Renato Carvallo

Thirty-eight years old.

At 5'11" and rake thin, Renato generally cuts striking figure whether he's striding through the corridors of the Old Bailey or strutting from one Night Club to the next. He's careful about his appearance, grooming his moustache almost every morning and gelling his hair constantly. It's his opinion that if you're going to go outside and people are going to see you, you might as well give them something to really take in. His eyes are what people always remember though, they slice through you like scalpels and drill down to your core until you're struggling to remember what you were going to say. As a Prosecutor, a steely gaze is one of his favourite tools.

Renato wears suits like the models do, making you simultaneously admire his svelte form while wishing you could find a suit that was tapered to your body like that. His secret is that he, like many of London's hard working professionals, rarely wears anything else. These days, he feels uncomfortable in casual clothes, they're like someone else's skin. So even on weekends or those long Friday nights, Renato wears a stylish and expensive suit. The only concession you'll see as the hours drag by in merriment is that his tie will slowly go from noose-tight to barely on his neck.

Renato is employed by the Crown Prosecution Service or CPS to represent the State in legal cases where the defendant is accused of a major crime. He specialises in Murder cases and has 39/4 ration for cases won/lost, which didn't come easily. He's there before almost everyone else and leaves last on every working day but Friday.

N/A

Renato is the sort of man who works so hard that he gradually coils himself up into a compact ball of irritation and nerves, starting off as a discerning and demanding but intrinsically likeable boss and devolving into a twitchy, waspish man who'd shout at you for bringing him coffee at all and then again for not doing it fast enough. This normally reaches its peak on Friday afternoons, around five. That's when he stands up, takes a deep breath and seems to just... let it all go. His co-workers watch him walk out of the office with a spring in his step and the bars, clubs and alleys of old London town welcome him with open arms. Renato has heard the phrase 'high functioning alcoholic' but didn't think it sounded stylish or classy enough to describe himself.

That's how he unwinds after working every hour god sends and then some for the week. He unleashes and uncoils by drinking too much, barely sleeping and enjoying himself in any way that takes his fancy. It's highly choreographed debauchery, however, as he never shows up on Mondays with a hangover and never allows someone from his professional life to see him out on the town. Even ten drinks under the table, some part of Renato reserves the right to subtly steer him out of sight should a fellow Prosecutor wander into the bar. So who Renato is all depends on when you catch him. He begins the week as charming and cheery before slowly dropping down the rankings of charisma into a complete boor, before turning into the wildest and freest spirit you ever did see over the weekend. His only problem is that as the job only gets harder, a simple night of binge drinking no longer suffices to relieve the stress and he is forced to escalate one of his lives to match the other. Slowly, the tension that's wound and then released is ratcheting up and Renato can feel his bones starting to creak with the pressure...

Renato's parents were both of Chilean descent, spoke Spanish at home and were teachers themselves so Renato had two languages under his belt by the time most children were still learning how to read. They pushed him hard and he responded well, leaping through his lessons and asking for more, seemingly without ever looking for a pause. Looking back though, Renato can see that as a child, he was able to unwind in the playground or after school, laughing and playing with the other children. As an adult, the options are a little different; no playground, more stress and fewer government mandated breaks.

Leaving school with top notch grades, Renato was able to take his pick of prestigious law schools to attend, for his grandmother had imperiously told him that while his parents had failed her by throwing their lives away as teachers, at least one of her descendants was going to be a lawyer. It was in University that Renato, coming from a strict and religious family, finally discovered alcohol. He took to it like a duck to water, if that duck is intent on drinking all the water and then partying with the other ducks. But as much as the student nightlife sucked him in, Renato was a dutiful son and grandson. He wasn't about to throw away his academic achievements for a few weekend benders, not when even his less friendly lecturers were grudgingly admitting he was a prodigy in the field. It took time, practise and several missteps but Renato honed his ability to balance the call of the night with the long work hours of the day.

University was a long time ago, however, and Renato has been a working lawyer for just under fifteen years. He came back to London, got a position as a junior clerk in a Prosecutor's office and climbed the ladder with almost unseemly haste. As a Prosecutor, he's won some of London's most famous cases in recent years, always on the side of the state against whoever was accused. Sometimes it was harder to sleep at night, wondering whether they were as guilty as he'd made them seem but that's the job and he'd be damned if he wasn't good at it. Nevertheless, there are four black marks on his record and with his latest case, the infamous Nick Bloodfang, Renato is determined not to accept another one. Nick Bloodfang will go to jail for his crimes and, as far as Renato is concerned, nothing short of a miracle will change that...

Edgetoun Prosecutor's Office - Where Renato can be found early in the morning and late into the night on every day except on Fridays. Depending on when you catch him, he'll welcome you in for a chat with an inviting wink or bawl you out for distracting him.

Ace of Spades - The latest club Renato has taken to frequenting, though last time he was there he was too drunk to notice the... odd atmosphere. Perhaps this Friday he'll arrive their earlier in the night and realise it might not be quite the place for him.

Yelena - Another one of Renato's regular stops on his weekly trips around time, Yelena is his sort of area. Not being particular when it comes to the gender of his partners, Renato has found many a friend and many a lover in the crystal covered halls of this club.

Kitty Corner - It is a perhaps sad fact that during almost every pub and club crawl, someone will suggest visiting a 'gentleman's club' regardless of company or appropriateness. Weekday Renato would never be seen in such a place but on the weekend, the man just can't say no.

Bartholomew Morrison - Renato's junior and right hand man at the CPS, Bart is in awe of his boss and his ability to work such long hours without cracking. It's up for debate whether he'd feel the same way should he meet Renato after the working day is done.

Johann Hornby - A not dissimilar type to Renato, only ten years younger, Johann works in an accounting firm by day and spends his nights arm-in-arm with the older man as they stumble from pub to taxi to club to Uber to bed. There's nothing sentimental between them, just a mutual need for company and someone to validate their actions.

"When I've the time or the inclination, I like a trip to the art museum and this lady is the one running the show."

It only really ends up happening when he's not working a case, because otherwise Renato's schedule is full but when he's de-stressed and sober, Renato loves to take in some art, especially at a vernissage. He's not around often enough to really be a friend to Kali but they're acquaintances at least.

"I've seen his face now and then, very handsome, but awfully quiet."

Still, given that he's seen him most often in Yelena, there's a fair chance Renato would enjoy getting to know Jack better.

"Officially, I've never seen her. Unofficially... I won't forget her any time soon."

Many a misspent weekend ends in the early hours of the morning at the Kitty Korner for Renato. It's not his favourite venue but he can't deny the appeal when some of the dancer look like Indigo, though they've probably never exchanged words.

"Hmmm... The name's familiar. Causing a public disturbance, maybe?"

Renato isn't a hundred percent but he feels like he's seem that hair before...

"Nightclub owner and landlord, I only know him from hitting on him at the Ace of Spades last week..."

Renato saw Alistair surveying the bar and liked what he saw. Of course, he didn't see fangs and didn't know that the man in front of him was old before his grandmother was born. If he had, he would probably at least have straightened his tie before going over and laying down some pick up lines.

"The officer from America, I remember. He hasn't brought any juicy cases to me yet, we'll see how I feel about when he has."

Renato tends to assume the worst of officers until they prove otherwise to him and Lang has yet to. It's not that he dislikes the Police but he's met a fair few that were crooked as the day is long and doesn't want to end up assuming someone is more innocent than they are.

"Handsome enough in his way, though he can't pull off the stubble, and he owns my favourite nightclub. What's not to like?"

It's quite possible that they've ended up with their tongues down each other's throats more than once but Yelena is far enough off the beaten track that Renato never arrives without at least a skinful so his recollections of the place and the things that have happened in it are hazy at best.

"Hmmmm... I remember the name. Public indecency, wasn't it? I'm sure he was pulled in for something."

If only Renato knew Loki's dealings, there'd be enough litigation there to keep him nice and tightly wound for several years.

"The secretary down at the station, I remember her. I shouted at her once and got her flowers to apologise, I hope it worked."

Normally Renato is a charming and friendly boss (though not too friendly, best to keep things professional) but Aila happened to catch him on a bad day and caught the wrong end of his temper. The flowers were Yellow Roses and the card explained they were meant to symbolise the deepest regret and most heartfelt apology. They haven't crossed paths again yet so Renato has no idea what effect they had on the young woman.

"A devastatingly sexy french woman who serves you beer? If only the Fox had more of an atmosphere, I'd be there every week."

It's just a bit too dead for Renato, despite the charming scenery.

"She did some time for stalking, I believe, and got out recently. Let's hope she's learned her lesson."

He really means it, Renato would prefer for every criminal who goes through the prison system to come out perfectly reformed. Unfortunately, he ends up seeing most of them again in the courtroom, on the other side. Eleanor seems, to his judgement, to have some good sense so he has every hope that she won't end up like that.

"A scary bartender with a list of rules? I'll take a miss on that one, thanks for asking."

Most of the reason Renato doesn't go to the Fox stem from its owner. Rules and restrictions are not, in his mind, conductive to a good night out.

"One of the workers down at the Coroner's office, right? Yeah, I think she was an expert witness in one of my cases."

Renato likes people who know their stuff and project an honest air, makes juries so much more malleable. Other than that though, he remembers very little of Olivia and would probably have difficulty spotting her in a crowd.

"Detective Inspector Black, I hear he's highly strung and difficult to work with. What can I say, I relate to that."

Black's another one of those officers that Renato knows of but hasn't really needed to get to know because he hasn't prosecuted any of the cases Black has worked. Renato's high opinion of himself generally leads him to conclude that any officer who hasn't brought him a well constructed murder case to lock down can't be all that important but that's not necessarily true.

"Another from the Coroner's office, dresses better than the other but seems just as distracted."

Renato would likely be distracted too if he was constantly receiving visions of death from the people and items around him but of course, Zoey can hardly make that excuse in company. So at least as far as Renato goes, she's labelled as flighty.

Tae-woo "Guy" Lee.

Twenty-five.

Guy was a part of the South Korean military before he was discharged due to health reasons. Currently, Guy works as a barista at The Daily Grind.

Guy is unaware that he is a dhampire and so he does not belong to any faction.

