Once again coming back to defending V!Cleo because I’m thinking about them again. If you can’t find their weird psyche interesting I can’t understand you.
They literally spent 80 years under a vampire’s thrall being forced to kill people and follow a ten step code. The code at least seems to be something that’s been happening since even before they were thralled. We don’t know at what age Cleo’s mother… procured her, but it was likely quite young. Then when Cleo is 13, their mother is killed by the coven and for one of two reasons, Cleo is deemed thrall-able.
What does the code say about thralls? Well, rule 8 says that if someone is powerful or useful, you don’t turn them, you enthrall them. So 13 year old Cleo was deemed, more likely, useful enough to keep around but not worthy enough to be turned for 80 years. Because the way Cleo phrased it, turning was a gift you had to earn. And the actions they were forced to do when thralled didn’t earn them that. And then, somehow, Cleo breaks out of the thrall and (if I had to guess), probably killed or at least attacked the vampire who had them under it. That’s my guess because Cleo has said they absolutely cannot go back to the coven they grew up in because they did a “very silly thing” on the way out. Who knows, knowing Cleo she may have lit the place on fire.
And so where does Cleo go after that? After 80 years following the same 10 rules and literally not being in control of her body? She goes to the only other place she’s heard of where there might be vampires, fully expecting them to be there and to be living by the same code. Because she literally doesn’t know any other way to live. This is one of my biggest points when showing that Cleo is emotionally immature and confused, because not only is she running back to the only thing familiar to her even after she’s just broken out of it (and thinks she’s a monster for living the way she has), but she automatically assumes all vampires must live by the code she was taught growing up.
I can’t help but wonder what it is Cleo was hoping to find in Oakhurst. Was she looking to be placed under a thrall again after she had just broken out of one, so unused to bodily autonomy that she would go back to doing anything to be useful? Was she looking to be turned, finally deemed worthy of the honor by a new group of vampires? Did she want to live the way she did before her mother’s death, a human among vampires, following their rules and doing what was asked of her? Did she think she could take over the new coven (Rule 2: Authority is taken, not earned)? I highly doubt the last one, or Cleo would have tried to do it when they were turned. All of it seems so silly, so hopeful and almost childish.
And every single action Cleo takes, you can feel the way it’s informed by the code once you’ve read it.
She shows up in town and there’s no vampires. Bad start, but okay, okay, I can deal with this. Why am I here? I’m looking for a family crypt. There’s nothing supernatural here, there was a plague. Just a plague.
Rule 4: Vampires are not real. Anyone saying otherwise should be mocked, eliminated, but not turned.
What did I do before Oakhurst? I was a farmer and I did labor for ungrateful and very powerful people who watched me and did nothing to help. I resent people who abuse their power over others and aren’t willing to get their hands dirty.
Rule 3: Tell the truth as much as possible. People misjudge the knife they can see.
Avid is running around screaming about vampires but I haven’t seen any and either ways Rule 4 tells me what I should do in this scenario. I don’t want to kill anyone anymore, I won’t eliminate him, but I can mock him.
I have to find people within the group who see that Avid is acting crazy and are willing to ignore or mock him with me. The Doc and Pearl are seemingly my best bets in this case.
Rule 6: Find supporters with rational voices in as many groups as possible.
Do not get too close anyone. Don’t do it. Please please don’t. I can’t afford to love them. I know what happened to the last person I loved.
Rule 9: Anyone can be a threat. Plan accordingly.
Okay now everyone has seen vampires, but there are appears to be only three of them and if we stick together no one should get turned.
Rule 1: A coven divided cannot stand.
People are getting turned and the town is falling apart. I have been turned against my will. This makes no sense. Pyro didn’t even mean to turn me, he’s a fledgling, he shouldn’t even be out here.
Rule 7: Only turn those you can stand. Don’t turn out of pity or carelessness or fear.
I should try to play both sides, at least until I can escape. I should try to teach all these other newly turned fledglings the code because it might bring them some organization and it makes me useful. It makes this place more like where I grew up. Maybe the vampires can protect me.
Rule 10: Your fledglings are your responsibility, they share your successes and your failures.
I should tell Martyn and Pearl, at least. The Doc too. Rule 3, Rule 6. I’m not getting attached it just makes sense.
Avid continues to be unpredictable and irrational. He continues to attack vampires at a moments notice and his promises to act differently are all hollow. He is a wildcard.
Rule 5: Unpredictable risks must be eliminated physically or socially.
Apo is turned and won’t tell anyone. Apo tells everyone but plays both sides terribly. Apo hates what they have become. Everyone can see right through her. I hate her. We are so similar and I hate myself. Rule 1, Rule 3, Rule 5, Rule 9.
The Doc is making a cure and even if I don’t believe it’s real, I will entertain it. It’s keeping him somewhat sane, it’s keeping the town hopeful and making them work together. Rule 1, Rule 6.
Avis is dead. Good. He was a liability. Rule 5 screams in my ears.
I need Pearl to be safe. The only way for her to be safe is if she’s turned. I need to ask her to be turned but she’s a monster hunter and I am a monster. Rule 9 screams in my ears. I don’t love her, she’s just useful. She’s like a pet to me. If she were to die I would kill them all. If she were to turn on me I would kill them all. It’s okay to have one good thing, even if I don’t deserve it, right? Maybe we should turn her. Scott says I want to keep her around forever and I don’t correct him. Rule 3. Some part of my mind screams that turning her to protect her is breaking rule 7, but I can justify it by saying she would make a great vampire. I don’t want more blood on my hands. I won’t kill her.
Legs asks me to turn him if I have to. Only if he’s about to die. I say yes. Rule 7 shatters before me. He’s turned before I get the chance anyways.
I make a plan to get as many people out as possible and it works somehow. Not for Martyn, or Ren, but we got 8 of us out alive and that’s so many more than we should have. Legs is dead. He did one last beautiful thing. I killed him, one last sin to add to my infinite pile. The code is useless. I have is my own actions and my own eternity and a girl who refused to call me a beast and sunflower field we plant together and a cat we brought back to life by loving it so much and a castle to fix up and I know I have not earned any of it but I can try. I can try.
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