"I need to tell you a little bit about what you need to do at dinner" Sarah said. "First of all you'll be sitting next to me at the head table as you are my daughter. Head Council Dale will get up and introduce you to everyone. When he does just stand up, smile, and show them your fangs. This is done to prove that you are a vampire. After that sit back down. When you sit down, cross your legs and sit up straight. You should also straighten up as you walk, you're slouching just a bit. When you sit back down at the table you should see a cover slide open. This will reveal a set of buttons for blood selection. If you don't want blood just hit the cancel button though I strongly recommend that you select to drink blood. This will provide further proof that you are a vampire. You will be able to choose negative blood types tonight as we're celebrating your turning. Don't put your elbows on the table while you eat. I just want you to listen to the table conversation tonight. Don't join in unless you are asked a question. Do you have all that so far?"
"I do" you say.
"Good" Sarah said. "Now I'll tell you about the council members. There are 13 council members in the council. I mentioned Head Council Dale, he sits in the center of the table. He hasn't turned anyone so he has no sons or daughters. Going to the left first there's me, I'm Deputy Head Council and you are my daughter. By the way, sons and
daughters sit to the right of their parents so you'll be sitting right next to Head Council Dale. To the left of me is Council Dick and his 13 year old daughter Nancy. Next we have Council Donald and his 17 year old son Harry. Then we have Council Dana and her 16 year old son Dave. Moving on we have Council Hannah and her 13 year old daughter Anna. Last on the left side is Council Terri and her 9 year old daughter Lisa. Lisa is the youngest child physically. Brian,
why don't you take the right side."
"Alright" Brian said. "On the right side we have Security Council Julie and me. I'm 13 by the way. Next we have Council Tom and his 14 year old daughter Rose. Then there's Council Dan and his 17 year old son Lionel. The next one is Council Sandy and her 20 year old son Harold. After Council Sandy we have Council Mary and her 12 year old daughter Lilly. Finally we come to Council Juan and his 15 year old
daughter Juanita. You understand of course that these are physical ages we're telling you and not how old they actually are. The only
exception is Lisa who was turned nine years ago."
"Do you have all that?" Sarah asked.
"I think I do" you say. "How come only three council members have a title other than Council?"
"It's been that way for a long time" Sarah said. "No one knows why only three of us have additional titles. We've debated changing that but so far we haven't been able to change it."
"We need to tell her about Monty" Brian said.
"Who's Monty?" you ask.
"Monty always says that a new vampire is not a vampire" Sarah said. "He thinks that vampire hunters are trying to infiltrate our clan. When he stands up and accuses you of not being a vampire, turn to mist. That should shut him up. Even Monty knows that only a vampire can change to mist."
"Alright" you say as you enter the dinning hall. Sarah and Brian lead you to a long table at one end of the room. There were three seats that were vacant at the table. Brian went to his seat and you and Sarah go to your's. When you sit down you sit straight and cross your legs like Sarah had told you to do. After a few seconds Head Council Dale leans over to you and says quietly "You must be Sarah's new daughter. What's your name?"
"It's Violet" you say in just as quiet a voice as Dale used.
"Nice to meet you Violet" Dale said. "My name is Dale and I'm Head Council. You may not know this but once you learn to turn to mist you're required to attend council meetings along with your mother. All you have to do is just and listen during those meetings." He looks around the room then stands up and says "Good evening everyone."
"Good evening Head Council" nearly everyone in the room said.
"I have a few announcements to make before we eat" Dale said. "First as you no doubt can see, Deputy Head Council Sarah has taken a daughter. Her name is Violet."
You stand up, smile, and bare your fangs for everyone to see.
When you sit back down you see one vampire close to the table stand up and say "She's not a vampire. Her fangs are fake."
"Monty, I grow tired of you questioning the authenticity of every new vampire" Dale said in an angry voice.
You decide that now was a good time to turn to mist so you do. There are gasps from nearly everyone and Monty looks stunned. You bet that he hadn't had such a demonstration so soon after he questioned someone's authenticity. After a few seconds you reform.
"Well Monty" Dale said, "I hope that this proves her authenticity to you."
"It must be a trick" Monty said. "There is no way a new vampire can mist on their first day."
Sarah stood up and asked "Are you accusing me of some sort of trickery?"
"Not at all Deputy Head Council" Monty said.