The word that best encompasses Guy’s personality is ᴇᴀʀɴᴇꜱᴛ. Every action he makes it made with an intense sincerity that simply can’t be faked; he’s the type that approaches life with such honest and simple conviction. Hidden agendas and backhanded behavior is just not in his nature and, maybe it’s because of his genuine character, Guy is also incredibly ᴛʀᴀɴꜱᴩᴀʀᴇɴᴛ. You can be a stranger and still be able to read every emotion that flickers across his expressive face; but, he doesn’t mind being so see-through, he doesn’t really see the point in hiding his feelings in the first place. In this way, Guy is almost straight-forwardly simple. Unfortunately, because he is so earnest, Guy can also be pretty ᴛᴀᴄᴛʟᴇꜱꜱ as he doesn’t really understand the intricacies of personal information and space. Because he has nothing to hide, Guy can be extraordinarily ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅʟy and approaches everyone as a potential new friend rather than someone to be wary of. A definite plus to having Guy as a friend is his ᴛʜɪᴄᴋ-ꜱᴋɪɴɴᴇᴅ way of laughing everything off – insults, sarcastic quips, lies, almost nothing can scare Guy away from his friends!

Maybe one of the most annoying of his traits is his ᴄʟᴜᴇʟᴇꜱꜱɴᴇꜱꜱ. Guy tends to be very unobservant and takes everything at face value, which often leads him lost and confused when a certain level of reading between the lines is necessary. It doesn’t help that he’ll loudly declare his confusion, too, to everyone who can hear. It doesn’t help matters that he is ᴇᴀꜱɪʟy ꜱɪᴅᴇ-ᴛʀᴀᴄᴋᴇᴅ and sometimes serious matters have to take a backseat to a curiosity Guy noticed and wants to investigate further.

Guy grew up in Seoul, South Korea living with his doting single mother, Mi-kyung Lee, and an old dog named after Britney Spears. All in all, it was a pretty normal life for Guy – who was known by his real name, Tae-woo, rather than his English name he adopted in Edgetoun. The only thing rough about his childhood were the moments of extreme pain that came out of nowhere and the haunting question of his father.

As a child, Guy bothered his mom a lot about the identity of his father and how they met – did it with the least amount of tact, too, that made it almost impossible for Mi-kyung to deflect his questions. Usually, his mom told him about his father in the vaguest way possible while still satisfying his curiosity – “he was a handsome man”, “we met in England, when I was studying abroad”, or “You are almost the spitting image of him”. It wasn’t until he was twelve that she dropped the bomb on him – he was the product of a one-night stand that occurred during Mi-kyung’s wild college days. After that, Guy stopped asking – it was obvious his father wasn’t of importance and he didn’t really feel like seeking out some stranger when nothing would come of it.

Instead, Guy focused more on his family and friends that were with him than the missing father figure. Ergo, he spent all his time with his partner-in-crime childhood friend, Chul-Soo, devising ways to chase off his mother’s new boyfriends. He was fiercely protective of his single mother and, because he was so focused on stopping the infiltration of her boyfriend of the month, his grades suffered exponentially. Matter of fact, Guy was a terrible student – couldn’t bring himself to focus during class, didn’t like to study out of it. He spent most of his time playing videogames or running around outside. When he graduated high school, this meant he didn’t have many career options. However, his mom had to quit working due to back problems and Guy had to step up to take care of her and good old Britney Spears.

Entering his compulsory military service was the obvious choice. Guy figured his life could be planned out after he got his draft out of the way and it was a particularly nice way of earning some good cash for his family. Turns out, though, Guy actually kind of liked being military! He practically thrived in the army and wanted to make a career after it, even when his mandatory years were up. The thing is, though, the older he got…the worst his childhood pains became. For the most part, the attacks never came on in public and his commanding officers didn’t know about his health issues. Now, Guy never hid his health issues on purpose, he just forgot to mention it during his first health examination and his second one and third…And, well, five years into his military service came one of the worst pain attacks Guy has ever had. In the middle of a military ceremony. After multiple health examinations, Guy was sent a letter discharging him of the military and he spent a year in sweatpants, on the couch sulking.

During that year, Guy attended doctor appointment after doctor appointment in hopes of finding out what was wrong with him. His mother’s side of the family never had any such problems and the other half of his family tree was a large question mark. His primary physician suspected it might be a genetic disorder, but she had no idea where to start without knowing his father’s family history. A year of sulking and a worried hovering mother who had to resume working when her son couldn’t find work later, Guy made the decision to go to England in search of his father and find out what was wrong with him. A week later, he’s packing his bags and heading to Edgetoun.

He’s been in Edgetoun for three months now, working at The Daily Grind while living in a shitty apartment with no leads on his father.

Eleanor English.

40s (896)

Celebrity, ex-con, too many to list really. She owns a large manor just outside of Edgetoun, however, that is notable for taking in those who many need lodging under difficult circumstances. She has amassed enough money to not work a single day in her life, which is saying something given she won’t die of natural causes.

It’s just her, baby.

Eleanor’s life began with politics, with politics came worship, and with worship came addiction. This is something that Eleanor does not fight, but revels in, she is a hedonist at heart. Eleanor is thickheaded to the logical extreme, it took her until the 15th century to admit to herself that she had a problem. Eleanor is not impulsive in the slightest. If anything she contemplates her actions for years, if not centuries before taking one. Perhaps one of the most consistent themes through Eleanor’s life is her ability to be convincing. She has a funny and charismatic way of worming her preferred course of action into any one conversation.

Eleanor hates being told no, more so than most responses she can receive. It’s most likely why she spent so much time learning how to convince people to say yes. But that hate she feels when she is denied is very much indicative of her potential anger. Eleanor is the woman that will raze a country to spite one resident. That being said, you’d never know. She hides her hand close to her chest and is nearly impossible to read what with her wisdom garnered over the centuries.

Eleanor has had an incredibly glamourous life at least, for parts of it. Whenever someone lives for nearly a millennia there are ups and downs. Eleanor’s life started in France, but by 1152 she had moved to England and never returned to her homeland. In that time Eleanor had been married off once, the first time when she was 17 and a second time when she was 30. It would be approximately ten years later that her life would become more than it ever should have. A casual invitation from foreign emissaries turned into an invasion. Late at night Eleanor was taken from her bed and turned to a vampire. Her sire, a woman who had been alive since nearly the turn of the millennia was part of an ancient order.

The woman would continue to harass Eleanor for years, forcing her to flee the country. It was 1160 when Eleanor entered Croatia and hid there until 1255. That near-century was spent experimenting with her new set of rules. Weaknesses in her physical form, newfound abilities, strengths, and hungers. In 1255, when her sire returned to reap what she had sewn all those decades ago, Eleanor was prepared.

By the time the sun came up the woman had so many stakes through her that she wasn’t wholly recognizable as a person anymore. Eleanor, free to do as she wanted. She, for the next 600 years spent a different century in a different country. In no particular order she spent time in Egypt, Spain, China, America, Russia, and Greece. She has become fluent in all of the primary languages of those countries, including of course English. She cannot, however, speak French.

It was in 1955 that she returned to England, specifically she made her way to London. She spent a great deal of time observing how politics, regional, provincial and federal had progressed to this point. She had no interest in a throne anymore, for as time marched ever swiftly forward there was a new throne being made. One of the public eye – and Eleanor had her heart and eyes set on it. However her ‘information gathering’ quickly turned to stalking, which did get her arrested for a brief 12 years.

But who could have predicted her luck when a small berg named Edgetoun, a place only spitting distance from a property she had acquired shortly before going to jail, would be the tipping point for the ‘other’s’ as humans had taken to calling her kind. The prophetic import of a cowardly werewolf’s conscience twitching couldn’t have been understood by anyone at the time. Nor did it need to be. Her plan was in motion at last.

Kitty Corner – An establishment that Eleanor is looking into purchasing, she’ll have her fill of window shopping first, of course.

Edgetoun Museum of Art – In preparation, Eleanor has been frequenting the art museum for the past few weeks on Sundays and Mondays. Just to take in the atmosphere of the town.

Richmond’s – Quelle surprise. It’s a wonderful little dining hall and Eleanor can’t say no to good service.

Caspian and Calypso - Her biggest weakness and her purpose. She would rend heaven and reap hell before letting something happen to either.

Nicodem Kaminski, Nico to his friends.

Appears to be in his late forties, his actual age is lost to time though he guesses it's around one thousand years.

Turned later in life, Nicodem gives off the impression of someone who has been tired for a long, long time. His face is lined and his eye sockets sunken, a few old wounds buried under the weight of wrinkles. His whole body hints at a past full of fights and criminality, in fact, faded tattoos and ancient scars jockeying for position all over his chest, back, arms and legs. Yet he simultaneously projects the air of a coiled spring, ready to unleash energy at a moment's notice. His gait says something similar, every step measured and assured, feet landing precisely where they're supposed and never moving faster than he wants to. Nicodem stands with his back ramrod straight and shoulders held high, like a man constantly on the parade ground.

In the past, Nicodem would normally wear whatever was cleanest or whatever suited his current job. But today, even those with average jobs can afford to dress in well tailored clothes, beautiful ties and shiny shoes. So he chooses to dress in nice coats, fine suits, an array of formal ties and boots or shoes that he personally cares for like children. While behind the bar, he likes a vest and tie with his shirt sleeves rolled back. It keeps the shirt clean and has the added advantage of showing off some particularly intimidating ink from his stint in the Russian Mafia, always good to encourage a drunkard to back down. Nicodem's long hair starts the day oiled back across his head and, depending on how stressful things get, slowly frees itself to swing loose, much to his annoyance. His voice is deep and earthy but his dialect an enigma. If European accents were spices, Nicodem's accent is what happens when you knock the spice rack over into a ditch; there's traces of Russian, Spanish and English in there, along with seemingly random touches of rural slur and old fashioned syntax.

Nicodem owns and maintains The Slye Fox, an old fashioned English Pub in Edgetoun. He's been behind the bar, on and off, for the past century and considers himself a damn good bartender.

Nicodem is officially affiliated with The Collective but not because he shares their ideals or wants to see them flourish. Rather, he joined them because it seemed they were the most obvious obstacles to the Methuselah's Court, at least in the UK. He has only into detail with one person on why he dislikes the Court so much but the truth is very simple; due to his own confusion over how old he is, they've snubbed him voting rights. Since then, several decades ago, he's been careful to make the lives of their agents as difficult as he can without attracting too much attention.

Nicodem judges people with the standards that he places on himself and therefore sees them as falling into two categories; those who control themselves and are to be respected; and those who don't and aren't. For him, control is the one true measure of worth. If you can control yourself, you can do anything, be anything. And if you can't, you're not worth the time it takes to insult you. The philosophy arose from his own long history of drink and anger fuelled violence, which wrecked one stable lifestyle after another. Nicodem's self discipline manifests itself in a few ways. For one, his face and tone are neutral till he wants them otherwise. Another, he has certain schedules and rules that he follows religiously. Thirdly, he doesn't drink, not alcohol and not human blood.

