Character Name: The name’s Maria. I was born a Villalobos but that was so long ago, does it even really matter anymore? Everyone knows me as Maria. The Maria. Infamy does have it’s perks.
Age/Birthdate: I was turned when I was just sixteen years old, but that was over two hundred years ago. Somewhere in the late seventeen hundreds, if I remember correctly.
Family: The memories of my human life are a bit hazy. I know that I was not the first nor the last daughter. I remember my name, the scent of my mother’s perfume, and the image of my father on his horse. But other than that, nothing. My creator, that is a different story. Him. Antonio. I could never forget him. And my sisters, Lucy and Nettie, treacherous girls though they ended up being, I still would call them family. Of course there were my others, my children, if you will. I made more than I can count and most I can't even recall their names. Only a few who were useful enough to burn their names and faces into my memory. Like Jasper. My Jasper. I haven’t forgotten about him. He better not have forgotten me.
Personality: I’m not nice, if that’s what your asking. I’m a vampire. I drink blood, take lives. And I like it. Gives me a thrill. So I suppose you could say that I like power a little too much. That’s not to say that I’m delusional about my abilities. I know when to retreat, when to fall back. But if there is a limit, I will push until I find it. And then I will see if I can break it. Some might call me juvenile. Petulant. Childish. But how can I not be sometimes? I was just a girl when I was made, subject to flights of fancy, every-changing whims, and furious tantrums both in my human and vampire years. And I've always had extraordinary powers at my fingertips. Forgive me if restraint is not in my vocabulary.
Special Abilities: My ability is not as flashy or grand as some, but it's helpful nonetheless. Sometimes I come across someone and I can see something, deep inside of them, that sets them apart from anyone else. It's hard to tell in humans. They're too mundane, too tied to this simple world. All I get is an inkling, a bit of something tugging at my mind, telling me to give them a second look. But when that person is turned, then I can see them for what they are and see their abilities flourish. What was just a small flame has now become a roaring fire. And I help get them started.
Appearance: I was changed at sixteen but I can look younger depending on what I wear, or how I carry myself. It's more difficult to masquerade older. I'm petite, thin, frail looking some might say, standing a five feet, three inches. Heels help. My eyes are still dark red. I enjoy blood too much for them to be any other color. Skin is pale, of course, and cold. I’m just like everyone else. I keep my black hair long. Long hair never goes out of style.
Background: I was born. I lived. I died. And then I lived again. As I said before, the memories of my human life are hazy, but my rebirth and from then on has been crystal clear. Antonio was my maker and my closest companion. There were others but we kept our coven small. Too many mouths to feed and too many backs to look out for. I always hungered for more, more blood, more friends, more space, but Antonio kept me in line. Kept my head down. Told me to be happy with what I had.
It was that sort of foolishness that got him killed.
We, of course, weren’t the only vampires in the area, but they were more resourceful, more powerful, and when he wouldn’t join them, they killed those in my coven, saving Antonio for last. They killed him, ripped him apart and burned him before my eyes. A warning sign, to me, the young one. They went away laughing, figuring me to be a coward. They were foolish in their own right. All it did was serve a harsh lesson upon me: kill or be killed.
It took a while to find out who they were. Their leader was Benito, and while he hadn’t deemed my maker a large enough threat to try his new warfare methods, I had heard about them. He was raising armies of newborns, using their newfound strength and decimating covens left and right. Those were the days of larger cabals, and with mine being only four, we did not warrant a full blown attack. Just the murder of my beloved, my leader, my protector, and a warning of who was in charge.
Unfortunately I was never allowed to extract my revenge. The Volturi came and wiped Benito and his coven all out, a new warning that they would come for us should we follow in his footsteps. But I had long stopped caring about what these supposed “stronger” vampires thought. I refused to be chased away, looking over my shoulder. And I wasn’t the only one. Once the Italians left, the fighting resumed. Now everyone knew the secret to success. If I wanted to survive, to hold my land, I needed my own army.
It was taxing, and terrible, but I carved a name for myself. Over the years I took on a few under my wing, fellow vampires who were struggling on their own to survive this war. Nettie and Lucy, joined me some years apart from each other, but both hungry for vengeance and power. Together, we were a force to be reckoned with. Occasionally we would lose, but everyone knew that the moment we regained our footing we would be back, stronger and angrier than ever. It was on one of these such sad occasions that we came upon Jasper.
Now he was something. I hadn’t yet encountered anyone like him. At the time, every human we met and ever newborn we made was nothing special. Later on I would meet others, different with different abilities, that made me realize that our kind had even more potential. That my Jasper had more than just a knack and I had more than just a feeling.
But at the time, all I knew was that there was something about Jasper. He could take people and command them, truly command them. Make them at ease, help them listen to directions. How much was his ability and how much was his intuitive leadership, I'm still not sure, but regardless, he helpful to my cause. We would create an army, use them to our ends, and when their strength waned after they reached their year mark, we would dispose of them. Again and again we did this until our infamy grew. All because of Jasper. Such a dear. He even helped me get rid of those backstabbing excuses for sisters I had. It was a wonderful time.
For decades he stayed by my side, sharing my joy and my victory with me. But over the years he grew distant. Depressed, even. It hurt to see him like this, sad to the point of uselessness. I had planned on taking him out of his misery, destroy him myself. I cared for him that much to not let anyone else do it. But he left and I would not chase him. If he wanted to live that life, I would let him. If he wished to throw my gift away, then he could. I had other things to take care of.
Maintaining armies was harder without him, but eventually the order from the Italians came again: stop or be stopped. So I did. I was a lone vampire, a dozen or so newborns at my back, sure, but still no match for the Volturi. So I left my land and traveled. Back to the country of my human forefathers and beyond. I took companions here and there but disposed of them along the way. I had my fill of so called long term companionship.
Lyrics: Bite Hard well its a broken smile, breaking their hearts and breaking their minds; Bite Hard, a survival guide, edges and lines and we ride together, Bite Hard. |
