Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

Mr. DeVito

A fternoon sunbeams drifted through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the HOME office. But they were the only lazy elements of the building’s atmosphere. Pens tapped, feet shuffled, and a low buzz dominated the air. It wasn’t the air conditioning: the staff was on edge. Every television in every room blared the same headline:

“Vampire and Werewolf Attacks That Result in Turning Could Be Reclassified as Murder Under New Proposed Law.”

To those who worked for Help to Obtain Monster Equality (HOME), it was a crisis in the making.

“It’s bad enough that we haven’t been able to convince the legislature that attacks by starved or unmedicated supernaturals should qualify for an insanity plea,” grumbled Luna, a pale, blonde werewolf, as she leaned against the hallway wall and stared moodily at her drink. “If these were humans we were talking about, it wouldn’t be a debate. But because it’s supernaturals, nobody cares!”

Her work wife Erin, a raven-haired and dark-skinned witch, nodded gravely. “Did you hear what else is in the proposal? They’re pushing for spells that go wrong or potions with negative side-effects to be punishable by law. As if half the drugs passed by the FDA don’t have worse side-effects than any potion I’ve ever heard of!” Erin smashed the paper cup she had been drinking from and slammed it in the trash. “And there’s a rumor of requiring every shapeshifter to register their DNA with the government, too!”

Before Luna could reply, the two women were brushed aside by HOME President, Stella Melburne. She was an imposing dark elf whose presence took up far more space than her physical stature. Most days she would have stopped to chat with the other women, but today her violet eyes burned and she moved with purpose.

And behind her was the tall, slender form of vampire Reuben DeVito. His slicked-back black hair without a single strand out of place stood in stark contrast to his snowy white skin. The crisp shirt and well-tailored suit he wore revealed how utterly thin he was, while leaving little of his sallow skin visible.

Despite his sharp features and equally sharp frown, there was a softness in the vampire’s eyes that still managed to put those around him at ease. He nodded briefly at the gossiping pair as he passed, then disappeared into the office at the end of the hall.

“Woah,” whispered Luna, staring at the closed door. “Even in a time like this, Vampire Vito comes in here looking immaculate! I swear I’ve never seen so much as a smudge on his shoe!”

Erin snickered and lightly punched her friend’s shoulder. “There’s a reason he’s the HOME rep, Lu. And if I didn’t know better, I’d think you had a crush on him.”

In the office at the end of the hall, Mr. DeVito stood at perfect attention in front of Stella’s desk. The only sign of any discomfort was the way he fidgeted with the cuff of his sleeve with his two middle fingers. He didn’t say a word as Stella settled into her chair and flipped open the file folder she had been carrying.

“No doubt you’ve heard the headlines and know what they mean for us,” the elf said, gesturing to a chair to Mr. DeVito’s left. “Sit.”

With no hesitation, he perched on the edge of the seat, back ram-rod straight and eyes still focused on his manager. We’re Mr. DeVito right now. Calm face. Steady hands. Eye contact. Professional.

“The PR department sent out a poll early this morning as soon as the news broke, and the results are as bad as we could’ve imagined. You’ve dropped ten percent in the polls as of 9AM, and the downward trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down. All this talk of attacks has the humans up in arms.”

A flash of fear crossed Mr. DeVito’s face and he wanted to ask Stella what could be done about the issue, but seeing that she still had her ‘rant ahead’ face on, he choked back his words and fidgeted with a crease in his pants.

And rant on she did. “Things are stable in the outer limits of the city where the population is mostly supernatural, but the human-heavy city center polls are worrying. And the suburbs, well. Apparently the mixed numbers of supernaturals and humans are allowing the viral headlines to hit even harder there.”

Stella leaned back in her chair with her leg draped over her knee, the red stiletto she wore bouncing with irritation. “You’ve dropped to a 22% approval rating because of all the fearmongering going on. I’m still waiting for the polls outside Beaumont to come in.”

“The elections are way too close for controversy like this…” Mr. DeVito finally said. “And the supernatural community has too much at stake.”

“Indeed. You, perhaps better than anyone else, know how precarious our position is and how important HOME is to the supernaturals we serve. It’s imperative that we get your voice, and by extension the voice of supernaturals, into the legislature. We can’t survive on donations anymore. We need government funding, we need community support, and we need to show humanity that we are not monsters. And we don’t need any more laws that will result in more loss of supernatural lives!”

Stella’s stern eyes softened, but only for a split second. “Humanity has never made supernatural welfare the top of their priority list. I thought we were making progress in the sixty years since we were granted citizenship, but today’s headlines have proven me wrong. It seems they’re still set on punishing instead of helping, and othering instead of embracing. We need to remind them that supernaturals are people too.”

Mr. DeVito frowned. “Concessions are expensive and we still aren’t seen as a priority. Even though we go to great lengths to create supernatural soup kitchens, distribute medications, and provide homes, and not just for supernaturals, it’s never enough! We’ve come a long way in combating the social injustices we face, but there’s still a long way to go. And humanity can’t seem to see that we’re helping them, too.”

“Indeed. It’s not fair, but all we can do is keep fighting.”