He is so committed to this last one that he ritually files down his fangs every few months. It's hellishly painful but ensure that he needs to use a syringe and a glass to get his sustenance, normally harvested from a family of rats he keeps in his home above the bar. Apart from that, he's generally kind to those who need kindness and indifferent to those who don't. He doesn't like seeing people suffer and will lend a helping hand to anyone who needs a step up, whether that means giving them a sofa to stay on or helping them to find a job through his contacts at work. If you ask him for help, you better be sure you need it though. If you tell him your problem and he decides it's all your own fault, he's more likely to shake his head and walk away than anything else.

Nicodem has no idea when he was born or for how long he had walked the earth. He knows he's seen some pretty important events, the Crusades and the Black Death for example, but when he tries to recall his birth or his parents or even his sire, nothing comes to him. He doesn't chalk it up to anything mysterious though, he's spent years uncounted as a soldier and getting hit on the head is one of the risks of the job. He's relatively sure that his first memory is sitting in a muddy field in modern day Poland, surrounded by the dead. Nicodem had only two certainties then, that he was a soldier and that he was a vampire, and if he's honest, that hasn't changed much in roughly a millennia.

Since then, he's had a lot of jobs. He ran a tavern in Sicily and market stall in Madrid. He collected debts in Istanbul and scars in St Petersburg. He fought for money in Poland and for revenge in the New world, now called America. In fact, there are few cities on the face of the earth to which Nicodem is truly a stranger. Equally, there are few jobs that he hasn't tried his hand at once or twice, from banker to bouncer to butcher. There was only ever really been one constant in his life; violence. When he was a mercenary, Nicodem wouldn't think twice about killing a man. That was the job. And after a few centuries, when the job changed, somehow the man didn't. He gave scaffolding a go, working on the construction of a great cathedral in Italy but left within a month after a barroom brawl turned bloody. He tried again with different jobs in different lands but the outcome was always the same.

For a time, Nicodem simply accepted that it was his lot in life to be stained in blood, perhaps because of his Vampiric nature. God wants what god wants, he used to say, and the devil will get his due. But eventually he could no longer blame the blood on circumstance or or fate. It was unpleasantly clear to him that the only reason people died around him was his own lack of control. A spilled drink, an unkind word, a nasty look, anything was enough to set Nicodem off in those days, especially when he was drunk. And he was drunk more than he was sober. The truth came to him after a particularly bad night in Warsaw that left half a dozen men dead and Nicodem's fledgling career as a blacksmith, a profession he'd been rather enjoying, in ruins. It seemed that if he was ever to have more to show for his existence than scars and old tattoos, he would have to cultivate self control.

Since this revelation, Nicodem hasn't touched a drop of alcohol (this was somewhere in the 1700s) and has dedicated almost every waking hour to learning indomitable discipline. It started with small things, ritual exercises and the like, before moving to tougher endeavours, like holding hot coals, before progressing to the big ones, filing down his fangs and weaning himself off of human blood. Today, Nicodem's will is an iron bastion and his daily routines are engraved in stone. He works on his body and form, running every morning and exercising every evening, as well as his mind with regular classes on everything from economics to learning Persian. There's so much to see and learn, even as an immortal, that you're only liable to get bored if you're a boring person.

The Slye Fox started as a nostalgic purchase to relive the good old days but over the years turned into an extension of Nicodem's own philosophy of control. There are rules in the Fox that are broken on pain of having parts of yourself broken and few in recent years have dared test them. The first one is simple; no fights. If anyone so much as raises a hand against another in the Fox, they can expect to be ejected with extreme prejudice. The second is likewise; if the bartender says you've had enough, you walk. No arguments. The third is only for those that share the owner's bloodthirsty nature; no one drinks from a mortal on the premises. The forth and most recent was instated by Nicodem's most reliable employee, Eve; Dhampires drink free.

The Slye Fox - Nicodem's pub, run with brutal efficiency and frequented by almost as many Others as mortals. It's got a relaxed, calm atmosphere as troublemakers leave quickly and never return. The first two rules are written on the wall, the third and fourth are common knowledge to those that they concern.

Prospect Park - Every morning, almost since the park was opened, Nicodem has run circuits through it. If it weren't this park then it would probably be another but you can't know a place for that long without developing some sentimental attachment to it.

Richmond's - When he wants to be reminded just how good service can be, Nicodem visits this exclusive establishment. And for a vampire with legendary self control, Nico has something of a sweet tooth and wouldn't like to share how much money he's spent on cakes over the years.

His family are long gone and his friends are their own people, not his.

"Little wolf girl, in the Fox but rarely."

Werewolves are easy to spot to a Vampire, or at least easy to smell. As far as Nicodem thinks about it, and it isn't very far, it's a shame to see one so young already forced to navigate the pack system and all its attendant politicking. Still, he can't take in another stray, the last one has only just moved off his sofa.

"... No. Don't know her."

N/A

"Half-life, looks lost and smells panicked. Don't think I know his father..."

Dhampires are fine by Nicodem, he was never one of the Vampires who thought they were abominations to be exterminated. He's never made one of his own, granted, but that's not got anything to do with a distaste for their kind, it's for personal reasons. He feels pity for them, especially as one quite so advanced in years, but as there's not much he can do for them, he contents himself with serving them free beer.

In Laurel's case specifically... It's a shame to see such a well mannered and obedient boy go off the rails after learning his nature, a real shame. If he were a more regular customer, Nicodem might give the boy a talking to, teach him the value of discipline and self respect. But if the boy's determined to be a loner, then a loner he can be.

Most loners don't even last as long as Dhampires.

"Witch. Smells of soap and animals."

Jack's no regular but Nicodem doesn't easily forget a name, face or scent.

"Eve's friend, Witch and stripper. Winked at me once."

Not one for strip clubs, Nicodem only knows Inigo from when she comes around to drag of his star employee for a night on the town, normally already excited and ready to go. He doesn't resent her for that, Eve seems to like her and having fun is what mortals like to do most, but it doesn't really build the foundation for a friendship either.

"Not one I know."

N/A

"Faerie, smells like heather and rosemary. Always smirking."

Even to Nicodem, who hasn't drunk the blood of anything sentient in several centuries, faeries smell like temptation and debauchery. It's their blood, it calls to Vampires in a sweet song that promises an experience you'll never forget... But Nicodem has no time for it. No humans, no faeries, nothing that can think. Once you start, you'll never stop.

Evens so, perhaps it's for the best that the 'retired banker' doesn't come to the Fox often, especially given the number of elder Vampires that spend their time there.

"Little witch girl, plays with fire. Brought her girlfriend in here once."

Nicodem doesn't have any prejudices against witches (though one did try to burn him alive once) or gays and both are welcome in the Fox. Fire, however, is banned.

"A good man, for a monster. Works hard to be independent... by attaching himself to everyone."
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Cael Lee Crawford
^{{Cael was named Spencer Lee Crawford until his eighteenth birthday, when he legally changed his first name to Cael in reference to his true fae name, Caeldyn.}}

19. (19)

Pastel colors, loud prints, cozy sweaters, black skinnies, floral designs, patterned tank tops, and punk boots. Cael’s sense of fashion is a little all over the map, yet it is undeniably fashionable. He wears what he wants when he wants, and he boldly owns his flamboyant style choices. The touchably soft, shaggy hair atop his head is altered with both chemicals and illusory magic. Cael’s locks are bleached to a pale blonde color that is often temporarily dyed — or glamoured — to appear any number of pastel shades. Mint green, powder blue, and soft lavender appear to be his favourites, which he frequently switches between to suit his ever-shifting moods. Currently, his hair is purple. As for physical stature, Cael fits into the stereotypically petite side of the fae, standing at 170cm with a thin frame that has been kept toned by years of dance and activities. A final notable characteristic is that Cael has heterochromia — both of his eyes have underlying grey tones, but his right is greenish while his left is more blue.

Cael is a freshman university student majoring in Liberal Arts — being perpetually indecisive about what career path he wants to take, Cael is choosing to study a little bit of everything and anything. Additionally, Cael is a part-time barista at The Daily Grind as a way to fund his college-aged “extracurriculars”.

The Summer Court — This is the Court to which his fae parents belong, therefore it is the Court that Caeldyn affiliates with. Although Cael is a Changeling that was raised by a human family in the Overworld, the passion and heat of the summer sun boils the blood in his veins. Cael was born to this Court, and he decided that he was gladly willing to give his heart and soul to it, and it’s radiant monarch, after only a few visits.

The Seelie Fae are said to be the personification of both spring and summer, and such is true for Caeldyn. Although Cael is a devout, albeit new, member of the Summer Court, his personality leans more towards the ways of spring. On the average day, he is cheerful and energetic, with one of the most contagious laughs that you ever did hear. The idiom states that one cannot have May’s flowers without first April’s showers, as such, Cael is as prone to bouts of melancholy as he is to manic episodes. His mood is as shifting and temperamental as springtime weather.

At a young nineteen years — which is infantile in fae timelines — Caeldyn is relatively guideless and woefully naïve. Being a child of spring has its perks, however, as Cael is boundlessly imaginative and full of fresh ideas, with an unyielding desire to learn and grow as much as possible. As any fae should be, Cael is also inherently meddlesome. He is always getting into other people’s business, and is intrigued by all things gossipy. While he is untrained in the true art of fae deception, Cael is still a trickster to the core — if he feels that someone has slighted him in some way, they will receive it back ten-fold, regardless of the innocence of said slight.

Just over nineteen years ago, the Crawfords made a grave mistake. William Crawford did not realize the mistake that he had made at the time, and he still does not to this day, but it was a mistake all the same. Billy was a logger, and as a logger, he did what loggers do — he cleared a forest. A fae-claimed forest. This was a sin against the fae of the highest order. William had taken what was theirs, so it was only fair play that they take something in return. Mrs. Crawford was with child at the time, which made the decision of payback easy. When the human child Spencer was born, he was stolen, and replaced with a baby fae Changeling named Caeldyn. The faerie’s powers would remain dormant until he reached his teen years, and until then, the parents would be none the wiser to the exchange that had taken place that fateful night.

Caeldyn grew up as Spencer, a fae child that was ignorant to what he truly was and where he had come from. He grew up human, but he was far from a normal boy. Spencer frequently talked to his imaginary friends in the closet, under his bed, and most importantly, in the backyard. He spent the majority of his childhood playing outdoors, rolling in the grass and soaking up as much sunshine as he could in the dreary England climate. He was an indecisive child, unable to pick a single hobby or activity to practice — he sang, he danced, he played instruments, and he participated on sports teams. The only activity that consistently stuck with him then and continues to stick with him now, is dance. His boundless energy and easily distracted mind earned him a diagnosis of ADHD as a child, but that mattered little to him. Spencer was as happy as could be, though the same was not true for the Crawford parents.

