Pet Lore
We’ll Make Great Pets: Vampires and Their Custom of Keeping “Pets” in SHADOW’S KISS
Vampires are dead people. So it’s not very surprising that like most humans, many Vampires are acquisitive and like to own things. Most of them also desire companionship in one form or another, as well. These impulses give rise to a lot of different behaviors, including the Vampire habit of having Pets.
The capital “P” for Pets is because while Vampires can (and do) dwell with and near all kinds of animals, from friendly puppies to copperhead snakes, they also like to adopt and sponsor dangerous and powerful creatures and persons. These are what they call Pets.
Vampire Pets are loyal and (usually) intelligent beings that understand and obey a Vampire’s directives. To some extent this is the result of their subservience to the iron will of the bloodsucking undead. To another extent, they’re also actually dedicated to their Vampire, and choose to do as they’re told. Which is the greater influence over them depends on who the Vampire and Pet are.
Vampires trust Pets with all kinds of things and situations that an ordinary ally, friend, servant or thrall wouldn’t be. Pets are basically impossible for an enemy to subvert, so they’re not likely to be spies, thieves, saboteurs or assassins working against the Vampire.
One key difference between having Blood Doll groupies and having Pets is that most Vampires actually like their Pets. (The Vampire-Blood Doll relationship is often said to be love/hate from the Vampire’s POV, but it’s actually more hate/like...)
