#bartonintro

backstory. 

here he is, the biggest douche in the universe! he might not be evil but the guy genuinely doesn’t care about anyone. 

seth is a born werewolf. his father really wanted purebred kids, as he liked to call them, so he looked for a partner capable of surviving the birth of an offspring. 

his mother barely survived the birth of her first son before she was forced to bear another child. the pregnancy was horrible but somehow she managed to keep seth alive at the cost of her own life. 

being a little shit, he doesn’t really care that his mother died for him, he doesn’t even speak about her. 

his father did his best to treat his sons like kings: anything they wanted they got. while his brother was more humble about their status, seth was anything but. 

everything he got he took for granted and even demanded more, whether or not his father could provide. 

while the pack liked and respected his brother, their opinions about seth were mixed. some were good with him being around, others were pushing for him to be removed from the pack. 

the one thing his father refused to give seth was the title of alpha once he passed away. the man realized that if his youngest inherited everything then his life’s work would go to hell. 

seth decided that if he couldn’t get what he wanted by asking ‘nicely’ he no longer needed his father. 

the one mistake he made was not killing him in front of the pack, in a fight. probably because he knew he’d lose not just the possibility of leadership but also his life. the pack valued and respected his father deeply (he was a great man an a great alpha). instead he poisoned him and blamed the hunters. 

his plan backfired and his older brother got leadership of the pack instead, by birthright. 

his brother came with the idea to move the pack to barton hollow when the town was formed, looking for a fresh start.

for a while, seth agreed with his brother, played nicely and followed all the rules. but he was just taking his time, building up the strength to challenge for the position of alpha. he even asked for the help of a local witch. 

eventually, he got there. the fight was long and difficult but all the cheats (that he kept for himself) helped seth win in the end. 

he got what he wanted but he still wasn’t satisfied (this guy will never be satisfied with anything tbh). 

afraid his brother might challenge his leadership, seth banished him from barton hollow. some wolves followed him thinking seth was unfit to be a leader. 

he used part of his inheritance money (the part he stole from his brother’s side of the inheritance) to buy half of the local automotive shop. not because he needed the extra cash, both his parents were left him with enough money, but because he needed something to do with his time. 

sometimes he gets his hands dirty as well fixing cars. 

as an alpha. 

probably has THE MOST unruly pack of wolves. most of the good ones left when he won the fight and he was left with the young, the reckless and the killers in the pack. 

he’s not much of a leader but he’s trying hard as hell. his brother was a natural at this leadership business and seth still hates him for it. 

he rarely loses his temper but when he does it’s hell. 

as long as they don’t get seriously injured or in trouble with hunters, seth lets his wolves run wild. 

they need to be present for pack meetings or whatever else he needs them for. if they fail to show up without a good reason, he’ll either kill them or seriously hurt them. 

his leadership style is a mix of scare tactics and clever manipulation. 

character facts. 

seth doesn’t ask for favors, he’d much sooner die. aside from the deal he made with the witch he’s never taken any help from anyone. 

he does agree to do things for people ( rarely ) only because he can later benefit in some way.  if it doesn’t stand to gain anything, he won’t do it.

still hates his brother for getting the pack in trouble with the trinity witches and is working on a way to lift the pack’s curse. 

personality.

basically, he’s a selfish, narcissistic douchebag who just wants power and recognition from everyone.

hella smart but likes to play dumb. he wants people to underestimate him so they let their guard down around him.

he’s very observant. any little detail he can pick up about someone he’ll remember and think of ways to use it against them or to his benefit. 

QUICK STATS

Name : Jade Catalina De Luna Age: 27 years old  D.O.B : December 21 1992 - Sagittarius Sun, Cancer Moon Height : 5′3 Color : Purple Hobbies: she enjoys sketching and drawing

The Twilight Pack of mountains had always been ran by the De Luna family. It had been that way for generations. Like other packs of course there came times were others would challenge for the right to be Alpha. And every-time, the De Luna family won and the challenger would be exiled. Loyalty was everything.The pack came first. Above all else. No matter what.  That is what Jade had been told since she was a little girl, when her father was still Alpha.

