Safeword: Storm Clouds(14)

"While Abbot is correct that he doesn't tell me what to do very often, he does offer me advice. He is an expert at working the political parts of vampire society and it is usually smart to listen to his counsel. His advice is to tell my housemates that I'm grooming you to be a human companion, they will smell confusion in my statement, but it can easily be explained away by my saying you're unlike any human I've ever met and that grooming you is going to be a fun challenge. This means we'd act like you'd expect things to work in the beginning of most any human relationship. At some point the other vampires would realize that we are acting like a human couple for longer than would be expected, and at that point I would admit to having decided against a formal human companion relationship with you. I would once again hint that you are a bit different than most humans and say that I'm having some wonderful adventures with you. This way when it is discovered that I am submitting to you it won't come as a complete surprise to them. I'll let Abbot explain the political ramifications of my submitting to a human."

"Kendra, you will have to formally put him under your protection when you state that you aren't grooming him to be a human companion. He'll lose the protection automatically given to human companions as soon as you tell someone you aren't grooming him for that anymore. And I recommend you formally put him under your protection at least two weeks before it comes out that you are submitting to him in bed."

Eric leaned forward in his seat. "Protection? You mean, going against the.. norm? That could put me in danger? What about Kendra, would it put her in danger as well?"

Abbot and Kendra looked at each other, Abbot answered. "There are many vampires who see humans as a lesser species. Kind of the way humans view pets. Or maybe the way you view some of the smarter monkey species. Kendra and I do not see you that way, so don't get defensive, I'm just trying to explain that there will be some vampires who will take it as a personal insult that a vampire that is over them in the hierarchy is submitting to a human. There will be challenges to her status as third, but she is more than capable of taking on any challenger so there are no worries there. But, if you aren't under the protection of a strong vampire, then it is possible some of them could try to challenge you. Their logic being that if you are holding yourself as stronger than a vampire then you are putting yourself in a position to be challenged."

"You're the Master of the territory, right? Why can't you just put me under your protection? Wouldn't that solve the problem?"

"If I were to do that it would undermine Kendra's position. I would be saying she isn't capable of protecting you. I have done this for weaker vampires who took on a human girlfriend or boyfriend, but politically, I can't do that for Kendra."

Kendra spoke up. “Actually Abbot, if he were working for you then he'd be protected as an employee. Haven't you been looking for someone to teach some of the older vampires who have resisted your efforts to get them to put some of the latest technologies to use? If you can get them to finally be set up to check and send emails and text messages then it will make some things much easier for all of us."

Abbot looked at Eric. "You make computer games for a living, correct?"

When Eric nodded Abbot continued, "Would you be qualified to teach vampires who have lived hundreds or in some cases thousands of years how to use a computer? How to use email, and how to send and receive text messages on a cellphone? I realize money probably isn't an issue for you, but it would pay well and it would include being placed under my personal protection."

"I can do more than that. If you set me up with a classroom with as many computers as I'll have students then I can teach them all at once. I find that group learning works better for people who are resistant as long as at least half the class is interested in learning. If you have all resistant vampires then you'll need to send some in who want to learn but just haven't done so yet. I'll give them the basics of how to move around in whatever operating system you choose, and then I'll get them familiar with email and with some basic internet surfing. If you give me notes on some of the resistant people's interests I can target some of the internet searches I use as examples towards their interests and that will help show them how this can benefit them personally. But the other things I can do for you include looking over your current set-up and finding the security holes and plugging them up. I can also talk to you about the various ways to encrypt the messages going back and forth that you don't want outsiders to read. And as I see emerging technologies that may be of use to you I can bring them to your attention."