Dear Gudrun -
I want to be a
vampire!!!! This has been my dream for
so long... Some girls see movies and
want to be vampires cuz the guys are "hot." Lots of girls, for example, want Edward to
bite them. This is not what I'm talking about.
I can smell blood
even if I can’t see it. I notice just a
little taste of it...even my own. I went
to a vampire movie with one of my boyfriends.
Watching portrayals of vampires makes me want to be one even more, but
it’s because just the thought of tasting blood sends a chill throughout my
whole body. I told the boyfriend that
the movie made me want blood. I’m fairly
attractive, and guys want to please me, so I ended up getting it. He let me bite him hard enough that I broke
the skin and got a little bit to come out on its own, and then I sucked more of
it out of him.
I wanted to drink it badly,
but I couldn’t let myself do it to him, even though the whole time it was he
who was encouraging it... I had never
had to fight so hard with something like that in my life. Another friend of mine once let me drink his
blood. Now every time I see him now I just want to bite him and drink his
blood. As weird as it may seem, the
blood is so sweet to me that I can hardly resist the urge when I smell that
breathtaking fragrance.
I realize there are
serious issues with real life vampirism: health, safety, moral, and legal, not
to mention social and psychological. I
have learned to suppress my desire for human blood.
I won't let my
bloodlust turn me into an evil, sadistic, seductive, bloodthirsty sex fiend in
real life. But the cachet of the vampire
is attractive. Anyway, is SL the place
for me? Will it help me with my problem?
Sincerely,
Bloodthirsty
Dear Bloodthirsty –
Second Life may not
be “the” place for you, but it is definitely “a” place for you.
I have had many
vampire friends in SL, but almost NONE of them claim to be Real Life
vampires. Quite a few, on the other
hand, are into BDSM in RL, which is a much safer thing to be into.
There are huge
problems with RL blood-drinking. There
are pretty much only three ways to get blood:
(1) tap another human, (2) drink menstrual blood, or (3) drink
slaughterhouse blood. Though the risks
by method vary, the common factor is that there is NO risk-free way to procure
and drink blood. There are major
threats, both physical and mental, to both you and any "donor" you
may come upon. What goes for sex applies
here as well, and the only true safety is, even more so, to abstain.
The donor may die
from infection or bleed to death. You
may overindulge. Moderation should always be paramount: two to
three drinks per week is the maximum suggested.
(Unh… Who makes these suggestions???
Well, the ancient Roman playwright Terence suggested “Moderation in all
things,” Two or three cocktails per
night, not per week and mostly alcohol, would be moderate for me. So maybe…
Oh, never mind.)
There is a risk of
drug interactions through "donor" blood. The chances are pretty good
that at some point your "donor" has taken one or more
"medications," legal or illegal. You may be allergic, may not be able
to handle it, or it may even interact with your own drug “regimen.” *Sigh
With menstrual blood,
an array of additional issues may arise.
Likewise with slaughterhouse blood.
You can figure these risks out on your own.
There are also
non-physical problems that may arise: ethical, religious, or moral. In general,
drinking blood is hard on the psyche.
When it is REALLY done, not done mystically, symbolically or
rhetorically, it is not a "normal" thing to do, It can cause
ostracism by friends, loss of loved ones, mental anguish and
pain to others,
depression, alienation, and anomie. For
some, this isn't a big deal. Some are
loners by nature; but most need validation by others. Sometimes it is better to be human, and be
like everyone else...
Vampires’
attractiveness usually is directly associated with their menace and amorality.
They're a version of the typical "bad boy" (or “bad girl”) erotic
type, elevated to supernatural proportions.
Many of us would like to be THAT way, too. But, it's not at all like in the movies or
books. The trend of making formerly evil
creatures and characters into good creatures and characters is driven largely by
the publishing industry's desire for novelty and innovation. Making a vampire a “good guy” is a logical
impossibility… They prey upon the young
and old, drink their blood, and often kill them. Alternatively, they condemn them to a
demonized immortality.
You are young; you
have the whole world open to you. You can be anything that you choose if you
apply yourself and try hard to work toward that goal. But being a vampire is
not what it seems. It's a life full of the same frustrations, complications, stress,
and worry as any life.
Vampirism in SL
Anyway, in SL you can
be a vampire without any of these risks.
And you can be romantic and fashionable, rather than scary. You can be a good vampire who goes to church
and protects humanity. Or you can be a scary bloodsucker.
What vampire
communities exist in SL? Lots. There are lifestyle ones, that don't play role
games, and RPG vampires as well. A
search for "Vampire" in groups reveals 857 results. But you needn’t follow the crowds - you can
be independent. Or you can join a
“family” or set out on your own. Whatever.
How do SL vampires
look? They come in many shapes and
sizes. From Nosferatu (who are irredeemably ugly) to suave vampire playboys and
glamorous vampirettes, gothic dress to modern gowns, and even jeans and t-shirts. Some who could pass for human, and some who
can't. Many have red eyes, though. Male
vampires are unusually handsome, strong, confident individuals... charismatic,
self centered and vain. They usually
force their will on their victims. Female vampires radiate an unearthly beauty, are
usually quiet, and can command the attention in a room by just walking in
without saying a word. A female vampire
usually has victims throwing themselves at her, begging her to bite them. (I think you have already had experience with
this, hun.) There are very few who look scary
and epitomize the 'horror' aspect of vampires.
