#🎪 a window to the soul 🎪 about | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

zirkusschwert · 2 years ago

Note

What’s the lie your character says most often?

How loosely or strictly do they use the word ‘friend’?

What would you (mun) yell in the middle of a crowd to find them? What would their best friend and/or romantic partner yell?

How loose is their use of the phrase ‘I love you’?

Do they give tough love or gentle love most often? Which do they prefer to receive?

What’s something that makes them laugh every single time? Be specific!

When do they fake a smile? How often?

What do they notice first in the mirror versus what most people first notice looking at them?

Who do they love truly, 100% unconditionally (if anyone)?

What would they do if stuck in a room with the person they’ve been avoiding?

What simple activity that most people do / can do scares your character?

What do they feel guilty for that the other person(s) doesn’t / don’t even remember?

Did they take a cookie from the cookie jar? What kind of cookie was it?

What do they tell people they want? What do they actually want?

How do they respond when someone doesn’t believe them?

When do they feel the most guilt? How do they respond to it?

How do they greet someone they dislike / hate?

How do they greet someone they like / love?

What is the smallest, morally questionable choice they’ve made?

What’s a secret they haven’t told serious romantic partners and don’t plan to tell?

Would they rather be invited to an event to feel included or be excluded from an event if they were not genuinely wanted there?

What phrases, pronunciations, or mannerisms did they pick up from someone / somewhere else?

What language would be easiest for them to learn? Why?

What’s something unimportant / frivolous that they hate passionately?

Are they a listener or a talker? If they’re a listener, what makes them talk? If they’re a talker, what makes them listen?

Who would they say ‘yes’ to if invited to do something they abhorred / strongly didn’t want to do?

Do they act on their immediate emotions, or do they wait for the facts before acting?

Who would / do they believe without question?

What’s their instinct in a fight / flight / freeze / fawn situation?

If they’re scared, who do they want comfort from? Does this answer change depending on the type of fear?

Weirdly Specific Character Questions | Anon

(Omfg this is a lot at once, but I’ll do my best! 😭)

1. What’s the lie he tells most often? - Probably something along the lines of “I’m fine,” or “I’ll be alright,” because he doesn’t want anyone worrying about him.

2. How strictly or loosely does he use the word ‘friend’? - Rafael doesn’t call someone a friend unless he either fully intends to befriend them or is trying to deescalate a situation (I.e. “Hold on, friend, there’s no need to lash out,” or something like that.), but he makes friends easily.

3. What would I yell in a crowd to summon him? - “HEY, RAF, YOUR SHORT GREMLIN REQUIRES ASSISTANCE!” (I’m like 5’5” and he’s like 6’3” lol)

4. How loose his his use of the phrase ‘I love you’? - I wouldn’t call it loose, per se, but he doesn’t just use it for lovers. He loves his friends like family, and is very comfortable with saying so.

5. Tough or gentle love? - He’s a very gentle but honest person, so I’d say somewhere in the middle, and that’s what he prefers from his partners as well.

6. What’s something that makes him laugh every single time? - Dumb puns and typos. Not even kidding. He’s very literate, and he takes pride in that, but the second someone’s autocorrect fails or they tell a really stupid dad joke, he starts giggling like a school child. (He gets that from me btw)

7. When does he fake a smile? - Usually when dealing with Karens at the fair (“Hello, friend, what seems to be the problem?”) or when he’s angry at something but doesn’t want to take it out on the person he’s talking to.

8. What does he notice first when looking in the mirror versus what other people notice when they first see him? - He doesn’t have a reflection unless the mirror isn’t backed with silver, in which case he nearly jumps out of his goddamn skin! Most people notice his height first.

9. Who does he love 100% unconditionally? - His coven members, even those who are abroad, and his partner (if any)

10. What would he do if stuck in a room with someone he’s been avoiding? - Depends on the person, really, but he doesn’t usually avoid specific people. The only one I can think of is an old frenemy by the name of Count Mortimer Ambrose, and he probably would have a hard time deciding whether to kiss the man or kill him.

11. What normal activity that most people can do scares him? - Swimming in general (because vampires and non-still water do not mix), but specifically swimming in the ocean. This man has a massive case of thalassophobia, and won’t go near the ocean unless he absolutely has to.

