Do vampires have souls? (PG-13)

[redwinter101]

Title: Do vampires have souls?
Author: redwinter101
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own Moonlight or any of its characters
Note: Strictly speaking, this isn't a drabble as it's over 100 words. It's actually an offcut from Limbo but this seemed the best place to post it.

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--- Do vampires have souls? ---

As a child Mick had been terrified by tales of Limbo, the first circle of Hell, the place where the final judgement of fate was awaited, the fear of eternal damnation lodged in him so deeply by the force of his upbringing.

But Limbo was a place of hope too, where the soul dreamt of paradise and waiting sinners were beguiled by the promise of atonement. Everlasting peace beckoned.

But do vampires have souls? It was a question of faith on which Mick now had plenty of time to reflect. He had been brought up to believe in the sanctity of the soul above all else; but if the soul was the source of life and he no longer lived could he still have a soul?

He felt joy; he felt pain; he loved; he feared; if he had no soul then he was truly forsaken.

[Phoenix]

That was intense and sad, Red. Poor Mick.

[allegrita]

I remember reading this at another board and it made me cry! It still brings a lump to my throat to think of Mick wondering if he has a soul. Oh sweetie--you have a soul. If you want to borrow mine, though, I'm happy to share it. You've got a good half of it anyway.

[skyeeblue]

I really liked this... I feel all creatures intrinsically have souls and vampires do to. Even though they have been infected with the virus of vampirism it does not take away their human makeup not entirely.... maybe accept for the feral ones and I still believe the feral ones, like feral animals have souls.

[coco]

Yes, this one still brings a tear to my eye. Poor Mick

[redwinter101]

While posting a new drabble earlier, I noticed that I had never responded to your lovely comments on this one. That's so unlike me - and I'm terribly sorry. How rude.

Phoenix, alle, skyeeblue and coco, thank you all for stopping by to read. I do appreciate it - even if it took me a while to say so!

Red

[wpgrace]

Dark Mick at his darkest... this one reallly makes one sad. Cause WHAT a lost soul to think this way... to even question...

If I may ask, when do you see him having these thoughts, Red? I mean on the Anniversary timeline... Cause I kinda see him having put these thoughts (tho still unresolved) on the back burner by the time the show starts... but I can see this being a big part of his mental obsession with himself during his marriage, tho not at the very beginning when he was busy with other things, like learning to survive and just wrapping his mind around his new existence... this seems a ponder for a quieter, tho not peaceful, mental time...

But you're the writer... do you have a specific time frame in mind for these concerns?

[redwinter101]

Well, Grace, this is cut out of Limbo and that takes place after Love Lasts Forever - so it's Beth's "Why do you go on living?" that has provoked this particular piece of introspection.

Red

[wpgrace]

Well, Grace, this is cut out of Limbo and that takes place after Love Lasts Forever - so it's Beth's "Why do you go on living?" that has provoked this particular piece of introspection.

Red

OH!! Bless his heart! That makes it even more sad!!!!!!!

Thanks, Red... sigh.

[Raven]

Lovely...sad. Maybe as love embraces his heart...and soul, Mick will know for sure.
I believe Mick's soul is very beautiful. He was born with one and it remains with him, regardless that he's been turned into a vampire...he is still a creature of God.
Very thought provoking Red. Thank you.

[redwinter101]

Raven, when I wrote this (Limbo was the very first ML story I wrote is that's a looooong time ago!) I was, and remain, convinced Mick has a soul. I think he's the only one who doubts it.

Thanks for the lovely comment - much appreciated, as always

Red

[cassysj]

It's really interesting to think about this because in the Buffy verse they didn't have souls. In a way that was kind of a loophole because if a demon set up residence in your body you would not be guilty for any of the murders your body committed as a vampire. But I like the idea of them retaining their souls, because being a vampire is having power and you can do good or bad with it like any human.

Mick & Josef obtain their blood through means that don't bring harm to people, they are more compassionate than me going to the supermarket for chicken, beef etc. Some vampires don't have such scruples and have no problem draining victims and moving on. Some are evil murderers, some may be starving. When human beings are starving it brings out either the best or worst in us vampires are not different.

I think I've talked more than this drabble but I enjoyed it. Mick has a soul!

[redwinter101]

Very thought-provoking, Carol. I agree about the lack of a soul being a get-out in Buffy - I think it's one of the reasons why Mick's struggles were so engaging. He had that human and spiritual part to him that, at times, was simply overcome by the physical nature of being a vampire, with all the ensuing angst and self-loathing.

Poor baby . Without a soul, he wouldn't have cared about the bad things he'd done. And you're right, much as Josef describes humans as food, he has his scruples too and they are based on more than just expediency - they come from a moral centre and I think a soul is as good a description of that as anything.

Red

[Luxe de Luxe]

you know Red, I've always suspected that Mick does have those sorts of philosophical concerns. I do see him as having had a religious upbringing - something that gave him his strong moral centre.

[redwinter101]

Luxe, I can't see Mick as being anything other than Catholic (there were SO many hints to that effect) and I think the amount of time he spends brooding, this was bound to come up eventually. Plus this came from a story where he'd been lying staked for four days, so time wasn't an issue....

Red