Crossing a family line

[Bambi]

Just recently one of my childer asked me what my surname was as he wished to start using it. It dawned on me then it was never something I’d really thought about, this creating of a visual bond by the use of a surname. It is something quite human but also commonplace amongst our kind for various reasons. A shared surname denotes unity and acceptance, in some cases it is even seen as an honour to bear the name of your sire or grandsire. Of course, many lines seem to take this into the realms of the ridiculous and use all their names, both human, vampire and chosen to create a quadruple barrelled name that is just pretentious. Still, it’s a personal chose I suppose.

So, I picked a surname based on its meaning and the fact that I fancy an actress who also carries this name. It’s not my human name because that is something I choose not to reveal due to the simple fact that I am not that being any longer. I am as far removed from the baby my parents bore into this world and lovingly christened as can be and to keep that name is almost an insult to their memory, in my eyes anyway. I have never taken the name of any of my sires, or any of my partner-bounds so the option to double barrel is not there. Would I do so if I could? No, I wouldn’t because the act of severance is just that. You sever all ties, all links, and all rights to carry the name your ex-sire/partner wears. There are, of course, exceptions to this. If you are the last of your line and your sire goes into a deep sleep forcing you to sever yourself then yes, carrying on the name is fine as it was not by choice that the severance occurred. Also by cutting ties I do not mean stopping contact. I mean no longer being responsible for or accountable to that line. It would be hypocritical of me to say that a severed link means no more contact as I still live in the home of my last sire although the incident that caused our situation is thankfully a rare one in this community.

Aside from a shared surname, another act that seems common amongst lines is using human words instead of vampire ones when referring to each other. By this I mean, Daddy, Mommy, Brother, Sister etc. My childer are just that, not my children. It would have been physically impossible for me to be the father to any of them anyway, were we human, as they are all older then me. Aside from the impossibility of it, I am not exactly father material. I treat my childer the way I treat most of my friends and let them be the adults they are. There’s an atmosphere of mutual respect and they know I’m not going to berate them for their choice of partner, clan or even should they wish to move on. Perhaps this is why I’ve yet to find a sire of my own. I don’t want to be anyone’s son or to have to work my way up through the ranks of a line. I don’t want anyone calling me brother or uncle or treating me like an infant. I don’t want a long name that takes up half a page whenever I write a letter. I don’t want to be treated like something that I’m not, a human.

So why do some vampires have a line and other’s a family? I suppose to find that out you’d have to ask your own sire or even yourself. The mere word ‘family’ conjures up an entirely different mental picture then a line does. A family makes you think of parents and children, maybe a few other generations, but all close knit and loving. A line seems colder, almost clinical. Family is like a snapshot; a line is like a graph. Seeing as how we are cold natured beings who kill to survive, I think a line is more apt. Many vampires extend their lines for tactical, logical reasons, almost like choosing your team for a softball game. If it were for sentimental reasons more of our kind would die. You wouldn’t pick the fat kid with asthma to play on your team at school just because you liked him; at least I know I wouldn’t. Maybe that’s why I’m a vampire with a line, and not a family.

[Idony]

Bellucci? What is that, Bello Lucci? I dare not translate... I might as well call you Moni from now on.

On a more serious note, why does it matter? The Mommy and Daddy names will always be looked down on by mature vampire society, and the difference between a line and a family is that a line is far greater, while a family is a self organised body.
The issue of surnames for families is actually a more important topic. I've talked about it with a certain someone and even got said someone to pick a new surname, for the purpose of creating family unity and pride. Seems to have been quite successful so far. Personally, I find them quite important for that very reason, though they're not always successful.

[virgo_shelly]

I've never been huge on adding anything onto the end of my name. I've yet to experience such great pride to make me want to take on their name. whitelightfell had a last name, couldn't spell or pronounce it if I tried half the time. The other half I simply didn't care. The days I felt close the that family had been long gone and with him and the family Master Vampire lost to the world, I didn't care to use the surname. I was still very much apart of the bloodline, but I honestly wish I would have taken rel as my sire, not white.

Now I am apart of Andre's line. His sire has a pretty famous surname. But I've never seen him use it. Infact, the only surname I've ever seen him use is Sartori's and he isnt around anymore. I'd love to be able to say 'I feel so close to this person I want to be associated with them where ever I go' But I doubt that will ever happen. I feel closer as it is to my sisters then to my sire. I've never spoken to my grandsire. Not sure I'll ever have the chance too. But I've been around long enough to know you don't fuck with her. Taking on her name without permission would be fuckn with her. And if Andre doesn't use it, what right do i have to it?

[ophelia Lokason]

Oct 14, 2009 10:26:38 GMT -8 virgo_shelly said:

I've never spoken to my grandsire. Not sure I'll ever have the chance too

Of course you will! I've just learned over time that often times the grandkids and such prefer to NOT have any contact with me unless it is instigated by them *nods*

~HiS~

[ophelia Lokason]

As for actual sur-names, I do not think the are necessary. I carry one but that is by choice, not by necessity. Those of my line that wish to carry it as well will do so or not as a personal choice. It does not make them any less important or related.

~HiS~

[Mephistophlese Sinclair]

Facinating topic! I have much to say on this later when I have more time to organize my thoughts and post them for public consumption.

[Mephistophlese Sinclair]

Facinating topic! I have much to say on this later when I have more time to organize my thoughts and post them for public consumption.[a href="http://[del:mephistophlese]"]http://[del:mephistophlese][/a]

[black_dragonet]

*bows*
I am black_dragonet de Bouillon, but I am just black_dragonet.
I have decided to keep my human family name, as a token of the only thing I kept from my human state: an upbringing.
I can still hear my long dead mother saying to me with a stern frown: "A De Bouillon simply does not do that".