She didn’t necessarily have a tough child hood at least not for a child in the Twilight Pack. They stood away from humans as much as possible, staying in the safety of the mountains. They learned to live off the land and rarely made any trips down, even when they did it was short and under the radar. When the uprising happened, trips to town stopped all together. They couldn’t risk any humans knowing about them. The twilight pack wanted to stay out of the war. But this only made the young woman restless. So, at night she would sneak away, claim to be hunting and run off into the towns bellow. They were so small, so away from the violence of the war, she would be fine as long as she was careful. And she always was, at least before she met Darien .

Darien Shields worked as handy man, and bumped into Jade one night as she was on her way home. she was taken aback by how pretty he was for a human. He apologized sheepishly and his soft tone made the otherwise brash girl, soften as well. The two began to spend time together, Jade always making up excuses on why she needed to go into the town. When he began to question why she wouldn’t move into the town she told Darien what she was. 

He initially took it well, telling her he loved her before having to go to work. she stayed in town the rest of the day, happily planning out how she would tell her father she would be leaving the pack. That’s when she smelled the smoke. She turned her head, eyes widening as she realized it was coming down from the mountains. She began to run as fast as her feet would carry her, jumping over logs and avoiding the flames where she could. What she witnessed when she arrived, haunts her every night.The sight of the man she loved, shooting her father through the chest with a silver bullet. The man she loved, was a hunter. And he had used her. She stared at him, the anger causing her eyes to glow their amber yellow. As she moved closer to him, they slowly changed into a bright red. With her father gone, the title of Alpha went to Jade. She reached Darien. her hand shooting through his rib cage, ripping his heart from his chest. 

After killing her lover. Jade gathered as much of the pack as she could. Their numbers had been cut down to less than half. While in town, she heard of Barton Hollow, the safe haven for all supernatural creatures. She decided that is where the pack would go to keep them safe. 

[Full Bio] [Pinterest] [Headcanons] [Wanted Connections]

First a few somewhat random little points, full bio and more linked above, but here’s some basic rambling to get this started. 

Werewolf. Technically. Due to an amazingly unhealthy mix of distance from his original pack and the viciously abusive home life he suffered growing up, thrown in with a healthy fear of the sort of wolves that he knew pack to be; Nathan hasn’t fully reached his potential as a werewolf in spite of being in his late twenties. He hasn’t changed, hasn’t reached his full strength or scope of normal abilities, and he certainly hasn’t made any effort to fit himself into a new pack. He tends to live life as much like a human as possible, but it is a flawed effort given where he originally came from before being moved to CA (possible connection - people he knew back there) to live with his father. 

His mother’s pack were unsettling by most any accounts, the sort of strange, bizarre monsters that the locals in their Appalachian home spoke of in whispers of ghosts and demons. Hardly the case, but the pack as a whole certainly had some arcane nature running in their blood and Nathan feels it within his own. All the more reason to be wary of what the moon can do, and what he may himself do if he were to reach that state. He’s mostly written it off as impossible, something within him too off centered, content with being stronger than humans, more aware, sharper sensed, rather than dare chase the moon too much. (Possible connection? Somebody who wants to stir up that change?)

As one would assume that, while unable to be sensed by most other werewolves (connection? Maybe someone can sense it?), that delay puts him at odds with them if they do find out. He’s hardly afraid to voice his opinions in regards to their often judgmental views, quick to point out that he doesn’t care what they think of him or his life (someone feel free to give him someone to clash on this?), but there is that feeling, still, of knowing that he doesn’t have a place with them anymore than he does with actual humans. It’s an uncomfortable spot, that feeling of being resistant to what one is and still feeling the lure of it so intensely. 