The fae continued to meddle in Mr. and Mrs. Crawford’s lives: grooming their “child” to prefer the company of fae over humans, stealing things from their home, causing their cars to not start and their expensive decor to fall over, and any number of other inconvenient things.The Crawfords had loved their little family home, but it appeared to be cursed, so they left it after nearly ten years of enduring the pranks and trickeries of the fae. They moved into a quaint three bedroom house in Edgetoun and thought that their lives would get better there. For them, it did not. For Spencer, this marked a new beginning, and the doors to a whole new world opened up to him.


Spencer was thirteen at the time that he first heard her song. The music called to him in both his dreams and his waking hours. The somber melody spoke to the young boy on a spiritual level… she sounded sad, and so very far away. Spencer had to find her, to give her comfort and assurance that everything would be okay. So Spencer did just that, he followed the nymph’s song all the way to Avalon. On that day, Spencer discovered his heritage, that he was actually named Caeldyn, the beautiful singer was his mother, and all of his imaginary childhood friends were real. She explained to him that if he wished to stay in the Overworld, he would have to learn how to conceal his true self from the humans. So he did.

Cael was only gone for a day. When he returned home, he expected to be scolded for having wandered off for so long, but he did not expect to be accused of having been missing for weeks. Time apparently worked differently in Avalon, minutes turned into days, hours to weeks, and everything was upside down and backwards. That said, it did not keep him from visiting Court again, he returned home many times. As Spencer grew into his late teens, he became increasingly distant from his human parents, and insisted that everyone call him Cael, without giving any reason for the change. Cael wanted to stay in the Overworld for means of frolicking and politicking, but he wanted to do so on his terms, and as his own person. When he reached his eighteenth birthday, Cael legally changed his name and enrolled in university — where he moved out into a dorm and started on his path towards true independence.

UNIVERSITY OF EDGETOUN — This local college is surprisingly well-funded in comparison to some of the other establishments of Edgetoun. The campus buildings are named after a plethora of wealthy alumni and individuals from the town, and Cael specifically lives in Bigby Hall. Being a fulltime student and resident of the dormitories, Cael spends a great deal of time here.

THE DAILY GRIND — The coffee shop is the second most-likely place that you will find Cael, being that he works there as a barista part-time. Cael actually really likes his job, especially the discounted bakery treats to quell his insatiable sweet tooth, and the free coffee perks, not that he needs the extra energy.

YELENA — Ah yes, the extracurriculars. Cael makes it a point to go out clubbing quite often, as he enjoys the music, dancing, and meeting new people. Yelena is his particular favourite in that he gets to interact with like-minded individuals in terms of both otherness and Otherness. Perhaps one day he’ll find himself some summer lovin’ here.

William Crawford, human father, alive
Cheryl Crawford, human mother, alive
Bryzcael, fae mother, alive
Dynahlii, fae father, deceased in service to the Court
Aednyx soon-to-be mentor, alive
Aoife, college friend, alive
Guy, coworker, alive

Olivia Katrina Johnson.

26

Amber HeardWhenever Olivia is working, she usually wears a white lab coat and a white tshirt underneath it or if the weather is cold she will wear a turtleneck under it, and a pair of jeans. However whenever Olivia isn't working, she will usually be seen wearing dresses or skirts when it is warmer weather and sandals. When the weather is colder Olivia tends to wear warmer clothes from turtlenecks to keep warm she also wears jeans as well as boots or sneakers when the weather is cold.

Olivia has her ears pierced, large claw marks over her back, bite mark on her right shoulder, as well as a on her left shoulder Olivia stands at about 5'7 weighing in at 135lbs, her body build is very slender with a little bit of curves here and there, she has blonde hair and a set of grey eyes as well.

Olivia works as a Medical Examiner, she majored in college with a Forensic Pathology degree

Olivia has not chosen a faction to join, mainly because she has only been in London for a little over a month now, and she is very weary of being put into a group of others. Right now Olivia is very content on being on her own at least for now, if there was a problem or issue then she may choose a side if it ends up getting her involved in some way shape or form.

When you first meet Olivia she is usually seen as a pretty friendly person she is very smart and friendly towards her friends and family. She easily will get to know people pretty quickly and enjoys making friends with new people. However she can be very quick and easily tempered or angered, and at times irritable and sarcastic. When she is in either of these moods it is best to keep your distance, she will usually also keep her distance from others knowing that she could possibly say something that she could regret.

But Olivia is a very loyal and protective when she is with her friends or family, she will do whatever it takes to keep them safe and wont hesitate to get into a fight if need be. She enjoys being around others and also enjoys working with people, Olivia also enjoys all things girly and tends to enjoy bright colors she also enjoys having time by herself with a book in her hands or something else to read in her spare time she also does enjoy drawing. If Olivia is angered she will make a low growling sound, if she is board she tends to tug at her hair, or if nervous she tends to chew at her nails.

In her spare time Olivia's hobbies consist of reading, Writing, yoga and drawing. Her greatest fears are losing control, and infecting anyone with her curse or even killing someone in the process and spiders she really and truly hates spiders. Olivia always likes animals such as dogs, and cats she also enjoys doing yoga, drinking coffee, and any kind of cookies she will eat just about any kind. Her dislikes Olivia really hates hunters, thunderstorms, loud sounds, silver, wolfsbane and rap music.

Olivia was born and raised in the small town of Red Lake Pennsylvania, her father is the mayor of Red Lake her family having run the town for centuries and rarely anyone wanting to take the role. Her parents met when they were young, her mother being a teacher at the towns middle school. They fell in love and eventually they got married having three kids, two boys and a girl, growing up Olivia knew pretty much everyone within the town, Olivia being mainly surrounded by boys she grew up hunting and shooting rifles with her family which was something she didn't enjoy. However Olivia enjoyed growing up and having fun with her friends and family, however one night when she turned sixteen things started to change for her after the wolf attack.

When Olivia was sixteen, she was out in the woods hiking before the sun set like she usually did for her evenings despite wolf sightings and attacks recently. She didn't pay much attention to those and continued with her usual evening hike. Then she started to hear some howling, and getting the feeling that she was being stalked when she was completely spooked out Olivia made a run for it. She was then tackled to the ground and then bitten by a wolf, but after that she was left alone and ended up waking up several hours later with her shirt torn and her clothes covered in her own blood.

After the attack Olivia was transported to the local clinic in Red Lake, she stayed there for about a day but the marks had healed up rather quickly. Not thinking much of it they released her early and told to keep it easy, which she did however she started noticing the strange things happening to her. Heightened hearing, sight, smell, taste and touch, freaked out about it but she decided to keep this secret. When the first full moon happened that's when she experienced her first werewolf transformation

Olivia started to notice the changes going on around her, she decided to keep things secret and started hiding things from her family and friends. When she graduated high school Olivia decided to leave the small town wanting to go to college and become a medical examiner, which her parents were supportive over. Olivia moved to New York where she settled into an apartment sharing it with her roommate Samantha Hunter, the two of them were pretty close friends. Sam studying for journalism and Olivia studying Forensic Pathology, Olivia learned it all pretty well, eventually taking up her residency at the hospital.

Eventually Olivia graduated taking a job in New York as the medical examiner there, and assisting the coroner there, even though it was a creepy job for most people. She did enjoy it quiet a bit as she learned from the coroner there that she learned her job from, before finding a job listing over in London. Figuring that it was a change of pace she didn't want to live in the US, and she didn't want to hurt any of her closest friends and family before deciding to move to London taking a job as a medical examiner there.

During the early mornings Olivia will tend to visit places like The Daily Grind for her cup of coffee, or if she is having a very long day at her job. Olivia also does tend to visit The Sly Fox for a few drinks after a long and stressful day, or on her days off Olivia may spend some of her evenings there as well.

Katrina Johnson Olivia's grandmother, Ashley Johnson Olivia's mother, Patrick Johnson Olivia's father, Samantha Hunter her closest friend, Antonia Henderson Olivia's mentor when she first started working as an ME.

Stefani Roche
_{Previously Margot Whitewood}

16½ (17½)

Stef is currently being paid under the table by Nicodem for work at The Slye Fox. Whether it's washing dishes, cleaning workstations or helping prep food, Stef is kept out of the way in the kitchen, and she appreciates it that way.

After meeting Nicodem, Stef gained entry into The Collective. She understands the membership is more out of pity and learning control than anything else, but she's not complaining. Stef will take all the help she can get.

Despite the many changes that have undergone Stef's body and mind, she was very pleased to discover that some things stayed the same. For one, her natural creativity. With a wild imagination and tendency to day-dream, Stef works out her creative mind by way of art. Having always been a budding artist from the day she could hold and scribble with crayons, she spends whatever spare change she has (after household and clothes) on art supplies. Although she's more practised in watercolours than anything else, she's a fan of the bold, vibrant colours often found in chalk, oil pastels and oil paints. Painting has always been a nice distraction for her, though these days it's more necessary than usual. Nightmares of the attack and her own monstrous acts often plague her sleep, and so she often looking to her sketchpad or easel in an attempt to distract herself from thinking about it. However it leaves her tired, and with an already hot temper, she tends to be irritable throughout the day, snapping at people when they bother her. Other days, she'll just be quiet, too anxious or just too exhausted to speak to many people. Despite this, Stef does have good days where she'll be pleasant to speak to, and her childishness begins to show.

Amongst her need to both look older and seem more adult, Stef attempts to act mature at most times in her day-to-day activities. However, her natural childish playfulness always seems to shine through via immature pranks and jokes, giggling scandalously at indecent or black humour, and revelling in the most teenage behaviour of breaking the rules of society, having the occasional temper tantrum, and holing up in one of her hiding places to avoid others and making sure nobody sees her vulnerability.

The life of Stefani - or Margot, as she was known - was quite unassuming up until her transition into vampirehood. Belonging to a modest home in Edgetoun, she didn't really do much to stand out amongst other girls in her neighbourhood. This mundane life suited her just fine, with the most exciting prospects of her life involving travelling to Scotland to spend some quality family time with her Aunt Christiana, Uncle Will, and brood of cousins. Being an only child, it was amazing for her to be thrown into the hectic life of her extended family every summer. Four cousins of varying age and gender made for plenty of entertainment, even in the isolated town they lived in - but the summer of 2018 was more exciting for Margot than usual. Thanks to a generous bonus in her Aunt's wage packet, the entire family was treated to a trip to Europe. While her parents couldn't get the time off, Margot was more than welcome to go along anyway, only happy to both spend more time with her cousins, and of course, get to bask in the sun and ancient wonders of Greece. For the most part, it was a glorious holiday for the family. But as the second week came around, this peace was shattered.

