Sucko Mode Pd 8- Vampire Project

The Life of John Polizzotto

Period 8

Sucko Mode

David Abramson, Kristian Marino, Arbel Meta, Michael Robinson, Taylor Teusch, Meghna Wagley

Vampire’s Ethnicity: Italian-American (born in Staten Island)

John Polizzotto grew up on the South Shore of Staten Island. Growing up in the 90s, he became engrossed with the goth-vampire subculture in the city (Manhattan). On his days off from work, he would make his way to The Court of Lazarus, “a Metropolitan Vampire Society” and party with his fellow “vampires” (Veritas). One night, however, one of these “vampires” turned out to be a real vampire! John was transformed, fulfilling his dreams, and now he roams the streets of Staten Island searching for his next meal.

Veritas. “The Court of Lazarus: New York’s Metropolitan Vampire Society.” Vampires.com, https://www.vampires.com/the-court-of-lazarus-new-yorks-metropolitan-vampire-society/.

Vampire’s Abilities: Can shapeshift into a seagull. Can scale any hill in Staten Island without catching a breath. Has the ability of hypnosis.

One of the John’s most powerful abilities is shapeshifting into a seagull. In Keri Arthur’s Riley Jenson Guardians Series, the protagonist, Riley, is able to shapeshift into birds, notably into a seagull. This power allows John to blend in with the other winged animals on the Island. The Staten Island terrain makes John’s agility as a vampire a must-have ability. According to Bram Stoker's Dracula, superhuman agility and speed are one of many capabilities the protagonist has. This ability allows John to scale the hills of Staten Island. In the Wizards of Waverly Place series, vampires have the ability of hypnosis, which has become extremely handy for John during dinner time.

Arthur, Keri. Full Moon Rising. Bantam Dell, 06 Dec. 2006.

“Dracula.” Monster Wiki, https://monster.fandom.com/wiki/Dracula#Powers_and_abilities.

“Juliet Van Heusen.” Wizards of Waverly Place  Wiki, https://wizardsofwaverlyplace.fandom.com/wiki/Juliet_van_Heusen#Powers.

“Riley Jenson Guardian Series.” Urban Fantasy Wiki,

            https://urbanfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Riley_Jenson_Guardian_series.

Vampire’s Weaknesses: Silver, UV Light , pumpkin

John’s greatest weakness is silver. According to “Vampires and Silver,” silver both burns and paralyzes a vampire (Vicky). If a vampire is exposed to silver, the paralyzing effect causes him to be unable to take the silver off. Many vampires, such as those in True Blood are threatened by silver. UV light is another one of John’s weaknesses. According to “Ultraviolet (UV) Light”, like many vampires, John experiences xeroderma pigmentosum, which is the inability to repair cellular damage after exposure to UV light (Rogerma). Furthermore, John finds pumpkin abhorrent. This leads to fall being his least favorite season because of all of the pumpkin. For some reason, vampires such as those in Wizards of Waverly Place, find pumpkin absolutely repulsive. The scent of pumpkin can ward off John from sucking your blood, which again is why fall is the most dangerous time of John’s year.

“Juliet Van Heusen.” Wizards of Waverly Place  Wiki, https://wizardsofwaverlyplace.fandom.com/wiki/Juliet_van_Heusen.

.

“Ultraviolet (UV) Light.” Vampire Combat Club, 01 Sep. 2012,

           http://vampirecombatclub.com/uv-light/.

“Vampire.”True Blood Wiki, https://trueblood.fandom.com/wiki/Vampire#Common_Weaknesses.

Vicky & Mike.”Vampires and Silver.” gods-and-monsters.com,

           http://www.gods-and-monsters.com/vampires-and-silver.html.

Vampire’s Reproduction: By consuming human blood that was drained, otherwise known as “true blood”.

John’s kind reproduces by having mortals drink pre-drained blood. Humans stand no chance against the seductive and permanently transformative effects of true blood and are therefore immediately transfigured into vampires upon consumption. Vampire reproduction via consumption of pre-drained human blood by another vampire is seen throughout the Underworld film series. Vampires do not need to bite the host in order to turn them; a transfusion of blood is enough.

“Vampire.” Underworld Wiki, https://underworld.fandom.com/wiki/Vampire#Reproduction.

