Characters / Old Scores

Characters appearing in the 2023 novel Old Scores.

Vampires

Vampires in general

• Above Good and Evil: Simon notes that "human concepts of good and evil don't mean much to us."
• The Ageless: The vampires do not die from the passage of time, but are killable through various means.
• Attack on the Heart: Not always instantly fatal, but incapacitating. Completely destroying the heart, however, is fatal.
• The Beastmaster: A power of older vampires.
• Bloodlust: The scent of blood excites vampires' predatory reflexes.
• Casts No Shadow: Which poses no shortage of logistical problems for Simon when he interacts with humans during the day.
• Daywalking Vampire: Even direct sunlight is only disorienting, not harmful, unless it is dawn's light. However, they are Weakened by the Light; many of their powers diminish or disappear altogether between sunrise and sunset.
• Evil Smells Bad: Not their bodies, per se, but their breath smells of the blood on which they feed; Simon swishes mouthwash before visiting Anita to relieve the odor.
• Fangs Are Evil: Vampires use their fangs as their primary feeding tool, though they are retractable to preserve the appearance of humanity.
• Glowing Eyes of Doom: Vampires' eyes glow red as a sign of anger or intentional intimidation.
• Healing Factor: Vampires heal quickly from most wounds, though serious injuries take longer and require feeding.
• Hypnotic Eyes: A universal vampiric power, though its efficacy increases with age.
• Innate Night Vision: Simon reflects that he actually sees better in darkness, without lights distracting him.
• Must Be Invited: Old Scores also makes clear the invitation must be verbal.
• Off with His Head!: A surefire way to kill a vampire.
• Ominous Fog: Older vampires can summon it at will, though it seems an older vampire can seize control of a younger one's mist.
• Our Vampires Are Different: Although not much different from the vampires in Dracula, including the usual complement of powers such as Super-Reflexes, Super-Senses (articularly sight, hearing, and smell), Super-Speed, Super-Strength, Super-Toughness, and Voluntary Shapeshifting (though subject to Shapeshifter Mode Lock between sunrise and sunset). All increase with age.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: Blood in the sclera is the first (and apparently only non-concealable) sign of a blood glutton vampire.
• Reflective Eyes: Vampiric eyes reflect the light unnaturally.
• Silver Has Mystic Powers: Just the touch of silver burns, and a Silver Bullet through the heart will kill.
• Sliding Scale of Undead Regeneration: Type 4, although the burn on Salem's chest suggests there are some wounds which will not fully heal.
• Super-Strength: Notable for being one of the few vampiric powers to persist (even if somewhat diminished) during daylight hours.
• Undeathly Pallor: Even when well-fed, vampires look, at best, wan.
• Vein-o-Vision: Downplayed. Simon remarks multiple times on his ability to see the movement of veins and arteries, but it seems to be more minute movement of the skin than actually seeing through to them.
• Wall Crawl: Without any need for hand holds.
• Wolverine Claws: All vampiric claws are sharp and solid enough to use as weapons.

Simon

A stoic, (relatively) young vampire with a mysterious past and a self-vexing interest in humans.

• Anti-Villain: A relatively classical vampire, yet he has a rule against killing children, and goes out of his way to kill an abusive husband at the request of his wife, too.
• Badass Longcoat: Simon's fashion of choice, implied to be at least in part because it allows him to easily conceal his kukri knife.
• Creepy Monotone: His voice sometimes carries as little emotion as his face (as part of his stoic nature), but leaves people more ill at ease.
• Deadpan Snarker: Not as much as Salem, but he clearly learned more than fighting from his erstwhile mentor. Anita tends to draw it out of him (or at least make him comfortable enough to stop being The Stoic).
• Evil Smells Bad: Averted, though only because he uses mouthwash to cleanse the smell of blood from his mouth.
• Intrigued by Humanity: In part because, uniquely among vampires, he has no memory of his own human life.
• Kukris Are Kool: It is his weapon of choice.
• Mysterious Past: He has no memory of his human life.
• Romantic Vampire Boy: Due to his relationship with Anita, though he is very much not a Friendly Neighborhood Vampire.
• The Stoic: Especially in comparison to Anita, but even independently, Simon is restrained with his emotions.
• Sugar-and-Ice Personality: Anita is the only person to consistently crack his cool exterior.
• Wife-Basher Basher: He kills Tom Corley, Sr., on implicit request of his abused wife.
• Wouldn't Hurt a Child: Inherited from Salem, he refuses to prey on children.

Salem, aka Flavius

A snarky, long-lived vampire warrior and Simon's estranged mentor.