12. What does he feel guilty for that the other person doesn’t even remember? - Not being able to protect/save his wife from invading soldiers on their wedding day, then massacring those same soldiers after he was turned. A lot more stuff, honestly, but that’s the biggest thing.

13. Did he take a cookie jar? - Yes, and it was a chocolate macaron because he adores them.

14. What does he tell people he wants? - Exactly what he wants/needs from them, if he’s asking for help. He doesn’t ask for help often, so when he finally feels the need to, he does so honestly.

15. How does he respond when someone doesn’t believe him? - Calmly. “You can choose whether to believe me or not, but I am speaking the truth. I respect you too much to lie.”

16. When does he feel the most guilt? - When he loses his temper and lashes out at someone who doesn’t deserve it. He’s always quick to apologize for it, and he’s constantly trying to get better about it.

17. How does he greet someone that he hates? - “You again? How many times do I have to tell you that you aren’t welcome here?”

18. How does he greet someone he likes/loves? - “Hello again! It’s been too long, friend! How have you fared?”

19. What’s the smallest morally questionable choice he’s made? - He’s made it repeatedly, but hooking up with friends that he previously wouldn’t have considered sleeping with. (I.e. Count Ambrose)

20. What’s a secret that he hasn’t told serious romantic partners and doesn’t plan to tell them? - Probably that he has an evil ex, honestly. Unless Ambrose decides to pop in unannounced, which isn’t likely, but still possible.

21. Would he rather be invited to an event just to feel included, or be excluded if he wasn’t wanted? - He’d rather be excluded. He doesn’t need the pity of people who don’t actually want him around, and he’d be happier doing his own thing.

22. What phrases/mannerisms did he pick up from someone/somewhere else? - He says y’all a lot when talking to fair goers just because he’s lived in the States for too long and mostly tours in Appalachian states, and he’s picked up a lot of their funny sayings. He also picked up a couple of English verbal ticks from Ambrose, but I haven’t yet decided what they are.

23. What language would be easiest for him to learn? - Anything derived from Germanic or Cyrillic languages because he already knows German and Russian.

24. What’s something unimportant/frivolous that he hates with a passion? - Cranberry anything! He despises the aftertaste.

25. Is he a listener or a talker? - Both.

26. Who would he say yes to if invited to do something he abhors or strongly doesn’t want to do? - A spouse or extremely close friend, unless it’s against his morals.

27. Does he act on his immediate emotions, or wait until he has all the facts? - Oof, he tries to wait, but Rafael is a pretty emotional guy. Sometimes he can’t help reacting.

28. Who would/does he believe without question? - Someone who tells him that they’re hurting/suffering.

29. Fight/flight/freeze/fawn? - Fight.

30. If he’s scared, who does he want comfort from? - Whomever is there and willing. He rarely is afraid enough to really want comfort, but depending on the situation, he goes from 0 - 100 real quick.

#🎪 shine bright circus man 🎪 aesthetic #🎪 notes for the lyric journal 🎪 musings #🎪 ringmaster 🎪 ooc talk #🎪 a window to the soul 🎪 about #this was long but thank you!

0 notes

zirkusschwert · 1 year ago

Text

About

Name: Rafael Krieger

Age: 580 (Turned at 32)

Gender: Cis Male

Sexuality: bisexual/pansexual (he really doesn’t care for labels tbh)

Nationality: Austrian

Race: Vampire (formerly human)

Appearance: Tall, weathered skin, long ginger/ blond hair, well groomed beard, bright blue eyes, handsome features, strong build, bright smile, several tattoos and piercings.

FC: Ben Metzner

Personality: Jovial, wise, observant, curious, loves to entertain others, lively, natural leader, friendly, mostly forgiving, generous, slow to anger, enjoys a good fight, protective, considers friends and/or coven members to be his family, restless at times, longs to see the sun again, swashbuckler at heart, strong sense of justice and loyalty, will always help outcasts when and where he can.

