Chapter 3 -- The First Heir(ess)
Welcome, lovely viewers! Today you have the honor of seeing the first picture of my heir, Gretchen Straud. Isn't she beautiful? You may obtain copies of her baby picture by sending 5 simoleons to my website. I don't do this to make money, but because I know how much you all desire these little tokens.
She has a sister, too -- Nadia.
I was quite gratified by how quickly some of you came to greet me when I gave you a shout-out from the Casbah Gallery. I was not hungry at the time, but I still appreciated your showing up.
My feelings were a trifle wounded when some of you suggested that I was "mean" to the normals above me by making them clean and do repairs. The above picture demonstrates what happens when the normals are allowed to ignore such things. Yes, they enjoy watching television more, but they don't like wet floors and broken computers either.
Many of you keep expressing the hope that I will come and "turn" you. It is a vain hope, my lovely viewers. This young man turning is the last vampire that I intend to create, at least for a very long time.
Before I turn to your questions, I do have a favor to ask of you. The Paddyshack Emporium agreed to reimburse me if I displayed a small picture of their shop on my site. They have reneged on the deal, and so I hope that you will withdraw your custom.
What is your favorite computer game?Without question, the Sims. While I derive less pleasure from watching pixel people suffer as I do from watching normals, still it offers a great deal of scope to someone with my imagination. The first version is by far the best, offering the possibility of death by drowning, fire, or starvation. And Bella! Words fail me. In fact, I think that I shall have to leave you, my lovely viewers, to go meditate for a bit. A bientot!
Vlad turned off the computer, but a minute later he heard it turn back on.
Vlad! It's a free day now. I'm taking J over to work out at the gym."Don't hurry back, Watcher," he murmured.
Although J works as a tech guru, his aspiration is to become a body builder. Usually his mentors are beefy fellow, with shoulders like boulders, but this young lady is quite the peach. Perhaps he'll become better acquainted with her in the future.
After working out, J returned home where he spent the rest of the day improving his programming skills. Gavin wrote a novel (they bought a second computer), and Zoe filled out reports for her career in business when J was finished programming. Mitch cooked a few servings of fish tacos.
Later that day, Vlad was summoned to the witch's home. "The Watcher is very concerned," she said. "When she visited your house, she didn't see any sign of the babies."
"That's because they're down in the basement with me," said Vlad.
"You've unlocked the door then?"
"No," said Vlad. "Zoe thinks that giving birth to them was one of her dreams. She's fine with that. Incidentally, I want to thank you for cursing the household. I'm happy enough with my art and music not to be affected by it, but my normals are suffering. And being around their suffering makes me happy, as I'm sure you remember."
"Don't change the subject," said the witch. "The Watcher is going to be furious when she finds that you've stolen Zoe's babies. Oh, I wouldn't want to be in your shoes."
"They're my babies, too," said Vlad. "And I'm taking much better care of them than Zoe would. They'll move upstairs with her once they become children. They're no fun, then."