Due to his inheritance Nathan really has no reason to work (hellooo other people working at Wentworth =  connections), he could live very well his entire life and have nothing to worry about, but he likes having a reason to keep busy. And being a receptionist at the hospital isn’t exactly as interesting as things might have been if he’d finished his stint in school to become an RN, but it’s something to do. He also isn’t fond of people being aware of just how impressive his bank account is. He has a roommate (connection needs to be filled, yess), lives what he considers to be fairly typical for someone his age, although he gets it wrong sometimes after being raised in excess as his normality. His tastes run lavish but, usually, he doesn’t let it go too far in hinting at the money he doesn’t like for people to know about. (but if somebody does know? connection?) He’s lived the life of being important because of his status, he grew tired of it and the false people that came with it. Normality is surprisingly entertaining, all in all. 

He has a cat, Frankie, (short for Frankenstein) who wanders the shared apartment. Said cat is the typical, pet me when I want and I’ll ignore that you exist the rest of the time, feline and is usually slinking around like a furry, splotchy shadow. Frankie is a Tortoiseshell tabby and Nathan claims he came with the apartment since he found the cat skirting around outside as a stray very shortly after moving in.

Perhaps a throwback to the linage of his pack, but Nathan has a morbid streak. He enjoys horror movies (100% needs somebody to drink and watch movies with) and binge watches them when left to his own devices, collects bones and skulls as artwork and pours over how lovely the macabre can be. Most of those habits he keeps to himself, he already gives off an eerie vibe almost naturally, but also likes to use that to unnerve people. His sense of humor can be dark at times, he really likes to joke that he knows he gives off that air of serial killer. 

The flat dead stare also doesn’t help, because he has perfected it. Coupled with the fact that he’s intensely tall (6'4") most people are a bit intimidated by his presence. He finds it bemusing, even more so since a great deal of the time he’s not interested enough in bothering people to use that to his advantage. But when he does, yes, it works exceptionally well.

He has a surprisingly impressive working knowledge of the occult as well, thanks to his early years and the interest that came from trying to sort out his own hazy memories. (shared interest connection?) His room is scattered with books on various subjects and he holds some of the older superstitions true, even though he doesn’t admit it; something that seems ingrained in him through blood, perhaps, thanks to his mother’s influence.

Don’t try to debate morality with him, (or do because he really needs somebody to hang out and debate things with - connection?) Nathan is a firm believer that such concepts are entirely situational. There are no good or bad people, no evil or light ultimately, only people who twist the world as they see fit and the deeds they do. He likes that view, actually, because in the end it is the ultimate equality among everyone; when anyone is capable of any extreme what better common ground is there? Morality is also personal though, he knows, and those beliefs in how people see the world fascinate him. 

BASICS

Full Name: Lorelei Selene Cavendish

Nicknames / Monikers: Rory, Lori (first name) + Cel, Lena (given name)

Current Titles: Faerie Court Member (darkness sector) & senior lecturer in Classics & Literature at Hollow College

Former Titles: Duchess of Devonshire (circa 18th century) & lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth of York (c. late 15th century to early 16th century) amongst others; she’s been around an incredibly long time, to say the least.

Gender & Pronouns: cis female & she/her

Date of Birth: 31st October, unknown year

Place of Birth: Believed to be what is modern-day Norfolk, England.

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Sexual Orientation: Pansexual ( with a preference for women )

Romantic Orientation: Panromantic

APPEARANCE

Faceclaim: Keira Knightley

Height: 5 ft 7 in (170cm) in human form.

Eye Colour: Brown & “deep-set”

Favoured Expression: Rory calls it “neutral,” others would almost certainly call it “resting bitch face.”

Accent: Decidedly high-society, “received-pronunciation” or ‘stereotypical’ English. She can, however, still do a very good imitation of the Essex accent, as she keeps going back to Colchester, a place with... interesting memories for her.

Clothing Style: Increasingly variant and mood-dependent, swinging between formal and comfortable at her own whim.

