Interview: Prince Endymion
Sunday, March 13, 2044
1:15 pm
*Small Conference room with round table*
Interviewer: *Glances at vampires, swallows. Grips cross necklace tight.* Thank you for letting me interview you. *Weak smile.* You have a…lovely palace.
Prince Endymion: Thanks. I built it myself. *smiles.*
Prince Aldis: *Rolls eyes*
Interviewer: *Smiles timidly* Have you always lived at the palace?
Prince Endymion: Since we came to Sidrea. It was boxes and coffins before that.
Interviewer: *Blinks, stammering* This must have been…quite a change.
Prince Endymion: *nods* Luckily, I was able to take my coffin with me so it didn’t feel too bad when I brought it into the bedroom. *Goes to stand* Would you like to see it?
Interviewer: *Pales* N-no. No, thank you. I’m sure…that’s private. I wouldn’t want to intrude.
Prince Endymion: *grins* I don’t mind showing pretty virgins my coffin. They are the ones that taste the best. *pauses, frowns at Prince Aldis.*
Prince Aldis: *glaring*
Prince Endymion: *sighs* I don’t really sleep in a coffin. We sleep in a bed like normal people.
Interviewer: *relaxes* Oh. That’s good. *Glances at cards, then the pair of Princes* Should…we get started then?
Prince Endymion: Didn’t we already?
Interviewer: *flushes* The first question is from one of our human viewers. When was the first time you used a curse word? Uh...*rephrases* said something profane?
Prince Endymion: *tips head* I’m a prince. I don’t ever fucken curse. It’s not the proper thing for someone of my stature to be using.
Interviewer: *eyes him*
Prince Endymion: Besides, I think if you say bad words then all the assholes will just assume they can do whatever the goddamn fuck they want. They’ll think I’m just like them and then those bitches won’t bow to me.
Interviewer: Do you want them to bow to you?
Prince Endymion: I’m a Prince. They’re supposed to bow to me. That’s how it works. *grumbles* But everybody always forgets that I’m a prince.
Interviewer: *Smiles* Well, then this opportunity must be nice. Are you excited to be so involved in the Human Exchange Program?
Prince Endymion: *Opens mouth to speak, pauses. Glares at Prince Aldis.* I’m sooo thrilled. *Clearly sarcastic*
Interviewer: *Tips head* This program has gotten national attention. It will make sure everyone remembers you are a prince. Aren’t you happy about that?
Prince Endymion: Wait. Where is this interview going to be airing? *Glares at Prince Aldis*
Prince Aldis: *Smiles* Only in a few houses. Don’t worry about it.
Interviewer: *Smiles* We are from one of the leading news agencies. This is being broadcast around the world. Trust me, you’ll be famous.
Prince Endymion: *Glares at Prince Aldis*
Prince Aldis: You’ve already agreed to do it. You can’t back out now.
Prince Endymion: You owe me a ton of French fries and Life Enders for this.
Interviewer: Next question. *eyes card* What is your reaction to a human joining you at school? Are you at all concerned about his safety?
Prince Endymion: So long as he’s not AB negative, he’ll be fine. I could probably deal with an annoying human…I mean, an exchange human…for a few hours.
Interviewer: So it wasn’t your idea to chaperone…*eyes card* Kaelin?
Prince Endymion: Prince Aldis asked me to do it as a favor. It probably won’t be too bad.
Interviewer: *Flips through cards.* That reminds me of another question we had. Do you have any cousins…any other cousins? When was the last time you saw them? *Smiles*
Prince Endymion: I have three cousins. Prince Aldis *Nudges Prince Aldis* but I don’t see him very often. He’s busy getting ready to be the new king. *pauses* The last time I saw him was a couple weeks ago. Then I have two cousins who are Aldis’s sisters, Princess Macyn and Princess Engla. I see them…every day because I live in the palace with them *looks sheepish*
Interviewer: *flips card* When was the last time you truthfully told someone you hated them, and why?
Prince Endymion: *frowns, quiet for several seconds* About a month ago. Because he pushed back his visit again.
Interviewer: Who was this?
Prince Endymion: *grins* the fucken guy who delivers my fries to the palace. I hate him so much sometimes.
Interviewer: *frowns* I feel like you’re not being honest with me.
Prince Endymion: What reason would I have to lie to you?
Interviewer: Exactly. *Flips to next card* If you could bring back one person from the dead, who would it be and why? Honest answer, please. *smiles tightly*
Prince Endymion: *eyes narrow* I don’t think I like this one. What’s the next one?