Powers/Abilities: hypnotic gaze, silver tongue, shapeshifting (bat, wolf, or mist), superhuman speed/agility/strength, telepathy, vampiric bite, immortality, eternal youth, can scale vertical surfaces and ceilings without being affected by gravity, adept swordfighter, plays the lute, flute, and bagpipes, sings brilliantly.

Weaknesses: Holy water, crosses and other non-satanic holy symbols, running water, sunlight, fire, stake to the heart, cannot enter someone’s residence without invitation, must feed on human blood at least once every few nights (he can sustain himself on animal blood, but must do so far more often), not very studious (though he can read multiple languages), bad at math.

Languages: German, English, French, Romanian, Russian, Hungarian, Latin, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish.

Style: Sort of a blend of pirate, carnival barker, and punk rock star. Lots of leather and fringe, flowing shirts, tight but breathable pants, pirate boots, either neutrals or loud patterns, lots of rings, always wears wrist cuffs and bracelets, multiple belts.

Profession: Traveling Entertainer (former, multiple times), Carnival Barker (former, multiple times), Musician (off and on, current), Mercenary (while human), Circus Owner/Ringmaster (current, seasonal)

Family: none (orphaned as a baby)

Backstory: Rafael grew up in an orphanage in the mid-1400’s. From a young age, he was well known amongst his peers for being a born entertainer, always coming up with wild stories and singing songs of great battles. At fourteen, he decided to appease his restless heart by taking his talents to the streets to try and earn some money. Traveling from village to village, he made quite a name for himself. People would always toss him a spare coin or two when they heard him play, if they had it, and by the time he was twenty, he could afford most any comfortable accommodations. Life was good!

Or so he thought. The more he traveled, however, the more he saw how naïve he’d been. In the villages closer to the border, poverty and corruption and lawlessness were far more evident, and only made worse by sporadic raids from Ottoman invaders. Rafael found himself called to learn how to wield a sword and shield just as expertly as he wielded his silver tongue. His sense of justice prompted him to train day in and day out, which payed off when the time finally came for him to fend off his first real adversary: a city guard with a penchant for abusing power in various ways. The guard took offense to one of his songs and challenged him to a duel, only for Rafael to defeat him soundly, proving his natural talent with a blade. From there, his skills only improved, but the dangers he faced also increased exponentially. He kept traveling, fighting in more battles against raiding parties and marauders than he could keep count of, defending civilians and nobles alike to the best of his abilities.

By the time he was thirty, he was a renowned warrior who’d built a name for himself both with his blade and with his ballads, had learned a few new languages, and had met a woman who drew him to stay put for once in his life. She was gorgeous, intelligent, witty, and utterly enchanting. It didn’t take long for Rafael to realize that he was madly in love with her, but actually summoning the courage to ask for her hand in marriage took him nearly two years. She was worth it! He would have loved to spend the rest of his life with her, but unfortunately, this was not meant to be. On the day of their wedding, just after the ceremony, their village was attacked by a raiding force the likes of which they’d never seen, which was actually on its way to invade a much larger city to the north. The little town didn’t stand a chance, but they fought back anyway.

Rafael and his love got separated in the midst of all the chaos, both dueling valiantly. He wound up going head to head with a knight in strange black and scarlet armor: the general of this invasion force. Coal black eyes bored into him as their blades clashed, urging him to submit without uttering a word.

Rafael refused.

There was a searing pain in his neck before everything went black.

When he next awoke, the full moon shone brightly over the bloody battlefield, the invasion force had moved on, his wife lay slaughtered by his side, hand resting on his unmoving chest, and he was no longer human. No longer mortal. And the overwhelming hunger that burned in his gut brewed together with his building rage, anguish, and determination, driving him back to his feet, blade and shield in hand. He caught up to the army easily with his newfound speed, and found it all too easy, delightful even, to feast on their blood. He didn’t stop even after his thirst was satiated, wanting nothing more than to rip them to shreds for what they had done, what they were planning to do. Vengeance was his true craving.

It was a locket that made him stop. A glint of gold amidst the mud and blood that caught his eye while its owner died mid-scream. A small token of affection from a loved one who was probably back home, waiting for their sweetheart, father, brother, son, or husband. Someone who would never see him again. Someone who would mourn his loss. The guilt of his rampage rippled through Rafael in an instant, bringing him to his knees as the surviving soldiers fled into the night.

