So Many Questions: House Rules Part One

Hello again, lovely Readers! I'm back again. This time with part one of my questions for House Rules. This is one of my favorite books in the series. I really had to pare down the notes and highlights I marked during my read. We would have had 10 or 12 parts to this one. Alas, none of us has time for that. So, two parts it is. Join me after the break for House Rules questions. Spoilers abound, continue at your own risk!







How do you get made a Rogue?

Some of them had been snubbed or excluded from the House system, and some of them had purposely chosen the Rogue life.

How do you get to be a Rogue? Why would a vampire be snubbed or excluded? Are they not very strong or not very attractive? Choosing a Rogue life, I get. But, why would a vampire be snubbed by the Houses? Also, how were vampires made Rogues before Celina's little proclamation? Did you have to know someone? Were people turned against their will? Also, in a little bit, we learn that other Rogues might have murdered Oliver and Eve because they were going to register. It's a damn good thing humans don't know about Rogues yet. That little bit of knowledge might be the tipping point for humans.

How wealthy is Ethan?

"Perhaps this will jog your memory,” Ethan said, extending a folded twenty-dollar bill between his fingers.  

The doorman took it and slipped it into his coat pocket, then crossed his arms again. I guess Jackson wasn’t his favorite president.  

"How about President Grant?” Ethan asked, offering a fifty in the same way.

They talk several times about compound interest. So, at nearly 400 years old, how wealthy is Ethan exactly? Or does he only have Cadogan's money? Does Ethan get a stipend as the Novitiates do? Or, is Cadogan's money his to do with as he pleases? Also, I've always wondered this on cop shows. When someone does this to get information, especially a cop or investigative type person, do they get that money back? Do they carry around bribe money from petty cash? How does that work?

Are vampires and other long-lived supernaturals resistant to technology?

"That's Eve's phone," he solemnly pronounced. "I'd know it anywhere. It's old and does pretty much nothing but take calls, but she refuses to upgrade."

Is this a just a quirk of Eve's or are vampires somewhat reticent to changing technology? Especially someone as old as Ethan, how long did it take him to adjust when the Industrial Revolution hit? Are there some vampires who just want to stay to the old ways? Or, like people, does it just depend on the vampire? None of the Cadogan vampires seem to be reticent to embrace it, except maybe the Librarian. Are there vampires out there living like the Amish because they are either too scared or too stubborn to embrace the technological advances we've made?

Jealous Ethan is hilarious to me.

"And Jeff?"There was a funny little twinge in Ethan's voice. Surely not jealousy, as he'd sworn he was so sure of our relationship that he wasn't capable of it.

And to be jealous of our little Jeff. Oh Ethan. You don't need to worry about Merit and Jeff. Or, what do you know about shifters in general or Jeff in particular that would make you think there is something to worry about? Or, is there some insecurity behind that confident, gorgeous facade?





Dancer feet are disgusting.

I'd danced ballet for many years, and had the toes to prove it.

In case you needed any clarification on what this little bit means, it means a dancer's feet are

the most disgusting things on the face of the earth. Ballet dancers in particular, because of the pointe shoes, are especially awful. They are scarred and blistered and calloused. You always think of ballerinas as so graceful and beautiful. Everything but their feet. Those pretty pointe shoes hide a horrible secret. I worked backstage on many a dance show in my high school and college days. I know a fair amount of dancers. Trust me. Don't go near a dancers feet.

Could vampires survive a Nearly Headless Nick style almost decapitation?

Their throats had been cut completely, their heads severed but resting only centimeters away from their bodies, a mockery of their immortality. They might have survived other wounds that would kill most humans; vampires healed quickly, and gashes might have eventually closed. But decapitation was, quite clearly, a mortal wound.

I don't mean to be morbid or gross, but could a vampire survive that kind of wound? It's not a complete decapitation, but it is close. Would that eventually heal? If sheltered and......I was going to say given blood, but that obviously wouldn't work. Maybe, given IV blood. Would they eventually heal? What about a vampire that's been drained completely of blood? Could they survive that? What exactly are the limits of vampire injuries?

What would Merit have done with her life, without Joshua and Celina's interference?

I was suddenly struck with melancholy, missing my former life, when my only worry would have been whether I was ready for the next day's classes at U of C. I'd be worried about due dates and dissertation chapters and grading papers, about whether my car would last through another Chicago winter (it had) and the Cubs would win another pennant (they hadn't).

I wonder sometimes what she would have done with her life without their influence. Would she have gotten her doctorate and searched out English Lit professorships? Moved to Eureka or Stars Hollow and been a quirky professor for the rest of her days? Would she have gotten married, had kids, etc? Would she have been happy in that life or just content? She would never know she wasn't living up to her full potential. Would she have been really, truly happy? Would her fictional husband have loved her as much as Ethan does? Would she have loved him as much as she loves Ethan?