Mr. DeVito nodded, but did not reply. He was the do-er of the plans, not the planner of the plans, so the fact that Stella had called him in meant she already had something up her sleeve. For a moment he wished that his vampirism had given him mind-reading abilities, but alas. He was a supernatural, not a superhero.

He was, however, correct.

“We do have a plan, but it will rely on you and your ability to maintain the public persona you’ve spent the last decade cultivating with us. And perhaps a bit of acting.” Stella’s foot dropped to the floor and she leaned over the desk to open the mysterious folder. After flipping a few pages, she spun the whole thing around and pushed it toward Mr. DeVito.

He looked down and for the first time since the door closed, his expression changed from blank to confusion. “This…is an application to the yearly HOME speed dating event.”

“Yes, yes it is.”

“And…how is this supposed to help me win back the voters?”

Stella stared at Mr. DeVito, giving a tisk of disgust. “You’re going to attend the event and find a human to date publicly. It doesn’t really matter if you end up together or not. Your goal is to get someone to spend time with you in public, and be convincing enough that the public sees that a supernatural and a human can coexist. Show them your humanity.” The grin which spread across her face could almost be described as ‘wicked’ as Mr. DeVito digested the information.

It was the stupidest plan he’d ever heard in his entire life.

But before he allowed his tongue to take the lead, he changed the words on their way out. “I see. If that’s what it takes, then I’ll give it a try.”

“You won’t try. You’ll make it happen like you always do. You’ve been around long enough to remember a world without HOME. We can’t backslide.”

Just the insinuation was enough to cause the vampire’s insides to quake.

“You’re right, like you always are. Give me the form and I’ll have it back to you by the end of the day.”

The smile on Stella’s face widened further, but then grew solemn. “Good boy. There’s one other thing we need to discuss before you go, though. We have received another round of threats this morning. I really think it’s time that you accept the offer of a security detail. You were lucky to avoid the brawl that broke out in front of the HOME building last week, but you can’t always rely on luck.”

“I wouldn’t actually be in danger. I’m not afraid of a group of frightened humans. Worst case I just use my vampiric speed to zip away.”

Stella’s frown grew deeper and she shook her head. “You don’t understand, Mr. DeVito. Multiple of the arrested protestors had syringes of vampire serum in their possession. And we don’t know where they are getting it.”

“...Vampire serum? You mean the stuff they use for the death penalty?!” If Mr. DeVito had any color in his face, it would have drained. He sat back in his chair with fear dimming his eyes as Stella nodded.

“I’m sure I don’t have to warn you what would happen if one of them managed to inject you with it. Just consider the security detail, okay? We will obviously continue to have security provided for your events, but HOME is prepared to pay for a private guard to escort you whenever you leave your house.”

The thought made Mr. DeVito’s stomach twist into a pretzel. The last thing he wanted was a babysitter, but if his detractors had found a source of what amounted to murder in a bottle…did he really have a choice?

Stella sensed his unease, but did not choose to press the matter. “Just think about it. Now, be a good boy and go back to your office. Read the plan thoroughly. We’ve included what you should look for in this person, possible ways to convince them to go along with the plan if you don’t manage to make them like you, and safe date ideas that will look good in the media.

“Study up so you’re ready for next week. But don’t feel overwhelmed. You need to be likable, not perfect. And don’t worry. The event will be well-guarded, and every human will have had a rigorous background check.”

“Yes, Ma’am.” He tucked the folder under his elbow and stood to leave, fighting back the urge to tell his boss for the millionth time that he hadn’t been a ‘boy’ for a very long time. There was no winning with her…

On his way back to his office, he stopped by accounting. Erin and Luna seemed hard at work, but looked up with smiles as he knocked on the doorframe.

“Oh, hey Mr. DeVito. What can we lowly accounting staff do for you today?” Erin asked.

The vampire chuckled and shook his head. “Lowly? Far from. But I need some budget forms for this week’s soup kitchen and an acquisition form to send over to the hospital for the week. I managed to use my last copy of each last week without realizing it.”

“Gotcha covered, Mr. DeVito!” Luna exclaimed as she spun her office chair and pulled open the filing cabinet behind her. “By the way, I heard that the apartment project has come to a bit of a standstill?”

He leaned against Erin’s desk and let out a small sigh. “You heard correctly. I was there last week to consult with the contractors about vampire-friendly features, and nearly ended up with a brick between my eyes. It was pretty easy to dodge with my vampiric speed, but it’s disappointing to see the citizens of city center being so violent over something as simple as apartment renovations.”

Erin scowled. “Disappointing, but not surprising. Why do they feel threatened by tinted windows and self-closing garage doors? It’s not like those are abnormal features even on human dwellings. It’s ridiculous.” The elf tapped her pen against the desk as her ears twitched. “Have you filled up every minute of your schedule with HOME projects again this week? You need to learn to take some time for yourself, if you ask me. Even you are sure to burn out if you keep throwing the candle in an incinerator.”

“Yeah,” Mr. DeVito replied. “But HOME changed my life, and I don’t mind filling my schedule with changing the lives of others. Even if I don’t end up being elected, at least I can keep handing out blood to vampires and shifter pills to werewolves to help prevent crimes of desperation.”