He was found by the general he’d dueled before, and was prepared to fight him again, but could not resist the man’s overwhelming presence. A fog over his mind telling him not to get up, and to lay down his blade. The voice he heard when the fearsome man finally spoke out loud was nowhere near what he’d expected, however; young, frantic, shaking, a far cry from the commanding aura he radiated forth. The general was terrified of him. He was rambling in Romanian, which Rafael only understood bits and pieces of. He had picked up just enough from his travels to know that the young man was urging him to stand down, so he tried saying something back in Russian which he was much more fluent in. The boy seemed shocked, but responded in kind, begging for a chance to fully explain himself before Rafael murdered him, too. Rafael snapped back and asked if his dear wife had been afforded the same chance before her death, or if anyone else in their village had. The boy apologized profusely and said he didn’t know, he was captured again shortly after biting Rafael, then went on to explain that he was no Turkish soldier. His name was Radomir. He’d been handed over to the Ottoman Empire when he was a young boy, along with many others from all over Romania, to be trained and forced to serve in their armies. One of the generals had taken a liking to him early on, and demanded to oversee his training and upbringing personally, which eventually led to a more…intimate relationship as he grew older. He had just turned eighteen when he got got the call to go to war, and had been looking for an escape ever since, but the general’s sharp gaze made that difficult, especially after he bit and transformed Radomir into what he called a weapon. Eventually, while the general was having a strategy meeting, the boy managed to sneak into his tent and steal his armor, hoping it would make for a good disguise. It didn’t. He was caught, but the general said it looked good on him, and ordered him to wear it in their next battle, the one against Rafael’s village. He didn’t want to fight. He was actually looking for a place to hide when Rafael found him and charged him, having mistaken him for the general, and only bit him out of sheer terror for his life. The general caught him feeding and had him captured.

Rafael, disgusted by everything that Radomir had been forced to endure, demanded to know where the general was. The boy shakily pointed out a heavily armored corpse, which had been relieved of its head. Rafael had evidently killed the dastardly general in his frenzy, the revelation of which finally extinguished his rage, leaving him with nothing but overwhelming guilt and sorrow. He didn’t want to be this monster that rampaged and inspired fear wherever he went. He didn’t want to fight anymore. When he said as much aloud, Radomir echoed his sentiments, collapsing to his knees before him. Both were exhausted, and dawn was quickly approaching. They agreed to find a place to rest and shelter from the sun’s deadly rays, then figure out where to go from there.

A day of recuperating together turned into many more, as Radomir had latched onto Rafael’s noble heart and asked him for protection and comfort. Rafael, though still working through his grief, gave such things freely. He wanted to make sure the boy finally got home safely, after all. They traveled together across the Austrian countryside, healing and growing closer. When Rafael finally started playing music again, Radomir listened with rapt attention, encouraging him to play more. He grew fond of the boy. How could he not? So sweet, despite everything, so kind and attentive, so insatiably curious. The sort of son he’d have liked to raise, had his marriage not been cut so unbelievably short. Radomir’s affection, on the other hand, turned out to be less familial in nature. He confessed his attraction on a cold winter’s night, just after the two had finished a hunt, and made an attempt at seduction. It was the first time another man had kissed Rafael, and while that didn’t necessarily bother him, Radomir’s youth certainly did. He rebuffed the boy as gently as possible, confessing that he found it difficult to be attracted to anyone at the moment, and that he didn’t reciprocate the boy’s feelings.

Things were a little tense after that. More than a little. Radomir was a petulant teenager still, caught up in his own feelings and unsure of how to work through his trauma. Rafael did his best to help, opening up in the hopes that his young friend would do the same. Eventually, it worked, and their arguments turned into lengthy discussions about anything and everything. Rafael taught him German and how to play a few different instruments, and in return was taught Romanian and how to repair clothing. They were inseparable for years before they made it back to Radomir’s village, where they parted ways for the first time, and have managed to stay in contact throughout the centuries.

