All Together, One After Another
by Nyohah

1
Beginning of the World

"It is a curious subject of inquiry whether hatred
and love be not the same thing at bottom."


Sometimes I despise everything about this.

On the surface, it's a different story, a pleasant story of death and blood and gluttony, but here, below, in the dripping and the stench and not the slightest hope of a view... Sometimes I want out.

The Order of Aurelius is something. It's a big something in the demon world, probably the only vampire cult to garner any respect from the pure demons. I was never part of anything big before my death. Given my position, it was obvious that I was not well thought of, but I wasn't even anything for a boy to be impressed by. Curse of location.

Paris. Now, I could have been someone in Paris. I could have been special. Men would have paid me in jewels. I know.

But I was taken to Virginia. Being dragged into that lack of civilization is a repulsive thought even now, more than a century later. Imagine me there before it even tried to be civilization. Now imagine that I got there just in time to contract syphilis and die.

I hate the New World.

The Master brought me to true civilization. He gave me a taste of riches and glory, and then he dragged me into a stinking hole to serve him and his darling Order.

It's big, full of grand plans and immense cruelty. I should feel special to be involved and to be so favored by our Master.

I feel sticky. There's a stain on the upper sleeve of my dress from the ceiling dripping on it. The ceilings don't usually drip on the surface—and, mind you, I said usually. I've been sent to places that are worse even than the lair, but that's for business. And business can be fun because business can be bloody, but there's more to do up there than business. I have to steal away to go above for my pleasure. Pleasure takes me wherever I wish, and I wish nothing but the best. People drunk on rich wine taste so much better than people drunk on cheap beer.

The Master wishes nothing but the best from his servants. Nothing but dauntless devotion to the cause.

But what use is a cause? Girls aren't built for a cause. I wasn't built to be a servant. Girls are built to wear silk and diamonds, and I was built to be worshiped.

The Master gave me this world to play with, but he won't let me enjoy it, and I fear that too long doing my duty to the Order, and I'll lose my will to. I need something to help me enjoy it. Something strong and pretty and wicked. Something to worship me.

Which means something low. Something I can uplift. I'll bring him to life like the Master brought me to life, but I'll show him how to enjoy it. We'll rule this world. And then we'll rip it down and make our own New World.