Vampire’s Camouflage: Vampires don’t smell good, so they spray themselves with a lot of body spray before they leave the house. He always wears his Mets snapback to hide his alopecia and to cover his face and head from sunlight. He wears dark Timberlands, dark sweatpants, and a dark t shirt to blend into the New York crowd and the night. He actually is not impervious to holy symbols and visits church so that people don’t suspect him. He also eats a lot of garlic bread from Denino’s to throw people off his vampirism.

Vampires have been known to smell like death or like ammonia (Lomax). According to “The Science of Vampirism”, vampires don’t urinate often which causes a growth of toxins in the bloodstream. The toxins and bacteria cause vampires to have a bad smell, which is why John cloaks himself with a body spray before he leaves the house. Vampires such as Juliet van Heusen have been said to smell like death, which is why she cloaks herself with a vanilla scented perfume. Furthermore, according to the “Science of Vampirism”, hair growth dramatically slows for vampires. When they lose their hair, it takes much longer to grow back (Lomax). To hide his alopecia and to blend in with his peers, John wears his New York Mets snapback wherever he goes. In order to blend into the night, John wears dark colors, dark sweatpants, dark t shirt, and of course, dark Timberlands. Lastly, luckily for John, he is not vulnerable to garlic or holy symbols, as many think. After being turned into  vampire, John visits church more often. He makes sure to always order extra garlic bread when he goes to Deninos, to throw everyone off his scent of vampirism.

Don. “Timbs.” Know Your Meme, 01 Mar. 2018, https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/timbs.

“Juliet Van Heusen.” Wizards of Waverly Place  Wiki, https://wizardsofwaverlyplace.fandom.com/wiki/Juliet_van_Heusen.

Lomax, Robert. “The Science of Vampirism. Extended Edition: Part IV.” The Federal Vampire and Zombie Agency, https://www.fvza.org/vscience4.html.

“Reasons Why Vampires Wear Black Clothing on Film.” Mud Mosh,  

            https://mudmosh.com/reasons-why-vampires-wear-black-clothing-on-film/.

Vampire’s Home: Being a new vampire, John has not yet amassed enough wealth to live the typically luxurious life vampires have. Therefore, John moves around the Island, living in abandoned houses for months at a time. He currently resides in the burnt down house in West Brighton. Having xeroderma pigmentosum, John spends most of his time in the comfort of his dark and somewhat empty home. He sleeps in a coffin that has a fake Supreme logo taped to the door, because he couldn’t yet afford the authentic Supreme Coffin.

Vampires are almost in every case viewed to live in luxury. Vampires in stories typically live in mansions or higher class housing as well as sleep in coffins in order to preserve and maintain the powers they have. John isn't fazed by his lack of luxurious lifestyle and seems to enjoy the thrill of house jumping and living on the move. He loves Supreme merch, but he can't afford it, so he built his own makeshift coffin with the “Supreme” logo on the door.

“Where Do Vampires Live and Sleep?” Reference, IAC Publishing, 

             www.reference.com/art-literature/vampires-live-sleep-75a8b1ca3157a965.

https://stockx.com/news/supreme-coffin-keychain/

Vampire’s Preferences: Doesn’t like fall, loves any drinks with pineapple juice, and doesn’t like to count.

As aforementioned and cited, some vampires find pumpkin disgusting, and John avoids the flavor at all costs (making Thanksgiving dinners his least favorite celebration). “Vampire’s Dream” is an accurate name for John’s favorite drink consisting of pomegranate juice, pineapple juice, and grenadine. He often orders it parties with his vampire buddies.

Vampires feel compelled to count things, so they can be deterred by a victim who, for example, throws seeds on the ground, because they will be obligated to stand there and count them all. Having this weakness gives him a considerable distaste for anything to do with numbers.

Crump, Rebecca. “Vampire's Dream.” Ezra Pound Cake, www.ezrapoundcake.com/archives/14357.

Lehnardt, Karin. “41 Interesting Facts about Vampires.” Interesting Facts, 20 Jan. 2017, www.factretriever.com/vampire-facts.

(Optional) Add Your Own: John owns a pet squid who resides in the north shore Staten Island waters.

John loves his squid, and uses it both as a comfort animal and as protection. Vampire’s such as Sesame Street’s Count Von Count have been known to also have tentacled pets. Once, John set the squid loose on a Staten Island Ferry boat in a fit of anger over the amount of tourists visiting his home, Staten Island. This incident is known as the Staten Island Ferry Disaster. To keep his pet out of the public eye John no longer asks him to attack ferry boats.