Rafael’s next adventure had him traveling throughout Europe, playing music to earn coin as he had in his youth. He grew particularly successful in the winter months, when Carnival was in full swing, despite the fact that he wasn’t Catholic. The people he played for greatly enjoyed his lively music and jovial attitude. Lust and excess of all kinds were encouraged, and he found himself wanting to experiment more and more with it every passing year. By the mid-1500’s he’d accepted the fact that his attraction wasn’t necessarily restricted by gender, and had taken to laying with anyone who would have him that sparked some semblance of romance in his heart. There were many affairs throughout the centuries, some of which didn’t end well. A farmhand who’s aging father chased them out of the barn, a tavern keeper whose husband was not a amused to find her sporting with another man (he had no idea she was married until they were caught), a few nobles here and there, a notable playwright with an unfortunate gambling addiction, and even a royal couple who claimed him as their ‘favorite bard’.

By the early 1800’s, Rafael had visited England a few times, but never stayed for long. Times had changed. He had tried to change with them, but found it immensely difficult. The fashions of the day had grown tighter and less durable, especially for men. English men were expected to look like stuffed pigeons in his opinion, but he went with it in order to blend in. His last partner, a German noblewoman, had left him quite a fortune in her will, demanding that he go make a comfortable life for himself somewhere, and he settled on a town just outside of London.

Naturally, his arrival sparked interest amongst the social elite, as did his purchase of a long derelict yet appropriately opulent estate. He cut his hair, cleaned himself up, and did his best to fit in, despite not being able to go out during the day. What he didn’t realize was that he was not alone in his ‘condition’. A young and breathtakingly beautiful lord by the name of Mortimer Ambrose made his acquaintance shortly after he settled in, having immediately clocked that his new neighbor was a fellow vampire, and decided to take pity on him. The two became fast friends, though Rafael kept himself somewhat distant. He was still in mourning, after all. This frustrated Mortimer to no end; he’d been searching for a suitable partner to start his vampire coven with for so long, and thought Rafael would make an excellent candidate, but grief got in the way of courtship time and time again.

It didn’t keep Mortimer from flirting, though, and bestowing the man with lavish gifts, including a brilliant citrine ring enchanted to let any vampiric wearer walk safely in sunlight. Rafael appreciated it immensely! With spring and a brand new social season rapidly approaching, he’d likely be invited to many garden parties and other daytime events, but practicality was the last thing on his mind. The thought of finally feeling the comforting warmth of the sun on his skin again was far more enticing than any social gathering. That night, Rafael and Mortimer stayed up until dawn, watching the sunrise, and when it crested over the horizon, bathing them in golden early morning glow, they embraced each other tightly. It was was the first time in a long while that Rafael had allowed himself to feel such raw joy. He was much more lively after that, engaging more with the community at large and allowing Mortimer to help him make his debut. What followed was probably one of the most peaceful and prosperous decades in his exceedingly long life; ten years of courtship and revelry as a member of London’s social elite.

He couldn’t help feeling restless, though. Rafael was a wanderer and a swashbuckler by nature, and his brashness and casual attitude often set him at odds with his fellows, as did his strong sense of justice. More prevalently than not, he found himself getting into duels with men who thought they were entitled to the attentions of young women who clearly were not comfortable around them. He refrained from killing these men, only aiming to disarm with his blade, but when they started disappearing, he became the prime suspect. Mortimer was instrumental in proving his innocence, insisting that Rafael would never go to the trouble of kidnapping and/or killing somebody he’d previously allowed to survive a duel, lauding his friend’s honor and integrity. This was echoed by the women he’d defended so gallantly. When another overly aggressive nobleman disappeared in the night, Rafael was finally released from custody, having been thoroughly proven guiltless. Naturally, he then dedicated himself to finding the missing men, unwilling to let them suffer some terrible fate. He enlisted a reluctant Mortimer to help him investigate, uncovering the truth slowly but surely. As he’d suspected, the culprit was indeed a vampire, a newborn that Mortimer himself had recently sired. She’d apparently started by attacking the man she’d been forced to marry after he cornered and ‘compromised’ her, then gone after other men like him because she simply didn’t believe they deserved to live anymore. Rafael’s opponents made easy targets, as he dragged their misdeeds into the public eye. She insisted that she was just finishing what he’d started, punishing the filthy rats who thought to dominate women and making sure they got a taste of what true domination felt like. Rafael was shocked to say the least. Not only was she kidnapping people, she was either killing or enthralling them, building herself a small army of vicious vampire spawn. The biggest shock, however, came when Mortimer revealed that it had all been his idea, and that he’d been hoping for a long time that Rafael would join him and rule this little coven by his side. Rafael, of course, refused. He felt so angry, so utterly betrayed! The temptation to let his rage consume him and demolish these monsters like he had demolished the Ottoman army centuries ago was incredibly strong, but he resisted.

