TShara

The Rebel Vampire

Great, thanks.

So the Guild was down for a while yesterday, and I'm kind of worried about things crashing like they did back in January. Is there any chance you'd be interested in exchanging info for a backup site or anything, in case another crash happens permanently or temporarily? I haven't backed up either of our stories yet, but it's on my (ever increasing) list of things to do.

The Rebel Vampire

So, for the sake of the story, I'm going to say that the "original" potion, was before even Joseph's time? I would think that the technology was all but lost until it reemerged soon after the slavery began. I think ... certain plans of mine work better if Joseph doesn't understand the truth until basically the same time that Erik does.

The Rebel Vampire

Alright, alright. I guess if Mois gave him reports with names redacted, then ok. Expect Erik to be weirded out by that though. Part of the reason he hasn't told his name to Alexi is because he just assumes Alexi knows it.

The Rebel Vampire

But if he has all those records and everything, then he would have to know his name. Like, I just don't see how it makes sense otherwise. He may want to pretend he doesnt know it to get Erik to reveal it himself, but there is no reason he wouldn't know it. It would be like trying to capture Ted Bundy without knowing the name Ted Bundy... I just don't get it, then again I guess I don't have to to play Erik. Just another case of Alexi being a weirdo.

Also, Erik and the Xani cell don't encourage suicide except as a last resort. Some may have done it, but they encourage resistance and try to save their own.

I have a friend over for the weekend so I might not get to an OOC response for a few days. Can't be sure either way. Also, is your avatar picture from Death Note? She saw it and asked.

The Rebel Vampire

Most rebels do keep personal information to themselves, but Erik was already a wanted man before all of this, with a police file and everything. Not knowing his name would be like... not knowing Ted Bundy's name or something. They try to only run the links back to the cell, but a cell leader's name would eventually get out. It seems like Alexi would have to never watch the news, and would have had to decide he wanted that guy basically from looking over Mois' folder and seeing his picture. I can just imagine this conversation.

Alexi: "I want that one. I like his eyes."
Mois: "What?! That guy is the leader of the rebellion around this area. He's a known criminal, and he's committed tons of terrorist acts that killed many people. He's dangerous."
Alexi: "But he's pretty! I want that one!"
Mois: "Seriously, this is -"
Alexi: "No, don't tell me, I want to find out from him!"
Mois facepalmed at his brother's insanity.

The Rebel Vampire

Fiiiine. :-P But if you have to abandon me before the plan comes to fruition then you have to promise to tell me what it was. :-)

I had no problem with anything Alexi said until the very end. (Except that he's totally wrong about how much time before Erik gives in, but it's an understandable mistake.)

How has Alexi done all of this preparation, getting his own brother to lead a mission to capture this famous rebel leader, and he doesn't even know his name?! That doesnt make much sense to me. There are many rebel leaders across the world. In my mind, Erik was a relatively famous one, and is certainly a known fugitive. I just can't believe Alexi wouldn't know his name...

The Rebel Vampire

I'm guessing you can't tell me why Joseph can't know, as that would basically reveal the whole plan?

Alright, cool. I look forward to it. :-)

The Rebel Vampire

Alright, I think I get it, but I might come up with more questions later. :-)

What Joseph and the others did was wrong, there's no doubt about that, but it was, in part, borne out of a need to survive and the lack of other methods to control their bloodlust. There were, of course, other aspects of racism and a superiority complex as well though. They could have found ways to control themselves, but they did not think it was worthwhile to try.

I'm fine with vampires being able to be "made" or turned, but I think they have to be able to be born as their own race as well. Otherwise, they would die out. Once the vampires could be controlled, they would not be able to turn enough humans to sustain their race. As far as humans wanting to be turned, there would be a few, but it's a choice between a short life with freedom or a longer life with little to no free will. I was thinking that most humans just chose to keep their lives as they were. So I've been thinking of them as having the ability to breed (though with lower fertility rates than humans), and that physiologically, they are more like an alien or other species than undead. As far as being able to turn humans, the "right" kind of bite would have to alter them on a cellular level and change them physiologically.

The Rebel Vampire

Still don't get why he would want to throw Joseph off. I could just edit a previous post to make it clear that it was an “old-style” batch. Is that just to make my previous posts work, or is there another reason?

So essentially, it will not break Erik's will because Alexi does not want Erik's will broken. And I'm guessing it will not make him submissive, or even force him to follow Alexi's commands? Because whatever Alexi wants, he does not truly want a slave. So the result is … maybe a half-empathic connection, rather than the complete submission to another's will.

Will Alexi start acquiring some of Erik's emotions and memories as well?

That does sound really sweet, but it's also kind of sad, because Erik's going to spend a lot of time basically torturing himself with starvation and resistance for nothing.

If Alexi wanted understanding, then why couldn't he have just used his vast resources to simply try and talk to the vampire? Or even kidnapped him so that he could have a chat? … Then again I dont think Erik would have been too amiable to that. I imagine Alexi's public image is highly in support of slavery, given the corporation he runs.

And if Alexi told Erik that the potion wouldn't hurt him, he wouldn't believe it anyway, because the only thing he knows about the breaking potion is the damage it does. Because that's all it's ever really done for centuries.

~*~*~

That would make a good backstory. The torture was less a sadistic thing and more an animalistic thing. Vampires of that time just basically thought themselves at the top of the foodchain; faster, stronger, and better in every way. They were superior, so they deserved what they took, in their minds. That's how Joseph was initially taught. They needed blood to survive, and some of the methods modern society has to curb the bloodlust or make animal blood, donated human blood, or synthetic blood available, just weren't invented or widespread yet. For instance, even removing the synthetic option, storing farmed animal blood, or donated human blood, wouldnt be a thing until refrigeration was a thing. Basically vampires of the time just gave into their primal emotions. So when Joseph tortured and killed people, it was to feed himself. I would like to think that even then he did not cause unnecessary pain.

The Rebel Vampire

I like the idea a lot, but I have a couple of tweaks to suggest. For one, I think the recipe should have been improved over the centuries. The way I imagine history in this RP, is pretty similar to the way human history progressed in our world, and it is in human nature to want to improve on any technology. Additionally, I imagine it started being mass produced at some point, like everything else.

Otherwise I'm fine with it, and it's deeper than what I had in mind.

I still don't get what the love and affection would do to change the results though? I mean, I get that Erik's freewill won't be completely broken, but what would it do? If it changes him into loving and admiring Alexi, then that's still pretty insidious, and still breaking his will, just in a different way. So what exactly do you have in mind for those results?

~*~*~

Maybe the breaking "planted the seed" for it, but over time he came to the realization mostly on his own, and it was primarily his own time to think and realize that as much as he hated his lot in life now, even the breaking was a mild punishment for what he had done.