to have exemplary health in order to survive the Turn. And of course pregnancy is a dealbreaker."
I nodded. "Makes sense. Certainly cuts down on the malpractice suits."
"That's part of it. But we mostly implemented these standards for selfish reasons." He paused, considering me. "This isn't the face we present to the public, obviously, but most of my kind view vampirism as an exclusive club. And until the government tries to impose regulations, we can use our discretion to prevent certain 'undesirables' from joining our ranks."
"That's kind of disgusting."
Ross shrugged. "I don't make the rules, I just follow them. The process has actually evolved in recent years, you know. In the old days, only the most physically attractive men and women were candidates for the Turn. Now, we consider other exceptional qualities, like superior intelligence or athleticism."
"You forgot your most important prerequisite."
"Oh?"
"Wealth. What are you charging these days? $50,000 a person?"
Ross frowned at me. "It's excruciatingly painful to Turn a human. We have to donate two-thirds of our blood to the cause, and it takes a full month for us to fully recover. It's only fair we're compensated for the discomfort we endure and the time we're out of commission."
I scoffed. "What's one month to a vamp?"
Ross's frown deepened. "Just because we live longer doesn't mean we enjoy pain any more than you humans do."
Chagrined, I held up my hands in apology. "Forgive me, I tend to be a little biased when it comes to these sorts of things. I went to college on scholarship, so I don't like the idea of something that's exclusionary because of the cost."
"Well, we have waved the price in a few rare cases, but the Turn is a long and involved process. If a human supports a family and can't afford to take time off work, that's not our problem."
"How many applicants do you end up turning down?"
"Several thousand every month."
I stopped in my tracks and stared at him. "So many?"
Ross urged me forward, and said, "Why does this surprise you? Immortality's a powerful incentive. Not to mention increased strength and heightened senses."
I nodded. "Makes sense. Certainly cuts down on the malpractice suits."
"That's part of it. But we mostly implemented these standards for selfish reasons." He paused, considering me. "This isn't the face we present to the public, obviously, but most of my kind view vampirism as an exclusive club. And until the government tries to impose regulations, we can use our discretion to prevent certain 'undesirables' from joining our ranks."
"That's kind of disgusting."
Ross shrugged. "I don't make the rules, I just follow them. The process has actually evolved in recent years, you know. In the old days, only the most physically attractive men and women were candidates for the Turn. Now, we consider other exceptional qualities, like superior intelligence or athleticism."
"You forgot your most important prerequisite."
"Oh?"
"Wealth. What are you charging these days? $50,000 a person?"
Ross frowned at me. "It's excruciatingly painful to Turn a human. We have to donate two-thirds of our blood to the cause, and it takes a full month for us to fully recover. It's only fair we're compensated for the discomfort we endure and the time we're out of commission."
I scoffed. "What's one month to a vamp?"
Ross's frown deepened. "Just because we live longer doesn't mean we enjoy pain any more than you humans do."
Chagrined, I held up my hands in apology. "Forgive me, I tend to be a little biased when it comes to these sorts of things. I went to college on scholarship, so I don't like the idea of something that's exclusionary because of the cost."
"Well, we have waved the price in a few rare cases, but the Turn is a long and involved process. If a human supports a family and can't afford to take time off work, that's not our problem."
"How many applicants do you end up turning down?"
"Several thousand every month."
I stopped in my tracks and stared at him. "So many?"
Ross urged me forward, and said, "Why does this surprise you? Immortality's a powerful incentive. Not to mention increased strength and heightened senses."