TRIVIA

MBTI Type: ENTJ-A

Hogwarts House: Slytherin

Theme Song: Which Witch by Florence + The Machine

Favourite Movie: Dead Poets Society

Preferred Weather: The cool dampness of approaching rain, just before dawn, when the world is perfectly silent and dark; the sun has not come yet, and her strength is at its finest. “It’s always darkest before the dawn.” 

Favourite Food: In Rory’s opinion ( alternatively known as the right opinion, as she has been known to say ) you just can’t beat a medium-rare ribeye steak.

Favourite Drink: A perfectly paired wine with the above steak. Existence & time-related monetary inflation has made her rich enough to be a “connoisseur,” though she doesn’t necessarily flaunt this all of the time. It can, however, be a quite excellent card to have in her hand when it comes to deal-making.

Favourite Book: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

BIOGRAPHY

Why is Dr. Lorelei Cavendish ( doctorate in classics and literature from Girton College, Cambridge ) so knowledgeable in her field? Well, she crossed paths with a great many of the writers and scholars discussed.

The house you drive by and absently say to your companion, “if I had the money, I’d live there?” She lives in that house. It’s the envy of the town and she wouldn’t take any less. It’s just worthy of her and her first edition books.

Don’t ask her how old she is; she won’t tell you. It’s not like she can: she doesn’t remember when or where she was born herself, which is naught but an unfortunate side-effect of time stretching out unerringly behind you. She has a tight connection to the places she does remember; times she’s dabbled in English nobility, years she’s spent living in Colchester, for example. If she had to give herself an identity based on what she does know of herself, she’d say she was English.

She sounds it, after all.

Her head is so loud, the sound of her own heart and her own thoughts so deafening that it takes effort to place herself in the world.

“Lorelei Cavendish” is not her birth name, and thusly not her real name. Giving her real name to people decreases her power over them: Rory knows this, and she’s not “actually that stupid.” If she believes you are stupid, don’t take it personally — or do, she doesn’t much care — her threshold to consider people learned and intelligent is about as high as the Empire State, at least.

Rory came across Barton Hollow quite by accident, and the irresistible allure of a fresh civilisation appealed to her. New things tend to be the most mould-able, where the traditional ( from whence she came ) are, in her experience, staunch in their ways. So if — from that alone — you’ve come to the conclusion that Lorelei Cavendish is a cunning and silver-tongued piece of work driven by her own machinations: you’re absolutely right.

( She has always picked her occupations to gain power over people: occupations in which people would thoughtlessly break rule number one: never give your name to the Fae. Her position as a teacher, in which students readily give their names, is no exception. )

CONNECTIONS

Best Friend (taken by @freya-frost): The only person in the world Rory wouldn’t stab in the back for her own ends, and likewise the only person she has told her true name. If the darkness faerie’s dreams come to life, then this muse definitely stands to benefit handsomely as her right hand. 

Best Enemy: Okay, so think the Doctor and the Master from Doctor Who. Rory is the Master. They were best friends, once, but it went sour once this character worked out the sort of person Rory really was. ‘Sour’ is loose, because this muse is really hopeful of remedying her. It won’t work.

Victims: People she’s tricked and now holds... some degree of influence over. We can plot this out more ( the exact degree ) if you’re interested in it.

Unrequited Love: Someone who has a crush on Rory, but it’s like she doesn’t see them. She does, but she prefers to ignore them apart from the satisfaction they bring to her... considerable ego. She’ll give them brief moments of attention when she wants to feel a little ego boost.

Requited Love: Open to anyone, but she leans to women. I’d love an angsty element. I apologise that I’m only able to express things through song, but something like Visions of Gideon by Sufjan Stevens, or Amsterdam by Daughter, because real love hurts and she needs to feel something.

Reluctant Ward: A muse who is lost, and so Rory’s reluctantly taken them under her wing. Who knows how they’ve wormed their way into her cold, dead, heart — but they’re there now, and there’s nothing she can do about it.

Mentee: Someone with an intense interest in classics and/or literature who she’s taken an interest in.

