Apostates of Lilith | Glowfic Constellation

There are a chorus of affirmative answers, ranging from enthusiastic to defiant.

"Okay. I'm glad to hear it! But you were running around naked, after murdering a large number of people, so I hope you can understand why this might concern grownups who are not vampires."

"Why are humans weird about skin?"

"Loads of reasons. Firstly, humans are fragile; even aside from the cold, clothes provide protection against one's environment. Places with too much sun cover up as much as places that are too cold, to prevent sunburn. Secondly, once wearing clothing becomes the cultural default, taking off the clothes has to have an implicit reason, and because people are people, that reason is frequently assumed to be sex. Which gets people even more freaked out when there are children involved; I don't know about vampire children, but the overwhelming majority of human children are seriously harmed by being molested. I'm not saying it's unethical for you to go around naked, but you were doing it in a human neighborhood, and if anyone saw you they would have very good reason to be concerned."

"So, you're not going to make us wear pants?"

"Not while you're here. A lot of people here would be more comfortable if you did, because a lot of people here used to be human, but they can cope."

Zeke is somewhat relieved. He pulls Eliza into his side. "I think Eliza's mummy was being bad to her."

Eliza still isn't one hundred percent convinced on that point, but she makes big soulful eyes at this lady about it anyway.

Edoni glances at one of the other Ignited Spirits; they vanish.

"Good to know. Thank you for bringing this to our attention."

"Is there stuff to do around here? All these guys just got vampired and they haven't had long to enjoy it."

"There's a playroom, but if you want to go in there you have to convince me you won't be mean to the other children or break things anyone wants to play with."

"There's other kids here?"

"Yes. And you are not to turn them into vampires, even if you get to play with them."

"Aww, why not?"

"Because we don't yet understand vampires well enough to let you turn our children into them."

"...None of them are sick or anything?"

"If they were, we would fix it."

"Fine."

Zeke turns to address his new coven. "Guys you promise not to hurt any of the spirit people's kids? Or be mean?"

There is a chorus of varyingly tentative promises. Eliza doesn't hesitate at all, and so neither does Justin.

"And that you won't break anything anyone looks like they want to use," Edie supplies.

"I'll try not to," says the girl who was missing a leg, "but I'm really strong now and I haven't been for very long!"

"Good enough," Edie says, and once everyone also reluctantly promises to this, she leads them all to the playroom.

The playroom is big, and full of toys and puzzles built into the walls and with a big tubey climbing structure with slides and ladders and so on. There are a dozen or so children playing there already.

"You're naked!" one little girl giggles as she spots them.

"Yeah, and you're covered in stuff," Zeke jeers playfully.

"It's called clothes," she says, rolling her eyes.

"And they suck," Zeke insists.

She gives him all the disparaging look her five-year-old face can muster. "No they don't."

"Don't like the air on your skin?"

"I like the fuzzy softs on my skin," she says, holding out an arm which is, indeed, covered in an extremely soft purple sweater. "Do you like not having any pockets?"