I'm extremely thrilled—*giggling and kicking my feet like a total fan girl* 🤭—to share this gorgeous art by @bqpsy of the very lovely Prince Lettow and my OC Wynter. She handled them so well, and it goes without saying that she's unbelievably talented. Check her out if you can!
I always imagined Wynter to have an air of reluctance even in her most intimate moments with Lettow. Sure, she gives off those "La Femme Nikita" vibes and knows she's good at what she does, but she's terribly insecure and has doubts as to whether Lettow can truly accept her for what she is. Unfortunately, she isn't the type to communicate openly, so I always wonder how her relationship with Lettow would pan out deep in the Gehenna War in Cairo.
Oh, by gosh, by golly! It's none other than hit girl Wynter and bird boy Lettow. So, uh, I decided to bite the bullet and try out one of these for the first time. A thousand thank you's to:
@its-sixxers for Wynter's stunning portrait ✨
@mortifying-macaroni for the cutest couple chibis everrr 💜
@rattenprince and @medeaft for helping the lil ol' noob me with design-related shenanigans 🙏
@swoomoo @dostoevskybignaturals - Thank you, I love you all so much! <3
What common/uncommon fear do they have?
Wynter has plenty that haunt her. One of her greatest fears is being fully consumed by Aila—a prisoner to the doppelgänger where life moves on without her, and she would be invisible while Lettow neither notices nor cares. Another is that she was truly born wrong, and no one, including Lettow, will ever accept her after knowing the actual monster she is.
Other fears concern her past catching up to her. Firstly, having to face her sire, Violetta/Chiara, whom she burned bridges with and in turn, The Family, who will always want something from her. It’s not a question whether it happens, it’s a question of when. Secondly, she's scared to think if Lucien is dead, as a life without his existence is unimaginable. However, if he is alive, will he show up unannounced and secrets be spilled?
Do they have any pet peeves?
Are you the touchy-feely sort? Don't, just don't. It’s an old habit, but she avoids touch and it takes a lot for her to get accustomed to it. Some never feel right at all. She's also suspicious of people who are friendly or over-familiar, quickly resorting to her death mask, cold-hearted and impassive, emanating an unworldly aura to keep them away. Finally, if you talk too much (looking at you, Julian 🤨), then you’re really asking for a barbed remark that’ll shut you up.
What are 3 items you can find in their bedroom?
... The very same rosary she used to pray with Lucien as a child, hung haphazardly alongside a black satin bra by the dresser.
... An assortment of weapons, including her Nighthawk Custom and a sniper rifle, modelled after her father’s old hunting rifle.
... Stashed within a bundle of clippings is a torn off news piece, yellowing and curled at the edges, in faded print, detailing a terrible incident at her old family mansion.
... (Bonus) An evidence board of suspected Sabbat hotspots in Cairo.
What do they notice first in a person?
Their pulse points and heart rate, where their blood is rushing to, weak spots, what makes them uncomfortable, how do they hurt, what can she use to her advantage?
On a scale of 1 to 10, how high is their pain tolerance?
A pretty high number in general? This girl has had weird bodily aches and pains since young, things that she couldn’t control or understand. On top of that, experiencing the Hecata Kiss as a mortal is quite something. Violetta lingered an extra few, sadistically or not, to remind her of suffering and what The Family could bring if she didn’t take heed. Although Wynter works as a courier, she’s a hunter, first and foremost. She’s had her fair share of battles and the marks to prove it. Finally, Wynter is aware of the immeasurable pain that exists on a different plane to the one we live in.
Do they go into fight or flight mode when under pressure? (or freeze and fawn)
Fight, but she’ll toy with you and do you dirty from the shadows, keeping her distance and waiting for the opportune moment to strike. Don’t worry, she plays the long game and can sure hold a grudge.
What animal represents them best?
A parasite. Wynter has always felt like an entity living in a host, so much so that she’s even jokingly referred to her body as a “skin bag,” or the “skin I wear.” It has a function and purpose, and does the job. This is possibly why she has an interest in the Kuei-Jin, and wishes to find out more about her ancestral ties with them, when the Della Passaglias traded in the Orient.
She also has a methodical approach to things, and the patience to infiltrate without much fanfare. Take the auction house in Night Road for example. Let’s just say she got in and out with what she wanted, no drama except leaving Chiara and Edouard in the dust to argue with each other about whose fault it was for being blindsided.