Burgundian Wine Club aka Drinking Buddy: Self-explanatory, I think. Everyone needs their vices, right?

The Icarus Union: Think of it as a dark-academia aligned grouping that meets in an abandoned building. It’s almost a cult but not quite. It feeds into Rory’s desire for power: to have begun this herself. They are very much like The Secret History by Donna Tartt: wishful for all things grand and beautiful, drinking and wistfully smoking and staring out of windows. Writing their feelings and reading what truly touches their souls. And most of all, hungering for all things beautiful: and beauty is terror, and gifts come with their due prices.

Ex-Lovers: She’s certainly had them.

GENERAL INFORMATION

FULL NAME: Hunter Burke

NICKNAME(S): HH

DATE OF BIRTH: April 24, 1994

PHYSICAL AGE: 26

ACTUAL AGE: 26

NATIONALITY: American

OCCUPATION: Bartender at Radcliffe Hotel

RELIGION: Catholic (Non-practicing)

ORIENTATION: Heteroromantic Heterosexual

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

FACE CLAIM: Jordan Fisher

HEIGHT: 5′9″

WEIGHT: 135 lbs

HAIR COLOUR: Brown

EYE COLOUR: Brown

DOMINANT HAND: Right

DISTINGUISHING FEATURE(S): Piercings on both ears

BACKGROUND

HOMETOWN: San Diego, CA

CURRENT RESIDENCE: Barton Hollow

FINANCIAL STATUS: Middle Class

EDUCATION LEVEL: College Undergraduate

DEGREE(S): History ( On-pause )

ESTIMATED IQ: 127

SPOKEN LANGUAGE(S): English, Spanish, Latin

MISC: N/A

RELATIONSHIPS

FATHER: James Williams

MOTHER: Caroline Burke

SIBLING/S: ( WC )

SIGNIFICANT OTHER: N/A

CHILDREN: N/A

OTHER FAMILY: ( WC )

SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIP(S): ( WC )

ABOUT

Hunter was a product of irresponsible barebacking. His parents were too young to have a child and by the time he was actually born, her mother knew he was going to be a burden. His father already bailed on them, pulling out quickly this time. His mom, not knowing who else to turn to, left Hunter to his grandparents. But it wasn’t long before she left too, not wanting to be associated with a child she didn’t want. His grandparents are witches of great esteem, something his mother was never proud of. She never practiced her abilities and preferred to deny anyone or anything remotely supernatural. It was no surprise that they were going to teach their grandchild their way of life. His mother never cared.

He always showed great potential, even at a young age. Whether it was his magic or his school, Hunter’s grandparents were proud. Prouder than they were than their own daughter. He took pride in that. Hoping that maybe one day when his mother came back home, she’d be proud of his accomplishments. But until the day he left home, she never once set foot at home. Not even a letter or a phone call, it was like she disappeared — fell off the face of the earth.

( BULLYING TW ) But being a gifted child also had its downsides. At school he was made fun of, bullied, as he preferred to read books than playing with the other kids. He had his face shoved into his own book, on the toilet and had his stuff dumped all over the field. He had a few friends, children of other witches his grandparents knew. They took comfort and made excuses for each other when sudden sparks of magic happened during school. They were careful with their magic, but sometimes it was almost uncontrollable.

School and learning magic was hard to juggle. But Hunter managed to do it with flying colors. It was something that ended up something he could be proud of. It wasn’t about his mother anymore, or making her grandparents proud of him, it was about him and what he accomplished on his own. He could get cocky about it but a few words from her grandmother would definitely humble him right away. When it was time for college, he preferred to study close to home, near some of his friends and family. He took up History because he didn’t exactly know what his life was going to be like after high school. He preferred studying magic further but his grandparents were adamant that he should also have a proper education other than learning the ways of magic.

