Emrys Bordeaux, 25/1000+, Original Vampire
TW: death, murder, addiction
Emrys’ parents chose a name of great power for their son. Being linked to the wizard Merlin they hoped it would guide him towards being a great witch. No one could have forseen just how apt the name would be. With the meaning immortal the name is rather fitting for a vampire who can never die. Not that this was ever the life that Emrys wanted for himself or any of his siblings. When the Tallis family first mentioned their plan Emrys was hesitant. He’d seen what dark magic could do having watched his childhood friend try and master it before it consumed and killed him. Despite his gut feeling Emrys agreed and stood with his siblings; grieved by the death of his youngest siblings Emrys wished to take action. Once the spell was complete Emrys soon wished he had listened to his instincts.
The spell made the Bordeaux siblings into something terrible, something born out of dark magic. Emrys hated what he and his siblings had become and as they discovered more about what they were the harder it became for the original vampire. Then he had his first taste of witches’ blood. It had always smelled differently, sweeter and more appealing, but from that first drop Emrys knew it tasted different as well. It was intoxicating, better than the blood of any human. It was as if he could taste the magic, and that magic flowed from their veins into his. Emrys have never felt so good, and he quickly fell into a destructive pattern.
It had been the only thing that had soothed his troubled mind, and Emrys wanted that feeling again. He became addicted to witch’s blood. Human blood satisfied his hunger but nothing else. Soon he stopped drinking human blood altogether, preferring to starve. Whilst many of his siblings went on to find their new place in the world Emrys only fell deeper and deeper. He began traveling the world hunting witches down, repeatedly killing what had once been his own kind. As his hunger grew so did his guilt, he hated himself for his actions but he couldn’t stop. Any remorse disappeared as soon as he fed. Emrys knew that his siblings would help if he asked, but Emrys wasn’t ready to face reality. He spent centuries avoiding them so they couldn’t see how far he had fallen.
Then Thaddeus came into his life, a vampire who had been turned by one his siblings. It didn’t take him long to realise the repetitive cycle of addiction that Emrys had gotten caught up in. He offered his help, but Emrys refused. Thaddeus was not to be deterred, however, and spent the next two centuries following Emrys around. He watched silently as Emrys killed witch after witch, he helped the original vampire clean up the messes his addiction caused. He waiting patiently until Emrys was ready to ask for his help, and his patience paid off. After eight hundred years of addiction Emrys was finally ready to ask for help.
It was a slow and painful process having to come to terms with everything he become and everything he had done. Emrys gave up many times, but Thaddeus was there for him every time. Thaddeus was Emrys’ rock, and his determination to help Emrys only pushed Emrys to keep going, to get clean. In time Emrys discovered that despite being a vampire he could still be a force of good. He had allowed negativity and fear to rule his decisions, but Emrys vowed no more. He began trying to have a more positive outlook on life; and with Thaddeus, someone he had come to love, it was made that much easier.
The biggest test for Emrys came a hundred years into his sobriety when Thaddeus was killed by a hunter. If Emrys had a beating heart he was sure it would have broken. The pain was almost unbearable, and Emrys longed to drink from a witch to dull it. Whilst the pain of Thaddeus’ death tempted him, it was the memory of him that kept Emrys strong. He knew exactly what the other vampire would say, and knew that he wouldn’t want his death to be a catalyst for Emrys. For the first time in centuries, Emrys looked for his siblings, his time spent with Thaddeus giving him the strength to ask for their forgiveness and their help.
When the Fitzpatrick’s were killed Emrys was prepared, and for a month he didn’t go anywhere without one of his siblings who were the only ones capable of preventing him from killing another witch. He has never stopped trying to become a force of good and has won many awards for charity for himself and for BITE. Emrys knows that his addiction will most likely always be with him, but he accepted that it is a burden he must carry. He just wants to be strong enough to help his family fight their new foes, wanting to finally be able to help them and give back. Emrys can still struggle to be positive, and his positive words often resemble sarcasm more than anything else, but he’s trying. Emrys had learned to see the good in everything, including himself.
+ thoughtful, patient, generous, passionate
– cautious, remorseful, reserved, self-loathing
Emrys loves cats and finds them fascinating. His apartment is always full of strays he’s taken in or rescue cats he’s fostered. There are two cats that are permanent occupants. One is an old Siberian cat who struggled to find a home due to his medical needs. Emrys fell in love with him straight away and was more than happy to adopt him. The second is a mixed breed cat he found as a kitten, the kitten immediately bonded with the vampire and Emrys knew the kitten would never leave. He’s named the older cat King and the younger one Duchess.
Whilst many of his siblings have come to forgive the Davenports over the centuries, or are at least on the path to forgiveness the same cannot be said for Emrys who still harbours a deep hatred for the original werewolves. Perhaps his addiction has meant that he hasn’t been able to deal with the seething whirlpool of negative emotions he has for them, or perhaps he’s simply just not ready to forgive. Everything bad that has happened can be traced back to that night. The night the Davenports killed their siblings. Emrys knows he’s responsible for his own actions since becoming a vampire, but it’s their actions that led to him becoming one.
Emrys can often come across as arrogant and vain, but this is a facade few get to see past. Social situations have never been easy for Emrys but they are made easier by acting cocky and flirtatious. Emrys will flirt with everyone, despite being gay.
Emrys’ biggest priority is his family, he knows that for most of their vampire existence he has been absent and is doing his best to build bridges. He’s finding it harder with some than others, especially those who have relationships with the Davenports. In the last hundred years Emrys has had to get to know them all over again. He knows he’s not there yet but Emrys hopes to become the supportive and considerate brother he was as a witch.
It has been two hundred years since Emrys last touched a drop of witch blood. He has begun regularly attending AA meetings, which he has found surprisingly useful. Emrys has to change some of the details, but with the similarities between alcohol addiction and his own he hasn’t had to change the important things. Being around witches still makes him anxious, and he does his best to avoid them.
Emrys does a lot of charity work, but more recently most of his efforts have been going into helping those affected by the Ouroboro’s actions. Knowing it was the original families that brought them here he can’t help but feel a little guilty.
Occupation: Director of Outreach for the Bordeaux Foundation
Residence: Upper West Side