“Count Von Count.” Muppet Wiki, https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Count_von_Count

“Staten Island Ferry Disaster Memorial Museum” Super Fun Co., www.sioctopusdisaster.com/home.html

Build Your Own Vampire Project - Team 2 - Bleh Bleh Bleh

Build Your Own Vampire Project

Objective: The goal of this project is for your team to create the rules and attributes of your own vampire universe. While creativity is necessary, research is actually the focal point. The caveat is that your vampire universe must be based on research your team completes about stories associated with vampires from any point in time, history, folklore, or fiction. Team Name: Bleh, Bleh, Bleh Class Period: 5 Team Members: Gayane Gevorkyan, Michelle Wong, Ashley Yim, Elena Wu, Xin Yi Wang, Mitchell Ruan Student Blogger Email: gayane.gevorkyan@sitechhs.com
Vampire’s Ethnicity: (Mitchell)

1. French and British, Name: Hunter Ainsley

Justification: During the 18th century, Southeastern Europe and Transylvania tales and folklore of vampires began to spread and soon spread into England and Germany. The spread of this myth caused mass panic and there were plenty of “vampire encounters” experienced during these times. There were many superstitions around the vampires due to the village areas spreading these reports and what they did to the undead, which was digging them up from the graves and sometimes staking them… Our vampire was turned by a British vampire but raised with another vampire that fell in love with the British parent whose origin is from France. They decided to raise a child a few years after falling in love and decided to take a human child from their parents for themselves and began to raise this child mentally for this vampire change. Citation:
“Vampire Folklore by Region.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Apr. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire_folklore_by_region. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vampire_folklore_by_region)

Vampire’s Abilities: (Gayane)

1. Mind Compulsion
2. Super strength, speed, and senses
3. Turn into a Bat (have all abilities of bats)

Justification: Our vampire will be able to use mind compulsion to convince people of thoughts, create false beliefs or memories to help conceal the truth from the human world. He will also acquire all the superhuman abilities most vampire stories suggest vampires have. Those include supernatural strength, and speed to a point where it seems almost like teleportation.

His senses will also be heightened. He is able to hear at long distances and still be able to discern what the speaker is saying. Lastly, he will be able to, in true Dracula form, turn into a bat and with that have all the abilities bats have, such as flying and being able to navigate through the dark. Citations: Editors, History.com. “Vampire History.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 13 Sept. 2017, www.history.com/topics/folklore/vampire-history#section_2./ (https://www.history.com/topics/folklore/vampire-history#section_2) “List of Vampire Powers and Abilities in Fiction.” Narik Chase, 24 Oct. 2017, narikchase.com/index.php/2016/10/05/list-of-vampire-powers-and-abilities-in-fiction/. (https://narikchase.com/index.php/2016/10/05/list-of-vampire-powers-and-abilities-in-fiction/) “Vampire.” Hotel Transylvania Wiki, hoteltransylvania.fandom.com/wiki/Vampire. (https://hoteltransylvania.fandom.com/wiki/Vampire)
Vampire’s Weakness(es): (Xin Yi)

1. Holy/Blessed Items
2. Silver
3. Direct Sunlight
4. Fire

Justification: Vampires are usually referred to as damned or soulless due to how they were created and their lifestyles after their creation. Due to this, items considered to be holy in the Christian faith are often used for protection against a vampire. As such things like silver, symbolic of “incorruptible” purity, serve as protection against vampires as they can’t be reflected upon the metal and are weakened by it. Mirrors, specifically those crafted in older periods, are also said to be unable to reflect vampires due to their silver backing. Fire, symbolic of cleansing and renewal in many cultures, is also capable of killing vampires. Direct sunlight, similarly to fire, is also capable of weakening a vampire although not to as large of an effect. Citations: Harris, Tom. “How Vampires Work.” HowStuffWorks Science, HowStuffWorks, 8 Mar. 2018, science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/strange-creatures/vampire.html. (https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/strange-creatures/vampire.html) “What Don't Vampires Like?” Gods And Monsters - Ancient to Modern Mythology, www.gods-and-monsters.com/what-dont-vampires-like.html. (http://www.gods-and-monsters.com/what-dont-vampires-like.html) Admin. “Metal Symbolism.” Ancient Symbols, www.ancient-symbols.com/metal-symbolism.html. (https://www.ancient-symbols.com/metal-symbolism.html) Remington, Xavier. “Why Do Vampires Burst Into Flames In Sunlight?” Ask Mystic Investigations, 12 Aug. 2017, mysticinvestigations.com/paranormal/vampire-sunlight/. (http://mysticinvestigations.com/paranormal/vampire-sunlight/)
Vampire’s Reproduction: (Elena)

