By Hesperus (c) 2013
Vampiric exchange bestows countless meaningful gifts on donors from the active cultivation of positive emotion to the priceless assurance that such emotional growth is itself possible. Utilizing that exchange to improve the world through the fostering of prosperity in our donors is both completely natural and highly ethical. It is not always possible or ideal, however, to feed on non-vampires. For those of us in environments in which it is unsafe to reveal our vampiric nature, for example, seeking out a donor can be extremely dangerous. Yet it is these hostile environments that drain us more than any other and demand that we feed regularly. In such cases, it may prove preferable to engage in vampiric exchange with other vampires.
While different Houses and vampiric groups affirm distinct identifying titles or hierarchical systems for vampires with different levels of need, modes of feeding, or sources of sustenance, it is almost universally recognized that such distinctions exist. We are a highly diverse community and this affords us some interesting and extremely propitious feeding options. In any vampiric exchange there is some waste, some amount of energy that transfers to the receiving party for which the receiver has no use and that will simply stagnate from lack of application. Since different vampires find more sustenance from certain energies than others, what stagnates in one may offer great satisfaction to another, allowing for a mutually beneficial exchange. The various classes of vampire within a group can be extremely helpful in beginning the process of seeking out compatible partners for inter-vampiric exchange but the needs of each vampire can differ in very minute ways that are nonetheless potentially significant in inter-feeding. Any specific modes of effecting transfer should also be personalized and discussed by all vampires involved, as the unique needs and skills of participants can vary widely. Before undertaking the search for vampiric feeding partners, one should also note that it is quite possible (and in some Houses, quite common) for an ideal exchange to involve more than two vampires.
Not only does inter-vampiric feeding obviate difficulties in finding non-vampire donors, it offers several benefits in itself. Particularly in psychic exchanges, vampirism can feel like being a mirror: when we feed on others, we become a reflection of them, accepting to some extent their identities as our own for the duration of the connection. Interchanging with another vampire, on the other hand, is comparable to positioning two mirrors to face each other, allowing each to admire its own reflection. In my personal experiences with inter-vampiric feeding, this has been one of the most rewarding consequences. In most of my everyday interactions with others, I employ my natural tendency toward empathy and reap countless rewards from that practice, but at times I feel at risk of losing my sense of self; when synchronizing with another vampire, however, I feel centered and unambiguously myself. One aspect of this exchange that likely contributes to these feelings of clarity is the siphoning off of the unusable portions of one's energy, which frees one of blockages that can impede efficient energy flow. In purely pragmatic terms, a fellow vampire is far more likely to be familiar with energy manipulation techniques that will facilitate beneficial exchange, minimizing resistance and energy loss. Additionally, having a regular source of exchange available within the community lessens or eliminates one's dependence on non-vampire donors, relieving any strain that may be put on donors when their numbers are low and ours are high as well as decreasing the societal risks that accompany the exposure caused by seeking out donors.
Although exchanging with other vampires has many advantages, there are some potential shortcomings that should be considered as well. Foremost, when feeding is restricted to only other vampires, we may fall short of our full ethical potential to benefit mankind with the natural effects of donation. Knowing the favorable consequences of feeding we are capable of sharing with our non-vampire donors, we have an ethical responsibility to help our non-vampire neighbors and improve our environments by those means granted us by our natures. The possibility of inter-vampiric feeding does not excuse us from this ethical vocation. Secondly, as difficult as it can be to locate a suitable non-vampiric donor, finding another vampire with whom one can effect a mutually beneficial exchange can be even more challenging, particularly for those not belonging to a formal group or House.
For those members of our community fortunate enough to be acquainted with other vampires whose needs complement their own, inter-vampiric exchange can be an intensely fulfilling experience. It frees us not only of the dangers that can accompany the search for non-vampire donors, but also of the stagnation within us that can result from feeding itself. The only significant concern posed by such an arrangement is the limitation it could impose on our proclivity for improving the lot of non-vampires should we elect to abandon the practice of exchanging with them in favor of exclusively intramural feeding. For those for whom it is safe, this drawback is easily avoided by continuing to exchange with non-vampire donors as well as vampiric partners. This maintains one's health and even enhances one's skill, rewards which benefit vampires and donors alike.