taxonomites | 036 ━ [ visual ].

Angel's not very good at public relations. He hates dealing with public relations. This is why Cordelia always handled people, and why he had a department to handle that when he was running Wolfram & Hart. Something, however, needs to be said before things get out of line. And if he doesn't say it, who will?

Here goes nothing.

"If we wanted to eat you, we would've already," is probably not the best way to start this, but it's certainly one way to get everyone's attention. "Most of the vampires here in Taxon have been here for a long time, some of us pushing a year, others two. The only evidence you'll find against us can be placed during times when we were glitched. None of us can control that. If anyone's at fault for the things we've done while glitched, it's the hamsters. If we're to be held accountable for those actions, then by that logic, you should be, too, for the things you've done when glitched out of your mind and acting on impulses that you've otherwise got under control.

"I'm not saying that your fear isn't justified or that you don't have reason to be cautious. You do. We're predators, specifically designed to hunt you down. The point is that we don't. Letting paranoia and fear control you is only going to make things worse. We want to survive as much as you do; getting rid of our means of survival is not paying us the same respect we're paying you.

"Many of us have been around a long time. We haven't lived this long by being so stupid as to do what you expect of us. Most worlds have vampires that have gone unnoticed, because we don't get involved or cause trouble... with a few exceptions here and there." Like him, back in the day before that gypsy curse. "Leave us alone and we'll leave you alone. There's no reason to ruin how well we've been cohabitating in Taxon, just because we're all stuck in the same building. If anything, we should be working together to find a way out."

( ooc | i'm heading out the door to a concert, but wanted to get this up before i left. will hit tags when i get home later tonight. ♥ )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Well said." For whatever it was worth, Connor approved of his father's public service announcement. There were bigger things to worry about right now than vampires -- a thought he almost couldn't believe as it went through his head. It was a far different tune from what he was accustomed to, but sooner or later he would sing it without hesitation. He would have to, if he and Angel were going to truly make amends.

"Wait." Back up a little. "... just how many vampires are there in Taxon?"

Angel locked the feed, not wanting to give away the numbers over a public feed and not wanting to draw attention to his son. Connor might only be part vampire, but he doubted those who lived off fear and paranoia would quite see it that way. His son was capable of handling himself, Angel's aware, but he's a possessive person, which only serves to amplify those protective parental instincts.

"Four that I know of, myself included. Probably more who have been keeping their fangs under wraps."

Though he was unaware of the vampires from Mystic Falls, Virginia, he wasn't stupid. He just doesn't care enough to go looking for those who might be vampires.

"Kind of a lot for a place like this, isn't it," Connor remarked with a frown. He'd already known about Angel and Drusilla, of course, and there were at least two more that were known, potentially others who had managed to keep their identities a secret.

"None of them have been feeding off people?" he asked after a moment. He'd always known Angel to live off the grotesquely large stock of blood that had been kept in the industrial refrigerator at the hotel, but he wasn't so sure there would be others who would be willing to live off of animal blood. "That's good. But now that we're all in one building... people are scared, right?"

"There used to be more," like Eric and Levi, but they'd since left Taxon. "No, they don't eat people. The hatches normally provide anything you'd want, including blood - human, animal, TruBlood. Having the hatches at our disposal took away from the necessity to hunt. That, and no-one's stupid enough to cross Godric."

Connor nodded his understanding, until something unfamiliar caught his ear.

"What's 'TruBlood?' And... who's Godric? Is he like the head vamp around here?" Was it possible that Angel wasn't on top? The idea itself seemed totally foreign.

"Synthetic blood from Godric's world," Angel explained. "He's-- Something like that. He's the oldest, over two thousand years old. Very wise and very powerful."

There was an odd note in Angel's tone that should be paid close attention: respect. It was rare for him to show another of his kind respect, but Godric had earned it. Had The Master been more like Eric's maker, Angel might've actually listened to his grandsire.

"Two thousand..." He couldn't remember ever hearing of a vampire so old; most were lucky if they were smart enough to make it past a hundred or so, even luckier if they survived to Angel's age. His mother, as far as he knew, had been one of the oldest 'living' vampires documented. There were older, of course, there was always something that trumped what was known if you looked hard enough, but they were very few and far between.

He took notice of the shift in Angel's tone.

"You respect him. He's not like the vampires from our world?"

Angel nodded. "I do. He's... Godric's kind of his own breed of vampire, so to speak. In his ideals and that no, he's not like the vampires from our world. For one, he's stronger and a hell of a lot faster. I'm fast, but he makes me look like a Jetta trying to catch up to a Bugatti Veyron."

One of the few things distinctly of the modern world that Angel actually keeps up to date on: cars.

The car comparisons were, quite obviously, entirely lost on Connor. He stared blankly for a moment before shaking his head, causing long hair to fall across his forehead and partially obscure his eyes.

"Which means he's faster than me, too." Even if the guy had Angel's respect, he wasn't sure how comfortable he felt knowing there were vampires who were so fast they could outrun even him.

"But his ideals... you mean he's a good guy. A Champion."

"I wouldn't say he was a Champion, but he's definitely one of the good guys. He believes that vampires and humans should learn to co-exist." It was a world Angel had trouble imagining, yet supported, because he'd seen Godric in action before and believed the elder vampire could make the stubbornest of people at least try and consider his point of view. "And yes, he's faster. I wouldn't try to take him on, son, if that's what your thinking."

Connor shook his head slightly, dismissing the idea. "Wasn't planning to. Just..."

It was just that he couldn't help categorizing people in such a way, always curious about how they would measure up if it did come down to combat.

"Just curious, I guess. He sounds alright."

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