1. Reproduce by transferring the ‘reproductive bacteria’ often through biting

Justification: Given that vampires are technically dead, they cannot perform regular human functions like reproduction. Nonetheless, every species must be able to reproduce and continue their lineage, the vampires do that by spreading their bacteria and infecting other people, thereby turning them. However, there have been myths of vampires mating with humans, so if he so chooses he can have a child with a human female called a hybrid. Hybrids do not possess the curse of immortality and are in fact closer to their human nature. Citations: “Vampire Offspring.” Gods And Monsters - Ancient to Modern Mythology, www.gods-and-monsters.com/vampire-offspring.html. (http://www.gods-and-monsters.com/vampire-offspring.html) Silver, Marc. “Vampire-Human Offspring of Folklore Offer Insights into the Hybrid Baby of 'Breaking Dawn'.” National Geographic Society Newsroom, 14 Dec. 2017, blog.nationalgeographic.org/2011/12/05/vampire-human-offspring-of-folklore-offer-insights-into-the-hybrid-baby-of-breaking-dawn/ (https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2011/12/05/vampire-human-offspring-of-folklore-offer-insights-into-the-hybrid-baby-of-breaking-dawn/) Vampire’s Camouflage: (Ashley)

1. Blend into the crowd
2. ‘Glamour’ people (compulsion)

Justification: Throughout history, people have always wondered about a vampire’s ability to camouflage. They often believed that real vampires can turn to bats because they are similar in the sense that they both drink blood and thrive in the dark. However, our version of a vampire cannot shapeshift. Instead, he blends into the busy crowds and pretends to be a human. He does what he likes and no one will suspect him because he is able to control their minds. He looks deep into their eyes and can alter or remove certain memories, new false realities. This ability is necessary for a vampire to survive. Citation: Vampire Powers, infinitysrising.tripod.com/id5.html. (http://infinitysrising.tripod.com/id5.html) “Vampire.” The Vampire Diaries Wiki, vampirediaries.fandom.com/wiki/Vampire. (https://vampirediaries.fandom.com/wiki/Vampire)
Vampire’s Home: (Ashley)

1. Our vampire originated from a small village in Highgates, London. He now lives near Oxford city.

Justification: Highgates was known for its mysterious and gothic cemetery. The first known sighting of a vampire was in 1963 when a couple encountered a 7 to 8 feet tall dark figure. Soon after, more and more vampire sightings began to emerge. It is said that he was awakened by modern Satanists. Declan Walsh, a witness, claimed that this figure glides and make no sound. “He wore a long black coat and a top hat… looked Victorian and appeared all black.” In addition, a movie, Taste the Blood of Dracula, was partly filmed here in the Highgates Cemetery.
Our vampire now lives in Oxford to escape from hunters. Oxford draws attention for its famous University and cool attractions. Every year 7 million tourists visit making it easy for our vampire to blend into the crowd. He lives in a decent middle-class apartment and has gathered money in the years. With his compulsion ability, he can easily infiltrate hospitals or blood banks for food. He lives on the twentieth-floor penthouse all to himself. It's dark and very minimalist. If you walk towards an old bookshelf you can push it open into a secret room filled with old antiques and a refrigerator filled with blood. He kept old photos of his old friends and misses them dearly. The only thing he does as a hobby is reading books because there's an infinite amount to entertain him. Citations: The Unredacted. “The Highgate Vampire: Horror of the Dead.” Theunredacted.com, The Unredacted, 5 Dec. 2016, theunredacted.com/the-highgate-vampire-horror-of-the-dead/. (https://theunredacted.com/the-highgate-vampire-horror-of-the-dead/ ) “Visiting Oxford City.” Visit Oxford From London - How To, What To Expect And See, www.londontoolkit.com/whattodo/oxford.htm. (https://www.londontoolkit.com/whattodo/oxford.htm ) Vampire’s Preferences: (Michelle)