In college, he fell for a girl ( WC ). She was human and had no idea of the supernatural. While he couldn’t tell her anything about his lineage, he was willing to keep an integral part of his being a secret to her in fear of rejection. He didn’t want to subject her to the consequences. But then, his girlfriend started hanging out with the wrong crowd. What used to be a sweet girl he knew became someone else. He tried to talk her out of it. He ended up going with her to these parties just to keep an eye on her. But she was becoming more and more different, making him break things off. He hated doing it, being still in love with her, but he was getting distracted ( as family and friends pointed out ) and it was becoming an unhealthy relationship for both of them.

( ASSAULT TW ) For a while, it was hard to get by for him. Hunter had to drag himself to classes and do homework. But just when he thought he was okay, she showed up at his door. Even before he could take a look at her, she lunged at him. That’s when he noticed the fangs and the red eyes. Immediately knowing who — or what she was right away, he made a run for it. Using his magic to momentarily put her unconscious, he ran away, putting much distance between him and her until he was cornered in an alley. 

She told him how she became a vampire and just wanted to see him. He pointed out that trying to drain him of blood wasn’t the best impression of wanting to see him. When she made another lunge at him, he used his powers on her. That was when she realized that he was a witch. She begged him to make her a daylight ring to which he refused. He wasn’t just going to let her walk under the sun with uncontrolled bloodlust.

( DEATH TW ) Then to his surprise, she offered him a life to be with her forever. While his grandparents were all for living in harmony with the supernaturals, he agreed with their philosophy that they never become one of the others. As soon as he refused, she lunged at him again. There was a scuffle and a passerby came by to see them. Thinking he was beating her up, Hunter was shoved away. Before he could explain himself, his ex sank her teeth to the man’s neck. Not knowing what to do, he used it as a distraction to run away. Luckily for him, the whole alteration lasted the night and it was morning once again. He quickly packed his bags and left for home. He hoped that it would be the last time he would see her. A small part of him is still terrified of her finding him, but he hoped she would live for the best and probably wouldn’t drink from humans anymore. So far, they haven’t crossed paths. 

Going to Barton Hollow wasn’t part of his plan. It was supposed to be college and probably doing odd jobs here and there while being a witch and going about his learnings with magic. But his grandmother’s sister had gotten ill. So him and his grandmother went to visit her in Barton Hollow. After a few weeks, it seemed that his great aunt was not getting any better. Especially when she refused any magic to aid her, even if it was for pain. Then pressing matters had to be attended back home. Hunter persuaded his grandmother to return while he stayed behind to take care of his grand-aunt and be with her in her final days.

NOTORIOUS TIDBITS

Has only been in town for a month.

Is aware of the other factions living in harmony in Barton Hollow.

Is coven-less because he belonged to a coven back home. He doesn’t know how to go about being a proxy member when he doesn’t know how long he’d be staying.

Runs in the early morning with a dog named Whiskey. He doesn't own Whiskey. He’s just a dog that follows him around during his runs. He just appears out of nowhere to follow or run alongside Hunter. He doesn’t mind.

When not at home taking care of his grandaunt, he can be found bartending at Radcliffe Hotel, or reading books in the town square.

Knows how to bake. The house usually is filled with the smell of baked goods. Would give out to neighbors and passersby when he baked too much.

WANTED CONNECTIONS

Family

Co-workers at Radcliffe Hotel

People from his old hometown

Neighbors

Friends

More Info & Aesthetic & Playlist

Born into the Eclipse pack, Lottie was raised primarily by her Mother after the death of her Father, the former Beta

Comes from a long bloodline of wolves, stemming back to the Viking packs that emerged from Europe

A rebellious child, she had no desire to take her father places and never quite took things seriously. 

