Chapter 27: Blood

Since learning about her vampire nature, Violet has become obsessed with food.

She only has so many years to enjoy real food before she becomes limited to drinking plasma juice.

"I'd like to try frog's legs at least once before I have to give up real food," Violet confides to her friend Lyle Carlton. Normally, she avoids discussing her vampirism with the other children, not wanting to bring attention to her abnormality, but with Lyle it's different. Lyle is a genius, and he's done some research on vampires for her, giving her more information than her parents ever did.

"I found a website on vampire bloodlines," Lyle tells her. "It isn't possible for a vampire child to be born from two non-vampires. I think your parents are withholding vital information from you."


"Are you sure about that?" Violet asks.


"Absolutely, all my sources say the same thing, vampires are either born from at least one vampire parent, or they are turned into vampires by another vampire. Only grown ups can be turned, so you must have a vampire parent somewhere."

Because she was curious about plasma juice, Jeromy bought some for her to try. "How is it?" he asks her as he tucks into his breakfast.


"It's okay," Violet answers, "Not as good as pancakes. Daddy, was I adopted?"


"Adopted?" Jeromy asks in surprise, "No, of course not. Where did you get that idea?"


Violet tells her father about Lyle's research and his conclusion that she must have a vampire parent. "Is Aunt Bree my real mother? Is that why Mom looks at me funny sometimes, because she's not really my mother?"


"Aunt Bree is not your mother, sweetheart," Jeromy answers. He's not sure what to say about the rest of her questions. Luckily for him the school bus arrives right then, and he can avoid continuing this discussion for now.

That evening after the kids are in bed, Jeromy tells Oregon about Violet's questions.
"She's become obsessed with finding out about her vampire heritage, and I don't know how much to tell her. Maybe you should have a talk with her."


"You're doing great, Jeromy," Oregon says, "Tell her whatever you think is best."


Jeromy didn't tell her what Violet said about the funny looks Oregon gives her sometimes. "I know this is hard for you, but you're her mother, she should learn about this from you."


"What can I tell her that you can't?'" Oregon protests, "I'm not some vampire expert, you know. This talk just reminds me of him, can we please drop it?"

Instead of driving to work the next afternoon, Jeromy takes a long jog. The exercise usually clears his mind, but today it does nothing to help. He understands how difficult it has been for Oregon to raise the vampire's child, but her reluctance is being seen as rejection by Violet. He wants Oregon to love her daughter as much as he does, but the vampire continues to stand between them.

When he arrives at the grocery store where he works, Jeromy runs into Beau Merrick. It isn't a pleasant meeting for either of them, both men consider themselves wronged in some way by the other.


"You...human," Beau hisses, "Get out of my way."

Beau is the source of every problem Jeromy has at the moment. Oregon has never fully recovered from her feelings of violation after the vampire took control of her mind and made her his thrall, and now those unhealed wounds are creating identity issues for Violet. Jeromy has had to handle these problems on his own while stifling his own jealousy and outrage, and now he lashes out at Beau, unable to hold it in any longer.

Beau is not one to take a verbal lashing without fighting back. While Jeromy has always been fit and had a reputation as a dumb jock throughout high school, he's no match for the super strength of the vampire.

The pathetic human stole his female and is raising his daughter. Giving him a public beating doesn't begin to make up for it, but it certainly felt good. His skin beginning to smoke in the daylight, Beau speeds off to seek the shelter of his lair until nightfall.

By the time he gets home from work, Oregon has heard about the fight. New travels fast in small towns.


"Are you hurt?" Oregon asks, concerned.


"Mostly my ego," Jeromy laughs. It was foolish of him to start a fight with Beau, as even if he had won, it would have proved nothing, solved none of his problems. 

Oregon gets an appointment from her half-brother Josiah. He just broke up with Bertha Curious, and wants a new wardrobe to celebrate his freedom.


"So, you've been working out," Oregon observes, looking at his well-muscled and very exposed legs.


"Yeah, I'm in the gym every day," Josiah beams proudly, "I like to show off my muscles. The chicks really dig it."


"Chicks also really dig pants."

"It's amazing how much you look like Dad," Oregon observes once she's got his wardrobe made over.


"Yeah, I get that all time," Josiah says, "It really helps with the ladies, if you know what I mean."


