Power Dynamics in Vampire Society and Relationships

[xshadowdancex]

This might be a bit of something which would take some wrestling with to ponder for some. but I have noticed, within certain people, that there are very visable power dynamics between those who would consider themselves vampires, between those whom you might refer to as 'ghouls' or 'donors', 'familiars' and the like.

In many instances, there is a sort of smooth balance that occurs. You sometimes see those whom, despite whatever role they might have with their mate/mates or their own little section of society, maintain a type of balance. It's moreso a partnership. Yet many times it seems this does not occur. There is no litteral mutual balance yet rather there is the sort of balance you find between the roles of predator and prey, master and slave. There is the alpha, and the follower. Many times, I've seen this sort of flow of power between people grow to the point that there is imbalance, the leader or master, the predator, overwhelming the more submissive of the two and draining them, suckling from them their emotions and strengths unto the point in which there is not enough left for themselves to sustian their own needs much less provide for anyone else. This of course results in the meltdown of their joining. Either the alpha goes to find someone else to 'feed' from, to sustain their own cravings or the follower rebels in some fashion.

Whether you apply the sort of dominat.../master-slave type b d s m mentality or terminology to the relationships, this is what I so often find. There is, more often than not, the primal aspect of the predator, and his/her prey. I'm wondering if this is also what others see, in their own past experiences? So many times in larger groups, I find this, exceeding blanatant, sort of, well, for lack of a better term, social pyramid scheme, that seesm to exist between those whom are drawn to the ideaology of the vampire. I understand human nature, in that sometimes for many there is a need to have someone to worship, someone to follow, someone to protect and lead you, and also the desire for some to be those who lead, yet so many time it appears in the same fasion, time and time again.

I seem to so rarely encounter what I refer to as 'wild' vampires. Ones who simply exist at they see fit, that conform only to their own impulse, that flow freely amongst us without the binds and ties, the absolute NEED to either overwhelm and overcome, or the hungry need to be a victim, to be the addiction, the drug of another.

Do the rest of you also see this craving for power, either the power to use, or the power gained from being used? Do you think this is such a part of the lure or essence of vampirism that it's almost impossible to embrace vampirism without it?