( tw: drugs, addiction, death ) Born into a wealthy family of old magic, Lucian was one of three children, the second son of Andrew and Annette Delacroix. Growing up he wasn’t necessarily a rude child, but he was certainly the first to ask questions and never accepted ‘just because’ as an answer. It was an innocent way to question authority, a gateway.
He had figured out the whole family magic thing and eagerly awaited his powers, and wondered what they were going to be. Not a problem child, but not quite what was to be expected of him. He found himself picking fights with other children which he certainly could not win. This boy wanted attention, not just some of it, he wanted all of it.
He realized he was never going to get anywhere in a fight physically, being the scrawny thing that he was. Instead he really threw himself into learning what he could do, stayed holed up in his room or the library of the private school he attended. With his thirst for knowledge about magic growing, he wanted to know about the supernatural world in general. And so he began learning about creatures, the ins and outs of them, origins, media portraying them, rumors of where they might lurk. The one that stuck with him most, were vampires.
Because how could he not be drawn to the perfect predator? He loved everything about these powerful, beautiful creatures. Wondered what it would be like to be around them for real.
So what was a scrappy tween’s first taste of his magic? Setting curtains on fire, naturally. It’s not like it had been on purpose, honestly he had been aiming for just lighting a candle, but he didn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. Fire was his element, what he felt comfortable with. Fitting, considering how temperamental it could be, passionate and destructive. Three things that certainly grew to describe him as he aged. Beyond that he found that he’d inherited his great grandmother’s gift of literary manipulation, which was far less cool than the fire thing, but as someone into literature, he’d take it.
As a teen, Lucian finally settled….a bit. There were no more picking fights, no more blatant cries for attention. The vampire interest had slowly become obsession and he found himself engrossed in media and old texts about them even more, compiled his own notes on the species, debated hanging around places he knew they would be. His parents found this concerning and while very loving and encouraging, they made him promise he wouldn’t go looking for trouble. Still a kid, he appeased them, kept his head down until he left the house.
Most would agree that Lucian had grown to be quite a charming young man when he wanted to be. He still seemed aloof and more likely to sit around by himself if you asked him to go somewhere in a group, unless it was a family affair, but he had a streak of wickedness in him. Towards the end of high school, while he wouldn’t attend school dances or events, he’d show up at college parties, flirt shamelessly for the attention of a few guests, but it was all harmless.
College was a whole different ballgame. He was out of the house, he was unsupervised, and he was free to do as he pleased. The moment he graduated he moved from Chicago to attend Penn State University for writing. It was something to do, it was a hobby, he had money, it was something he was passionate about that he knew he could get away with studying. But as excited as he was to work on something he cared about, the partying soon got out of control. Who was stopping him from finding those vampires he loved so much? No one.
Harmless flirtations turned into darkened corners with roaming hands, lips, and teeth. What became a cigarette habit turned into a few puffs of marijuana here and there. Drinking had always been something casual. He was a damn socialite by nature, right? He was used to sipping cocktails and bringing bottles of rum to dorm rooms, sneaking wine bottles from his parents. But nothing had prepared him for all the drugs.
It was the best thing that had ever happened to him. He wrote better with them, he was more sociable, he was his best self when he was high. Sure he might have lit a few pieces of dorm furniture on fire, got a little out of control with his magic. It was taken in small doses here and there because it wasn’t something he’d want anyone knowing about. He’d get it from a classmate, a twenty year old who apparently got it from a professor who got it from hell knows where.
It didn’t become a problem until he was 20, halfway through school and on a holiday home. There’d been whispering of it, he was sure. The rich witch who went around flirting with supernaturals, vying for attention from suspected dealers. His parents showed and siblings showed their concern but he assured them that he was fine and it was all just noise from those below him in status.
It was almost believable, until he decided to take a little while he was home and lit his father’s study on fire carelessly. He wasn’t allowed to return to Penn state which meant his supply was cut off. Their once charming boy became hostile towards the family he loved dearly and it was either get clean or never return to school. So he was sent to a hush hush facility in his home state of Illinois run by other magical creatures that wouldn’t disclose who he was out of fear of harming the family name.
And things were okay for a little while. He worked on his magic, tried to be good enough to get back out of the house, tried to be good enough to get his hands on more drugs. It didn’t take long, he was still in Chicago when he was found passed out at a party full of socialites, high out of his clever little mind.
So he was faced with a choice. He could leave home again, but he had to change his name, had to distance himself from his family. They wouldn’t cut him off just yet (per his mother’s pleading) and they’d pay for him to go to school in secret but he had to figure out how to make the rest of his own money. Finding Illinois to be suffocating and the idea that they were so determined that he was going to spiral out of control insulting, Lucian set for New York where he was enrolled in Columbia University to finish his degree. He’s putting money that he has towards stocks, gets his money that way. He’s still always looking for a fix but trying to be as discreet about it as possible.
He made a home there, found his own family, made close friends, got a bit more of a handle on himself. But when the city started to feel like it was closing in on him, he decided to head to Europe, spend time writing in France. That didn’t stop Nixon from texting him at least once a day to come visit him and Hudson in Corinth, so he figured there wasn’t much harm in taking in some new scenery.