1. Our vampire prefers sleeping in coffins and moving locations.

Justification: It is widely known that many vampires tend to sleep in coffins. This is shown in one of the most famous vampire movies, Dracula (1931). It emphasizes as a reminder that they are dead, even if modern times makes them out to be beautiful or blend in with humans. Coffins are now widely associated with vampires. It also tends to protect them from the sunlight that could burn them, so for many vampires, coffins play a big roll in their survival. Another preference our vampire has is moving locations for many different reasons like to keep a low profile and to not draw suspicion from people who live in the area or even just to find more of their kind. Vampires are known to be immortal and not age like people do, so they have to move place after place to not be caught. Interview with the Vampire, by Anne Rice, displays this, where Louis tends to go place to place to find other vampires like him. Citations: Wachtel, Allison. “How Coffins Work.” HowStuffWorks Science, HowStuffWorks, 28 June 2018, science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/afterlife/coffin6.htm. (https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/afterlife/coffin6.htm ) “Vampires Sleep in Coffins.” TV Tropes, tvtropes.org/pmwiki/discussion.php?id=yxut05s7iwajjfwlf58pyp1r. (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/discussion.php?id=yxut05s7iwajjfwlf58pyp1r ) “Vampire Location.” Gods And Monsters - Ancient to Modern Mythology, www.gods-and-monsters.com/vampire-location.html. (http://www.gods-and-monsters.com/vampire-location.html )


We hope you enjoyed our vampire!
THE END

Build Your Own Vampire Project, Period 8 Modern Mythology, Group 4 Vladdy Issues

Build Your Own Vampire Project

Objective: The goal of this project is for your team to create the rules and attributes of your own vampire universe. While creativity is necessary, research is actually the focal point. The caveat is that your vampire universe must be based on research your team completes about stories associated with vampires from any point in time, history, folklore, or fiction.

Rules: Make a COPY of this document and place it in the appropriate folder. Each question must be completed.  In the area of “justification,” you will include BOTH your written analysis (can be 1-2 sentences) AND a citation to your research. Please use MLA format AND make the title a hyperlink so this also serves as a hyperdoc.  

Student Blogger (Presentation): Finally, one student from your team should be selected as the “Student Blogger.”   I will need the student blogger’s email address by March 27, 2019 to give the blogger digital access.  Remember, this blog will be GLOBALLY PUBLISHED. The important point is to properly label the blog (in the tagged area) as “Modern Mythology 2019.”

Grading: Your grade is holistic based on 1) Research, 2) Teamwork, 3) Creativity, 4) Timeliness.   Teams will SHARE grades, so it is imperative you SHARE the work.

Team Name: Vladdy Issues	Class Period: 8
Team Members: Sin, Christina, Evan, Jeff, Leland
Student Blogger Email: sin.lin@sitechhs.com

Vampire’s Ethnicity: Hebrew Gibson, Lyn. “The Estrie – A Jewish Vampire Legend.” Author Lyn Gibson, 28 Apr. 2014,         authorlyngibson.wordpress.com/2014/04/28/the-estrie-a-jewish-vampire-legend/.

Justification: Our vampire is a descendant of the Estrie, female demons that are closely related to Succubi. They were beautiful and bloodthirsty, and preyed upon Hebrew citizens, with accounts of attacks taking place during the 1400s. They had the ability to shapeshift into animals and their “spirit form”, as well as possessed the power of flight when their hair was loose. There is also the mention of Lilith and her daughters, the Lilu, in Hebrew folklore. They possessed many of the same abilities as the Estrie (turning into cats, magical hair, etc.) and were closely related in actions and emotions. They were described as demonic and unique in their abilities and desires but had many traditional characteristics that modern day vampires possess. The concept of a Hebrew vampire is enticing when considering the religion that came out of Israel, Judaism. In the Torah, it explicitly states that eating blood is strictly forbidden, and one who does so attains demonic aspects. The story of Lilith is also well known across the Jewish people, and amulets blessed with apotropaic magic are still told to this day. It would be interesting to see if our vampire would be able to or how they would interact with their people.