• Combat Pragmatist: He wastes no time in killing his enemies with merciless efficiency.
• Deadpan Snarker: In keeping with his trollish nature.
• Doesn't Like Guns: Not for any aversion to violence, but because he thinks they are beneath him. Despite his disdain, however, he is an exceptional pistol marksman.
• It's Personal: With Shafax; apparently, Shafax was responsible for the deaths of one or more individuals Salem liked.
• Laughably Evil: Granted, he is often the only one laughing (because his humor revolves around mocking or needling others), but he is quick with a quip.
• Master Swordsman: Implied to be one, though he never gets a chance to fight anyone else using a blade in Old Scores.
• Meaningful Rename: Salem stopped calling himself "Flavius" at some point before meeting Simon, although, as with most things concerning Salem, what the choice means is not clear.
• Mr. Exposition: He falls into this role as the oldest vampire on the protagonists' side.
• Mysterious Past: Apart from his enmity with Shafax and the implication that he was Roman in life, nothing is known of his backstory.
• The Nicknamer: He comes up with a series of food-related nicknames for Anita.
• Sink or Swim Mentor: According to Simon, Salem's idea of helping him master shapeshifting was to force him to climb to the top of the Sears Tower and then throw him off.
• Smug Super: Cocky, condescending, and trollish, but also hundreds (if not thousands) of years old and an extremely capable fighter.
• Troll: Salem takes obvious pleasure in aggravating most of the people he meets, from random humans who cross his path all the way up to the King of All Vampires.
• Villainous Valor: A ruthless vampire whose trollishness borders on sadism, but unafraid to fight and defiant even in the face of apparent defeat.
• Wouldn't Hurt a Child: One of his few moral compunctions is killing children.
• Wound That Will Not Heal: Salem bears a circular burn scar over his heart which his vampiric Healing Factor evidently can not completely remedy.

Shafax

The megalomaniacal King of All Vampires who is on a personal quest to be the only vampire.

• Ancient Evil: Salem, who is clearly not young, calls him "Shafax the Ancient One", and later remarks that he's the oldest vampire in existence.
• Black Magic: One of Shafax's specialties.
• The Caligula: Salem suggests Shafax's blood gluttony has driven him insane, but notes that he was a megalomaniac even before.
• Evil Sorcerer: As a practitioner of Black Magic of various kinds.
• It's Personal:
  • With Salem, for unclear reasons (including, but perhaps not limited to, Salem killing people Shafax liked or at least found useful).
  • With Anita, after she drives him from the Stokely house with her crucifix. Though Salem enjoys the image immensely, he notes that Shafax will never forgive the slight.
• Mind over Matter: Telekinesis is another of his powers; it works on objects, living people, and the undead.
• Monstrosity Equals Weakness: Despite his titanic strength and Black Magic powers, Shafax has to feed much more often than a vampire his age normally would, which risks drawing attention and leaves him weaker without a steady, constant supply of blood.
• Necromancer: Both the classical variant (communing with the spirits of the dead) and the modern take (raising an army of undead).
• Omnicidal Maniac: Salem suggests his goal is to consume all the vampires, and subsequently all the humans, too.
• One to Million to One: His Voluntary Shapeshifting extends to a swarm of locusts.
• Smug Super: Shafax is so breathtakingly arrogant that even Salem points it out. He is also so powerful it takes Salem, Simon, and Anita together to bring him down.
• Vampire Monarch: Though Salem claims he is taking the role's authority much further than vampires ever meant it to go.
• Wolverine Claws: His claws have become raptor-like talons, which cut flesh like paper.
• 0% Approval Rating: Even apart from his being a blood glutton, Salem makes clear that no other vampires will follow Shafax willingly.

Humans

Anita Rothard

An artistically-oriented young woman whose friendly, easygoing nature is countered by faulty self-confidence, and who draws Simon's attention.

• Action Survivor: Admittedly with substantial help from Simon and Salem, but she still immerses herself in war with the King of All Vampires and comes out more or less intact.
• Bullied into Depression: Downplayed; she evidently spent most of high school being bullied and, despite her kindness and good nature, has few friends.
• Culturally Religious: To some degree, since her family and Marion are Catholic. She gets a rude awakening when she discovers Simon is a vampire and realizes there is hard truth underlying the faith.
• Curtains Match the Window: Chestnut hair and bright brown eyes.
• Puppy-Dog Eyes: Simon thinks of Anita's eyes this way.
• Sensitive Artist: Anita, though her emotionality and empathy are particularly emphasized in contrast to Simon's stoicism.
• Thou Shalt Not Kill: As something of a pacifist herself, Anita imposes on Simon to feed on his prey without killing them. She makes an exception for killing Christine and Shafax, but they are both already undead.
• Welcomed to the Masquerade: After she discovers Simon is a vampire. Simon welcomes her with some relief, Salem rather more begrudgingly.