Walking down the cramped, darkened streets to get to various destinations never cowed the Whitewood's, even in the darkness of late evening. They believed in safety in numbers, but as they soon found out, even the largest of human company meant nothing against a creature of the night. The attack was over quite quickly, from what Margot could remember. Julianne was the first to be jumped, her shrieks prompting an attempted rescue from her twin, only for Maria to be struck down too. Will and Christiana told the remaining children to scatter while they ran to the aid of their daughters, but Margot didn't make it very far before the screams behind her died out. After a brief flash of pain, Margot died too.

It didn't take long after waking up in the dead of night to realise several things in quick succession: One, her family was dead. Their corpses were either strewn across the street with hers, or were missing completely. Two, her attacker had not been human. With the strength and speed required to take down eight people in seconds, they had to have been something otherwordly. Three: Her attacker was a vampire. How did she know this? Because now she was one as well. Tanned skin now pallid and cold, dull teeth now sharp enough to tear flesh like butter, and a whole new world that was once silence now unleashed on all five of her senses. With these realisations, Margot came to a decision. She couldn't go to the authorities, not like this. By dawn's first light she had retreated back to the family hotel room, cleaning herself up and scavenging whatever money she could find. By the next evening, she had made her way to the nearest dock, deciding that a boat would be easier to sneak onto than a plane. She had to get back to London somehow, without avoiding questions. Her parents would understand, and they'd keep her in hiding, for sure.

As she stumbled across a lone stowaway, hoping to get to London like her, Margot discovered the news from him. Not all of her family had died. He recounted the story that the three youngest cousins had fled to safety, and Julianne was revived at the scene once police had been notified. However, her Uncle was still dead, and four were classed as missing - her aunt, the two eldest cousins, and Margot. It was wonderful news to hear some of her family had escaped her fate, but she couldn't risk going to the authorities yet, not with what she was. She instead remained with the stowaway, who promised he'd help her get to London as it was her first time "catching a ride", as he called it. Finding a cargo ship bound for Britain, the pair snuck into the cramped lower decks, and began their ten day journey. It seemed like it would be easy, but as the days ticked by, a gnawing hunger grew in Margot's stomach. No amount of food could sate it, and she found herself laying awake at night, trying to ignore the thumping heartbeat of the man who helped her. By day four it became too much to bare. Day ten the cargo ship arrived at it's destination, Margot fleeing the ship before it docked, and leaving behind the torn apart corpse of the stowaway.

She had hoped to slip away in the darkness and make her way home, but as she fled through London and neared the familiar boroughs of Edgetoun, she realised she was being followed. Not by humans, but by things like her. Her mind was a mess of panic and fear, and as she found herself blocked off in an alleyway, wondered if now she was truly going to die. When the even scarier Russian guy showed up, she was ready to meet her maker, only for him to tell the other two to scram and actually being nice to her. Before she knew it she'd been given clean clothes, a place to work, an introduction to a collection of vampires who could help her out, and even a comfy sofa for her to sleep on until she got on her own feet by Nicodem. Things definitely back to look up after this chance encounter with the ancient vampire - she met her "guardian angel" Aoife who welcomed her into her home so she didn't have to sofa-surf all the time, and a few months after that she discovered in the news that her parents had adopted the now orphaned cousins in her family and moved away to America for a fresh start. She could begin to shake off the remnants of her old shattered life, and even took up a new name - Stefani - in order to move on. All that's left now is to remake herself, starting with controlling her bloodlust. After that, maybe finding out who exactly did this to her, and what their motives were in murdering a child.

The Slye Fox
After Nicodem kindly let her have a job here, Stef spends quite a lot of time working in the kitchens. It's a safe, human-free place for her to relax, keep her mind occupied, and even earn some money to help out at home. She also likes to hang around in the front too, She also likes to hang around in the front too, when the bar is shut or just opening. It's kinda fun, being amongst all different kinds of creatures.

Edgetoun Museum of Art
When not painting herself, Stef likes to browse other people's art, either to admire and or examine the work to see if they've used an interesting technique that she'd like to try out as well. There are also variants of art styles found at the local museum, and after having spent so much time on landscapes, Stef is looking to branch out and looks for inspiration.

Prospect Park
It's generally abandoned, and is a nice place for to walk or run when she has pent up energy or just wants some time to herself without risking the harm of anyone. While she's getting better, slowly but surely, at controlling her bloodlust, sometimes Stef just needs some fresh air without holding herself back around others.

Mother: Alicia Whitewood.
Father: Michael Whitewood.
Uncle: William Whitewood. Dead.
Aunt: Christiana Whitewood. Missing, presumed dead.

Cousins:
Caleb Whitewood: Male. 21. Missing, presumed dead.
Julianne Whitewood: Female. 19. Alive.
Maria Whitewood: Female. 19. Missing, presumed dead.
Zachary Whitewood: Male. 16. Alive.
Leah Whitewood: Female. 14. Alive.
Darren Whitewood: Male. 12. Alive.

Nicolas Black

39

Detective Inspector with Edgetoun Police.

Nick was only running solo for a few weeks before Zephyrus Accord found him and invited him to join them. He's been running with the pack for a good ten years now, and has risen to the rank of Beta.

Before his change, Nick was an easy-going individual. Although still quite irritable, he retained good humour, an active social life, and plenty of positivity about the future. However, post-biting, he became a far darker individual. Nick lost his empathy for many, the small amount he retains goes towards the victims he deals with in his work... and even then, it’s not all that obvious at times. It’s easier for him to block off his emotions and act cynically or callously towards everything, rather than actually risk his feelings by caring too much about someone. Being emotionally distant is easier sometimes, even if it hurts other people's feelings. However, his trust in others hasn't completely dissolved, nor has his hope for the future. Among friends he becomes far more warm, and although his humour remains dark and his outlook pessimistic, he'll still stand by as a loyal and steadfast friend. Perhaps a side-effect of his pack mentality, but even within the Accord he only fully trusts a scant few.

Another side effect of his biting has been that of his temper. He had always been a bit short-tempered, but now when he loses it, his animalistic side will make itself known. As far as he knows he's never hurt anyone thanks to his temper or werewolf side yet, but it's a constant worry for the man. Especially when it comes to keeping his condition secret.

Even when he was just a young lad growing up in Scotland, Nick had been seen as an idealist. Someone who had bright hopes for the future, no matter how ridiculous or fat-fetched it seemed. In the fairly deprived area he grew up in, his family and friends scoffed at the idea of him becoming a copper and turning their neighbourhood around single-handedly. Of course, they were quite correct - he couldn't even find a job in his hometown once graduating University, let alone become their policing champion. Still, he wasn't deterred, instead finding a posting down south in London, close to where he'd studied for his degree. The area was crime ridden, and could use all the help it could get. Edgetoun seemed perfect. So perfect in fact, that he met the love of his life there.

Saoirse had lived in Edgetoun just a few years more than he had, and when they met for the first time, it didn't take long for them to start dating. Even more time after that, Nick popped the question and she accepted. His brother said that he was rushing things, but Nick was completely head over heels for the girl. He didn't even question that she vanished once a month either, but of course, this was long before the days of Nick Bloodfang. He has nothing to suspect, not even when she hurriedly plucked him out of work one day for a "surprise holiday". She looked frazzled, as if someone were chasing her, but Nick put it down to nerves over her work or something. He was totally oblivious, just happy to spend a few days at the Cornish beaches with his love.

The night after they arrived was a full moon, but Saoirse hadn't been caught unawares. She was a lone wolf, who had bright ideas of forming her own pack one day. Edgetoun was just the worst place possible to do so, with Bisclavret running around. Skipping town with who she intended to be her very first member and Beta wolf. All she had to do was bite him... but she hadn't been a Werewolf for very long herself, and had not learnt how to fully control herself in her wolf form. Nick watched her shift at their modest camp perched atop a cliffside, but didn't get very far before she descended upon him, unable to control the thrill of the hunt running through her veins and barely holding back. Whether she finally got a hold of herself or was scared off by somebody else, Nick didn't know. He just awoke in the nearest hospital some days later, littered in deep claw marks and bites and police searching for "missing" fiance.

He had discharged himself earlier than was healthy for him, but the Doctor's couldn't persuade him to remain any longer. Not with Saoirse out there, and the familiar ground of Edgetoun that he would feel so much safer in beckoning. It turns out that this was the entirely right move - it didn't take very long after his very first change under a full moon for a group to approach him. Other Werewolves like himself, only this time, they were a pack. Some could shift whenever they wanted, and others could control themselves in their wolf form. But more than anything, they were good people, hopeful for a cure for the disease that affected them all. The actions of his fiance had shaken Nick's trust in others completely, but seeing no other choice, he accepted their help and joined the Zephyrus Accord.

That was ten years ago now, and Nick hasn't really changed all that much. The benefits of being in a pack - especially now, as a Beta - far outweigh the negatives, but the constant skirmishes with Bisclavret are equal parts tiresome as they are frightening. His trust in others is still shaky, barring the few friends he is loyal too, and he's lost the happy-go-lucky idealism that affected him so much as a kid. There's been no sign of Saoirse in the past decade, and he considers her good riddance. For now, Nick does as his Alpha tells him in the pack, and keeps his head down and does his job as a DC; trying to help out "in-the-closet" Supes he may encounter in the line of duty because he knows the desire to remain hidden from humans. Over the years he's learnt how to shift into wolf form without the aid of a full moon, and retain his free-will because of it. Unfortunately, when the moon does come around, it has retained full control over him. Until he learns control, Nick locks himself up in an abandoned hospital a few miles outside of Edgetoun every full moon, ensuring that he isn't around any innocents to harm.

Edgetoun Police Station
Even when not clocked in, Nick can often be found in his office here, poring over open cases and doing various errands for the others in the building. It gets the work done, and beats going home alone every night.

The Slye Fox
Although a bit busier than he'd like, it seems to have been designated the local drinking hole for the Police in Edgetoun, so he tags along with the others.

The Watering Hole
Although known for it's depressing atmosphere, Nick prefers it to the other, more bustling pubs in town. Most of the time his foul mood matches up with the other people drinking there, but he generally keeps himself to himself.

Rosemary Heights Sanitorium
A dilapidated and well abandoned building now, Rosemary Heights was once home to many several decades ago during the outbreak of Consumption. Nowadays it is known for being haunted, but the ghosts don't bother Nick, if they're really present. The isolated basements in the abandoned hospital work well to keep him locked up and safe while turning on a Full Moon. He also practices his turning here, and it's where he developed the ability to turn whenever he pleases. Thrill-Seekers and those interested in the macabre may tread here also, hoping to catch a glimpse of the past in it's rotting halls.