Interviewer: *Sighs, flips card* I suppose that was honest, at least. How about…*flips another card* What is your opinion on this song? *Reaches down for radio and flips button.*
*Music starts to play*
*I’m a vampire, babe. Sell you twenty dollars’ worth. I’m a black bat, babe, bangin’ on your window pane…*
Prince Endymion: *tips head* That’s vampire blues by Neil Young. I like his voice but he needs to work on his lyrics a little bit.
Interviewer: *leans in* So you’ve heard this song before? *Pauses radio*
Prince Endymion: Of course. The album came out in 1974. It’s not the best rock music, but he’s got some fairly good songs. It’s not actually about vampires, though. It’s a metaphor for the greed of the oil industry.
Interviewer: What about this one? *Skips to next song*
*Music starts to play*
*The secret side of me, I never let you see. I keep it caged but I can’t control it…*
Prince Endymion: *grins* That one is Monster, by Skillet. And not at all about vampires. It’s about being fake and not allowing people to see the real you. It’s pretty much about sin, which is what every Christian has, and attempting to throw away the old so you can become a better person for God.
Interviewer: Which brings me to my next question. What are some assumptions people have about you that aren’t necessarily true? Do you ever feel like people don’t see the real you?
Prince Endymion: *shrugs* I have no reason to hide who I am. If people have opinion about me, they are entitled to them whether they are wrong or not.
Interviewer: *presses* But are they wrong?
Prince Endymion: It’s opinion. People’s opinions are their own. They can’t be right or wrong.
Interviewer: Fair enough. *flips another card* Have you ever questioned your sexuality?
Prince Endymion: *laughs* You can ask any girl in town. They’ll let you know my sexuality. I’ve never questioned it before, and I never will. Guys just don’t do it for me. I am one hundred percent straight. *leans forward* Why, are you interested? I’m between girls.
Interviewer: *flushes* Uh…next question. *fumbles cards* Have you ever had unrequited feelings for anyone?
Prince Endymion: *puts hand on hers* Have you ever had unrequited feelings for anyone? *grins*
Interviewer: *pulls hand away* This is your interview, not mine.
Prince Endymion: I know. That’s why I’m interviewing you. Have you ever questioned your sexuality? I don’t mind taking on a couple girls if you’re into that kind of thing.
Interviewer: *Trys to take control again* Do you consider yourself a flirt, Prince Endymion?
Prince Endymion: You’re the one flirting with me. I’m just making sure you have no unrequited feelings.
Interviewer: *glances at card, flushes* Have you ever had unrequited feelings?
Prince Endymion: I think you’re avoiding the question…I didn’t get your name. What is your name?
Interviewer: *Flushes* Jane. But…uh…Let’s skip to the next question. *Reads next question. Flushes, and moves to a different card* What is your biggest regret?
Prince Endymion: My biggest regret is not getting you to answer the question.
Interviewer: *sighs* I’ll answer if you answer.
Prince Endymion: Okay. Sounds fair.
Interviewer: Yes. I had a crush on a professor in high school. Obviously, unrequited for a reason. What about you?
Prince Endymion: *grins* Nope. Never. *pauses, smile fades* Well, I guess once. But it was a long time ago, and I’ve not really thought too much about her since.
Interviewer: Would you like to talk about it? I’m a good listener.
Prince Endymion: I did just talk about it. *Snatches cards away. Leans back and starts flipping through, tossing several on floor.* I like this one. *holds out the card*
Interviewer: *smiles and takes it* Okay. We’ll do it your way. *reads card* When was the last times someone provoked you to violence? *adds* and why?
Prince Endymion: Yesterday. My cousin. *nudges Prince Aldis* He provokes me to violence all the time. *pauses* Oh. You want and why. *smiles* Because apparently he thinks I need to train often.
Interviewer: *Smiles, asks question from memory* What is the appearance of the most untrustworthy person you can think of, and why are they untrustworthy?
Prince Endymion: *flips through cards, tosses several more on the ground, flashes the one she just asked and drops it to ground*
Prince Aldis: *Stern* Endymion.
Prince Endymion: *sighs* People who pretend that everything is perfect, who act as if nothing is wrong, and who always smile and are in a great mood. They are the most untrustworthy because they are clearly hiding something. Nobody’s life is perfect. They’re the ones you have to watch out for.
Interviewer: *smiles* That’s a very thoughtful answer, Prince Endymion, but let’s get back to the reason we’re here for a bit. What is your biggest concern about inviting a human to study with you and your species?
Prince Endymion: *continues flipping through cards and discarding them* We don’t learn the normal stuff that the humans do. He’s going to have a hard time catching up in stuff like vampiric law and supernatural history and math and reading. I don’t think he’ll be able to keep up with how hard our math is. We are a little bit past five plus five, and we can read seven letter words now. We’re working on eight letter words now.