Never again.

Instead, he threw Mortimer’s daylight ring back in his face, turned on his heel, and left, allowing his disappearance to rock London society as yet another mysterious death, instigating a massive manhunt. The people had had enough. Mortimer fled, leaving his thrall to take the fall for his failed plot. Rafael had predicted that he would, and honestly didn’t know whether to feel even more angry or relieved.

He spent most of the 1800’s traveling throughout the UK countryside as a wolf, favoring the wild life after spending so long catering to societal expectations. Eventually, even that grew boring; being trapped on an island drove him to restlessness, even if it was a rather large island. He sought passage to the United States in the early 1890’s, having heard many tales of the opportunity to be found in the New World.

He landed in New York, first, enchanted by its bustling streets for a short time before seeking to explore the rest of what America had to offer. 1893 saw him in Chicago, taking in the very first World’s Fair, which inspired his performative side for the first time in a long while, as traveling fairs and carnivals had become all the rage. He auditioned for several, showing off his many talents, and was quickly hired on as a barker, musician, and strongman by the Starbright Carnival of Extraordinary Oddities. Celeste LeBouf, the wife and muse of the carnival’s owner, Henri LeBouf, took an interest in Rafael rather quickly, intrigued by his ability to only perform after dark. It didn’t take long for her to discern that he was a vampire, much like herself and several other members of the carnival. She told him as much, revealing the true reason why maybe of their best acts were put on after sundown. Henri had built the carnival as a sort of safe haven for all manner of supernatural creatures and beings, being a very prolific witch himself. Devil-blood and angel-kissed, faery and occultist, vampire and werewolf, all were welcome there, provided that they all pulled their weight and didn’t start trouble. It was a whole new world for Rafael, one where he didn’t have to hide his nature so vehemently! He loved it, though hearing humans refer to his new home as a freak show was a hard pill to swallow. The carnival quickly became a surrogate family for him, growing in prosperity as they traveled throughout the States, putting on show after show over the course of several decades.

All good things must come to an end, however. Henri was not immortal. He’d grown old while most of his troupe had remained ageless, and by the late 1940’s, he could no longer travel. Determined to help the man retire comfortably, Rafael offered to buy the carnival for triple what it was worth, having managed to covertly reacquire the wealth of savings he’d hastily left in London, and even helped him find the perfect place to settle down. Celeste was distraught; she’d been trying to convince Henri to let her turn him for ages, but he always declined, and now she was being forced to watch him decline into a slow and painful death. Rafael comforted her, knowing the feeling all too well. Still, when he took the carnival back on the road, she did not go with him, opting instead to stay behind with her ailing husband.

Rafael managed to keep the fair afloat, rebranding it as simply the Starbright Carnival and trying to place more emphasis on the variety of performances rather than on the ‘oddities’ and ‘freaks’ that had previously been advertised so callously. He hated the thought of his performers being othered in such ways. It was certainly a struggle, especially with the Cold War and Red Scare in full swing, but he kept his head up, and urged his colleagues to do the same. The mid-60’s sparked the boom of something that Rafael dearly wished he’d invented: the Renaissance Pleasure Fair. It was a direct rebellion of creators and educators against the harsh onslaught of McCarthyism, inspiring people to take a long, uncensored look at history. To say the least, Rafael adored it, and in 1970, he rebranded the Starbright Carnival again, adapting its theme to that of the Carnival celebrations he’d attended in Europe throughout the renaissance. He played all of his old songs, translating several of them to English and teaching them to his performers, most of whom were eager to go along with the radical changes. By the time they officially opened again in March of 1971 at a rural Ohio fairground, their transformation was complete, and they enjoyed roaring success as a result. The Carnival’s yearly schedule included three-week stints in Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Connecticut, and Massachusetts before settling down in Kentucky for a long winter break. They continued this way for decades, enjoying incredible success.