Others see her as a parasite for latching on to Lettow, enjoying the influence that he has, where she’s the gold digger and he’s her sugar daddy. She pretends not to be affected by this, but wonders if one day she’ll drain him dry.
How would a stranger likely describe them?
“Stuck-up, pale ass bitch who gives me the heebie-jeebies. I swear, I didn’t even see her enter the room and she’s right behind me, standing there like a fucking statue. Would look prettier if she smiled.”
— Individual was found dead later due to an unknown cause.
Do they have any hobbies?
Joyriding in the desert with Elena (and Gretchen?? 😱), long walks in the outdoors (either accompanied by Lettow or alone), collecting scraps and trinkets linked to her past.
Hello I require more information about Wynter. My character autism has been activated. I must know more.
Hello there! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your patience and interest in my beloved, I know it took a while. Here's a brief history of Wynter and her family, leading up to Night Road events:
(Adding a 'read more' due to topics of violence, sex, death, and incest)
Wynter della Passaglia was born in 1977 in a small, sleepy town of Louisiana. She is a third generation American of Chinese and Italian heritage, an only child with a Catholic upbringing. Her parents did not know that they are part of an obscure bloodline of the Giovanni as the ones that came before them either purposely removed themselves or were shunned from such dealings years ago. Though they tried to represent themselves as an ordinary, functioning family, there was nothing normal about them, and this manifested itself in various ways. Think "Southern Gothic family mansion housed full of skeletons and secrets." Bonus tidbit: Wynter's mother potentially had ties to the Kuei-Jin.
Growing up, Wynter became rather fond of and close to her uncle, Lucien, the younger brother of Wynter's father, pushing 40 yet single and never married. Although he was a busy man working as a Lieutenant at the Criminal Investigation Division in a neighboring city, he always made time for her, spoiling her with gifts. From a young age, Wynter felt as if she had the Beast within her and started acting out. Lucien recognized this as an innate bloodlust that needed to be sated and took her hunting, teaching her to use her father's rifle and a handgun, as well as taxidermy. This quelled the desire within her. Bonus tidbit: Lucien was the sole family member who was somewhat aware of the Kindred world and eventually became a ghoul to a mysterious benefactor.
Throughout this period, there was an undeniable attraction that rippled off Lucien and Wynter like a calling in their blood. They tried their best to ignore this and did not act on it. Lucien dated other women and in return, Wynter put on her coquettish charm, hitching rides in cars with older guys and hooking up with them. During one such ride, the man she was with turned out to be a Rodney Alcala type with less than savory intentions. Too bad he didn't know that she had killer instincts too. She managed to escape and together with Lucien, tortured and brutally murdered the man before covering it up. Sexually aroused by her first real kill, Wynter gave in to her attraction to Lucien and they became intimate for the first time.
Afterward, Wynter skipped town as she was overwhelmed by the whole ordeal and decided to start afresh in a new city. Although she never told anyone about her whereabouts, she received postcards every year in the mail with cryptic clues. Struggling to make a living, she pawned off—unknown to her—a family heirloom in the form of a silver photo frame. Word got back to The Family and Violetta della Passaglia found her, Embracing her on the spot in 2000, at the tender age of 23.
I won't go too much into Night Road, but the difficult years and betrayal of trust by Julian hardened Wynter, turning her naïveté into the stone-cold, cynical, femme fatale courier that we know her as today. Needless to say, she and Julian are on irreparable terms, especially after she efficiently dispatched of his ghoul, Nadia. On the other hand, what started out as a strange, mutual affection with Lettow developed into something more. Yes, they are still navigating their relationship in light of the Aila incident, and yes they have a bunch of communication issues to work through, but having each other is enough for them and ultimately, better than learning to live without. Apart from that, Wynter has aligned herself with the Camarilla, taken on Elena as a ghoul, and followed Lettow to Cairo, where they are heavily entrenched in the Gehenna War.
I'm literally awestruck by this beautiful piece that I commissioned @arc-tu-rus to create 🥹 She's such a lovely, sweet-hearted and talented artist who really outdid herself here. I cannot thank her enough for putting her all into this artwork 🙏 Her commissions are open, so do check it out if you're interested!
Here, Lettow and my Hecata OC, Wynter, share a tender moment in the forests of modern day Poland, maybe even somewhere the former Prince of Tucson was familiar with. This was their private fairytale wedding they wanted to indulge in, knowing that their future lies in uncertainty. Their nights may be numbered, especially with the Gehenna War looming ahead, but at least they had this night together.