What are the rest of the histories of the Houses?

"We live here, work here, and pay taxes here," Luc muttered. "And we've been here doing those things longer than she or any other human being in the city has been alive." 

We know that Ethan moved Cadogan to Chicago in 1883. We know that Grey was established in Chicago a relatively short time ago. We know that Navarre is a very old House. When did they come to Chicago? When were Cadogan and Navarre formed? Where else were Cadogan and Navarre stationed before moving to Chicago? We know Celina once lived in France. Was that were her House was founded? Or was it England? Why did Celina choose Chicago? What prompted her to move? Ethan has mentioned the Revolutionary War before. Where was Cadogan House stationed then? What prompted Ethan to choose Chicago after Peter's death? Was it an immediate move or did he get accustomed to being a Master first?

I'd love to see some of history's significant moments through the eyes of vampires.

"Hey," Luc said with a chuckle that was still tinged with insecurity. "We can do this. We've been through hard times before. The Great Depression? The 'seventy-three oil crisis? Capone's reign of terror?"

We are all aware of the human perspective of history. What's the vampire perspective? Did especially old vampires see any of the human hard times coming and try to warn them? Did vampires influence any of those events in an effort to gain power? Were any historical figures actually vampires or supernaturals? How many mistakes have vampires had to watch humans relive? How did vampires get themselves out of things like the draft? Did they just glamour people into forgetting that they existed? How did vampires stay under the radar in one city for so long? Didn't anyone notice that the neighbors down the street never got any older? Was glamour a much greater part of human's lives before we ever knew it existed? 

Does Merit have gymnastics training?

With only nanoseconds and a few millimeters to spare, I half turned and flipped backward, barely moving out of the way in time.

Dancers often have cross training in gymnastics. However, ballet dancers are usually pretty focused on their one discipline. But, Merit seems to be pretty well versed in flips and the like. Is this from dance training or Catcher training? Also, where did Catcher learn to fight? Obviously, since his specialty is weapons, it could have come from Order training. But, if not, where did he learn? 

Does Ethan have any old, ratty clothing?

Every molecule of clothing on this body was bespoke and perfect, from the slacks that ran the length of his long legs to the suit jacket that fit his shoulders as if it had been hand-sewn for him by an elderly European gentleman with small needles and thick chalk.Come to think of it, I bet that was exactly how it had been made.

Does Ethan have a secret stash of ratty t-shirts or underwear with holes in them? A centuries old outfit from days long gone, that just happened to be his favorite? A storage unit full of clothing from different time periods? Which time period was his favorite, for fashion and just in general? What about Lindsey? She's over 100 years old and has seen quite a few fashion trends come and go. Which one did she like the most? We know from High Stakes that she has a fondness for the 20s. But, is that her favorite? I have a feeling Lindsey might have liked the 40s as well, swing clothes and all.

Move. The Fuck. On. Lacey.

"It is my business," she countered. "This House is my business, and the Master who made me is my business."

I have about six or seven things highlighted that Lacey says that just make me want to rage

at her. But, her following and tattling on Merit about what she thinks is an affair with Jonah and her saying that Merit failed to protect him from that stake are the two things that really get my blood boiling. She is such a whiny little bitch about all things Merit related. She needs to get over Ethan and move on. He broke up with you several YEARS ago. Move on, Lacey. It's over and it's been over. He never really loved you anyway. It's a harsh thing to say, but it seems harshness is the only way to get through to her. And, damn Ethan for not nipping this in the bud earlier. Oblivious men. And, who told Lacey that Merit failed to protect Ethan? Was it Darius or some other GP member? Or, was it someone within the House with a grudge against Merit? Whatever the case may be, she needs to put on her big girl pants and get over it.

Why are all of the RG partners dating in their personal lives as well?

Seeing these vampires together, I wasn't sure which had come first--whether RG members had sough out their partners because of their skills and the romance had followed, or romantically intertwined couples simply made good RG spies.

This is counter-intuitive to every cop show I've ever watched and that is a lot. Every cop show or book I've ever come across forbids partners to date. The notable exceptions being Bones (both books and the TV show), Castle, and, as Jonah mentions, Moonlighting. There are some shows were the romantic partners work at the same job, a la CSI, but aren't officially partners. It's an enormously scaring thing to be in danger and know that not just your work partner but your life partner is also in danger. Why would the RG take such risks? Which one did come first? Did these couples get assigned to each other and fall in love afterwards? Is this what Jonah expected to happen to them when Noah assigned Merit as his partner? Did he think they would end up together? Also, does Noah have a partner?


Well, that's all for this time, Saucy Readers. Stay Tuned for House Rules Part Two coming soon! Did I miss anything you wanted to know? Let me know below!