"Do you have any other interests?" Oregon asks with a laugh.


"Sure, sports, working out, partying..."


Oregon wishes her younger half-brother luck with his romantic life and leaves for her next client.

Hunter becomes a child.

At night, Violet feels the advantages of being vampire, her homework goes by in a flash, she feels smarter, stronger, more alert. But none of that makes up for what she will lose when she becomes a full grown vampire.

Violet has her teen birthday, bringing her one step closer to her dreaded adulthood.

The next morning she meets Lyle out on the bridge before school starts.


"Thinking of jumping off?" she quips as she approaches him.


"Drowning would be better than school," he answers.

"Don't be so dramatic," Violet laughs.


"Don't worry, I have too much to live for. Like my first kiss." Lyle leans in close to her, preparing to kiss her, but the school bell rings at that moment. "Crap," he sighs, "Let's go pretend to learn stuff."

Immediately after school, they pick up where they left off.


"I wasn't able to think about anything but you all day," Lyle says.


"I guess it's a good thing you're such a genius, then," Violet says.


"I'm a genius who is still waiting for his first kiss."

"Let me help you with that, " Violet says, and kisses him.

"Violet, I want you to know, when we get older and you need to feed, you can always feed on me."


"Ew, you don't seriously want me to suck your blood? That's so gross."

"Actually, it sounds painful and totally scary. But everything I've read about vampire/human relationships is that they center around the feeding. It's not so much that I want blood sucked out of me as I'd be incredibly jealous if you did it to someone else."


"Lyle, that's sweet in a twisted and bizarre kind of way. But I don't want to feed on anyone. I don't want to drink blood. The whole idea is totally disgusting."


"Violet, you're a vampire. It's what vampires do."


"Not me," Violet says defiantly.

Since it's Friday night, they head out to the Red Rendezvous for their first date. Lyle orders his first drink, and Violet gets a pizza. There's no way she's going to ever give up pizza.

The town has a strict curfew for teens, so the young couple only have enough time for a few dances and a little making out before Violet has to drive them home.


"Maybe you should turn me, when we grow up," Lyle says quietly.


"You want to be a vampire?" Violet asks sharply. "Being a vampire is a curse."


"I want to be with you, and I want you to be happy. If I were a vampire, you wouldn't be alone with it anymore, Violet."


Violet is quiet for a moment, then says, "I could never forgive myself if I did this to you."

Lyle's house is just up the road from her house, so he walks the rest of the way home from there, his mind busy trying to figure out a way to help Violet. He's a genius, there must be something he can do...

Violet brushes her teeth three times after that date. Nothing against Lyle's kisses, but, you know, germs. They're everywhere, and they congregate inside mouths.


Challenge Notes:
Violet is confirmed as heir at this point. Her traits are Neurotic, Artistic, Perfectionist and Natural Cook. She's also got Pyromaniac from Beau, Pizza Appreciator from her mother, as well as Can Apprehend Burglars which all McDermotts have had since Cameron


Lyle Carlton is the son of Loren Carlton and Chanel Knack-Racket. Loren Carlton is the bastard son of Sofia Carlton and and Sinbad Rotter. Chanel is the daughter of Julienne Knack and Bill Racket. From one of these ancestors, Lyle has the Burglar trait. Probably Sinbad or Bill, as they are some of the neighborhood criminals in Twinbrook out of the box.
Lyle definitely got his permanent 'someone pissed in my cornflakes' facial expression from Sinbad Rotter. His traits are Genius, Snob, Childish and Kleptomaniac. Genius is excellent, as Violet's spouse will be a Freelance Scientist.
I did lighten his hair when he turned teen. It's originally a canary yellow that really bugged me, so I made it more of a straw color. It looks platinum in the outdoor pics. I left the pink tips exactly as they were. The hair comes from Sofia Carlton.


Oregon has reached level 10 of the Stylist career. She's close to achieving her LTW of maxing painting (9) and guitar (8). Jeromy is a little further behind on his LTW of maxing athletic (7) and Logic (6). They both just turned adult, so they have time to skill more.


I'm a little sad about not keeping Jeromy's genes in the main family. But Violet was just too interesting, and I can only have one heir.


Shepard and Anne just gave birth to another son, Steve.