How does one become a
vampire in SL? That depends on many
factors. Some just buy skin and some fangs and declare themselves vampires, and
who's to say that's not alright to do. Others
become vampires through the games they play.
But, it takes commitment to the lifestyle. You have to figure out what
your parameters are, and work to stay within them. Some join vampire clubs and groups. Others are
invited into a family and given the blessing as a reward for serving that
family. Basically, you do what feels
good to you.
Does one get the
turn-on in SL? Of course. Where do you bite? Necks (One confidante loves to start in the
hollow of the neck, just under the jaw line... teasing, working her way down to
the hollow of the neck just above the collarbone. The turn of the neck just at
the trapezius muscle is the place she likes to bite the most.) Wrists and thighs are also good. Most anims reflect the preferred places.
Are there issues
finding donors in SL? No. In SL, there’s no compulsion to find
victims… Many vampires don't feed
regularly at all. Instead they feed when they find a host who piques their
interest.
Assuaging the
Bloodlust
I know you like
blood… Most people are familiar with
blood sausage, which is really good as a grilled tapas. But here are a few recipes that might help
you out.
STEAK TARTARE
Buy a lean
steak... It can be cheap, but the better
the meat, the better. Top round or eye
of round is fine. You need two to four ounces per person.
Never use pre-ground meat.
Bacteria don’t exist
on the interior of meat so you only need to deal with the exterior. First, wash
your hands, then rinse the meat thoroughly under running water. Then give it a thorough coating of salt (a
uniform coating - you can’t use too much) and refrigerate for an hour or
so. Then rinse it, grind it or chop it
(ribbons, then teensy cubes), season it, and prepare to serve it.
Taste it and add salt
(if necessary), pepper, and olive oil. A
shallot and some vinaigrette may be used as well. Other possibilities are Worcestershire,
brandy, or hot sauce, depending on your tastes.
Shape it into a disc
and put it on a serving piece.
A steak tartare must
have egg with it. A raw egg yolk on top,
a big yellow sun, acts as a sauce after you make the first cut. Use pasteurized
a egg (for example, Davidson's). Or it can be soft poached. Serve some accompaniments with it: toast,
pickles, red onion relish, mushroom duxelles, or just some mustard and cornichons,
or nothing, just beef, toast, egg yolk and minced shallot or red onion
macerated in a little lemon juice.
“PITTSBURGH” BLACK
AND BLUE STEAK
Get the best bit of
steak you can: filet or sirloin, the thickest cut you can, at least 1 inch.
Leave it out for a
few hours to bring the center up to room temperature. This will help given the quick cooking time.
Salt and pepper to
taste. Add seasonings you enjoy, such as
rosemary or marinate, if desired.
Heat some (extra
virgin) olive oil in a large (preferably cast iron) frying pan on HIGH ‘til
it’s HOT. Add a pat of butter.
Place the steak in
the pan. Do not prod it or poke it or
press it. Turn. (A thin steak will take 1 minute per side… A
thicker steak 1.5 minutes.)
Ensure that no part
of the surface of the steak is still uncooked. If you have a particularly thick
steak, it’s possible the sides aren’t cooked, so manipulate the steak to slowly
roll it round on its side.
This, of course can
also be done on a grill. The idea is the
very high heat. Pittsburgh steak is often called "black and blue." It
should be practically charred on the outside (black), while the center remains
cold and rare (blue). A traditional rare
steak has an internal temperature of 125F.
A Pittsburgh black and blue rare, 100-110F. Pittsburgh steelworkers made
‘em for lunch on the blast furnaces, LOL.
CZARNINA
Czernina (from czarny "black"; sometimes
also Czarnina or Czarna polewka) is a Polish soup made of duck blood and clear
poultry broth. In English it can be
called "duck blood soup" or simply “duck soup.”
Serve with kluski
(dumplings or noodles).
Ingredients
1 average (4 pound) duck, cut up
2 cups duck blood
½ cup vinegar
10 cups water
2 cups half and half
¼ teaspoon marjoram
5 whole allspice berries (optional)
2 whole cloves (optional)
2 cups dried fruit (prunes, raisins, pears,
apples)
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Mix fresh blood with
vinegar so it won't clot, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Or you can
buy the blood already mixed with vinegar at some European specialty stores.
Place dressed duck
pieces in a large pot. Cover with at least 10 cups cold water. Bring to a boil,
skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Add a stock sachet, if desired:
marjoram and other spices, if using. Salt
and pepper to taste. Return to a boil,
reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour.
Add the dried fruit
and cook another hour. Remove meat from bones and return to the pot. Let the
soup cool and refrigerate to make skimming off the fat easier, and prevent
curdling once the blood and half-and-half are added.
When ready to serve,
in a large bowl, cream the soup by fork blending flour into half-and-half. Add
3 ladles of cold soup and blood-vinegar mixture and whisk until smooth.
Transfer to pot with remaining soup and heat gently until soup is thickened and
the raw flour taste is cooked out, about 20-30 minutes. Adjust seasonings,
vinegar and sweetness, if necessary.
Serve with kluski (dumplings
or noodles).
Note: This item also appeared in the November REZ Magazine.