I have decided to live by that, to follow the honour code I had when I was a human, for honour didn't change meanings when I was turned. so though I don't really use it, when asked for my name, I say I am black_dragonet de Bouillon.
This name is important to me. Very. It does not give me any right, it's just that I have to make sure I am worthy of it, everyday.

Everyone's name has a different history, to some it is unimportant, to some it is. Such is mine's story.

[Genevive Sinclair]

Taking a sur-name isn't a necessity for me...but it does make me feel more connected to those I'm related to. With the Merovingian name it felt like an earned privilege...a great honor to be allowed to use the name. With the Capadocian name it was the same... however I don't sign "Genevive Capadocious Sinclair" to anything. That seems a bit excessive...and it's quite a mouthful. The Sinclair name...well I am very proud to be bound to the love of my unlife, Mephistophlese. Taking his last name when we were bound was a given. Some families don't stress taking the family name...other's may find it offensive if you don't. In my opinion it's a personal choice...to each his/her own.

As for the "Mommy, daddy..." thing. I think it all depends on the point in one's unlife when they were sired and the role that sire plays. At least for me it was. When I came to this city, I had no one and had been without a mother for years even before I was turned. I joined the Cap clan and found starreagle. She was a motherly figure to me and even before I was officially sired by her, I called her momma. She guided me through gaining my powers, gave me a home, loved me as one would love their biological offspring...it seemed fitting to call her mother rather than sire. As for siblings...the Lord RavenBlack himself refers to pires with the same sire as siblings... and siblings are brothers or sisters....soooo I do refer to those who share my sire as my brothers or sisters.

The situation with my current sire is different. I don't refer to her as my mother because that isn't really her role in my unlife. I was a fully powered, independent, mature vampiress when durcilla sired me. I wasn't fresh out of humanity and I didn't need nurturing or full guidance in my unlife. I view durcilla as more of a mentor than a mother. I do love and respect durcilla...but it's not the same as it was with my first sire.

So I've had a bit of both worlds. I guess it's all based on how one connects with their sire and those connected to him/her by blood. The Merovingians were my family and I had close bonds with many of them.We had family huddles every week and were very active in each other's unlives. The Capadocians are more of a bloodline and I'm not all that close with anyone... but if I should need them, they're there for me and vice- versa.

[vamps]

Oct 14, 2009 15:12:42 GMT -8 Genevive Sinclair said:

With the Capadocian name it was the same... however I don't sign "Genevive Capadocious Sinclair" to anything. That seems a bit excessive...and it's quite a mouthful.

I've been under the impression that a Capadocian is a name for someone within that clan, rather than indicative of lineage.
I find it rather perplexing that anyone would use 'Capadocious' as a sirname.
But then again I could be mistaken, apparently.

[Genevive Sinclair]

In general you may be right...but that is the last name my sire uses in connection to her bloodline.

[virgo_shelly]

But are you so close to your lineage that you deserve the name? Do you know who it comes from and have you ever spoken to that person? If not do you really deserve to use it? Some of the bigger families..I doubt many ever have. They use it to make themselves look bad ass when they arn't shit.

[rel]

*shrugs* I think it comes down to whether there is a bloodline that is trying to create a familial unit or a coven, or if it's truly a surname that's been created for the line beneath the master vampire. If you're trying to associate yourself with your siblings under a banner, a very easy way is to mark yourself with your surname. I don't think of it as a last name, per say, although some might. From what I've seen, especially from those that now have Houses of "blank" that it's more like a coat of arms? A link that your making with those that share your blood?

I don't have a last name. I gave that up when I was turned. I mean I'm hoping that you don't honestly think that I was born as a human with the name relsav, do you? No. Although, rel was a nickname of mine while human. When I was turned it seemed the most appropriate moniker that fit who I became. I sometimes use white's surname, but it's not his last name either. I certainly don't think of white's line as my children...gah. *shudders* gross. I think of them as those I can torment, steal from, and light on fire...

Like the clampets. Which I spelled wrong. *grins* and shelly...all you ever had to do was ask ya frickin pixie...

[Genevive Sinclair]

Oct 15, 2009 5:59:07 GMT -8 virgo_shelly said:

But are you so close to your lineage that you deserve the name? Do you know who it comes from and have you ever spoken to that person? If not do you really deserve to use it? Some of the bigger families..I doubt many ever have. They use it to make themselves look bad ass when they arn't shit.

Yes I know the history of the name and yes I have spoken to my grandsire both before and after he left this realm. I have been related to Prince Capadocious (in one way or another) for nearly 3 years. I'm proud to be a part of the Capadocian line, but I choose not to use my grandsire's name as some sort of deluded status symbol.

[seyda]

In my family, they're able to take my last name if they choose. They don't have to, and several have their own last names or none at all. I don't even think all my childer have taken the last name...*ponders that one* I just don't look at it as something that needs to be earned. Granted, if someone misuses the name, Asmia will strip it. That's always fun.

In the beginning, Asmia and I tried to give the last name out if people binding in actually tried to get to know us. But, eventually, the bloodline just got too big, and the practice started REEKING of Gyllenstierna. And everyone knows I think that whole set up sucks balls. So that went bye bye rather quick.

And the contact thing is always a hairy issue. In my experience, these are the issues that keep members from meeting the head: a: the grandchilder and down think they're bothering the master vamp by contacting them, b: the master vamp tries like hell to meet everyone and just gives up once you hit 35 or 40, or c (and the weirdest, IMO): the grandchilder on down feel like they aren't worthy. Which is really weird. Really...