Can they rush in after the first two words, before you say “not”? Can they enter if they stuff their ears before they hear the final word?
I would say, no, because the same magic rule prompting the vampire to ask permission in the first place also requires the answer to be complete. Otherwise, why bother? They would dart inside even before you had a chance to say “you” with the excuse that since you were taking too long you probably were okay with it.
I suppose it depends on if you can write a fun story around either one. Since every rule about vampires that sticks basically only has one thing in common, the writing in which it was featured was popular. If what you write around it isn’t very good, then no, I guess retroactively that isn’t how vampires work. But if it becomes popular and part of peoples canon in the future, then yes, that is exactly how vampires work, now.
This inspired me to keep a handheld mirror near my front door, for when someone inevitably asks if they can come in, I can grab it and do a very obvious vampire check
I hope your can find a mirror made with silver, most modern ones aren’t, and that’s why vampires didn’t show up in them
Dude. Thank you. I would’ve let so many vampires in.
As much as I appreciate it though, we’re poor as fuck, vampires still welcome.
Or stab a stake in their heart! If they are a vampire, they will either instantly turn to dust or at least be paralysed, so you can easily dispose of them.
Otherwise it’s going to be just ordinary murder.
Splash them with holy water
Will be appreciated by non vampire guests on hot days
You’re mixing stuff up. Mirrors reflect souls, and since vampires don’t have souls, they don’t have no reflections.
By that logic, no inanimate objects should show up either. I’d look in a mirror and would see behind me through the back wall and all the way to my neighbors inside their now invisible soulless house, and all neighbors beyond. It’d just be a bunch of people at various distances in my mirror line of sight in an infinite void behind me as far as the eye can see. And we’d all appear naked.
That’s hot.
Most people aren’t hot naked
That’s correct, and the “vampires have no reflection” thing is stupid. Most modern interpretations ditch it.
Dammit, time to hit the antique store.
Imagining a vampire showing up to Wayne and Garth’s studio.
“You may come in… NOT!”
Borat’s House:
“You may… NOT come in.”
It seems to me that the wording itself is unimportant, but rather the intention. So I would imagine no
Hear me out, so what if the vampire gaslights you into thinking that you already invited them in and they’re so good at it that you really believe it? Does that establish intent?
Only if they can gaslight into giving them permission. If they convince you theyre a friend you havent seen since high school that would be the way to go.
I just realized that I’d be pretty safe from vampire infestations. I hate having visitors, and will make (up) any excuse to avoid them. “Sure, but I was about to leave to deal with a work-related emergency. I don’t know when I’ll be home.”
…and then they can sit there alone until I see them leaving on my door camera.I don’t mind visiting others, because then I can leave when I’m spent. At home, however, it’s where I expect to be left alone.
Assuming that vampires can be seen on camera
Assuming someone knocking on my door without being visible on my camera would get a response to begin with.
You said “sure”, you’re done!
Usually, they only need permission once, then they can enter at will
With those implications, they’d never be allowed in.
the preferred nomenclature is “come back with a warrant”.
Hey, that’s an idea! A buddy cop movie, where they’re also vampires and execute warrants to get invited into the houses of the victims.
Would be a major improvement to normal cops since they would only enter your house with a warrant.
So a documentary about America then
Vampires are way cooler than police imo.
Actually, that could be a fun plot point. Vampires get in with warrants, find out people hate cops, investigate why, instigate positive change in the system…
“You mayn’t” as well.
What’s the longest duration between may and not that would be valid in keeping them out?
At least 20 seconds if you yell “psych” afterwards.
How long until you start questioning if it will work and invite doubt? Or will you assume defeat if the vampire fills the gap with, “why, thank you my good sir”?
My understanding of the idea with many interpretations of magic is they are all just ways of focusing your will on the world.
Ergo, the words aren’t themselves the source of power, your expectation that the words will result in a certain outcome is.
Therefore, if your intention is to deny entry is strong, there could be a fairly good gap.
But on the other hand, playing around to try and see could create doubt and uncertainty, weakening the effect.
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I admire your confidence
If they are magically forbidden to enter without permission, but also don’t know every language or phrasing of ‘come on in’, then there is a magical way to know intent without needing to hear all the words.
Otherwise they wouldn’t be able to work with nods and hand motions from people who cannot speak, shrugs and grunts from drunk college students, etc.
Hmm, this was debated already and in this comment they provided a peer reviewed journal article about intent vs language and understanding. It sums things up better than I could. They clearly cared a lot more than me about this.
sometimes they do let you down.
Some readers might assume a lie, and dissert you.
You mean Brock Turner the rapist?
You mean the rapist Brock Allen Turner?
Just say no.
That’s quite impolite, isn’t it?
“Vell, you didn’t have to be rude about it.”
I’m sure it varies by setting but my head canon is it’s about intent. They don’t need to be granted permission explicitly, they just need you to explicitly want them to enter.
First of all, why would you fuck around with a vampire? Second, don’t try a not joke with them. I think if you wait to long between the “you may” and the “…NOT!”, you’re fucked.
Thats why you summon Abraham Lincoln, the Vampire Hunter
Vampires and humans are not known for enforcing laws against each other. Stake it before you get eaten rule. Eat then deny you were not invited in rule.
I’m not sure there is “binding magical power” in the food’s words, and if not, it’s not worth considering the food’s words. Not much recent history of “magical god intervention” stopping rule breaking, and there would need to be a “magical human+vampire governing interventionist god” there to supervise all interactions.