"You've accused my daughter of trickery so you accuse me" Sarah said with anger in her voice. "Violet can mist as you just saw. What sort of trickery do you think is employed here?"
"I don't know" Monty said. "What I do know is that she isn't a vampire. I got a good look at her fangs and they are fake."
You stand up and say "I can give you a closer look while I extend them. Would you care to see?"
"Sure I want to see you extend your fangs if you can" Monty said.
"Then approach the head table and watch" Dale said.
Monty looked like he wouldn't approach but he did. You open your mouth so he can clearly see your fangs slide out. He looked a little surprised when he saw your fangs slide out.
"That has to be a trick too" Monty said. "You had to have had those fangs surgically implanted."
"Perhaps she can drain your blood then" Dale suggested. "Would that prove that she's a vampire to you then?"
"She isn't a vampire" Monty said. "I can sense it."
"Enough of this Monty" Dale said forcefully. "Violet is a vampire. She has turned to mist and even given you a close-up view of her fangs sliding out. You have said that you've sensed that new vampires are not really vampires at all. You changed your opinion after a couple of days before."
"That's because their parents decided to turn them to make their story believable" Monty said. "Before that they were not vampires like Violet is not a vampire."
You realize that Monty would not back down on this for a couple of days. Perhaps you could confuse him enough to shut him up for a little while. "You're right Monty" you say, "I'm not a vampire. I had these fangs surgically implanted and convinced Sarah to play my mother. As to how you saw me turn to mist, that was a case of mass hypnosis."
"You admit that you're not a vampire?" Monty asked quietly with a quizzical look on his face.
"Yes" you say.
Monty still had that quizzical look on his face. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them he said "I seem to have been mistaken. You are a vampire after all. My senses seem to be off tonight. My apologies for calling you a fake." After that he sat back down.
Everyone seemed to be stunned by this turn of events. They didn't expect Monty to change his view so soon. You're surprised yourself as you were just hoping to shut him up. You sit back down and so did Sarah.
"Well now that we have that cleared up" Dale said, "I have a couple more announcements to make. As most of you may know by now, Harry was staked this morning. The one who staked him is a vampire hunter by the name of Alucard. Harry was staked because he matched the description given to police by a survivor in one of the recent murders. Harry did say that he fed off of the murder victim. She knew that he was a vampire and he had regularly fed off of her. On the night in question Harry's donor had a friend of her's over to meet
him. Harry had stayed there chatting with the friend after feeding until his donor woke up. It was the next day that the friend went to the police saying that Harry's donor had been killed by him. We've been trying to find out more details but so far we haven't been able to."
A female vampire stood up and asked "Are we in danger Head Council?"
"We may be if Alucard can rally the vampire hunters to him" Dale said. "My second announcement is that effective immediately there is a moratorium on turning people. We don't want any new vampires that won't be able to defend themselves until we can clear this matter up. Now then I must inform you that I have decided to retire from the
council effective at midnight. Those wishing to join the council can submit their names to Council Juan over the next two days. There will be an election at that time to elect the new council member and the new Deputy Head Council."
A male vampire stood up and asked "Why are you retiring Head Council?"
"I intend to date Deputy Head Council Sarah" Dale said. "Now, let's eat."
Dale sat down and you notice a panel had opened in the table in front of you. You look at the choices and decide to get an A negative. You push the corresponding button and the panel slides closed. As you sit waiting for your drink and food you wonder why they would need to elect a new Deputy Head Council.
Dale leans over to you again and says "You probably have a couple of questions. First with my retirement your mother automatically becomes Head Council. The reason I'm retiring is our laws forbid council members from dating or being married to other council members. This doesn't apply to the children of council members so you can date anyone you want. Sarah had told me that she was going to turn her boyfriend soon a couple days ago. I hope that you are ok with my
intention to date your mother."
"I'm ok with it Head Council" you say.
"You don't need to refer to council members by title since you're the daughter of a council member" Dale said. "I've wanted to date your mother for a long time now."
"Why didn't you retire sooner then?" you ask.
"Monty had been Deputy Head Council for awhile and I didn't want him to become Head Council" Dale said. "When he finally decided to retire Sarah was dating you. I'm not one to try to take someone's girlfriend away from them."
Your food and blood arrived then and you start eating. The rest of the dinner went on without anything note worthy happening.