Warring Logics (Book 1 of The Institute of Fantasiological Studies)

I tap my fingers on my desk.

Tobias is late again for our skype call and I’m anxious to get it over with.

The apartment is quiet; Albert is no doubt doing some work of his own in my living room while I’m stuck in my bedroom waiting for Tobias.

Weiß has already texted me about meeting for a coffee tomorrow. I smile a little; the more I think about him the more I like him. I mean, I don’t really know him, but he seems sweet and he wants to share the benefits of vampirism with everyone. Shoot, I hope I don’t have to become a vampire if we work things out…

I tap my desk some more, impatient. I really hope Tobias says I can date Weiß or has a solution of some sort. If he says I have to interview a different coven I’m going to be really disappointed. So far from the few interviews and conversations I’ve had with various members of the two covens, they had very different views and philosophies on the role of vampire covens in politics- and I think it would make a great thesis.

I grab my notebook which sits on my desk next to the computer. I flip it open and skip its pages. I know most of the content, I wrote it after all, but I’m bored and it never hurts to take another look. It’s either that or surf Twitter for the next however long Tobias takes.

Flipping through the pages I come across my notes on my interview with Hans. On that page, I wrote Frankfurter Tagespresse and circled it.

I look at Tobias’ skype icon, he’s still not there. Uh, whatever. I open a new tab on my browser and search for the article on Frankfurter Tagespresse and begin looking for the article. My German isn’t great but it’s enough to get by.

Sure enough, after a few minutes, I find it. I open another table for google translate, paste the article, and begin to read.

It’s what you would expect; an opinion piece filled with arguments calling for a law forbidding landlords from discriminating against vampires written by Hans. It contains all the usual flowery language of human rights, but what catches my eye is the last paragraph.

Vampires are carefully preselected to ensure a clean criminal record and a strong moral compass. In Germany, no one who does not pass the strictest of tests is turned. It is these exact characteristics that allow us to say that you are safe with vampire neighbors, safer than you would be with someone from the general public. Thus, we that by discriminating against vampires you are not only violating equal protection under the law but are denying-

A loud noise comes from the living room drawing my attention away from the computer. Then male voices, not quite loud enough to make out what they are saying. The tone of Albert’s voice is heated.

I stand slowly and make my way to the door, listening for any clues, but the arguing just continues. So, curious, I open the door.

Von Graf stands in the center of my living room, posturing at Albert. It’s been a few weeks since the incident and seeing him shocks me. He looks as formal as ever with his hair perfectly combed and lips in a stiff line. He is dressed in a dark suit, which I suppose for him is his go-to leisurewear.

Albert, surprisingly, is not backing down to his primus. He faces him, arms crossed, his cheery smile long gone. It’s been odd having a strange male sleeping in my living room, but somehow in the course of these few weeks, he is becoming a friend. I would never tell anyone that he is living with me; I think my mother would faint and I don’t think I can explain the situation to anyone. Even Tobias with his nonchalant attitude seemed skeptical of the whole thing but he said little. I’ve decided to accept him here, unusual as it may be. After what happened with von Graf, I feel like I need that extra protection, even if he is von Graf’s man. Plus, he makes a mean hot chocolate when the situation calls for it.

When I enter the room, both stop arguing and look at me. Albert backs away from the primus and moves to stand between me and the primus.

Facing von Graf, he almost growls “you can’t be here Frederik, you know that”

“I wouldn’t be here if you did your job properly. Albert, step out of the way!”

Albert growls lowly, but steps out of the way.

I look between the two vampires, “What’s going on?” If I’m honest with myself, I’m a bit frightened. Albert looks upset and von Graf looks pissed.

Von Graf glares at me and then sighs heavily, “Albert and I were having a disagreement over his performance as your guard”

I look over to Albert who just stands there scowling at von Graf, not responding before my eyes travel back to von Graf, “why?”

Von Graf walks towards me, “I heard that you visited the Weiß coven”

“So?”

“They are dangerous, Mäuschen” he stops right in front of me and takes a small piece of hair that had fallen out of my ponytail between his long fingers.

I watch him, fixated, as he tucks the strains of hair behind my left ear. He is so close I can smell his cologne mixed with his minty breath- shouldn’t it smell like stale blood? But no, this god-like vampire is too perfect to

His golden eyes look deep down into mine. It’s like he is looking at my soul, willing me to do as he asks.

“I have to go,” he says as he pulls his eyes away, “be careful, Mäuschen”

And with that he snaps away, walks across the room, and exits my apartment, leaving Albert and I to contemplate what happened.

I hear a ping and fish my cell phone out of pocket. I open the test message to see it’s Tobias complaining about me being late for our meeting.

*****

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