I got to commission the amazing @hypherr once more, so here are the bestest boys again 🥹
in this modern day au they are happily married, have a cat named aveléne, aaron is #1 cat dad, the de leóns live across the hallway so baron are also the best uncles to patience and dior, aaron helps manage astrid's tattoo shop, and gabe and baptiste own a small café/bakery, while baptiste also runs a small online store for his forging projects
I was thinking that since the release of the 3rd book of the empire of vampire is already scheduled for November, I thought about reading the whole saga from start to finish again.
I can barely remember the moment I decided to risk reading vampire stories, I need that feeling again, no book has made me reflect so much about different things in life. PS. (maybe I was going through dark moments like Gabe, and that touched me a lot) It was love at first sight, Jay can really make you feel distressed reading words haha. Besides, I have to applaud Bon Orthwick for those almost divine illustrations.
Do you remember this post? Jay saw it but never answered. Since apparently it's something that happens often, I waited until yesteday, because I went to a Bad Omens concert and took the opportunity to fangirl in HIS chat and remind him of the questions.
It worked. So, here are his answers! (Spoilers of the whole series ahead!)
I also asked him if we can send him more questions eventually and he said yes sooooo good for us!
Below the cut, both questions and answers.
Question #1: Vampires usually revert to their becoming state if something of them changes. Does it apply also to hairstyles? (We were wondering if Ettiene's braided beard was his choice or if he died with it and had to keep it, specifically)
Answer: Hair would revert to the same length. Style, probably not.
Question #2: During/After the fall of Avelene, was Aaron actually crushed by the boulder and somehow healed into one piece when becoming or was that just a lie to keep Gabriel from trying to rescue him?
Answer: It's never fully explained, but I always imagined a dude standing next to Aaron got hit by the boulder and crushed. But it passed by close enough it took Aaron's sword too, and probably knocked him off the wall. Close call!
Question #3: Can vampires be thralled to each other? Like, two vampires who drink from each other would both get thralled or would that cancel out?
Answer: Yes, vampires can thrall each other.
Question #4: Can a vampire break silver chains? Does it make a difference if there's cloth between their skin and the silver? (Specifically, is there any way to tie up an ancien Dyvok?)
Answer: Most vampires couldn't break silver. Mmmmmmaybe an ancien Dyvok. Cloth wouldn't matter in terms of breaking the chain, but cloth would prevent physical contact, and thus, a burn. It would still feel very uncomfortable though.
Question #5: Vampires are physically cold. Do they *feel* always cold? Can they feel human heat if hugged? Also, being supernatural, would they feel the pressure of a hug made by a human?
Answer: They feel cold and numb, yes. Part of the allure of mortal blood is that it's hot, and wakes them up and makes them feel alive. For example, male vampires can only impregnate human females if they've recently fed (their swimmers are reanimated for a while). Yes, they feel pressure.
Question #6: Are vampires able to preserve blood somehow, like with anti-coagulants or preservatives? Or they don't and they need it always fresh?
Answer: There's no such thing as an anti-coagulant in that world. The tech isn't advanced enough.
Question #7: If EOS Dior was flayed with a silver-tipped whip, would that leave lasting scars?
Answer: If Dior was hit with silver post DAWN, yes, it would hurt her. She's a duskdancer.
Question #8: Baptiste had his bonds broken by Dior's blood at the Battle of Maergenn but was thralled again by Ilon in León. Was it a mistake, an intentional lie, or was it just the Ilon's gifts?
Answer: Baptiste wasn't so much thralled as under the influence of Ilon's power. Everyone was experiencing heightened emotions in the León sequence - Gabe's hunger, Lachie's desire, Baptiste's frustration at Aaron refusing to touch him. But Ilon was one of the Five. His manipulation power is off the charts (the emotional equivalent of being able to punch down a castle with your bare hands), and Baptiste is only mortal.
Question #9: Do the names of the vampire clans - Voss, Dyvok, Ilon, Chastain and Esani - have a meaning or were they chosen because they sounded good?
Answer: The names were from different places. All of them sorta mean something. For example, "Voss" was a fashion exhibit put on by Alexander McQueen, which had a super spooky vibe, and put me in mind of Fabién.
Question #10: How long did the De Leóns stay in Aveléne after Patience's birth?
Answer: They only stayed maybe half a year after Patience's birth. Until Astrid and Pateince were healthy and strong enough to travel.
Question #11: What was the age difference between Aaron and Jean-Luc? And his brother was the oldest or the youngest?
Answer: Age difference was undefined. Six or seven years, probably.
Question #12: How long were Nikita and Fabién together?
Answer: Undefined. Long enough for Fabién to get bored of him. Decades, I'd imagine. :)
Question #13: We are all aware that part of the magic of this series is that we don't know what actually happened (because Gabriel and Celene were two fucking good liars) BUT we need to know: did Baptiste actually go with the Voss? Or was it another lie?
Answer: Before the big finale of DAWN you mean? Yes, Baptiste was tempted by the idea of eternal life. He loved Aaron a lot.