Brother: Robert Black
Epsilon Friend from Zephyrus Accord: Aidan

Theodor "Theo" Minea

35 (1026)

As time has gone by, Theo has kept his fingers in many different pies under his self-made company "Master of None". The owner of several small, but lucrative businesses that are founded in Edgetoun, he exports various goods across the country. His most prolific one currently has been the production and selling of wine. Although many of the bulk exports are newly made, he keeps a few "collector editions" for private consumption and sales. While he's outlived all of his wines, some of them have a hefty date on them.

Methuselah Court
Theo wasn't in Britain for very long before he heard the whispers of this group amongst the other Vampires in town. At first he had no intention to join them, after having just relinquished himself from his sire and having a preference to remain Independent. However, as time ticked on, Theo realised that perhaps they were useful - and powerful - allies to have. He approached them at some point in the early 1900's, and once his date of birth was authenticated, was welcomed among their folds. As of now he holds no important position amongst them, but he's also no longer a pawn. It'll be interesting to see which path the Court takes, and Theo wonders if it's a path he'll have to wander from eventually.

As the years ticked by, Theo developed from a fairly common peasant-come-soldier to a rather sophisticated being; one who had learnt from many lessons over the centuries, and intends to apply such knowledge in the present. For one, he has truly learnt the value of the phrase "Patience is a Virtue". He'd never been patient as a human, but after being stuck at the side of his needy Sire for so very long, Theo has learnt how to wait and bide his time in order to get what he wants. His intelligence has also grown from when he was human who couldn't even read. While he has amassed plenty of knowledge over the years, his true skill lies in his decision making. Calculating and cunning, Theo knows how to find people's strings in order to pull them at just the right time. While such actions can come under the guise of charm and charisma, more often than not he'll go down the ruthless route. Intimidation works quicker than wooing.

On the other hand, there are certain aspects of his personality that are his downfall. No matter how rational and suave he appears to be, Theo has great problems in trusting others. A very self-serving individual, he will not give out his allegiance or loyalty very quickly, and is hesitant to offer promises to others. While he may join a cause or group and do their bidding for a time, he has no interest in losing anything because of their actions. He's never found a cause to fight for, even when he still alive. Although he likes to pin his loneliness over the past few centuries on achieving independence from his sire, his self-serving attitude is a far more likely suspect to blame. In addition to this, he is a very unforgiving person. He is known for holding grudges, despite his better judgement and how that may affect his business or his personal life. If somebody wrongs him, he'll never forget it.

Born to Vlach peasants in 994, in the region that would come to be known as Romania, Theodor lived a fairly standard life for the time. Losing several family members to illnesses that are completely curable with modern medicine, and working the fields as a young lad until he was tall and strong enough to be pushed in the army. He never quite developed the glory or pride of fighting for one's country - he simply followed the order of whoever paid his wage along with his fellows and tried not to die. Another man could have usurped his ruler and he would not have known, or cared. All that mattered was survival.

And so he did - long enough in fact to marry a woman to bear him children. While he cannot recall now as to whether he loved her or not, there were plenty of fond memories in their modest household. His survival in the army had brought with it ascension through the ranks, which meant he could afford a better house for his growing brood. Unfortunately for Theo, this domestic bliss didn't last forever, and was torn away with his untimely death. Much to his embarrassment, his death and subsequent resurrection as a vampire didn't come with a glorious death on the battlefield, nor even succumbing to injuries after saving his brethren. One night at the local tavern with his fellow soldiers ended in an ugly manner, after he looked the wrong way at the wrong group of men. A fistfight eventually broke out and spilled onto the streets, but rather than each side walking away to lick their wounds, one of Theo's men drew out a dagger and plunged it into the throat of his assailant. From thereon, it was a bloodbath.

It was a stupid mistake that cost him the lives of his friends, and would have cost him his as well were it not for the beautiful stranger who appeared that night. Slaughtering his attackers, she fed him her blood and turned him there and then. He may have survived despite his injuries, but it would seem she had taken a liking to the man. Having followed him home from one of his battles, she watched from afar, and waited for the right moment to pluck him for herself.

From there he was forced to abandon his family, leaving his wife and children behind out of fear that his sire would grow jealous of his bond with them. Over the centuries he has looked in on his descendants from time to time, pulling them out of stupid scenarios that he himself fell into so long ago, and saving their lives from various accidents. It came to become something of a legend in his family, that a guardian angel watched over them. While he hardly considers himself an angel, he would have no harm come to those of his bloodline.

Having left his sire behind somewhere in Spain in the 1700's, Theo has spent the last two centuries reconstituting himself in Britain; building and managing various companies to ensure that he could live comfortably without having too much of his time taken up by his endeavours. Although living a a financially secure lifestyle, Theo is always on the lookout for more. More power, more friends... perhaps even another family. Despite his over-bearing sire finally leaving him alone these past 300 years, he still has yet to formulate close relationships with others.

Ace of Spades
Although the club is louder and more bustling than he would prefer, Theo can usually find a more secluded spot of the vampire-friendly drinking establishment to enjoy a few with his friends. However, he has yet to quite understand the charm behind the music of the youth these days.

The Crypt Cafe
Ever since discovering his first taste of coffee in the last 18th century, Theo has developed a craving for the stuff. He has come to enjoy the atmosphere of this particular cafe, and can usually be found here having his morning (or afternoon) espresso with a book or newspaper.

Master of None
His business headquarters for the past two centuries, this is usually where Theo manages his company. On the ground floor one can find a public bar of the same name, selling most forms of alcohol but particularly pushing his own wine brand. It also serves as a function room for parties, meetings, or wine tastings, and after some advice from a particularly perky young waitress he employs, now provides "student discounts".

Sire: Rowena
Most Recent Descendent: Mathias Bouchard

Doctor Zoey Alston

32

After several years of hard training, Zoey has been a licensed Forensic Pathologist for the past two and a half years now at Edgetoun's Coroner's Court. In her spare time she makes her own investigations into the bodies that come through her door. She can't explain her visions to the police without receiving a witch hunt, so she follows her psychic leads by herself.

After the true discovery of her powers at the age of 15, Zoey was taken under the wing of her Aunt who introduced her to the Mutandum Coven. Zoey appreciates the help they give, but tries not to get involved in the witch politics going on. She also has no desire to branch out into other areas of magic, much to the ire of her Aunt.

Ever since her power manifested itself all those years ago, Zoey has grown far more compassionate about the world around her. Seeing and feeling those people die and not doing anything to help has taken it's toll on the woman's empathy, and is a large part of why she's chosen her career, and does her private investigations on the side. However, some of that can definitely be a direct cause of her curiosity, or perhaps even nosiness, depending on who you ask. She's always loved a good mystery, and embroiling herself into ones involving the supernatural of Edgetoun is piquing her interest every day.

While she's fully aware of the dangers of doing what she does - not just the possibility of perverting the cause of justice in the eyes of police, or even pissing off the wrong Vampire or Demon, but that she could be outed as a supernatural creature herself - Zoey has always been a careless soul. Personal safety isn't always high on her list, and after a lifetime of clumsiness and adventure sports, she isn't about to give up the thrill of the chase now, especially when she relies on her sharp tongue and wit to get her out of trouble so much. Although stubborn as a mule when it comes to herself, she may hold herself back if the safety of others comes into concern. Her protective nature prevents her from harming other people, even by omission. Her patients may be dead, but she still has a Hippocratic Oath to uphold as a Doctor.

Mr and Mrs Alston knew that their daughter was quite strange ever since she was a toddler. Even before she could talk properly, it was like she knew things would happen. Having temper tantrums on the pavement right before her parents were to cross with her pram, causing them to stop and a car running a red light hurtling right past where they would have been otherwise. Somehow toddling off and reaching a fire alarm in a busy shopping center to pull it and cause an evacuation, only for an investigation to discover a dangerous gas leak. Even something as simple as her pulling a face and knocking a carton of fruit to the floor, for a venomous spider to scuttle away from inside of it and be shooed out of the house by her mother and a broom. Little things, but when all added up, very strange. However, her parents didn't know what to make of it, and simply chose to accept each occasion as it came. Even as they readied themselves to move homes from Australia to Britain for work, they eyed her daily, wondering if the then 10 year old girl would suddenly have a premonition of a downed flight or destruction of London. Nothing came, and so they made their move, taking their children with them quite happily, and never truly talking about these occurrences with their daughter. Still, it wasn't as if she hadn't eventually noticed herself.

Zoey had always been aware of her strange predictions coming true, but had never chalked it up to anything serious. They were odd little subconscious feelings, things she couldn't control or define beyond her gut telling her something. It was a strange little party trick of hers that she quite liked... until her first true vision, that is - and it wasn't a pleasant experience. A splitting headache paired with flitting, unclear images that seemed to last forever. By the time it was over she was pale and shaking, head still pounding away, and she had no idea what had really happened. The rational side of her explained it away as a migraine, brought on by the stress of GCSE exams. But she couldn't shake the images she had witnessed, nor the excruciating pain that had come with it. Her best friend Darrell - walking the seemingly quiet streets at night only for her to be hit by a car, thrown several feet before coming to a dead stop on the tarmac. But it was just a dream, and not wanting to freak her friend out, Zoey tried to forget about it, not contacting Darrell. The next morning, she had almost forgotten about her vision, until her pale-faced mother broke the news as gently as possible: Darrell had died last night, after being a victim of a hit and run accident. Zoey was dumbstruck, but anyone around her simply explained it away with grief. But she had felt the pain Darrell had felt with her vision; the impact of the car, her head cracking against the windshield and the absolute terror of the whole incident before hitting the ground with a crunch and the world turning black. Zoey had both seen and felt Darrell's death, but didn't do a thing to stop it, even though she could have with a simple phone call. From there, a deep guilt set in her heart, blaming herself for not having done something for poor Darrell. The only thing she could do was go to a payphone and put in an anonymous call to the police, giving them the type and number-plate of the car that had committed the offence, as the image was burned into her mind. The police caught the guy, and he was sent away for a long time - but Zoey decided that next time she had a vision, she wouldn't be so inactive.

To her surprise, a family member would make things a lot easier for her in terms of her visions. Her Mother's Sister, Aunt Helena, came to visit one day when the rest of Zoey's family was out. It turned out that this was no accident - Helena somehow knew of Zoey's visions, and was there to explain to her the family history. Lots of witches and magic, sometimes skips a generation, you've got great power and potential, blah blah blah. Although she was generally a sceptical person, Zoey hadn't been able to explain her visions. Nor could explain her Aunt's demonstration of magic powers in the living room when she set the sofa on fire, only for it to disappear and be good as new afterwards. It was here that Zoey was first introduced to the Mutandum Coven, in order to better understand and control her visions. However, this part of her life wasn't about to stop her from doing what she truly wanted to do in order to help others.