On her first official full moon as a newly shifted wolf, Lottie broke away from the pack to explore on her own

Had ran into a Hunter who saw Lottie as a threat and intended to cause her harm

Before he could stroke, Lottie’s mother came from the woods lunging at the Hunter and saving her daughter

This ultimately costed her her life as the hunter dispatched of her quickly, as Lottie watched in fear

Seeing this caused Lottie to snap and attack the Hunter to avenge her mother; still the Hunter survived and fled

Lottie now sports a rather nasty scar that goes from her left cheekbone all the way down to her navel

Age: 1204

Gender: Female

Sexuality: Queer

Species: Vampire

Faction: Blood Cult

Birth Place: Paris, France

Face Claim: Lea Seydoux

Bio 

https://open.spotify.com/track/3VwZqgfrM3xb1usuLprkTu

TW: Addiction, Injury, Alcohol, Drugs

Manon sat in the smoky cafe. It was 1932 in sunny Paris. Despite having lived in many countries, Manon found herself drawn home to Paris routinely, every 70 years or so. The morning was bright, too bright. The hustle and bustle of the patisserie this morning was an environment some, she thought, may find delightful, but she found nauseating. Manon sat with a scarf covering her head and dark sunglasses. Underneath she looked like crap. She hadn’t looked at herself, but her three day bender had left her pale, sweaty and hungover, eyes buzzing red from her last feeds. She fully expected to have blood crisp in the corners of her mouth. Sabine would be disapproving of Manon’s appearance, but Manon didn’t care. It was Sabine’s fault anyway. 

Sabine had not been in contact with Manon for nearly a week. In their whole relationship, they had never been apart more than a day or so, and for good reason. Precisely 3 days ago, Manon had stood outside Sabine’s apartment door, in the sun, covered in a scarf. She was weak, dependant and desperate. Over the past three years, Manon had become completely consumed by Sabine and the taste of her blood. And now Sabine was ignoring her. Manon’s skin itched and her blood crawled sluggishly through her veins. Manon had knocked for hours, calling her name and all the other names Manon had called her. But no reply. In response to this, Manon had gone on a bender, drinking, flirting, dancing, taking drugs and notably, for the first time since they got together, drinking from somebody else. Somebody who Manon did not even know the name of. 

Manon sat at the cafe table, waiting anxiously. Sabine came in and the door clanged. She looked so unbelievably beautiful, and everyone in the cafe could see it. Red hair tumbling over her shoulders, her petite frame curvy and pre-raphelite. Manon, despite her lack of energy, had so much to say. She wished she could have kissed her all over, apologised for whatever it was she had done to upset her so much and make it all better- but before she could say anything Sabine started speaking. 

“We must talk Manon,” Sabine said, her voice trembly. Manon nodded. Sabine started talking in a hushed voice, which made Manon want to explode with anger. Why did they have to meet in public where they could not touch, but also, where Manon could not feed from her? Had she gone insane?

“You are addicted to me Manon.” Sabine said, her sentence full of something Manon couldn’t quite put her finger on. Was it hate? “What are you talking about Sabine? That’s what we have always done” Manon hissed. Sabine looked into her hands and sighed. She didn’t say anything for a few seconds and the silence made Manon’s skin itch. All she could think about was the smell of Sabine’s skin.

“You’re killing me.” Sabine said, strong. She pulled down the corner of her scarf to reveal the bite marks that littered her neck. Some looked red and inflamed, and her neck was bruised. Manon looked at her after she said this, and it was like she was seeing her for the first time in years. Her hair was thin, her eyes dark and her face had hollowed. Manon began to panic. She would say anything, just to stop sabine from leaving. The thought of being without her sounded worse than dying a second time around. 

“I’ll stop.” Manon said, urgently. Sabine took a long breath. 

“How would you ever do that mon trésor?” Sabine sighed. And she was right. “I love you.” Manon cried, and it felt like the first time she had said it. Sabine took Manon’s hand and kissed it, tears dripping down onto Manon’s knuckles. And then she got up and left. 

For the next few weeks, Manon could be found walking the dusky streets of the 13th arrondissement, drunkenly howling. She stumbled from bar to bar, looking for people to drink from, sometimes successfully, sometimes not. Each feed that passed, Manon begun to forget the taste of Sabine’s skin. She cried endlessly, her face a mess of alcohol inspired red cheeks, snot and tears.