is then they may be able to sell it. I can not do all this alone, and while many of our friends can help it is still too much work to expect of them without interest in the cause or payment.”

His smile was patient, explaining this to ensure Adley understood his idea. “Yes, I am asking you to focus on the things you can, on the parts which you are able to but outside of that it is good to have people to just speak to, to hear me and tell me if they think I am being crazy. Of course there is a very good chance I will not listen because I know I am perfect and everything I do is glorious.” He said it with a face to straight and voice so deadpan that anyone with a halfway decent sense for sarcasm would assume that is what he was doing. They would be mostly right, he was about the not listening part though not so much about perfection.


A D L E Y
Adley nodded, only a slight twitching arch of the brow given in response to Kaspar’s ego -- which he did assume was sarcasm. Adley knew how it could be -- people with ego often did talk to others as if they were lesser, as if they did not understand. The way Kaspar explained his idea slowly and patiently when Adley already had the gist of it had him wondering if he’d asked a stupid question. Suggestions had been made to which Kaspar had not responded, so Adley moved forward.

“And yet I would advise that you are delusional, and that you ought to listen to your good friends,” this part he said with a vague gesture to his own chest, “because they are just that little bit more perfect and glorious,” he said, his features a mirror of Kaspar’s -- deadpan and straight, no indication given (except to those who knew him) that it was, indeed, sarcasm. In some measure. He then rubbed at his temple; something else Kaspar had said had struck a nerve, and Adley veered back to the serious matter at hand.

“I do want to help you, and I am here to help. I don’t want payment, even though I’m not sure I’m the best right hand man. I have done things and probably will do things again that don’t align with the cause. I don’t want to put it in jeopardy. I’ll do my best to control myself, but guarantees are things that I can’t make…” he said, lifting his eyes to his friend’s.


K A S P A R
“Delusional or not, i’m beautiful, intelligent and talented so who cares?” He quipped, his cheeks dimpling with the devilish grin that twisted his features. The more Adley talked however the expression slipped, the man unable to hold his mirth for long which seemed to be for the order of the day and he had the sudden urge to cross his arms and huff childishly. Every time he felt like the mood might lighten and the work be taken on in a manner that might be more fun for both of them it came back to a more sour subject. He understand Adley’s reservations but he felt like he was constantly reassuring the man, this man who was for the most part a cocky egomaniac, which was something that as much as it frustrated Kaspar he LIKED about the guy.

“Adley… I have my own right hand, and it is very effective, almost exactly equal to my glorious left. I also don’t need a man by my side, but I do value a variety of opinions and support. You have a different view, your own view and you also want to see this succeed. That is enough, you don’t need to take on more than you wish to. Ok? You do what you feel comfortable doing and I will be eternally, and grudgingly, grateful.” He reached out once more to punch at the man’s arm, fingertips stretching out against to grip his shoulder and give it a bit of a shake. “Hey… Were you serious about considering being a model for this?”


A D L E Y
Adley could only stare at Kaspar, wondering if he’d heard the question right. He’d just said that he could put the cause in jeopardy, but Kaspar still wondered whether Adley was serious about being a model. Eventually, Adley had to assume that despite his warning, Kaspar trusted him anyway. So he just simply nodded.

“Mm, I’m sure your right hand is very effective,” he said with a barely contained smirk, the implication obvious given the pair’s aptitude for gutter talk. He could still maintain his humour even while juggling the more serious topics. He hadn’t said what he’d said for any kind of sympathy or reassurance, he’d said it as due warning. “You don’t have to be grateful. I can just call in some favours in the future. They might include both your right and left hands,” he said, still smirking. Still clearly having a laugh. He did nod, however -- a question had been asked and it was incumbent upon him to answer.

“Sure, yeah -- if you need a model, I can provide,” he said. Someone else would have to take the picture, but that shouldn’t be too hard to organise.


K A S P A R
Kas let his eyes roll up as Adley played along with his jokes, the blonde man putting his hands up whether in surrender or warning it wasn’t entirely clear. Kaspar was wearing his smirk, but his voice held a subtle note of warning. “Ja, watch yourself there, Reed. Grey might eat you alive for less, if i’m going to be a busy, moody arschloch while we organise this campaign then he’ll turn attack dog and guard me fiercely. I love him for it, but fair warning.” Kas’s smile softened, his gaze moving back to the whiteboard. “I’ll put you down on the maybe list for our models then, give you the opportunity to think long and hard on it… You may also need to talk Indigo, set an example of how to communicate on big decisions hm? I am very curious to hear how she feels about this idea, perhaps I should call her…” He already had his phone is his hand, eyeing it but put it away soon enough. It wasn’t the right time, besides, he wanted to give Adley the chance to chat her.

“So… I can trust you to help me choose those with a good eye for composition, and ensure the images we create speak for themselves. I want to find a good PR company, I need a team to share this campaign and make sure the right people get hold of it, people in charge of image. I need to confirm models, I want diversity of age and situation. We can do this.” He spoke with confidence, rising from his chair with hands pressed against the desk, “Let’s get to work, Adley, we have some calls to make.” He winked, nodding to the phone on the desk.


A D L E Y
“I’m not sure that’s enough of a warning, Kas,” he said, rolling his head on his shoulders, tension easing from his neck, the long straight line of it punctuated by a bobbing Adam’s apple as he laughed. The gleam in his eye did not abate, no bitterness nor defense crept in this time. Those negative feelings had all but been abolished. “Eaten alive sounds like fun…” he said.

But, all kidding aside, he was aware that they had a job to do. That the decision was not one to be made lightly -- and though he could interject and point out the pros and cons of the fact that a model was putting him or herself in danger with this campaign, he’d start to feel like a broken record. There would be risk involved. No reaction was made when Kaspar threatened to call Indigo -- she had already been informed of Adley’s inclinations. At first there had been no objections. She’d been more than happy to see him in the limelight. She believed it was where he belonged -- in front of the camera rather than behind it. But he had told her the risks -- his concerns about having been witnessed, if only for a couple of seconds. And what if he were to slip up in the future?

Promises had been made. Vows to be good, to stay in control. But it was still something to think about, and Adley would take the time that Kaspar gave him. For now, he was willing to help in whatever way he could. He cleared his throat and reached for the phone -- there was work to be done.