At first, she had hoped to be a Doctor for the living. One who could save lives on the operating table, and make up for the lives lost in her past. But she quickly discovered that there were some people who just couldn't be saved, no matter how hard the Doctor worked. The dead would pile up in her mind, so she turned to a profession where the dead couldn't weigh on her guilty conscience. Not when they came to her as a cadaver, and not as a patient. While still studying her preliminary degree in medicine, she made a beeline for Forensic Pathology as early as she could. Although those who died in her presence as a resident still hurt, she knew she had something to look forward to. Saving lives retroactively, by investigating corpses and ensuring that whatever killed them didn't do it again. As she came to quickly realise upon the very first touch of a dead body, the visions that had plagued her for so long could aid her in this job. Accidentally brushing her bare wrist against the cold skin of a recently deceased patient, she experienced yet another vision. In a room full of Doctors and nurses, she blamed her collapse on hypotension in order to keep them satisfied - but she had seen something. Not the future, but the patient's past. Only glimpses, but she realised that if she could see their last moments, then she could solve crimes even if the police couldn't in the future.

Since then, that has been Zoey's main goal. Acquiring a fellowship and then acing the board exam of Pathology, she was now able to get a job as a fully practising Forensic Pathologist. Of course, this meant working under those who would do the actual autopsies for a while before she even got close to doing the work herself, but she could still sneak touches of their flesh to help find what ailed them. Sometimes it was suicide, sometimes just a mysterious death caused by a strange illness. But there were murders too, some of them not even human ones. Now the lead Doctor at Edgetoun Coroner's Court, Zoey undertakes investigations from the police, alongside private inquiries in regards to life insurance claims, families refusing to believe their loved died from whatever was first ruled, and those few mysterious "animal mauling" victims that never quite recovered. Bodies ripped apart, drained of blood, or simply just dying for absolutely no medical reason... Zoey knew about the world of the supernatural long before Nick Bloodfang, and it's never stopped her in her need to help her "patients".

Edgetoun Coroner's Court
While the nearby hospital has a licensed autopsy room for interest autopsies, those suspicious deaths involving the CPS have to be located elsewhere. This is where Zoey has her bodies transported for her to probe, aiming to find cause of death and other forensic evidence for police investigations. She and her co-workers call it "The Cutting Room" when speaking unprofessionally.

Ace of Spades
When chasing down a lead on one of her investigations, Zoey often finds herself here. Either to connect the dots to another place, or to find an individual inside willing to give her tips of information. She understands her busy-body nature might get her into trouble at such a Vampire-heavy place, but despite her better judgement, she enjoys the atmosphere and drinks here.

Edgetoun University
After having studied for her MD here, Zoey often comes back to chat with old Professors, visit the library, or even give talks to medical students about Forensic Pathology to see if they'd be interested in going down that avenue. She's recently been thinking about pursuing a Professorship, though she has a while before she get far enough to achieve that.

Mother: Cassandra Kitchener
Father: Henry Alston
Brother: Joel Alston
Aunt: Helena Kitchener
Lead Pathologist & Mentor: Professor Jaime Carlisle

Ryleigh Philomena Raine

28

For someone that seems to revel in a bit of laziness, Ryleigh has quite the eye for fashion and outfits - though much of that has to do with her job. When she started, she wore dresses or whatever the producers told her to but over time she started wearing accessories - hats, bracelets, gaudy jewelry - all to see what she could get away with, and that became shirts with odd sayings, eccentric outfits, or even costumes. Of course, that's just her work attire. When she's back home and being casual, more often than not she's got simple, comfortable clothing - though she loves a good vest or a jacket.

Ryleigh doesn't like to draw attention to some of her more natural features, even though her face and the low cut dress she had been wearing at the time were how she got her job in the first place. Her hair is a dark brown, medium length with a bit of curl to it, and she always makes sure it stays out of her eyes unless she needs to do a hair-flip to get a free drink or conversation at a bar. Raine, as she prefers to be called, is 5'7" and has a figure that her unfortunate sleaze of a boss once described as 'vivacious, or in other words something people wanna sleep with' which Raine attributes to her mother.

She has a birthmark on her left arm that looks like a discoloration of skin but she doesn't see the point in trying to conceal it. Her eyes are a forest green, which is absolutely from her mother's side of the family. Her most notable feature, if she had to say, would either be her lips which are rather full and perfect for pouting, or her voice which has a sweet husk to it, which makes her weather reciting all the more palatable to the ears. Though she has a measured and specific diet, she has a fondness for snack foods which has made some of the outfits she wore at the start of her job fit a bit more snug these days.

Edgetoun's own 'Raine or Shine' weather forecaster. Those that still watch the morning news to get their information and weather are treated to Ryleigh's daily segment wherein the daily forecast is given with a bright smile and a bit of back and forth banter with the anchors. Her forecasts are shockingly accurate which have had some humorous comments suggesting that she is "the most honest woman in the news". Ryleigh would certainly not mind being a full on news anchor, but she makes the weather memorable which is a hell of a task by itself.

The meteorologist gig pays her half of the rent but Ryleigh wouldn't mind a change in career. So long as it didn't interfere with her more magical pursuits.

Mutandum Coven. Raine, as she prefers to be called, is a legacy. The women in her family have been witches and she was no exception. Half the reason why her predictions in meteorology are so accurate is because of magic - not that she is powerful enough to impact the weather - but she is a bit in tune with nature and the elements enough that she can get a feel for them. One of the members of her family tree has the family name on some books of witchcraft and Raine is basically a disappointment as she doesn't have much interest in expanding witchcraft beyond what's there. It's worked for centuries, why change it.

If meteorology didn't pan out there are some who say Raine could've been a comedian; while she certainly appreciates the comment she's not exactly sure she'd agree. While it's true she has quite the sense of humor, hers is more sarcastic which doesn't lend itself well to the stand up nature. She is never one to miss a chance to inject a quick line or comment which both makes Raine the person to see when in need of cheering up and also someone that can likely make a bad day worse given that her brand of humor makes her seem a bit lacking in empathy and tact; it isn't that she lacks those, just that in her mind there are few things that can't be made better with
good bit of banter - that she respects it when people turn the gun on her with the jokes shows that she can take as well as she can dish. There's a charisma about her, which is to be expected given she is in front of a camera every weekday, but even the most charismatic person in the world would amount to little if no one wanted to listen to them; fortunately Raine is sociable, even if it's nothing more than talking about the weather with the clerk at the register.

Despite Raine's profession being what some could call successful, Raine sees it differently. Raine has a habit of settling out of habit or because in her mind a single failure or bad experience is reason enough to stop trying. It's why she doesn't even have a driving license because her first time behind the wheel she drove the car into a row of post boxes. She never wanted to be a meteorologist but she settled for it; a string of bad dates is why she's eternally single, that she's managed to have a room mate that she gets along with is damn near like finding a unicorn. She does have goals and ambitions, just without any of the motivation or drive to achieve them unless they could be done with as little effort as possible. She'd likely be a much more proficient witch if she didn't stop keeping up with her studies after striking out on her own. Also not that it matters, but she's a pescatarian; it amazes her that she didn't quit the lifestyle because of a bad sear on an ahi tuna once.

Ryleigh Raine, but just call her Raine, is not the ideal when it comes to a witch - and especially when it comes to a witch in the Mutandum Coven. Though her family has legacy status dating back to near the inception of the coven, at some point the Raine Women became a bit eccentric and less introspective and knowledge pursuing; like the distant relative at the family reunion, so too were the Raine Women of Mutandum. The apple didn't fall terribly far from the tree though Raine's mother was never around. A wild child, Ryleigh's mother fell hard, fast, and loose with the wrong sort. A wild night wound up with a permanent reminder and almost as soon as Ryleigh was out of the newborn ward, she was on the doorstep of her grandmother, Philomena, while her mother went off to chase the love she left behind for nine months. Philomena was unlike the other Raine Women in that she was more in line with how Mutandum seemed to operate. Serious about the craft, intelligent, and her herbal remedies and alchemical mixtures were top of the line - Philomena was always reliable for the best cup of tea.

Ryleigh's upbringing was normal to her own eyes but when you're raised by a witch who specialized in magical tonics and botany, it's hard to get a sense for normal. It wasn't until Ryleigh was eight that she learned that the house pet, a fox, was actually a Familiar and from there it was nights pouring over books and learning the difference between a rune and a ward. Ryleigh found it all a bit overwhelming - she struggled with math how was she supposed to remember spells and the like - but for as loving a family member as Philomena was, she was still a serious witch and student of witchcraft and made sure that her granddaughter would at least know how to conjure and cast properly. Ryleigh's witch upbringing at least made her a bit of a hit at school; while she didn't blow the cover, she did find that doing little fortunes for her classmates was a fun way to interact and mingle. Fortunes did so come with plausible deniability.

Maturing into adulthood, Ryleigh attended university but dropped out near the end of her Freshman year. The records might suggest she flunked out, but it wasn't her fault that she had classes at eight in the morning because she registered late. After her college stint she moved back in with her grandmother. Where before there was an ideal witch, if a bit stern, there was now someone that was out of sorts, saying things that made little sense, and not at all like the grandmother Ryleigh had come to know and respect and love.

Dementia hit the elderly witch hard.

Ryleigh had little choice. She had Philomena admitted to a care facility and Ryleigh had to sell the house. What didn't go into the care facility as a payment she used to find an apartment. It wasn't easy finding a job for someone with only 'some' college on their CV, but fortunately she didn't have to actually know anything about meteorology to read the weather and a chance run-in at a bar wound up introducing the young Raine to a producer. Raine had a look that was perfect and a voice for it, and after initial test reads she was hired. The interest in nature and weather came after. Like grandmother, like granddaughter as Ryleigh found herself using her witchcraft knowledge to enhance her forecasts. It's easy to be right about the weather when she can commune with the air or see it in nature.

Perhaps one day Ryleigh Raine might fulfill a role as a Green Witch, but for now you can see her every weekday just before sports.

The Slye Fox: Raine is a fan of a a good drink but she isn't much for nightclubs or dives. The Fox provides a decent atmosphere for a pint as well as a clientele who wouldn't know her from Sally.

Evermore Flowers: Even when she isn't purchasing items for different alchemical needs, it's hard to beat Evermore when a bouquet of something sweet and scented is necessary.

Richmond's: She's yet to find a place that does a salmon as great as this.