Vampire’s Abilities: Enhanced Body Enhanced Senses Enhanced strength Enhanced speed Faster regeneration Immunity to diseases Shapeshifting

Justification: In stories vampires, all appear to have a superior construct of the body than of a human. (3) Some examples are enhanced speed, enhanced strength, enhanced senses, faster regeneration, and many more. Like the belief that getting rid of one sense seemingly enhances the other senses, the death of their human self may completely enhance all their vampire capabilities. Another common belief is that vampires derive their power from the life force of blood. These enhancements are depicted in Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer, Hotel Transylvania and many more. As a vampire, its basic ability would be sucking blood, if not then it wouldn’t be a vampire. Vampires are also often depicted to able to change their body, known as shapeshifting. An example of this is vampires transforming into bats as depicted in Hotel Transylvania. Rice, Anne. Interview with the Vampire. Ballantine Books Trade Paperbacks, 2014. Hotel Transylvania. Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 2013. “List of Vampire Traits in Folklore and Fiction.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 4 Apr. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_vampire_traits_in_folklore_and_fiction. Meyer, Stephenie. Twilight. Little, Brown and Co., 2007.

Vampire’s Weakness(es): “Crucifix Glitch” Arithmomania Dead Blood Decapitation Wooden Stakes Sunlight

Justification: In fiction, vampires have hosted a number of weaknesses ranging from unpleasant compulsions to deadly weapons. Our vampire has few but dangerous weaknesses, with most having the ability to kill him. The “Crucifix Glitch”, referenced in Blindsight by Peter Watts, is a (fictional) biological explanation to a vampire’s revulsion to crosses. In vampires, their retinas are wired differently than the normal human, mixing up receptors. The receptors that recognize horizontal lines are mixed up with the ones that recognize vertical lines, and when a crucifix is seen by the vampire, both receptors fire off simultaneously (as there is both a horizontal and vertical line in a cross), triggering a “neuroelectrical overload in the visual cortex.” This overload would lead to seizures that could end up killing the host. > Watts, Peter. “Vampire Domestication: Taming Yesterday's Nightmares for a Better Tomorrow.” From         Andrea to Armageddon: the Biology, Evolution, and Resurrection,         rifters.com/real/shorts/VampireDomestication.pdf. Arithmomania, as cleverly depicted by Count von Count in Sesame Street, is a compulsion possessed by vampires to count things around them (it’s also a real disorder commonly associated with OCD). If multiple small objects surround the vampire, such as seeds, coins, or grain, they will feel the need to count every piece before being able to do anything else. This is a critical weakness, as a vampire could hypothetically be trapped forever in a loop of counting seeds, or be used as a distraction to kill them. > Curiosity Staff. “Sesame Street's The Count Loves To Count Because Of This Real-Life Vampire Legend.”        Curiosity.com, 2016,        curiosity.com/topics/sesame-streets-the-count-loves-to-count-because-of-this-real-life-vampire-        legend-curiosity/. As demonstrated in Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice, blood of a dead human could severely incapacitate a vampire to the point of death, as seen with Lestat. While Lestat would’ve most likely perished if he were alone, he was able to barely hang on by feeding on animals in the swamp he was thrown into, eventually gaining the strength to come back with vengeance. This would require our vampire to only seek out living donors, making keeping his true identity hidden a much bigger challenge. > Rice, Anne. Interview with the Vampire. Ballantine Books Trade Paperbacks, 2014. Decapitation was an after-death measure taken by 19th century Europeans. They were fearful that the vampire they were burying was not truly dead, and as an extra measure, beheaded their corpse so there was no chance at life. This could either snuff out a vampire who’s just faking it, or prevent one from pulling a Lestat and somehow rising from the grave. > Tucker, Abigail. “The Great New England Vampire Panic.” Smithsonian.com, Smithsonian Institution, 1         Oct. 2012, www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-great-new-england-vampire-panic-36482878/. Wooden stakes are one of the most popular vampire weapons in the media, as well in history. Popular shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and The X Files have depicted the use of wooden stakes to kill vampires. TV Tropes’ hypothesis for wood being the ultimate weapon is that a wooden stake is the same as a vampire: the stake was once a living tree and ultimately killed, just like a vampire was once a living human. However, as TV Tropes also mentioned, this also means that a pencil could just as much kill a vampire as a stake. > TV Tropes. “Wooden Stake.” TV Tropes, 2011, tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WoodenStake. Sunlight is one of the most well-known weaknesses of vampires. Our vampire, while sensitive to sunlight, won’t be killed by direct exposure unless exposed for a long amount of time and under intense rays. As seen in The Vampire Diaries, different levels of vampires are affected in different ways, where some experience no reaction, others blister and burn, and others are set on fire and ultimately die. > “Sunlight.” The Vampire Diaries Wiki, 2012, vampirediaries.fandom.com/wiki/Sunlight.