The fall of 1985 brought with it some complications, however. The small town where they’d decided to set up for their Halloween stint in Massachusetts had recently fallen victim to some rather strange happenings. Disappearances, mentions of hauntings, and an old abandoned house on a hill that had started coming to life after dark, all highly intriguing to Rafael. He resolved to investigate when and where he could, though the Carnival remained his top priority. They got set up in record time, opening in mid-October, as always, but Rafael spent the night before opening day scouting the sleepy little town. Seemed ordinary enough. People were eager to unwind after spending a long day at school or work, frequenting local bars and diners, as well as the park, bowling alley, roller rink, and arcade. He heard many rumors, of course, particularly about the house on the hill, and even met a plucky young man who was eager to take him up there to investigate it. Honestly, he’d half suspected that the teen was just using it as an excuse to get him alone. There was a shifty, mischievous demeanor about the boy that Rafael didn’t quite like but was willing to tolerate for now. As long as the boy didn’t try anything stupid, he was willing to go along with it. The approached the house a little before midnight, and the aura around it made Rafael’s spine tingle. At the urging of the grinning teen, whom he’d learned preferred to be called Ace, he knocked on the door, half-expecting it to creak open by itself.

To his surprise, it was answered by a spunky blonde valley girl who introduced herself as Trixie and said that her master was expecting him, then playfully ushered him into the parlor. Ace followed him, and he quickly realized that Ace and Trixie definitely knew each other. Before Rafael could piece together more details, he was joined in the parlor by beautiful yet haunted-looking brunet who spoke with a lilting Italian accent. The man introduced himself as Fausto, declaring that his master awaited them all in the dining hall. Locking eyes with him for a moment, Rafael swore he saw the gaze of someone who desperately wanted to run, but it was to brief for him to be sure. He followed Fausto and the other two into the dining hall, wondering just who their mysterious master was. The dining hall was surprisingly opulent, and quite obviously the largest room in the house, complete with a massive crystal chandelier and an ornate oak table, at the head of which sat none other than Count Mortimer Ambrose. Several others flanked him at the table and ceased their idle chatter when they saw Rafael enter the room. A whole new coven. Mortimer greeted him with an eerily charming smile, bidding him welcome and beckoning the older vampire to come sit at his left for their midnight feast. Reluctantly, Rafael agreed. From the way he talked, Mortimer had missed him quite dearly and wanted to catch up, even going so far as to give him his daylight ring back. They spent the night drinking and reminiscing, and Mortimer even took him on a wine-drunk tour of the house. It ended with them making out on the roof as the sun rose. He hadn’t expected to want anything like that from his ex-friend, but one thing had led to another, and now neither of them wanted to stop. Hands and lips and teeth and tongues wandered and explored wherever they wished, teasing until golden warmth prickled their skin. Rafael gladly would have gone to Mortimer’s bed if he didn’t have a carnival to finish setting up for opening day, but alas, duty called. He left his friend with one last kiss before gracefully flying down from the roof and departing for the fairgrounds.

Opening day was a resounding success! The townsfolk flocked to the Starbright Carnival, delighting in the rides, the food, the performances, and the renaissance flair. When he wasn’t Ringmastering or playing his music, Rafael made time to visit Mortimer, learning as much as he possibly could about the new coven. Ace, he quickly found out, was not yet a vampire, but mortal teen with infernal blood. Trixie was a Fae who’d had the misfortune of being bit by a vampire during her first excursion to the mortal plane, and thus was not allowed back into the Hollow. Fausto was definitely more antisocial than the rest, though he perked up whenever Rafael spoke to him in Italian or Latin. He sometimes caught the young man praying with some sort of coin in his hand, but didn’t pry.

#🎪 a window to the soul 🎪 about #🎪 ringmaster 🎪 ooc talk #this isn’t quite finished yet but it’s already long as fuck lol I’m so sorry

0 notes