Philomena Raine, her grandmother who looked after her in the absence of Raine's mother. A charming woman, once you get past the constant scent of lavender.

Karen Scaletti

35

In a crowd, Karen wouldn't stand out at all unless someone was looking for the most nondescript person at a glance. She'd be the first to list off her perceived physical shortcomings - starting at the top with her messy, moppy, shaggy brown hair that can only ever seem to stay straight when she cuts it shorter than it already is, and her puffy, squirrel-like cheeks which go in hand with her rounded, soft face. The most remarkable thing about her face are her eyes which are quite expressive and wide in that doe-eyed sort of way. Even though she's half way to forty, Karen still has the facial expressions of a woman half her age, which she hopes is effective in reaching towards the troubled students she sees on a regular basis.

Physically she leans to the lanky side of things, standing at roughly 5'6" with a boyish build (naturally she was teased about this through her own educational history) and next to nothing in the way of curves. She's healthily slender thanks to her metabolism which is appropriate given that she makes frequent trips to the school vending machines; prawn cocktail crisps are kryptonite. Her day-to-day attire is a more dress down sort of affair. Sweaters and jeans on most days to really hammer home the 'school mom' sort of vibe. She's not trying to gussy herself up at work, though when she does go out at night with the hopes of maybe finding someone that can actually make her smile, she's been known to wear more formal, flirty attire.

Crowley High's own guidance counselor. It's her job to provide a safe, comforting, atmosphere for students who wish to confide and discuss their issues. Word around the school is she would have liked to be the principal but she's been at her position for almost ten years now. Love her or find her annoying, she does provide a means for the students to vent to someone who will listen. In addition to her being the school guidance counselor she also attends PTA meetings and school-sanctioned events.

N/A

It comes as little surprise that Karen is a somewhat selfless individual. She always makes time for students that make the effort to see her even if that means having to stay late; if she notices or hears about a student that is troubled she will make the effort to reach out and try to help. Some may find her overly friendly 'call me Karen' type of vibe to be off putting - like when adverts do tone deaf marketing to appeal to 'the kids' - but when she offers to use 'the puppets' or 'the guitar' to help with a session, it's not because she's quirky and weird (not EXCLUSIVELY) but because she's found that when students can't connect to people, they can find it easier to talk to a puppet or the like. Outside of school, Karen is quite the romantic. A fan of romance movies, dramas to romcoms, and of trashy (and classy) literature, Karen still believes that there's someone out there for her. Someone with that 'lipstick lesbian' look who is into quirky 'soft butch' types like herself. Granted as she approaches forty she's coming to terms with the fact that she'll probably be waiting for her Princess Charming forever but it's nice to be optimistic.

Karen has suffered from depression and still feels some of the lingering effects. Optimism is all well and good, but when she returns home to an apartment with two cats it's kind of hard to feel anything but cliche. It used to be worse, to the point where she wears long sleeves for a very specific reason, and she believes herself to be better now, but at times its hard to keep on smiling, especially when it feels like her efforts go to waste and some of her students are just humoring her. While expressive, Karen isn't overtly emotional. She doesn't let her emotions take control in public - save for crying at sad movies or turning into a babbling mess when talking to someone she's attracted to. She is a fairly guarded person and for as much as she extols the virtues of opening up, she doesn't tend to let people in herself. She's far from a mess, but only just, and it's evident that the guidance counselor might need some guidance of her own.

Karen Scaletti refused to just be another victim of the foster care system. After her parents died in a rather unfortunate drunk driving accident, Karen bounced around between various foster homes. She never lived with any one family for long, however, as various acts of...well...god or life - take your pick - kept cropping up. Her first foster family could no longer afford to support a daughter after they both were laid of at their office job. Her second foster family were eventually deemed unfit when Karen discovered some...rather unfortunate and highly illegal images on her foster family computer.

Karen Scaletti seemed to have bad luck when it came to foster homes, and after the fourth failure the orphanage just let her stay until she was old enough to be self sufficient. As such, she had to drop out of school and work two minimum wage part time jobs just to get by. She eventually finished her secondary education albeit later than her peers. While not technically meeting all the requirements - namely a degree - Karen landed the guidance counselor gig on an initially provisional basis because she did pass certification and on the condition that she attend night classes to work towards a counseling degree. It was the biggest break of her life and one she is eternally thankful for. Seven years on she got her degree and still kept the job.

It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows for Karen. Given her rough upbringing and lack of true parental figures and stability in her developmental years, that Karen came out relatively unscathed is a small miracle. Of course, her bouts with depression led to physical scars to make up for the seeming lack of emotional ones. Seeking therapy, one suggested a pet which led to her getting two cats who are, to this day, her closest - and damn near only - friends and confidants.

Karen isn't unhappy even though she clearly would like to be happier, but she still has the tendency to wear fake smiles because there's been little to make her genuinely smile in her life. But she's trying. Lord is she ever trying.

Crowley High: A given, given her occupation. She has her own office which has no fewer than four motivational posters (one for every corner/wall!) and maintains an open door policy as well as all-day office hours. If the door is closed it means she's with another student, but if school is in session then she's available.

Yelena: She's started going there less and less often, but Karen had been a frequent patron in her ever-long pursuit of that illusive thing known as a relationship. Nightclubs aren't typically the best places to find romance but at this point in her life she'd have just been fine not having an empty apartment to come home to.

Grandville: As a fan of non fiction as well as classical literature, it's always a trip when it's Grandville. She found a copy of 'The Remains of the Day' there once and being her second favorite book she had no choice but to buy another copy. Her favorite book is The Poisonwood Bible

Kitty Korner: She went there once or twice on a suggestion from a friend but it was a bit intense.

Raggedy Anne & Haggardly Randi: Her children. Well. Her cats. Raggedy Anne is a British Shorthair while Haggardly Randi is Ragdoll.

To a Fae, Andromeda. To humans, a common nickname is Andi. She enforces a first name basis for patients as well.

29-30 (299)

Works as an occupational therapist, with a doctorate in Psychology. Has also done some work in social work and child psychology. She works at Lock & Key Therapy.

Unseelie Fae

Andromeda was born an Unseelie Fae who wanted to become queen one day. She used to practice her high culture tendencies and speak eloquently. But, something changed. Or rather, stagnated. She hasn’t hoped for something in a long time. But this doesn’t necessarily depress her, she just sort of lives with being bored. As a person, Andromeda likes to help people, she’s thoughtful and intelligent. However she absolutely does not care for people who are selfish. She, in fact dislikes most Fae and isn’t overly personal with people themselves. She just doesn’t find most people that interesting. She doesn't find much interesting at all, in fact. She sort of just looks, she hasn't given up the idea of falling in love, finding more passion, reconnecting with her family. She just doesn't have that yet. That being said, she is a very romantic woman, an expert when it comes to coming off as charming and even beautiful when she has to be. Though she tries to not have to be. For all her athleticism, motorcycle driving and spirited-ness she is a sucker for a woman who will take initiative. Perhaps due to her lack of hope right now. Her romantic nature even attributes to her favourite movies, all of which are trashy romances she cries at to even the slightest face twitch from one of the leads. She tends to watch those alone though, she's a sucker for a disaster lesbian - great minds and all.

Andromeda had a strained relationship with her family before leaving Avalon. Since she hasn’t spoken much to them save for the occasional letter. The reason for her focus in child psychology has primarily been because of her time as a child. Her loss of hope and passion and so many positive things felt like a robbery. She wished that she had spoken to someone at the time, and she wanted to help kids talk to someone when she was older - or at least she made that decision when she left Avalon. She can't help but feel tired fairly often, but not in a way that makes her want sleep. Just in a way that makes her feel like she is stuck under grey skies and rainy weather. It's better than Avalon though. She does like to have fun though, Andi often goes out to different attractions that Edgetoun has to offer. Whether that be Friday at the Slye Fox, where the bar fills up with cops or customers as Andi calls them. Or the batting cages. But Andi just feels like she might be missing something. Often times she finds herself looking up at the stars for some kind of sign, in that way she kind of considers herself lost. She decidedly doesn’t think about her own mentality all that much. As a licensed therapist that is something she doesn’t want to overanalyze anything. She has considered starting a session with another therapist herself, but she isn’t ready yet.

Andromeda was a girl best defined as full of aspiration and a want to succeed as a young girl. She was constantly running ahead of her parents on their walks to a hill outside of the small village they lived in named Rionnagburn. The hill was where they would watch for shooting stars, or as her father titled them "angel tears". Andromeda's father was a kind older man who made small trinkets for a living. He was something of an expert with small mechanics and he taught his daughter from the youngest age to believe in dreams, the future, herself most of all. Unfortunately only one of those really stuck. Andromeda, around the age of 250 set out from Avalon. She was still a young adult in the eyes of a Fae, but she had already become disillusioned with Avalon and its inhabitants.

Though it is unclear why or when exactly she lost this spirited nature she commonly cites Rionnagburn itself. She'd say something about how it was the smallest, most quaint pitfall in Avalon. The community was small and not too populated. In fact it was fairly quiet. But the town was not at fault, in reality it was Andromeda's mother. She was hard on her as any parent should be - but she couldn't deal with the notion of having a dreamer for a daughter. She taught her at every turn not to believe in the fantastical notions her father planted in her head. Andromeda wouldn't grow a resentment of her mother, at least not all at once and certainly not consciously. No, it was when her father too her to London for the first time. She was 200 years old and ready to experience another realm, a myriad of possibilities. She met a man who was smelling a small book that told stories of fairies. Stories of the magical, for humans could only dream of the fantastical nature of her world. They had no hand in fantastic things themselves.

It was the realization that everything her father had painted as fantastical and those things her mother had told her not to believe in, they were what she was living. It was irrational at the time, but she moved out only a few decades later, leaving for earth. Her time on Earth has mostly been spent wondering what she should be doing, and perhaps searching in the wrong place. At first she spent a lot of time pursuing education, getting her doctorate of the coming two and a half decades or so. However she was aimless for a great deal of time after that.

She moved to Edgetoun about ten years ago, the love in her life for things and people was mostly gone, but not necessarily the need for such things. She spends her time, as one does, but for the most part she is just enjoying letting time pass in a new place. Even if she is silently waiting for something to happen.

Lock & Key is her place of work, she has an office there which she can often be found. She usually takes patients any time from Monday to Friday. But if there was an urgent situation, she would be open to a weekend session.

The Slye Fox is somewhere she goes, but not too often. She's much more accustomed to buying her own booze.

The Daily Grind is often home to an overtired Andi, working through files on her computer and grabbing a coffee.

Her mother and father haven't been in touch in the past 20 or so years, she hasn't reached out much.