Vampire’s Reproduction: Sexual Intercourse (vampire and vampire or vampire and human union), Or by turning others into vampires through blood exchange/fusion for companionship

Justification: Dhampirs were the result of a vampire and human union (usually of a male vampire and female human). In the Balkans it was believed that male vampires have a great desire for women, so a vampire will return to have intercourse with his wife or with a woman he was attracted to in life. Indeed, in one recorded case, a Serbian widow tried to blame her pregnancy on her late husband, who had supposedly become a vampire, and there were cases of Serbian men pretending to be vampires in order to reach the women they desired. In Bulgarian folklore, vampires were sometimes said to deflower virgins as well. Legends state that Dhampirs were, for the most part, normal members of the community. But Dhampirs, especially male, of paternal vampire descent, could see invisible vampires and practice sorcery, often starting careers as vampire hunters, which would be practiced for generations from father to son. (“Dhampir.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 23 Mar. 2019, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhampir.) The first vampire may be traced to Greek mythology in the story of a young Italian man named Ambrogio and love of his life, Selena. According to the myth, Ambrogio fell in love with Selena after visiting the Oracle in Apollo’s temple. He asked her to marry him, but the jealous Apollo wanted her for his own. Apollo cursed Ambrogio by causing his skin to burn whenever it was exposed to sunlight. Ambrogio turned to Hades for help. After stealing Artemis’ silver bow to fulfill a deal made with Hades, Artemis cursed Ambrogio so silver would burn his skin. She later took pity on him, though, and gave him super strength, immortality, and fangs to kill beasts to use their blood to write love poems to Selena. Eventually, the mortal Selena escaped Apollo and reunited with the immortal Ambrogio. Artemis told Ambrogio he could make Selena immortal by drinking her blood which would kill her body but make her spirit live on. Their combined blood could then turn anyone who drank it into a vampire. (Editors, History.com. “Vampire History.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 13 Sept. 2017, www.history.com/topics/folklore/vampire-history.)

Vampire’s Camouflage: Self-tanner (“Olivia Moore.” IZombie Wiki, izombie.fandom.com/wiki/Olivia_Moore.) Facetune (Charles, James. “HOW TO TAKE YOUR SELFIES FROM DRAB TO FAB! FACETUNE TUTORIAL.” YouTube, YouTube, 21 Mar. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYbot1VxB84.)

Justification: Like a modern-day vampire, our vamp hides in plain sight as a social media influencer. They won’t have to worry about conforming to the norms and staying with the trends if they’re the ones setting the trends. Due to their sensitivity to sunlight, they can utilize modern day tools like self-tanner and editing apps to conform to society’s beauty standards. Their distinctly otherworldly appearance can be attributed to editing apps like Facetune, which allows them to upkeep their unrealistic but still desirable appearances. Due to a vampire’s stereotypically glamorous lifestyle, their status as an influencer allows them to stay on top of the social pyramid, holding quite a bit of power and sway over the general public. A con of this is that they are always in the spotlight and being watched, so they must live with caution and deliberation, an obvious occupational hazard.

Vampire’s Home: Hollywood

Justification: As shown throughout history, vampires tend to dwell in area densely populated by humans. Two of the popular starting region for vampires are Europe and Asia. This could be because the earliest large human civilization began in Europe and Asia and thus vampire had a much easier time finding people to feed on. Evidence of vampires residence in Europe can be found throughout European folktales. Although they have different names --such as “mura” and “vapir”-- the idea of walking corpses shares the idea of a supernatural being that arose from death and goes around hunting people was prevalent throughout Slavic Europe. This also applies to Asia, where similar being such as the Jiang-Shi from Chinese mythology and the Bhoot from Indian mythology shares these traits. Today, vampires continue the trend of living in large cities. Hollywood was the ideal home for our vampire since humans are abundant and it’s easier to brush off vampire’s unnaturally pale skin as the handiwork of an overly enthusiastic make-up artist. Sites: “Slavic Europe.” Vampire Legends Around the World, vampiresaroundtheworld.weebly.com/slavic-europe.html. “Asia.” Vampire Legends Around the World, vampiresaroundtheworld.weebly.com/asia.html.

