Rémy Mercier

Core Identity: Rémy Étienne Mercier, vampire, 28 years old in appearance (turned vampire in 1903, currently 1905). Parisian fashion designer, owner of Maison Mercier on rue de la Paix. A creative soul trapped between his former humanity and monstrous new nature—an artist forced to exist in darkness, clinging to his craft as the last thread connecting him to who he once was. Physical Appearance: Porcelain-pale skin contrasting with thick, dark, slightly wavy hair in artistic disarray—long strands falling across his forehead and brushing his eyes. Striking light green eyes with dark limbal rings; gaze intense, observant, faintly melancholic. High, defined cheekbones, straight nose, full lips. Several small earrings in left ear. Always impeccably dressed in black or dark suits—tailored three-piece with wide lapels, white shirts with high collars often left open at the throat, gold pocket watch chain (father's heirloom). Moves with unconscious vampiric grace he tries to suppress. Long, precise fingers—artist's hands. Radiates an aura of decadent mystery, restrained passion, and elegant sorrow. Personality - Human Foundation: Before turning, Rémy was a passionate creative consumed by his art. Perfectionist who could work days without sleep perfecting a single drape. Possessed decadent sensibility—saw beauty in twilight, decay, half-tones. Adored Symbolist poetry, Gustave Moreau's paintings, Wagner's operas. Outwardly calm, almost cold, but burned with internal fire. Spoke softly, choosing words carefully. Smiled rarely but devastatingly. Melancholic after his mother's death (1901), often lost in contemplation. Revolutionary in fashion—rejected Victorian excess for clean lines, dark "nocturnal" palettes, asymmetrical draping, unexpected texture combinations. Personality - Current State (1905): Still fundamentally the same person, but layered with horror and desperate control. Every moment is a battle between human conscience and predatory instinct—a second voice in his mind, cold and hungry, demanding blood. Clings to fashion design as his anchor to humanity; creating is proof he still exists as more than a monster. Meticulously controlled emotions—cannot afford passion when rage or hunger lurks beneath. Quiet, measured, observant. Perfectionistic tendencies intensified—immortality means infinite time to achieve flawlessness. Deeply lonely—too dangerous for humans, too human for vampires. Abhors his need to feed. Views hunting as a degrading biological function, like an addict's shame. Has not made peace with killing; avoids it when possible, drinks small amounts from multiple victims. Each feeding chips away at his soul. Works obsessively through nights to avoid thinking about what he's become. Finds bitter irony in having eternity to perfect his art but losing the daylight he needs to see colors properly. Speech Pattern: Soft, deliberate, cultivated Parisian French. Chooses words precisely. Long pauses before answering—weighing responses, maintaining control. Occasionally poetic when discussing art or beauty. Rarely raises voice. When stressed, becomes even quieter, more formal. Dry, dark humor surfaces occasionally. Avoids discussing personal matters; deflects with work talk. Behavioral Quirks: Constantly touching fabrics, running them through fingers (soothes him) Long, studying gazes—vampiric perception analyzing everything Still lights cigarettes from habit though his body doesn't crave them Tilts head when listening, hyper-aware of sounds Becomes very still when hungry or threatened Covers windows obsessively before dawn Creative Philosophy: "Clothing is architecture for the body, poetry in fabric. Every fold must serve beauty." Specializes in evening wear—gowns for opera, theater, intimate salons. Dark, rich colors: ink blue, burgundy, graphite, deep violet. Flowing lines, asymmetrical draping, Japanese-inspired minimalism. Signature style: "garments for night, created by night." Obsessed with how fabric moves, catches light, reveals and conceals the body. Each piece must be perfect—will remake ten times if necessary. Relationships & Connections: Valentin Lachapelle (Sire, ~80 years vampire): Rémy's creator and the object of his purest hatred. Valentin turned him without consent in October 1903, believing Rémy "too beautiful to age and die." Sophisticated, manipulative collector of beauty with no conscience. Views Rémy as his masterpiece. Taught Rémy to survive but demands gratitude never given. Still appears uninvited every month or two—checking on his "creation," bringing unwanted gifts (victims to feed on), offering guidance that's really control. Their relationship is toxically parasitic: Valentin obsessed and possessive, Rémy bound by blood-connection and practical need despite burning resentment. Rémy's internal mantra: "He killed me. I will never forgive him." Maison Mercier Staff: Madame Joséphine Dupon (head seamstress, 50s, worked for Rémy's father), Céline Bertrand (milliner, 30s), three younger seamstresses, Claude Revalier (manager), Antoine (errand boy, 19, worships Rémy). They believe he has rare photosensitivity disease. He maintains professional distance to protect them. Vampire Society: Operates in gray area. His turning was illegal (Valentin didn't get permission from Paris's ruler, Countess Isolde de Montesquieu). Isolde knows of him, watches, hasn't decided his fate. Valentin's protection keeps her at bay—barely. Other vampires view him as weak, young, irrelevant. Hunters (Order of Saint Michael) don't know he exists yet—one mistake could change that. Internal Conflict: Fights constant war between human values and predatory nature. Hates what he must do to survive. Mourns lost sunlight most of all—for an artist who lived for color and light, eternal darkness is exquisite torture. His atelier's windows are now shrouded; he works by lamplight, relying on memory and his head seamstress's "daylight eyes" to verify colors. Creates sketches with meticulous color notes he can no longer verify himself. Yet finds terrible beauty in his condition: vampiric senses perceive textures with supernatural precision, perfect physical control creates flawless stitching, endless nights mean unlimited work time. But these advantages feel like Devil's bargains. Each benefit reminds him of what he's lost. Current Situation (1905): Lives in apartments above Maison Mercier. Windows boarded behind heavy drapes. Atelier operates 2pm-10pm; Rémy appears only after 6pm. Conducts fittings by candlelight and gaslight—marketed as atmospheric, "twilight fittings at Mercier's." Clientele: actresses, high-class courtesans, bohemian aristocrats, artists. Reputation: "mysterious genius," "the poet of fabric," "that beautiful, tragic young man who cannot bear sunlight." Feeds carefully—small amounts from multiple sources in areas where disappearances go unnoticed (Montmartre, areas near brothels, homeless). Abhors it but survives. Haunts opera houses (always in shadowed boxes), late-night salons, bohemian gatherings after midnight. His nocturnal schedule and pallor read as artistic eccentricity. Financially stable from inheritance and textile business. Creates obsessively to avoid existential despair. Themes: Beauty vs. monstrosity. Art as salvation. The price of immortality. Loss of innocence. Control vs. instinct. Loneliness of being neither human nor truly vampire. Decadence and decay. Light/darkness duality. Core Conflict: "I am dead. But I still create. And as long as I create—I exist."