I wasn’t a technophobe and certainly wasn’t technologically illiterate like some of the other magical centenarians I knew, though I wouldn’t exactly call myselfcomfortablewith the latest and greatest trends. Not to mention the never-ending stream of slang that was a side effect of society constantly moving and growing. So, while I wanted a bio that was true to myself, I also didn’t want to sound like a fuddy, heavy on the duddy.
Frustrating.
I stared at the screen some more, trying to whittle down everything about myself down to a commercial-like paragraph to convince people I was worth a chunk of their very limited time.
“Brammy-boy,” I murmured, looking to where my orange advisor was lounging in the clear bowl of his cat tree. That was one of my favorite resting spots for him, if only because the transparent material allowed me to take all sorts of hilariously cute pictures of his feet, belly, or loaf. Now, if there was one part of my smart phone I was very confident in, it was using the camera. And yes, my storage was dominated by photos of my cat, but it was only because I had already commissioned a professional painting of him when he was two. Just like every cat I’d had since I was fifty. “What would you say my best traits are?”
“Eeekekkkeeeek!”
“I don’t think catnip dealer has quite the appeal you think it does.”
“Merrp!”
“I’m sure.”
I liked to think of myself as an honest person, so it felt disingenuous to be tricking a human. And what was my end goal? To just hide that I was a vampire forever? Eventually, they’d wonder about my ratherintensegarlic allergy and inability to go outside during the day. Having the excuse of working nights would only be viable for so long.
But maybe, just maybe, it was okay to be a bit duplicitous this once and not worry so much about the far future. Even if it was only a handful of dates, or even a couple of new friends, that couldn’t be a bad thing, right? With Ibrahim long gone, I was more acutely aware of my solitude than ever, and although I had Iko and was incredibly grateful for him, I was cravingmore.
Perhaps that was what I should lead with. Feeling newly inspired, my thumbs flew across the screen.
Greetings!My name is Rowan, and I’m a bit of an old soul in what feels like an even older body. I prefer live music over bar hopping, and a good vinyl over a flashy car. Creature comforts are my middle name!
Actually, that’s a lie. But you’ll have to earn my trust to find out my real middle name.
I’ve never done anything like this, but it seems ever harder to find a genuine connection despite the world having more ways to connect than ever. It’s a bit lonely, sometimes. Even if nothing romantic is on the table, companionship and adventure is more than welcome!
There.That was as simply as I could put it without giving too much away. And technically, I wasn’t lying because I didn’tsayI was a human. It was just that anyone I matched with would assume I was. After all, as far asHomo sapiensknew, they were the only real sentient society running around on Earth.
Now, onto the questions!I practically crowed to myself, feeling pretty accomplished. It seemed that human technology was a bit more streamlined than the scrying magic that worked through my phone, and I appreciated that. Whatever could make the whole process easier was good in my book.
Are you a dreamer?
Was I?
I closed my eyes and tried to give it serious thought. Once, I would have said yes. But that was before I was changed into something different. A creature that went to bed as the sun rose only to awaken instantly once it set. No dreaming. No sense of paused time. It was barely a snap to my mind.
I missed dreaming like I used to when I was a young man in the dry lands of my home. Walking through worlds that didn’texist and memories that were just to the left. A heavy price to pay for immortality.
But I knew the question wasn’t literal. But metaphorically, was I one?
I supposed I was. After all, how many times did I daydream (hah,daydream) about what it would be like to be accepted with open arms by a coven? What it would be like to be cherished, to have others who looked forward to seeing me and thought of me when I wasn’t around?
Perhaps I was more of a dreamer than I’d thought.
Yes,I typed. I lingered on my answer for a bit, but eventually moved on.
What is your love language?
Love language? Was that shorthand for my favorite tongues? That was kind of neat.
I am fond of English, as it’s quite the quirky one, but I also have a classic sort of appreciation for Latin, Arabic, and a growing interest in ASL.
Were there a lot of polyglots on the app? It made sense. While magical communities tended to be incredibly insular among themselves—likely a consequence of having to keep so hidden—humans tended to mix and merge together in an amazing blend of cultures. Sure, there were bad actors who wanted to hurt anyone different, but humans had invented the term “melting pot” to describe themselves, and honestly, what a charming and accurate phrase.
Do you want children?
I put my phone down. That wasn’t a question I’d ever asked myself.Before Ibrahim had passed, I’d never had interest in siring any heirs of my own. And once he had moved on… Well, it was all complicated and mixed up in so many different issues that I just didn’t want to think of it.