Vampire’s Preferences: Young vegans with type O blood, but because he won’t know whether or not his food is type O beforehand, it gives him a rush of excitement and adrenaline before his meals. He stresses that his food is young (from the ages of 16 to 24, because too young will mean the serving size is too small, while old blood will be lacking in flavor). As for it being vegan, it has something to do with his obsession with the media.

Justification: Throughout many novels of vampires, vampires have all different kinds of preference of prey. Usually, these preferences are influenced by their past experiences, personality, hobby, personal interest and etc. For example, in Interview With the Vampire by Anne Rice, Claudia in the beginning “seemed obsessed with women and children.”(pg 104) Because when Claudia was turned into a vampire she was still a child and lost her mother, which made her long for maternal love. The fact that her body won’t grow and her jealousy of children having a mother to love them she targets women and children. James’s obsession with young vegans is attributed to the social media craze currently taking place. Many influential social media stars (such as Jenna Marbles and Emma Chamberlain) are vegan, and the lifestyle is heavily associated with successful, Californian young stars. James can never truly be a “vegan” since he’s both a killer and needs blood to survive, but his obsession with fitting into the influencer mold leads to him projecting his wants through his victims. As for his preference for blood type and age, they are simply for the taste. According to The Vampire is Just Not That Into You by Vlad Mezrich, vampires that seek out type O blood are extroverted adrenaline junkies. This can definitely describe our vampire, as he is a monster hiding in the spotlight, and likes to take risks with his food. Mezrich, Vlad. “The Vampire Is Just Not That Into You.” Scholastic.com, 2009,         www.scholastic.com/internationalrights/pdfs/Vampire_Interior_Spreads.pdf. Rice, Anne. Interview with the Vampire. Ballantine Books Trade Paperbacks, 2014.

Vampire’s Appearance: Our vampire is based off of a popular picture of social media star James Charles called “Flashback Mary”. His face is pure white, and he is known for having claw-like acrylic nails.

Justification: We have based our vampire’s appearance off of social media star James Charles, specifically his well-known picture at a meet & greet nicknamed “Flashback Mary”. In the photo, his setting powder reacted with the flash photography, leaving his skin looking pale white. Paired with his love for acrylic nails, which have been seen shaped in a claw-like way, he became our vampire. As such a famous and influential makeup artist, we found it interesting to think of a vampire that was in the spotlight, and how they would work around being in the public eye without getting caught. (This photo has been acknowledged by James Charles and he has publicly shown that he has no qualms with it, making multiple jokes of his own and even dedicating a whole video to him “recreating” the look.) > Messina, Victoria. “After People Trolled His Makeup Fail, James Charles Clapped Back in the Most Hilarious Way.” POPSUGAR Beauty, 9 Apr. 2017,         www.popsugar.com/beauty/James-Charles-Responds-People-Trolling-His-Makeup-Fail-43396756.

Vampire’s Background: From Transylvania to Trans-continental

Justification: As mentioned earlier, vampires most likely either came from Greece or the Middle East. From there they moved to densely populated early civilizations for easier hunts. However, vampires were having a difficult time reproducing because of people’s fear towards them and the vampire hunts that resulted. One exception to this is Transylvania, the homeland of Vlad the Impaler, which is located in modern-day Romania. Prince Vlad was a well respected and beloved hero of Romania, known for resorting to brutal scare tactics (actually just covering up for Vlad’s feeding) to protect Romania from invaders. Being a hero and prince meant that Vlad had all the humans needed to reproduce and spread vampirism within Europe. This significant increase in aristocratic vampires through Europe could be the reason why the introduction of vampires in contemporary culture began in European literature and are generally associated with aristocrats instead of mindless walking corpses in ancient Slavic mythology and Chinese mythology. Ever since vampires have spread throughout the world during the European age of exploration and colonialism, and through China into many Asian countries. Our vampire is a descendant of Vlad and shares a lot of his desires. Due to his aristocratic origins, our vampire has an obsession with being rich and being in the limelight. He would use any measure, no matter how extreme or strange, to distinguish himself from us normal humans. His need to run multiple successful businesses and social media accounts attribute to his large following, which has brought in enough wealth to set him up as a well-known influencer. Sites: Pallardy, Richard. “Vlad the Impaler.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 1 Jan. 2019, www.britannica.com/biography/Vlad-the-Impaler. Dhwty. “The Living Dead: Chinese Hopping Vampires.” Ancient Origins, Ancient Origins, 8 June 2016, www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/living-dead-chinese-hopping-vampires-006050.