Interviewer: *eyes him. Smiles* But surely you plan on helping him through his lessons?
Prince Endymion: *pauses, glances at Prince Aldis* I thought I was making sure he didn’t become somebody’s snack? Not tutoring him.
Prince Aldis: *smiles* Your job is to make sure he is happy and is having a great experience and getting him help if he’s unable to cope with the new school in any aspect.
Prince Endymion: *sighs* that’s going to cost you more fries and life enders *starts tossing cards again*
Interviewer: Have you had any serious relationships, Prince Endymion? How did it end?
Prince Endymion: *Eyes her, then the card in his hand. Eyes her again* Do you have x-ray vision?
Interviewer: *Smiles* Process of elimination.
Prince Endymion: No serious relationship. I can’t allow the girls to have me for too long. There’s only so much of me to go around and I have to let everyone have a turn. *grins* They can’t be greedy.
Interviewer: What is your biggest irrational fear, and how did you get it? *leans forward*
Prince Endymion: *freezes. Narrows eyes on her. Holds out cards.* I just remembered that this interview is over. *drops cards, stands and leaves room*
Interviewer: *watches him leave. Smiles awkwardly at Prince Aldis* Thank you for letting me take up your time.
Prince Aldis: Of course. I’m sorry that my cousin can be so difficult sometimes. I think he’s just nervous about tomorrow.
Interviewer: *Seizes opportunity* Does he have reason to be? Are you concerned?
Prince Aldis: *smiles* No concerns here. I know that my people will embrace having a human at the school. It’s a great learning opportunity, as well as the perfect way to show that we can coexist. We’ve been doing it for so long before coming out, the humans just didn’t know it then.
Interviewer: Speaking of coming out, how has that experience been for you? Are you happy with the decision?
Prince Aldis: It was a little bit harder than I expected, but I wouldn’t change anything. This allows my people the freedom to be who they are without fear of being found out and harmed.
Interviewer: And who are they really?
Prince Aldis: Not much different from you. They go to school, they age, they fall in love, they have heartbreak, they hold jobs, they have families. The only real difference is our diets.
Interviewer: *Interrupts* Speaking of your diets, our viewers have been flooding us with questions. Do people taste different to you?
Prince Aldis: *tips head* That’s an odd way to phrase it. Blood, like food, has different tastes. It depends on where it comes from, and how it’s made.
Interviewer: Made?
Prince Aldis: Human bodies produce stem cells in the bone marrow that are the building blocks used to make red and white blood cells and platelets.
Interviewer: Ah. And vampires don’t have this mechanism? Is that what makes you need blood to survive?
Prince Aldis: Our bodies make blood, we’re not substituting it with humans. We need blood for the nutrients that it has, just like you need food for its nutrients.
Interviewer: *smiles* How often does your kind need to eat?
Prince Aldis: We eat every day, just like you do. *smiles* We only have to drink blood every other day, though many of us drink it daily.
Interviewer: And your feeders, we’ve heard rumors that they are slaves, kidnapped for the opportunity to service your kind. What do you have to say to that?
Prince Aldis: *laughs* Our feeders are here because they want to be. They go through an interview process, just like anybody would for a job. They are paid because this is their job. They have time off and they are free to leave whenever they want.
Interviewer: What of the bodies found just over the border in Nevada? The girls were clearly used for feeding. Do you have any comments about that situation?
Prince Aldis: *Frowns* My guards are looking into that situation. It is not something we approve of, and when the person doing it is found they will be punished.
Interviewer: So you admit that they were killed by one of yours?
Prince Aldis: I don’t know who they were killed by. But whoever it was is doing so of their own free will and will be punished, vampire or human.
Interviewer: Are you suggesting that Sidrea has the right to exact punishments on humans, if the killer isn’t one of yours?
Prince Aldis: *shakes head* I said the person would be punished. I didn’t say by who.
Interviewer: So if it’s a vampire, will they be left to the human authorities?
Prince Aldis: That would be something the human authorities and the Sidrea authorities would need to decide on. Whatever conclusion they come to, I’m sure will be one they made with great care, consideration and thought.
Interviewer: What of the white dresses the bodies were found in? Do you have any idea as to the significance for the killer?
Prince Aldis: I’m not a profiler. You’ll have to ask one of them.
*Door opens. Young man enters*
Prince Aldis: *glances at man. Smiles* Did you need something, Victor?
Victor: *bows* You have a meeting, your Highness. It’s time to go.
Interviewer: *frowns*
Prince Aldis: *stands, glances back. Smiles* It was a pleasure talking with you. I’m sure if you have any more questions we can arrange for another interview later.
Interviewer: *Packs up* Thank you for your candor, your Highness.
