CALEB//

are you available? Charlotte needs a dropoff.

CEDRIC//

I fail to see what that has to do with me.

CALEB//

She was asking about D&D. I don't think she realizes --

CEDRIC//

That you don't play?

CALEB//

That I'm new to the game.

CEDRIC//

You are new to the game but I had no idea you played.

CALEB//

Anyway, I was wondering if you'd come with me.

CEDRIC//

Do I get a cut of the profit?

CALEB//

If you help make the sale, maybe.

CEDRIC//

Maybe!



Charlotte, formally known as Charlotte Deadeye, was an aged child of Straud’s. She was an alleged princess of some sort, the daughter of a long-dead Native king. She and her brother Jude were descendants of years of prosperity and enjoyed relative security within its shadows.

The siblings had a number of apartments in the city but today Caleb and I were planning on meeting in Brooklyn.

I had my own theories that Charlotte maintained this safehouse as a way to get closer to the mage Tatanya Oborovsky, the sister of my deceased mentor. I wondered idly if the woman was actually interested in a creature of the night by her own virtues or if she regarded the vampress as yet another of her projects.

But I suspected I was never to know the truth.

As I traveled through the train empty-handed, I was grateful I’d given the fruit business back to the Vatores. It was a risk I didn’t feel up to taking lately, not with my other goals.

I exit the train station and take a short walk. Brooklyn always surprises me with its density. Soon, within my view comes Caleb in his scarlet coat.

CEDRIC

HEY CALEB.

HOW’S IT SHAKING?


He’s carrying a satchel that I assume bears a clutch of the pale lavender fruit.

CALEB

I DIDN’T EVEN THINK SHE LIKED THE FRUIT.


I refrained from gossipping about the tastes of my acquaintances.

CEDRIC

COULDN’T TELL YA.

CALEB

YOU DIDN’T TELL HER ABOUT MY FATHER, DID YOU?

CEDRIC

CALEB, EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT YOUR FATHER.

CALEB

I DON’T MEAN THAT, I MEANT…

CEDRIC

YOUR RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION?

CALEB

I GUESS.

CEDRIC

NO, NOT A WORD.

I DON’T THINK SHE HAS ANY IDEA OR SHE WOULDN’T HAVE ASKED YOU.

CALEB

I GUESS NOT.

CEDRIC

I’M JUST STRICKEN THAT SO MANY PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN IMAGINATION GAMES.

IT’S A PITY YOUR FATHER DIDN’T SEE THE MERIT.

ANYWAY.

MAY THE DEPARTED REST PEACEFULLY.

HOW’S THE MOON PRIESTESS?

CALEB

FINE.

WHY?

CEDRIC

YOU KNOW SHE HAS A THING FOR STRAUD.

CALEB

WHAT?

CEDRIC

PAST OR PRESENT, I DON’T ACTUALLY KNOW BUT IT’S THE ONLY SENSIBLE EXPLANATION FOR HER BEHAVIOR.


We walk for a moment in silence.

CEDRIC

I HAVEN’T ACTUALLY TALKED TO STRAUD MUCH ABOUT IT BUT IT’S MY HUNCH, YEAH.

BUT I DON’T KNOW, MAYBE SHE’S GOTTEN OVER IT.

STRAUD IS A LITTLE OLD FOR HER.

CALEB

HOW OLD IS HE, ANYWAY?

CEDRIC

OLDER THAN SIN.



Charlotte’s flat is modest, to say the least. the walls of the building’s hallways are coated with an indistinct grime possible only by years of neglect. The paint is peeling in some places and the elevator acts sluggishly. But it’s no worse than any middle-class urban abode.

She answers the door wearing an outfit from the clearance rack at Hot Topic.

CHARLOTTE

CALEB, CEDRIC. WELCOME.

PLEASE COME IN.

CALEB

HI CHARLOTTE.

HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?

CHARLOTTE

DOING WELL, DOING WELL.

CEDRIC

HEY.


Any mortal who stepped inside this apartment would have been unnerved. It had an air of otherworldliness to its purple and gold color palette. The vampress had spared no expense in making the flat able to serve only her specific needs. There was no buzz of a refrigerator, no stove to dispense the natural gas the city-dwellers used to cook food. Instead, there was a small corner of cabinetry that barely qualified as a kitchenette. A drip coffeemaker sat alone on top of a dishwasher.

Where a dining room might have collected was a large bar forming an arc against a corner.

CHARLOTTE

CAN I OFFER YOU SOMETHING REFRESHING?

CEDRIC

WE GOING OUT?

CHARLOTTE

I WAS GOING TO STAY IN TONIGHT.

CEDRIC

GUESS THAT’S WHY YOU CALLED US OVER.


Caleb tries to defuse the conversation.

CALEB

I BROUGHT SOME OF THE NEW HARVEST.


He wanders over toward the back of the bar. There is a large mirror allowing one to see the colorful bottles of liquid beneath. But Caleb did not appear in its reflection.

CALEB

CARE IF I MIX SOMETHING UP?

CHARLOTTE

PLEASE DO.


Glasses clink as Caleb prepares three drinks of freshly squeezed juice. He seems to have taken some of my pointers.

