'There's always extreme tension and hierarchy in high control groups,' he muses, 'and that's what these isolated communities operate like. We airdropped cheeseburgers and cocaine into North Korea, it's probably as enticing as it is terrifying. And either way, maddening.'

Won't vampires just love this hot take. Hello, ancient predators, it doesn't matter how hedonistic you are or how much wealth you have, you are still weird little cult freaks.

(He has not phrased it this way to Armand.)

(Yet.)

'Do you still believe in the Conversion?' Pause, then: 'Did you ever?'

It fell so quickly to the wayside. Daniel never bought it, and Louis forgot to bring it up again. A dramatic-sounding but ultimately flimsy pretense.