Christine Stokely

Anita's best friend, Christine is a driven, Type A achiever.

• Dragon with an Agenda: As Shafax's Dragon, she intends to rule at his side as his queen. This does not differ from his stated agenda, but (unbeknownst to her) his actual agenda to be the only vampire.^note As the man himself said, "A god needs no consort."
• Elegant Classical Musician: She plays violin, and expects to be first chair in the next academic year.
• Head-Turning Beauty: Literally at times.
• Icy Blue Eyes: Accentuating her aloofness, along with her fair skin. When she becomes a vampire, they turn into Creepy Blue Eyes.
• Lovable Alpha Bitch: How Anita sees her; they were best friends growing up, despite Christine being very popular and Anita not, and Christine protected Anita from being bullied by anyone else.
• Nice to the Waiter: When a store clerk tries to steer Anita and Christine out of a department store, she has no hesitation about putting him in (what she thinks is) his place. Downplayed with Marion; she is never openly rude to her, but does conduct herself with a clear consciousness of class separation between them.
• Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: If the reactions of those around her are any indication, she is stunning even before she becomes a vampire.
• Rich Bitch: When she plays up the "ice" in her Sugar-and-Ice Personality.
• Sugar-and-Ice Personality: She is generally affectionate with Anita, but more aloof around others, including Marion.

Hans Richtein

A German soldier turned camera man for the Deutsche Presse-Agentur, Hans is the sole survivor of the archaeological expedition that awakened Shafax.

• The Big Guy: In the Mari archaeological expedition, though he is present only as a newsman.
• The Lost Lenore: The death of his significant other sent him into depression.
• Mind Rape: Subjected to it by Shafax.
• The Renfield: Hans Richtein is turned into one for Shafax. The story implies that Hans's depression over the death of his significant other in a motorcycle accident left him vulnerable to Shafax's mental domination.

Miguel Vargos

A student at UIC who holds together a fragile collective of misfits and tries to befriend Simon and Anita.

• Manipulative Bastard: He seems to have genuine affection for all his various friends, but since not all of them have affection for each other, he is not above manipulating their emotions to keep everyone civil.
• Secret Chaser: To Simon. Oddly enough, it has no relation to him becoming a vampire.

Heidi Michener

Heidi is a quiet, shy freshman in Miguel's collection of friends.

• Extreme Doormat: She is painfully eager not to offend or trouble anyone else.
• Innocent Blue Eyes: She is a soft-spoken, meek soul.
• Self-Harm: Heidi bears the scars on her wrists. Her sister later reflects that Heidi was hospitalized for a suicide attempt.
• Shrinking Violet: In spades.
• Troubled, but Cute: Obviously suffering both depression and social anxiety, with self-harming tendencies, but a cute girl.

Richard Rothard

Anita's father, Richard Rothard is a highly successful neurosurgeon.

• Dr. Jerk: He is both a neurosurgeon and neurosurgical researcher, and both Anita and Simon end up on the wrong end of his temper.
• Fat Bastard: He is noticeably overweight, but his unpleasantness is downplayed; he is suspicious of Simon and disappointed in Anita, but he seems to have Anita's best interests at heart, and he does express gratitude for Simon protecting Anita during the alley fight.
• Gentle Touch vs. Firm Hand: The Firm Hand to his wife's Gentle Touch.
• Heavy Voice: Anita lowers her voice conspicuously when mimicking (or mocking) his.
• Nice to the Waiter: Although he is not as openly friendly with Marion as his daughter, he never treats her with anything but courtesy.

Nancy Rothard

Nancy Rothard, Anita's mother, is a retired clinical psychologist.

• Gentle Touch vs. Firm Hand: The Gentle Touch to her husband's Firm Hand.
• Nice to the Waiter: She is more openly friendly with Marion than Richard, though not as familial as Anita.
• The Shrink: She is retired from practice, though Anita thinks she still has the ability to psychoanalyze with a look. Though impliedly the Awesome Shrink archetype in her previous career, she is more Ineffective with Anita, who resists opening up.

Marion de Santos

Marion is the Rothards' live-in domestic servant and one of Anita's closest confidantes.

• Big Sister Instinct: Toward Anita.
• Hired Help as Family: Particularly between Anita and her, but she is invited to share Christmas with the Rothards as an equal, not a servant.
• Private Tutor: To Anita for Spanish, though Anita points out it is not actually part of her job.