CHARLOTTE

YOU KNOW, CEDRIC.

I’VE NEVER TOLD YOU THIS BUT YOU HAVE ALWAYS REMINDED ME OF SOMEONE.

CEDRIC

OH YEAH?

WHO?

CHARLOTTE

NO ONE YOU’D KNOW.

A FRIEND I HAD WHEN I WAS A LITTLE GIRL.

SHE HAD BRIGHT BLONDE HAIR NOT TOO DIFFERENT FROM YOURS.

CEDRIC

I APPRECIATE THE COMPLIMENT.

CHARLOTTE

IS IT NATURAL?

CEDRIC

YOU MEAN IS IT A DYE JOB?

NO, I DON’T DYE MY HAIR.


My thoughts wander back to a recent conversation with Seven. She, too, had asked after my near-platinum hair. But she had a different angle.

SEVEN

IT’S NOT TRUE FOR YOU, IS IT?

THAT YOU CAN’T CUT YOUR HAIR?

CEDRIC

MY HAIR GROWS.

MY FINGERNAILS GROW.

SEVEN

YEAH, THAT’S WHAT I THOUGHT.

ME TOO.

I THOUGHT IT WAS WEIRD WHAT ANNE RICE DECIDED TO DO IN HER WORLD.

WHAT WITH THE HAIR AND FINGERNAILS AND ALL.


Who had these mortals known? What had they seen that caused them to come up with these non-sensical explanations?

CEDRIC

PERHAPS SHE WAS TRYING TO GRASP AT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CROSSOVER.

IN HER WORLD, THE UNDEAD ARE IMMORTAL AVATARS OF WHO THEY WERE AT THE TIME OF THEIR DEATH.

THEY CANNOT CHANGE NO MATTER HOW HARD THEY WISH IT.


It’s a dismal world view but it has a certain kernel of truth.

CHARLOTTE

SHE WAS BEAUTIFUL, MY FRIEND.


Caleb is still fussing around with his titration.

CEDRIC

CALEB WAS TELLING ME YOU’RE INTERESTED IN GAMING.

MAYBE YOU’D BE INTERESTED IN A ONE-OFF TO TRY IT OUT.

CHARLOTTE

A ONE-OFF?

CEDRIC

YEAH.

JUST A SINGLE-SESSION ADVENTURE WHERE YOU CAN TRY OUT A CHARACTER AND SEE HOW YOU LIKE THE GAME.

CHARLOTTE

WELL, IT’S NOT JUST ME.

I WAS THINKING OF INVITING A FRIEND OF MINE.

HE NEEDS SOME FRIENDS.

CEDRIC

WELL, I DON’T DM FOR JUST ANYONE.


Suddenly a knock comes to the door. Caleb, just having finished his preparation, looks up in alarm.

CHARLOTTE

I’LL GET IT.


She answers the door but shuts it behind her in an effort to keep her conversation from us. It is clear she’s keeping some secret above and beyond the usual.

CEDRIC

YOU DONE WITH THOSE DRINKS YET?



When Charlotte rejoins us, she looks flustered.

CHARLOTTE

I HAVE A CONFESSION TO MAKE.

CEDRIC

HAVE A DRINK FIRST.

IT’S ONLY NATURAL.


We tap our glasses against each other in a toast.

CEDRIC

TO CONFESSIONS.

CHARLOTTE

I’M SORRY I HAVE TO INVOLVE YOU BOYS IN MY PROBLEMS, I JUST DON’T HAVE THE COURAGE TO TELL THE COUNT YET.

CEDRIC

YOU ARE HIS DAUGHTER.

YOU SHOULD TRY TO BE HONEST WITH HIM.

CHARLOTTE

I WILL…JUST…THIS BECAME A TIME-SENSITIVE MATTER.


There is a pause in the conversation.

CEDRIC

YOU CONVERTED SOMEONE, DIDN’T YOU.


She looks stunned.

CHARLOTTE

STRAUD DOESN’T KNOW I KNOW HOW.

HE NEVER TAUGHT US.

CEDRIC

HE DOESN’T USUALLY.

FOR THIS VERY REASON.

CHARLOTTE

I JUST THOUGHT I’D BRING HIM INTO THE FOLD.

IT WAS BETTER THAN THE ALTERNATIVE.

CEDRIC

WHAT HAPPENED?

CHARLOTTE

HE WAS GOING TO GO TO THE POLICE!

CEDRIC

HE FIGURED YOU OUT?

CHARLOTTE

YEAH.

I FUCKED UP.

CEDRIC

I’LL SAY.

WAS THAT HIM?

CHARLOTTE

AT THE DOOR?

YEAH.

CEDRIC

JESUS CHRIST.

WELL, YOU NEED TO GET HIM OUT OF HERE.

CHARLOTTE

HIS MOTHER LIVES ACROSS THE HALL.

CEDRIC

WHAT’S THE SCHMUCK’S NAME?

CHARLOTTE

HIS NAME IS RAJ RASOYA.

CEDRIC

GREAT. JUST GREAT.

JUST WHAT THIS WORLD NEEDS: MORE YOUNGLINGS.

CHARLOTTE

HE MIGHT NOT BE SUCH A BAD ADDITION TO THE CREW.

HE’S AN ACCOMPLISHED CHEF.

CEDRIC

SO YOU THOUGHT YOU’D OFFLOAD YOUR NEW BUNDLE OF JOY ON US?

CHARLOTTE

I NEED HELP.

CEDRIC

I’LL SAY YOU DO.

DOES THE WORD “MASQUERADE” MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU?

WEAR A FUCKING MASK.

CHARLOTTE

I TRIED!

HE JUST HAD ME AT EVERY ANGLE.

CEDRIC

DAMNIT, CHARLOTTE.

DAMNIT.

CHARLOTTE

I’M SORRY.

CEDRIC

SORRY DOESN’T CUT IT!

CALEB

ACCIDENTS HAPPEN, CEDRIC.

CEDRIC

NO, ACCIDENTS DON’T JUST HAPPEN.

THESE THINGS COME FROM AGGRAVATED NEGLECT.


The trio are silent in somber reflection.

CEDRIC

WELL D&D IS ONE THING.

I RECENTLY RECEIVED A NEW ASSIGNMENT SO I’M NOT AVAILABLE TO ADOPT A TODDLER.

YOU’LL HAVE TO STEP IT UP.

DOES YOUR BROTHER KNOW?

CHARLOTTE

YEAH, JUDE KNOWS.

CEDRIC

AND WHAT DID HE HAVE TO SAY?

CHARLOTTE

HE THINKS WE SHOULD BRING IN STRAUD.

CEDRIC

WELL, YEAH, THAT MUCH IS GOING TO HAPPEN.

NO ONE GETS PROTECTION WITHOUT AN INTERVIEW.

BUT YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO TELL HIM THAT IT’S YOUR FAULT.

CHARLOTTE

I DON’T KNOW IF HE’S READY FOR AN INTERVIEW.

HE’S A LITTLE…UNORTHODOX.

CEDRIC

I’M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THAT.

HE’LL ADJUST.

WE ALL DID.

I JUST CAN’T BELIEVE YOU LET THIS HAPPEN.

CHARLOTTE

I THOUGHT, MAYBE, HE COULD HELP US DEVELOP THE FRUIT.

CEDRIC

WE DON’T NEED TO DEVELOP THE FRUIT.

WE’VE ALREADY GOT ALL THE DEVELOPMENT WE NEED.

CHARLOTTE

BUT HEAR ME OUT!

IF THE REVEAL REALLY IS COMING THEN WE’LL HAVE ONE MORE WAY TO KEEP US SAFE FROM DANGER.

CEDRIC

THE FRUIT IS NOT MEANT TO BE OUR SOLE SOURCE OF SUSTINANCE.

YOU KNOW THIS. SURELY STRAUD HAS TOLD YOU.

CHARLOTTE

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE VATORE FAMILY?

CEDRIC

WHAT ABOUT THE VATORE FAMILY?

CHARLOTTE

ISN’T IT TRUE THEY NEVER PREYED ON THE LIVING?

CEDRIC

CALEB?

CALEB

WELL, I NEVER SAW FATHER ENTERTAIN A MORTAL.

CHARLOTTE

SURELY IT’S POSSIBLE.

CEDRIC

SO YOU MEAN TO DENY YOUR SON HIS BIRTHRIGHT?


She winces.

CHARLOTTE

DON’T SAY THAT.

CEDRIC

SAY WHAT?

HE’S YOUR CHARGE.

YOU DID THIS.

CHARLOTTE

OKAY, OKAY.

YOU’RE RIGHT.

CEDRIC

SOME MOTHER YOU’RE SHAPING UP TO BE.

CHARLOTTE

I DIDN’T MAKE HIM SUSPECT ME!

CEDRIC

SO YOUR LIES WERE INSUFFICIENTLY PREPARED.

FOR SOMEONE OF YOUR EXPERIENCE AND PEDIGREE, I’D EXPECT MORE.

IT’S NO WONDER STRAUD DOESN’T TEACH THE RITUAL.

JUST HOW MANY OF OUR KIND DO YOU EXPECT THIS CITY TO CONTAIN?

EVERY NEW ADDITION IS ONE MORE WEAK LINK IN THE CHAIN.

CALEB

HAVE A LITTLE PITY, CEDRIC.

IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS GUY HAD CHARLOTTE BACKED UP INTO A CORNER.

CEDRIC

MY PITY, YOU HAVE.

I DON’T RELISH THE THOUGHT OF TRYING TO CONTAIN A YOUNGLING WITH DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR.

MAYBE TRY TO BE A LITTLE MORE FRIGHTENING NEXT TIME.

CHARLOTTE

THERE WON’T BE A NEXT TIME.

CEDRIC

I HOPE FOR YOUR SAKE THAT’S TRUE.



CEDRIC//

Time for my weekly tattle.

STRAUD//

Oh?

CEDRIC//

Your girl Charlotte has a new bouncing baby brat.

STRAUD//

Oh dear.

CEDRIC//

I suggest you pay a visit.

STRAUD//

On my way.